For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
August 4, 2004
Vice President's Remarks at Jefferson County Fairgrounds
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
Golden, Colorado
August 4, 2004
5:05 P.M. MDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Lynne. (Laughter.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Knock it off. (Laughter.) What are you guys
doing for the next 90 days? (Laughter.) All right, come on along, and
we'll go have a good time on the campaign.
We're delighted to be here in Colorado tonight. We've got many
fond memories of this state. I spent the year before Lynne and I got
married commuting from Laramie down to Boulder, until she finally
agreed to marry me. It took a long time. (Laughter.)
I explain to a lot of people that the reason we got married is
because Dwight Eisenhower got elected President of the United States in
1952. I see a lot of wonder out there. (Laughter.) Where is he going
with this story? But in 1952, I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska with my
folks. Dad worked for the Soil Conservation Service. Eisenhower got
elected. Dad got transferred to Casper, Wyoming. And that's where I
met Lynne. And we grew up together, went to high school together, and
later this month, we'll mark our 40th wedding anniversary.
(Applause.) But I told people the other night -- I said, if it hadn't
been for Eisenhower's election victory in 1952, Lynne would have
married somebody else. (Laughter.) And she said, right, and now he'd
be Vice President of the United States. (Laughter.) It's absolutely
true.
Well, it's great to be here today. This looks like Bush-Cheney
country. (Applause.)
And I want to thank your Congressman, Ben Beauprez, for being with
us today --( applause) -- and handling master of ceremonies.
(Applause.) And I know we've got Congressman Tom Tancredo with us, as
well. (Applause.) I had the opportunity to campaign for Bob earlier
this year, as well as the last time he ran two years ago -- I know
you're going to send Bob and Tom back to Washington to serve in the
United States Congress. (Applause.)
Congress is well led by Governor Bill Owens -- Colorado is well led
by Governor Bill Owens. (Applause.) And your United States senators,
Wayne Allard and Ben Nighthorse Campbell. (Applause.) And although
we're sorry to see Ben step down, we know you're going to replace him
with a Republican United States senator. (Applause.)
It's also my privilege to bring best wishes to all of you from our
President, George W. Bush. (Applause.)
Now, you might have heard, there was a little political gathering
up in Boston last week. (Laughter.) Some of you may have watched it.
I didn't. (Laughter.) And now I have an opponent. (Laughter.) No, I
really -- I really do. I have an opponent. I'm told that Senator
Edwards got the job because he's sexy, charming, has great hair.
(Laughter.) And I said "How do you think I got the job?" (Laughter
and applause.)
It's hard to believe, but we're now less than three months from the
election. The President and I are going to be working hard over the
next 90 days. You'll see plenty of us here in Colorado because it's a
key state. We were tremendously proud to carry Colorado in 2000. And
with your help, Bush-Cheney is going to carry Colorado again on
November 2nd. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir. I'm about to talk about
that. (Laughter.)
This election could not come at a more crucial time in our
history. Today we face an enemy every bit as intent on destroying us
as the Axis powers were in World War II, or Soviet Union during the
Cold War. The enemy, in the words of the 9/11 Commission report, is
"sophisticated, patient, disciplined, and lethal." What this enemy
wants, as the 9/11 report explains, is to do away with democracy, end
all rights for women, and impose their way of life on the rest of us.
And as we saw on the morning of 9/11, this enemy is perfectly prepared
to slaughter anyone -- man, woman, or child -- who stands in their
way.
This is not an enemy we can reason with or negotiate with or
appease. This is, to put it quite simply, an enemy that we must
destroy. (Applause.) And with President George W. Bush as our
Commander-in-Chief, that is exactly what we will do. (Applause.)
In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on America, people in
every part of the country, regardless of party, took pride and comfort
in the conduct of our President. They saw a man calm in a crisis,
comfortable with responsibility, and determined to do everything
necessary to protect our people.
Under the President's leadership, we removed the Taliban from power
in Afghanistan and closed down the camps where terrorists trained to
kill Americans. (Applause.) Under the President's leadership, we
removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. (Applause.) This was a man who
had developed weapons of mass destruction, started two wars, and
provided safe haven for terrorists. Saddam Hussein once controlled the
lives and future of nearly 25 million people; tonight, he is in jail.
(Applause.)
Freedom still has enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we will
defeat those enemies. The rise of democracy in that troubled region of
the world will be a crucial setback for the terrorists. Because we
have been strong and resolute, these nations will not go back to the
camp of tyranny and terror. And America will never go back to the
false comforts of the world before 9/11. Terrorist attacks are not
caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of
weakness. (Applause.)
From the beginning, America has sought -- and received --
international support for our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But
as the President made very clear, there is a difference between leading
a coalition of many nations and submitting to the objections of a few.
(Applause.) President Bush will never seek a permission slip to defend
the security of the United States. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We're on the offense in the war on terror, and
the President's opponent, Senator Kerry, doesn't approve.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: He looks at the progress we've made and
charges that somehow we're helping terrorists recruit new members.
That is a deep and dangerous misunderstanding of the war in which we
are engaged. As President Bush said on Monday, it is a ridiculous
notion to assert that because the United States is on the offense, more
people want to hurt us. We are on the offense because people do want
to hurt us. (Applause.)
The murderous acts of 9/11 made that clear. Because we took the
fight to the enemy, the terrorist training camps are now closed.
(Applause.) Because we've taken the fight to the enemy, we've been
able to uncover critical information about terrorist plots, including
preparations that they have underway to attack the United States. The
specific terror alert that Secretary Ridge issued this week came in
large part from information we captured abroad. Our fight against the
enemy overseas is improving our security here at home. Anyone who does
not understand that going on the offense in the war on terror is vital
to our defense cannot make America safer. (Applause.)
Our nation is extremely fortunate during these times of testing to
have the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform.
(Applause.) Lynne and I were in Colorado Springs on Monday --
(applause) -- with the service members who make up the new Northern
Command, who are doing an outstanding job of defending our homeland.
These men and women represent the very best of the United States of
America. (Applause.)
I note the presence in the crowd here today of veterans from
Vietnam, from Korea, from Desert Storm, from Iraq. I want to thank you
on behalf of all of us for what you've done -- (Applause.)
One of the most important commitments that George W. Bush and I
made during the 2000 campaign was that our armed forces would be given
the resources they need and the respect they deserve, and we have kept
our word to the United States military. (Applause.)
There are some important differences between us and the folks you
saw in Boston last week. (Laughter.) And there's one story that makes
that about as clear as anything could. It starts with Senators Kerry
and Edwards voting yes when the President asked the Congress to
authorize the use of force against Saddam Hussein. But then, when it
came time to vote for funds that would provide our fighting men and
women with body armor, ammunition, jet fuel, and spare parts, Senators
Kerry and Edwards voted no.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Only 12 members of the United States Senate
opposed the funding that would provide vital resources for the troops.
Only four Senators voted for the use of force and against the resources
our men and women in uniform needed once they were in combat. Only
four. Senators Kerry and Edwards were two of those four.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: At first Senator Kerry said that he didn't
really oppose the funding. He both supported and opposed it.
(Laughter.) He said, and I quote, "I actually voted for the $87 billion
before I voted against it." (Laughter.) That sure clears things up.
(Laughter and applause.) Lately he's been saying he's proud that he
and John Edwards voted no, and he explains that his decision was
"complicated." (Laughter.) But funding American troops in combat
should never be a complicated question. (Applause.) It's simply
wrong to vote to commit our troops to combat and then refuse to provide
them with the resources they need. We need a President who will back
our troops 100 percent, and that's exactly what we've got in George W.
Bush. (Applause.)
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another the next. Our country requires
strong and consistent leadership for our actions overseas, and the same
is true for our policies here at home. When President Bush and I stood
on the inaugural platform on the west front of the Capitol and took the
oath of office, January of 2001, our economy was sliding toward
recession. Then, on 9/11, terrorists struck our nation and the economy
was shaken once again. We faced a basic decision -- to leave more
money with families and businesses, or to take more of the American
people's hard-earned money for the federal government. President Bush
made his choice. He proposed and he delivered tax savings to the
American people -- not once, not twice, but three times. (Applause.)
The Bush tax cuts have helped our national economy create jobs now
for 10 consecutive months. We've added more than 1.5 million new jobs
since last August. Here in Colorado, more than 35,000 jobs have been
created since February -- and your unemployment rate is 4.9 percent,
down more than a full point since last summer, and well below the
national average. Home ownership is at an all-time high. Mortgage
rates, and interest rates, and inflation are all low. Consumers are
confident, businesses are investing, and families are taking home more
of what they earn. (Applause.)
We know there are still challenges, especially in our manufacturing
community. The President and I will not be satisfied until every
American who wants to work can find a job. But this is a strong
economy. It's growing stronger. The Bush tax cuts are working.
(Applause.) And over the past year, the economy has grown at a rate of
nearly 5 percent. This is a strong economy, and it's growing stronger
every day. The Bush tax cuts are working. (Applause.)
These past four years have brought historic progress in other areas
as well. Under the President's leadership, we passed Medicare reform,
and gave senior citizens more affordable access to modern medicine and
prescription drugs. Under the President's leadership, we passed a
responsible environmental law called the Healthy Forests Act, and
helped reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires across the West.
(Applause.)
And under the President's leadership and working with our friends
in Congress, we have also taken unprecedented steps to protect the
American people. To give law enforcement the tools they need to track
down terrorists, we passed the Patriot Act. (Applause.) To focus our
government on the mission of protecting the American people, we created
the Department of Homeland Security. (Applause.) To fund cutting edge
drugs and other defenses against a potential biological weapons attack,
we passed Project BioShield. And as the President announced on Monday,
he will also seek enactment of a law to create the position of a
National Intelligence Director, to lead our efforts across intelligence
agencies and to serve as the principal intelligence advisor to the
President. (Applause.) Today, under the President's leadership, every
American can be certain we are doing everything in our power to defend
against another terrorist attack.
Our accomplishments these past four years have made America safer,
stronger, and better. They also demonstrate something about the
character of our President. He didn't go to the White House to mark
time, or to spend his energy on small goals. He went to take on the
big issues, and to make serious reforms. He has led with confidence,
with clear vision, and unwavering purpose. He's made hard choices.
He's kept his word. And that's exactly how he will lead the country
for the next four years. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: In our second term, we will keep moving
forward with our pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda. We will work to make the
Bush tax cuts permanent. (Applause.) We will work to help end lawsuit
abuse because we know that it's a lot easier for America's businesses
to hire workers if they don't have to keep hiring lawyers. (Applause.)
We will work for medical liability reform. America's doctors
should be able to spend their time healing patients, not fighting off
frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.) In our second term, we will continue
to move forward on a comprehensive energy policy to make the nation
less dependent on foreign sources of oil. (Applause.)
Our opponents have a very different vision for our country. They
talk about jobs, yet they never explain how they would put a single
American back to work. They opposed our tax relief, and now they're
proposing massive increases in federal spending.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: They helped block the energy plan in the
Senate. They oppose effective reform of the legal system, and they're
against medical liability reform.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Their big idea for the economy: raise our
taxes.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What we're hearing from the other side is the
failed thinking of the past, and we're not going back. (Applause.)
President Bush and I will also continue to defend our society's
fundamental rights and values. We stand for a culture of life, and
reject the brutal practice of partial birth abortion. (Applause.) We
stand strongly for the Second Amendment and will defend the individual
right of every American to bear arms. (Applause.) We believe that our
nation is "one nation under God." And we believe that Americans ought
to be able to say "under God" when they pledge allegiance to the flag.
We have a situation in the United States Senate where Senate
Democrats -- including Senators Kerry and Edwards -- are using the
filibuster to block the President's nominations to the judiciary.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Recently, Democrats used obstructionist
filibuster tactics to keep the Senate from voting on four of the
nominees that the President sent forward. One of them was Bill Myers,
a Westerner, a friend of mine, somebody I've known for many years, a
fine man with widespread bipartisan support for his personal integrity,
his judicial temperament, and his legal experience. If Bill Myers had
made it to an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor, he had the votes to
be confirmed to the Ninth Circuit, which by the way is the circuit that
decided we should not say "under God" when we pledge allegiance to the
flag.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sounds to me like they could use some new
judges on the Ninth Circuit. (Applause.) What the Democrats are doing
is outrageous, and it's another good reason to make certain Colorado
sends a Republican to replace Ben Campbell in United States Senate.
(Applause.)
On issue after issue, President Bush has a clear vision for the
future of the nation. Abroad, we will use America's great power to
serve great purposes, to protect our homeland by turning back and
defeating the forces of terror, and to spread hope and freedom around
the world. Here at home, we will continue building a prosperity that
reaches every corner of the land so that every child in America has a
chance to learn, to succeed, and to rise in the world. (Applause.)
The President and I are honored by your confidence in us, by your
commitment to the cause we all share. We're grateful to our many
friends across the great state of Colorado. I want to thank you for
this tremendous welcome today. We're proud to have you on the team.
And together, on November 2nd, we'll see our cause forward to victory.
Thank you. (Applause.)
END 5:30 P.M. MDT
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