For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 18, 2004
Remarks by the President at St. Paul, Minnesota
Xcel Energy Center
St. Paul, Minnesota
5:55 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much for coming. Thanks for
having me. I'm glad we came, Mr. Mayor. I'm proud to stand by your
side. I am really proud to have your endorsement. (Applause.) St.
Paul has got a wise and tough and principled man as the mayor of this
city. I appreciate him bucking the political winds to do what he
thinks is right in the 2004 campaign. (Applause.)
You know, there's a lot of differences in this campaign. The other
day, my opponent said he thought you could find the heart and soul of
America in Hollywood. I think you can find it right here in this
hall. (Applause.) I'm proud to be with the heart and soul of America
tonight, and thank you for coming. I'm here to ask for the vote. I'm
in this important state to let the people know I'm asking for the
vote. There is more to do to make America a safer place, a stronger
place, and a better place for every single citizen. (Applause.)
I'm also here to thank the grassroots activists for your support.
I want you to work hard to put up the signs, man the phones, register
your friends and neighbors to vote. I appreciate all your hard work,
and when you get them headed toward the polls, remember that George
Bush and Dick Cheney are what's best for this country. (Applause.)
Thank you. With your help, we will carry the great state of
Minnesota. With your help, we'll achieve a great victory in November
of this year. (Applause.)
I only wish Laura could be here to see and hear this crowd.
(Applause.) She's a wonderful mother and a great wife. Listen, I'm
going to give you some reasons to put me back in, but perhaps the most
important one of all is so that Laura has four more years as the First
Lady. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. Listen, I admit it,
he's not the prettiest face in the race. (Laughter.) I didn't pick
him for his looks. (Laughter.) I picked him for his judgment, his
experience, his ability to get the job done. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be up here with a great United States Senate, Norman
Coleman. I appreciate his service. (Applause.) He's here with his
dad. It's good to see you, Mr. Coleman. Thank you for being here.
(Applause.) I want to thank members of the Minnesota congressional
delegation who are here -- Gil Gutknecht, John Kline, and Mark Kennedy
-- three fine members of the House. Thank you all for coming. Proud
you're here. (Applause.)
I want to thank Pat Anderson and Erik Paulsen for coming. I want
to thank all the elected officials who are here. Thank you for serving
your state and your community. I appreciate Laura Ingraham for being
the emcee of this fine event. (Applause.) I want to thank all the
veterans who are here tonight. I appreciate you coming. I want to
thank my friend, Joe Repya. (Applause.) I want to thank the Minnesota
Teen Challenge Choir for joining us tonight. (Applause.) Thank you
all for coming. And I appreciate my friend, Ricky Skaggs, for being
here, as well. (Applause.)
Most of all, thank you all for taking time out of your day to come
by and say hello. I appreciate it. (Applause.) It means a lot. It
means a lot. You know, in the past few years we've been through a lot
together. We've accomplished a great deal. But there's only one
reason to look backward at the record, and that's to determine who best
to lead this nation forward. (Applause.) I'm asking for the vote
because so much is at stake. We have so much more to do to move this
nation forward. We've got more to do to create jobs and to improve our
schools. We've got more to do to protect our homeland and spread the
peace. We've made much progress and there is more to do.
We have more to do to make our public schools the centers of
excellence we all know they can be so that no child is left behind in
America. (Applause.) You know, when we came to office
three-and-a-half years ago, too many of the children were being
shuffled grade to grade, year after year, without learning the basics.
We challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the
bar. We believe in accountability so we know whether or not our
children can read and write and add and subtract. We're willing to
challenge the status quo if our children are being failed in America.
(Applause.)
There's more work to do. We want our high schools to issue a
diploma that means something. We want to encourage math and science so
our children have the schools necessary to work in the -- for the jobs
of the 21st century. We'll bring the Internet to high-level -- for
high-level training in the classrooms. What I'm telling you is, after
four more years, a rising generation will have the confidence and the
skills necessary to realize the great promise of America. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make quality health care available and
affordable. You might remember the old debates on Medicare. Year
after year, the politicians would promise you a modernized Medicare
system. We got the job done. (Applause.) Beginning in 2006, all
seniors on Medicare will be able to choose the plan that suits their
needs and gives them coverage for prescription drugs. We've done
more. We've expanded community health centers for low-income Americans
so they can get primary care in places other than emergency rooms in
your hospitals. We've created health savings accounts so families can
save tax-free for their own health care needs. When it comes to giving
Americans more choices for their own health care and making health care
more affordable, we are moving America forward. (Applause.)
Most Americans get their health care coverage through their work.
Most of today's new jobs are created by small businesses, which too
often cannot afford to provide health care. To help more American
families get health insurance, we must allow small employers to join
together to purchase insurance at the discounts that big companies are
able to do. (Applause.)
We'll harness technology to reduce costs and prevent mistakes.
We'll do more to expand research and seek new cures. And to make sure
we've got available and affordable health care, we must have medical
liability reform. (Applause.) I don't think you can be pro-doctor and
pro-patient and pro-plaintiff attorney at the same time. I think you
have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on the
ticket. I made my choice. I stand with the patients and doctors. I
support medical liability reform now. (Applause.) In all we do to
improve health care in America, we'll make sure the health decisions
are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington,
D.C. (Applause.)
And there's more work to be done to make our economy stronger. Our
economy's been through a lot. We've been through a recession. We've
been through a terror attack that some estimated cost us a million
jobs. We've been through corporate scandals. But we've overcome these
obstacles, because the spirit of America is strong. We've got great
workers, great farmers, great small business owners. (Applause.) And
we've overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
(Applause.)
You know, we didn't pick winners or losers when it came to tax
relief. We did it the fair way. We said, if you pay federal income
taxes, you ought to get relief. (Applause.) We helped our families
with children. We reduced the marriage penalty. It's a bad tax system
that penalizes marriage. We ought to be encouraging marriage in
America. (Applause.) We helped our small businesses, and this time,
the check actually was in the mail. (Applause.) Because we acted, our
economy has, since last summer, has grown at a rate as fast as any in
nearly 20 years. Because we acted, America has added 1.5 million new
jobs since last August and the unemployment rate is down to 5.5
percent. (Applause.) Because we acted, Minnesota's unemployment rate
is at 4.4 percent. (Applause.) When it comes to creating jobs, or
moving America forward, and we're not going to turn back. (Applause.)
Our farm economy is strong, and I intend to keep it that way.
(Applause.) I appreciate the farmers who are here today.
There's more work to be done to make sure that we've got jobs here
in America. Listen, we need an energy plan. I submitted a plan to the
United States Congress nearly two years ago; it needs to get to my desk
-- an energy plan that encourages conservation, renewable sources of
energy; an energy plan that encourages the exploration of natural
resources here close to home in environmentally friendly ways. But one
thing is certain: For the sake of economic security, and the sake of
national security, we must become less dependent on foreign sources of
energy. (Applause.)
We got to make sure our workers have the skills necessary to fill
the jobs of the 21st century. That's why I'm a strong backer of
lifetime learning for America's workers and the smart utilization of
our community college system here in this country.
In order to make sure we've got jobs here in America, we need
reasonable regulations on our business creators, our job creators. We
need tort reform. In order to keep jobs here in America, we've got to
make sure we open up markets for Minnesota products, and reject
economic isolationism. In order to keep jobs here in America, we've
got to be wise about how we spend your money, and keep your taxes low.
(Applause.)
We have a difference in opinion on this campaign about taxes. My
opponent said that he's going to -- he promised about over $2 trillion
of new programs. And so we said, well, how are you going to pay for
it? He said, well, I'll pay for it by taxing the rich. You've heard
that before, haven't you? You've heard that line. That's why people
hire accountants and lawyers, so you won't be able to tax them. You
can't raise enough money to pay for all his spending by so-called
taxing the rich. He's going to try to stick you with the tax bill.
We're not going to let him raise your taxes. He's not going to win.
(Applause.) When you put me back into office for four more years, I'll
continue to pursue a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-farmer agenda
that enables America to remain the strongest economy in the
industrialized world. (Applause.)
We have more to do to wage and win the war against terror.
America's future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If
America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will
drift toward tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch.
(Applause.)
The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that
day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan
served as the home base of al Qaeda, which trained and deployed
thousands of killers to set up terror cells in dozens of countries,
including our own. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising
democracy, Afghanistan is an ally in the war against the terrorists,
and many young girls go to school for the first time in their lives.
(Applause.) Because we acted, America and the world are safer.
Before September the 11th, the ruler in Libya was spending millions
to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our
allies have sent a strong and easy to understand message, the leader of
Libya abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and America
and the world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of
America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American
pilots who were enforcing the world's sanctions. He had pursued and
used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored terrorists. He invaded
his neighbors. He subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He
murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of
great instability in the world's most volatile region. Saddam Hussein
was a threat. (Applause.)
One of the important lessons that we must never forget, is that
after September the 11th, we must take threats seriously before they
fully materialize. (Applause.) I recognize that. I realized that and
so I went to the United States Congress and said, I believe there is a
threat in Iraq. Members of the Congress, the House and the Senate,
members of both political parties, including my opponent, came to the
same conclusion: Saddam Hussein was a threat. Listen, the hardest
decision a President ever makes is to commit those who wear our uniform
into combat. It's a hard decision. And it ought to be the last option
for a President. So I went to the United Nations. And I said to the
United Nations, I said, I believe there's a threat. They looked at the
same intelligence, they remembered the same history, and came to the
same conclusion. They passed a resolution, 15 to nothing, that said
that Saddam Hussein disclose, disarm or face serious consequences.
The world spoke. But as he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein
defied the world. He wasn't about to disclose or disarm, because he
didn't think there were serious consequences. As a matter of fact, we
sent -- we didn't -- the U.N. sent inspectors into Iraq, but he
systematically deceived the inspectors. I knew he was systematically
deceiving the inspectors, as did others. So I had a choice to make:
either to forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman
who is a sworn enemy of America, or take action necessary to defend
this country. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we expected to
find, I want you to remember that Saddam Hussein had the capability of
making weapons, and he could have passed that capability on to our
enemies. And that was a risk we could not afford to take after
September the 11th. (Applause.) Knowing what I know today, I would
have taken the same course of action. America and the world are safer
with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.)
Now, almost two years after he voted for the war in Iraq, and seven
months after switching positions to declare himself the anti-war
candidate, my opponent has found a new nuance -- he now agrees it was
the right decision to go into Iraq. After months of questioning my
motives, and even my credibility, the Massachusetts Senator now agrees
with me that even though we have not found the stockpiles of weapons we
all believed were there, knowing everything we know today, he would
have voted to go into Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power. I
appreciate him clarifying his position. (Laughter and applause.)
There are -- however -- however, there are still 76 days left in the
campaign for him to change his mind. (Applause.)
We have more to do. I'm running because I understand there's more
work to be done. We must continue to work with friends and allies
around the world to aggressively pursue the terrorists in Afghanistan,
Iraq, and elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to these people. You
can't negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best. We must
engage these enemies around the world so we do not have to face them
here at home. (Applause.)
America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to join us in the defeat
of our enemies. Listen, there's nearly 40 nations involved in
Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in Iraq. I appreciate the
sacrifices the moms and dads and husbands and wives of those countries
are making, alongside those of our country to secure our freedom.
(Applause.) We will continue to build alliances and work with our
friends for the cause of security and peace. I will never turn over
America's national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
(Applause.)
We will keep our commitments to help Afghanistan an Iraq become
peaceful democratic societies. See, these two nations are now governed
by strong leaders who believe in the hopes and aspirations of their
people. And we have a clear goal in those two countries: peaceful and
democratic societies which are allies of our in the war on terror. We
will help those people meet those goals by providing security as the
political process moves forward. We will help them train their own
troops, so they can step up and do the hard work necessary for a free
society. Our military will complete this mission as quickly as
possible so our troops do not stay a day longer than necessary.
(Applause.)
We have a difference of opinion as to how to handle this issue in
Iraq. After all, my opponent said the other day that if he's elected,
the number of troops in Iraq will be significantly reduced within six
months. I don't think it's a wise statement. You see, it sends the
wrong signal. I mean, after all, the enemy says, fine, I'll wait six
months and one day. It sends the wrong signal to our troops. It sends
the wrong signal to the Iraqis. See, they're watching carefully. They
wonder whether or not we will stand with them as they do the hard work
for a free society to emerge. So long as I am the President, when
America gives its word, America will keep its word. (Applause.)
In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the men and
women that wear our uniform. I'm really proud of our military. We've
got a fantastic military. (Applause.) I've traveled our country and
met with our troops. I've seen their great decency and their unselfish
courage. Ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you the cause of freedom
is in really good hands. (Applause.)
I have made a commitment to them and to their loved ones: our
troops will have the resources they need to fight and win the war
against the terrorists. (Applause.) So last September I went to the
Congress, while our troops were in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and
I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their mission. This
was an important piece of legislation. It was money for body armor and
vital equipment, for hazard pay, for health benefits, ammunition, fuel
and spare parts. We received great bipartisan support. Members of
both political parties recognized that when you had people in harm's
way, they deserve the full support of government. As a matter of fact,
it was such good bipartisan support only 12 members of the United
States Senate voted against it -- two of whom are my opponent and his
running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they asked him to explain his vote. He said:
Well, I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against
it. (Laughter.) I don't think they talk that way in St. Paul,
Minnesota. (Applause.) They pressed him on the vote and he said,
well, he's proud of the vote. Then he finally said, the whole thing is
a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about supporting our
troops in combat. (Applause.)
In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force, alone.
We'll work to change the conditions that give rise to terror: poverty
and hopelessness and resentment. You see, a free and peaceful Iraq,
and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will serve as powerful examples in
a part of the world that is desperate for freedom. (Applause.) Free
countries do not export terror. Free countries do not stifle the
dreams of their citizens. By serving the ideal of liberty, we're
bringing hope to others, and that makes America more secure. By
serving the ideal of liberty, we're spreading the peace that we all
want. (Applause.) And by serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving
the deepest ideals of America. We understand freedom is not America's
gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and
woman in this world. (Applause.)
We have more to do to protect America. There are enemies who hate
us, and they're still plotting. It's the reality of the world we live
in today. We have a difference of opinion about these folks. My
opponent says that going to war with the terrorists is actually
improving their recruiting efforts. I think the logic is wrong. I
think is shows a misunderstanding of the enemy we face. See, during
the 1990s, the terrorists were recruiting and training for war with us
long before we went to war with them. (Applause.) They don't need an
excuse for their hatred. I think it's wrong to blame the actions of
our country for the anger and evil of those killers. (Applause.) You
don't create terrorists by fighting back. We defeat the terrorists by
fighting back. (Applause.)
We're working hard here at home to protect you. There's a lot of
really good, decent people at the federal level, the state level, the
first responders here in St. Paul, Minnesota, that are working long
hours to do everything we can to protect the American people. This is
our most solemn duty. It's what we're called to do. We created the
new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the Patriot Act. The
Patriot Act is necessary for law enforcement to be able to protect
you. (Applause.) We're integrating intelligence and law enforcement
better than before. I've already taken a lot of action on a majority
of the 9/11 Commission recommendations. We're working hard to secure
our ports and our borders, to train first responders, to improve
dramatically our intelligence-gathering capability.
We're working on reform. It's not easy in Washington to reform
things. There's a lot of entrenched interests there. There's a lot of
people interested in defending the status quo. You see, it's not
enough to advocate reform; you have to be able to get the job done.
(Applause.)
When it comes to reforming our schools to provide excellent
education for every child, we're getting the job done. (Applause.)
When it comes to health care reforms to get families and seniors more
access and more choices, we're getting the job done. (Applause.) When
it comes to improving our economy and creating quality jobs, we're
getting the job done. (Applause.) When it comes to better securing
the homeland and spreading freedom and peace, we are getting the job
done. What I'm saying to you is, when it comes to electing a
President, put somebody back in the White House who can get the job
done. (Applause.)
You know, we live in a time -- we live in a time of rapid change.
These are exciting times, and times have changed. It's important for
government to help by standing side by side with families and workers.
And a great way to do that is to promote an ownership society. I'll
continue to promote ownership in America. Listen, it's important for
people to own their own health care account so if they change jobs,
they can take their own health care account with them. If you're a
younger worker -- of you're a younger worker, you ought to be concerned
about the fiscal stability of Social Security. Old baby-boomers like
me are okay, but for younger workers, there's a question about the
fiscal solvency of Social Security, and therefore, I think you ought to
be given the choice to have a personal savings account and Social
Security to call your own. (Applause.)
You know, one of the great -- one of the heartening statistics of
our country today is ownership rates are at an all-time high. It's a
fantastic thought when you think more and more Americans from all walks
of life are opening the door, saying, welcome to my home, welcome to my
piece of property. We want more people to own things. We want to
create an environment so more people own their own business. We want
the small business sector of our economy to remain vibrant and strong.
The reason why I continue to promote an ownership society in America is
because I understand if you own something, you have a vital stake in
the future of the United States of America. (Applause.)
In changing times there's some things that won't change -- our
belief in liberty and opportunity and the non-negotiable demands of
human dignity; the individual values we try to live by -- courage and
compassion, reference and integrity; the institutions that give us
direction and purpose -- our families, our schools, and our religious
congregations. We stand for institutions like marriage and family
which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) We stand for a
culture of life in which every person matter and every person counts.
We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the law, instead of
legislating from the bench. (Applause.) We stand for a culture of
responsibility in America.
Listen, the culture of our country is changing from one that has
said, if it feels good do it, and if you've got a problem, blame
somebody else, to a culture in which each of us understands we're
responsible for the decisions we make in life. If you're fortunate
enough to be a mom or a dad, you are responsible for loving your child
with all your heart and all your soul. (Applause.) If you're worried
about the quality of the education in your community, you're
responsible for doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate
America, you're responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders
and your employees. (Applause.) And in a responsibility society, each
of us is responsible for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be
loved ourselves.
I'm running for four more years to continue to rally the armies of
compassion all across America. See, I understand the limitations of
government. Government can hand out money, but government cannot put
love in a person's heart, or a sense of purpose in a person's life.
That happens when a loving soul puts their arm around somebody who
hurts and says, I love you. What can I do to help you? I want to walk
with you. I want to stand with you. You see, I believe, by rallying
the armies of compassion, we can change America one heart, one soul,
one conscience at a time, to make sure this great American experience
is available to all our citizens. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart.
There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected
of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time where
we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep belief in the values
that make us a great country. (Applause.)
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of
the Twin Towers. It's a day I'll never forget. Workers in hard-hats
were yelling at me, "Whatever it takes." I remember shaking people's
hands and a guy looked me in the eye, his bloodshot eyes, he'd just
come out of the rubble, saying, "Do not let me down." It was a
powerful day. You know, I came away from that site recognizing that
everybody there searching through the rubble took that day personally.
My fellow citizens took it personally. I took it personally. I have a
duty that goes on. Every day that I wake up, I think about how best to
secure our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever
it takes. (Applause.)
We have come through much together. We've done a lot of hard
work. But there's more work to be done to move this country forward.
During the next four years, we will spread opportunity and ownership
throughout every corner of our country. We will pass the enduring
values of our country to another generation. We will continue to work
to spread freedom and peace.
You know, when I campaigned in your state four years ago, I asked
-- when I was asking for the vote, I made a pledge to the people of
Minnesota and the people of our country, that if you honored me with
this great responsibility, I would uphold the dignity and the honor of
the office to which I had been elected. (Applause.) And with your
help, and with your hard work, I will do so for four more years.
Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 6:38 P.M. CDT
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