For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 28, 2004
Remarks by the President at Perrysburg, Ohio Rally
Fort Meigs State Memorial Park
Perrysburg, Ohio
6:17 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all for
coming. Thanks for inviting me to Perrysburg. It is an honor to be
here. (Applause.) I appreciate you taking time out of your Saturday
afternoon to come and say hello. (Applause.) I'm sorry we were running
a little late, there was a slight weapons condition. I'm here to ask
for your vote. (Applause.) I'm traveling your state asking for the
vote and asking for your help. (Applause.) I'll tell you what I
think. From the crowds we've seen, there's no doubt in my mind, with
your help, we'll carry Ohio and win a great victory in November.
(Applause.)
I'm sorry Laura is not here. She's a fabulous mom, a great wife,
she's a terrific First Lady. I'll give you some reasons why I think
you ought to put me back in, but perhaps the most important one of all
is so that Laura will be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate. I'm running with a good man in Dick
Cheney. (Applause.) I picked him because he's got sound judgment,
he's got great experience. I picked him because he can get the job
done. (Applause.)
I've been traveling all across your important state today with a
really fine United States Senator in Mike DeWine. I'm proud to be
calling Mike friend. (Applause.) And I hope you put old George
Voinovich back in office. He's a great United States Senator. He's
doing a fine job. (Applause.) I appreciate Congressman Mike Oxley
joining us today. Larry Cassella is running for the United States
Congress next to this district. He's a fine guy. (Applause.)
I want to thank the members of the statehouse who are here --
Kim Blackwell and Betty Montgomery and Randy Gardner and Bob Latta. I
want to thank all the state and local officials who are here. I want
to thank my friend Lee Ann Womack. I hope she did a good job for you.
(Applause.) I country tell you how much I appreciate her coming.
I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here.
(Applause.) I appreciate you. I appreciate your hard work. See, I
believe we have a duty in this country to vote. And therefore, I'm
asking you to help register people to vote. See your friends and
neighbors and say, in a democracy, we've got to participate. And ask
them to register. And reach out. And when you get them headed toward
the polls come November, tell them if they want a safer country, a
stronger country, a better country, to put me and Dick Cheney back in
office. (Applause.)
In the past few years, Americans have been through a lot together,
been through a lot. We have accomplished a lot. But there's only one
reason to look back at the record, and that is to determine who best to
lead us forward. I'm here to tell you, there is more to do to make
this country a safer place. There is more to do to make this country a
hopeful place. I'm here to tell you I've got the energy, the vision,
and the willingness to lead this nation for four more years.
(Applause.)
We have more to do to make sure our schools are the centers of
excellence we know they can be. You might remember when we first got
up there to Washington, the school system was shuffling too many
children through our schools, grade after grade, year after year,
without learning the basics. So we challenged the soft bigotry of low
expectations. We raised the standards because we believe every child
can learn to read and write and add and subtract. We increased federal
help for states and local districts. But we started to ask a simple
question: Are you achieving results? Can our children read and
write? And, if so, we'll praise the teachers. But if not, we have the
courage and willingness to challenge the status quo. No child should
be left behind in America. (Applause.)
There's more work to be done. We've got to insist upon science and
math programs in our high schools to prepare our kids for the jobs of
the 21st century. We've got to make sure the Internet is available in
classrooms. We want a high school diploma to mean something. After
four more years, a rising generation will have the skills and
confidence necessary to compete in our global world.
I'm running because I understand we've got to work to make health
care more affordable and more available. You might remember the old
debates on Medicare. They used to call it "Mediscare." People were
afraid to touch the issue, but the system needed to be strengthened for
our seniors. I went to Washington for a reason. I wanted to fix
problems. We had a problem in Medicare. But working with Republicans
and Democrats, we got the job done. Now our Medicare system will
provide preventative care for our seniors and provide prescription
drugs for our seniors.
`There is more work to be done when it comes to health care. We
want to make sure that we continue to expand community health centers
for our low-income citizens. We want to keep people out of the
emergency rooms when it comes to primary care. We want to make sure we
continue to work with our small businesses. Most people get their
insurance their small -- through their employer, and most new jobs are
created by small businesses. Yet, small businesses are having trouble
with health care. We must allow small businesses to pool risk so they
can buy insurance at the same discounts that big businesses do.
(Applause.)
In order to make sure your health care system is viable, and in
order to make sure there's docs available, we've got to stop these
frivolous lawsuits that are running up the cost of your medicine.
(Applause.) You cannot be pro-doctor, 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'm
standing with the docs, and I'm standing with the hospitals, and more
importantly, I'm standing with the patients. I'm for 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 Washington, D.C. bureaucrats.
We've got to do more to keep this economy growing. Listen, we have
been through a lot. We've been through a recession. We've been
through a stock market decline. We've been through corporate scandals,
and, of course, we've been through a horrible attack on our country,
all of which affected ability for people to find work. But we've
overcome those obstacles. We've overcome them because the
entrepreneurial spirit in this country is strong. We've overcome it
because the small business sector is alive and well. We've overcome it
because we've got great farmers and ranchers. We've overcome it
because we've got the best workers in the world. And I think we've
overcome those obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts. (Applause.)
You might remember the tax relief plan. We said if you're paying
taxes, you ought to get relief. We did it the fair way. We also
raised the child credit to help families. We reduced the marriage
penalty. Our tax code has got it backwards. We ought to be
encouraging marriage, not penalizing marriage in the tax code.
(Applause.)
We're helping our small businesses, and it's paying off. Because
we acted, our economy has been growing at rates as fast as any in
nearly 20 years. We've added 1.5 million new jobs over the past 12
months. The national unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. (Applause.)
That's well below the national average in the 1970s, the 1980s and the
1990s. (Applause.) Our economy is strong and is getting stronger. I
fully understand there are places here in Ohio where people are still
looking for work. And so long as anybody is looking for work, this
administration will create the conditions for job growth.
We have more to do to make sure this economy remains strong.
Congress needs to pass my energy plan. In order to keep jobs here in
America, we need to become less dependent on foreign sources of
energy. (Applause.)
In order to keep jobs in America, we need tort reform. Tort
reform, so our small business owners are not threatened by these junk
lawsuits. In order to keep jobs in America, I will insist that
countries treat us the way we treat them when it comes to trade.
(Applause.) You see, our markets are open. They ought to open their
markets. We can compete with anybody any time, anywhere, so long as
the rules are fair. (Applause.)
In order to make sure we keep jobs here in America, we need to make
sure there's a lifetime of learning available for our workers. It's a
changing economy. There are new jobs available. But a lot of times,
our workers don't have the skills necessary to meet those jobs. And
that's why I'm such a strong backer in the community college system.
We've got federal monies available to help people get the skills
necessary to realize their dreams. We will continue to work to make
sure the American worker has the skills necessary to fill the jobs of
the 21st century.
In order to keep jobs here in America, in order to make sure this
economy grows, in order to make sure people are able to realize their
dreams, we need to be wise about how we spend your money, and we need
to keep your taxes low. (Applause.)
There's an issue in this campaign. I'm running against a fellow
who has promised over $2 trillion in new programs.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: We've still got 60 days to go. (Laughter.) So
they said, how are you going to pay for it? He said, oh, I'll just tax
the rich. Now, you've heard that before, haven't you? All we're going
to do is tax the rich. Well, the rich dodge and you get stuck with the
bill. But guess what? We're not going to let him get there; we're
going to win in November. (Applause.)
We've got more to do to wage and win this war on 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 isn't 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 around the world and in the United States.
Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. (Applause.)
Because we acted -- because we acted, over 10 million citizens in
Afghanistan have registered to vote in the upcoming presidential
election. (Applause.) Because we acted, many young girls go to school
for the first time in Afghanistan. (Applause.) Because we acted, we
now have an ally in the war on terror. Because we acted, America and
the world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire
weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies
sent a strong and easy-to-understand message -- (laughter) -- the
leader of Libya has 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. You might remember, he was firing
weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world's sanctions.
He had 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. And I saw a
threat. I looked at his history, and I saw a threat. I looked at
intelligence and saw a threat. I also remembered one of the most
important lessons of September the 11th. It's a lesson this country
must never forget. We must take threats seriously before they fully
materialize, before they come to hurt us. (Applause.)
So I went to the United States Congress and said, I see a threat;
what about you? Members of both political parties looked at the
intelligence, remembered his history, and voted overwhelmingly for the
use of force if need be, including my opponent. Because military
action is the last option of the Commander-in-Chief, because the very
last option ought to be the commitment of our youngsters into harm's
way, I went to the United Nations and tried the diplomatic route. I
said, we see a threat; how about you? They looked at the intelligence
and they voted overwhelmingly in the United Nations Security Council to
say -- to pass this resolution, disarm -- disclose, disarm, or face
serious consequences. That's what the free world said.
As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the demands of
the free world. They sent inspectors in there. He systematically
deceived the inspectors. I had a choice to make, a choice that only
comes to the Oval Office -- whether I ignore the lessons of September
the 11th and trust the word of a madman, or take action to defend
America. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, very much. Even though we did not find
the stockpiles we thought we would find, Saddam Hussein had the
capability of making weapons and could have passed that capability on
to our enemies. After September the 11th, that was a risk we could not
afford to take. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same
decision. (Applause.) 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 in Iraq. After months of questioning my
motives and even my credibility, my opponent now agrees with me that
even though we haven't found the stockpiles we thought we would find,
knowing everything we know today, he would have voted to go into Iraq
and remove Saddam Hussein from power. I appreciate him for clearing
that up. (Laughter.) However, I want to warn you, there's still a
little over 60 days for him to change his mind. (Applause.)
I'm asking for your vote because I know there is more to do, more
to do to continue to work with our friends and allies around the world
to aggressively pursue the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq and
elsewhere. See, you cannot talk sense to these people, you cannot
negotiate with them. In this post-9/11 world, you cannot hope for the
best with these killers. We must aggressively pursue them elsewhere 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 help us defeat these
terrorists, nearly 40 countries in Afghanistan, some 30 in Iraq, about
60 countries involved in the Proliferation Security Initiative. That's
an initiative that we put together to hunt down people who might be
transporting weapons of mass destruction materials and technology. No,
the world is working together and I'll continue to build our
alliances. But I will never turn over America's national security
decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
We'll keep our commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq. We'll keep our
commitments to help them become peaceful and democratic societies.
It's in our interests that they become peaceful societies. It's in our
short-term interests and it's in our long-term interests that peace and
freedom prevail in those countries. We've given our word and when
America gives its word, America must keep its word. (Applause.)
There are strong leaders now in those countries, strong leaders who
believe in freedom and believe in the aspirations of their people. Our
troops are there to help the political process move forward. And we're
here -- there to help train the Afghans and the Iraqis so they can
defend their own freedom, so they can do the hard work that's needed
for democracy. Our troops will complete this mission as quickly as
possible so they do not have to stay a day longer than necessary.
(Applause.)
We have got a fantastic United States military. (Applause.) I
want to thank the veterans who are here for having set such a good
example for those who wear the uniform. (Applause.) I have made a
commitment to our troops and the commitment to the loved ones of our
troops that they will have the resources they need to fight and win the
war against the terrorists. It's a solemn commitment by our
government. We are meeting that commitment.
We've had the largest defense increases since Ronald Reagan was the
President. We've increased military pay by 21 percent since I've been
the President. We got better housing, since I've been the President,
for our troops. And last September, while our troops were in combat in
Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them
in their missions. This legislation provided money for body armor,
vital equipment, hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel, and
spare parts. It was necessary legislation. And the Congress responded
in a very strong bipartisan fashion. As a matter of fact, only 12
United States senators voted against the funding for our troops, two of
whom are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they asked him. They said, how can you not
support our troops in combat? He said, I actually did vote for the $87
billion before I voted against it. I don't think many people talk that
way here in Ohio. (Laughter.) And so they pressed him. And he said,
well, he was proud of the vote. And then they pressed him even further
and he said, well, the whole thing is just 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
must work to change the conditions that give rise to terror -- poverty
and hopelessness and resentment. See, a free and peaceful Iraq and a
free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples in a
neighborhood which is desperate for freedom. (Applause.) Free
societies do not export terror. Free societies listen to the hopes and
aspirations of their people. By serving the cause of liberty, we are
bringing hope to others. And that makes America more secure. By
serving the cause of liberty, we're bringing peace to the world. By
serving the cause of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of the
American soul and the American spirit. See, we know that 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.)
I'm running because I want to help spread the peace. I'm running
so these youngsters can grow up in a more secure America, in a more
hopeful and peaceful world. I strongly believe in the power of liberty
to transform lives. You know, I was recently meeting with Prime
Minister Koizumi of Japan. We were having a discussion about the
peace. It's an amazing conversation when you think about it. You
know, it wasn't all that long ago in the course of history that my dad
and your dads were fighting an enemy called the Japanese in a tough and
brutal war. Yet because we believed in liberty, because we believed in
the transforming power of liberty to change an enemy into an ally,
because we didn't waver in our belief in liberty, after World War II,
we helped our enemy become a self-governing, democratic nation. And
here I was talking to the leader of a former enemy about peace on the
Korean Peninsula. Some day, an American President will be sitting down
with a duly-elected leader from Iraq talking about keeping the peace.
(Applause.)
We have more to do to protect our country. There are enemies out
there who hate us. You know, we have a difference of opinion on this
subject. My opponent says that going to war with the terrorists is
actually improving their recruiting efforts. I think the logic is
upside down. I think it shows the misunderstanding of the nature of
these people. During the 1990s, the terrorists were recruiting and
training for war with us, long before we went to war with them. They
don't need an excuse for their hatred. See, you don't create
terrorists by fighting back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting
back. (Applause.)
We've got work to do to continue to defend our homeland. I've been
working hard to make sure our intelligence services gather the best
intelligence so those of us in government can make the best decisions
to defend you. There's good cooperation between the federal, state,
and local levels now, good conversation going on. We've created the
Department of Homeland Security, and there were tough reforms in
Washington to get it done. We need to renew the Patriot Act so our law
enforcement officials have the tools necessary to disrupt terror
cells. (Applause.) We're working hard to better protect our borders
and our ports. You just got to know there's a lot of really decent
people are working long hours on your behalf to do everything we can to
protect our country.
I'll continue to push for reform in Washington, but it's hard.
There's a lot of entrenched interests in Washington, D.C. There's a lot
of special interests in Washington, D.C. There's a lot of people
willing to defend the status quo in Washington, D.C. See, it's not
enough to advocate reform, you have to show the people you can get it
done. So when you're out there lining up the vote, remind them that
when it comes to reforming our schools and raising the standards and
expecting the best, we're getting the job done. (Applause.) Tell
them, when it comes to improving this farm economy, we're getting the
job done. (Applause.) When it comes to improving the overall economy
and creating jobs, we're getting the job done. (Applause.) When it
comes to health care reforms for our seniors and our families, we're
getting the job done. (Applause.) When it comes to better securing
the homeland and fighting the terrorists and spreading freedom and
peace, we're getting the job done. (Applause.) And remind them, when
it comes to choosing the President, put somebody in there who can get
the job done. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: You know, we live in interesting times here in
America. These are times of change. And change can be unsettling; I
understand that. See, I think the role of government is to help people
during times of change, to provide people with the tools necessary to
adapt to times of change. That's why I'm a strong supporter of
flex-time and comp-time. I know a lot of moms are now working and I
think we need to have work rules that enable people to be flexible with
their schedule so that they can spend time with their families.
(Applause.) I know people are changing jobs and, therefore, that's why
I support health savings accounts, so people can take their insurance
with them from job to job and know they've got coverage for their
families. (Applause.)
I see a lot of younger workers here today. Baby boomers like me
are in good shape when it comes to Social Security. But you better be
asking which candidate understands the fiscal dangers for young workers
in Social Security. In order to make sure Social Security exists for
future generations, I believe younger workers ought to have the option
of taking some of their own money out of Social Security and setting up
personal savings accounts. (Applause.) Those accounts will be yours
that you can pass on from one generation to the next.
See, what I'm telling you is, in a changing world, it's important
to promote ownership in America. Ownership will help. Ownership means
government is standing side-by-side with people, not dictating to
people. That's why I want to create the conditions so more people can
own their own small business. And that's why one of the greatest
statistics I think in the American scene today is that the home
ownership rate is at an all-time high. (Applause.)
We'll continue to press for home ownership in America. I think the
idea of somebody opening up that door, saying, welcome to my home, is
an important part of the American experience and the American future.
This administration understands, if you own something, you have a vital
stake in the future of the United States of America. (Applause.)
In this changing time, there are some things that won't change, the
individual values we try to live by: courage and compassion, reverence
and integrity; our beliefs in liberty and opportunity and the
non-negotiable demands of human dignity. In changing times, we will
honor 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 matters 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. We have a culture shifting from one that has said, if it
feels good, just go ahead and 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. (Applause.)
If you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're
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 this wonderful community, you're responsible for doing
something about it. (Applause.) 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
ourself. (Applause.)
I'm running for four more years to continue to rally the armies of
compassion, those loving souls who have heard a call to help somebody
who hurts. See, I know government can hand out money, but it cannot
put hope in a person's heart, a sense of purpose in a person's life.
We need to rally the strength of the country, which is the hearts and
souls of our citizens. We can change America one heart, one soul, one
conscience at a time, by encouraging loving souls to love their
neighbor. (Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is
expected of its leaders. This is not one of those times. This is a
time when we need firm resolve, clear vision, an unshakable belief in
the values that make us a great nation.
None of us will ever forget that era -- 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 will never forget. There were
workers in hard-hats shouting at me, "Whatever it takes." I remember
working the line and a fellow looked at me with his bloodshot eyes, and
he grabbed me by the arm and he said, "You don't let me down." He took
that day personally. Everybody there took it personally. You took it
personally and so do I. I have a duty that goes on. I wake up every
morning trying to figure out how best to defend America. I will never
relent in defending this great country -- whatever it takes.
(Applause.)
We've come through much together. We've come through much together
and we've done a lot of hard work. We're moving forward by extending
freedom around the world and expanding opportunity in this country.
And there's more to do. During the next four years we will spread
ownership and opportunity to every corner. We will pass the enduring
values of our country to another generation. We will continue to lead
the cause of freedom and peace. And we will prevail. (Applause.)
Four years ago, I traveled your great state. When I was asking for
the vote I said if you gave me the high honor of being your President I
would uphold the dignity and the honor of that office. With your help,
with your support, I will do so for the next four years. May God bless
you. Thank you for coming. (Applause.) Thank you all for coming.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 6:53 P.M. EDT
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