For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 4, 2004
Remarks by the President at "ask President Bush" Event
Hara Complex
Dayton, Ohio
12:32 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. Mind if I take
off my coat? I think I will. Listen, thank you all for coming. I'm
thrilled to be here. I'm sorry I'm a little late. I got a little
windy up in Toledo. (Laughter.) But I appreciate you coming by for
what we call a conversation. I'm going to talk a little bit. Some
fellow citizens here are going to talk a little bit about their lives,
in order to better illustrate our vision for an America that is safer
and stronger and better. (Applause.) And if we've got some time, I'll
answer some questions. Then I got to get on the bus. (Laughter.) The
bus driver said, if you talk too long, I'm pulling out of here.
(Laughter.)
I'm here to let you know that I want to serve as your President for
four more years. (Applause.) Thank you all. I want to tell you why.
I'm here to explain the reason why. We've got a job to do, a job to
make sure this country is as safe as it can be, as strong as it should
be, and as compassionate as it will be.
I'm also here to let you know that I need your help, that I need
your help in convincing your neighbors to register to vote, to do their
duty as Americans to vote. And don't be afraid to talk to people from
the other party, or people who may not be affiliated with any party,
because our message is positive and optimistic and hopeful for every
single American. (Applause.)
The good news is, Laura W. Bush wants to serve for four more years,
as well. (Applause.) I regret she's not here. I talked to her on the
plane earlier this morning. She said to send her very best. She is a
-- I'm a lucky guy. She's a great wife, a wonderful mother, and a
fabulous First Lady of the United States. (Applause.) She's come to
recognize what I know about the job, is that we can make a difference
in people's lives, a positive difference. She is very much involved
with encouraging teachers to teach; say to people, look, if you're
looking for a second career, say, if you served in the military and
you're looking for something to do, get into the classroom and make a
difference in some child's life. She understands the importance of
reading. She was a public school librarian when I met her. She didn't
like politics, and she didn't like politicians. (Laughter.) Look
where she is. (Laughter.)
She can speak to freedom and the importance of freedom in societies
like -- she has the ability to speak to the women of Afghanistan like
she did on a radio broadcast. Listen, Laura understands what I know;
it's a high privilege to serve the people of this country, and it's a
fantastic opportunity to make the country as best as it can possibly
be. She sends her best. She is -- look, the best reason to put me
back in there is so she's got four more years. (Laughter and
applause.)
When you're out talking to your neighbors, remind them that I have
put together a really good team to serve the country -- people from
all walks of life, men and women in positions of high responsibility,
people from different backgrounds, people who are honorable citizens
who have come to serve not their self-interest, but to serve our
country. I got a great Vice President I'm running in Dick Cheney.
(Applause.) I remember being at a rally with my mother -- Mother is
still, you'll be happy to hear, a little feisty and outspoken at
times. (Laughter.) I said, Dick Cheney is the finest Vice President
our country has ever had. (Laughter.) You imagine what Mother said.
(Laughter.)
I appreciate Congressman Dave Hobson for being here today. Where
are you, Big Dave? Thank you, sir. Glad you're here. (Applause.) A
fine member of the House, a strong ally and a good man, appreciate you
coming, Dave. I want to thank Congressman Mike Turner. (Applause.) I
see you, Mike. I'm proud you're here, Mike. I know Jennette Bradley
is with us, and Joe Deters, members of the state -- there they go.
Good to see you all. Thanks for coming, Governor and Joe.
(Applause.) Majority Whip Jeff Jacobson, and State Rep. John Husted --
where are you both? (Applause.) Oh, there they go. Thought you'd get
a better seat than that. (Laughter.) Sign up a few more volunteers.
(Laughter.)
Listen, I want to thank Bob Bennett, the Ohio party chairman. I
want to thank all the grassroots activists that are here. I need your
help. I'm going to say it again. I'm here really to say, let's get
after it. I want to win. I want to do everything I can to make sure
this country is as safe as it can possibly be. And that's my most
solemn duty. It was a duty that came home loud and clear on September
the 11th, 2001. My job is to rally our government to protect Americans
from harm.
And we're working hard to do so. We changed the whole attitude in
Washington about sharing intelligence between agencies, or buttoning up
the country as best as we possibly can. I think they're doing a darn
good job at the airports. I know it's inconvenient, but it's all part
of doing our duty to make this country secure. We have to be correct a
hundred percent of the time in order to protect America; the enemy has
got to be right once. Which really says that the best way to secure
the homeland is to chase these killers down, one at a time, and bring
them to justice. (Applause.)
I've got a plan to win the war on terror. We're making progress.
We're not in this battle alone. First, just understand the nature of
the war. Some say, well, this is just a matter of law enforcement and
intelligence. No, that's not what it is. It's an issue that requires
all our assets. It's an issue that requires the nature of the enemy if
we're going to be able to solve the problem. These are cold-blooded
killers. They could care less about innocence or guilt. They have no
conscience. There's no need to negotiate with them. You can't
convince them of the error of their ways. This country must be strong
and resolute, and we must never falter in the face of this enemy if we
expect to secure the homeland.
It is essential that America lead through strength on this issue,
lead by using all the assets we have at our disposal, not just some.
It is important that when an American President speaks, he means what
he says. (Applause.) It's important for the President to be clear in
his language and resolute in the intention. That's when I said that --
for example, when I said, if you harbor a terrorist, you're just as
guilty as the terrorist -- once you say that, you better be willing to
act on it. We were willing to act on it, and now the Taliban is no
longer in power in Afghanistan. (Applause.)
Part of the war on terror is chasing al Qaeda down, and about
two-thirds of their known leaders have been brought to justice, which
is positive. The rest of them -- the rest of them know we're breathing
down their neck. Part of the war is to make sure there's no safe
haven. And so, by removing the Taliban out of Afghanistan and
introducing democracy into this country, al Qaeda lost safe haven. But
something else happened that's incredibly important for our --
particularly the young to understand. The Taliban were incredibly
barbaric people. They were so backward that many young girls never got
to go to school. That's hard to envision, isn't it, for an American to
say, gosh, what is it like to live in a country where young girls are
denied an education? But that's the way they were. So not only do we
deny safe haven, not only we do what we said we're going to do, but now
young girls have a chance to succeed in Afghanistan, thanks to the
United States of America and our friends and allies. We're
liberators. We care deeply about human freedom and the human
condition. (Applause.)
The President must always remember the lessons learned from
September the 11th. And here's the lesson learned for this country,
that when we see a threat, we cannot let it gather; that if we see a
threat to our security, we can no longer hope it goes away. We can no
longer say, gosh, maybe the tyrant will change his mind. We don't have
that luxury anymore. September the 11th taught us that we must deal
with threats before they fully materialize.
I saw a threat in Iraq and -- by looking at the intelligence.
Congress, by the way, looked at the same intelligence, the same
intelligence I looked at. They saw a threat. The United Nations
Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. The
threat we saw was based upon not only the intelligence, but based upon
the prior behavior of Mr. Saddam Hussein, a person who clearly hated
America. He's a person that had used weapons of mass destruction
against his own people and against people in his neighborhood. He's a
person that had terrorist ties. After all, he's the person that paid
suiciders money to blow up innocent lives in the Middle East. He was a
tyrant to his own people.
No, we saw a threat, and the United Nations Security Council, if
you remember, said, disarm or face serious consequences. That's what
the U.N. Security Council said, with America's vote. When America
says something, it better mean it. And so when we said, disarm, to
Saddam Hussein, we meant it. He chose defiance once again. He refused
to comply with the demands of the free world. Given his history, given
the fact that he was a madman, I was faced with the choice of either
take his word or defend America. I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
First of all, if any of you have a loved one in the military, I
want thank you for your patience and your understanding. And I want to
thank them for their sacrifice and service. (Applause.)
The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.
(Applause.) And so are the Iraqi people. They long to be free.
(Applause.) They want to be free. Moms and dads in Iraq want to raise
their children in a peaceful world. They want their children, just
like we want our children, to grow up and realize dreams and
aspirations. That's what they want. There's a few people there who
are trying to stop the advance of freedom. And that's what we're
facing.
It's tough work. It's been a hard couple of months for the
American people. But I want you to know what I've told family members
of -- who have lost a loved one: Your son or daughter sacrificed for
something incredibly important, which is freedom and peace. A free
society in Iraq will lead to a more peaceful world. Not only have we
removed a threat to America, but we now have a chance to spread freedom
into a part of the world that is desperate for freedom.
Free societies are peaceful societies. Free societies are hopeful
societies. The long-term interest of this country, the long-term
interest of the world revolve around whether or not we have the courage
and the resolve and the determination to spread freedom in the Middle
East, starting in Iraq. We have that resolve. (Applause.)
We have a plan -- we have a plan to make Iraq more secure. Our
troops will get what they need to do their job. Our troops will
receive the help. And we have a plan to turn over sovereignty to the
Iraqi -- to Iraqi entity. That's what we said we're going to do. When
America speaks, it's got to mean what it says. Everybody is watching
us. Everybody is watching.
I love to tell the story about a dinner with Prime Minister
Koizumi. Maybe this will help put this in perspective. Prime Minister
Koizumi is the Prime Minister of Japan. And we were having dinner in
Tokyo, and we were talking about how we can work together to make the
world more peaceful, starting with how to make sure the Korean
Peninsula is peaceful by keeping pressure on Kim Jong-il not to develop
a nuclear weapon. See, the mutual goal is not to -- to keep the Korean
Peninsula nuclear weapons free. That's important. You can imagine.
Kim Jong-il is a tyrant. He's a danger. Here I was talking to the
Prime Minister of a country that was at war with the United States, had
attacked our country, and it dawned on me that had we gotten it wrong
after World War II, I might not have been having this conversation
about how to keep the peace. Also, during the conversation, I realized
that when we get it right in Iraq -- and we will -- when Iraq is free,
someday an American President will be having the discussion with the
duly-elected official of Iraq about how to work together to bring peace
in a troubled region of the world.
What we're doing is historic in nature. We have a chance to change
the world for the better. We have a chance to spread freedom in parts
of the world that are desperate for freedom. And as a result, America
will have short-term security and long-term security.
Let me tell you something about freedom. It's a cornerstone of our
foreign policy. One of the reasons I believe I need to be your
President for four more years is because I understand 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.) Thank you all.
A stronger -- a stronger America is also important for our future.
I have a vision, a clear vision, as to how to keep our country strong.
It starts with making sure the economy is strong. And I've got to tell
you, I'm one optimistic fellow about our economy. And the reason why
is I know what we have overcome. We've overcome a lot. Think about
what this country has been through in the last three years. We've been
through a recession that started in early 2001. That means we were
going backwards. It's hard to be a worker in an industry that has been
beset by recession. It's hard to be a small business owner if you're
worried about the future. It was a negative period of time.
We started overcoming that and the enemy hit us, and that hurt our
economy, too. It not only changed how we've got to view the world, it
hurt our economy. It just did. And then we started coming out of that
and we realized there were some citizens in our country who forgot what
it meant to be responsible citizens. In other words, they didn't tell
the truth. We had some corporate wrongdoers. We had a corporate
scandal that shook our confidence. When you can't believe the numbers
you're reading, if you're an investor or a worker, an employee, or an
officer, it shakes your confidence about the American system. We dealt
with it. We passed tough laws and made it clear we're not going to
tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America. (Applause.)
As well, the march to war in Iraq affected capital markets and
affected the optimism of the country. Imagine seeing on your TV
screens the word, "March to War," America is marching to war. And if
you're a planner or a small business owner, or somebody looking for
work, it's a pretty negative environment in which to be making
decisions. No, marching to war is not a positive thought. We're now
marching to peace. And yet, we've overcome all those obstacles in a
short period of time. This economy of ours today is strong, and it's
getting stronger. And the question is, how do we keep it strong as we
go into the next decade. (Applause.)
I say it's strong -- first quarter growth was 4.2 percent. That's
strong. That's good. I say it's strong -- we increased jobs
nationwide by 308,000 in the month of March. New jobs here in Ohio are
increasing in the month of March. I say it's strong -- today there's
a report out that showed the factory orders is up by 4.3 percent, the
largest order increase in two years. In other words, there's
indication after indication -- it's strong. More people -- the home
ownership rate is the highest it's ever been in our nation's history.
That's good. We want more people owning something. This
administration understands that if you own something, if you own your
business, if you own your home, you're going to have a vital interest
in the future of this country.
No, the indications are good. There are still people who hurt, and
I understand that. There are people in parts of Ohio who haven't felt
the recovery yet. But we're getting better. And we've got to make
sure we have pro-growth policies. I'm running because I want to make
sure the pro-growth agenda doesn't get disrupted.
What do you mean by that? Well, I believe strongly that one of the
reasons why this economy is as strong as it is is because we cut
taxes. (Applause.) We're going to hear from some couples in a minute
about what -- a couple -- about what it meant to cut taxes. But we cut
taxes. Let me tell you, when you have more money in your pocket, it
generally increases demand for a good or a service. And when demand
goes up, somebody is going to meet that good or a service, which means
somebody is more likely to have a job or to find work. That's what
that means. It was an important part -- I like to tell people that
this economic we're seeing is the result of tax relief -- partially
because of tax relief. And it shows that the American people are
spending their money far better than the federal government would
have. (Applause.)
Some in Washington don't like that rhetoric. They think the
federal government can spend it better than you can. That's just a
difference of opinion. You better be careful in a campaign if somebody
starts promising spending. Heck, we've got six months the go and the
fellow I'm running against is already over a trillion dollars in new
programs. We're counting them up. He says he's going to pay for it by
tax on the rich. You can't tax the rich enough to pay for all his
promises. So guess who's going to pay. You're going to pay. And
we're not going to let him do that, though. That would be terrible for
the economy. The American people don't need a tax increase.
(Applause.)
The question is, who has got the vision to make sure this country
is the strongest economic nation in the world. I'm already -- see, the
way to make sure we're strong and people can find work is to make sure
this is the best place to do business in the world, this is the best
place for people to risk capital, this is the best place for people to
realize their dreams by starting their own business. That's what this
campaign is about in the future -- means we better get tort reform,
better make sure that we do not have frivolous or junk lawsuits that
make it difficult for people to be able to make a living. (Applause.)
And that includes medical liability reform. In order to make sure
that we can grow our economy, in order to make sure people are able to
feel comfortable about expanding their job base, we've got to do
something about the cost of health care. Frivolous and junk lawsuits
run up the cost of health care. They make health care more -- less
affordable, and less accessible. The Congress needs to act. You need
a President who is willing to push for medical liability reform in
Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
We need to continue to promote health savings accounts, which make
sure that customers and docs have got the -- patients and docs have got
the proper relationship. We want the patient-doctor relationship to be
the center of decision-making in health care, not federal bureaucracy.
We want to promote association health care plans to make sure small
businesses are able to better afford health care.
Listen, the decision has got to be to make sure this is a good
place to do business, and that the ingredients are available for the
entrepreneurial spirit to be strong. That's why we need an energy
plan. We don't have an energy plan. It's stuck in the United States
Congress. We need a plan that promotes alternative sources of energy.
Look, I'd love to be the President someday to be able to say, the
corn crop is good; therefore, we're less dependent on foreign sources
of energy. I'd like to be able to grown energy, but it's going to take
a while to get the research and development to kick in. We need
alternative sources of energy. We need to promote clean coal
technology. We need to use the resources we've got.
We ought to be exploring for more natural gas at home. We ought to
be using our technology to encourage the spread of state nuclear
power. We ought to be on all fronts, making sure we -- (applause.)
But my point is this. My point is this: We can encourage
conservation; we can encourage reliable supplies of energy, and we must
do so to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. If we
expect to be competitive, we've got to have an energy plan.
(Applause.)
Two other things I want to talk about right quick -- one is there's
a lot of talk about trade. I'm going to tell you something. I need to
be President to reject economic isolationism from taking hold in
America. We should not isolate ourselves from the world. That would
be bad for workers; it would be bad for long-term economic growth.
Presidents before me have made the decision to open up or markets,
so consumers benefit from trade. You see, if you're a consumer here in
America, and you've got different options from which to choose, you're
generally going to get better price and better quality. That's the way
the economy works. But what hasn't happened is foreign markets haven't
opened up like ours have.
The message I give to the American people is, in order for us to
grow our job base and to stay competitive and stay strong is for us not
to fear competition, but to welcome it, so long as there's a level
playing field. We can compete with anybody. Our workers are
productive. Our farmers and ranchers are great. Our high-tech
industry is imaginative and strong. The policy of government ought to
be to open up new markets for American entrepreneurs and business
people and farmers and ranchers. We can compete with anybody, any
time, anywhere. (Applause.)
Government must put good policy in place that encourages the spread
of innovative technology. My dream is for everybody in America to have
broadband technology in their home by the year 2007. This is --
broadband technology, if done right, is going to revolutionize
education and health care. It will make this society more
entrepreneurial, make the people of America more productive. It's a
great way -- a great opportunity. We had a good break. The Senate
passed a moratorium on access taxes to broadband. My view is there
ought to be not any taxes on broadband. If you want it to spread
across the country, don't tax it. Plus we got to get rid of regulatory
hurdles so that it spreads around. Innovative society -- an innovative
society is one that's necessary for us to compete, but there are --
there are problems with an innovative society. We're going to talk a
little bit about the opportunities and the challenges that an
innovative society provides.
Let me put it to you this way: Technology races through our
economy and it makes us more competitive. There are new ideas, but
workers lag. Some industries are old. Some new industries spring up.
But the transition from the old industry to the new industry is a
difficult transition for many of our workers. We will not be a
productive leader in the world if we don't get our education systems
right.
On the one hand, we got to make sure our youngsters learn to read
and write and add and subtract early, before it is too late. And
that's why the No Child Left Behind Act -- (applause.) The No Child
Left Behind Act that I had the honor of signing is a really good
start. We're challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. We're
shutting down this business of simply shuffling kids through the
system. We're making sure they learn to read early, before it's too
late, and they're getting help if they need help. We're going to raise
the bar. We're going to make sure every child from every background
gets as good an education as possible.
But you've got to also understand there are workers in this world
who are working for companies that -- where the job base is dwindling.
And yet, there are also jobs in the neighborhood. And we need to use
the community college system in a wise way, to make sure that we train
people for the jobs of the 21st century. We'll talk about this in a
minute. But what I'm telling you about -- a vision that understands
America's role in the world is one that says, education is the
cornerstone -- practical education, to make sure the workers get the
training they need to be productive workers as our economy transition
to the 21st economy -- 21st century economy.
Finally, let me tell you about how to make America a better place.
The President has got to understand the proper role between government
and compassion -- between -- the proper role between government and the
strength of the country. The strength of this country is the hearts
and souls of the American citizens. That's our strength.
The government is not a loving organization. I'm sure there's
loving people in government. I'm one. (Laughter.) But government,
itself, is not loving. Government is law and justice. Love comes when
somebody, a soul, says, what can I do to make my community a better
place? What can I do to mentor a child? What can I do to love my
neighbor just like I'd like to be loved myself? I need to be President
for four more years to rally that spirit, to call upon that great
strength of America so our society changes one heart, one soul, one
conscience at a time. (Applause.)
Let me talk a little bit about some of the people I've had the
honor of meeting. I met the Berkeys, Kim and Becky. They're with us
today. Kim is a cargo handler at Menlo Forwarding. Is that right?
Yes. And Becky is with him, his wife. They -- they're a tax -- I call
them a tax family. The reason why is because they saved money, $1,900,
from the tax cut. That's $1,900 of their own money they get to keep,
not like the government -- (applause.) And it's $1,900 this year,
too.
See, we raised the child credit to $1,000, which helped people
raise families. It's an important part of the tax relief. We reduced
the marriage penalty. We got a tax code that penalizes marriage. It
seems to me it sends the wrong signal. We ought to be encouraging
marriage and family, not penalizing marriage. (Applause.)
They saved $1,900. It's a lot of money to them -- at least that's
what they told me. If Congress doesn't act, there's going to be a tax
increase on these folks. It doesn't make any sense, does it, to be
raising taxes on them at this point when the economy begins to grow.
And $1,900, it gives them more money to pay down credit. It gives them
more money to take care of their family.
Is that right? What did you do with all that money?
MR. BERKEY: Well, mostly we used it just to pay off some bills,
much like most of our friends, because raising a family is very
expensive nowadays. I brought my three children. And, as you can see,
just feeding them guys took most of that $800. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Good looking family you got there. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming.
If they don't move -- Congress doesn't move, they're going to have
an increase of about $900 taxes. I don't know what that would do to
you. I'm not a lawyer, but that's a leading question, isn't it?
(Laughter.) Go ahead. Speak up, Mom.
MRS. BERKEY: Any kind of an increase is just going to make things
tighter. You know, I like to have the money here.
THE PRESIDENT: See, we've got money in Washington. We just have
to set our priorities. I've laid out a plan to cut this deficit in
half in five years. But Congress is going to have to be careful about
how they spend your money. It's a plan that prioritizes the military,
prioritizes defending the homeland. But it's a plan that says to
Congress, you know, be wise about using the people's money. I don't
have to worry about these two Congressmen. They're wise about the
money. But we don't need to be taking money out of these people's
pockets, see? We don't need a bunch of promisers in Washington, D.C.
who say, well, I better fulfill my promise by taxing these good folks.
It's not only bad for them, it's bad for the overall economy.
Taking $900 out of their pocket affects the economy. And we're
beginning to grow and require -- what this nation needs is a person who
understands how economies grow. Governments don't make economies grow,
people make economies grow. And these people need to get their money
-- (applause.)
Thank you all for coming.
When you're talking to your friends and neighbors about the tax
rhetoric, remind them that an essential part of a vibrant economy is
the small business sector. Seventy percent of new jobs are created by
small business owners in America. That's pretty good, isn't it? So if
you're worried about job creation in Ohio, you better stay focused on
small business owners. (Applause.)
And we've got an owner with us. Dave Dysinger owns his own
business. Isn't that exciting to hear -- I own -- can you imagine
saying, I own my own business? It's exciting words for the
entrepreneur, I own my business. It's my business, he owns his. And I
just want to -- you've just got to tell your neighbors the truth about
the tax relief. When you cut rates, overall rates for everybody,
you're really affecting small business, because most small businesses
are sole proprietorships or sub-chapter S corporations. So when you
hear people say, I'm going to tax the rich, really what they're saying
-- they may try to tax the rich. The rich generally have good
accountants so they don't get taxed much, and the small businesses will
take the brunt of the tax-the-rich scheme. And that hurts our
economy.
Dave, tell us about your business.
* * * * *
MR. DYSINGER: We are back in a growth cycle. We're up to 21
employees now. We expect to hire 10 more, and 20 next year.
(Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: There you go.
MR. DYSINGER: So we're moving.
THE PRESIDENT: We care about outsourcing in America. We want
people working here. But the wrong policy would have been, let's go
through economic isolationist policy, let's wall us off from the
world. Instead, the right policy was to stimulate growth at home.
See, he's helping make my point. My point is, let us be confident
about ourselves. Let's put the right policies in place that encourage
growth at home. Here's a fellow that his business dropped, and it's
now on the upswing. Did you notice he said he's going to hire 10
people this year? There's a lot of Daves in America. There's a lot of
small businesses who are feeling the way he's feeling. Seventy percent
of new jobs are created by the small business sector of the economy,
and you just heard an entrepreneur say -- 10 this year, 15 next year?
Twenty next year?
MR. DYSINGER: Twenty next year.
THE PRESIDENT: Do I hear 25?
MR. DYSINGER: I hope. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Not yet. (Applause.) I want Dave to explain his
investment strategy. Are you going to make any investments?
MR. DYSINGER: Yes, to make room for the people, we're going to
have to add facility, so we expect to double our facility size this
year. And we need to buy -- we're going to buy some used machinery and
some new machinery. We expect to spend probably $2 million over the
next 12 months.
THE PRESIDENT: Let me tell you about the connection between what
he just said -- and by the way, part of his decision-making was because
he's optimistic about expanding. I suspect part of his decision-making
had to do with the bonus depreciation you got in the tax bill. In
other words, there was an incentive to encourage people to invest.
MR. DYSINGER: That's right.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, see. That's a leading question. (Applause.)
I already knew the answer. But let me -- let me -- (laughter) -- but
the reason I bring that up is that when you hear Dave say he's going to
buy some equipment or invest, somebody has got to make the equipment.
In other words, he said, I want to -- I'm increasing demand for
equipment. And somebody is going to responds to his demand. And when
they make the equipment, somebody has got to be employed to do so. And
if the person making the equipment has got more orders than the
previous year, it may mean that he is expanding, as well.
So here is Dave saying, I'm expanding, I need to invest. The
person who he is buying from also may be now in a position to -- and
that's how the economy works. It starts with influencing the decisions
-- in this case, of a small business entrepreneur -- by good tax
policy, and I think having a good economic policy to be optimistic and
confident about our future. And it's his decision -- not the
government's decision -- it's his decision that stimulates further
economic growth and vitality.
I want to thank you for being an entrepreneur. I wish you all the
best in your business. (Applause.)
MR. DYSINGER: I'd like to thank you also. The fact is, I'm proud
and grateful to be an American. And I am very thankful for the
leadership you bring to us here in these hard times. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir. Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank
you all. (Applause.) Let me -- thanks, thanks a lot, Dave. I'm glad
I invited you. (Laughter.)
I mentioned the role of community colleges. We've got a plan
called the Jobs for the 21st Century, and an integral part of that is
to make sure the WorkForce Investment Act actually gets money to people
who are looking for work. And a key component of a job strategy has
got to be to rely upon your asset base. And we've got a great asset
base at the community colleges. Community colleges are flexible,
they're affordable, they're available. And the thing I love about
community colleges, when they're run right they're able to match
employer demand with employees that want to work. In other words,
they're able to train somebody for jobs which actually exist. And part
of our focus is to empower community colleges to enter collaborative
efforts with local employers.
If you happen to be on the Chamber of Commerce, by the way, and
you've got a community college around, use it to attract industry.
People want to make sure they've got trained workers -- use your
community colleges.
We've got Steve Johnson with us. You probably think I'm going to
pick him because he got his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. No,
that's not why we got him. We got him because he's running Sinclair
Community College in Dayton, Ohio. (Applause.)
My fellow Texan -- no -- tell us about your community college.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: What he's telling you is, is that -- notice he
mentioned Dave's name -- he is available to design a curriculum that
helps Dave, and at the same time, helps the workers.
One of the interesting areas -- one of the things I find around the
country is that there's great demand in the health care field in
America today. In other words, old jobs are being replaced by new
jobs.
Is that the case here, or not?
DR. JOHNSON: That's the case. In fact, a lot of the support that
Sinclair has received over the years from federal grants -- National
Science Foundation, Department of Labor grants, Department of Education
grants -- has allowed us to revamp and overhaul our curriculum, has
allowed us to put in technology training programs that are for today
and for tomorrow.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. The federal government helps. It sets
priorities. You know, there's displaced workers -- money to help
displaced workers. If a community gets hit hard by a layoff, there's
money available to help the community colleges train people for jobs
which exist. Part of the problem we have in America is there are jobs
that are available, and people just aren't trained to meet them.
The other interesting thing about our country and the economy today
and where the community college has a role is that we're becoming a
more productive society -- in other words, there's the premium on being
a productive worker, which requires different kinds of skill sets than
you had in the past. In other words, envision going from the shovel to
the backhoe. You had to learn how to drive the backhoe, and when you
did, you're incredibly more productive than you were with a shovel.
It's that same equivalent that's taking place throughout our economy
right now. We're in a time of transition, and community colleges help
workers become more productive.
But productivity increases for a worker means higher pay. The more
productive a society you are, the more your standard of living goes
up. And so one of the things that we're going to talk about here in a
minute is how a particular individual can become more productive in
going to the community college, and then enhance her standard of
living.
Have you got anything else you want to offer, Steve?
DR. JOHNSON: Just one other thing, President Bush --
THE PRESIDENT: I thought you had something on the tip of your
tongue.
DR. JOHNSON: I just have one thing. You know how we are. I just
want to say that we really appreciate your support of community
colleges and of Sinclair Community College. And you are very
complimentary, and you do know -- I want to point out that it's the
community leaders in this room that built Sinclair Community College,
maintain Sinclair Community College. And that's the story across
America -- local leaders building colleges to serve the needs of today
and tomorrow.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, and that's the way it should be, by the way.
The federal government can help on targeted assistance. We can help
with collaborative efforts. But like public schools, community
colleges need to be run by the local folks. You don't want to
federalize education. (Applause.)
Thank you. Okay, I want you to hear, I think, an amazing story.
Nancy Scott is with us. Nancy, thank you for coming. Mother of
three. I think she's got the toughest job in America, she's a single
mother of three. That's hard work.
Nancy, tell us what you did, where you went to school and what
you're doing. Please.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, let me stop you. Just be -- I know you're
just getting wound up and there's nothing worse than -- (Laughter.)
She goes back to school. First of all, government can't make Nancy
Scott go back to school. She's got to want to succeed, herself. She
has a great spirit. (Applause.) There's help available. Pell grants
are important. I'm a big supporter of Pell grants. It makes sense to
help people go back to school.
And the third thing that you just heard her say is her income
doubled. In other words, she became a more productive worker. She
gained new skills, skills that are more applicable to the 21st century
jobs that are now being created, and her income doubled. People have
got to understand that helping a worker become more productive not only
helps fill jobs, but more importantly, helps the worker and her family,
in this case, to double her income.
* * * * *
MS. SCOTT: I would just like to add that other than that, my
family and friends here, and in New York, are praying for you, Mr.
President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, I appreciate you saying that.
MS. SCOTT: And we stand behind you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks a lot. I'm honored. Thank you for coming.
(Applause.) I appreciate you. (Applause.)
That's -- isn't that a fabulous story? See, that's the story of
the 21st century. We need to continue stories like this as we -- as
our economy changes. There are a lot of people like Nancy who want to
-- who want to meet their obligations and their responsibilities and
want to be helped so they can become productive. I love the story of
Nancy Scott. I meet people like that all the time. The community
college is an essential part of making sure that we're competitive in
the future by enabling our workers, who are the best in the world, to
have the skills necessary to compete. That's what we're talking
about.
Let me -- I'm fixing to go to -- fixing to get on the bus. I do
want to answer some questions before I get out of here. Here's your
chance.
Yes, ma'am.
Q Yes -- my husband is serving in Iraq --
THE PRESIDENT: Your husband is in Iraq now.
Q Right.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. What's he doing?
Q He's with the civil affairs, and he supports you 100 percent
for being there. And I support you, and his family supports you for
being there. My question is, is there any plans of getting out the
personnel vehicles from the Vietnam era to help with the protection
from the -- until the Humvees get --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q -- for their protection for the soldiers?
THE PRESIDENT: Right. The plan is to continue to upgrade the
Humvees and to bring in more Strykers. Look, I want you to know --
and, first of all, thank your husband. But I want our troops to have
the very best. This -- you hear -- this is politics. It's kind of a
political season, so you hear things that -- people say things, like we
don't want our soldiers to have the best. But we put an $87 billion
supplemental out there. A big chunk of that money was to make sure we
upgraded the equipment our soldiers were getting to make them safe.
That's a lot of money. It takes a while to get the Kevlar vests, the
latest Kevlar vests manufactured. We're distributing it. I supported
the $67 billion for the troops -- $87 billion overall.
I want to remind you what my opponent said about that. (Laughter.)
He said he voted for the $87 billion right before he voted against it.
(Laughter.) Look, we just need strong support for our troops. And I
have a solemn duty to say to you as squarely as I can, we will do the
very best we possibly can to make your loved one safe. That's what we
owe the family members, and that's what we owe the troops. (Applause.)
Yes, sir.
Q Mr. President, I consider it a great honor to be here today
to be with you. I am a retired educator, and, as you know, many of the
people in my profession profess to be very opposed to the things that
the Republicans are proposing. And I made a comment here earlier today
to some friends that if the educators will speak the truth, the real
truth, we can teach every child and not leave them behind. But it
takes not just money, it takes the backing of the family, it takes
backing of the school, it takes of everyone to make that child want to
learn. And it's not dollars that's going to pull him out the way the
NEA says it is.
So as a retired principal of West Carrollton Junior High School, I
support your plan 100 percent, and I know many, many educators that
support it, as well. They're not all on the side of the NEA.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate you. Thanks for being in
education. Thank you. (Applause.)
Let me say something. Look, the key is that we use curriculum that
works. The key is that we encourage our teachers. The key is we don't
federalize public schools. The key is, where we find failure, we
address it. In order to address failure, you've got to figure it out
in the first place. That's why measuring is so important.
There was a big battle over measuring when I was governor of
Texas. There's a battle over measuring when it comes to federal
dollars. People don't want to measure. Some people don't. How do you
know if you don't measure? How can you tell whether a child is just
being shuffled through the system unless you're willing to say, see if
you can read -- early, by the way. You've got to test early to
determine whether or not a child has got the skills necessary to become
a productive citizen, which is reading. And if you find there's a
deficiency, we've got money in the budget to correct it early, before
it's too late.
The whole cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind Act is this great
sense of possibility for every child. If you do not believe every
child can learn to read and write, then you say it's okay not to
measure. If you believe every child can learn to read and write, you
want to measure to determine if they can. And if so, you reward the
schools that are meeting expectations, and if not, you change.
(Applause.)
I appreciate that.
Q Mr. President, would you please sign this? (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. (Applause.) In a minute. (Laughter.)
Yes, sir.
Q The question is, due to your administration, our business has
turned around phenomenally. The last two months have been record
months. But where we're taking a hit, as is a steel industry, the
prices are sky-rocketing.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Well, I understand. And the reason why is
because the world is recovering. You see, when demand -- worldwide
demand was depressed for steel because there was slowness in the world,
there was an oversupply. And what's happened is, is that demand has
outstripped supply because countries like China are now demanding more
steel. They're beginning to grow. The whole world is beginning to
grow. The United States is beginning to grow.
And I understand the pressures. Obviously, in a market-oriented
world, which I believe the world should be, there will be price-driven
expansion. In other words, there will be more steel producers or more
steel coming on to meet the increased demand. And I understand what
you're going through. But just remember, it wasn't all that long ago
that the price of steel was at the bottom end of the pricing
structure. And we're going through a cycle now because the world is
expanding. Our exports are up, by the way. We want the world to
expand. We want there to be prosperity around the world. It makes --
it gives us a better chance to sell what we make into other markets.
And so I understand where you're coming from. And I guess what I'm
telling you is there's cyclicality in the economy, particularly when it
comes to steel pricing.
Yes? Go ahead and bring that plate over here. I can listen and
sign at the same time.
Yes, ma'am.
Q My name is Erica Keene. I'm eight years old. And what's the
funnest thing to be -- about being President? (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: The funnest thing is this: making decisions that
make the world a better place. (Applause.) I've got to make a lot of
decisions -- some of them you'll see, and some of them you don't see --
which means that, in order to make good decisions, you better know what
you believe, you better stand on principle.
Secondly, in order to make good decisions, I've got to listen to
smart people. I like to be around smart, intelligent, capable people.
I like to walk into a roomful of people like Condi Rice -- (applause)
-- Dick Cheney or Don Rumsfeld or Colin Powell. (Applause.) I like to
tell people the Oval Office is the powerful place. People will stand
outside the Oval Office, and they say, I can't wait to get in there and
tell him what for. And then they open the door, and they walk in this
majestic shrine to democracy, and they're overwhelmed by the
atmosphere. And they say, man, you're looking beautiful, Mr.
President. (Laughter.) Which means, you better have people around you
who tell you the truth. (Laughter.)
A decision-maker must be willing to listen, must be willing to
count on others to give good, solid advice. As you go out and gather
the vote, remind people I've put together a really fantastic team of
citizens. And they're good and honest folks, who are smart and
capable.
The best thing about this job is making decisions that I think will
influence the world and the country in positive ways.
Let me talk to you real quick about history. I don't think a
President, if he does big things, will be around to see the history of
his administration. Oh, yes, there will be the subjective history;
there will be the political history; there will be the short-term
history about an administration. But you won't be able to see the big
things that have changed: the momentum of freedom in parts of the world
that's desperate for freedom; or a cultural change in the country, to
see the ultimate effects of a cultural change from one that -- a
culture that said, if it feels good, just go ahead and do it, and if
you got a problem, blame somebody else, to a culture in which each of
understands we're responsible for the decisions we make in life.
(Applause.)
So the idea -- the best part of this job is to set in motion big
changes of history. It's unbelievably exciting to be in a position to
do that. That's why I want to be the President for four more years. I
see clearly where I want to lead the country. I see the obligations we
have as a great nation. We have an obligation, where we see tyranny
and slavery, to act. I don't mean militarily. I mean using our
influence to free people. We have the obligation to free people from
tyranny, and we have the obligation to free people from disease.
One of the things this country has done that I'm incredibly proud
of is we're leading the fight against HIV/AIDS on the continent of
Africa, for example. It is an incredibly important mission for this
great and compassionate country. (Applause.)
Yes. You've written this question down. That's dangerous.
Q Yes, but that's because I'm a little nervous.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, well, don't worry, it's just the President.
And a huge press corps. (Laughter.)
Q First of all, I want to say I'm very honored to be here with
you today. I brought my wife and my daughter with me.
THE PRESIDENT: Good. How old is the daughter? I'll just try --
I'm trying to get you relaxed.
Q My daughter is 14. She right here.
THE PRESIDENT: Do not introduce a 14-year-old daughter. I keep
telling you. (Laughter.)
Q My daughter -- my wife, Debbie is over here.
THE PRESIDENT: Hi, Debbie. How are you? How is he doing so far?
Okay, good.
Q First of all, Mr. President, thank you. I want to thank you
for being a man of faith. And as a fellow -- (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Okay. He may have a
question back there. (Laughter.)
Q Wow. Anyhow, as a fellow man of faith, how has the faith,
first, affected you as a man? How has your faith affected you as
President? And further, how do you think faith will affect the outcome
of the 2004 election? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. That's a good question. First, let me make
this abundantly clear to you, the job of the President is to promote a
society in which people are free to worship as they see fit.
(Applause.) A valuable and cherished tradition of America is that you
can worship an Almighty if you want to, and you're just as patriotic if
you choose not to -- that if you choose to worship, you can worship any
religion that you choose. My job is to make sure that that is a
absolute part of the American society and future.
From an individual perspective, as a person, I rely upon faith to
give me the strength necessary to do my job. One of the interesting
parts of the job, something that I discovered as President, is the fact
that a lot of people pray for me. That's a very humbling thought when
you think about little old me. People pray for George W. and his
family. I don't ask; people just do. (Applause.) And for that I'm
grateful, incredibly grateful.
I believe in prayer, and I appreciate the prayers of people. I
think the 2004 election will be determined by the American people's
decision as to who best can lead the country. That's what I think will
determine the 2004 election. I think it's the collective will of the
people which make that determination. Some people of faith will
participate. Some who don't necessarily agree with faith will
participate. The question of the outcome of the race is who best can
describe as clearly as possible a positive and hopeful and optimistic
future for every single citizen of this country, regardless of their
political party, regardless of their background, regardless of their
economic status. That's what I think will determine the outcome of
this election. (Applause.)
Yes, little guy way up there. My favorite dog is Barney.
(Laughter.) That wasn't your question, okay. I think this is going to
have to be the last question. I know, I'm sorry. Come on down the
road to Lebanon. (Laughter.)
Q Mr. President, do you like your job? And is it difficult at
times?
THE PRESIDENT: I love my job, and that's why I want to do it for
four more years. I believe that -- (applause). A lot of jobs are
tough, but that's what makes them worthwhile. My job is the kind of
job that you better know who you are and where you're going in order to
do it the right way. You can't kind of fumble around with your value
system on the people's time. You've got to -- you've got to be rock
solid in what you believe. (Applause.)
I tease and say I'm listening to my mother, as the President.
Well, that's part of what it means to be rock solid in your values.
You get raised a certain way, and that's just the way you are. And you
show up and you do your job, you tell people what you think, just make
the best decisions you can possibly make. You just can't worry about
politics. I'm worried -- I am in the political arena. I'm obviously
anxious about this election; otherwise I wouldn't be here asking for
the vote. I'm anxious for it to get started. I like to campaign. I
like to be with people. But I'm not going to change. I'm not going to
change my principles. I'm not going to change my value system in order
to win the vote. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for coming. May God bless. Thank you
all. Thanks for being here. Thanks, everybody. Glad you're here.
(Applause.)
END 1:40 P.M. EDT
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