For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 5, 2004
Remarks by the President at the Republican National Committee Gala
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, D.C.
7:40 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: I'm ready. (Applause.) I'm here to tell you I
appreciate your support, and I want your vote. (Applause.) I stand
ready and eager to lead this nation for four more years. (Applause.)
I've recently come off a bus tour in Michigan and Ohio. The crowds
were big, the enthusiasm was high, our support is strong. We're
rolling on our way to victory in November of 2004. (Applause.)
There's going to be many turns in this campaign, but this will
remain constant: I will offer a positive, optimistic, and hopeful
vision to the American people. I have a plan to win the war on terror
and to spread peace and freedom throughout the world. I have a plan --
(applause.) I have a plan to help create an environment so more jobs
are created and every single citizen of this country can realize the
great promise of our country. I have a plan to promote the compassion
and spirit of this country, so all citizens -- all citizens -- can
realize their dreams.
I will leave no doubt where I stand. I will leave no doubt that
after four more years, this country will be safer and stronger and
better. And with this message, and with your help, I am confident that
Vice President Cheney and I will be reelected. (Applause.)
A good reason to put me back in office is to make sure Laura has
four more years as the First Lady. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: We love Laura!
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, you love Laura and I love Laura. (Laughter.)
When you're out there gathering the vote, make sure you tell people
that I put together a fantastic administration to serve the American
people -- (applause) -- people from all walks of life; people who have
come to our Nation's Capital to serve the people, not their
self-interest. (Applause.) I'm proud to be running with a fine Vice
President, Dick Cheney. (Applause.) And I appreciate the team we put
together, starting with the RNC Chairman, Ed Gillespie. He's a fine
guy. (Applause.) I told Ed, when he took the job, I said I want him
reaching out to people from all walks of life. I want him to
understand our message is so optimistic and hopeful that people,
regardless of their political party, are going to like what they hear;
that we've got to keep working with everybody in this country. I
appreciate the fact that his wife, Cathy, has taken a strong lead in
the campaign, as well. She's working for "W Stands for Women."
(Applause.)
I appreciate so very much the leadership that Al Hoffman has
provided to make sure that the Republican National Committee is
well-funded. I want to thank Ann Wagner as the Co-Chairman.
(Applause.) I appreciate my friend, Mercer Reynolds, for being the
Victory 2004 finance chairman. He got bumped up. He was the finance
chairman for Bush-Cheney. He did such a good job that we moved him up
to the victory committee. (Applause.)
I want to thank all my friends who are seated on the stage here for
working hard. I want to thank you all for coming. As Ed said, this is
a record night. It wouldn't have happened without you. It's important
to have enough fuel to make sure that the grassroots are activated as
we come down the stretch next fall. That's what we're here to talk
about. (Applause.)
I've got some members of my administration here tonight -- fine
Cabinet Secretaries Gale Norton, Ann Veneman, Tommy Thompson and Spence
Abraham. These people are doing a superb job on behalf of the American
citizens and I'm proud to call them Cabinet members in the Bush
administration. (Applause.)
We've got a fantastic Congress right now. We've got great
leadership in Bill Frist and Speaker Denny Hastert. I'm proud to be
working with them. (Applause.) I not only want to make sure I find
work after November -- (laughter) -- but I want them in power, too.
They made a big difference to this country. (Applause.)
I know that Senator George Allen is with us tonight, from the great
state of Virginia. (Applause.) I know my friend from the great state
of Texas, Tom DeLay, is with us tonight. (Applause.) Majority Whip
Roy Blunt from Missouri is with us. I want to thank Roy for being
here. (Applause.) Congresswoman Deborah Price is with us, as well, as
are many other members of the United States Congress. I also want to
thank my friend, Collin Raye, a fantastic artist who has agreed to
entertain, and I'm proud that he has come, as well.
These last three years -- these last three years have brought
serious challenges to this nation. And we have given serious answers
to those challenges. (Applause.) When we came to office, the stock
market was declining and this economy of ours was headed into a
recession. But we acted. We delivered historic tax relief for the
American people, and now our economy is the fastest growing of any
major industrialized nation. (Applause.)
We saw war and grief arrive on a quiet September morning. So we
pursued the terrorist enemy across the world. We've captured or killed
many of the key al Qaeda leaders, and the rest of them will learn
this: There is no cave or whole deep enough to hide from American
justice. (Applause.)
We confronted the dangers of state-sponsored terror and the spread
of weapons of mass destruction. So we ended two of the most violent
and dangerous regimes on Earth. We liberated over 50 million people.
And once again, America is proud to stand against tyranny and to set
nations free. (Applause.)
When Dick Cheney and I came to office, we found a military that was
underfunded and underappreciated. So we acted. Along with the
Congress, we gave our military the resources and respect they deserve.
And today, no one can question the skill and the strength and the
spirit of the United States military. (Applause.)
It is the President's job to confront problems, not to pass them on
to future Presidents and future generations. (Applause.) Great events
will turn on this election. The man who sits in the Oval Office will
set the course of the war on terror and the direction of our economy.
The security and prosperity of America are at stake.
I'm running against a tough opponent; we should not take him
lightly. He's an experienced Senator who has built up quite a record.
(Laughter.) He's been in Washington long enough to take both sides on
just about every issues. (Applause.) He voted for the Patriot Act,
for NAFTA, for the No Child Left Behind Act, and for the use of force
in Iraq. Now he opposes the Patriot Act, NAFTA, the No Child Left
Behind Act, and the liberation of Iraq. My opponent's positions on
these issues reminded me of a saying we have in Texas about the
weather. (Laughter.) If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes
and it will change. (Applause.)
He has an interesting way of saying things. You know we're both
out looking for votes and endorsements. As you might know, he claims
he picked up some important endorsements among foreign leaders.
(Laughter.) He just won't tell us who they are. (Laughter.) He did
drop a hint a few weeks ago on TV. He said, "What I said is true. I
mean, you can go to New York City and you can be in a restaurant and
you can meet a foreign leader." End quote. (Laughter.) I got a hunch
this whole thing might be a case of mistaken identity. (Laughter.)
Just because somebody has an accent -- (laughter) -- and a nice suit --
(laughter) -- and a good table -- (laughter) -- it doesn't make him a
foreign leader. (Laughter and applause.) Whoever these mystery men
are -- (laughter) -- they won't be deciding the election. (Laughter.)
The voters will be deciding the election. (Applause.)
The voters will have a clear choice in this campaign. It's a
choice between keeping the tax relief that is moving this economy
forward or putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American
people. It's a choice between an America that leads the world with
strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of
danger.
You know, thus far in the campaign we haven't heard much in the way
of strategies from the other side to win the war on terror, or to
expand our economy. So far we've heard bitterness and outbursts,
instead of calm debate. The American people understand that anger is
not an agenda for the future of America. (Applause.) I will take on
the big issues with optimism and resolve and determination. And I will
make it clear that we stand ready to lead this nation for four more
years. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: A big issue for every family in America is the
federal tax burden. With the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan
was the President, we have left more money in the hands that earned
it. By spending and investing and helping to create new jobs, the
American people have used their money far better than the government
would have. (Applause.)
The entrepreneurial spirit in this country is strong. The economy
grew at a strong rate of 4.2 percent in the first quarter. The
economic growth over the past three quarters has been the fastest in
nearly two decades. In March, the economy added 308,000 new jobs, the
highest monthly job growth total in nearly four years. Since August,
our economy has added over three quarters of a million jobs. Across
America, manufacturing activity is increasing, business investment is
rising, disposable income is up, mortgage and interest rates are near
historic lows, home ownership is at the highest rate ever. The tax
relief, the pro-economic stimulus plan we passed is working.
(Applause.)
There's a clear difference in this campaign about taxes. My
opponent opposed the child -- increase in the child credit, reducing
the marriage penalty. He voted "no" when it came to creating a lower
10-percent rate for working families. He was against the stimulus
package for small businesses. Yet, when it comes to increasing taxes,
he's got a real record. (Laughter.) It's a clear record. He's voted
over 350 times for increased taxes on the American people. He
supported higher gas taxes 11 times. He once favored an increase of 50
cents a gallon at the gas pump on the American people. That would cost
the average driver $5 or more every time you fill up your tank. For
that kind of money, you think he'd throw in a free car wash.
(Laughter.)
Campaigns can be dangerous when it comes to spending somebody
else's money. It's easy to make promises. My opponent, thus far, has
promised $1.9 trillion of new money, new expenditures. And we're just
getting started in the campaign. (Laughter.) Six months ago, he said
he's going to -- he's going to pay for it by raising taxes on the
rich. But that wouldn't even get him half the money he needs. He's
got what I call a "tax gap." (Laughter.) He needs a lot of money to
pay for his promises. And, given his record, we know where that money
will come from -- it will come from working people in America. It will
come from people trying to raise their families. It will come from
small business owners. The good news: he's not going to have that
chance to raise taxes on the American people. (Applause.)
I have a better idea. We must keep taxes low. We should not raise
taxes on the American people. We must do more to keep this economy
growing, to create jobs. We need spending discipline here in the
Nation's Capital. I look forward to working with Congress to bring
much needed discipline when it comes to spending your money. I have a
plan to protect small business owners and employees from frivolous
lawsuits and needless regulation. (Applause.)
We must help control the cost of health care by giving people
better access to affordable health care through association health
plans and tax-free health savings accounts. Congress needs to pass
medical liability reform to make sure that costs are lower.
(Applause.)
In order to make sure we're strong, in order to make sure we can
grow, in order to make sure people can find work we need an energy
policy in America -- (applause) -- an energy policy that promotes
conservation, alternative sources of energy; an energy policy that
promotes clean coal technology; an energy policy that encourages
environmentally friendly exploration for natural gas. One thing is for
certain: We need to become less dependent on foreign sources of
energy. (Applause.)
In order to make sure we grow and people can find work, this
country must be confident about our ability to compete in the world.
We need to knock down trade barriers. We need to open up new markets
around the world for America's entrepreneurs and farmers and ranchers.
Empty talk about jobs and economic isolationism will not get anyone
hired. The way to create jobs is to reelect a pro-growth, pro-small
business, pro-entrepreneur President, George W. Bush. (Applause.)
Our future also depends on America's leadership in the world. The
momentum of freedom in our time is strong, but we still face serious
dangerous. Al Qaeda is wounded, but not broken. Terrorists are
testing our will in Afghanistan and Iraq. Regimes in North Korea and
Iran are challenging the peace. If America shows weakness and
uncertainty in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This
will not happen on my watch. (Applause.)
This nation is strong and confident in the cause of freedom. Today
no friend or enemy doubts the word of the United States. (Applause.)
America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the terror regime in
Afghanistan. The Taliban chose defiance, and the Taliban are no longer
in power. (Applause.) America and our allies gave an ultimatum to the
terror regime in Iraq. The dictator chose defiance, and now the
dictator sits in a prison cell.
September the 11th, 2001 taught a lesson I will never forget and
America must never forget: America must confront threats before they
fully materialize. (Applause.) In my administration, we looked at the
intelligence and we saw a threat in Iraq. The United States Congress
looked at the intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations
Security Council looked at the intelligence and it saw a threat.
In 2002, the U.N. Security Council yet again demanded a full
accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. You see, we all
understood that he had used weapons of mass destruction before. We
remember that he had terrorist ties. We remembered that he attacked
countries in his neighborhood. We remembered clearly that he paid
suiciders to go kill innocent Israelis. We remembered the nature of
Saddam Hussein. But he chose defiance. He defied the demands of the
free world. So I had a choice to make: Either take the word of a
madman, or defend this country. Given that choice, I will defend
America every time. (Applause.)
My opponent admits that Saddam Hussein was a threat -- he just
didn't support my decision to remove Saddam from power. (Laughter.)
Maybe he was hoping Saddam would lose the next Iraqi election.
(Laughter.) We showed the dictator and a watching world that America
means what it says. (Applause.) Because our coalition acted, Saddam's
torture chambers are closed. Because we acted, Iraq's weapons programs
are ended forever. Because we acted, nations like Libya got the
message and have voluntarily disarmed. (Applause.) Because we acted,
an example of democracy is rising at the very heart of the Middle
East. Because we acted, the world is more free, and America is more
secure. (Applause.)
We still face serious and continuing challenges in Iraq. These
have been tough times for the American people. I understand that.
See, we're facing illegal militias and remnants of a regime who are
joined by foreign terrorists. They're trying to take force by power
that they could never gain by the ballot. They know that a free Iraq
will be a major defeat in the war on terror. They hate freedom. They
can't stand the thought of free societies growing up in the Middle
East. These groups find little support among the Iraqi people -- and
they will find no success in their attempts to shake the will of
America. They don't understand our country: America will never be
intimidated by thugs and assassins. (Applause.)
We have a clear strategy in Iraq. We're working hard to ensure an
atmosphere of security as Iraqis move toward self-government. We
support the efforts of local Iraqis to disarm the radicals in their
country. We stand with those brave souls who want their country to be
free and peaceful. We made it clear to militias in Najaf and elsewhere
to disarm or face grave consequences. Our forces are in position. Our
forces are on the move. Our forces are on the offense. We will
enforce order in Iraq. (Applause.)
And as we do so, we will return sovereignty to the people of Iraq
on a schedule that we agreed to. Like any proud people, Iraqis want to
manage their own affairs. On June 30th, a sovereign Iraqi interim
government will take office. We will pass sovereignty. We will stay
and stand with those people as a free country emerges. These aren't
easy tasks for our country, but they're essential tasks. America will
finish what we have begun, and we will win this victory in the war on
terror. (Applause.)
On national security, Americans have a clear choice. My opponent
says he approves of bold action in the world -- but only if other
countries do not object. (Laughter.) I'm for united action. We've
put together coalitions to help bring the peace in Afghanistan. More
than 30 coalition partners are in Iraq right now. But I will never
turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of other
countries. (Applause.)
We have a difference about this war on terror. My opponent said
the war on terror is far less of a military operation and far more of
an intelligence-gathering law enforcement operation.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I disagree. Our nation followed this approach
after the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The matter was
handled in the courts and thought by some to be settled. Yet, the
terrorists were still training in Afghanistan. They were still
plotting in other nations. They were drawing up more ambitious plans.
After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough
to serve our enemies with legal papers. With those attacks, the
terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States of
America -- and war is what they got. (Applause.)
Winning this war requires steadfast resolve. Winning this war
requires clear purpose. Winning this war requires us to give our
troops the best equipment in the world. That's why I proposed an $87
billion supplemental last fall. I want our troops to have the best.
My opponent voted against that bill, and here's what he said: "I
actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it."
(Laughter.) The American President must speak clearly and mean what he
says, if the world is to be more peaceful. (Applause.)
We've got a great military. We've got fantastic men and women
serving our nation. They're taking great risks, and they're doing
excellent work. (Applause.) At bases across our country and the
world, I have had the privilege of meeting with those who defend our
country and sacrifice for our security. I've seen their great decency
and unselfish courage. And I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, the
cause of freedom is in good hands. (Applause.)
This nation is prosperous and strong. Yet we need to remember that
our greatest strength is in the hearts and souls of the American
people. We are strong because of the values we try to live by:
courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. We're strong because
of the institutions that help give us direction and purpose: families
and schools and our religious congregations. (Applause.) This is a
fabulous nation because of the people of this nation. I'm constantly
amazed by the generous acts of kindness and decency and compassion that
take place on a daily basis in our country. We've got people mentoring
children, feeding the hungry, finding shelter for the homeless,
providing love for the lonely. And it all happens, not because of
government, but because of the compassion of the American people.
(Applause.)
I see the culture of our country changing. It's changing from one
that has said, if it feels good, do it, and if you've got a problem,
blame somebody else -- (laughter) -- to a culture in which each of us
understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. If
you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you are responsible
for loving your child with all your heart. (Applause.) If you're
worried about the quality of the education in the community in which
you live, you are responsible for doing something about it. If you're
a CEO in corporate America, you are responsible for telling the truth
to your shareholders and your employees. (Applause.) And in the
responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving our
neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves. (Applause.)
For all Americans -- 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 isn't one of those
times. You and I are living in a period when the stakes are high, when
challenges are difficult, a time when firm resolve is needed.
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On September 14, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
Towers. It's a day I will never forget. I remember a guy pointed at
me and said, "Don't let me down." Workers in hard-hats, policemen and
firefighters were shouting, "Whatever it takes." As we all did that
day, these men and women searching through the rubble took it
personally. I took it personally. I have a responsibility that goes
on. I will never relent in bringing justice to our enemies. I will
defend our country, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
In these times, I have also been witness to the character of this
nation. Not so long ago, some had their doubts about the American
character, our capacity to meet serious challenges or to serve a cause
greater than self-interest. Americans have given their answer. I've
seen the unselfish courage of our troops. I've seen the heroism of
Americans in the face of danger. I've seen the spirit of service and
compassion that runs so deep in our country. We've all seen our nation
unite in common purpose when it mattered most. We will need all these
qualities for the work ahead.
I'm running because there's more work to do. We have a war to
win. And the world is counting on us to lead the cause of freedom and
peace. (Applause.) We have a duty to spread opportunity to every part
of America. We have an obligation to work together to make this
country safer and stronger and better. This is the work that history
has set before us. We welcome it. And we know that for our great
land, the best days lie ahead.
Thank you for coming. May God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)
Thank you all very much.
END 8:16 P.M. EDT
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