For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 31, 2004
President's Remarks in Canton, Ohio
Canton Memorial Civic Center
Canton, Ohio
11:04 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. I'm glad so many came out on a
Saturday morning. I appreciate the warm welcome. I particularly thank
those who are sitting behind me -- you've probably got the best view in
the house. (Applause.)
We're on the Heart and Soul of America tour. I'm out asking for
the vote. I'm out asking for your help. I want to serve this nation
for four more years. (Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more Years! Four More Years!
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, there's going to be big differences in this
campaign. You hear big differences on taxes, on how to win the war on
terror. There seems to be a difference over the heart and soul of
America. My opponents think you define the heart and soul of America
in Hollywood.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: The true heart and soul of America is found right
here in Canton, Ohio. (Applause.)
Last night I was in Cleveland; we're heading to Cambridge; I'm
heading to Pittsburgh today. We're taking this bus tour. I'm excited
about the campaign. The crowds are big. The crowds are enthusiastic.
With your help, Dick Cheney and I will win four more years.
(Applause.)
I'm sorry Laura is not here.
THE AUDIENCE: Awww!
THE PRESIDENT: That's generally the reaction. (Laughter.) It's
kind of like, bring her on and you stay at home. (Laughter.) But she
is a great First Lady. I am proud of her. (Applause.) Today, I'm
going to talk about what I intend to do over the next four years, but
perhaps the most important reason to put me back in is so that Laura
will be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I mentioned my running mate. I admit, he's not the prettiest on
the ticket. (Laughter.) That's not why I picked him. (Applause.) I
picked him because he's strong, he's steady and he gets the job done.
(Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Senator Voinovich. Put him back in
there, will you, for the sake of Ohio and for the sake of America.
(Applause.) He is a fabulous human being and a great United States
senator. Every time I talk to him, he says, you be thinking about
Ohio, Mr. President. I said, don't worry, Ohio is an important state,
George. It's important for a lot of reasons. I carried it last time.
I intend to work hard to carry it this time. (Applause.)
And if you want to know how you can help, go to georgewbush.com.
That's where you get your marching orders. I want to thank Mike
DeWine, the United States senator that serves with George Voinovich so
well. (Applause.) I appreciate your governor, Bob Taft, joining us
today. I'm proud he's joining me on the bus tour. (Applause.) I want
to thank Congressman Ralph Regula, and Mary, for joining us.
(Applause.) I'm proud to say hello to your mayor, Mayor Creighton,
today when I came in. I appreciate the fact that Janet ran for
office. She said, when you get up there, make sure you assure them
that I'm going to fill the potholes. (Laughter.) I said, okay.
I want to thank all the other state and local officials. I'm proud
that grassroots activists are here. Those are the people who put up
the signs. Those are the people who make the phone calls. Those are
the people who register the voters. Those are the people who tell
Republican, Democrat and independent you have a duty in this country to
vote. And those are the people, when they get people heading to the
polls, are going to nudge them our way. (Applause.) Thanks for what
you're doing.
Also, I'm proud that Chris Spielman is here. I'm glad that he is
-- (applause.) Taking one look at him reminded me how I'm glad we're
both on the same side. (Laughter.) He's a good man. I want to thank
the McKinley Bulldog marching band. (Applause.)
Every incumbent who asks for your vote has to answer a central
question, and that's: Why? Why? Why should the American people give
me the great privilege of serving as your President for four more
years? In the past few years, we've been through a lot together.
Think about what we've been through. We've accomplished a great deal.
We've done a lot together. But there's only one reason to look
backward at the record, and that's to determine who best to lead the
nation forward. (Applause.) I'm asking for your vote because so much
is at stake. I'm asking for your vote because we have so much more to
do together to move this country forward. (Applause.)
If the people give me four more years, this country will be safer.
Our economy will be stronger. Our future will be brighter and better
for every single citizen. (Applause.) From creating well-paying, good
jobs; to improving schools; from fighting terror, to spreading peace
and protecting the homeland; we have made much progress. And we will
do more. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
excellence we all know they can be so that no child is left behind in
America. (Applause.) When we came to office three-and-a-half years
ago, too many children were being shuffled from grade to grade, year
after year without learning the basics. So we challenged the soft
bigotry of low expectations. We raised the bar. We set high
standards. We're focusing on results. We're empowering parents.
We're making sure the local folks are in charge of their own public
schools. (Applause.) Today, children across America are showing real
progress, substantial progress in reading and math. When it comes to
improving public schools, we are turning the corner, and we're not
turning back. (Applause.)
We have more to do. The world we live in is changing. The jobs of
the future will require greater knowledge and higher level skills. We
will reform our high schools to make sure a high school diploma means
something. (Applause.) We will expand our math and science education
so young people can compete in the high tech world. We will expand the
use of the Internet to bring high-level training into classrooms. With
four more years, we will help a rising generation gain the skills and
the confidence to achieve the American Dream. (Applause.)
We have more to do to make quality health care available and
affordable. When we came to office too many older Americans couldn't
afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders
in both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
years. We got it done. (Applause.) More than 4 million seniors have
signed up for the drug discount cards that provide real savings. And
beginning in 2006, all seniors on Medicare will be able to choose a
plan that suits their needs and gives them coverage for prescription
drugs. (Applause.)
We've expanded community health centers for low-income Americans.
We've created health savings accounts so families can save, tax free,
for their own health care needs. When it comes to giving Americans
more choices about their health care and making health care more
affordable, we are turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
(Applause.)
This world is changing. Most Americans get their health care
coverage through their work. Most of today's new jobs are created by
small businesses, which too often cannot afford to provide health
care. To help more American families get health insurance, we must
allow small employers to join together to purchase insurance at the
discounts available to big companies. (Applause.)
To improve health care, we must limit the frivolous lawsuits that
raise the cost of health care and drive good doctors out of medicine.
(Applause.) To make the health care industry more efficient and cost
effective, we must harness technology to reduce costs and prevent
mistakes. We must expand research and seek new cures for terrible
diseases.
In all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure
the health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by
bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
Still back there? (Applause.) They are.
We have more to do to make America's economy stronger. We have
come through a recession. We've come through terrorist attacks. We've
come through a stock market decline. We've come through corporate
scandals. Yet, this nation has overcome all these obstacles.
(Applause.) We've overcome the obstacles because we've got great
workers in America -- (applause) -- the most productive workers in the
world, many of whom are right here in eastern Ohio. (Applause.) We've
overcome these obstacles because we've got great farmers and ranchers
in America. (Applause.) We've overcome these obstacles because the
entrepreneurial spirit is strong and the small business sector is alive
and well in America. (Applause.)
And we've overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax
relief. (Applause.) We gave tax relief to every American who pays
federal taxes. (Applause.) We didn't play winners or losers. We did
it the fair way. We gave tax relief for families with children.
(Applause.) We gave tax relief for married couples. (Applause.) We
provided tax relief for every small business that was making
purchases. (Applause.) And this time, the check really was in the
mail. (Applause.)
Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
as fast as any time in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) Because we acted,
America has added 1.5 million new jobs since last August. (Applause.)
The economy is strong and it's getting stronger. It lags in places
like eastern Ohio, I know that. I'm aware of that. I just traveled on
the bus with workers who told me they are nervous about their future.
They're concerned. I am, too. And, therefore, we must have a
President who understands that in order to keep jobs at home, America
must be the best place to do business. (Applause.)
I'm here to tell you we can do more to make America job-friendly,
and America's workplaces more family-friendly. To keep American jobs
in America -- (applause) -- our regulations must be reasonable and
fair. (Applause.) To keep American jobs in America, we must lessen
our dependence on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.) To keep
American jobs in America, we must end the junk lawsuits that hurt our
business and employers. (Applause.)
If you want to keep jobs in America, the government must not
overspend your money, and the government must keep your taxes low.
(Applause.) And that's how you keep jobs at home. (Applause.)
You also keep jobs at home by making sure American workers have a
lifetime of learning. And you help them get training for the jobs of
the future. And a great place to do that is in our community college
system. The education and training they offer can be the bridge
between people's lives as they are, people's lives as they want them to
be.
I know there's great concern about trade in eastern Ohio. Let me
tell you something about trade. I believe that America and Americans
can compete with anybody, anyplace, anywhere so long as the rules are
fair. (Applause.)
We understand what currency valuations can do to manufacturing,
particularly in eastern Ohio. We've been working with China to put
fair policy in place. Just give us a chance to compete, is all we're
asking. (Applause.) We've been enforcing our trade agreements.
We're making sure that our workers and our manufacturers are treated
fairly.
We'll help American families keep more of something they never
enough of: time -- time to play with their children; time to go Little
League games, or Girl Scout meetings; time to care for elderly parents;
time to go to class to improve their lives. I believe that Congress
should enact comp-time and flex-time rules to allow American families
to better juggle the demands of work and home. (Applause.) I think
government ought to be on the side of the American family.
(Applause.) After four more years, there will be better paying jobs in
America. After four more years, there will be more small businesses.
After four more years, the American economy will continue to be the
strongest in the world. (Applause.)
We have more to do to wage and win the 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 will not happen on my watch. (Applause.)
The world changed on a terrible September morning. And since that
day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan
served as the home base of al Qaeda, which trained and deployed
thousands of killers to set up terror cells in dozens of countries,
including our own. Today, Afghanistan is a rising democracy.
(Applause.) Afghanistan is now a place where many young girls go to
school for the first time. (Applause.)
Yesterday, in Cleveland, Ohio, at the International Children's
Games, I was able to hug and say hello to a young girls' soccer team
from Afghanistan. (Applause.) That wouldn't have happened -- that
wouldn't have happened three years ago. Because we acted, Afghanistan
is an ally in the war on terror. Because we acted, America and the
world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror.
Pakistani forces are aggressively helping to round up terrorists, and
America and the world are safer. (Applause.) Before September the
11th, in Saudi Arabia, terrorists were raising money and recruiting and
operating with little opposition. Today, the Saudi government is
taking the fight to al Qaeda and 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 have sent a strong and clear message, the leader of Libya has
abandoned his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction -- America and the
world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of
America. He was defying the world. He was firing weapons at American
pilots and forcing the world's sanctions. He had pursued and he had
used weapon of mass destruction. (Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He harbored terrorists, he invaded his neighbors,
he subsidized the families of suicide bombers. He had murdered tens of
thousands of his own citizens. He was the source of great
instability.
After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
in a new light. The lesson of September the 11th is we must take
threats seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.) The
September the 11th Commission concluded our institutions of government
had failed to imagine the horror of that day. After September the
11th, we cannot fail to imagine that a brutal tyrant who hated America,
who had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass destruction, might use
those weapons, or share those capabilities with a deadly enemy.
We saw a threat. I looked at the intelligence and saw a threat.
Members of the United States Congress, from both parties -- including
my opponent -- (applause) -- looked at the intelligence and came to the
same conclusion: they saw a threat. The United Nations Security
Council looked at the intelligence, saw a threat, and unanimously
demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons and weapons
programs, or face serious consequences. After 12 years of defiance, he
again refused to comply. He continued to deceive the weapons
inspectors.
And so I had a choice to make; this nation had a choice to make:
either forget the lessons of September the 11th and hope for the best
and trust a madman, or take action to defend our country. Given that
choice -- (applause.) Given that choice, I will defend America every
time. (Applause.) When it comes to fighting the threats of our world,
when it comes to making America safer, when it comes to spreading the
peace, we're turning a corner, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
We have more work to do -- more hard work to do. We'll continue to
work with our friends and allies around the world to aggressively
pursue the terrorists and the foreign fighters wherever they hide in --
Afghanistan and Iraq, or elsewhere. See, you can't talk sense to the
terrorists. You can't negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the
best. You must bring them to justice.
THE AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: We will engage these enemies in Afghanistan and
Iraq and elsewhere, so that we do not have to face them here at home.
(Applause.) We'll continue to lead the world with competence and moral
clarity. (Applause.) We put together a strong coalition -- a strong
coalition joined together to defeat the terrorists. There are nearly
40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in Iraq.
Over the next four years, we will continue to build alliances and work
with our friends, but I will never turn America's national security
decisions over to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
We must keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
peaceful, democratic societies. You see, these two nations are now
governed by strong leaders who believe that there's a democratic future
for their countries. These are courageous people who have stood up and
led. And more and more of their citizens are joining them. More and
more of the security needs in Iraq are being handled by Iraqis. It's
their future. It's their responsibility. They understand that the men
and women, the fathers and mothers of Iraq, want their children to grow
up in a peaceful world, just like the moms and dads of America want
their children to grow up in a peaceful world. (Applause.)
When we acted to protect their own security, we promised to help
deliver them from tyranny, to restore their sovereignty, and to help
them on the path to liberty. And when America gives it word, America
will keep its word. (Applause.) And in these times, America's
commitments are kept by the men and women of our military.
(Applause.) I've 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. The cause of liberty, the cause of
freedom, is in really good hands. (Applause.)
And we must make sure that the men and women who wear our uniform
have the very best -- the best training, the best equipment.
(Applause.) And so last September, while our troops were in combat in
both Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support
them in their missions. This legislation provided funding for body
armor and other vital equipment for hazard pay, for health benefits and
ammunition and fuel and spare parts. In the Senate, only a handful,
only a small, out-of-the-mainstream minority voted against the
legislation. And two of those 12 senators are on the ticket opposing
us.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Senator Kerry tried to explain his vote this way:
I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.
(Laughter.) End quote. (Laughter.) Now, he's offering different
explanations. At one time he said he was proud that he and his running
mate voted against the funding for the troops. And then he said: The
whole thing is a complicated matter. (Laughter.) 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, hopelessness, and resentment. A free and peaceful Iraq, a
free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their
neighbors. (Applause.) Free countries do not export terror. Free
countries do not stifle the dreams of their citizens. Free countries
listen to the hopes and aspirations of the people that live there. By
serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others and making
America more secure. By serving the ideal of liberty, we serve the
values we believe in. Freedom is not America's gift to world; freedom
is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
(Applause.)
We have more to do to protect America. An enemy still lurks, an
enemy which hates what we stand for and they're still plotting. The
September the 11th [Commission] had this interesting conclusion, which
I agree with. It said: Our homeland is safer, but we are not yet
safe. They're right. We've started the hard process of reform. We've
transformed our defenses, or we're transforming our defenses, and we've
created a new Department of Homeland Security. We passed the Patriot
Act to give law enforcement the tools they need to track the
terrorists. (Applause.) The mission of the FBI is now focused on
preventing terrorism. We've integrated intelligence and law
enforcement better than we ever have before. When it comes to better
protecting America, we are turning the corner, and we're not turning
back. (Applause.)
Listen, we've got more to do. Over the next four years, we'll
better secure our ports and borders and train first responders and
dramatically improve our intelligence gathering capabilities. Reform
is not going to be easy, I understand that. It never is. You see,
there's a lot of entrenched interests around, particularly in
Washington. A lot of people happy with the status quo. But it's not
enough to advocate reform; you have to be able to get it done.
(Applause.)
When it comes to reforming schools to provide an excellent
education for all our children, results matter. (Applause.) When it
comes to health care reforms to give families more access and more
choices, results matter. (Applause.) When it comes improving our
economy and creating jobs, results matter. When it comes to better
securing the homeland, to fighting the forces of evil and spreading
peace, results matter. (Applause.) When it comes to choosing a
President, results matter. (Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four More Years!
THE PRESIDENT: This week -- this week, the other party gathered in
Boston.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: We heard a lot of -- there were some clever
speeches, and some big promises. Their intentions, I think, are good.
My opponent's intentions are good. But the problem is intentions don't
always translate into results.
After 19 years in the U.S. Senate, my opponent has thousands of
votes but few signature achievements.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: He's a flip-flop.
THE PRESIDENT: During eight years in the Senate Intelligence
Committee, he voted to cut the budget -- intelligence budgets, yet he
had no record of reforming America's intelligence-gathering
capability. He's had no significant record in reforming education or
health care. As a matter of fact, he and his running mate consistently
oppose reforms that limit the power of Washington, and leave power in
the hands of the people. He spent 20 years in government, nearly 20
years, it appears he's concluded that government just isn't big
enough. (Laughter.) He's proposed more than $2 trillion of additional
spending, and the campaign is just getting started. (Laughter.) The
times of the big promise is coming down the stretch. (Laughter.) The
problem is he hasn't told us how he's going to pay for it.
THE AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: If you look at his record, I think we can figure it
out. (Laughter.) He believes in higher taxes -- at least that's how
he's voted time in and time out, time in and time out. If I had to
guess how we're going to pay for all these new promises, it's going to
be: You get to pay.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He said he's only going to raise the tax on the
so-called rich. But you know how the rich is, they've got
accountants. That means you pay. That means your small business
pays. It means the farmers and ranchers pay. That's the wrong
medicine for this economy, and we're not going to let him prescribe
it. (Applause.)
There's a big philosophical difference in this campaign. Our
opponents share an old Washington mind set: They'll give the orders,
and you pay the bills. But we've turned a corner, and we're not
turning back to that way of thinking. (Applause.)
Listen, we live in -- we're living in a time of amazing change --
amazing period of time, isn't it? In our parents' generation, moms
usually stayed at home, and fathers worked for one company until
retirement. A lot of people are still doing that today, but it's
changing times when you think about it. The company provided the
health care, and training, and pension. And government programs
reflected that way of life. That's just the way the government was
structured in those days.
Yet, today, oftentimes, workers change jobs and careers frequently;
a lot of times both parents are working; a lot of times there's only
one mom at home working. It's a different world we're living in.
Government has got to reflect the different world. Government has got
to work with America's working families. That's why workers need to
own and manage their own health care accounts, so they can take them
with them from job to job. (Applause.)
That's why our pensions and retirements systems must insist that
the owners be the workers. You see, Social Security needs to be
strengthened by giving younger workers the opportunity to manage some
of their own money in personal savings accounts. (Applause.) Social
Security will be strengthened by telling those who have retired, or are
near retired, nothing is going to change. The government is going to
pay your commitment. But younger workers, and a country will be
benefited with younger workers, have an opportunity to take some of
their own money, their choice, and build up their nest egg so they can
pass it from one generation to the next. (Applause.)
You see, my reforms are based on the basic conviction the role of
government is not to control or dominate the lives of our citizens.
The role of government should help our citizens, help our citizens gain
the time and tools they need to make their own choices and to improve
their own lives. (Applause.)
That's why I'm working hard to usher in an era of ownership in
America. See, we want more people owning something in our country. We
want more people owning their own home, owning their own small
business, owning their own health care accounts, owning a piece of
their retirement plan. When you own something, you have a vital stake
in the future of our country. (Applause.)
This is a world of change, a world of change. But some things will
never change: our belief in liberty and opportunity for all, and the
non-negotiable demands of human dignity. The individual values we try
to live by will not change: courage and compassion, reverence and
integrity. The institutions that give us direction and purpose will
not change our families, our schools, our religious congregations.
These values are fundamental to our lives. These institutions are
necessary for a hopeful America; they deserve the respect of our
government. (Applause.)
Some things will not change in this changing world. We stand for
institutions like marriage and family, which are the foundations of
society. (Applause.) We stand for a culture of life in which every
person matters and every person counts. (Applause.) We stand for
judges who faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from
the bench. (Applause.)
And we stand for a culture of responsibility in our country. You
know, the culture of the country is changing from one that has said, if
it feels good, do it, and, if you've got a problem, blame somebody
else, to a culture in which each of us understands we are responsible
for the decisions you 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. If you're worried about the quality of the education in the
community in which you live, you're responsible for doing something
about it. It's your responsibility. (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 ourselves. (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 isn't one of those times. It's a time
where we need strong resolve and clear vision.
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of
the Twin Towers. It's a day I'll never forget. There were workers in
hard hats yelling at me: Whatever it takes. I remember walking along
and a fellow grabbed me, policeman or fireman, I don't know which one,
but he had tears in his eyes and said: Do not let me down. You see,
all of them working through the rubble there took the incident
personally, just like you did and just like I did. I have a
responsibility that goes on. I wake up every single morning thinking
about how to better protect our country. I will never relent in
bringing justice to the enemy and protecting our country, whatever it
takes. (Applause.)
We've come through a lot together; there's more to do. We've done
a lot of hard work and the world is getting better. During the next
four years, we'll spread opportunity and ownership through every corner
of this country. During the next four years, we'll continue to pass on
enduring values to a younger generation. And during the next four
years, we will lead the cause of freedom and peace, and we will
prevail. (Applause.)
Four years ago -- four years ago, I had traveled the great country
and the great state of Ohio asking for the vote, pledging to our fellow
citizens that if you honored me with the great responsibility of being
President, I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to
which I had been elected. (Applause.) And with your help, I will do
so for four more years. (Applause.)
God bless. Thanks for coming. Thank you all very much. Thank you
all. (Applause.)
END 11:52 A.M. EDT
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