For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 31, 2004
President's Remarks in Cambridge, Ohio
Cambridge City Park
Don Coss Field
Cambridge, Ohio
2:16 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming out
today. Thanks for inviting me to Cambridge, it's an honor to be here.
(Applause.) I always feel comfortable being in the middle of a ball
diamond. (Applause.) I appreciate so many taking time out of your
Saturday to come by and say hello, and to welcome us on what we call
the Heart and Soul of America tour. (Applause.)
There seems to be a difference of opinion about the heart and
soul. I'm running against a fellow who thinks you can find the heart
and soul in Hollywood.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: No, I know where you find the heart and soul of
America, right here in places like Cambridge, Ohio. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming out. I'm here to ask for the vote. (Applause.)
I'm ready to lead for four more years, and I want your help.
(Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more
years!
THE PRESIDENT: I'm glad to be amongst my fellow Republicans,
discerning Democrats and wise independents. (Applause.) I'd like to
ask you to volunteer to register voters. See, we have a duty in this
country to vote. We have a duty in a land of free to exercise our
individual choices in the ballot box. So please register your
neighbors to vote. Make sure you tell them after they register to
vote, and when you get them heading toward the polls, why don't you
nudge them our way? (Applause.)
Thanks for coming. My regret is that Laura isn't with me today.
THE AUDIENCE: Awww!
THE PRESIDENT: I know. That's usually the reaction. (Applause.)
I'm really proud of her. She's a great lady. (Applause.) Today, I'm
going to give you some reasons why I think you need to put me back in
office, but perhaps the most important reason of all is so that Laura
can be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I'm running with a really good man. I know he's not the prettiest
face on the ticket. (Laughter.) But I didn't pick him for that
reason. I picked him because he's solid. I picked him because he's
got good advice and great experience. I picked him because he's a good
man. I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be traveling on this bus with Governor Bob Taft.
Thank you for coming, Governor. (Applause.) Senator Mike DeWine, and
his wife, Fran. (Applause.) By the way, Voinovich was with me a
little earlier -- you need to put him back into office, he's a great
United States senator. (Applause.) He's a good man. He's a good
man.
I appreciate Congressman Bob Ney being with us today. Congressman,
I'm proud you're here. (Applause.) Mr. Mayor -- I appreciate the
mayor coming, Mayor Sam is with us today. I'm honored you're here,
Mayor. (Applause.) Thank you, Mayor. I was walking by, he said, you
get a chance, put in a good word for me. He said he's going to fill
the potholes. I said, all right. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the other state and local officials. I
appreciate the chairman of the party, Bob Bennett. I want to thank all
the grassroots activists who are here. (Applause.) Those are the
people who are putting up the signs and manning the phones and getting
your neighbors to show up to the polls on Election Day and I want to
thank you for your hard work, I really do. My job is to set the
vision, your job is to get the people to the polls. And, together,
we're going to win Ohio and win the nation. (Applause.)
Everybody running for office, every incumbent who asks for the vote
has got to answer the question: Why? Why are you running again? Why
should the American people give me the high privilege, the great
privilege of serving as your President for four more years? Let me
tell you something. We've been through a lot together, and we have
done a lot. We've accomplished a great deal. But there's only one
reason to look backward at the record, and that is to determine who
best to lead the nation forward. (Applause.)
I'm asking for your vote because there's a lot at stake, and
there's more to do to move our country forward. (Applause.) I want to
be your President and I'll work hard to be your President and to keep
your confidence to make this country safer, to make the economy
stronger, and to make our future brighter and better for every single
citizen. I'm ready to lead the country for four more years.
(Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more
years!
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, we've got more to do. We've got more work
to do to make sure our public schools are the center of excellence so
no child is left behind in America. (Applause.) When we came to office
three-and-a-half years ago, too many of the children were just being
shuffled through, grade to grade, year after year, without learning the
basics. So we confronted the status quo. We're challenging what I
call the soft bigotry of low expectations. We're raising the bar. We
expect better results. We're insisting on accountability, we're
empowering parents, and we're making sure that local folks are in
charge of the public schools. (Applause.)
And, today, children across America are showing real progress when
it comes to learning to read and math. When it comes to improving our
schools, we're turning the corner, and we're not turning back.
(Applause.)
There's more to do, this world of ours is changing. The jobs of
the future will require greater knowledge and a higher level of skill.
And so we must reform our high schools to make sure a high school
diploma means something. (Applause.) We will expand math and
education so our youngsters can compete in a high-tech world. We will
expand the use of the Internet to bring high-level training to
classrooms all across America with four years -- with four more years.
We will help raise a generation of young Americans to have confidence
and the skills necessary to realize the American promise. (Applause.)
We've got more to do to make quality health care available and
affordable. (Applause.) When we came to office, too many of our older
Americans could not afford prescription drugs, and Medicare didn't pay
for them. You might remember the old debates of Medicare -- there was
promise after promise, but nothing was ever done. We got it done.
(Applause.)
More than 4 million seniors have signed up for 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.)
Listen, we've expanded community health centers so low income
Americans can get health care. We've created health savings accounts,
so families can save, tax free, for their own health care needs. And
when it comes to giving Americans more choices about their health care
and making health care more affordable, we're turning the corner, and
we're not turning back. (Applause.)
Most Americans get their health care coverage through their work.
I understand that. Most of today's new jobs are created by small
businesses. Many small businesses cannot afford to provide health
coverage. We must deal with that. To help more American families get
health insurance, small employers must be allowed to join together to
purchase insurance at discounts available for big companies.
(Applause.)
To make sure the health care system is available and affordable, we
must limit the frivolous lawsuits that raise health care costs.
(Applause.) They not only raise your costs, but they drive the good
doctors of Ohio out of business. (Applause.) Listen, we'll harness
technology to reduce costs and prevent costly errors. We will expand
research to find new cures for terrible diseases. In all we do to
improve health care in America, we'll make sure the health decisions
are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington,
D.C. (Applause.)
Listen, we've got more to do to make this country's economy
stronger. We've come through a lot together. Think about what we've
been through. We've been through a recession. We've been through
attacks. We've been through a stock market decline. And we've been
through corporate scandals. But we've overcome all these obstacles.
We've overcome them together. I'll tell you why: we've got the
greatest workers in the world in America; we've got the most
productive, greatest workers in this country. (Applause.)
We're overcoming these obstacles because we've got great farmers
and ranchers. (Applause.) We're overcoming these obstacles because
the entrepreneurial spirit of America is strong. The small business
sector of our economy is vibrant and alive. (Applause.)
And we've overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
(Applause.) Listen, we didn't pick winners or losers when it came to
tax relief. We had a fair attitude, I think, that says if you pay
taxes, you ought to get relief. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: And so families with children got relief.
(Applause.) People who are married got relief. (Applause.) Small
business owners got relief. (Applause.) And this time, the check
really was in the mail. (Laughter and applause.)
Because we acted, our economy since last summer has grown at a rate
as fast as any in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) Because we acted,
America has added over 1.5 million new jobs since last August.
(Applause.) Look, I understand there are challenges here in eastern
Ohio. This part of the country has lagged behind other parts of the
country. But let me tell you something, raising your taxes isn't going
to create jobs. (Applause.) Isolating America from the rest of the
world isn't going to create new jobs. Voting against energy policy
isn't going to create new jobs. (Applause.) We will not rest until
every America [sic] who wants to find a job, has one. That's the
policy of the Bush administration. (Applause.)
There's more work to do to make sure this country is job-friendly
and our workplaces are family-friendly. To keep American jobs in
America -- (applause) ?- regulations need to be fair and reasonable.
To keep American jobs in America, we must end the junk and frivolous
lawsuits that threaten employers all across the country. (Applause.)
To keep American jobs in America, we will not overspend your money and
we will keep your taxes low. (Applause.) To keep American jobs in
America, we need a reasonable energy policy. As you know in Cambridge,
an important part of an energy strategy is clean coal technology.
(Applause.) Our budget for next year provides $447 million to
encourage this vital technology. I'll tell you why. In order for us
to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, we must use American
coal. (Applause.)
We have a difference of opinion on this. My opponent said -- he
called coal a dirty energy source.
THE AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: He opposed my energy plan, which promoted clean
coal technology and alternative sources of fuel. The other night in
Boston, he said he wants America finally and forever independent of
Mid-East oil. Listen, I share that goal and I know how to achieve it.
To make sure we're independent, to make sure we're not dependent on
foreign sources of energy, we must be wise about how we use America's
energy sources, including coal. (Applause.)
We'll offer America's workers a lifetime of learning, and to help
them get training for the jobs of the future at our community
colleges. Listen, to make sure American jobs stay here, we must be
wise and educate people for the jobs of the 21st century.
When it comes to keeping jobs in America, we must not isolate
ourselves from the world. I know people around here are worried about
trade. Let me tell you my view of trade. I believe we can compete
with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
(Applause.) I believe -- and my job is to make sure the rules are
fair, holding countries to account that mistreat American
manufacturers, holding countries to account that do not let their
currency float, holding countries to account that close their markets.
No, to keep jobs in America, you need a President who won't isolate us
in the world, a President who's confident in the American worker, the
American entrepreneur, the American manufacturer, and insists that
foreign countries treat us just the way we treat them. (Applause.)
We'll help American families keep something they never have enough
of, and that is time, time to be with your kids, time to go to Little
League games or Girl Scout meetings, time to take care of the elderly,
time to improve themselves by going back to class. Congress needs to
join me in supporting what we call comp-time, and flex-time, to help
American families better juggle the demands of work and home.
(Applause.)
After four more years, there will be better paying jobs in
America. There will be more jobs in America. Our farmers will be
better off, and the small business sector will be alive and well.
(Applause.)
Listen, we've got 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. That's not going to happen on my watch.
(Applause.)
The world changed on that terrible morning in September. And since
then, we have changed the world. We've done the hard work and we're
headed to peace. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served as the
home base of al Qaeda, which trained and deployed thousands of killers
to set up terror cells in dozens of countries, including our own.
Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. (Applause.)
Because we acted, many young girls now go to school for the first
time.
Let me tell you something, what happened yesterday in Cleveland. I
went to the International Children's Games. I was able to see a young
girls' soccer team from Afghanistan on American soil. (Applause.)
Because we acted, the people are free. Because we acted, we have an
ally in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Because we acted, America is
safer and so is the world. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
terrorists. Today, they're an ally in the war on terror. Their forces
are aggressively helping to round up the terrorists, and America and
the world is safer. (Applause.) Before September the 11th, in Saudi
Arabia, terrorists were raising money and recruiting and operating with
little opposition. Today, the Saudi government has taken the fight to
al Qaeda, and America and the world are safer.
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 abandoned his
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and America and the world are
safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, the tyrant of Iraq was a sworn enemy of
America. He was defying the world. You might remember, he was firing
weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the world's sanctions.
He had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction against his own
people. 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 a source of great instability in
a dangerous part of the world.
After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
in a new light. See, the lesson of that fateful day was that we must
take threats seriously, before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
And so we looked at the intelligence and saw a threat, that's what
the intelligence said. The United States Congress, members of both
political parties -- including my opponent -- looked at the same
intelligence and came to the same conclusion, that Saddam was a
threat. The United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence
and voted unanimously to demand a full accounting of Saddam's weapons,
or he would face serious consequences. That's exactly what the world
said. After 12 years of defiance, the dictator chose defiance again.
He deceived the inspectors. So I had a choice to make: forget the
lessons of September the 11th, hope for the best and trust a madman --
or take decisions to defend this country. And given that choice, I
will defend America every time. (Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four More Years! Four More Years! Four More
Years!
THE PRESIDENT: The dictator of Iraq sits in a prison cell, and
America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
We have more to do. We've more to do. We must continue to work
with friends and allies around the world to aggressively pursue the
terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere.
See, you can't talk sense to these folks. You cannot negotiate with
them. You cannot hope for the best. We must engage these enemies
around the world, so we do not have to face them here at home.
(Applause.)
America will continue to lead the world with confidence and moral
clarity. We put together a strong coalition to help us. There are
nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, and some 30 nations involved
in Iraq. Over the next four years, we'll continue to build on our
alliances and work with our friends for the cause of security and
peace. But I will never turn over America's national security
decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
peaceful and democratic societies. These two nations are now governed
by strong leaders. See, these people are committed to free societies.
They understand the moms and dads of Iraq and Afghanistan want the
children there -- want their children there to grow up in a peaceful
world, just like moms and dads here in America do, just like Laura and
I do. We want people to grow up in a peaceful society. We want them
to be able to realize their dreams. The people of these countries can
count on our continued help. See, when we acted to protect our own
security, when we took action to do our duty to protect our own people,
we also promised to help deliver them from tyranny, to restore their
sovereignty, to help them get on the path to liberty. And when America
gives it word, America keeps its word. (Applause.)
In these crucial times, America's commitments are kept by the men
and women of our military. At bases across our country and around the
world, I have had the privilege of meeting with those who defend our
country and sacrifice for our security. These are fine, fine people.
(Applause.)
The cause of freedom is in really good hands, and those who wear
our uniform deserve all the support from our government. Last
September, while our troops were in combat in both Afghanistan and
Iraq, I proposed supplemental funding to support them in their
missions. The legislation provided funding for body armor and vital
equipment, for hazard pay, health benefits, ammunition, fuel and spare
parts. In the United States Senate, only a small, what I would call
out-of-the-mainstream minority of 12 senators voted against the
legislation. Two of the 12 senators are my opponent and his running
mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: When asked about his vote, Senator Kerry said: I
actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.
(Laughter.) End quote. Now he's got some different explanations. He
said, well, he's proud of the vote, and further, he said, the whole
thing is a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about
supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force, alone.
We must work to change the conditions that give rise to terror:
poverty and hopelessness and resentment. You see, a free and peaceful
Iraq and a free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples for
their neighbors. Free countries don't export terror. Free countries
do not stifle the dreams of their citizens. Free countries have
governments which listen to the aspirations of their people. By
serving the ideal of liberty, we're bringing hope to others, and that
makes America more secure. And by serving the ideal of liberty, we're
serving the values which make us great. We don't -- America does not
believe that freedom is our gift to the world. America believes
freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this
world. (Applause.)
There are still enemies that want to do us harm. They still plot.
Listen, I agree with the conclusion of the September the 11th
Commission says, our homeland is safer but we're not yet safe. But
we've started the hard process of reform. We've transformed -- we're
transforming our defenses, and created a new Department of Homeland
Security. We passed the Patriot Act to give law enforcement the new
tools to track and find the terrorists. (Applause.) The mission of
the FBI is now focused on preventing terror. We've integrated
intelligence and law enforcement better than we ever have before. When
it comes to protecting America, we're turning the corner, and we're not
going back. (Applause.)
There's a lot more to do over the next four years to better secure
our ports and borders and to train our great first responders, and to
dramatically improve our intelligence gathering capabilities. Listen,
reform isn't easy. There's a lot of entrenched interests in places
like Washington, D.C. (Laughter.) Some people up there love the
status quo.
It's not enough to advocate reform; you have to get it done. See,
because when it comes to reforming schools to provide an excellent
education for all our children, results matter. When it comes to
health care reforms to give families more access and more choices,
results matter. When it comes to improving our economy and creating
quality jobs, results matter. When it comes to defending America and
spreading freedom and peace, results matter. When it comes to electing
a President, results matter. (Applause.)
THE AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more
years!
THE PRESIDENT: This week, the other party gathered in Boston. And
they had a convention and there was a lot of clever speeches and some
pretty big promises. Listen, I think my opponent has good intentions,
but good intentions don't always translate into results. He's been
there for 19 years in the U.S. Senate. He's had thousands of votes,
but few signature achievements. During eight years on the Senate
Intelligence Committee, for example, he voted to cut the intelligence
budget, yet he had no record of reforming America's intelligence
gathering capability. He's had no significant record on education or
health care.
See, he and his running mate consistently opposed reforms that
limit the power of Washington, reforms that leave more power in the
hands of the people. We have a different point of view. We have a
different philosophy. He spent nearly 20 years in government, in the
federal government, and now he's concluded it's not big enough. That's
why he's promised $2 trillion of new money. That's a lot of money, and
the campaign is just getting started. (Laughter.) He hasn't told us
how he's going to pay for it, though. Yes, I know, we can figure it
out looking at his record. In order to pay for all that new spending,
you're going to have to pay for it. But we're not going to let him.
THE AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: It's the wrong medicine for America. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: And the people understand, you're not raising taxes
on the working people of this country. (Applause.) They share that
same old Washington mind set: They'll give the orders, and you pay the
bills. (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: No way!
THE PRESIDENT: We're turning that corner, and we're not turning
back. (Applause.)
This is a world of rapid change, amazing times we live in. In
order to make sure the American people are able to adjust to the
change, I think people need to own something. I think you need to be
owning your own health care account and managing it for your purposes.
I think people, younger workers -- I mean, young workers, need to have
the opportunity to manage and own some of their own retirement
accounts. (Applause.) I think -- I know we need to keep working for
people to own their own home, own their own small business. This
administration understands that when you own something, you have a
vital stake in the future of our country. (Applause.)
No, this is a time of amazing change. But some things will never
change: our belief in liberty, our desire for opportunity to spread
throughout this country, 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, our families, our schools, our religious
congregations; these values and institutions are fundamental to our
lives. They deserve the respect of government. (Applause.)
We stand for something. We stand for institutions like marriage
and family, which are the foundation of society. (Applause.) We stand
for a culture of life in which every person counts and every person
matters. (Applause.) We stand for judges who faithfully interpret the
law, not legislate from the bench. (Applause.)
We stand for the Second Amendment, which gives every American the
individual right to bear arms. (Applause.) I've got a record on that
issue. It stands in stark contrast to my opponent. As a sportsman, I
understand that gun ownership carries serious responsibilities. I also
know that when a person commits a crime with a gun, they need to be
held to account. (Applause.) Over the past three years, federal
prosecutions of criminal -- of crimes committed with firearms have
increased 68 percent. Our message is, law-abiding citizens should be
allowed to bear and own a gun, and criminals who commit crime with guns
ought to go to jail. (Applause.)
We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. This culture
of this country is changing from one that has said, if it feels good,
just go ahead and do it, and, if you've got a problem, blame somebody
else, to a culture in which each of us understands we're responsible
for the decisions we make in life. If you're fortunate enough to be a
mother or a father, you're responsible for loving your child with all
your heart and all your soul. (Applause.) If you're worried about the
quality of the education in which you live, you're responsible for
doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you're
responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your
employees. (Applause.) And in a responsibility society, each of us is
responsible for loving our neighbor, just like we'd like to be loved
ourselves. (Applause.)
You know, for 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. This is
times that requires vision and strength and determination, resolute
will.
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 will never forget. I remember those
guys in hard hats yelling at me: Whatever it takes. I remember the
firefighter grabbing me by the arm and looking me in the eye, bloodshot
eyes and sweat pouring, and he said: Do not let me down. This fellow
-- and they all took what happened on that day personally. I know you
did, as did I. I have a duty that goes on. I wake up every morning
thinking about how to better protect America. I will never relent in
bringing justice to the enemy. I will never relent in defending
America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
We've come through a lot. We've come through a lot together.
We've done a lot of hard work together to make this country hopeful and
promising. During the next four years, we'll work to spread ownership
and opportunity to every corner of the country, I mean every corner.
We'll pass the enduring values of our country on to another
generation. We will lead the cause, lead the cause of freedom and
peace. And we will prevail. (Applause.)
With your support and your prayers, I will be a leader America can
count on in this world of change. Listen, four years ago whether I
traveled to your great state and traveled our wonderful nation, I told
our fellow citizens, if you honored me with the great responsibility of
being the President, I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the
office to which I was elected. If you give me four more years, with
your help, with four more years, I will continue to honor that pledge.
(Applause.)
Thank you for coming. May God bless you all. And may God bless
our great country. Thank you all. (Applause.)
END 2:54 P.M. EDT
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