For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
September 16, 2004
Remarks by the Vice President at a Victory 2004 Rally
Reno-Sparks Convention Center
Reno, Nevada
3:20 P.M. PDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much for that warm
welcome. (Laughter.) I'm delighted to be here my daughter Liz, who is
filling in for her mother these days on the campaign trail.
(Applause.) Lynne is back in Washington this week. But she has a
commitment tomorrow. But she usually travels with me and introduces me
at these events. And Liz may be working into her job -- if she's not
careful here. She didn't do so bad today.
But I oftentimes tell people that Lynne and I got married because
of a great Republican victory in 1952 -- that if Dwight Eisenhower
hadn't been elected -- if Dwight Eisenhower hadn't been elected
President, we would never have gotten married because in 1952, I lived
in Nebraska with my folks. Dad worked for the Soil Conservation
Service. Eisenhower got elected, Dad got transferred as a result of
the reorganization of the government to Casper, Wyoming. And in
Casper, I met by bride-to-be, Lynne. We grew up together, went to high
school together, and just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.
(Applause.) I explained that to a group the other day that if it
hadn't been for Eisenhower's election, Lynne would have married
somebody else. (Laughter.) And she said, right, and how he'd be Vice
President of the United States. (Laughter.) Every husband in the
audience knows whereof I speak. That's the way it works.
But I'm delighted to be here today with your senator, John Ensign,
and of course, Governor Kenny Guinn. They do a great job for Nevada
and for the nation. (Applause.) And, of course, although he couldn't
be here today, I get to do a lot of work with your congressman, Jim
Gibbons. And he does a superb job for all of us in Washington.
(Applause.)
It's great to be back in Reno. I'm proud to be in the Biggest
Little City in the World. (Applause.) And by the looks of things this
is Bush-Cheney country. (Applause.)
I've been traveling the country talking about the tremendous
convention we had in New York a couple weeks ago, and the great
speakers there when you think about Zell Miller -- (aApplause) --
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rudy Guiliani. (Applause.) And of course,
the President is no slouch either. (Laughter.) He laid out a clear,
forward-looking plan to make America more hopeful and the world more
secure.
The President and I are tremendously grateful for all of our
supporters here in Nevada. Here and across the country, we've got
strong backing from Republicans and independents. And we're proud to
have the support of so many Democrats like Georgia's Zell Miller, who
knows that the best man for the presidency is George W. Bush.
(Applause.) The President and I were proud to carry this state in
2000. And we're going to work even harder to earn your support this
year. (Applause.) We've been to Nevada many times. I was in Reno
about six weeks ago. The President was in Las Vegas earlier this
week. You'll be seeing plenty more of us. And with your help, we are
going to win this state and we are going to win this election.
(Applause.)
In my speech in New York City at the convention, you may have
noticed I mentioned that I now have an opponent. (Laughter.) No, I
do. People keep telling me Senator Edwards got picked because he's
sexy, charming, good looking, has great hair. I said, "How do you
think I got the job?" (Applause.)
But in all seriousness, this is an important election. It comes at
a crucial time in our history. Today we face an enemy every bit as
intent on destroying us as the Axis powers were in World War II. This
is not an enemy we can reason with or negotiate with or appease. It
is, to put it simply, an enemy that we must destroy. And that's what
exactly what we will do with George W. Bush. (Applause.)
I'm sure that many of you heard Rudy Giuliani's remarks at the
convention when he talked about the attacks of 9/11, and that day, how
he turned at one point to his police commissioner, Bernie Kerik, and
said, "Thank God George W. Bush is our President." (Applause.)
Under the President's leadership, we have reached out around the
world to capture or kill hundreds of Al Qaeda. In Afghanistan, the
camps where terrorists trained to kill Americans have been shut down,
the Taliban driven from power. In Iraq, we dealt with a gathering
threat, and removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. (Applause.)
Seventeen months ago, he controlled the lives and the fortunes of 25
million people. Today, he sits in jail. (Applause.)
President Bush doesn't deal in empty threats and half-way measures,
and his determination has sent a clear message. Just five days after
Saddam was captured, the government of Libya agreed to abandon its
nuclear weapons program and turn the materials over to the United
States. Today, the uranium, the centrifuges, and the plans for nuclear
weapons that were once hidden in Libya are locked up and stored away,
never again to be a danger to Americans. (Applause.)
The biggest threat we face today is the danger of having nuclear
weapons fall into the hands of terrorists. The President is working
with many countries in a global effort to end the trade and transfer of
these deadly technologies. The most important result thus far -- and
it's a very important one -- is that the black-market network that
supplied nuclear weapons technology to Libya, as well as to Iran and
North Korea, has been shut down. The world's worst source of
proliferation is out of business. (Applause.)
We could not have succeeded in these efforts without the help of
dozens of countries around the world. We will always seek
international support for international efforts, but as President Bush
has made very clear, there is a difference between leading a coalition
of many nations and submitting to the objections of a few. We will
never seek a permission slip to defend the United States of America.
(Applause.)
America faces a choice on November 2nd between a strong and
steadfast President and his opponent, who seems to adopt a new position
every day. (Laughter.) Just last week, John Kerry gave us what I
think is his eighth position on the war. (Laughter.) He said that
Iraq was, quote, "the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Except it turns out that's not really his position, that's somebody
else's position. It's former Democrat Primary Candidate Howard Dean's
position. And nine months ago when Howard Dean took this position
during the primary, Senator Kerry jumped on him, and said, and I quote:
"those who doubted whether Iraq or the world would be better off
without Saddam Hussein, and those who believe today that we are not
safer with his capture, don't have the judgment to be President or the
credibility to be elected President." (Applause.) In the spirit of
bipartisanship, this is one position of Senator Kerry's I agree with.
(Laughter.)
In times of great challenge, our troops, our allies, and our
enemies must know where America stands. The President of the United
States must be clear and consistent. But in all the national campaigns
I have watched up close, I've never seen a candidate go back and forth
so many times on a single issue.
AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: All the shifts Senator Kerry has made are
troubling, but there is one that really stands out. It starts with
Senator Kerry and his running mate, Senator Edwards, voting in favor of
using force against Saddam Hussein. But then, when it came time to
vote for funds that would provide our fighting men and women with body
armor, ammunition, jet fuel, and spare parts, Senators Kerry and
Edwards voted no.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Only 12 members of the United States Senate
opposed the funding that would provide vital resources for our troops.
Only four Senators voted for the use of force and against the resources
our men and women in uniform needed once they were in combat. Only
four. And Senators Kerry and Edwards were two of those four.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: At first Senator Kerry said that he didn't
really oppose the funding. He both supported and opposed it. He said,
and I quote, "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted
against it." That certainly clears things up. (Laughter.) But lately
he's been saying he's proud that he and John Edwards voted no, and he
explains his decision was "complicated."
But funding American troops in combat should never be a complicated
question. (Applause.) Today, while speaking to the National Guard
Association meeting down in Las Vegas, John Kerry said that our troops
deserve no less than the best. But I am stunned by the audacity of
that statement since Senator Kerry voted to send the troops into combat
and then deny them the support they needed once they were at war.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We need a President who will back our troops
100 percent, and that's exactly what we've got in George W. Bush.
(Applause.)
Senator Kerry said today that leadership starts with telling the
truth. But, see -- (Laughter.) That's not the laugh line.
(Laughter.) The America people also know that true leadership requires
the ability to make a decision. True leadership is sticking with the
decision in the face of political pressure, and true leadership is
standing for your principles regardless of your audience or your most
recent political advisors. (Applause.) Senator Kerry today said he
would always be straight with the American people on the good days and
on the bad days. In Senator Kerry's case, that means when the
headlines are good, he's for the war. And when his poll numbers are
bad, he's against it. (Laughter.)
What are you guys doing the rest of the campaign? (Laughter.) You
want to travel with me?
President Bush knows that our dedicated servicemen and women
represent the very best of the United States of America. (Applause.)
And tonight, I want to thank them and all the veterans who are with us
here today for all they've done for all of us. (Applause.) One of the
most important commitments that the President made during the 2000
campaign was that our armed forces would be given the resources they
need and the respect they deserve, and he has kept his word to the U.S.
military.
These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another, the next. In his years in
Washington, John Kerry has been one of a hundred votes in the United
States Senate, and, fortunately, on matters of national security, his
views rarely prevail. But the presidency is an entirely different
proposition. A senator can be wrong for 20 years, without consequence
to the nation. But a President -- a President -- always casts the
deciding vote. And in this time of challenge, America needs -- and
America has -- a President we can count on to get it right.
(Applause.)
On Iraq, Senator Kerry has disagreed with many of his fellow
Democrats. But Senator Kerry's liveliest disagreement is with
himself. (Laughter.) His back-and-forth reflects a habit of
indecision, and sends a message of confusion. And it is all part of a
pattern. He has, in the last several years, been for the No Child Left
Behind Act -- and against it. He has spoken in favor of the North
American Free Trade Agreement -- and against it. He is for the Patriot
Act -- and against it. Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It
makes -- it makes the whole thing mutual -- America sees two John
Kerrys. (Laughter and applause.)
Our country requires strong and consistent leadership, both for our
actions overseas, as well as for our policies here at home. When
President Bush and I stood on the inaugural platform on the west side
of the Capitol and took the oath of office, our economy was sliding
into recession. Then, on 9/11, terrorists struck our nation and shook
the economy once again. We faced a basic decision -- to leave more
money with families and businesses, or to take more of the American
people's hard-earned money for the federal government. President Bush
made his choice. He proposed and he delivered tax savings to the
American people -- not once, not twice, but three times. (Applause.)
Every American who pays federal income taxes benefited from the
Bush tax cuts, and so has our economy. We've created jobs for the last
12 consecutive months -- a total of 1.7 million new jobs over the last
year; 144,000 new jobs in the last month alone. (Applause.) Here in
Nevada, more than 100,000 jobs have been created since January of
2002. Mortgage rates, and interest rates, and inflation are all low.
Consumers are confident, businesses are investing, and families are
taking home more of what they earn.
We know there are still challenges. And the President and I will
not be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a
job. (Applause.) But this is a strong economy, it's growing
stronger. The Bush tax cuts are working. (Applause.)
Our accomplishments these last four years have made America safer,
stronger, and better. They also demonstrate something about the
character of our President. He didn't go to the White House to mark
time, or to spend his energy on small goals. He went to take on the
big issues, and to make serious reforms. He has led with confidence,
with clear vision, and unwavering purpose. He's made hard choices, and
kept his word. And that's exactly how he will govern America for the
next four years. (Applause.)
In our second term, we will keep moving forward with our
pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda. We will work to make the Bush tax cuts
permanent. And to help families and small businesses, we will lead a
bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code.
(Applause.)
We will work to end lawsuit abuse. (Applause.) We know that it's
a lot easier for America's businesses to hire new workers if they don't
have to keep hiring lawyers. (Applause.)
We'll work for medical liability reform because we know the cost of
malpractice insurance is creating a crisis, not only in Nevada, but
across the nation. (Applause.) America's doctors should be able to
spend their time healing patients, not fighting off frivolous
lawsuits. (Applause.)
Our opponents have a very different vision for our country. They
opposed our tax relief, and now they're proposing massive increases in
federal spending. They helped block the energy plan in the Senate.
They oppose effective reform of our legal system, and they're against
medical liability reform. Their big idea for the economy: raise our
taxes. (Applause.)
Our opponents also take a different view on the important issue of
mining. As Westerners, the President and I understand the importance
of mining to Nevada's economy, and to Nevada families. Over these last
four years -- (applause) -- over these last four years, we've acted to
put government decisively on the side of miners in the Silver State.
But the Junior Senator from Massachusetts has proposed having America's
miners send up to an additional $600 million to Washington. That
burden could cost up to 44,000 good paying jobs.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: In this election, there's only one
presidential candidate with a record and an agenda that defend Nevada's
miners, and that is President George W. Bush. (Applause.)
President Bush and I will also continue to defend our society's
fundamental rights and values. We stand for a culture of life, and we
reject the brutal practice of partial birth abortion. (Applause.) We
stand strongly for the Second Amendment, and we will defend the
individual right of every American to bear arms. (Applause.) We
believe that our nation is "one nation under God." (Applause.) And we
believe Americans ought to be able to say "under God" when they pledge
allegiance to the flag. (Applause.)
There shouldn't be any question about that -- and there wouldn't be
if we had more reasonable judges on the federal bench. (Applause.)
But we have a situation in the United States Senate now where Democrats
-- including Senators Kerry and Edwards -- are using the filibuster to
block the President's sensible, mainstream nominations to the
judiciary. Recently, they used their obstructionist tactics to keep
the Senate from voting on Bill Myers, a fine man, a Westerner, a friend
of mine. If Bill had made it to an up-or-down vote on the Senate
floor, he had the votes to be confirmed to the Ninth Circuit, which, as
you know, is the circuit that decided we should not say "under God"
when we pledge allegiance to the flag.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sounds to me like they could use some new
judges on the Ninth Circuit. (Applause.) What the Democrats are doing
is outrageous, and that's why we need to send more Republicans to the
United States Senate. (Applause.)
On issue after issue, President Bush has a clear vision for the
future of our nation. America has come to know him, and I have come to
admire him very much. I watch him at work every day. He's a person of
loyalty and kindness, a man who speaks plainly and means what he says.
I have seen him face some of the hardest decisions that can come to the
man in the Oval Office, and make those decisions with the wisdom and
the humility that Americans expect in their President. (Applause.)
Abroad, under President Bush's leadership, we will use America's
great power to serve great purposes, to protect our homeland by turning
back and defeating the forces of terror, and to spread hope and freedom
around the world. Here at home, we will continue building a prosperity
that reaches every corner of the land so that every child in America
has a chance to learn, to succeed, and to rise in the world.
(Applause.)
The President and I are honored by your confidence in us, and by
your commitment to the cause we all share. President Bush and I will
wage this effort with complete confidence in the judgment of the
American people. The signs are good -- here in Nevada, and even in
Massachusetts. (Applause.) According to a news account, people
leaving the Democratic National Convention in July asked a Boston
policeman for directions. He replied, "Leave here -- and go vote
Republican." (Laughter and applause.)
President Bush and I are honored to have the support of that police
officer -- (laughter) -- and of Democrats, Republicans, and
independents from every calling in American life. We're grateful to
our many friends across the great state of Nevada. Thanks for this
tremendous welcome. We're proud to have you on the team. And
together, on November 2nd, we'll see our cause forward to victory.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 3:44 P.M. PDT
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