For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 10, 2004
President's Remarks at Victory 2004 Rally in Huntington, West Virginia
Tri-State Milton J. Ferguson Field
Huntington, West Virginia
10:58 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all very
much for coming. By the sound of things, it sounds like the Herd is
thundering. (Applause.) It's good to be back here in Huntington.
Thank you all for the hospitality. You know, this isn't my first time
here. (Applause.) I've liked it every time I've come. (Applause.)
Because the people are down to earth, hardworking, decent, and they
love America just like I do. (Applause.)
I want to thank our friends from Ohio who have joined us today. I
appreciate you coming. (Applause.) I want to thank our friends from
Kentucky who are here today. (Applause.) And of course, I want to
thank my friends from West Virginia who are here. Thank you all for
coming. (Applause.)
I told Zell we're going to have a heck of a day. He's helping to
kick it off in fine fashion. You know, Zell Miller, he represents a
lot of folks out there who are wondering whether or not it's okay to
vote Republican. He's what I would call a discerning Democrat.
(Applause.) More importantly, he is a proud American, and I'm proud to
call Zell Miller friend. (Applause.)
I'm here to ask for the vote. (Applause.) I'm here to let you
know that I'm willing to get amongst the people and say, I need your
vote and I need your help to win this election. (Applause.) You see,
we have a duty in this country to vote, and I would hope you would go
out and register your friends and neighbors. Remind them we have a
duty. Register our fellow Republicans, register independents, register
discerning Democrats. (Applause.) Then after you register them, get
them headed to the polls. And when you get them headed to the polls,
remind them, if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a
better America, put Dick Cheney and me back in there for four more
years. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Zell said -- we got on the bus
after flying up from Washington, and he said, I wish you'd have brought
Laura. (Applause.) He's got really good judgment. (Laughter.) You
know, when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, fine, I'll be -- I'm
willing to marry you, just so long as I never have to give a political
speech. (Laughter.) She was a public school librarian who didn't
particularly care about politics or politicians. I said, that's fine,
you'll never have to give a speech. And we got married. Fortunately,
she didn't hold me to that promise. (Laughter.) She is a -- the
country saw, in New York City, she not only gives a good speech, but
she's gracious and strong, she's comforting. I love her dearly.
(Applause.) Perhaps the most important reason of all in putting me
back in office is so that Laura will have four more years as your First
Lady. (Applause.)
I appreciate Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito, from the great
state of West Virginia, joining us today. (Applause.) Shelly Moore is
a fine, fine member of the United States Congress. She's a class act.
I also appreciate today traveling with Senator Mike DeWine from the
state of Ohio. I appreciate you coming, Mike. (Applause.) He, too,
is a fine United States Senator, and I'm proud his son, Patrick, is
joining us today, as well.
I want to thank all the state and local officials here. I want to
thank all the candidates for throwing your hat in the ring. I
appreciate the Wil Gravatt Band. I want to thank the Parkersburg Base
Army Reserve Charlie Company, the 463rd Engineering Battalion. Thank
you all for coming. (Applause.)
Most of all, thank you all for taking Friday out of your life to
come. I appreciate you being here -- (applause) -- for taking this
Friday to come here. I appreciate it. It means a lot to me. I know
it means a lot to Zell. See, I'm looking forward to this campaign.
I'm going to tell the people where I stand and what I believe and where
I'll lead this country. (Applause.)
I believe every child can learn, and expect every school to teach.
(Applause.) I went to Washington to challenge the soft bigotry of low
expectations. I believe we ought to raise standards. I believe we
ought to measure early to solve problems before it's too late. I
believe we got to stop this practice of just shuffling kids through our
schools year after year, grade after grade without learning the
basics. (Applause.) I believe we got to trust the local people to
make the right decisions for their schools. I know we're closing the
achievement gap in America, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors with
good health care. (Applause.) Medicare is an incredibly important
program for our seniors, but it wasn't modernizing. People say, what
do you mean when you say that? Well, Medicare would pay thousands and
thousands and thousands of dollars for heart surgery, but it would not
pay for the prescription drugs to prevent the heart surgery from being
needed. That didn't make any sense for our seniors, it didn't make any
sense for our taxpayers. I went to Washington, D.C. to solve
problems. We have now modernized Medicare to help our seniors.
Beginning in 2006, seniors will get prescription drug coverage, and
we're not turning back. (Applause.)
I believe in the energy, innovation and spirit of America's
workers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers. And that's why
we unleashed that energy with the largest tax relief in a generation.
(Applause.)
When you're out rounding up the vote, remind people about what this
economy has been through. Five months before we got into office the
stock market had started to decline. We had a recession right as we
got there. There was corporate scandals. By the way, we made it clear
we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
(Applause.) We had a terrorist attack on our country. All those were
obstacles for our American workers. See, we're overcoming these
obstacles. We're overcoming these obstacles because we got great
workers, great farmers. We're overcoming it because the
entrepreneurial spirit is strong. We're overcoming it because of
well-time tax relief. (Applause.)
Our economy is growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years.
We've added about 1.7 million new jobs in the past year. We've added
107,000 manufacturing jobs since January. The national unemployment
rate is 5.4 percent. (Applause.) That's lower than the average rate
of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. (Applause.) The unemployment
rate in West Virginia is 5.2 percent. The economic stimulus plan we
passed is working. (Applause.)
I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to
protect the American people. (Applause.) If America shows uncertainty
and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This
isn't going to happen on my watch. (Applause.) I'm running for
President with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a
more hopeful America. I'm running with a compassionate conservative
philosophy that government should help people improve their lives, not
try to run their lives. (Applause.) I believe this nation wants
steady, consistent, principled leadership, and that is why, with your
help, we will carry West Virginia again, we'll carry Ohio again, we'll
carry Kentucky again, and we'll win in November. (Applause.)
Because I understand the world we're living in is changing. The
generation of our dads and grandads, a person generally had one job,
one career, worked for one company that provided health care and a
pension. Today it's different. The work force has changed. Most of
those workers in the past were men; today many, many workers are
women. They're working inside the home and outside the home.
(Applause.) Many people change jobs and careers several times over the
course of a lifetime. Yet many of the fundamental systems -- the tax
code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training -- were created
for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. And so, for the next four
years, we'll transform the systems to help our citizens. We'll
transform these systems so all citizens are equipped, prepared, and
thus, truly free to make your own choices so you can realize the great
promise of America. (Applause.)
Any hopeful society has a growing economy, and I have a plan to
keep this economy moving forward. To create more jobs in America,
America must be the best place in the world to do business.
(Applause.) That means we've got to reduce the regulations on our
businesses, particularly small businesses. (Applause.) It means we
got to stop these junk lawsuits that are threatening employers all
across the country. (Applause.) It means Congress needs to get my
energy policy to my desk. Yes, in order to create jobs here in
America, we need sound energy policy. That means more conservation,
that means supporting renewables, and that means using coal, clean coal
technology to make sure people can find work. (Applause.)
The plan I submitted will modernize the electricity grid so
hospitals and offices can keep focus on hiring workers, not coping with
blackouts. What I'm telling you is, we need an energy policy that
makes us less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
Listen, to create jobs, we've got to reject economic isolationism
and open up markets for U.S. products. See, we open up our markets for
foreign goods, and that's good for you. It's good for you because the
more products you can choose from, you're likely to get the product you
want at higher quality and better price. That's how the market works.
So what I'm telling places like China is, you treat us the way we treat
you. (Applause.) See, the best policy is to level the playing field,
because Americans can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere so long
as the rules are fair. (Applause.)
To make sure jobs are here in America, to make sure people can find
work, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money and keep your
taxes low. (Applause.) Taxes are an issue in this campaign. See, I'm
running against a fellow who has already promised over $2 trillion of
new money, new federal programs, so far.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: We've got -- there's going to be a lot of
temptations coming down the pike to tell everybody everywhere what they
want to hear. That means -- that generally means spending your money.
But the problem is, he hasn't told us how he's going to spend -- pay
for it. See, he said, oh, don't worry, we'll pay for it by taxing the
rich. Two things wrong with that. One is, you can't raise enough
money by taxing the rich to pay for $2 trillion worth of new programs.
See, there's a gap between his promise and what he can deliver, and
guess who's going to get stuck with the bill? Secondly, you've heard
that rhetoric before, haven't you? Oh, don't worry, we'll just tax the
rich. Well, the rich hire accountants and lawyers, and you get stuck
with the bill. We're not going to let him tax you. We're going to win
a great victory in November. (Applause.)
And speaking about the tax code, we're going to do something about
our tax code in a second term. We're going to make it easier to
understand and we're going to simplify it. This tax code of ours is
too complicated. It is filled with special interest loopholes.
Americans spend about six billion hours a year on taxes because of the
complicated nature of the tax code. The tax code is a drag on our
economy. In a new term, I'll bring Republicans and Democrats together
to simplify the federal tax code. (Applause.)
Listen, this world of ours is changing, and the nature of the jobs
are changing. And we've got to help workers gain the skills necessary
so they can fill the jobs of the 21st century. That's why I'm such a
big believer in improving access to the community colleges all across
our country. I remember coming to the community college here in
Huntington, West Virginia. We talked about job training. We talked
about people having the skills necessary to fill the jobs which are
being created. And we got to do a better job in our high schools. Do
you realize that about -- most of the new jobs, over 50 percent of the
new jobs require at least two years of college, and yet, one in four of
our students gets there?
That's why we've got to fund early intervention programs in high
schools to help students who are at risk. We want to place a new focus
on math and science in our high schools. We want to require a rigorous
exam -- over time, require a rigorous exam before graduation. See, by
raising performance in high schools, and by expanding Pell grants for
low- and middle-income families, we will help more Americans start
their career with a college diploma. (Applause.)
We'll do more to make quality health care available and
affordable. More than one-half of the uninsured are small business
employees and their families. Small businesses are having trouble
affording health care. One way to help small businesses afford health
care, and therefore, help families, is to allow them to join together
to purchase insurance at the discounts big companies get. (Applause.)
We'll help more people own and manage their own health care plans.
We'll expand health savings accounts. We'll ensure every poor county
in America has a community or rural health center so people can get the
primary care they need. And we're going to do something about these
junk lawsuits that are running good docs out of practice and running up
your costs. (Applause.)
One reason small businesses are having trouble affording health
care is because these lawsuits are running up the cost of medicine.
Make no mistake about it; junk lawsuits are running up your costs. And
make no mistake about it; too many good docs are being run out of
practice. And that's harmful. It's harmful for the folks in Ohio,
West Virginia, Kentucky, and all across America. You cannot be
pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital and pro-trial lawyer at the same
time. (Applause.) You have to choose. My opponent made his choice,
and he put him on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I made my choice -- I'm for medical liability
reform now. (Applause.) In all we do to improve health care in
America, we will make sure that health decisions are made by doctors
and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
In a changing world, ownership brings stability to people 's
lives. One of the most hopeful statistics in recent times is the fact
that home ownership rates are at an all-time high in America. More and
more people are owning their home. In a new term, we'll continue to
expand ownership all across this country. We want more and more people
opening the door of the place where they live and saying, welcome to my
home, welcome to my piece of property. (Applause.)
And we want to make sure our younger workers have got a Social
Security system that's viable. Now, let me say, if you're an older
worker or you're dependent now on Social Security, you're going to be
just fine. If you're a baby boomer, you'll be just fine when it comes
to Social Security as it's now structured. But I think we need to
think about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to Social
Security. (Applause.) It's one thing for people like Zell and me to
say it's going to be fine for us; we have an obligation to see that
it's fine for younger folks. And so, therefore, I think younger
workers who are coming up ought to have the right to take some of their
own tax money and put it in an account they can call their own, a
personal savings account that will help them with Social Security.
(Applause.)
In a world of change some things don't change, the values we try to
live by -- courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In a time
of change we'll support the institutions that give our lives direction
and purpose -- our families, our schools, our religious congregations.
(Applause.) We believe -- we stand for a culture of life in which
every person matters and every being counts. (Applause.) We stand for
marriage and family, which are the foundations of society. (Applause.)
We stand for the Second Amendment which gives every American the
individual right to bear arms. (Applause.) And I stand for the
appointment of federal judges who know the difference between personal
opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
This election will also determine how America responds to the
continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of
September the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the
Earth -- not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our
citizens are at stake. (Applause.) Our strategy is clear: We're
defending the homeland, we're transforming our military, we're
strengthening our intelligence services. We're staying on the
offensive. We're striking the terrorists abroad so we do not have to
face them here at home. (Applause.) We will work -- we will continue
our work to advance freedom in the broader Middle East and around the
world, and we will prevail. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, four short years ago,
Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda; Pakistan was a transit point
for terrorist groups; Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist
fundraising; Libya was seriously pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a
gathering threat; and al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned
attacks. Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan is
fighting terror; Pakistan is capturing terrorists; Saudi Arabia is
making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs --
(applause.) The army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more
than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key members and associates have been
brought to justice. (Applause.) We have led, many have joined, and
America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
The progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and
some tough decisions. The toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam
Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror. We knew he had
a long history of pursuing and even using weapons of mass destruction.
And we know that after September the 11th, our country must think
differently. We must take the threats seriously before they fully
materialize. (Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. I went to the United States
Congress. Members of both Houses and both political parties looked at
the same intelligence I looked at. They remembered the same history I
remembered. They came to the same conclusion that my administration
came to, Saddam Hussein was a threat, and they authorized the use of
force. (Applause.) My opponent -- my opponent looked at the very same
intelligence I looked at. And he came to the same conclusion then that
we had come to, that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He authorized -- he
voted to authorize the use of force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits troops into harm's way, we
must try all options in order to solve the threat. And that's why I
went to the United Nations. I was hoping that diplomacy would work.
The United Nations looked at the same intelligence we looked at, they
remembered the same history we remembered, and they came to the
conclusion that Saddam Hussein must disclose, disarm, or face serious
consequences. (Applause.) So the world spoke with a 15-to-nothing vote
in the Security Council. But Saddam Hussein wasn't interested in what
the world had to say. He hadn't been interested over the past decade,
and he certainly wasn't interested now. He ignored the demands of the
free world. As a matter of fact, when the U.N. decided to send
inspectors into the country, he systematically deceived them. In other
words, he wasn't about to comply.
So I had a choice to make at this point in time: Do I take the
word of a madman, forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take
action to defend America? Given that -- given that choice, I will
defend America every time. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: Because we acted -- because we acted to defend
ourselves, 50 million people now live in freedom. (Applause.) Because
we upheld doctrine, because the most solemn duty of government is to
defend the security of the people of this country, 50 million people
now in Afghanistan and Iraq are free. Think about Afghanistan for a
minute. Think about Afghanistan for a minute. This is a country, not
all that long ago, where young girls weren't allowed to go to school,
and their mothers were taken into the public square and whipped if they
didn't toe the line of the Taliban. The Taliban was backward and
barbaric in their vision. They're the opposite of what we stand for in
America. They didn't believe in religious freedom, they didn't believe
in political freedom, they didn't believe in freedom. Today, over 10
million Afghan men and women -- 10 million citizens, over 40 percent of
whom are women, have registered to vote for the upcoming presidential
election. (Applause.) It's amazing.
Freedom is powerful, isn't it? (Applause.) In Iraq, it's still
tough there. But Iraq now has a strong Prime Minister, a national
council, and national elections will be held in January. (Applause.)
The world is changing. Our nation is standing with the people of
those countries, because when America gives it's word, it must keep
it's word. (Applause.) We're standing with those people in the
country -- in those countries, and as we do so, we're serving a
historic cause that will make our country safer and make the world more
peaceful, something we all want. See, free societies in the Middle
East will be hopeful societies which no longer feed resentments and
breed violence for export. A free Iraq and a free Afghanistan will
serve as a powerful example for those who long for freedom in a part of
the world that is desperate for freedom. (Applause.)
So our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We'll help the
new leaders. We'll help them head down the road to democracy. We'll
help them hold elections. More importantly, we'll train Afghan and
Iraqi citizens for police and their armies so they can do the hard work
of defending their countries -- their fellow countrymen from the
designs and demands of a few terrorists. We'll help them provide --
we'll provide those countries with stability as quickly as we can get
the job done. And then our troops will return home with the honor they
have earned. (Applause.)
I'm proud of our military. We've got a great United States
military. (Applause.) I've had the privilege of meeting with those
who wear the nation's uniform. I've met them all across bases here in
America and around the world. I'm telling you, I've seen their
unselfish courage, their great decency. I appreciate the veterans who
are here today who have set such a great example for those who wear the
uniform today. (Applause.) I appreciate the military families who are
here today. (Applause.)
I made a commitment to those who wear the uniform and their
families that they will have the resources they need to complete their
missions. So I went to the Congress a year ago and proposed
supplemental funding of $87 billion. It's really important funding
because it provided body armor, spare parts, ammunition, fuel, supplies
needed by our troops who were in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. I
appreciate Senator Miller's strong support for that funding request.
(Applause.) We received strong bipartisan support. The support was so
strong that only 12 members of the United States Senate voted against
this important funding -- two of whom were my opponent and his running
mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: In fact, only four United States senators voted to
authorize the use of force, and then voted against funding our troops
-- two of those senators were my opponent and his running mate. They
asked him to explain his vote. It was right here in Huntington, West
Virginia where he said, I voted for the $87 billion right before I
voted against it. Right here in Huntington. They kept pressing him
after that, and he said, well, he was proud of his vote. And finally
he just said the whole thing was a complicated matter. (Laughter.)
There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
(Applause.)
When it comes to Iraq, my opponent has more different positions
than all his colleagues in the Senate combined. (Laughter.) Senator
Kerry once said, "It would be naive to the point of grave danger not to
believe that, left to his own devises, Saddam Hussein will provoke,
misjudge or stumble into a future of more dangerous confrontation with
the civilized world." End quote. In 2002, he voted for the war. But
then he voted against body armor and combat pay for our troops. When
the heat got on in the Democrat primary, he declared himself the
anti-war candidate. Then several months later, he said he would have
still voted to go to war, even knowing everything we know today.
Earlier this week, he adopted the language of his one-time rival,
Howard Dean, saying it's the wrong war at the wrong time -- even though
he, earlier, said it was the right decision and he supported it.
The newest wrinkle is that Senator Kerry has now decided we are
spending too much money in Iraq, even though he criticized us earlier
for not spending enough. One thing about Senator Kerry's position is
clear: If he had his way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power and
would still be a threat to the security and to the world. (Applause.)
In our next four years, we'll continue to work with our friends and
allies to make us more secure and to make them more secure, and to make
the world more peaceful. We put together a broad coalition, about 40
nations in Afghanistan, and some 30 in Iraq. But I'll assure you
this: I will never turn over America's national security decisions to
leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
of American strength is to advance freedom. I spent time with Prime
Minister Koizumi. He's the Prime Minister of Japan. You know, I was
having dinner with him one evening, and it dawned on me how remarkable
it is that an American President could be talking about working
together to make the world a better place. After all, it wasn't all
that long ago in the march of history that we were at war with Japan.
They were our sworn enemy. My dad, I'm sure your dads and grandads,
fought against the Japanese. And yet, right after World War II, after
we were victorious, Harry Truman and other Americans never abandoned
this notion that freedom could change societies. And they stood the
line. There was a lot of skeptics in those days. I can understand
why. We were just at war with them. You can imagine why a lot of
American people said, why are we wasting our time? Why do we care?
Well, people did care. See, they cared because they had a vision
of the future. And because they worked to help Japan become a
democracy, today Japan is an ally. Prime Minister Koizumi and I sit
around the table talking about the peace. We're talking about using
our influence to make the world a better place, not only for the people
in our own country, but for people around the world. We talk about
peace in North Korea. We talk about peace in Iraq. We talk about
feeding the hungry. (Applause.)
Liberty -- liberty can change countries from enemies to friend.
Someday, an American President will be sitting down with a duly-elected
leader of Iraq, and they're going to be talking about the peace.
They'll be talking about a better world. See, liberty has got the
chance to make this world a more peaceful place. I believe that
millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I
believe that if given the chance, they will embrace the most honorable
form of government ever devised by man. And I believe these things not
because freedom is America's gift to the world, but because freedom is
the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
(Applause.)
This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting freedom
here at home and freedom abroad, we'll build a safer world and a more
hopeful America. By reforming systems of government, we will free more
Americans to be able to realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership
and opportunity to every corner of this country. We'll pass the
enduring values of our country to a new generation. We will continue
to lead the world to become more free and more peaceful.
You know, for all Americans, these years in our history will 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 a
time -- this is a time when we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a
deep faith in the values that make this a great nation. (Applause.)
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. I met a fellow behind the stage here who was at Ground
Zero the same day I was at Ground Zero. He was there to save lives; I
was there to thank people for saving lives -- so on September the 14th,
2001, that -- both of us were in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a
day I will never forget. I told him that. I said, it's a day that
I'll never forget. There were workers in hard hats yelling at me at
the top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I tried to do my best to
comfort those who had been in the rubble. A fellow looked me right in
the eye and said, "Do not let me down." I wake up -- (applause) -- I
wake up every morning, every morning, thinking about how to better
protect our country. I will never relent in defending America,
whatever it takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, when I traveled our great country asking for the
vote, I made a pledge to my fellow Americans that if you gave me a
chance to serve, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office
to which I had been elected. With your help, with your hard work, I
will do so for four more years.
God bless. Thank you for coming. (Applause.)
END 11:40 A.M. EDT
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