For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 4, 2004
Remarks by the President at Bush-Cheney Rally
Southern Minnesota Construction Company Quarry
Mankato, Minnesota
5:00 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for
inviting me. (Applause.) It's good to be in Mankato. I understand
I'm the first President to have visited here since Harry Truman. I
don't know what took the others so long to get here. (Laughter.)
Thanks for having me.
I'm here to ask for your vote. (Applause.) I'm also here to ask
for your help. (Applause.) I appreciate you coming. I understand I'm
not the biggest deal in town. After all, the Vikings practice here.
(Laughter.) But it is great to be in a place where people work hard and
make a living off the land, raise their families. It's what I call the
heart and soul of the country. (Applause.) The other folks believe
the heart and soul can be found in Hollywood. I think it's found right
here in southern Minnesota. (Applause.)
I'm excited about the race. I'm looking forward to the contest.
Everywhere we go, the crowds are big, the enthusiasm is high, the signs
are good. With your help, Dick Cheney and I will be reelected for four
more years. (Applause.)
I am sorry -- I'm sorry Laura is not here. I know you are, too.
You probably wish I had stayed at home and she was the speaker.
(Laughter.) She is a great wife, a fantastic mother, and a wonderful
First Lady for our country. (Applause.) Today I'm going to give you
some reasons to put me back in, but perhaps the most important reason
of all is so Laura is First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be running with Dick Cheney. Admittedly, he's not the
prettiest vice presidential candidate in the race. (Laughter.) I
didn't pick him for his looks. (Laughter.) I picked him for his
judgment, his sound advice. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be with Norm Coleman. He's doing a fine job as a
United States Senator. (Applause.) And I'm proud of the job Governor
Pawenty is doing, as well. He's a good man. (Applause.) Plus, I
appreciate working with Congressman Gutknecht and Congressman Kline --
two really fine people, as well. I appreciate you guys being here.
Thank you. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the state people who are here, and the local
people who have come out. Thanks for being here today. I particularly
want to thank the grassroots activists who are here. Those are the
people who put up the signs and make the phone calls. These are the
folks who go out and get people to register to vote. Let me tell you
something, here's what I believe: I believe all of us have a duty in
our country to vote. We have a duty to exercise our right as free
citizens. I want to thank you for registering people and encouraging
them to vote. Don't overlook discerning Democrats and wise
independents. Get them to the polls. And when you get them headed our
way, make sure they -- give them a little nudge toward the Bush-Cheney
ticket. (Applause.)
We came close in Minnesota last time. This time, we're going to
win it. (Applause.) Every incumbent who asks for your vote has got to
answer one, central question, and that's: why -- why should the
American people give me the high privilege of serving as your President
for four more years. In the past few years, we've done a lot and we've
come through a lot together. But there's only one reason to look
backward, and that is to determine who best to lead the nation
forward.
I'm asking for your vote because so much is at stake in this
election. We have much more to do to move America forward. I want to
be your President for four more years to make our country safer, to
make our economy stronger, and to make the future brighter and better
for every single citizen. (Applause.)
From creating jobs to improving schools, from fighting terror to
spreading the peace, we have made much progress, and we have more to
do. We have more to do to make America's public schools the centers of
excellence we all know they can be, so that not one single child is
left behind in our country. (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've
challenged the soft bigotry of low expectations. We've raised the
bar. We believe in accountability. We trust the local folks to run
the schools of America. (Applause.) Today children across America are
showing real progress in reading and math. When it comes to improving
America's public schools, we are turning the corner and we're not going
back. (Applause.)
We have more to do. Listen, this world of ours is changing. The
jobs of the future will require greater knowledge and higher-level
skills. So that's why we need to reform our high schools to make sure
a high school diploma means something. We're going to expand math and
science education so our young people can compete in a high-tech
world. We'll 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 confidence they need 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 could not
afford prescription drugs and Medicare didn't pay for them. Leaders in
both political parties had promised prescription drug coverage for
years. We got the job done. (Applause.)
Already, more than four million seniors have signed up for drug
discount cards that provide real and meaningful savings. 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. You see,
when we reformed Medicare, we did so with rural hospitals in mind, as
well. We provided more funds to hospitals handling low volumes of
patients. We increased payments for ambulance providers and suppliers
in rural areas. We're giving better bonuses to physicians so we can
keep good doctors practicing in rural America. We made a difference
for the older citizens of this country, and we made a difference for
those who seek health care in rural America. (Applause.)
To help people get access to quality care, 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 own
health care and making health care more affordable, we're moving
America forward and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
Listen, most Americans get health care coverage through their
work. But 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 for
big companies. (Applause.)
To improve health care, we must end the frivolous lawsuits that
raise health care costs and drive good doctors out of medicine.
(Applause.) You cannot be pro-patient and pro-doctor and pro-trial
lawyer at the same time. You have to choose. My opponent made his
choice, and he put him on the ticket. (Laughter.) I made my choice,
and on behalf of the patients and doctors of America, I will continue
to urge Congress to pass medical liability reform. (Applause.)
We'll do more to harness technology, to reduce costs and to prevent
health care mistakes. We'll do more to expand research and seek new
cures for terrible diseases. And 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.)
We have more to do to make sure our economy is stronger. Listen,
we've come through a lot. We've been through a recession, we've been
through corporate scandals, we've been through terror attacks, we've
been through a market decline. Listen, and we've overcome the
obstacles. We've got great workers in America, is one reason we've
overcome them. (Applause.) We've got great entrepreneurs, we've got
great farmers and great ranchers in this country. (Applause.)
We've also overcome these obstacles because of well-timed tax
cuts. (Applause.) Listen, when we cut the taxes, we didn't pick
winners or losers. We said, if you pay federal income taxes, you get
tax relief. (Applause.) Families with children got tax relief.
Married couples got tax relief. (Applause.) It's an amazing tax code
where we say, we're going to have a marriage penalty. Why do we want
to penalize marriage? We need to encourage marriage in the country.
(Applause.)
A lot of the tax relief went to help small businesses, and the
small business sector of our economy is strong today. We promised all
this, we delivered, and this time the check was actually in the mail.
(Applause.) Because we acted, our economy, since last summer, has grown
at a rate as fast as any in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) We've added
more than 1.5 million new jobs since last August. Minnesota has added
32,000 jobs over the past year. Because we acted, the unemployment
rate in this state is now 4.4 percent. (Applause.) When it comes to
creating jobs for America's workers, we've turned the corner, and we're
not turning back. (Applause.)
I also told the people when I was running for President the last
time, I said, I understand the need to have a healthy farm economy. A
good farm economy is good for the American economy. (Applause.) We
passed a good farm bill. We're phasing out the death tax, so farmers
can pass their land from one generation to the next. (Applause.)
In order to make sure jobs are here, we've got to make sure our
farm economy is strong. And one way to make sure the farm economy is
strong is to open up markets for Minnesota farm products. We want you
selling your soybeans all around the world. (Applause.) We want you
selling your corn all around the world. We want to be selling that
Minnesota beef and hogs all around the world. (Applause.)
In order to make sure jobs stay here at home, we've got to have an
energy strategy. See, we need to be better at conserving things, and
we've got to be exploring for natural gas in environmentally friendly
ways. But for the sake of energy security, for the sake of economic
security, we need more ethanol and biodiesel. (Applause.) I envision
a day where sometime, somebody walks in and says, well, Mr. President,
you'll be happy to hear the corn crop is up and we're growing more
soybeans in America, and we're less dependent on foreign sources of oil
as a result of it. (Applause.)
And when you're out gathering the vote, remind the folks that in
the last three years American farmers have posted record net cash farm
income, record exports and record farm equity and land values. Our
farm program is working. (Applause.)
Listen, we can do more to keep jobs here. You know, I'm sure the
small business owners will tell you they've got to fill out a lot of
paperwork. I can't guarantee whether government has read it or not.
(Laughter.) We need less regulation. (Applause.) In order to keep
jobs here in America, we need tort reform. (Applause.) In order to
keep jobs here in America, we've got to make sure American workers have
a lifetime of learning, and we've got to help them training -- help
them have training for the jobs of the 21st century. And a good place
to start is at our community colleges. (Applause.)
And you know what else we need? We need to make sure that American
families have something they never have enough of, and that is time --
time to be with their kids, time to go to the Little League game or
work in a Girl Scout troupe, time to take care of an elderly parent,
time to go to class to improve themselves. And that's why I think
Congress ought to pass comp-time and flex-time rules. (Applause.)
In other words, what I'm telling you is, government needs to stand
side-by-side with families. After four more years, this economy is
going to be strong, more people will be working with better jobs.
After four more years, there will be more small business owners. After
four more years, our farmers are going to be doing better. You know
why? Because we've got a pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur,
pro-agricultural economic agenda. (Applause.)
We've got to do more to wage and win the war on terror. America's
future depends on our willingness to lead in the world. If we show
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 a terrible September morning, and since that day,
we've changed the world.
Before September the 11th, Afghanistan served as the home base of
al Qaeda, which trained and deployed thousands of killers who set up
terror cells around the world, including our own country. Today,
Afghanistan is a rising democracy. Today, Afghanistan -- (applause) --
today, Afghanistan is a firm ally in the war against terror.
(Applause.) And today, many young girls go to school for the first
time. (Applause.) Afghanistan is free, and America and the world are
safer.
Before September the 11th, Pakistan was a safe transit point for
terrorists. Today, Pakistan is an ally in the war against al Qaeda.
Pakistani forces are helping to round up the terrorists, and America
and the world are safer. (Applause.)
Before September the 11th, in Saudi Arabia terrorists were raising
money, they were recruiting, they were 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, and 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. Remember, he was firing weapons at
American pilots which were enforcing the world's sanctions. The tyrant
had pursued and used weapons of mass destruction. He'd harbored
terrorists, he invaded his neighbors, and he subsidized the families of
suicide bombers. He murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens.
He was a source of great instability in a volatile part of the world.
After September the 11th, we looked at all the threats of the world
in a new light. The lesson of September the 11th is that America must
take threats seriously, before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
The September the 11th Commission concluded that our institutions of
government had failed to imagine the horror of that day. After
September the 11th, we could not fail to imagine that a brutal tyrant
who hated America, had ties to terror, had used weapons of mass
destruction, might use those weapons or share the capability of those
weapons with terrorist enemy. In other words, we saw a threat. I
looked at the intelligence and saw a threat. Members of the United
States Congress from both political parties, including my opponent,
looked at the intelligence and came to the same conclusion. The United
Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence and unanimously
demanded that Saddam Hussein disclose, destroy weapons or weapons
programs, or face serious consequences. The world spoke.
After 12 years of defiance, after 12 years of ignoring the demands
of the free world, he once again refused to comply. As a matter of
fact, he systematically deceived the weapons inspectors. So I had a
choice to make: Forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a
madman who is a sworn enemy of this country, or take action necessary
to defend our people. Given that choice, I will defend America every
time. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell, the
Iraqi people are free and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
We have more to do. I'm seeking the office for four more years
because I know we have 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 people. You cannot negotiate with
them. You cannot hope for the best. We must engage them 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 defeat the enemies
of freedom. There are nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some
30 nations in Iraq, and over 60 nations involved with the Proliferation
Security Initiative. Over the next four years, we'll continue to build
alliances and work with our friends in the cause of security and
peace. But I will never turn America's national security decisions
over to leaders of other nations. (Applause.)
We'll keep our commitments to help Afghanistan and Iraq become
democratic, free, and therefore, peaceful societies. (Applause.)
These two nations are now governed by strong people, people who are
willing to listen to the hopes and aspirations of the people. You know
what the hopes and aspirations of mothers and dads are in Iraq and
Afghanistan? They want their children to grow up in a peaceful world,
just like in -- American moms and dads do. They want there to be hope
for their kids. They want them to be able to realize their dreams.
These leaders understand that. More and more Iraqis are now stepping
up to defend the peace, to defend their freedom.
And my message to those people is that they can count on continued
help from America and our coalition. You see, when we acted to protect
our own security, we promised to help deliver them from tyranny, to
restore their sovereignty, and to help set them on the road to
liberty. And when America gives its word, America will keep its word.
(Applause.)
In these crucial times, our commitments are kept by the men and
women of our military. (Applause.) First, I want to thank all the
veterans who are here. I appreciate the example you've set for our
troops today. (Applause.) I've had the privilege of meeting those who
wear our nation's uniform. I've seen their great decency, their
unselfish courage. The cause of freedom is in really good hands.
We owe our troops best pay, best training, best possible
equipment. (Applause.) That's why last September, while our troops
were in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I proposed supplemental
funding to support them in their mission. The legislation provided
funding for body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health
benefits, ammunition, fuel and spare parts. In the Senate, only a
small, out-of-the-mainstream minority of 12 senators voted against that
help. Two of those 12 are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Here's how my opponent tried to explain his vote.
He said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted
against it." (Laughter.) That doesn't sound the way they talk here in
southern Minnesota. (Applause.) I suspect the people around here,
when they say something, they mean it. (Applause.)
Now my opponent is offering a different explanation. He said he
was proud he voted against it, and then he further 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. See, a free and peaceful Iraq and a
free and peaceful Afghanistan will be powerful examples to their
neighbors. Free countries do not export terror. Free countries listen
to the dreams of their citizens. By serving the ideal of liberty,
we're bringing hope to others, and that makes our country more secure.
By serving the ideal of liberty, we're spreading peace. (Applause.)
And by serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving a basic
understanding of our country, a basic value of America. See, freedom
is not America's gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift
to each man and woman in this world. (Applause.)
I'm running for four more years because I understand we have more
to do to protect America. See, there are enemies who hate us, and
they're still plotting to harm us. Those who claim that America's war
on terror, our efforts to defend ourselves, is to blame for terrorist
threats against the United States have a fundamental misunderstanding
of the nature of the enemy we face. The 9/11 Commission said America
homeland is safe, but -- safer, but we're not yet safe. I agree.
There's more to do here at home.
Immediately after September the 11th, we started the hard process
of reform. We transformed our defenses and created the Department of
Homeland Security. We passed the Patriot Act, which was necessary to
give law enforcement the tools necessary to defend the American
people. (Applause.) The mission of the FBI is now focused on
preventing terrorism. We're integrating intelligence and law
enforcement better than we ever have before. We're already taking
action on a large majority of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.
And they did good work, and I thank them for their work.
We've got more to do to better secure our ports and borders, to
train first responders, and to dramatically improve our
intelligence-gathering capability. That's why, this week, I called on
Congress to create the position of National Intelligence Director, so
that one person is in charge of coordinating all intelligence overseas
and here at home.
These reforms are not going to be easy, particularly in
Washington. (Laughter.) Reform is never easy there. See, there's a
lot of entrenched interests that love to defend the status quo. It's
not enough to advocate reform. You have to be able to get it done.
(Applause.)
And that's what we have done. When it comes to reforming schools
to provide excellent education for all our children, we got the job
done. Results matter. (Applause.) When it comes to health care
reforms to give families more access and more choices, results matter.
(Applause.) When it comes to improving our economy and creating jobs,
results matter. (Applause.) When it comes to having a strong farm
economy, results matter. (Applause.) When it comes to better securing
our homeland, fighting the forces of terror, and spreading the peace,
results matter. When it comes to electing a President, results
matter. (Applause.)
We live in an exciting time. It's a time of change. But we ought
to make sure government responds to these times by standing
side-by-side with people. You know how I think the best way to do that
-- is to promote ownership society. You see, if you're a worker and
you're changing jobs, you've got to be able to own your own health care
plan so you can it from job to job. (Applause.) We want people to own
their own home in America. We want people to be able to say, welcome
to my house. This is my piece of property. (Applause.) And more and
more are under this administration. (Applause.) We want younger
workers to be able to own a Social Security personal retirement account
they call their own, so they can pass it on to future generations.
(Applause.) We want tax policy such that younger Americans can own
their own farm. We want people owning their own small business. We
understand that when you own something, you have a vital stake in the
future of our country. (Applause.)
No, this world is changing, but there are some things that aren't
going to change: our belief in liberty and opportunity 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 must
not change: our families, and our schools, and our religious
congregation. These institutions are fundamental to our lives. They
deserve the respect of our government. (Applause.)
We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the
foundations of our 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 America.
Listen, our culture is changing from one that 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'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 that child with all your
heart and all your soul. (Applause.) If you're worried about the
quality of the education here in this community, do something about
it. You're responsible for taking action. (Applause.) If you're a
CEO in corporate America, you're responsible for telling the truth to
your shareholders and your employees. (Applause.)
In a responsibility society, each of us is responsible for loving
our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved yourself. I understand
that the strength of this country is the hearts and souls of the
American people. I'm seeking four more years to continue to rally the
armies of compassion so we can help change our country, one heart, one
soul, one conscience at a time. (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. We need firm
resolve, clear vision, a willingness to lead. And 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. I remember workers in hard-hats
yelling at me, "Whatever it takes." I'll never forget the guy that
grabbed me by the arm -- I don't remember if he was a firefighter or a
policeman. I do know he had been in the rubble searching for a loved
one. His eyes were bloodshot. He said, "Do not let me down." See, he
took it personally. Folks searching the rubble took it personally.
You took it personally, and I took it personally. (Applause.)
I have a responsibility that goes on. I wake up every morning
thinking how to better protect our country. I will never relent in
defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
We've come through much together. We've done hard work. During
the next four years, there's more to do, more to spread ownership and
opportunity for every corner of this country -- I mean every corner.
We'll pass the enduring values of our country to another generation.
During the next four years, we'll lead the world in the cause of
freedom and peace.
When I was campaigning in your great state in 2000, I said if you
honored me with the great responsibility, I would uphold the honor and
the dignity of the office to which I had been elected, so help me God.
(Applause.) And with your help, I will do so for four more years.
Thanks for coming. May God bless. (Applause.) Thank you all.
(Applause.)
END 5:40 P.M. CDT
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