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Skriven 2004-10-31 23:33:24 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0410311) for Sun, 2004 Oct 31
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˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙ October 31, 2004 Remarks by the President at Victory
2004 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 31, 2004

˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙ October 31, 2004 Remarks by the President at Victory
2004 Rally
Coconut Grove Expo Center
Miami, Florida



12:07 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) We're honored you're
here. (Applause.) Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you for coming. Thank
you for being here. Thanks for taking time out of your Sunday morning to
come by and say hello. Laura and I are honored you're here. (Applause.) I'm
here to ask for your help. You need to get your friends and neighbors to go
to the polls. You're voting today, you're voting on Tuesday. Tell your
friends and neighbors, in a free society we have an obligation to vote.
Tell them, if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better
America por todos, to vote for me and Dick Cheney. (Applause.) Con su apoyo
vamos a ganar. (Applause.)

The most important reason -- perhaps the most important reason to put me
back in is so that Laura will be the First Lady for four more years.
(Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Laura! Laura! Laura!

THE PRESIDENT: Que bella. Que magnifica. (Applause.)

I want to thank my Vice President, who's working hard. He does not have the
waviest hair in this race. I don't want to offend some of you out there who
are follically challenged -- you'll be happy to hear I didn't pick him
because of his hairdo. (Laughter.) I picked him because of his experience;
I picked him because of his judgment. He's getting the job done.
(Applause.)

I want to thank my hermanito. What a great Governor he is. (Applause.) He
loves Miami, and he loves the people of Miami. (Applause.) And I want to
thank First Lady Colomba Bush for being such a gracious First Lady for
Florida. (Applause.)

It's really important that when you get in that booth and get your friends
to go to the booth to remember there's an important Senate race here in
Florida. (Applause.) I'm going to say it as strongly as I can, Mel Martinez
is the right man for Florida. (Applause.) And we love Kitty Martinez, as
well. She's a classy lady.

I want to thank the three Congressmen from this part of the world that are
here, starting with the Congresswoman from this district, Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen. (Applause.) Mi amiga. (Applause.) Y tambien, los hermanos,
Diaz-Balart. (Applause.) Lincoln y Mario. (Applause.) Thank you all for
your steadfast and strong support. I appreciate Tom Gallagher being here. I
want to thank Marco Rubio, who's here with us today. (Applause.)

Listen, there are a lot of Democrats supporting my candidacy. (Applause.)
There may be some here. You know the Democrat Party left you, you didn't
leave it. And I want to thank Miami Beach Mayor David Dermer, Democrats for
Bush. (Applause.) Mr. Mayor, we are proud you're here. (Applause.) Thank
you, sir.

I want to thank all the other state and local officials. I know that there
are some members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins football team here. (Applause.)
Thank you all for coming. You guys haven't aged a bit. (Laughter.) Thanks
for setting such a great example.

I want to thank the grassroots activists. I want to thank you all for
putting up the signs. I want to thank you for making the phone calls. No
doubt in my mind, we'll carry Florida again and win a great victory on
Tuesday. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: This election -- this election -- this election takes place
in a time of great consequence. The person who sits in the Oval Office for
the next four years will set the course of the war on terror and the
direction of our economy. America will need strong, determined, optimistic
leadership. I am ready for the work ahead. (Applause.)

My four years as your President has confirmed some lessons, and they've
taught me some new ones. I've learned to expect the unexpected because
horror can arrive suddenly on a quiet morning. I've learned first hand how
hard it is to send young men and women into battle, even if the cause is
right. I'm grateful to the lessons I've learned from our parents: respect
for every person, do your best, live every day to its fullest. I've been
strengthened by my faith and humbled by its reminder -- (applause) -- and
I've been humbled by its reminder that every life is part of a larger
story. (Applause.)

The President must lead with clarity and purpose. As Presidents from
Lincoln to Roosevelt, to Reagan so clearly demonstrated, a President must
not shift in the wind. A President has to make the tough decisions and
stand by them. (Applause.) The role of the President is not to follow the
latest polls. The role of the President is to lead based upon principle and
conviction and conscience, and that is how I will continue to lead this
nation. (Applause.)

During the last four years, I've learned that whatever your strengths are,
you're going to need them. And whatever your shortcomings, the people will
notice them. (Laughter.) Sometimes, I am a little too blunt. I get that
from my mother. (Laughter.) Sometimes I mangle the English language.
(Laughter.) I get that from my dad. (Laughter.) But all the time, whether
you agree with me or not, you know where I stand and what I believe.
(Applause.)

And you can't say that about my opponent.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: It is fair to say that consistency is not his long suit.
(Laughter.) My opponent looks -- I look at an issue and I take a principled
stand. My opponent looks at an issue and tries to take every side.
(Laughter.) The people of Florida know the difference, and Tuesday, Florida
will vote for strong leadership based upon conviction and consistency, and
support the Bush-Cheney ticket. (Applause.)

This election -- this election comes down to some clear choices on vital
issues facing every American family. The first clear choice concerns your
budget. When I ran for President four years ago, I pledged to lower taxes
for America's families. I kept my word. (Applause.) We doubled the child
credit. We reduced the marriage penalty. We dropped the lowest bracket to
10 percent so our working families would have more money in their pocket.
The plan is working. Real after-tax income -- that's the money you've got
to spend -- is up about 10 percent since I took office.

Our economy has been through a lot. When you're out gathering up the vote,
remind people what the economy has been through. Six months prior to my
arrival in Washington, the stock market was in serious decline. Then we had
a recession and corporate scandals, and the attacks on our country cost us
about a million jobs in the three months after the attack, after September
the 11th. But we acted. I led. The tax relief is now leading our economy
forward. It's working. America's economy is strong and it's getting
stronger. (Applause.)

We added 1.9 million jobs in the last 13 months. The home ownership rate in
America is at an all-time high. (Applause.) More minority families own a
home than ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.) Our farmers are
making a living. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America.
(Applause.) The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That's lower
than the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. (Applause.) And the
unemployment rate in the state of Florida is 4.5 percent. Our economic
plans are working. (Applause.)

My opponent has got a plan.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: It involves the promises he makes and the money he intends
to take. For the Senator from Massachusetts, he voted to raise taxes 98
times.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: That's five times every year he's been in the Senate. I
would call that a predictable pattern, a leading indicator. (Laughter.) In
this campaign he's also pledged to spend $2.2 trillion new dollars --
that's a lot, that's trillion with a "T." (Laughter.) That is even --
that's a lot for a senator from Massachusetts. I mean, it's --(laughter.)

They asked him how he's going to pay for it and he said he's just going to
tax the rich. You've heard that before. By raising the top two brackets you
raise between $600 billion and $800 billion. That's far short of the $2.2
trillion. That's what we call a tax gap. And guess who gets to fill the tax
gap.

AUDIENCE: We do!

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, you do. We're not going to let him tax you. We're going
to carry Florida and win a victory. (Applause.)

The second clear choice in this election involves the quality of life for
our nation's families. I ran for President to challenge the soft bigotry of
low expectations by reforming our schools. I kept my word. (Applause.) We
passed education reforms to bring high standards to the classrooms, and
reading and math scores are now on the rise. We're closing an achievement
gap for minority students all across America. And we're not going to go
back to the old days of low expectations and mediocrity. (Applause.)

We'll continue to improve life for our families by making health care more
affordable and available. We'll expand health savings accounts so small
businesses can cover their workers, and more families are able to save
tax-free with health care accounts they manage and call their own. We'll
create association health plans so small businesses can join together and
buy insurance at the same discounts that big companies can do. (Applause.)

We'll help our families by expanding community health centers and making
sure every eligible child is enrolled in our low-income health insurance
programs. And we will make sure health care is available and affordable by
getting rid of these junk lawsuits that are running the docs out of
practice. (Applause.) For the sake of quality health care, we need medical
liability reform now. (Applause.)

My vision is for better and more affordable health care where decisions are
made by doctors and patients, not by officials in Washington, D.C.
(Applause.)

My opponent has a different approach to these issues. He voted for
education reform, but now he wants to weaken the accountability standards.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: And he's proposing a big government health care plan.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: I heard him in the debates, you probably did, too, when he
said the government didn't have anything to do with it. That's what he said
about his plan. I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.) The government
has got everything to do with it. And the wrong prescription for American
families is to federalize health care in America. (Applause.)

And when it comes to these lawsuits, my opponent has voted against medical
liability reform not once, but 10 times. And he put a personal injury trial
lawyer on the ticket.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He can run, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

The third clear choice in this election involves your retirement. We made a
solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and Medicare.
When I ran for President four years ago, I promised to keep that commitment
and improve Medicare by adding prescription drug coverage. I kept my word.
(Applause.) Seniors are already getting discounts on medicine with drug
discount cards. Low-income seniors are getting direct help to pay for
prescriptions. And beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to get
prescription drug coverage under Medicare. (Applause.)

My opponent has got a record on this issue. He voted against the Medicare
bill that included prescription drug coverage. In this campaign he's
promised to repeal the bill, and then he promised to keep it. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!

THE PRESIDENT: It sounds familiar, doesn't it? (Applause.) He doesn't
change positions only on national security issues. (Laughter.) He also
tries to scare seniors about their Social Security. But he forgets to
mention that he is the one who voted eight times to raise taxes on Social
Security benefits.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He can run from that record --

AUDIENCE: -- but he cannot hide!

THE PRESIDENT: I've kept the promise of Social Security for our seniors. I
will always keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors. But we
need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to
Social Security. We need to worry about whether the system will be there
when they need it. That's why I believe younger workers ought to take some
of their personal payroll taxes and set up a personal savings account, an
account they call their own. (Applause.)

The fourth clear choice --

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: The fourth choice in this election is on the values that are
so crucial to keeping our families strong. I stand for marriage and family,
which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) I stand for a culture
of life in which every person matters and every being counts. (Applause.) I
proudly signed the ban on partial birth abortion. (Applause.) I stand for
appointing judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the
strict interpretation of the law. (Applause.)

On these issues, my opponent and I are miles apart. He voted against the
ban on partial birth abortion. He voted against the Defense of Marriage
Act.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He said there would be a litmus test when it came to
appointing judges. There is a mainstream in American politics, and John
Kerry sits on the far left bank. (Laughter and applause.) He can --
(audience interruption) -- yes, he can run from being the most liberal
senator -- (applause) --

AUDIENCE: We want Bush! We want Bush! We want Bush!

THE PRESIDENT: The final choice -- the final choice in this election is
most important of all because it concerns the security of your family. All
progress on every other issue depends on the safety of our citizens. The
most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American
people. (Applause.) If America shows uncertainty or weakness during these
troubled times, the world will drift toward tragedy. This is not going to
happen on my watch. (Applause.)

Our strategy is clear. We've strengthened protections for the homeland.
We're reforming and strengthening our intelligence capabilities. We're
transforming the army. We will have no draft; the army will remain an
all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We are staying on the offensive. We're
chasing the terrorists around the globe. We will find them and bring them
to justice so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)

Pakistan was -- we're making progress. Every day, we're making progress.
Afghanistan is now an ally in the war on terror. Pakistan and Saudi are
making raids and arrests. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs.
(Applause.) An army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom, and al Qaeda no
longer controls Afghanistan. We shut down its camps. We are systematically
destroying the al Qaeda network around the world. (Applause.) More than
three-quarters of al Qaeda have been brought to justice, and the rest of
them know we're on their trail. (Applause.)

My opponent has taken a different approach -- except when he hadn't.
(Laughter.) Here again, consistency has not been his long suit. The
Commander-in-Chief must be consistent in this dangerous world. Senator
Kerry says that we're better off with Saddam Hussein out of power-- except
when he says that removing Saddam made us less safe.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He said in our second debate that he always believed Saddam
was a threat -- except, a few questions later, when he insisted Saddam
Hussein was not a threat.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He says he was right when he voted to authorize the use of
force against Saddam Hussein, but that I was wrong to use force against
Saddam Hussein.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: The problem with -- the problem with Senator Kerry's record
on national security are deeper than election-year flip-flops. (Applause.)
For 20 years, on the largest national security issues of our time, he has
been consistently wrong. During the Cold War, Senator Kerry voted against
crucial weapons systems and opposed President Ronald Reagan's policy of
peace through strength. History --

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and President
Ronald Reagan was right. (Applause.)

When former President Bush assembled an international coalition to drive
Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, Senator Kerry voted against the use of force.
AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and former
President Bush was right. (Applause.)

Only a year after the first bombing if the World Trade Center, the Senator
proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence budget, cuts so extreme
that even his fellow Massachusetts colleague, Ted Kennedy, voted against
the cut.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: History has shown, Senator Kerry was wrong, and let's be --
let's be -- let's be generous about this, Senator Kennedy was right.
(Laughter.)

Just one year -- just one year ago, I went to the Congress and proposed $87
billion in funding to support our troops in combat. (Applause.) The
Commander-in-Chief -- the Commander-in-Chief must support our troops in
harm's way. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE PRESIDENT: Prior to the vote, on national TV, Senator Kerry said it
would be irresponsible to vote against the troops.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible). (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: And then he did the irresponsible thing -- he voted against
the troops.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: And then he entered the flip-flop hall of fame -- (laughter)
-- by saying, I actually did vote for the $87 billion right before I voted
against it. (Laughter.) He's given several explanation since then, but the
most revealing -- perhaps the most revealing is when he said, the whole
thing was a complicated matter. There's nothing complicated about
supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE PRESIDENT: The differences on how we'll defend our families are
significant. My opponent said in one of the debates that America must pass
a global test.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not making that up. I heard him. So did you. We'll work
with our friends and allies, but I will never, ever turn over America's
national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)

Recently my opponent said September the 11th "didn't change him much at
all." End quote. Well, September the 11th changed me. My eyes are wide open
to the realities of this world. I fully understand my duty to protect the
American people. A few days after the attacks of September the 11th I stood
in the ruins of the Twin Towers. I will never forget the sights and sounds
of that day -- workers in hard hats yelling at me at the top of their
lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember the man grabbed me by the arm, he
looked me square in the eye, and he said, "Do not let me down." Ever since
that day --(applause.) From that day forward I've gotten up every morning
thinking about how to better protect our country. I will never relent in
defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)

We will use all the assets at our disposal to protect America. We will wage
a relentless, comprehensive campaign to protect you. And one of the most
powerful -- powerful assets we have is freedom. (Applause.) We believe in
the power of liberty to transform societies. Free nations do not breed
resentments and export terror. Free nations become allies in the war on
terror.

Think about what has happened in Afghanistan in a relatively brief period
of time. It wasn't all that long ago that young girls couldn't go to
school, and their mothers were taken into the public square and whipped
because the ideologues of hate, the Taliban, had such a dim view of the
world. Because we acted in our self-interest, because we upheld the
doctrine that said, if you harbor a terrorist, you are equally as guilty as
the terrorist -- (applause) -- millions of people went to the polls in
Afghanistan to vote for their President. The first voter was a 19-year-old
woman. (Applause.)

Iraq is dangerous, but it's moving toward elections. There will be
elections in January. Think about how far that country has come from the
days of torture chambers and mass graves. Freedom is on the march, and
America and the world are better for it. (Applause.) And over the next four
years, we will continue to press hard and ensure that the gift of freedom
finally reaches the men and women of Cuba. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Viva Bush! Viva Bush! Viva Bush!

THE PRESIDENT: We will not rest -- we will not rest. We will keep the
pressure on until the Cuban people enjoy the same freedoms in Havana they
receive here in America. (Applause.) I strongly believe the people of Cuba
should be free from the tyrant. (Applause.) I believe -- I believe that
everybody yearns to be free. 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.)

My fellow citizens, these are historic times and a lot is at stake in this
election. The future safety and prosperity of America are on the ballot.
Ultimately, this election comes down to who can you trust.

AUDIENCE: You!

THE PRESIDENT: I offer a record of leadership and results in a time of
challenge, and I ask for your vote. (Applause.) If you believe -- if you
believe that taxes should stay low so families can pay the bills and small
businesses can expand and our economy can continue to create new jobs, I
ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.)

If you believe -- if you believe in high standards for our public schools,
and parents and doctors -- patients and doctors should be in charge of
health care, I ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.)

If you believe that this nation must honor the commitments of Medicare and
strengthen Social Security for the next generation, I ask you, come stand
with me. (Applause.)

If you believe that this nation should honor family and marriage and make a
place for the weak and vulnerable, I ask you, come stand with me.
(Applause.)

If you believe America should fight the war on terror with all our might
and lead with unwavering confidence in our ideals, I ask you, come stand
with me. (Applause.)

If you are a Democrat who believes your great party has turned too far left
in this year, I ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.)

If you are a minority citizen and you believe in free enterprise and good
schools and the enduring values of family and faith, if you're tired of
your vote being taken for granted, I ask you, come stand with me.
(Applause.) If you are a voter who believes that the President of the
United States should say what he means and do what he says and keep his
word, I ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: When I traveled your state -- when I traveled your state
four years ago, I made this pledge, that if I got elected, I would uphold
the honor and the dignity of the office to which I had been elected. With
your help -- con su apoyo, I will do so for four more years.

Gracias. Vamos a ganar. Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 12:42 P.M. EST
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