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Skriven 2004-11-01 23:33:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0411015) for Mon, 2004 Nov 1
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Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at Victory '04 Rally in Cleveland, Ohio
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
November 1, 2004

Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at Victory '04 Rally in Cleveland, Ohio



November 1, 2004

REMARKS BY FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH

AT VICTORY '04 RALLY IN CLEVELAND, OHIO

International Exposition Center

Cleveland, Ohio

9:12 A.M. EST

MRS. BUSH: Thank you all. Thanks so much. (Applause.) And thanks so much,
Senator Voinovich, and thank you Janet. And thanks to both of them for
their friendship.

George was elected governor in I think it was your second term. And we got
to be very good friends of the Voinoviches through the National Governors
Association. And we really, really appreciate the service of Senator
Voinovich in the United States Senate. As well as Senator Mike DeWine and
Fran. Their friendship and the service of your two senators -- you're very,
very fortunate to have such fine senators. And we're fortunate to have them
as friends. (Applause.)

Mayor Hruby, I want to thank you also. Thank you very much for being a part
of today's program, and thank you for your service to the Bush-Cheney
volunteer effort. And thank you also for your friendship. (Applause.)

And thanks to everyone out here. Thank you very much. Thank you for manning
the phone banks and putting out the signs and doing all the hard work. I
really especially appreciate your support and your prayers and I thank you
for the privilege you've given me and my husband of serving our country.

Our lives have been enriched by meeting so many of our fellow Americans.
And as we've visited communities, we've witnessed the decency and the
kindness and the character of Americans.

I'm a little nostalgic today because this is the last day, the final day,
on George's last campaign. But it reminds me of our first campaign 27 years
ago. George and I were newlyweds and he was running for Congress. The race
didn't turn out as we hoped, but we joked that maybe he'd run again when we
were 50. (Laughter.)

Well, 10 years ago this week, we were a couple of years shy of 50 and
George was elected governor of Texas. He hasn't lost an election since, and
with your help, we're going to carry Ohio tomorrow and win a great victory.
(Applause.)

We've been through a lot together these last four years. But today, our
economy is growing, we're closing the achievement gap in our public
schools, and America is safer and stronger thanks to the President's
decisive leadership. (Applause.)

People ask me all the time whether George has changed. He's a little
grayer. (Laughter.) And, of course, he's learned and grown as we all have.
But he's still the same person I met at a backyard barbecue and married
three months later in Midland, Texas.

He'll always tell you what he thinks. You can count on him, especially in a
crisis. His friends don't change, and neither do his values. He has
boundless energy and an enthusiasm for his job, and for life itself. He
treats every person he meets with dignity and respect -- the same dignity
and respect he has for the office he holds. He's a loving man with a big
heart. He makes his views clear and he stands on principle. And, above all,
the President says what he means and he does what he says. (Applause.)

Four years ago, when our economy needed a jumpstart, my husband said he
would reduce taxes and he kept his word. (Applause.) Millions of families
and small business owners are saving more of their own money because the
President worked to pass the largest tax relief in a generation. And today,
our economy is growing. We've added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13
months. Home ownership is at an all-time high. More minority families own
their own home in America than ever before in our history. And, in a new
term, my husband will work to keep taxes low so that more workers can find
good jobs and families can save for their retirement and for their
children's college education. (Applause.)

Four years ago, my husband promised to end the soft bigotry of low
expectations by reforming our public schools. He kept his word. He worked
with Congress to pass good, sound education reforms, to bring high
standards to the classrooms, and to make schools more accountable to
parents. And today, scores are rising in reading and math, and minority
students are closing the achievement gap. In a new term, George will build
on these reforms and extend them to our high schools so that no child in
America is left behind. (Applause.)

Four years ago, my husband said he would work with Congress to give seniors
relief from the rising cost of prescription drugs, and he kept his word.
Today, over 4 million Americans have already signed up for their new
Medicare prescription drug cards so they can save more on medicines. And in
2006, when the full prescription drug coverage begins, seniors will even
have more, save even more.

In a new term, President Bush will pass medical liability reform to reduce
frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.) He'll make sure that patients and doctors
are in charge of health care in America, not government officials in
Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

All of these issues are important to our families and to our nation. But
we're living through the most historic struggle our generation has ever
known. And I believe what's most important is my husband's work to protect
our country and to defeat terror around the world. (Applause.)

The terrible acts of September 11th showed us the threat we face, but they
also called us to the great work of promoting freedom and democracy in far
corners of the world. The President and I want all of our men and women in
uniform and their families to know how much every American appreciates
their service and their sacrifice. (Applause.)

Once again, as in our parents' generation, America is making the tough
choices, the hard decisions and leading the world toward greater security
and freedom. I wasn't born when my father went to World War II. Like many
of our Greatest Generation, he served in the United States army in Europe
for almost three years. His company liberated Nordhausen, one of the
concentration camps. You can imagine the horror that he saw when he got
there.

The methods of the terrorists we face today are different, but my father
would know this struggle. Our parents' generation confronted tyranny and
liberated millions. And today, as we do the hard work of confronting
terror, we can be proud that 50 million more men, women and children have
the chance to live in freedom thanks to the United States of America and
our allies. (Applause.)

Earlier this month, millions of Afghan citizens voted in the first free
presidential election in the history of their country. (Applause.) And the
first voter was a 19-year-old woman. (Applause.)

The people of Iraq are also building a democracy, even as they face
violence from those who oppose freedom. Voter registration will start next
month and free and fair elections will be held in Iraq this coming January.

The future holds great promise for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. And
though many difficulties lie ahead, the United States must remain a
constant friend to both nations.

Americans know that building a democracy takes time. Think of how long it
took us in our country. It took almost 100 years after our founders
declared all men are created equal to abolish slavery. And not until 84
years ago did American women get the right to vote. (Applause.)

This is a critical moment in our history. We've accomplished so much and
we've come so far, yet our work is not finished. The polls open in Ohio at
6:30 tomorrow morning. Offer to drive a friend or a neighbor to vote. When
you leave here today, tell them about the President's leadership and his
vision for making America safer and stronger. Reach out to Democrats and
Independents who appreciate strong and optimistic leadership.

Tomorrow, we face a choice between an America that is uncertain in the face
of danger, or an America that takes decisive action to defeat terror and to
spread liberty. Families and business owners can choose a President who
wants to keep taxes low so people can have more of their own money. We can
choose a President who wants a health care system where patients and
doctors are in charge, not the government. And parents can choose a
President who will keep us on the path to excellence and high standards in
our schools for every child.

The choice is clear. America needs the leadership of President Bush for
four more years. (Applause.) Thank you all so much. Thank you for your
friendship. Thank you for your hard work. And may God bless America. Thank
you all. (Applause.) Thank you everybody. (Applause.)

END 9:23 A.M. EST
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