Text 19, 424 rader
Skriven 2004-11-01 23:33:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0411019) for Mon, 2004 Nov 1
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Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2004

Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally
U.S. Cellular Arena
Milwaukee, Wisconsin



11:38 A.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all for coming.
(Applause.) Thank you all for coming. I want to thank all the cheese heads
who are here. (Applause.) It's close to voting time, and I'm here to ask
for your vote and your help. (Applause.) Get your friends and neighbors to
go to the polls tomorrow. Get our fellow Republicans to go to the polls,
wise independents and discerning Democrats. (Applause.) And when you get
them headed to the polls, remind them that if they want a safer America, a
stronger America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in
office. (Applause.)

Perhaps the most important reason to put me back in is so that Laura will
be First Lady for four more years. (Applause.) I am sorry that she's not
here today.

AUDIENCE: Awww --

THE PRESIDENT: That's generally the reaction. (Laughter.) She's
campaigning. (Applause.) You've come to know her like I know her. She's
warm, she's compassionate, she is a strong First Lady. (Applause.)

I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. I readily concede that he does
not have the waviest hair in the race. (Laughter.) You'll be pleased I
didn't pick him because of his hairdo. (Laughter.) I picked him because of
his experience, his judgment, and he's getting the job done for the
American people. (Applause.)

I'm proud of my friend and your former governor, Tommy Thompson. He's done
a great job. (Applause.) He's done a fantastic job for the people. You
trained him well. (Laughter.) And I want to thank Sue Ann Thompson for her
sacrifice and for letting -- allowing Tommy to work so hard on behalf of
the people of the United States. (Applause.)

I want to thank Congressman Paul Ryan and Janna; Congressman Jim
Sensenbrenner and Cheryl; and Congressman Mark Green for such a great job
in the United States Congress. (Applause.) I want to thank the statehouse
people who are here. I want to thank the local government people who are
here. Old Scott W. is with us. (Applause.) At least that's what I call him.

The High Sheriff is with us -- Sheriff Clarke, thanks for coming.
(Applause.) I've been most impressed during my travels throughout Wisconsin
to -- to have met and talked with a man who will make a great United States
senator, Tim Michels. (Applause.) I wish Jerry Boyle all the best in his
run for the 4th congressional district.

I want to thank Morgan Hamm for coming today. I appreciate him being here.
He's been a great Olympic champ from the state of Wisconsin. (Applause.) I
want to thank Keith Tozer and Tom Crean, great basketball coaches here in
Milwaukee. (Applause.) I want to thank Brooks and Dunn for being here. I'm
so honored they traveled. (Applause.) I can't thank both of the guys
enough, and their band. I also want to thank our longtime friends, the
Oakridge Boys, for being here. Thank you all. (Applause.)

I want to thank all the people that worked so hard in this state over the
last year to get ready for tomorrow. I understand people have been working
hours, day after day. I want to thank you for making the phone calls and
putting up the signs and preparing these fantastic bus trips we have taken
all across your state. I want to thank you for what you have done. I want
to thank you for what you're going to do. You're going to turn out a big
vote and we're going to carry Wisconsin. (Applause.)

Tomorrow the people of this good state go to the polls and vote. And I'm
excited about the election day. I'm optimistic about this country and our
future. I see a brighter day and more hopeful America for every citizen.
(Applause.)

One of my favorite sayings is by a fellow Texan named Tom Lea. Here is what
he said. He said, "Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain. It is
the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the day that
is coming, not to see the day that is gone." During this campaign, my
opponent spent much of the time talking about the day that is gone. I'm
talking about the day that's coming. (Applause.)

I see a great day coming for America, a day where prosperity reaches to
every corner of our country; a day where every child is able to read and
write and add and subtract; a day in which this world of ours becomes more
peaceful for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.) Tomorrow the
people of Wisconsin and America have a chance to bring that better day by
voting for strong, competent and principled leadership. I'm here asking for
your vote. (Applause.)

The American President must lead with clarity and purpose. The role of the
President is not to follow the path of the latest poll. The role of a
President is to lead based on principle and conviction and conscience.
(Applause.)

During these four years, I've learned that whatever your strengths are, you
are going to need them; whatever your shortcomings are, the people will
notice them. (Laughter.) Sometimes, I'm a little too blunt. I get that from
my mother. (Laughter and applause.) Sometimes, I mangle the English
language. I get that from my father. (Laughter and applause.) But at all
times, whether you agree with me, or not, you know where I stand, what I
believe, and where I'm going to lead this country. (Applause.)

This election comes down to five clear choices for our families. The first
clear choice concerns your family's 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 to help moms and dads. We reduced
the marriage penalty. We believe the tax code ought to encourage, not
penalize, marriage. (Applause.) We reduced taxes on everybody who pays
taxes. And the result of our good policies is clear to all. Our economy is
growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. We've added 1.9 million
jobs in the last 13 months. (Applause.) The farmers of Wisconsin -- the
farm income in Wisconsin is up. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in
America. The small business sector is alive and well. (Applause.) The home
ownership rate is at an all-time high, and more minority families own a
home today than ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.)

The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in
perspective for you. That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, the
1980s and the 1990s. (Applause.) The unemployment rate in the great state
of Wisconsin is 5 percent. (Applause.) This economy of ours is strong, and
it is getting stronger.

And I have a message for the people of Wisconsin: To keep your economy
growing we will keep your taxes low. (Applause.) We will make sure the
small business sector remains vibrant, and we will make sure Wisconsin
farmers continue to make a good living. (Applause.)

My opponent has got an economic plan, as well.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Tax everything! (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Let me remind you of his record. He voted 98 times to
increase taxes -- that's in 20 years in the Senate.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That's five times a year. You might say it's a predictable
pattern -- (laughter) -- a leading indicator. (Laughter.) In this campaign,
the Senator has pledged to raise taxes on the top two brackets. When you
hear a politician say he's going to raise taxes, that's generally a promise
they keep. (Laughter.) He's proposing $2.2 trillion in new federal spending
-- that's trillion with a "T."

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That is a lot. That's a lot even for a senator from
Massachusetts. (Applause.) And yet, by raising the top two brackets, he
falls short of the $2.2 trillion. As a matter of fact, there is a
significant tax gap. Given his record, guess who he's going to call upon to
fill the tax gap -- the middle class of our country. We're not going to let
him tax you. We're going to carry Wisconsin tomorrow and win a victory on
Tuesday. (Applause.)

The second clear choice in this election involves the quality of life for
our nation's families. I believe every child can learn, and I expect every
school to teach. When I ran for President, I promised 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 our
classrooms. Math and reading scores are on the rise. We're closing the
achievement gap by helping minority students. My vision for a new term is
to build on these reforms and extend them to our high schools, so that no
child is left behind in America. (Applause.)

We will continue to improve life for our families by making health care
more affordable and available. We'll expand health savings accounts. We'll
allow small businesses to join together and buy insurance at the same
discounts that big companies are able to do. (Applause.) We will help our
families who need help. But we will also do something about the frivolous
lawsuits that are running up the cost of your health care and running good
doctors out of practice. (Applause.)

We have a difference of opinion on this big issue. My opponent has voted
against medical liability reform not one time, not two times, but 10 times
as a member of the United States Senate.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: And he put a personal injury trial lawyer on the ticket.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm standing with Wisconsin's docs, I'm standing with
Wisconsin's patients, I am standing with Wisconsin's families. I am for
real medical liability reform now. (Applause.) In all we do to improve
health care, we will make sure the decisions are made by doctors and
patients, not by officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

My opponent has got a different approach. You might remember in one of the
debates, when they asked him about his health care plan, he looked square
in the camera and said, the government doesn't have anything to do with it.
(Laughter.) I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.) The government has
got a lot to do with it. Eighty percent of the people will end up on a
government plan under his vision. Federalizing health care for America's
families is the wrong prescription. (Applause.)

The third clear choice in this election involves your retirement. Our
nation has 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 worked with Tommy Thompson. We got the job done, and I kept my word.
(Applause.) Seniors are getting discounts on medicine with drug discount
cards, and beginning in 2006, all seniors will be able to get prescription
drug coverage under Medicare. (Applause.)

My opponent has a record. He voted against the Medicare bill that included
prescription drug coverage for our seniors. He's also trying to scare
seniors about their Social Security. But he forgets to mention that he has
voted eight times to raise taxes on Social Security benefits.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

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

I've kept the promise of Social Security for our seniors, and I will always
keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors. (Applause.) And the
Social Security trust is in pretty good shape for baby boomers like me, and
some others out there I see. (Laughter.) But we need to worry about our
children and grandchildren when it comes to Social Security. The job of the
President is to confront problems, not to pass them on to future
generations and future presidents. I believe younger workers ought to be
allowed to take some of their payroll taxes and set it aside in a personal
savings account, an account they call their own. (Applause.)

The fourth clear choice in this election is on the values that are 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 the
appointment of federal 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.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: He voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, even though
most Democrats supported it. There is a mainstream in American politics and
John Kerry sits on the far left bank. (Applause.) He can run from his
liberal philosophy, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

The final choice in this election is the most important one 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. If this country shows
uncertainty or weakness during these troubling times, this world of ours
will drift toward tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch.
(Applause.)

Our strategy to protect America is clear. We strengthened protections for
the homeland. We are reforming and strengthening our intelligence
capabilities. We are transforming the all-volunteer army. There will be no
draft. (Applause.) We are relentless, we are determined. We are staying on
the offensive. We are fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to
face them here at home. (Applause.)

We are succeeding. Afghanistan is free and an ally in the war on terror.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are making arrests and capturing terrorist
leaders. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a free Iraq
is beginning to defend its freedom. Al Qaeda no longer controls
Afghanistan. We have shut down his camps there. We are systematically
destroying the al Qaeda network. (Applause.)

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

THE PRESIDENT: I am proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of such a great
United States military. (Applause.) And we have a great military because of
the character of the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.
(Applause.) I want to thank the military families who are here for your
sacrifice and your courage. (Applause.) I want to thank the veterans who
are here for having set such a great example for those who wear the
uniform. (Applause.) And I want to assure our troops and our families that
there loved ones will have all they need to complete their missions.

That's why I went to the United States Congress and asked for $87 billion
of supplemental funding. This was necessary. This was important funding to
support our troops. My opponent said that it would be irresponsible to vote
against funding for our troops -- until his poll numbers began to go down.
And then he voted against funding for our troops.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: And then he entered the flip-flop hall of fame. (Applause.)
And as he entered, he said this famous quote: "I actually did vote for the
$87 billion before I voted against it." (Applause.) He has has a lot of
explanations about that vote since then, but I think the most revealing is
this: He said, the whole matter was a complicated matter. My fellow
Americans, there is nothing complicated about supporting our troops in
combat. (Applause.)

The problems with Senator Kerry's record on national security are deeper
than election-year reversals. 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 critical weapon systems, and opposed
President Ronald Reagan's policy of peace through strength. 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 to
liberate Kuwait. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong, and former
President Bush was right. (Applause.)

Only a year after the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the Senator
proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence, so extreme that even his
colleague from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy, opposed them. History has shown
that Senator Kerry was wrong -- and we must be fair -- Senator Kennedy was
right. (Laughter and applause.)

We have a clear difference of opinion on how to best defend America's
families. My opponent has said that America must submit to a global test
before we commit force.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not making that up. (Laughter.) He was standing right
about there when he said it. (Laughter.) As far as I can tell, that means
that America must get permission from foreign capitals. I will work on
alliances. I will continue to strengthen our friendships around the world.
But I will never, never turn over America's national security decisions to
leaders of other countries. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE PRESIDENT: We have a difference of opinion about the world in which we
live. The Senator said that September the 11th did not change him much at
all. September the 11th changed me. It changed my outlook about how -- what
we needed to do to defend this country. September the 14th, 2001, I stood
in the ruins of the Twin Towers. I'll never forget the sights and sounds of
that day. I will never forget the workers in the hard hats yelling at me at
the top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember the man who grabbed
me by the arm, and he looked me in the eye, and he said, "Do not let me
down." From that day forward, I've gotten up every morning thinking about
how to better protect America. I will never relent in defending this
country, whatever it takes. (Applause.)

Over the next four years we'll use every asset at our disposal to protect
you. Perhaps the most powerful asset we have is freedom. I believe in the
power of liberty to transform societies. I know that free nations do not
breed resentments and export terror. Free nations become allies in the war
on terror. Free nations will help us keep the peace we want for our
children and our grandchildren.

I want you all to think, particularly the young here, to think about what
has taken place in a brief period of time. In Afghanistan young girls
couldn't go to school, and their mothers were taken to the public squares
and whipped, and sometimes shot in a sports stadium, because of the
ideology of hate of the Taliban. But because we acted to defend ourselves,
because we acted to uphold a doctrine, which said, if you harbor a
terrorists, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist, millions of people
voted in an presidential election in Afghanistan. And the first voter was a
19-year old woman. (Applause.)

Freedom is powerful. And freedom can be threatening to the terrorists. And
that's why Iraq is so dangerous. But we're headed toward free elections
there. Think how far that society has come from the days of torture
chambers and mass graves. See, I believe everybody deserves and wants to be
free. I believe deep in everybody's soul is the desire to live in freedom.
I believe moms and dads across this world want to raise their children in a
free society. I believe this, because I understand freedom is not America's
gift to the world -- I believe this because I know that 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 do you trust? Who do you trust
to defend the country?

AUDIENCE: You!

THE PRESIDENT: Who do you trust to extend prosperity? If you believe that
taxes should stay low so families can pay their bills and small businesses
can create new jobs, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.)

If you believe in high standards for our public schools, I ask you to come
stand with me. (Applause.)

If you believe that patients and doctors should be in charge of health
care, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.)

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

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

If you are a Democrat who believes your party has turned too far to the
left this year, I ask you to 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, and if you're tired of
your vote being taken for granted, I ask you to come stand with me.
(Applause.)

And 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
to come stand with me. (Applause.)

Four years ago -- four years ago, when I traveled your great state asking
for the vote, I made this pledge, that if elected, I would uphold the honor
and the dignity of the office. With your help, with your hard work, I will
do so for four more years.

Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 12:12 P.M. CST
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