Text 3570, 550 rader
Skriven 2006-11-02 23:32:32 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0611028) for Thu, 2006 Nov 2
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Remarks by the President at Nevada Victory 2006 Rally
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 2, 2006

Remarks by the President at Nevada Victory 2006 Rally
Elko Regional Airport
Elko, Nevada



1:35 P.M. PST

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. I appreciate the warm welcome. It is nice
to be in a part of the country where the cowboy hats outnumber the ties.
(Applause.) I can't thank you enough for coming out to say, "hello."

And I'm proud to be here with three people who I know you're going to make
sure win elections, starting with a fine United States Senator in John
Ensign. (Applause.) His family settled in Nevada a hundred years ago, so
it's safe to say he's got Nevada in his blood. (Applause.) I'm proud to be
here with the next Congressman from this congressional district, Dean
Heller. (Applause.) And finally, I'm pleased to be up here with the current
Governor, my friend, Kenny Guinn, and the future governor, Congressman Jim
Gibbons. (Applause.)

Laura sends her best. (Applause.) I wish she were here in Elko with me.
(Applause.) We were both raised in a part of the world that's kind of like
this, except the land was flat. (Laughter.) But the people were warm.
(Applause.) Down-to-earth, common-sense people live right here. (Applause.)
And that's the kind of people we need in Washington, D.C. (Applause.) We've
got plenty of high-fliers over there, what we need is down-to-earth,
common-sense people, like John Ensign and Dean Heller. (Applause.)

I want to thank State Senator Bill Raggio for joining us today. I
appreciate your mayor, Mayor Mike Franzoia. Thank you Mac. Good to see you
again. I go over to Reno, to do an event -- (applause) -- and I get off Air
Force One, and guess who's at the foot -- foot of Air Force One, your
Mayor. He welcomed me in Reno and he's welcomed me here to Elko. Mr. Mayor,
thank you very much. I appreciate you and Anita being here today. I'm proud
to be with you.

I want to thank the Elko High School Band. (Applause.) Let me ask you
something, you're not skipping school, are you? (Laughter and applause.)
You are? Well, I'm glad to provide a convenient excuse. (Laughter.) If
you're 18, just remember who got you out of school today -- (laughter) --
and vote for who I ask you to vote for. If not, get a substitute for you in
the polls -- (laughter) -- like mom or dad, brother or neighbor. Because
see, we're here talking about an election that is five days away.

By the way, in Washington, some of them are already measuring the drapes in
their new offices. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: The pundits have already got it figured out what's going to
happen on Election Day, even before the people of Nevada vote.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I'm used to that kind of stuff. I know you are. You
might remember 2004. (Applause.) They were already picking out their
offices in the West Wing. (Laughter.) Except things turned a little
differently, and they didn't need the movers. (Applause.) And the same
thing is going to happen this November 7th. When you turn out the vote,
we're going to hold the House and hold the Senate, and America is going to
be better off for it. (Applause.)

We're going to win these elections because Republicans understand the
values and the priorities of the American people. The other thing about
Republicans is our values and our priorities do not shift because of the
latest poll or focus group. (Applause.) We got a record to run on. See,
we've done a lot to raise standards and accountability in public schools so
no child is left behind. (Applause.) We're working to reduce this country's
dependence on foreign oil. (Applause.) We're working to make sure Americans
have quality health care and that our seniors have got affordable
prescription drugs. (Applause.) We're providing compassionate care for
America's veterans. (Applause.) You don't have to educate this political
party about what it's like to be a rancher, or a farmer, or a hunter.
(Applause.) With John Ensign in the Senate and Dean Heller in the House and
Jim Gibbons in the governor's office, the lives of your fellow citizens are
going to improve.

And I want to thank you for coming out and giving me a chance to tell you
what's on my mind. (Applause.) One of the biggest threats to the values we
share is activist judges. John Ensign understands what I know, that a good
judiciary is one in which we've got judges who strictly interpret the law
and not legislate from the bench. (Applause.)

So when you cast your ballot on Tuesday, your vote will determine more than
who represents Nevada in the United States Senate. It will also determine
what kind of judges sit on federal benches around the United States. At
this moment, there are about 50 vacancies on the federal bench, and so it's
vital to maintain a Republican Senate, so we can confirm the men and women
I have nominated. (Applause.)

Our record on judges is clear. With the support of senators like John
Ensign, we have confirmed good judges to the district courts, the circuit
courts, and the Supreme Court. And this country is better off with John
Roberts and Sam Alito as members of the United States Supreme Court.
(Applause.)

A vote for a Democrat senator in this state or in any state in which
there's a senatorial election is a vote against highly-qualified judges
like these. All you have to do is look at the records. When the Democrats
held the Senate, they denied hearings to one-third of my nominees to the
court of appeals. See, they've got a record. You can rest assured what's
going to happen if the Democrats take over the Senate. When they lost the
majority in 2002, they changed their tactics. Instead of not giving them
hearings, they just simply filibustered them. They tried the same tactics
when Sam Alito's Supreme Court nomination came before the Senate. More than
half of Senate Democrats voted to filibuster him. When he finally got his
vote, 44 Democrats voted no. Thankfully we had a Senator like John Ensign
representing Nevada, who understands a good judge when he sees one.
(Applause.)

The same thing happened to John Roberts. When I nominated him for the D.C.
Circuit, it took -- he had been denied a hearing when another President
Bush named him. So he finally got his name up; he got in, and then the
Senate finally confirmed him. I will just tell you this: If the Senate were
controlled by Democrats, John Roberts would still be waiting for a hearing.

There's a fundamental difference in this campaign. If you want good, sound,
conservative judges who will not legislate from the bench, you send
Republicans back to the United States Senate. (Applause.)

I want to talk about two other issues that divide us, two issues that
clearly show the difference between how we think and how the other bunch
thinks. And the first issue I want to talk about are taxes. And the second
issue I'm going to talk to you about is who best to protect you from an
enemy that wants to hurt us again.

First let me talk about taxes. Here's what those of us on this stage think.
We think you can spend your money far better than the federal government
can. (Applause.) Make no mistake about it, the Democrats is Washington
think they can spend your money better than you can. And that's why if they
get control of the House and Senate, they're going to run up your taxes.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: Over the past five years, we have done more than just talk
philosophy. People of Elko, Nevada want more than philosophers in
Washington, D.C. You want doers. (Applause.) When I campaigned in this
state in 2000, I said, if you give me a chance to be your President, I'd
work with the Congress to cut your taxes, and that's exactly what we've
done. We delivered the largest tax cut since Ronald Reagan was the
President of the United States. (Applause.)

We cut taxes on everybody who pays income taxes. We doubled the child tax
credit. We reduced the marriage penalty. We cut taxes on small businesses.
We cut taxes on capital gains and dividends. And we put the death tax on
the road to extinction. (Applause.)

You remember the debate. The Democrats in Washington predicted the tax cuts
wouldn't create jobs, wouldn't increase wages, and would cause the deficit
to explode. Well, the facts are in. The truth is, the tax cuts have led to
a growing economy that has added 6.6 million new jobs since August of 2003.
(Applause.) The people in this state are working -- (applause) -- and real
wages are on the rise, and we cut the deficit in half three years ahead of
schedule. (Applause.)

Cutting taxes works. The amazing thing is, in spite of the record, the
Democrats are going to raise your taxes. No, I know they don't want you to
know it. As a matter of fact, the top Democrat in the House made an
interesting declaration the other day. She said, "We love tax cuts." Well,
given her record, she must be a secret admirer. (Laughter and applause.)
She and her party voted against reducing the marriage penalty, against
cutting taxes on small businesses, against lowering taxes for families with
children, against reducing the taxes on capital gains and dividends, and
against getting rid of the death tax. Time and time again, when she and the
Democrat party had a chance to show their love -- (laughter) -- they voted,
no. (Laughter.) If that's their idea of love I sure would hate -- I'd hate
to see what hate looks like. (Laughter.)

And by the way, this attitude doesn't extend just to the House. John Ensign
will tell you that the Senate -- 46 members of the 48 members of the
Democrat Senate voted against the tax cuts we passed. Now, let me tell you
how it's going to work. If we don't have people in the Congress like Dean
and John Ensign, who are willing to extend the tax cuts or make them
permanent, your taxes are going up.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Make them permanent.

THE PRESIDENT: I agree. (Laughter.) That man knows what he's talking about
over there. (Laughter.) He said, make it permanent. There way be won't any
doubt about it. But, see, they asked the man who wants to be the top tax
man in the Congress, the Democrat, would you extend any of the tax cuts, he
said, not a one. That's what's at stake in this election.

See, when you have the top tax man, the head of the Ways and Means
Committee-to-be, say they're not going to extend any tax cuts, that's code
for your taxes are going to go up. That's exactly what's going to happen.
That's why we've got to put Dean Heller in the United States Congress.
(Applause.)

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. You might remember we
raised the child tax credit from $500 a child to $1,000 a child.
(Applause.) Those of you with children understand what I'm talking about,
particularly when it came time to fill out your tax form. If those tax cuts
are allowed to expire, just like the Democrats want, your taxes go up by
$500 a child. So when you're sitting around the table this evening, count
the number of children -- (laughter) -- and multiply by $500. So if you've
got four children, your taxes are going to go up four times $500, which is
$2,000. Now, that may not seem like a lot to Democrats in Washington, D.C.,
but it seems like a lot to those of us on this stage. That's why you're
going to get Dean Heller and John Ensign back to Washington, and we're
going to keep your taxes low. (Applause.)

This election is taking place at an historic time for this country. When
our children and grandchildren look back on this period, one question will
overwhelm all the rest: Did we do everything in our power to fight and win
the war on terror? That's the fundamental question facing this country
right now.

We face an enemy that's brutal. I wish I could tell you we weren't at war,
but we are. I think about this every day. I understand there's an enemy
that wants to attack us, and the most important responsibility I have, and
the most important responsibility people elected to government in
Washington have is to protect you. It is the fundamental responsibility of
the federal government, and we face an enemy that's brutal. They have no
conscience; they kill to achieve ideological goals.

They have an ideology. It's an ideology based upon hate. They do not
believe in freedom. They don't believe in freedom to worship. They don't
believe in freedom to speak. They don't believe in freedom of dissent. They
don't believe in freedom for women.

We believe in the exact opposite, and that's why they consider us their
enemy. And because we're not going to change, they will continue to try to
inflict damage on the American people.

Let me tell you, my most important job is to protect you at home. We got to
be right 100 percent of the time to do so, and the enemy only has to be
right one time, and that's the challenge. And so after 9/11, I decided to
review all the tools available for our professionals, and if they didn't
have them, let them have them so they can protect you. See, this is a
different kind of war. In old times, you could measure progress based upon
territories seized, or the number of airplanes shot down, or the number of
ships sunk. In this kind of war, in order to protect you, we got to know
what the enemy is thinking. We got to know what's on their mind, and we got
to make sure our professionals have got the capacity to be able to protect
you.

And so, I saw walls that prevented the intelligence folks from sharing
information with the law enforcement people. I know that it's hard for you
to believe. But that's what had happened over time. And so you had a
professional say, I know something that the enemy is thinking, but you
couldn't give it to law enforcement. And that's why I asked the Congress to
pass the Patriot Act, which tore down the wall, and at the same time,
protected your civil liberties. (Applause.)

Right after 9/11, the Senate voted 98 to 1 to put the law in place.
However, when it came up for renewal in 2005, they filibustered. As a
matter of fact, your Senator -- not this one, but the other one --
(laughter) -- bragged, "we killed the Patriot Act."

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That's what he said, "we killed the Patriot Act." Well
fortunately, they didn't kill the Patriot Act. I was able to sign it into
law. Most of the House Democrats voted against the bill. And so you had a
Senate bragging, we tried to kill it -- a leading Democrat. You can get a
sense that there's a difference of opinion.

When I found out that we had the capacity to listen to phone calls on al
Qaeda and affiliates that they're making inside the country, I said let's
do that. In this new kind of war, if al Qaeda is making that phone call in
the country, we want to know why, in order to be able to protect you.
(Applause.) Ninety percent of the House Democrats voted against that bill.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: See, there's just a different mind set the people in Elko,
Nevada have got to understand that the people -- a lot of people in
Washington, particularly the Democrats don't share the same point of view
we do when it comes time to protecting you.

We're picking a lot of these people up off the battlefield, and I think
it's important for us to know what they know. See, we picked up a man named
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The intelligence folks think he was the mastermind
of the September the 11th attacks. And when we had him in our custody, I
approved of a CIA program to question him. I tell you why I did it, if he
had knowledge of the September the 11th attacks, we needed to know if he
had knowledge of another attack.

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: Our most important job is to protect you from attack. This
capacity to detain these terrorists and question them came up in front of
the House and the Senate. The vast majority of Democrats voted against
giving us the tools necessary to protect you.

In all these vital measures for protecting you in this war on terror, the
Democrats in Washington follow a simple philosophy: Just say no.
(Laughter.)

When it comes to listening on the terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer:
Just say no.

When it comes to detaining terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, when it comes to questioning terrorists, what's the
Democrats' answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no.

THE PRESIDENT: When it comes to trying the terrorists, what the Democrats'
answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no!

THE PRESIDENT: When it comes to trying the terrorists, what's the
Democrats' answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no!

THE PRESIDENT: So when the Democrats ask you for their vote on November the
7th, what's your answer?

AUDIENCE: No! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: John Ensign and Dean Heller will make sure the professionals
have the tools necessary to do their jobs to protect you. The best way to
protect you, however, is to go on the offense and defeat the enemy overseas
so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)

One of the lessons of September the 11th is when this nation sees a threat,
we must take it seriously before it comes home to haunt us. When we see a
threat, you just can't ignore it anymore. If you see something that's
brewing out there, we're going to have to deal with it. I saw a threat in
Saddam Hussein, members of both political parties saw the same threat in
Saddam Hussein, the United Nations saw the threat in Saddam Hussein.
Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right decision. (Applause.)

And now Iraq is the central front in this war on terror. See, we're in a
global conflict. If the goal is to defeat the enemy overseas so we don't
have to face them here, we confront the enemy where we find them. And the
central front of this global war is Iraq. Oh, there's all kinds of opinions
in Washington about this. The predominant opinion amongst the Democrats is
Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror. They just couldn't be more
wrong.

But don't take my word for it. Take the word of Osama bin Laden. He calls
this fight the third world war. Osama bin Laden has said that victory for
the terrorists in Iraq will mean America's defeat and disgrace forever.

Or listen to the words of leading Democrats in Washington. Here is what one
woman said. She said, "The President says that fighting them there makes it
less likely we'll have to fight them here" -- that's exactly what I say.
She said the opposite is true: Because we're fighting them there, it may
become more likely that we have to fight them here.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: You do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists.
(Applause.) Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war with us. I
would remind that Democrat that we were not in Iraq when the terrorists
struck the World Trade Center in 1993, we were not in Iraq when they blew
up the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, we were not in Iraq when they blew
up the USS Cole, and we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001 when
they killed nearly 3,000 of our citizens. (Applause.)

The best way to protect the American people is to stay on the offense and
bring these terrorists to justice before they hurt us again. (Applause.)
Our goal in Iraq is victory. If I didn't think we could win in Iraq, I
wouldn't have our sons and daughters there. (Applause.)

The mothers and fathers of our troops have got to understand that the cause
is noble and just, and the sacrifice is important. And if I didn't believe
we could succeed the mission, I'd pull them out. But I know we can succeed,
and success is a government that can defend itself and govern itself and
sustain itself -- a new democracy in Iraq in the heart of the Middle East.

But this is a tough fight. This is a tough fight because the enemy
understands the stakes. This is a tough fight because we face an enemy that
kills innocent people in order to achieve their objective. This is a tough
fight, because the enemy knows when they get images of carnage on our
television screens, it causes some Americans to wonder whether it's worth
it. But they don't understand this administration, and the enemy doesn't
understand our country. We will never run from thugs and assassins.
(Applause.)

And we've got a plan to defeat them. Our commanders are constantly
adjusting our tactics on the ground. We're staying ahead of the enemy.
We're inflicting damage. And at the same time, we're helping this young
Iraqi democracy succeed. We've got tremendous stuff going for us, starting
with the finest United States military ever assembled. (Applause.)

And whether or not you agree with my decision to go into Iraq, all
Americans owe a debt of gratitude for the men and women who wear the
uniform of our military. (Applause.) And I know Dean and Ensign will join
me in making sure they have all the equipment and all the support necessary
to do the jobs that I have asked them to do. (Applause.)

We've got -- also got something. We've got brave Iraqis who want to
succeed. These people have suffered unspeakable violence. And yet, they
want a government of, and by, and for the people. Remember, it was 12
million people -- nearly 12 million people defied the car bombers and
assassins to make a declaration they want to be free. I was pleased with
the results, but I wasn't surprised. I'll tell you why. One, I believe in
an Almighty. Two, I believe a great gift of the Almighty is freedom. Three,
I believe freedom is universal. (Applause.)

So we'll help -- we'll help them on the political front. We'll help their
economy grow, and we'll train Iraqi troops and Iraqi police so they can
take the fight. And that's what's happening. Matter of fact, the only way
we can lose is if we leave before the job is done.

Oh, I've heard the Democrats. I'm sure you have, too. If you listen for
their plan on Iraq, they don't have one. On this crucial issue facing the
country, they don't have a plan for victory. And I want to remind our
fellow citizens, harsh criticism and second-guessing is not a plan.
(Applause.)

Oh, they've got some ideas. Some of their leaders say we ought to pull out
right now. Others suggest we withdraw on a specific date, even though the
job might not be done. One of the House leaders, Democrat House leaders
said, why don't we move the troops to an island 5,000 miles away.
(Laughter.) Nineteen House Democrats said they're going to cut off the
funds for our troops in Iraq. One of John Ensign's fellow senators, a
Democrat lady, she said, we haven't coalesced around a single plan, but
we're in general agreement on the basic principles. She's right, they're in
general agreement about this: Get out of Iraq before the job is done, is
what their message is. I'm not saying these people are unpatriotic, I'm
saying they're wrong. (Applause.)

You can't win a war if you're unwilling to fight the war. (Applause.)
Retreat from Iraq before the job is done would embolden the enemy and make
this country more vulnerable. Unlike other wars we have fought, this one is
different. If we leave Iraq before the job is done the enemy will follow us
here. Leaving Iraq before the job is done would provide a tremendous
propaganda boost for these killers, which would enable them to recruit
more. Leaving before the job was done would dash the hopes of millions of
people who simply want to live in peace, millions of people in the Middle
East who hunger for something other than their extremist and radical
agenda. And leaving before the job is done would dishonor the sacrifice of
the men and women who wear our uniform. (Applause.)

And that is why we'll win in Iraq. I want to tell you something. If we
leave before the job is done in Iraq the consequences of that decision will
be felt for generations. Our enemies have made it clear that they believe
we don't have the stomach for the fight, and that it's just a matter of
time before we abandon our commitments. And that's something they want us
to do because they need to establish new safe haven from which to launch
further attacks -- a safe haven like that which they had in Afghanistan,
where they trained thousands of killers and plot -- and planned the attacks
of September the 11th. They have made it clear they want to topple moderate
governments in the Middle East. They've made it clear that they would like
to use oil as an economic weapon against countries which stand against
them.

Now you can imagine all that with a nation that doesn't like America with a
nuclear weapon. And 20 or 30 years from now, people will look back at this
period of time, and they'll ask, what happened to those folks in 2006; how
come they couldn't see the impending danger for a generation of Americans;
what in the world clouded their vision to the threats that the free world
would face?

I'm going to tell you something: I see the threat. I understand the
consequences of retreat. I understand what will happen if America tries to
isolate ourselves off from the problems of the world, and that is why we
will support our troops. We will stand, and we will fight in Iraq, and we
will win. (Applause.)

And a victory will be a blow to these extremists and radicals. A victory
will say to rational, moderate people, we hear your cries for a peaceful
life. A victory will mean we'll have allies in the war on terror. Victories
will prevent them from spreading their radical view across the Middle East.

You know, we got a lot going for us. We got great courage. We've got a
fantastic country and a great military. We got something else going for us,
and that is the power of liberty. I want to share a quick story with you.
It's the story about Prime Minister Koizumi, who was sitting Prime Minister
at the time, and my trip to Elvis' place. (Laughter.) See, I went down to
Memphis with the Prime Minister of Japan. People say, why did you go to
Elvis' place? Well, Laura and I hadn't been on a trip for awhile --
(laughter) -- and Prime Minister Koizumi wanted to go to Elvis' place. He
liked Elvis. Like probably some of you, he thought Elvis was cool.
(Laughter.)

But I also wanted to tell a story. I wanted to tell a story to generations
of Americans who really haven't thought much about the consequences of
World War II. See, like your relatives, my dad joined the Navy after our
country was attacked. That's what's happening today, by the way. Thousands
of young Americans have joined the military, many have reenlisted, a lot
are continuing to join, because they understand the nation was under
attack. (Applause.)

Same thing happened in the '40s. And like your relatives and my dad,
thousands fought, thousands died in a bloody conflict. I think it's --
found it really interesting when I was flying on Air Force One to Memphis,
talking to the Prime Minister of the former enemy about keeping the peace.
See, we were talking about North Korea, how we can work together to make
sure the Korean Peninsula is nuclear weapons-free. We were talking about
the fact that Japan has 1,000 troops in Iraq. See, the Prime Minister knows
what I know, that when you find a young democracy that's willing to reject
extremists and radicals, it's in our interest, it's in our mutual interests
as free societies to support societies based upon liberty.

We talked about the scourge of HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa, and why
our nations ought to be involved with helping to eradicate that pandemic.
To whom much is given, much is required. See, that's what we were talking
about, the peace.

Isn't it interesting, my dad fought the Japanese, and his son is talking
about keeping the peace. Something happened. What happened was Japan
adopted a Japanese-style democracy. The lesson is liberty has got the
capacity to transform enemies into allies. Liberty has got the capacity to
transform a region of hopelessness and despair into a region of light and
optimism. The best way to defeat this enemy in the long run is to deny them
the recruiting tools and recruitments made possible by resentment and
hatred. Liberty is a powerful force.

Someday, elected officials in the United States will be sitting down with
duly elected leaders in the Middle East, talking about how to keep the
peace, and a generation of Americans is going to be better off for it.
(Applause.)

The stakes are high in the election. And I thank you for giving me a chance
to come and visit with you, and talk about the stakes. And I ask you to go
-- go from here and find fellow Republicans and discerning Democrats, and
wise independents and tell them we have an obligation to vote, and make
sure they clearly understand the stakes. If you want your taxes low, if you
want more money in your pocket so you can save, spend or invest, vote for
John Ensign and Dean Heller. (Applause.)

Remind them that we're at war. And if you want your government to do
everything in our power to protect you and to stay on the offense and to
lay the foundation of peace for generations to come, you vote for Dean
Heller and you vote for John Ensign. (Applause.)

I can't wait to tell Laura how much fun it was to come to Elko. (Applause.)
You got beautiful country here. (Applause.) And you got great people.
(Applause.) And it's my honor to be with you. (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States. (Applause.)

END 2:12 P.M. PST

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