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Skriven 2004-10-31 23:33:24 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0410313) 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
Legends Field
Tampa, Florida



2:35 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. (Applause.) We really appreciate
you coming out on a Sunday afternoon. I'm here to ask for your vote, and
I'm here to ask for your help. (Applause.) Find your friends and neighbors
and tell them we have a duty to vote, and get them going to the polls.
(Applause.) Turn the Republicans out, turn the independents out, find
discerning Democrats, like my friend, the former mayor of Tampa, who is a
Bush supporter, Dick Greco. Like Senator Zell Miller from Georgia.
(Applause.) When you get them going to the polls, tell them, 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 why you should put me back in is so that
Laura will be the First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Laura! Laura! Laura!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. I readily concede
he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. (Laughter.) You'll be happy
to hear I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. I picked him because of
his experience; I picked him because of his judgment. He's getting the job
done for the American people. (Applause.)

I am proud of your Governor, my brother, Jeb Bush. (Applause.) He is doing
a fabulous job. We both share the same campaign consultant, Mother.
(Laughter and applause.) My brother Marvin is with us, too, and I want to
thank Marv for coming. (Applause.) He's the good-looking one. (Laughter.)

I'm proud to be introduced by General Norman Schwarzkopf, a great American
and a great general. (Applause.) I want to thank his daughter, Jessica, for
joining us today. I want to thank my friend, Congressman Mike Bilirakis for
being here today. (Applause.) I want to thank Congressman Adam Putnam for
being here today. (Applause.) I want to thank the Lieutenant Governor and
the Attorney General for being with us today. (Applause.) I want to --
(applause) -- I want to urge you, when you go to the polls, make sure you
vote for Mel Martinez as the United States senator. (Applause.) And I
appreciate his wife, Kitty, joining us.

I want to thank my friend, Mayor Greco, for joining us. I want to thank Mel
Tillis for being here. Mel, I'm proud you're here. (Applause.) Tino
Martinez, how good does that get? Thanks for coming, Tino. (Applause.)

I want to thank all the grassroots activists who are here, the people
putting up the signs, the people making the phone calls. (Applause.) I want
to thank you for what you have done, I want to thank you for what you're
going to do. Over the next 48 hours, you're going to turn out the vote.
We'll win Florida again, and win a great victory in November. (Applause.)

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 in the
war on terror and the direction of our economy. This country needs strong,
determined, optimistic leadership, and I'm ready for the job. (Applause.)

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

The American President must lead with clarity and purpose. As Presidents
from Lincoln to Roosevelt to Lincoln so clearly demonstrated, a President
must not shift with the wind. The President has to make tough decisions and
stand by them. (Applause.) The role of a President is not to follow the
path of the latest polls. The role of the President is to lead based on
principle, conviction and conscience. (Applause.)

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

You can't say that about my opponent.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: It is fair to say that consistency is not his long suit. I
look at an issue and take a principled stand. My opponent looks at an issue
and tries to take every side. And the people of Florida know the
difference. (Applause.) And Tuesday, Florida will vote for strong,
consistent, convicted -- conviction, and new -- and our leadership. Florida
will go to the polls and make sure that Bush/Cheney has got four more
years. (Applause.) This election --

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

THE PRESIDENT: This election comes down to some clear choices on vital
issues for American families. The first clear choice concerns your family
budget. When I ran for President four years ago, I pledged to lower taxes
for American 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 working families can have more money to spend. As a result of
these policies, real after-tax income -- that would be money in your pocket
-- is up by about 10 percent since I took office. (Applause.)

We've been through a lot. When you're out rounding up the vote, remind
people that the stock market was in serious decline six months prior to my
arrival. Then we had a recession and corporate scandals, and the attack on
our country that cost us a million jobs in three months. But we acted. And
because we acted, our economy is growing again. We're creating new jobs.
(Applause.) Our economy is growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20
years. We added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13 months. Home ownership
rate is at an all-time high. More minority families own a home than ever
before in our history. (Applause.) The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in
America. Small businesses are flourishing. (Applause.) The national
unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That's lower than the average rate of the
1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. (Applause.) And in Florida, the unemployment rate
is 4.5 percent. This economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
(Applause.)

My opponent has an economic plan. It involves the promises he makes and the
money he intends to take from you.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: He's got a record. He's got a record. He's voted to increase
taxes 98 times in the 20 years he was in the Senate. That's five times
every year he was in the Senate. That's a predictable pattern. That's a
leading indicator. He's also promised $2.2 trillion in new federal
spending. That's trillion with a "T." That's a lot. That's a lot even for a
senator from Massachusetts. (Applause.)

They asked him how he's going to pay for it. He said, oh, don't worry,
we'll just tax the rich. You have heard that before. The problem is, when
you raise the top two brackets, you only raise between $600 billion and
$800 billion. That is far short of the $2.2 trillion he has promised.
That's a tax gap. Given his record, guess who's going to get to fill the
tax gap. You are. We're not going to let him tax you. We're going to carry
Florida and win on November the 2nd. (Applause.)

Second clear choice 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 public schools. I have kept my word. (Applause.) We passed
education reforms to bring high standards to our classrooms. Reading and
math scores are on the rise. We're closing the achievement gap by helping
our minority students. My vision for a new term is to build on these
reforms and extend them still to our high schools so that no child is left
behind in America. (Applause.)

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

We will expand community health centers to help the poor and the indigent,
and we'll make sure every eligible child is enrolled in our low-income
health insurance program. And to make sure health care is available and
affordable, we will do something about the junk lawsuits that are running
good doctors out of practice, and running up the cost of health care.
(Applause.) I am for medical liability reform now. In all we do to reform
health care, the decisions will be made by doctors and patients, not by
officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

My opponent has a different approach. He voted for education reform, but
now wants to weaken the accountability standards. He has proposed a
big-government health care plan. You might remember one of our debates when
he looked square in the camera and said -- when they asked him about his
health care plan, he said, the government doesn't have anything to do with
it. I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.) The government has got a lot
to do with it. Eighty percent of the people would be signed up to a
government program under his plan. Eight million Americans would lose their
private health insurance and end up on a government program. He's voted
against medical liability reform 10 times. He put a personal injury trial
lawyer on the ticket.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: Federalizing health care is the wrong prescription for
American families. He can run, but he cannot hide. (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 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 prescription drugs. 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. Remind your friends and neighbors of that when
they're headed to the polls. In this campaign, he promised to repeal the
Medicare bill, and then he's promised to keep it. Sounds familiar, doesn't
it?

AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop! THE PRESIDENT: He tries to scare
seniors about their Social Security. But he forgot to mention, he's the one
who voted to tax Social Security benefits eight times.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: I have kept the promise of Social Security for our seniors,
and I will always keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors.
(Applause.)

But I also know the job of a President is to confront problems, not to pass
them on to future Presidents and future generations. That's why in a new
term, I'll work with members of both political parties to make sure the
Social Security system is strengthened for a younger generation to come.
(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. And I proudly signed
the ban on partial birth abortions. (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 said he would only
appoint judges who pass a liberal litmus test. He was part of the extreme
minority who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act. He voted against
the ban on partial birth abortion. There is a mainstream in American
politics, and John Kerry sits on the far left bank. (Applause.) He can run
from that liberal record, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

The final choice in this election is the 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. If America shows uncertainty
or weakness during these troubling time, the world will drift toward
tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch. (Applause.)

Our strategy is clear: We're strengthening our homeland. We're reforming
and strengthening the intelligence capabilities. We will transform our
military -- there will be no draft. The all-volunteer army will remain an
all-volunteer army. (Applause.) We are steadfast, we are determined. We are
staying on the offensive so we do not have to face the terrorists here at
home. (Applause.)

And we're making progress. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are making raids and arrests. Libya is
dismantling its weapons program. The army of a free Iraq is fighting for
freedom. Al Qaeda no longer controls territory like it did in Afghanistan.
We have shut down its camps. We are systematically destroying the al Qaeda
network across the world. More than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key
members and associates have been brought to justice. (Applause.) 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.) Consistency is not his long suit, as I mentioned. Senator Kerry
says we're better off with Saddam out of power, except when he said that
removing Saddam made us less safe. 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. He says he was right when he
voted to authorize the use force against Saddam Hussein, but I was wrong to
use force against Saddam Hussein.

The problems with -- the problem with my opponent'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 weapons
systems and opposed President Reagan's policy of peace through strength.
History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and President Ronald Reagan
was right. (Applause.)

When President -- when former President Bush assembled an international
coalition, led by General Norman Schwarzkopf, to drive Saddam Hussein from
Kuwait, Senator Kerry voted against the use of force to liberate Kuwait.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

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

One year after the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the Senator
proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence. The cuts were so extreme
that even his fellow Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy voted against them.
History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and -- lets be fair --
Senator Kennedy was right. (Applause.)

I know there are some members of the military with us today, and I want to
thank you for your dedication. (Applause.) I want to thank you for your
service. I want to thank the military families who are with us today.
(Applause.) And I want to thank the veterans who have joined us today.
(Applause.) I want to thank our veterans for having set such a great
example to those who wear our nation's uniform. And I want to assure you,
like I've assured families all across our country, we will make sure our
troops have that which they need to complete their missions.

That is why I went to the United States Congress last September --
September of 2003 -- and asked for $87 billion in funding to support our
troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq. (Applause.) On national TV, my
opponent said it would be irresponsible to vote against the troops. And
then he did the irresponsible thing and he voted against the funding for
our troops.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: And then he entered the flip-flop hall of fame by saying --
quote -- "I actually did vote for the $87 billion right before I voted
against it."

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

THE PRESIDENT: He's given several answers since then, but perhaps the most
illustrative is when he said, the whole thing is a complicated matter. My
fellow Americans, there's nothing complicated about supporting our troops
in combat. (Applause.)

We have a difference of opinion on how to protect our families. You might
remember in one of the debates, my opponent said there must be a "global
test" before we commit troops.

AUDIENCE: Boo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not making that up. I heard him loud and clear. As far
as I can tell, that means America must submit to the will of others before
we defend ourselves. Listen, I'll work to build alliances. I will
strengthen our coalitions. But I will never turn over America's national
security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)

My opponent was -- recently said that September the 11th didn't change him
much at all. Well, September the 11th changed me. It changed my outlook
about what we need to do to protect the American people. I remember
standing in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the 14th, 2001. I
remember the sites and sounds of that day. There were workers in hard hats
yelling at me at the top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember
the man who grabbed me by the arm. He looked me square in the eye, and he
said, "Do not let me down." Ever since that day, I wake up every morning
trying to better figure -- figure out how to better protect the American
people. I will never relent in defending our country, whatever it takes.
(Applause.)

We will use all our assets to protect the American people. We will wage a
comprehensive strategy to protect you. Perhaps the biggest asset we have of
all is freedom. I believe in the power of liberty to transform nations.
Free nations do not breed resentment and export terror. Free nations become
allies in the war on terror. Think about what's happening in Afghanistan in
a relatively brief period of time. I want the youngsters to hear what life
was like in that country three-and-a-half years ago. Young girls couldn't
go to school. And if their mothers didn't toe the line of the ideologues of
hate, they were taken into the public square and whipped, and sometimes
killed in a sports stadium.

Because we acted in our self-defense, because we upheld a doctrine that I
clearly laid out that said, if you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as
guilty as the terrorist, millions of citizens in Afghanistan voted in a
presidential election. And the first voter was a 19-year-old woman.
(Applause.)

Iraq is dangerous. It's dangerous because Iraq is heading toward a free
society. There will be presidential elections in January. Think how far
that country has come from the days of torture chambers and mass graves.
Freedom is on the march, and America is more secure for it. (Applause.) 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.)

These are historic times, and there is a lot at stake in this election. The
future and safety -- 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 lead this nation. (Applause.) I offer a record of leadership
and results at a time of threat and challenge.

If you believe that taxes should stay low so families can pay their bills
and small businesses can create new jobs, I ask you, come stand with me.
(Applause.) If you believe in high standards for our public schools, I ask
you, come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe patients and doctors
should be in charge of the health care system, 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 generations to come, I
ask you, come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe that 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're a
minority citizen and you believe in free enterprise and good schools and
the enduring values of faith and family; if you are 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 American President 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, when I traveled your state, I made this pledge, that if I
won the election, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office to
which I had been elected. With your help, with your hard work, I will do so
for four more years. Thanks for coming. On to victory. Thank you all.
(Applause.)

END 3:06 P.M. EST
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