Guten Morgen Mr. Bush
Der erste Knabe: "Ich wünsche mir ein Mountain Bike." - "Okay. Morgen kommt mein Sekretär und geht mit dir zum Fahrradhändler."
Der zweite Junge wünscht sich einen Computer. "Okay. Morgen kommt mein Sekretär ..."
Der dritte Knabe: "Ich wünsche mir ein Staatsbegräbnis." - "Wieso denn das? Du bist doch noch zu jung, um ans Sterben zu denken.", fragt George. - "Aber wenn mein Vater erfährt, dass ich dich aus dem Teich gerettet habe, bringt er mich um."
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Optionen
Democrat Sen. Zell Miller Speaks in Strong Support of President Bush at the Republican National Convention
Since I last stood in this spot, a whole new generation of the Miller Family has been born: Four great grandchildren.
Along with all the other members of our close-knit family -- they are my and Shirley's most
precious possessions.
And I know that's how you feel about your family also.
Like you, I think of their future, the promises and the perils they will face.
Like you, I believe that the next four years will determine what kind of world they will grow up in.
And like you, I ask which leader is it today that has the vision, the willpower and, yes, the
backbone to best protect my family?
The clear answer to that question has placed me in this hall with you tonight. For my family is
more important than my party.
There is but one man to whom I am willing to entrust their future and that man's name is
George Bush.
In the summer of 1940, I was an eight-year-old boy living in a remote little Appalachian valley.
Our country was not yet at war but even we children knew that there were some crazy men
across the ocean who would kill us if they could.
President Roosevelt, in his speech that summer, told America "all private plans, all private lives, have been in a sense repealed by an overriding public danger."
In 1940 Wendell Wilkie was the Republican nominee.
And there is no better example of someone repealing their "private plans" than this good man.
He gave Roosevelt the critical support he needed for a peacetime draft, an unpopular idea at the time.
And he made it clear that he would rather lose the election than make national security a partisan campaign issue.
Shortly before Wilkie died he told a friend, that if he could write his own epitaph and had to choose between "here lies a president" or "here lies one who contributed to saving freedom", he would prefer the latter.
Where are such statesmen today?
Where is the bi-partisanship in this country when we need it most?
Now, while young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan,
our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our Commander-in-Chief.
What has happened to the party I've spent my life working in?
I can remember when Democrats believed that it was the duty of America to fight for freedom
over tyranny.
It was Democratic President Harry Truman who pushed the Red Army out of Iran, who came to the aid of Greece when Communists threatened to overthrow it, who stared down the Soviet blockade of West Berlin by flying in supplies and saving the city.
Time after time in our history, in the face of great danger, Democrats and Republicans worked together to ensure that freedom would not falter. But not today.
Motivated more by partisan politics than by national security, today's Democratic leaders see
America as an occupier, not a liberator.
And nothing makes this Marine madder than someone calling American troops occupiers rather than liberators.
Tell that to the one-half of Europe that was freed because Franklin Roosevelt led an army of
liberators, not occupiers.
Tell that to the lower half of the Korean Peninsula that is free because Dwight Eisenhower
commanded an army of liberators, not occupiers.
Tell that to the half a billion men, women and children who are free today from the Baltics to the Crimea, from Poland to Siberia, because Ronald Reagan rebuilt a military of liberators, not occupiers.
Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. And, our soldiers don't just give freedom abroad, they preserve it for us here at home.
For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the
freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the
agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.
It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag
who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.
No one should dare to even think about being the Commander in Chief of this country if he
doesn't believe with all his heart that our soldiers are liberators abroad and defenders of freedom at home.
But don't waste your breath telling that to the leaders of my party today. In their warped way of thinking America is the problem, not the solution.
They don't believe there is any real danger in the world except that which America brings upon itself through our clumsy and misguided foreign policy.
It is not their patriotism - it is their judgment that has been so sorely lacking. They claimed
Carter's pacifism would lead to peace.
They were wrong.
They claimed Reagan's defense buildup would lead to war.
They were wrong.
And, no pair has been more wrong, more loudly, more often than the two Senators from
Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.
Together, Kennedy/Kerry have opposed the very weapons system that won the Cold War and that is now winning the War on Terror.
Listing all the weapon systems that Senator Kerry tried his best to shut down sounds like an
auctioneer selling off our national security but Americans need to know the facts.
The B-1 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, dropped 40% of the bombs in the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The B-2 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered air strikes against the Taliban in
Afghanistan and Hussein's command post in Iraq.
The F-14A Tomcats, that Senator Kerry opposed, shot down Khadifi's Libyan MIGs over the Gulf of Sidra. The modernized F-14D, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered missile strikes against Tora Bora.
The Apache helicopter, that Senator Kerry opposed, took out those Republican Guard tanks in Kuwait in the Gulf War. The F-15 Eagles, that Senator Kerry opposed, flew cover over our Nation's Capital and this very city after 9/11.
I could go on and on and on: Against the Patriot Missile that shot down Saddam Hussein's scud missiles over Israel, Against the Aegis air-defense cruiser, Against the Strategic Defense Initiative, Against the Trident missile, against, against, against.
This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our U.S. Armed Forces?
U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?
Twenty years of votes can tell you much more about a man than twenty weeks of campaign
rhetoric.
Campaign talk tells people who you want them to think you are. How you vote tells people who you really are deep inside.
Senator Kerry has made it clear that he would use military force only if approved by the United Nations.
Kerry would let Paris decide when America needs defending. I want Bush to decide. John Kerry, who says he doesn't like outsourcing, wants to outsource our national security.
That's the most dangerous outsourcing of all. This politician wants to be leader of the free world.
Free for how long?
For more than twenty years, on every one of the great issues of freedom and security, John Kerry has been more wrong, more weak and more wobbly than any other national figure. As a war protestor, Kerry blamed our military.
As a Senator, he voted to weaken our military. And nothing shows that more sadly and more
clearly than his vote this year to deny protective armor for our troops in harms way, far-away.
George Bush understands that we need new strategies to meet new threats.
John Kerry wants to re-fight yesterday's war. George Bush believes we have to fight today's war and be ready for tomorrow's challenges. George Bush is committed to providing the kind of forces it takes to root out terrorists.
No matter what spider hole they may hide in or what rock they crawl under.
George Bush wants to grab terrorists by the throat and not let them go to get a better grip.
From John Kerry, they get a "yes-no-maybe" bowl of mush that can only encourage our enemies and confuse our friends.
I first got to know George Bush when we served as governors together. I admire this man.
I am moved by the respect he shows the First Lady, his unabashed love for his parents and his daughters, and the fact that he is unashamed of his belief that God is not indifferent to America.
I can identify with someone who has lived that line in "Amazing Grace," "Was blind, but now I
see," and I like the fact that he's the same man on Saturday night that he is on Sunday morning.
He is not a slick talker but he is a straight shooter and, where I come from, deeds mean a lot
more than words.
I have knocked on the door of this man's soul and found someone home, a God-fearing man with a good heart and a spine of tempered steel.
The man I trust to protect my most precious possession: my family.
This election will change forever the course of history, and that's not any history. It's our
family's history.
The only question is how. The answer lies with each of us. And, like many generations before
us, we've got some hard choosing to do.
Right now the world just cannot afford an indecisive America. Fainthearted, self-indulgence will put at risk all we care about in this world.
In this hour of danger our President has had the courage to stand up. And this Democrat is proud to stand up with him.
Thank you.
God Bless this great country and God Bless George W. Bush.
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President and Mrs. Bush in Pennsylvania, Proud of Swell of Support Across America
Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium
Erie, Pennsylvania
MRS. BUSH: Thank you all. Thanks, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you all so much. Thanks a lot, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you all so much. Thank you for your very, very warm welcome. We're so happy to be here in Erie, with all of you. We were in Scranton yesterday, making our way out of the convention to the first, our first stop to the great state of Pennsylvania yesterday. And we're here today. (Applause.) We'll be here a lot between now and November 2nd, and we know that with your support, Pennsylvania will send President Bush to the White House for four more years. (Applause.)
I'm proud of the way my husband has led our country with strength and conviction through some of these very difficult struggles. (Applause.) I've watched him take decisive action to lead us out of recession and to spread opportunity and ownership to every corner of America. I've watched him make the tough decisions that have helped safeguard our children from terror, and liberate 50 million people from tyranny. (Applause.)
I'm so proud of my husband. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Thanks for being here.
(Applause.) I appreciate you all coming out. There's nothing better than taking a bus trip on a Saturday with your family. (Laughter.) Nothing better than ending the bus trip in Erie, Pennsylvania. (Applause.)
I'm so honored so many came out to say hello. Thank you. I'm here to ask for the vote. (Applause.) I believe it's important to get out amongst the people, tell them what's on your mind. And that's what I'm here to do. But perhaps -- I'm going to give you some reasons to put me back in, but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is the First Lady for four more years. (Applause.) Laura is a great mom, a great wife, and a great First Lady. I'm proud of the job she's doing. I'm also proud of our daughters, Barbara and Jenna. Thank you for coming.
(Applause.)
I'm proud of my running mate, too. I'm running with a good man in Dick Cheney. I admit he's not the prettiest face on the ticket.
(Laughter.) I didn't pick him for his looks. I picked him because of his sound judgment, his experience. I picked him because he can get the job done. (Applause.)
It's good to be in old Tom Ridge's home town. (Applause.) He's a good friend, he's a good man, and he's doing a heck of a good job in reorganizing the Department of Homeland Security. (Applause.) Thank you for raising him the right way. (Laughter.)
Glad to be here with Senator Arlen Specter. I hope you put him back in the United States Senate. (Applause.) He's a good friend. I'm looking forward to working with him just like I look forward to working with Rick Santorum, the other Senator. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be in the district of another friend, Phil English, Congressman Phil English. (Applause.) Thought he'd have got a better seat. (Laughter.) And Congressman John Peterson is with us, as well. Thank you for coming, John. I appreciate you being here. (Applause.) Jean Craige Pepper, too. She's running for treasurer of the state of Pennsylvania. (Applause.) My friend, Jane Earle is with us today from right here in Erie. (Applause.) John Evans is with us.
I want to thank all the other state and local officials who are here. Thanks for serving your state and your community. I thank my friend, John Connolly, the country music singer, for being here today. I appreciate him coming. (Applause.) Most of all, thank you all for taking time out of your Saturday to come by and say hello. I appreciate you being here.
(Applause.) It means an awful lot. Somebody said, well, maybe a couple hundred will show up to say hi. (Laughter.)
I'm here also to ask for your help. I know many of you are involved in grassroots politics, which means putting up the signs or making the phone calls. I want to thank you for that and I want to thank you for that. And I want to thank you for what you're going to do as we come down the stretch run here. I urge you to encourage your friends and neighbors to vote. We have a duty in this country to participate in the democratic process, to register people, convince people that we have an obligation in a free society to exercise our will at the ballot box. (Applause.)
And when you're registering people, make sure you register independents and discerning Democrats, people like Zell Miller.
(Applause.) And when you get them headed toward the polls, remind them four more years of George Bush and Dick Cheney will make this country safer, stronger and better. (Applause.)
Over the next two months, I'm going to spend a lot of time here in Pennsylvania. (Applause.) Now, I know what the pundits say, but let me tell you something. There's no doubt in my mind, with your help, we're going to carry this great state. (Applause.) I'm going to tell you where I stand. I'm going to tell you what I believe, and I'm going to tell you where I'm going to lead this country for the next four years.
I believe every child can learn and every school must teach.
(Applause.) We're making progress. We're challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations. We're raising standards. We're testing so we can solve problems early before they're too late. We're empowering local people to make the right decisions for their schools, and the minority gap is closing in America. We're on our way to excellence for every child, and we're not turning back. (Applause.)
I believe we have a moral responsibility to provide good health care for our seniors. You might remember the old debate on Medicare; they called it "Mediscare." But I went to Washington to make sure that we provided good health for our seniors. See, the old system, we pay $100,000 for heart surgery, but not the medicine necessary to see to it that the heart surgery wasn't necessary. It didn't make any sense for you, the taxpayers. It didn't make any sense for our seniors. Starting in 2006, seniors will get prescription drug coverage in Medicare. (Applause.)
I believe in the energy and the innovative spirit of America's workers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers. And that's why we unleashed that energy with the largest tax cut in a generation.
(Applause.) Because we acted, our economy is growing. Last -- the jobs report yesterday showed that we increased jobs by 144,000 in the month of August. And when you couple that -- when you couple that with the upward revisions of the two previous months, we added 200,000 new jobs, which is 1.7 million since August of '03. (Applause.) The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, 1 percent lower than last summer. The national unemployment rate is lower than the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Our economic recovery plan is working. (Applause.)
I believe I have the duty as your President to lead. A President must confront problems, not pass them on to future generations or future Presidents. (Applause.) I believe the most solemn duty of the President is to protec the American people. (Applause.) If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch. (Applause.)
I have a positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with a philosophy called compassionate conservatism. It says that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. (Applause.) I also understand the world we're living in is changing. People are changing jobs and careers. Years ago when our fathers and grandfathers were in the workplace, it was mainly men working. Today, women are occupying a lot of the important jobs in America. This is a changing world we live in. (Applause.) And yet -- I want you to hear this -- our most fundamental systems -- the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, and worker training -- were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We will transform these systems so all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus, truly free to make your own choices so you can pursue your own dreams. (Applause.)
Any good plan means we've got to keep growing our economy, and I've got a plan to do that. To keep jobs here in America, Congress needs to get an energy plan to my desk so we can become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
To keep jobs here in America, we must open up markets overseas. Listen, our markets are open. and it's good for you as a consumer. See, when you have more choices to choose from, you're likely to get a product that you like at a good price. And so I've told countries like China and elsewhere, you treat us the way we treat you. American workers can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair.
(Applause.)
To keep jobs here, we've got to get rid of these junk lawsuits that are threatening our small business owners in America. (Applause.) To keep jobs here, I propose what's called opportunity zones, to help places like Erie, where you've lost manufacturing jobs, to be able to apply for tax relief and investment incentives and regulatory relief, all specifically designed to attract new businesses and new jobs. To keep jobs here, we must be wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low.
(Applause.)
Running up the taxes on American workers and American small businesses is bad economic policy, and we have a difference in this campaign about taxes. I'm running against a fellow who's proposed already $2 trillion of new programs, see. And so they said to him, they said, how are you going to pay for it? And he said, oh, that's easy, we'll just tax the rich. The problem is we've heard that before, haven't we? Yeah. You know what happens. They hire accountants and lawyers, and you get stuck with the bill. But we're not going to let him get away with it. We're going to carry Pennsylvania and the country in November. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Let me tell you what else needs to change. Our tax code needs to change. It's a complicated mess. Americans spend six billion hours on paperwork and headache, when it comes to this tax code. It's full of special interest loopholes. In a new term, I will bring Democrats and Republicans together to reform and simplify the federal tax code. (Applause.)
We'll make sure our workers have got the skills for the 21st century jobs. That's why we're going to expand assets to our community colleges. We'll make sure we're able to -- make sure the kids of this country are able to be able to compete in a competitive world. Listen, most new jobs are filled by people who have been to college for two years. That's the reality of the world we live in, yet one in four of our students gets there. That's why in our high schools we'll fund early intervention programs to help students at risk. We'll expand math and science. Over time, we'll require rigorous exam before graduation. By raising performance in our high schools and by expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income Americans, we will help more Americans start their career with a college degree. (Applause.)
In changing times, we've got to make sure health care is available and affordable. Most of the uninsured in America -- about 50 percent of the uninsured are small business employees. These small businesses are
having trouble affording health care. In the new term, we must allow
small businesses to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts that big companies are able to get. (Applause.)
We'll expand health savings accounts to help our workers and small businesses. We'll expand community and rural health centers to poor counties all across America. We will improve health care, but, as we do so, we'll make sure the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
There's another big issue in this campaign as far as health care. There are too many frivolous lawsuits that are running up the costs of your health care and running good docs out of business. (Applause.) You've got a problem here in Pennsylvania with medical liability and we've got a problem around the nation. See, I don't think you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital and pro-plaintiff attorney at the same time.
(Applause.) I think you have to choose. My opponent made his choice and he put him on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I made my choice. I am for medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
In a changing world, if you own something, you can bring stability to your life. One of the most hopeful statistics of the modern age is the fact that the home ownership rate is at an all-time high in America. More minorities own a home than ever before in our country. More people are opening up their doors saying, welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property. Over the next four years, we'll continue to expand home ownership.
I want to talk about one other aspect of ownership that's important, and that's Social Security. If you're an older citizen today, nothing's going to change for Social Security. You're in good shape. If you're a baby boomer like me, the Social Security trust will take care of us. But if you're a younger worker, you better listen carefully to the debate on Social Security. I believe to make sure the Social Security system is around for younger workers. They should be able to save some of their own taxes in a personal account that they can call their own, that government cannot take away. (Applause.)
Now, this is a changing world. We've got plans to stand side-by-side with the people and the families of America so they can realize their dreams. But in a changing world, some things won't change: the values we try to live by, courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. In a changing world, we must support the institutions that give us purpose: our families, our schools and our religious congregations. (Applause.)
We stand for a culture of life in which every person matters and every person counts. (Applause.) We support marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) We support our religious charities that provide a safety net of mercy and compassion. Our government must never discriminate against faith-based programs.
(Applause.) And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion, and the strict interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
This election will also determine how America responds to the continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September the 11th, 2001, we have fought the terrorists across the Earth, not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland, we're transforming our military, we're strengthening our intelligence services. We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.) We will advance liberty in the broader Middle East because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all long for. And we will prevail. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda. Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq was a gathering threat, al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is capturing terrorists; Saudi Arabia is making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs; the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and more than three-quarters of al Qaeda's key members and associates have been brought to justice. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: We have led, many have joined, and America and the world are safer.
This progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam Hussein's history of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction. And we know that after September the 11th, this country must think differently. After that horrible day, we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. I went to the United States Congress and members of both political parties looked at the same intelligence I looked at, remembered the same history that I remembered, and came to the same conclusion that my administration had come to, he was a threat. My opponent looked at the same intelligence and came to the same conclusion, and voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits troops into combat, we must try all means to solve a problem. That's why I went to the United Nations, in the hope that diplomacy would work. The United Nations Security Council looked at the same intelligence we looked at, remembered the history we remembered, came to the same conclusion that we came to, Saddam was a threat. And they pass a resolution that said, disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. (Applause.) In other words, the free world, after more than a decade of diplomacy, gave Saddam Hussein another chance, a final chance, to meet his responsibilities. But as he had for over a decade, he wasn't interested in what the free world said. He ignored resolution after resolution after resolution. As a matter of fact, when they sent inspectors into his country, he systematically deceived them.
So I had a choice to make, the only -- the kind of choice that comes to the Oval Office; a choice no President wants to make, but better be prepared to make. And the choice was this: Do I trust the word of a madman and forget the lessons of September the 11th, or take action to defend this country? Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
Because we acted, because we acted to defend our country, more than 50 million people have been liberated. (Applause.) Because we acted in our own self-interest, democracy is now on the margin in the greater Middle East. Think about this. In Afghanistan, 10 million citizens have registered to vote in a presidential election which will take place next month. (Applause.) Despite ongoing acts of violence, Iraq now has a strong prime minister, a national council, and national elections are scheduled in January. (Applause.)
We're standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq because when America gives its word, it must keep its word. (Applause.) As well, we're serving a vital and historic cause that will make us safer. Free societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies, which no longer feed resentments and breed violence for export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists instead of harboring them. And that helps us keep the peace. So our mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear. We will help the new leaders train their armies so they can stop the few who are trying to prevent the many from living in a free society. (Applause.) We will move toward elections. We will help those countries get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible. And then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned. (Applause.)
We have a great military. (Applause.) Our military is full of courageous and decent and honorable people. I want to thank the veterans who are here today for setting such a great example, for those who served.
(Applause.)
We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September and proposed fundamental -- supplemental funding, which is money for armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel -- necessary, money necessary so they can do their work. And we received great bipartisan support. That means both Democrats and Republicans supported it -- except for 12 members of the United States Senate voted no.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, two of whom are my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Only four United States senators voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against funding our troops.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: And two of those were my opponent and his running mate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they asked him to explain his vote. He said, I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: So they said -- they kept pressing and he said he was proud of his vote. And finally he just said the whole thing was a complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
Our allies know the historic work we're doing. We put together a broad coalition, nearly 40 countries in Afghanistan, some 30 in Iraq are working with us to bring peace to the world. Over the next four years, I'll continue to work to build our alliances. But I will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of other countries.
(Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. That's what I believe. The wisest use of America's strength is to advance freedom. I like to tell the story about my discussions with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. We sit around a table and we talk about peace. It's an amazing conversation when you think about it. Wasn't all that long ago in the march of history that my dad and your dads were fighting the Japanese as a sworn enemy. And yet, because my predecessor, citizens of this great country believed that liberty could transform enemies into allies, we worked with the Japanese after World War II to build a democracy, a self-governing nation. Some day, if we're strong and resolute and keep faith in our beliefs, an American President will be sitting down with a duly-elected leader of Iraq, talking about the peace, talking about security. (Applause.)
I believe that America is called to lead the cause of freedom in this new century. I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that, given the chance, they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I believe all these things because 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.)
The 21st century will be liberty's century. By promoting freedom at home and abroad, we'll build a safer world and a more hopeful America. Over the next four years we'll continue to work hard to reform systems that need to be changed so the American people can realize their dreams. We'll spread ownership and opportunity to every corner of this country. We'll pass the enduring values of our nation on to a young generation. We'll continue to lead the world to make -- to make the world more free and peaceful.
You know, for these years -- for all Americans, these years in our history will always stand apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation when little is expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time when we need firm resolve, clear vision, and a deep faith in the values that make us a great nation. (Applause.)
Four years ago -- well, none of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another began. On September the 14th, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I'll never forget. There were workers there in hard hats yelling at me, "Whatever it takes." I remember trying to console people as best I could. A guy grabbed me by the arm and he said, "Do not let me down." I wake up every morning thinking about how to better protect our country. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
Four years ago, when I traveled your great state asking for the vote, I said, if you gave me a chance to serve, I would uphold the dignity and the honor of the office to which I had been elected. With your help -- with your help and hard work, I will do so for the next four years.
God bless. Thank you for coming. (Applause.) Thank you all very much. Thank you all. (Applause.)
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Bush-Cheney '04 Announces Debate Negotiations Team
ARLINGTON -- Bush-Cheney '04 today announced the members of its Debate Negotiations Team. The team, lead by James A. Baker, III, will represent Bush-Cheney '04 in negotiations of the terms of the presidential debates between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry and between Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards.
"We are honored that Secretary Baker will lead negotiations on behalf of our campaign. I am confident that he and the other seasoned members of our team will conduct negotiations in a thoughtful manner to ensure a robust debate of the critical issues facing our country," said Bush-Cheney '04 Campaign Chairman Governor Marc Racicot.
Members of the Bush-Cheney '04 Debate Negotiations Team include: James A. Baker, III, Robert B. Zoellick, Haley Barbour, Allan B. Hubbard, Karen Hughes and Mary Matalin. Biographies for each member of the team follow.
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James A. Baker, III has served in senior government positions for three United States Presidents. He served as the nation's 61st Secretary of State from January 1989 through August 1992 under President George Bush. During his tenure at the State Department, Mr. Baker traveled to 90 foreign countries as the United States confronted the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of the post Cold War era. In 1995, Mr. Baker published The Politics of Diplomacy, his reflections on those years of revolution, war and peace.
Mr. Baker served as the 67th Secretary of the Treasury from 1985 to 1988 under President Ronald Reagan. As Treasury Secretary, he was also Chairman of the President's Economic Policy Council. From 1981 to 1985, he served as White House Chief of Staff to President Reagan. Mr. Baker's record of public service began in 1975 as Under Secretary of Commerce to President Gerald Ford. It concluded with his service as White House Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to President Bush from August 1992 to January 1993.
Long active in American presidential politics, Mr. Baker led presidential campaigns for Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush over the course of five consecutive presidential elections from 1976 to 1992.
Robert B. Zoellick assumed office as the 13th U.S. Trade Representative on February 7, 2001. During his tenure, he worked with Congress to pass the Trade Act of 2002, which revived Trade Promotion Authority, and launched the new round of global trade negotiations in November 2001. He completed Free Trade Agreements with twelve countries –Chile, Jordan, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Bahrain, the Dominican Republic and five nations in Central America and launched FTA negotiations with ten countries – Panama, Thailand, three Andean countries and the five countries of the Southern African Customs Union. He was also instrumental in the ratification of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Acceleration Act.
During President George H.W. Bush's Administration, Mr. Zoellick served with Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, as Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs, as well as Counselor to the Department (Under Secretary rank). He served as the senior U.S. official in the German unification negotiations and worked closely with Secretary Baker on policies pertaining to the end of the Cold War.
Haley Barbour is the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He was elected on November 4, 2003, in the largest turnout in a gubernatorial election in state history. Before being elected Governor, Haley Barbour founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Barbour Griffith and Rogers, which Fortune magazine ranked the nation's top lobbying firm.
From 1993 to 1997, he served two terms as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. While he was Chairman, the GOP won control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. In the mid-1980's, he advised President Ronald Reagan as Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs.
Allan B. Hubbard is President of E&A Industries, Inc. which owns three specialty chemical companies in Indianapolis and a light fixture company based in Chicago.
During 1993 and 1994, Mr. Hubbard served as the volunteer chairman of the Indiana State Republican Party. From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Hubbard served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States and Executive Director of the President's Council on Competitiveness.
Karen Hughes served as Counselor to The President for his first eighteen months in the White House.
During her tenure in the Bush White House, Mrs. Hughes advised the president on a wide range of issues, crafted the communications and message strategy for the administration and was responsible for overseeing the Offices of Press Secretary, Media Affairs, Speechwriting and Communications. She helped develop and lead the international communications effort during the early months of the war against terror and was instrumental in creating the new White House Office of Global Communications.
Ms. Hughes served as Director of Communications for both of President's Bush's gubernatorial campaigns in 1994 and 1998. She also served as Director of Communications in Governor's Bush's state office throughout his tenure as Governor. She recently completed a book tour for her first novel, "Ten Minutes from Normal" and is currently traveling full time with President Bush.
Mary Matalin formerly served as assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, and was the first White House official to hold that double title.
Before joining the Bush/Cheney White House, Matalin hosted CNN's Crossfire and is the former founding co-host of the Washington-based political weeknight talk show, Equal Time, which premiered in May 1993 on CNBC.
She held senior positions in the George H. W. Bush 1988 campaign and, upon President Bush's election, was appointed chief of staff for the RNC.
In 1992, President Bush named her the deputy campaign manager for political operations. As deputy campaign manager, she was responsible for the overview and organization of all 50 state operations.
She is a senior advisor to Bush-Cheney '04
Mark Wallace, deputy campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 2004, will serve as the campaign point person for the Debate Negotiation Team.
Wallace is an experienced lawyer with more than a decade of experience in both government and the private sector. Wallace was the top lawyer for the investigations division of the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), the Bureau of Immigration and Customs enforcement, and for DHS' Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. During his service at DHS he oversaw nearly 800 lawyers in 26 offices nationwide.
He previously served as the general counsel of FEMA, where he was the lead federal lawyer overseeing the New York WTC recovery effort. Prior to his government service, Wallace was a longtime partner in the Miami, Florida commercial litigation law firm of Stack Fernandez Anderson Harris & Wallace P.A.
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Statement by U.S. Rep. Bob Ney
COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) today issued the following statement:
"Access to quality health care and the growth of small businesses are two of the most important issues facing Ross County and the state of Ohio today. Yet, time and again, John Kerry and John Edwards have opposed common-sense health care reforms designed to provide greater access for rural communities and instead, supported their trial lawyer friends and the junk lawsuits that are overwhelming America's courts. Time and again, John Kerry and John Edwards have supported, and continue to support, higher taxes and increased regulations on small businesses.
"I believe John Kerry and John Edwards will have an extremely difficult time trying to convince the people of Ross County and the rest of southern Ohio that their support for higher taxes on small businesses and opposition to rural health care reform is the direction our country ought to be moving in. Their priorities are wrong for Ohio and are way outside the mainstream.
"Ohio will continue to move in the right direction under President Bush's leadership because he has the values and priorities Ohioans expect from their president; instead of the constant waffling and indecision we see from John Kerry and his trial lawyer running mate."
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A Plan for Creating Opportunity for America's Workers
"The role of Government is not to create wealth; the role of our Government is to create an environment in which the entrepreneur can flourish, in which minds can expand, in which technologies can reach new frontiers."
-President George W. Bush
Three years. Three tax cuts. An economic recovery—American ingenuity—unleashed. At a critical moment in the Nation's economic history, while a recession was taking hold, America was attacked, and corporate fraud was exposed. In response to these challenges, the President acted decisively to strengthen the economy and create jobs. The President's leadership resulted in Congress returning taxpayer money to the families, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors who earned it.
In his second term, President Bush will focus on building a more prosperous, competitive economy that will continue to be a strong engine for jobs and prosperity for years to come. The essential elements of his plan include: taking the next bold steps in reforming education; building a skilled and effective workforce; encouraging a pro-growth, fair, and simpler tax system; promoting research and development in both the public and private sectors; opening markets for American goods around the globe; meeting our energy needs and lessening our energy dependence; reducing the regulatory burden; and reforming Government to be smaller and more efficient, responsive, and effective. President Bush is committed to making sure America has the best prepared, best educated, and highest skilled workforce in the world.
BUILDING A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE
A Bold New Direction in Education Reform
President Bush believes that education is the key to opportunity and America's best tool in an increasingly competitive global economy. This means that every child deserves a world-class education and every worker deserves the support of a Government that makes a lifetime of learning a top priority.
Implementing No Child Left Behind
Three days after taking office, President Bush submitted as his first legislative proposal the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Less than a year later, a bipartisan coalition in Congress passed the most comprehensive restructuring of K-12 education since 1965 - and the first education bill to demand results for every child.
Since President Bush signed NCLB into law, every state has developed a specific plan to ensure that its schools improve. We are already seeing hopeful results. Fourth graders in urban schools are showing strong gains in both reading and math. And from Georgia, North Carolina, and Maryland, to Illinois, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, minority children are showing improved test scores and they are narrowing the achievement gap. President Bush will continue to demand accountability so that every student is proficient in reading and math by 2014, as promised by NCLB.
"Under the No Child Left Behind Act, every student in this country will be held to high standards, and every school will be held accountable for results."
President George W. Bush, June 10, 2003
Ensuring Early Childhood Development for a Successful Start
Early childhood development is one of the best investments America can make to ensure that children are successful in school and later in life. Studies show that vocabulary, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness, in addition to social and emotional factors, have a significant impact on later success in school. Whether in pre-school or at home with parents or other caregivers, every young child should have the opportunity to develop the skills they need to succeed in school.
President Bush is continuing his efforts to improve early childhood education through the Healthy Start, Grow Smart program, including his proposal to strengthen Head Start. The President will:
Strengthen Head Start - Focus Head Start more clearly on school readiness, and allow states to integrate Head Start programs into their existing pre-school preparedness efforts in order to make better use of combined Federal and state resources. The President will give priority consideration for funding to states that have a coordinated early childhood plan involving Head Start, pre-K, and child care services.
Promote Literacy - Train parents in early literacy through Head Start.
Continue to Fund Research - President Bush will fund development of the most effective curricula and programs for teaching children early literacy and math skills; establish developmentally appropriate measurements; and identify effective adult and family literacy programs.
Expand the Reach Out and Read Program - Expand Reach Out and Read, which seeks to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care.
Expand Healthy Start, Grow Smart - Continue and expand distribution of Healthy Start, Grow Smart booklets to provide parents the information they need to enhance their children's early development.
Engage Faith and Community-Based Organizations - Help provide parents with the skills they need to advance their children's healthy development.
Increase Minority Outreach - Increase outreach efforts to minority families to better disseminate effective early childhood development strategies.
Improving America's High Schools
The No Child Left Behind Act demands accountability in exchange for the record levels of Federal spending now going to K-12 public education, an increase of 49 percent since 2001. These reforms are already beginning to show strong results, but President Bush also wants to take the next steps to ensure that all high school students are better prepared to enter higher education or the workforce. In his second term, President Bush will:
Make Sure a Diploma Means Something
Improve High School Assessments - President Bush proposes extending state assessments in grades three through eleven in reading and math. More than $250 million in annual funding will be provided to help states design and administer these assessments, which would require states to add two tests in high school over the next several years.
Require Twelfth Grade NAEP - The President's plan includes 12th graders in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Help Students Succeed
Support Early Intervention - President Bush proposed the establishment of a $200 million fund for states to encourage schools, with the input of parents, to use 8th grade test data to develop performance plans for entering high school students and to use assessments to monitor progress.
Expand Funding for the Striving Readers Initiative - President Bush proposes to increase funding to $200 million annually for his Striving Readers initiative for high school students who have fallen behind in reading.
Expand the Mathematics and Science Partnership - The President will increase funding to $269 million for a partnership to improve high school math achievement by providing professional development for teachers.
Improve Advanced Placement - The President's 2005 budget provides a $28 million increase, bringing total spending for advanced placement courses for low-income students to nearly $52 million.
Encourage Students to Take More Rigorous Courses - By expanding the State Scholars program, the business community and educators can partner to encourage students to take rigorous classes to prepare them to succeed in college or the workplace.
Strengthen and Modernize Vocational Education - The President's proposal directs $1 billion in annual funding from the Perkins Vocational Education program into a new Secondary and Technical Education program to ensure participating schools offer four years of English, three years of math and science, and three-and-a-half years of social studies as part of their vocational education curriculum.
Promote High-Quality Teaching
Provide Extra Incentives for Teachers - President Bush will provide an incentive fund for states and schools to reward effective teachers when students achieve a higher level of results.
Expand Loan Forgiveness for Teachers - President Bush would increase loan forgiveness from $5,000 to $17,500 for highly qualified math, science, and special education teachers who serve low-income communities.
Promote the Adjunct Teacher Corps - The $40 million Adjunct Teacher Corps initiative will bring experienced professionals into the classroom and allow them to teach one or more courses while on leave from their jobs, or teach online courses.
Strengthening Post-Secondary Education
President Bush is committed to expanding access to higher education and training for all Americans. To accomplish this, President Bush will:
Increase Student Financial Aid to Help More Students Afford College - More than 10.3 million students will be able to afford college through President Bush's record $73 billion in financial aid assistance - an increase of $25.9 billion, or 55 percent, over 2001. The President's plan will provide a record $12.9 billion investment in Pell Grants, a 47 percent increase over 2001, to help an additional one million students afford college.
Offer an Enhanced Pell Grant - The President will allow low-income students who take the rigorous high school curriculum required by the State Scholars program to receive up to $1,000 in additional Pell Grant funding, bringing the total maximum award up to $5,050.
Increase AmeriCorps Education Awards - The President is increasing to 75,000 the number of AmeriCorps members. Full-time members will receive an education award of $4,725 to pay for college or graduate school.
Reform Student Loans to Better Serve Students - The President will increase loan limits for first-year students from $2,625 to $3,000 and allow low-default schools more flexibility in loan disbursements.
Encourage Dual Enrollment - President Bush would provide $125 million in grants to serve as an incentive for community colleges to provide dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to earn college credit and graduate in less time. In addition, he will provide incentives for states to make it easier for students to transfer credits earned at community colleges to four-year institutions.
Providing Opportunities for Life-Long Learning and Job Training
The President believes that workers need educational opportunities throughout their lives to ensure that they remain competitive in the workplace. In his second term, the President will:
Reform Federal Job-Training Programs to Double the Number of Workers Trained
The President will invest $250 million annually for Community-Based Job Training Grants to strengthen the role of community colleges in workforce development.
The President will provide more workers with Innovation Training Accounts, flexible accounts that which allow workers to choose the training that best serves their needs.
President Bush will reduce Federal red tape to save an estimated $300 million and give governors more flexibility in distributing training funds.
Eliminate Restrictions That Prevent Adult or Part-Time Students From Receiving Federal Student Aid - The President's proposal makes financial aid more flexible and effective in helping these non-traditional students acquire necessary skills. The proposal eliminates restrictions through:
Short-Term Training - Allows student loans to be used for short-term training, especially for dislocated workers and older Americans who need retraining.
Student Aid to be Used for Competency-Based Programs and Traditional Credit Hour Programs - Competency-based programs assess skill levels and provide students with degrees or certifications, including teaching certifications.
Year-Round Pell Grants for Low-Income Students - The President proposed providing an additional $84 million for year-round Pell Grants for students who graduate early. In the current system, students are allowed to receive only one Pell Grant during a traditional school year.
Eliminating Barriers to Distance Learning and Developing an eLearning Clearinghouse -The President's proposals enable greater access to web-based programs and virtual schools and expand the number of students who can be enrolled in distance education to help those in underserved areas.
Improving Adult Literacy - The President proposed developing a comprehensive web-based literacy tool for adults aimed at increasing adult literacy across the U.S.
Providing Workers with Additional Flexibility for Selecting Services to Help Them Return to Work - Under the President's Personal Reemployment Accounts pilot program, certain unemployed workers would be eligible to receive up to $3,000 that could be used for training and services, such as child care and transportation, that they believe will help them get back to work. As an incentive, the program would allow the recipients to keep the balance of the account as a cash bonus if they find a job within 13 weeks.
FOSTERING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
A highly-skilled, highly-educated workforce needs a growing, competitive economy to provide the highpaying jobs they deserve. In his second term, President Bush will continue working to create a fertile environment for American businesses, lowering costs and regulatory burdens, and making America the best place in the world to do business.
Keeping Taxes Low and Reforming the System
In 2000, George W. Bush ran for President on a promise of lowering taxes, allowing the American people to keep more of what they earn. President Bush believes that our economy grows when families and businesses have more of their own money to spend and invest.
President Bush has delivered on his promise, passing three major tax cuts. As a result, 111 million Americans will see lower taxes: a typical family of four earning $40,000 a year will receive more than $1,900 in tax relief this year.
The tax relief helped spur a strong economic recovery, despite the recession inherited by President Bush, the impact on the economy of the terrorist attacks, and revelations of corporate fraud. Since last August, the economy has produced almost 1.5 million new jobs and spurred some of the fastest economic growth in two decades.
In a second term, the President has made it a priority to lock in these gains by:
Making the Tax Relief Permanent - Many of the tax cuts - including the new, low 10 percent tax bracket, the reduction in the marriage penalty, the doubling of the child tax credit, the phase-out of the death tax, and the increase in small business expensing - are set to expire. This tax relief must be made permanent so families and businesses can plan for the future with confidence.
Making the Tax Code Fairer, Simpler, and Pro-Growth - President Bush will work with Congress to make the tax code simpler for taxpayers, encourage saving and investment, and improve the economy's ability to create jobs and raise wages.
Creating Opportunity Zones to Help Communities in Need
President Bush recognizes the need to provide assistance to communities that have lost a significant portion of their job base and workforce in the past decade. President Bush will provide assistance to communities in transition by:
Creating Opportunity Zones - The President's Opportunity Zones initiative encourages private and public investment within needy communities. In exchange for reducing local barriers to growth and development, these Opportunity Zones would receive tax benefits to encourage businesses to locate, invest, and hire new workers in the community. The plan includes incentives to spur the development of residential construction. These areas will also receive priority consideration for Federal education, job training, and housing funding.
Supporting Research and Technological Innovation
America's economy leads the world because our system of private enterprise rewards innovation. Entrepreneurs, scientists, and skilled workers create and apply the technologies that are changing our world. President Bush believes that Government must work to help create a new generation of American innovation and an atmosphere where innovation continues to thrive. The President also recognizes that as innovation produces new industries, we must invest in developing human capital - the skills, capabilities, and education of individuals - so people can secure these high-skilled, high-paying jobs.
To help support top-flight American research and technological innovation, President Bush will:
Make the Research and Development Tax Credit Permanent - President Bush will push to make the R&D tax credit permanent and propose reforms to the credit to make it a more effective catalyst for private sector research.
Increase Federal R&D Funding - The President's 2005 Budget provides a record $132 billion for R&D - a 44 percent increase from 2001. The President completed the doubling of the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to over $28 billion and increased the National Science Foundation budget by 30 percent.
Increase Support for Basic Research - The President's 2005 budget requests an all-time high of $26.8 billion for basic research.
Promote Broadband Innovation - The President has set the goal of making affordable broadband access available to all Americans by 2007. Innovation will be possible through next-generation technologies such as ultra high-speed wireless services.
Make the Ban on Internet Access Taxes Permanent - The President has signed into law a two-year extension of the Internet Access Tax moratorium. In addition, he has called on Congress to pass legislation to expand the moratorium to cover broadband and make it permanent.
Improve Math and Science Education - President Bush understands the importance of strong math and science skills in a globally competitive economy, and has proposed initiatives to improve math and science instruction in our schools and encourage students to enter these important fields. His proposals include:
The Presidential Math and Science Scholars Fund, which will allow low-income students to receive up to $5,000 to study math or science in college.
The Math and Science Partnerships Program, which will provide funding to promote strong teaching skills for elementary and secondary math and science teachers.
Expanding loan forgiveness, from $5,000 to $17,500, for highly qualified math and science teachers who teach in low-income schools. The $40 million Adjunct Teacher Fund, which will encourage professionals with core content knowledge, especially in math and science, to teach middle and high school courses.
Funding to expand the State Scholars program to all fifty states. This program encourages high school students to take more rigorous courses, especially in math and science, to prepare them for college and the workplace.
Meeting Our Energy Needs and Lessening Our Energy Dependence
In his first year in office, President Bush made a comprehensive, long-term energy policy a top priority. His goal was clear and far-sighted: to promote affordable, reliable, and secure energy supplies by increasing conservation, investing in new technologies, and exploring for new domestic sources of energy. That plan included over 100 specific recommendations - nearly half of which addressed conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.
President Bush has also provided substantial funding to increase energy efficiency in Government buildings and American homes and improve fuel economy for automobiles. And last year, President Bush launched a groundbreaking initiative to develop technologies to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen for use in fuel-cell vehicles, electricity generation, and other applications. In his second term, President Bush will build on these important steps to help reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of energy. At the same time, he will continue to make clear to foreign oil producers our mutual interest in maintaining adequate and secure supplies of foreign oil to meet our energy needs and to ensure the continuation of global economic growth. To achieve these goals, President Bush will:
Increase Domestic Energy Exploration and Production
Initiate Environmentally Safe Exploration - President Bush will seek to promote environmentally sound domestic oil production in just one percent of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which could provide up to 1 million barrels of oil a day for nearly 20 years.
Promote Natural Gas Production - President Bush will provide incentives to develop natural gas production from deep formations in shallow waters in the Gulf of Mexico, but not off the coast of Florida.
Build an Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline - President Bush will work to ensure construction of an Alaska natural gas pipeline to increase domestic natural gas supplies.
Promote Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) - President Bush will facilitate construction of LNG terminals to meet growing demands for natural gas.
Continue Energy Partnerships - President will continue to develop a North American energy partnership to develop closer energy integration with Canada and Mexico.
Help Build Refineries - President Bush will remove unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles to help build new refineries to increase domestic capacity.
Utilize Nuclear Power - President Bush will ensure a future for nuclear power as a viable and emissions free energy source.
Modernize the Electricity Grid
Ensure Greater Electricity Reliability - President Bush will work to modernize our electricity grid, establish mandatory reliability standards, and encourage new transmission investment, in order to help prevent a repeat of last year's blackout that affected 50 million people.
Encourage Use of Efficient Technologies - President Bush will provide incentives for deployment of efficient technologies for storage and transmission of energy, further contributing to the reliability of our electric grid.
Promote Conservation
Support Energy Technologies - The President's plan will provide $4 billion in tax incentives to spur the use of energy technologies.
Help in the Construction of Energy-Efficient Homes - President Bush will fulfill his commitment to provide $1.4 billion over ten years to make homes more energy-efficient.
Improve Vehicle Fuel Economy - President Bush will advance a broad strategy to foster development of new technologies, provide a $4,000 tax credit to purchase hybrid gasoline-electric and other highly fuel efficient vehicles, and improve the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program to increase fuel economy in a way that saves lives and American jobs.
Support Clean Coal Technology
Develop Clean Coal Technology - President Bush will continue his commitment to provide $2 billion over ten years to develop clean coal technologies.
Promote Markets for Clean Coal Technology - President Bush will implement a market-based approach to cutting air pollution that will create a nearly $50 billion technology and services market for clean coal rather than forcing a shift to other fuels to meet air standards.
Pursue FutureGen Initiative - President Bush will lead this international public-private partnership to create the world's first zero-emissions coal-based power plant, producing electricity and hydrogen while capturing carbon dioxide.
Increasing Alternative and Renewable Energy
Expand Use of Ethanol and Biodiesel - President Bush will work to secure passage of a renewable fuel standard requiring five billion gallons of ethanol or biodiesel in motor fuels by 2012.
Encourage Renewable Energy - President Bush will work to extend the tax credit for production of electricity from renewable resources including wind, solar, and biomass.
Develop Hydrogen Technology - President Bush will continue his $1.7 billion, five-year initiative to development for hydrogen technologies, including automobiles, homes, and businesses powered by hydrogen fuel cells with virtually no pollution.
Support Energy R&D - President Bush will dedicate research and development funding to increase America's energy security, including advancing and promoting clean energy resources from renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower and developing the next generation of energy-efficient technologies such as high temperature super-conducting wires.
Opening Foreign Markets, Enforcing the Trade Laws, and Promoting Global Growth
President Bush rejects economic isolationism because he understands that free and fair trade and global economic growth means more jobs, higher wages, and greater prosperity for Americans. The objectives of his trade and international economic agenda are to:
Open foreign markets for American manufactured goods, farm products, services, and intellectual property.
Ensure a level playing field for American workers and farmers.
Provide American families with greater choices and the ability to stretch their budget through lower prices.
Promote the freedom and prosperity that comes from the opening of markets around the world.
Provide training and assistance to help American workers enhance their skills and remain the best in the world.
Encourage countries around the world to move to a system of free and fair trade, free capital flows, and flexible market-based exchange rates.
The Bush Administration will continue to use a number of tools to achieve these objectives, including:
Opening Markets Through Negotiating Multilateral, Regional, and Bilateral Trade Agreements - Opening foreign markets creates opportunities for U.S. workers and farmers to sell their goods and services abroad. In the last four years, the Bush Administration has completed free trade agreements with twelve countries and is actively negotiating with ten more. This Administration also launched and is working to successfully conclude negotiations at the World Trade Organization to open markets globally for American exports. Working closely with Congress, the President will also seek extension of Trade Promotion Authority so that we can continue to create economic opportunities for American workers, farmers, and ranchers.
Enforcing Trade Agreements and Achieving Real Results - To ensure that the U.S. is getting the benefit of its trade agreements, the Bush Administration has pursued and will continue to pursue an aggressive agenda of enforcement on a country-by-country, industry-by-industry, and agreement-by-agreement basis. Just this spring, the United States successfully resolved seven pending trade disputes with China without resorting to lengthy WTO litigation.
Ensuring a Level Playing Field - We will continue our aggressive actions to level the playing field around the globe for trade. For example, to ensure that our trade with China - one of our largest trading partners - is open and fair: we filed the first ever WTO action against China on its discriminatory practices against our high tech manufactured exports; we implemented the first ever WTO safeguard actions against Chinese textile imports; and we have put in place nearly as many anti-dumping orders against China as the previous Administration did in two terms.
Promoting Global Growth - We have and will continue to urge countries around the world to move to a system of free and fair trade, free capital flows, and flexible market-based exchange rates. We have achieved real progress on this front and will continue to work in this area.
Helping American Workers Remain the Best in the World - America has the best, most productive workers in the world. President Bush signed the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program to help workers maintain their competitiveness, acquire new skills, and find new jobs. The President has also, when needed, provided U.S. workers and industries with the breathing space to retrain and restructure to maintain their competitiveness.
In his second term, President Bush will continue to promote a forward-looking trade policy that opens new markets, breaks down barriers, combats unfair trade practices, and prepares the American workforce for the 21st century.
Reducing the Regulatory Burden
The last twenty years have witnessed an explosion of new Federal rules and paperwork requirements that burden consumers, businesses, taxpayers, and state and local governments. Although some regulations are essential to protect consumers, workers, and the environment, the cumulative regulatory burden has proven to be particularly onerous for small businesses and those trying to create new jobs. The President will continue to pursue smarter regulation by:
Insisting on Sound Science and Strong Economic Analysis - The President has insisted that each new Federal regulation be supported by good science and economics. At the same time, the Administration has worked closely with Congress to limit the number of new laws that would create additional unnecessary regulatory burdens.
Calling for Increased Flexibility - The President has directed the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration to work closely with Federal agencies to ensure that new rules are necessary, cost-effective, and crafted with flexibility to foster - rather than harm - small businesses.
Reviewing Existing Regulations - The President will streamline existing Federal regulations. Already, the Administration is working on reforms to over one hundred rules, guidance documents, and paperwork requirements.
These fundamental steps have already resulted in a 75 percent decline in the growth of costly new Federal mandates. At the same time, the Administration has moved forward with crucial safeguards for homeland security, human health, and environmental protection.
Cutting the Deficit and Reforming Government
Restraining Federal Spending and Improving Government Efficiency
The President has put our country on a path toward cutting the budget deficit in half over the next five years.
In the critical areas of defense and homeland security, the President is spending wisely. Every service man and woman will have what he or she needs to win the War on Terror. In other areas, the Administration has demonstrated fiscal restraint in a time of war.
President Bush will build on this budget discipline by supporting budget rules that make Federal spending conform to the kind of constraints and common sense known to every family.
As part of a plan to achieve this bold vision, the President will support:
Budget Enforcement Legislation - President Bush has sent to Congress budget enforcement legislation to restrain the growth in spending and offset proposed increases in mandatory spending.
Line-Item Veto - President Bush proposes a Constitutional line-item veto linked to deficit reduction that would provide authority to reject new appropriations, new mandatory spending, or limited grants of tax benefits whenever the President determines that the spending or tax benefits in question are not essential Government priorities. All savings from the line-item veto would be used for deficit reduction and could not be used to increase other spending.
Government Spending as a Percentage of the Economy
is Projected to Shrink to Below the Historical Average
Implementing the President's Management Agenda
Since the beginning of his Administration, President Bush has sought to make Government more accountable, more responsive, and more results-oriented. With the help of the President's Management Agenda (PMA), departments and agencies are held accountable for the success of their programs.
Specifically with the help of the PMA, departments and agencies will continue to:
Ensure Results - Six hundred programs, accounting for $1.4 trillion in spending, have been assessed to date, and the remaining six hundred programs will be assessed within the next two years. Managers are held accountable for identifying areas where performance can be improved for each program, and taking the necessary actions to achieve better results.
Reduce Waste - Managers are being held accountable for keeping program costs to desired levels, eliminating an estimated $35 billion or more per year in improper payments, and ensuring that our over $300 billion in real property is needed and performing.
Improve Efficiency - Managers are being held accountable for determining whether it is more efficient to obtain commercial services from Federal employees or from the private sector. The projected savings from this competitive assessment, when fully implemented, are over $5 billion per year.
Hold Employees Accountable - Agencies are installing performance evaluation systems to more clearly define what's expected of each employee and how the employee is performing relative to those expectations.
Improve Customer Service Levels and Employee Performance - OMB has installed disciplines to ensure that the annual $60 billion expenditure on information technology delivers customer and management benefits far in excess of the cost, on-time and on-budget.
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A Plan for Helping American Families in a Changing World
“We must reform health care in America. We must build a modern, innovative health care system that gives patients more options and fewer orders, and strengthens the doctor-patient relationship.”
-President George W. Bush
Building a competitive economy is necessary to promote prosperity. But another key element of a secure society is helping families in a changing world. Families need easy and affordable access to health care, family-friendly work environments, a tax code that accommodates the needs of families, and a Government that recognizes families in its policies in critical areas such as assistance to military families and veterans. President Bush has always made families a priority. In 2000, he pledged to reduce the marriage penalty in the tax code and he will continue to work on promoting and assisting America's families.
Reforming Health Care
President Bush believes all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. President Bush is working to address the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than shifting the costs to taxpayers or forcing Americans into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic system. The President's plan reduces the rising cost of health care; provides affordable coverage to those who need it most - low-income children and families, small businesses, the self-employed, and people who do not get health benefits through their job; and improves health care information, quality, and safety. To achieve the goal of more affordable health care, the President has:
Established new, tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which allow Americans to own and control their own health care.
Opened or expanded community and rural health centers with the goal of serving an additional 6.1 million people who live in underserved and rural areas.
Granted waivers and flexibility to states to extend eligibility under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to an estimated 2.6 million low-income Americans.
Implemented a new rule to lower drug costs for millions of Americans by strengthening competition between generic and brand-name drugs, saving American consumers more than $35 billion in drug costs over the next ten years.
Created a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to help seniors pay for their medicines.
Improving Health Care for Children
In order to help children and families obtain health care, President Bush will:
Promote Affordable Health Care for Children - The President will launch a nationwide, billion dollar Cover the Kids campaign to sign up more children for quality health care coverage. The Cover the Kids campaign will combine the resources of the Federal Government, states, and community organizations, including faith-based organizations, with the goal of covering all SCHIP-eligible children within the next two years.
Promoting Affordable Health Care for Every American
To address the root causes of high health care costs and help provide affordable health care to American families, the President will:
Expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - President Bush will propose a tax credit for low-income families and individuals to purchase health insurance, or to purchase a low-premium, high-deductible health plan and an HSA. Families will receive up to $2,000 for their premiums and $1,000 cash to put in their HSAs to help meet the deductible. Individuals will receive up to $700 for their premiums and $300 for their HSAs.
Promote a Health Savings Account Tax Credit to Help Small Business Employees - President Bush will propose a tax credit for HSA contributions to help individuals and families who work for small businesses fund their HSAs. Small businesses and their employees who set up an HSA will get a tax rebate for contributions to the HSA of up to $500 per worker with family coverage and $200 per worker with individual coverage.
“This is a great plan, the future of health care,” says [Rich] Phillips. HSAs aren’t those familiar accounts that allow you to stash a pretax $2,000 that you must spend in the same year; these policies are shiny and new.”
Linda Stern, “Money: A Health- Care Windfall,” Newsweek, August 23, 2004.
Provide an Above-the-Line Deduction for Health Insurance Premiums - President Bush has proposed to allow individuals who purchase low-premium, high-deductible insurances policies to deduct the premiums they pay for these policies. It will reduce the net cost of these policies and encourage the use of HSAs for saving for health care needs and making wise, cost-effective health care choices.
Allow Small Businesses to Establish Association Health Plans (AHPs) - While large businesses can use their purchasing power to get better deals from insurance companies, smaller firms often find that coverage is priced beyond their reach. To give small employers and their workers more purchasing power, the President has proposed allowing small businesses to band together and negotiate on behalf of their employees and their families.
Expand Association Health Plans - President Bush supports AHP expansion so that people who purchase coverage on their own can buy health insurance from a group other than an employer. This would allow civic and charitable groups, churches, and other types of organizations to offer health insurance to their members.
Allow Shopping for Health Coverage Across State Lines - Today it's easy to use the Internet or toll-free numbers to shop for products. But different rules apply to health insurance. Consumers can only purchase health insurance in the state in which they live, and can't shop around for a better deal in another state. The President proposes giving people the freedom to shop across state lines to find the best rates for their health coverage.
Expanding Community Health Centers
President Bush recognized the needs of uninsured and medically underserved communities and promised to open or expand 1,200 health center sites to serve an additional 6.1 million Americans by 2006. In his second term, the President will build upon his proven record of expanding access to health care to help communities in need. The President will:
Ensure that Each of America's Poorest Communities has a Health Center - These health centers are located in medically underserved urban and rural areas where there is little access to basic health care services. They provide critical primary and preventive health care services to low-income individuals, migrant farm workers, homeless individuals, and children regardless of their ability to pay.
Controlling Rising Health Care Costs
The President will reduce health care costs by improving the use of technology in the provision of health care by:
Promoting Health Information Technology (IT) - The President has undertaken a new initiative to make electronic health records universally available within the next decade. This new initiative will improve health care quality, reduce its cost, and improve access to affordable care by applying to health care the same information technology that has transformed so many other industries. Health IT will also help eliminate medical mistakes, leading to increased quality and safety for patients.
Fighting for Medical Liability Reform - President Bush proposes commonsense liability reforms that will speed recovery of damages to patients, fairly compensate those who have been injured, and increase access to care. These reforms will help prevent skyrocketing medical liability premiums that force doctors to give up the practice of medicine, threaten access to needed care, and drive up health care costs for everyone.
Fighting Health Care Fraud and Waste - President Bush signed a Medicare bill that will cut wasteful spending out of the program, saving seniors and taxpayers an estimated $20 billion over the next decade. The Department of Health and Human Services also has issued regulations closing a Medicaid loophole that will save the Federal Government an estimated $25 billion. The President has proposed saving another $24 billion over the next ten years by reducing states' Medicaid cost-shifting to the Federal Government.
Providing Affordable Health Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities
In December 2003, President Bush signed a new Medicare law that will provide 40 million seniors and people with disabilities with better benefits and more options for the first time in Medicare's history. The new prescription drug benefit will empower seniors and Americans with disabilities to choose the health care coverage that is best for them.
Beginning this past June, millions of seniors started saving on their prescription medicines with Medicare-approved discount cards. Nearly 4.2 million seniors are already using their cards to save money on their medicines. In addition to these savings, low-income seniors are getting a $600 a year credit - a total of $1,200 through the end of 2005 - to help pay for prescriptions.
In his second term, President Bush will keep his commitment to continue implementing this very important program for America's seniors by:
Implementing Prescription Drug Benefit - Beginning in January 2006, all beneficiaries will be able to sign up for prescription drug coverage under Medicare. This new benefit will provide the greatest help to those in greatest need - seniors with low-incomes and those with high prescription drug bills - but will provide savings to all seniors who sign up.
Expanding and Improving Benefits for Seniors - In addition to prescription drug coverage, the new Medicare law provides better coverage of preventive benefits and coverage of disease management services.
Beginning next year, Medicare's coverage of preventive services is being expanded to include screenings for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Beginning next year, everyone who enrolls in Medicare will be covered for an initial physical examination.
For the first time, Medicare will offer disease management services that will help beneficiaries with chronic medical conditions avoid dangerous and costly medical complications.
Enhancing Long-Term Care Insurance
As Americans continue to live longer, long-term care has become an increasingly important issue. President Bush recognizes that the growing need for long-term care calls for planning both by individuals and by Government. In this area, heroic sacrifices are being made by millions of families who care for their mothers and fathers as their parents cared for them. President Bush will recognize and reward individual responsibility and help alleviate the financial burden of taking care of an elderly parent at home in the following ways:
Tax Deduction for Long-Term Care - President Bush proposes a new above-the-line tax deduction that individuals could claim for long-term care insurance premiums.
Additional Tax Exemption for Home Caregivers of Family Members - President Bush proposes that individuals caring for an ill family member at home, such as an adult taking care of an elderly parent, should be able to claim the family member as an additional personal exemption on their tax return.
Creating a More Family-Friendly Workplace
Many of our Nation's labor laws do not fit today's changing workplace, and fail to give workers the flexibility to spend more time with their families. The labor force participation rate for married mothers with children under six has risen from 11 percent in 1950 to over 63 percent today. In over 18.4 million married families with children - almost 68 percent - both parents are working.
To juggle the demands of the workplace with the needs of their children and aging parents, families should have more control over their work schedules. President Bush will take the following steps to help serve the needs of American families:
Promote Comp-Time and Flex-Time - This enables employees to choose paid time off as an alternative to overtime pay. A worker who opts for Comp-time can "bank" time off for use in the future. A worker who works eight hours of overtime is entitled to twelve hours off - 1.5 hours off per every hour of overtime. Flex-time gives an employee the option of shifting work hours during a pay period. For example a worker can schedule more than forty hours of work in one week, and less than forty hours in the following week. Flexible work schedules are already available to many Federal employees, and should be an option for all American workers.
Expand Telework - Telework allows employees to work from home using modern technologies. Federal use of Telework has increased 93 percent since President Bush took office.
Helping Parents Keep Children Safe
President Bush recognizes the difficulties families face in coping with a rapidly changing world. In addition to the traditional challenges, parents and children have to deal with threats unheard of in generations past. President Bush is working on a series of initiatives to help parents keep their children safer. In his second term, President Bush will:
Promote Abstinence - President Bush has more than tripled funding for abstinence-only education since 2001. Going forward, he will continue to promote funding in the following ways:
Model Curricula - Develop model abstinence-only education curricula.
Initiate a Program Review - Review Federal programs to ensure that the Federal Government is sending consistent health messages to teens.
Start an Education Campaign - Create a public education campaign to help parents communicate with their children about the risks of early sexual activity.
Increase Drug Testing Funding - School drug testing programs help students resist peer pressure and help parents intervene with students who need help. President Bush will provide $25 million for student drug testing programs.
Fight Internet Pornography - The President has proposed doubling funding since 2001 for Justice Department programs that investigate and prosecute child pornography and obscenity and is implementing Operation Predator, a comprehensive initiative at the Department of Homeland Security, to safeguard children from foreign national pedophiles, human traffickers, and other child predators. The program has resulted in more than 3,200 arrests nationwide.
Supporting Military Families
President Bush supports our men and women in uniform and their families. The President's budgets are: providing a 21 percent increase in basic pay for men and women in uniform; improving military housing for families living on base; and reducing average housing expenses to zero for military families living off base.
In 2003, President Bush requested $87 billion in supplemental funding from Congress to help ensure that the troops fighting the War on Terror have the resources - including body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health care, ammunition, fuel, and spare parts - to accomplish their mission.
Recognizing the importance of helping military families, President Bush and his Administration will address challenges facing military personnel and their families in the following ways:
Increase Education Benefits - Reservists and members of the National Guard who have been continuously mobilized for more than ninety days, serving on or after September 11, 2001, would be eligible for additional monthly educational benefits. Reservists who were called up for more than a year will receive more than double the benefit.
Expand Health Care - The President has authorized and would like to make permanent health care benefits for Reservists and their family members, for up to ninety days before they report for active duty and for 180 days after deactivation.
Improve Housing - Until recently, service members who lived off base had to pay for 15 to 20 percent of their housing costs. Since 2001, President Bush's four budgets are reducing to zero the average out-of-pocket housing expenses for service members and their families living off base. The President has also directed the Department of Defense to eliminate 120,000 inadequate base housing units by 2007.
Honoring our Veterans
President Bush knows that America's veterans have borne the costs of war to secure our liberty and pave the way for peace. Veterans and soldiers understand the meaning of personal accountability, loyalty, and shared sacrifice. And every American knows that America's heroes deserve our gratitude, respect, and honor. President Bush has proposed unprecedented levels of funding for veterans - a more than 40 percent increase in medical care spending alone since 2001 - increasing funding for our veterans more in four years than the previous Administration did in eight years. He has also twice signed legislation providing "concurrent receipt" of both military retired pay and VA disability compensation for those military retirees most deserving - those combat-injured and highly disabled veterans. The President has reduced the disability claims backlog, and virtually eliminated the list of veterans waiting more than six months to receive medical care. The President's budgets have allowed 2.5 million more veterans to enroll for health care; outpatient visits to increase from 44 million to 54 million; and the number of prescriptions filled to increase from 86 million in 2000 to 116 million in 2004.
In his second term, President Bush will continue his historic commitment to veterans and implement his improvements to the VA health care system.
Improve VA Health Facilities - Through CARES (Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services), the President will seek billions in additional funding from Congress to improve outpatient veterans' health care services to provide efficient access to quality health care. This initiative will ensure that the vast majority of veterans are within 30 miles of a VA medical care facility.
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“The more ownership there is in America, the more vitality there is in America, and the more people have a vital stake in the future of this country.”
-President George W. Bush
The American Dream is universal - the dream of economic opportunity that allows every American to live and prosper in freedom. America's economic engine is gaining steam, helping Americans attain their dreams. The main reason for our economic growth is simple: the ingenuity, innovation, and energy of the American people. President Bush trusts the American people to spend and invest wisely. He trusts the American people to make the fundamental decisions that govern their lives - and he wants to empower them to have greater control over those decisions. That's why the President wants a Nation where every American participates in all the blessings inherent in a land of liberty. The President believes that every American should have the right to own his or her home, to build his or her own future, and to have the flexibility to make the decisions about their own heath care and retirement.
Expanding Homeownership
President Bush has made expanding homeownership a top priority. The home is the most important single investment most Americans will ever make. It is the foundation for a better tomorrow. Under President Bush, America's homeownership rate has reached a record level of 69.2 percent, with 73.4 million families now owning their own homes. For the first time, a majority of minority families own their own homes.
In his first term, the President set a goal to increase the number of minority homeowners by 5.5 million families by the end of the decade, and we are on track to meet that goal. The President has set a new goal of creating 7 million new, affordable homes in the next decade through:
Providing Down Payment Assistance
President Bush signed the $200 million-a-year American Dream Down Payment Act, which provides approximately 40,000 low-income families with funding assistance for the down payment and closing costs.
Zero-Down Payment Initiative - Nearly 150,000 Americans each year will be helped by allowing the Federal Government to insure mortgages for first-time homebuyers without a down payment.
Supporting Rural Homeownership - The Department of Agriculture is increasing homeownership with $2.7 billion in home loan guarantees for low- to moderate-income rural residents and $1.1 billion in direct loans for very low to low-income borrowers who are unable to secure a mortgage through a conventional lender. These USDA loans are expected to provide 42,800 homeownership opportunities to rural families across America.
Encouraging New, Affordable Housing Construction
Single-Family Affordable Housing Tax Credit - The President's 2005 Budget provides $2.5 billion over five years in tax incentives to homebuilders to increase the supply of affordable homes.
Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program - The President's Budgets have doubled the support to nonprofit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, that require low-income families to help build the homes they will eventually own.
Regulatory Reform - By reducing development costs by as much as 35 percent through the removal of affordable housing barriers, millions of American families will be able to buy or rent suitable housing that they otherwise could not afford.
America's Affordable Communities Initiative - The Bush Administration launched this initiative to help communities across America identify and overcome regulatory barriers to affordable housing.
Challenging the Private Sector - The President is calling upon the housing industry, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the homebuilders, mortgage, and finance industries to join with Federal, state, and local governments to help America meet this goal.
Helping Families Navigate the Home-buying Process
Housing Counseling - The President has more than doubled the funding for comprehensive housing counseling to empower Americans to avoid predatory lending and make more informed home purchases.
Combating Predatory Lending - The Administration has been actively involved in combating predatory lending through consumer education, regulation, research, and enforcement actions against lenders, appraisers, real estate brokers, and other companies and individuals that have victimized homebuyers.
Strengthening Social Security
Social Security represents a solemn commitment to the American people. To keep that commitment, we must fix Social Security permanently for our children and grandchildren. Fifty years ago there were sixteen workers paying into Social Security for every person receiving benefits. Today, there are just 3.3 workers for each person on Social Security. Without principled leadership, sound policies, and courageous action, Social Security will be unable to pay the benefits promised to our children and grandchildren without enormous payroll tax increases.
The President understands that Social Security must be fixed, and workers deserve to own part of their Social Security benefits and to build a nest egg for retirement. He has put forward clear principles to strengthen Social Security permanently:
No Changes in Benefits For Current Retirees and Near-Retirees - For those already in or near retirement, promises made must be promises kept.
Voluntary Personal Retirement Accounts for Younger Workers - These personal accounts would give workers ownership, control, and the opportunity to use their Social Security payroll taxes to build a nest egg for retirement that can be passed on to their families.
No Increases in the Social Security Payroll Tax - The President has stated that we cannot tax our way to fixing Social Security.
Expanding Saving and Investment
More than half of all American families own stocks, either directly or through their retirement plan. The President has worked to both ensure the security of these investments and expand the opportunities Americans have to save.
The President's tax relief in 2001 included reformed pension rules to increase the availability of retirement plans for American workers. That tax relief also included increases in annual contribution limits to IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement plans. The corporate governance legislation signed into law by President Bush included increased protections for workers' retirement investments.
The President's tax relief in 2003 reduced the tax rates on investment income, ensuring that workers can keep more of their investment earnings to save for education, home purchases, and retirement.
To help workers save for retirement and other expenses, the President will:
Support Tax-Free Saving - President Bush supports creating a new Lifetime Savings Account that can be used to save for health care, education, or any other family need.
Streamline Existing Retirement Accounts - The President will consolidate the three types of existing Individual Retirement Accounts into a single Retirement Savings Account, and consolidate numerous employer-based retirement plans into a single Employer Retirement Savings Account.
Supporting Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Small businesses are the engine of American prosperity. Their ingenuity and daring create the jobs of tomorrow - they create seven out of ten new jobs and account for more than half of the output of the American economy. President Bush has a clear plan to build on his record of support for entrepreneurs:
Promote Association Health Plans and Other Means to Reduce the Cost of Health Care - Small businesses will be able to band together to provide more affordable health care for their employees. Health Savings Accounts allow small business employees to save and pay for their health care needs.
Make the Death Tax Repeal and Rate Cuts for Small Businesses Permanent - For decades, family farmers and business people have advocated repealing the death tax. In 2001, President Bush proposed and Congress enacted a temporary repeal of this onerous tax. And more than ninety percent of America's small businesses pay their business taxes at the individual rates. The across-the-board rate reduction proposed by President Bush and passed by Congress allows these small businesses to keep more of what they earn. President Bush is committed to keeping this tax relief intact by making permanent the tax relief enacted in the past three years, including the across-the-board rate relief and the repeal of the death tax.
Continue to Expand Minority Business Ownership and Entrepreneurship - Last year, the Small Business Administration guaranteed 74,000 general business loans worth $14.4 billion. The number of loans that went to African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, and women business owners grew by thirty-eight percent.
Open Markets Abroad - The President will continue to reduce both tariff and non-tariff barriers on our small businesses.
Continue to Reduce Red Tape - President Bush will continue streamlining regulations for small businesses. For example, in 2002 the Bush Administration began implementing a new strategy for Federal contracts - unbundling large contracts into smaller ones - that is already producing results. Last year, small businesses received a higher percentage of Federal contracts than ever before. The Administration also recently streamlined tax reporting requirements for small businesses, helping 2.6 million small businesses save 61 million hours of unproductive work.
Ensure an Affordable, Reliable Energy Supply - President Bush will continue to promote his comprehensive National Energy Policy to upgrade the Nation's electrical grid, promote energy efficiency, increase domestic energy production, and provide enhanced conservation efforts - all while reducing air pollution and protecting the environment.
Work to Reduce the Lawsuit Burden on Our Economy - President Bush has proposed, and the House has approved, measures that would allow more class action and mass tort lawsuits to be moved into Federal court. The President's reforms would also ensure that in a class action lawsuit, most of the benefits of a settlement will actually go to the people who were injured. These reforms will help businesses focus on creating jobs, rather than fighting junk lawsuits.
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Schluss jetzt mit deinem Wahlkampf für Bush! Interessiert hier in D eh keinen! Kalifornien muss gerettet werden vor Arnie Schwarzenegger! Bis 2020 will der 30% (in Worten: dreißig Prozent!) des kalifornischen Strombedarfs aus regenerativen Energien decken! Wind, Solar und was weiß ich alles - die ganze Palette des Teufels.
Schwarzenegger erstes erfolgreiches U-Boot der grünen Weltverschwörung in den USA?
War das von einem Ösi nicht zu erwarten?
Meterlange Postingchancen in kalifornischen Talkboards warten auf dich!
Gruß BarCode
PS:
http://www.zeit.de/2004/23/Klima_USA
sowas darf doch net geduldet werden... erst recht nicht in einem land wie den usa. dem mit abstand größten umweltsünder auf unserem planeten.
mfg ds
Optionen
sicher wird da nichts über die rentenbeträge und sozialkürzungen gefordert.
die amis haben auch noch soviele atomkraftwerke!
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President Bush Outlines Plan to Keep Americans on Path to Growth and Opportunity
Byers Choice
Colmar, Pennsylvania
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Thank you all very much. (Applause.) Please be seated. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for the welcome. It's good to be back in Pennsylvania. (Applause.) Again. It just seems like I was here yesterday. (Laughter.) I was. (Laughter.) Kind of. But I'm glad to be here. I really appreciate you coming out. Spirits are high. I'm feeling great about life. (Applause.)
I really appreciate being here at Byers Choice. (Applause.) Thank you all for your hospitality. You sure know how to make a President feel welcome. (Applause.) We're here because I want to talk about the economy some, and a plan to keep this economy moving forward so people can realize their dreams. And it's such a wonderful place to come because the entrepreneurial spirit here is strong.
This is a company that was formed by Bob and Joyce Byers -- (audience interruption) --
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: We are here -- I appreciate you coming to Byers. (Laughter and applause.) It's such an honor to meet Bob and Joyce Byers. They are -- they had a dream and they wanted to build a small company into a large company, and they've done so. They started their company in the 1960s. They found a good idea -- they thought of the idea. Government didn't think of the idea, they did. (Applause.) They decided to take risk. They hired people wisely, they invested wisely, and their company is growing. And I appreciate the contribution they made. (Applause.)
They've got a fantastic customer base, because they -- (audience interruption.)
AUDIENCE: Booo! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: We are here because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong, because there is an optimism in this room that says it can remain stronger. (Applause.) The Byers have got a significant customer base, which means they understand how to run a business. And my mother is one of their customers. (Laughter and applause.)
And so what we're going to talk about today is our economy, and how to keep it growing, and how to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit is strong so people can realize their dreams. Today I want to discuss with you the plan I have to keep us on the path to growth and opportunity, a plan that I'm convinced that when Americans listen to, they'll put me and Dick Cheney back in office for four more years. (Applause.)
So I told Laura I was coming here, and she said, "Give everybody my best." (Applause.) She's great. She's a fantastic mom and a great wife. She is a wonderful First Lady. (Applause.) So when I asked her to marry me, she said, "Fine, just so long as I don't have to give any political speeches." (Laughter.) I said, okay, you won't have to give a speech. Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that promise. She gave a great speech the other night. (Applause.) People got to see her heart and her compassion.
I appreciate Congressman Jim Greenwood a lot. I must confess to you that when I heard he was retiring, I got a little mad at him, because I've enjoyed working with him. He is a good, decent, honorable man. And I appreciate you. (Applause.) I appreciate the fact that Arlen Specter is with us today. I hope you put him back into office for six more years. (Applause.) There he is. I enjoy working with Arlen. He's a good, independent thinker, and he's a good -- fine United States senator. And we'll work well together during the next four years.
I want to thank Pat Toomey for joining us today, as well. He's a class act. (Applause.) I appreciate -- I told this to Pat on Air Force One, I said, I appreciate the way he handled himself after a tough primary. He's coming together, he's working for the ticket, and that shows what kind of guy he is. And I'm honored you're here, Pat. (Applause.)
Where is Mayor Joe? Mr. Mayor. Thank you for coming, Mr. Mayor. I'm proud you're here. (Applause.) Yeah! I always like to stay in touch with the local power. (Laughter.) Sure enough, there he is. Thanks for coming, Mayor. I appreciate you being here.
Mike Fitzpatrick is with us today. I appreciate you coming, Mike. (Applause.) Appreciate you being here. Tom Corbett is with us today. Appreciate you coming, Tom. Good luck. (Applause.) I want to thank all the candidates who are here, and the grassroots activists. I'm traveling your state and traveling the country to ask people not only for the vote, but for the help. And I hope you go register voters, find people to show up to the polls. We have a duty in America to vote and -- (applause.) So thanks for the work you're doing. And when you get them to the polls, headed to the polls, remind them, if they want a safer America, a stronger America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in there. (Applause.)
Eunice Sanchez is with us -- where are you, Eunice? There she is. Thanks. And you've got your son and daughter -- thanks for coming. I met Eunice. She works for the Amachi mentoring program in Philadelphia. I don't know if you've heard of Amachi. I have been fortunate enough to be briefed by the people that run that program. Amachi is a mentoring program for children with incarcerated parents. I want you to think about what this good American citizen does. She takes time out of her life to mentor a child to show there's love, the possibility of love. I tell the people of this country that the great strength of our country is the hearts and souls of the American citizens. That's really the true strength of America. And the reason I've asked -- (applause.) And the reason that Eunice has kindly come today is for me to hold her up as an example for others -- for others to recognize that they can help change America, one heart and one soul at a time, as well; that our society is a compassionate society because people from all walks of life put their arm around somebody who hurts and says, I love you, and what can I do to help you. (Applause.)
I appreciate you coming, Eunice. God bless you, and thanks for coming. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to this -- I'm looking forward to the campaign. I'm -- there's some things I want to do for the next four years. (Laughter.) And I'm looking forward to telling the people of the country where I stand and where I believe and where I'm going to lead the country. I'm running with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. (Applause.) I'm running with what I call a compassionate conservative philosophy, that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. (Applause.)
I believe it's the job of a President to confront problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. (Applause.) In the last four years we have confronted economic problems. We have got some short-term challenges that came from an economic downturn and a national emergency. We've got some long-term challenges because our economy is changing. In all these areas, we've acted, and we're moving forward. Today I want to talk to you about some of the plans we have.
Remember the history. When you're out rounding up the vote, remind the people what we have been through. When Dick Cheney and I took office in January -- on January 20th of 2001, our economy was heading into a recession, and the stock market had been declining for five months prior to our arrival. Our nation faced some corporate scandals that cost people jobs and savings and shook our confidence. Today, it is absolutely clear that we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the board rooms of America. (Applause.)
America was attacked. Our economy lost nearly a million jobs after that attack in just three months. We acted with a clear strategy. We unleashed the energy and innovative spirit of America with the largest tax relief in a generation. (Applause.) The tax relief provided small business owners the resources and incentives they need to expand and grow and hire more workers. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong, the small business sector of our economy is strong, and the tax relief helped strengthen it. (Applause.)
We encouraged savings and investment by cutting taxes on dividends and capital gains. (Applause.) Tax relief put money in the hands of American workers, so they could save for their retirement or for their home, or for the education of their children. My philosophy is, government sets priorities, funds its priorities, and lets the people keep as much money as possible. I think you can spend your money better than the federal government can. (Applause.)
We increased the child credit and reduced the marriage penalty. The tax code ought to encourage marriage, not discourage marriage. (Applause.) And the results are clear. Our country has now seen 12 straight months of job gains. Over the past year, we've added 1.7 million jobs. That is more than Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada and France combined. (Applause.) Unemployment is down to 5.4 percent. That is nearly a full point below the rate in the summer of 2003, and it is below the average of the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s. (Applause.)
Interest rates and mortgage rates are near historic lows. Our economy is growing at rates as fast as any in the last 20 years. The manufacturing sector is improving. When I took office, manufacturing employment had been declining for almost three years. In the last six months of the prior administration, more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. We're turning that around. (Applause.) Since January, America has added 107,000 manufacturing jobs, including 22,000 last month alone. We are making steady progress for American workers. (Applause.)
Because of tax relief, the middle class is paying less in federal taxes. The average family of four with an income of $40,000 got nearly a $2,000 tax cut. (Applause.) Real after-tax incomes are up almost 10 percent since December of 2000. (Applause.) People have got more money in their pockets because of the tax relief. (Applause.) Our economy is stronger because people are keeping more of what they earn. (Applause.)
Listen, we also face long-term challenges in this economy. The workers of our parents' generation typically had one job, one skill, one career, often with one company that provided health care and a pension. That's the way it used to be. This world of ours is changing. By the way, most of those workers were men. Today, workers change jobs, even careers, many times during their lives. And in one of the most dramatic shifts our society has seen, two-thirds of all moms also work outside the home. This world of ours has changed. And yet, the institutions of government haven't changed.
Let me tell you what else has changed. Productivity has grown faster over the last three years than any time in more than 40 years -- in part because technology is changing the way we do things. You'd rather use a computer than a typewriter. You'd rather use a backhoe than a shovel. (Laughter.) That's productivity. But it also means that the same work can be done by fewer workers. And that creates a problem for someone looking for a job. That's why manufacturing still produces roughly the same share of our GDP, but with a smaller share of the work force. So these are some long-term challenges we face.
But it's a time of great opportunity. A time of change creates great opportunity -- so long as the government takes the side of the workers and the families here in America; so long as government -- (applause) -- so long as government recognizes this: our fundamental systems -- the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, and worker training -- were created for the world of yesterday -- think about that -- not for tomorrow. I believe in the next four years, we've got to transform these systems to help our citizens, to help prepare our citizens, to help free citizens so they can realize the great dream of our country.
And so you'll hear me talk a lot about changing systems to help people -- not increasing government to stifle dreams. (Applause.) Obviously -- obviously, in order for people to realize their dreams, there has to be robust economic growth. In order to make sure that the productivity increases don't cause people not to be able to find a job, we got to grow this economy. And that's what I want to talk to you about right quick, a plan to make sure we continue to create jobs here in America.
First of all, in order to have jobs here, America must be the best place in the world to do business. (Applause.) If you want people working here, it's got to be the best -- the best place to risk capital, the best place to expand, the best place to realize dreams. One way to make sure it's the best place to do business is to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. (Applause.) You fill out a lot of paperwork if you're a small business owner in America. I can't promise you anybody in government ever reads it. (Laughter.)
We want jobs here in the Philadelphia area. We want to make sure the manufacturing sector is robust. Congress needs to get an energy plan to my desk now. I submitted a plan two years ago. It's a plan that encourages conservation, expands renewables, uses clean coal technologies. Listen, we must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy if we want jobs to remain in America. (Applause.)
In order to keep jobs here, so people can realize their dreams, we must open up markets for U.S. products. Listen, we've opened up our markets. And it's good for consumers we've opened up our markets. If you have more choices in the marketplace, you're likely to get the product you want at a better price and better quality. And so what I'm saying to countries like China is, treat us the way we treat you. I believe American farmers and manufacturers and business owners can compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime -- so long as the rules are fair. (Applause.) What we will do is reject economic isolationism. Economic isolationism will hurt America's workers.
In order to make sure we create jobs here, we've got to do something about these junk lawsuits that threaten employers. (Applause.) I believe strongly in legal reform, because I understand personal injury lawyers should not get richer at the expense of hardworking Americans and American entrepreneurs. (Applause.)
Finally, in order to keep jobs here, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money and keep your taxes low. Running up the taxes on the entrepreneurs in America is bad economic policy. (Applause.) I told you there's some systems that need to change. One system that needs to change is the federal tax code. (Applause.) It is too cumbersome. I tried to hold it the other day -- (laughter) -- when I was campaigning in Missouri. I'm in pretty good shape. It was hard to hold it. (Laughter.) It's got a million words in it. It takes the American people six billion hours a year, every year, to file these forms. It is full of special interest loopholes. For the sake of economic growth and for the sake of fairness, we need to change the tax code. We need to make it simple and easy to understand. (Applause.)
A changing world means that the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century are changing, and it's something we've got to recognize. And a changing economy is one that creates new opportunities. But sometimes there's a skills gap. And that's why I believe we ought to expand access to our community college systems, to make sure that the workers have the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
As well, most new jobs in a changing -- this changing world, require two years of college. Yet only one in four of our students gets there. And so we need early intervention programs in our high schools to solve problems early, before they're too late. We need to have new focus on math and science. As the No Child Left Behind Act begins to fill the education pipeline with good readers, we will require a rigorous exam before graduation from high school. See, what I'm telling you is, by raising performance in high schools and expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we will help more Americans start their career with a college diploma. (Applause.)
These are changing times, and our economy is changing. And there are communities around where manufacturing, textiles and other jobs no longer exist. There are poor communities in our country that need help, as well. And that's why, the other night at the convention, I announced American opportunity zones. These zones will provide tax relief and other incentives for new businesses to be created, and to improve housing and job training and bringing hope. In other words, in changing times, there are ways to help communities that have suffered during changing times, with good tax policy, good regulation policy and good housing policy. (Applause.)
Listen, in order to make sure jobs stay here, we've got to do something about health care. We need to make sure health care is available and affordable. Do you realize more than half the uninsured are employees of small businesses? Small businesses are having trouble affording health care. One way to help small businesses afford health care is to allow small firms to join together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big companies. (Applause.)
We will offer tax credits to encourage small businesses and their employees to set up health savings accounts. We'll provide direct help for low-income Americans to purchase health savings accounts. These accounts give workers the security of insurance against major illness, the opportunity to save tax-free for routine health expenses, and the freedom of knowing you can take your account with you whenever you change jobs or careers. (Applause.) I'm a big believer in community and rural health centers. These are facilities where low-income Americans can get primary care. I believe every poor country in America ought to have one of these facilities in order to take the pressure off emergency rooms around the United States. (Applause.)
In order to make sure health care is available and affordable, we've got to do something about the frivolous lawsuits that are running good doctors out of practice and running up your health care costs. (Applause.) I appreciate working with Jim Greenwood on this issue. He figured it out, and I hope the people of this country figure it out. These frivolous lawsuits are making it awfully hard for a lot of docs to practice medicine. You're losing good docs. Greenwood was telling me about the doctor that saved his dad's life had to leave practice because his premiums were too high. Many doctors, in order to avoid litigation, practice defensive medicine. In other words, they run up the costs of health care so if the ever get caught -- pulled in front of a court of law, they've got a defense. It's costing the taxpayers about $28 billion a year, the defensive practice of medicine costs $28 billion a year. We have a national problem, and it requires a national solution. (Applause.) I've submitted legislation that Greenwood got passed in the House. It's stuck in the Senate because the trial lawyers are powerful in the United States Senate.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: See, I don't think -- I don't think you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient, and pro-trial lawyer at the same time. I think you have to choose. My opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. (Applause.) I made my choice -- I made my choice: I am for medical liability reform -- now. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to the debate on health care. I'm looking forward to it. In all we do to improve health care in America, we'll make sure that health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)
Our labor laws need to change. We got a lot of moms who are now in the workplace. And yet, it's really hard for moms to find enough time to do their duty as moms, see, because the rules -- the labor laws are stuck in the past. I think we need to have flex-time and comp-time to allow families to be able to have more quality time. (Applause.)
In a changing world, ownership can bring stability to your life. One of the most hopeful statistics of the last year or two has been that the home ownership rate is at an all-time high in America. There's more minority families who are opening up the door where they live, and say, welcome to my home; come in to my house. (Applause.) It's a really important part of a future, when more and more people can own their home. We've got a plan to encourage home ownership in this country.
And we've got to make sure that our pension systems work, the Social Security system works. If you're an older American, nothing will change -- the Social Security trust will fulfill its promise to you. If you're a baby boomer, we're in pretty good shape when it comes to receiving the promise of Social Security. But we need to worry about our children and grandchildren when it comes to Social Security. I believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of their taxes and set up a personal savings account, to make sure the Social Security promise that's made to them -- (applause) -- an account that they can call their own, an account that government cannot take away, and an account that they can pass on from one generation to the next. (Applause.)
In these proposals, we seek not to provide a government program, but a greater path to opportunity, and more freedom for you to decide what's best for your life, and therefore, I believe, more opportunity for every citizen. And we got a choice in this race. I mean, it's a clear choice. See, I believe our opponent's philosophy is very different from ours. If you carefully listen, he wants to expand government. Listen to the proposals. That's what he wants to do. What we want to do is expand opportunity. He wants to give more power to Washington by raising taxes and spending more money. And he's got a record to match his promises. (Laughter.)
Over two decades in Washington, he has voted for higher income taxes, higher taxes on Social Security benefits. That's part of his record. He repeatedly voted for higher taxes on small businesses, higher taxes on gasoline. He voted against tax relief for married couples, for increasing the child credit, and against expanding tax-free retirement savings. We have a difference of opinion when it comes to taxation. If you drive a car, Senator Kerry has voted for higher taxes on you. If you have a job, he's voted for higher taxes on you. If you're married, or have children, he's voted for higher taxes on you. The good news is, on the 2nd of November, you have a chance to vote. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: There is a reason for supporting higher taxes -- because he wants to dramatically increase government spending. It's part of his platform. On the campaign trail, he's proposed more than $2 trillion in new federal spending, so far. (Laughter.) And we still have 54 more days to go. Now, he says he's going to pay for all that by raising taxes on the wealthiest 2 percent of the population. There's just one problem with that. My opponent's tax increases would bring only about $650 billion in revenue over the next 10 years, see. And he wants to spend over $2 trillion. So you do the math. (Laughter.) The plan leaves him more than $1.4 trillion short. And guess who would wind up paying the bill?
Now, one of his key economic advisors -- one of my opponent's key economic advisors is saying they won't give the details on how they would raise spending and lower the deficit until after the election. (Laughter.) Well, if they want to hold back information until the people vote, you can bet it won't be good news for the taxpayers. But America will reject the hidden Kerry tax plan. (Applause.)
Raising taxes will be bad for our economy. Raising taxes will be bad for the small business sector of America. And I'll tell you why -- 90 percent of small business owners pay tax at the individual income tax level. Ninety percent of small business owners are sub-chapter S corporations or sole proprietorship. Byers Choice is a sub-chapter S corporation. Now, if you're organized as a sub-chapter S or sole proprietorship, when you pay your tax, you fill out the individual income tax forms. And so when you talk about raising the top two brackets in the individual taxes, you're talking about taxing companies like Byers Choice. I don't see -- and by the way, 70 percent of new jobs in America are created by small businesses. Why does it make sense to tax the job creators? It doesn't make sense to tax the job creators. (Applause.)
Bob said this -- he said, "that would hurt my company." When he heard the plan to raise taxes to pay for promises, political promises, he said, "That would hurt my company. It would cut off jobs I plan to create." My opponent, by making political promises and by promising to tax small businesses such as Byers Choice, would hurt our economy. I believe in order to continue economic growth, we need an energy plan, good trade policy, good regulatory policy, good legal policy, good health policy, and we need to make the tax relief permanent. (Applause.)
In order to make sure we have sustained economic growth, we will also continue to protect the homeland over the next four years. (Applause.) A lot of good people working hard on your behalf. And we reorganized the department -- departments to create the Department of Homeland Security so we can better talk to each other, better respond to crisis, better deal with emergency, better share intelligence. And we're getting better in Washington, D.C. about doing what is necessary to protect you. And there's a lot of good people working hard to do so. (Applause.) And I appreciate it.
As the 9/11 Commission said, America is safer, but not yet safe. I agree. And so you just got to know there's some fine people at all levels of government working hard. But the best way to protect the homeland is to stay on the offensive, is to find the terrorists -- (applause.) You cannot talk sense to these people. You've seen how they behave. You saw the attacks of September the 11th. You saw what happened to those Russian schoolchildren. America must continue to lead the world. We will find them overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
We're making progress. We're making progress. Three-quarters of al Qaeda's known leadership has been brought to justice. Because we upheld doctrine that said if you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the terrorists, the Taliban are no longer in power in Afghanistan. Think about the progress in Afghanistan. It wasn't all that long ago that young girls weren't allow to go to school, and their moms would be pulled in a public square and whipped if they didn't toe the line of these barbaric people. And today, Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Over 10 million citizens have registered to vote in the upcoming presidential election. (Applause.) Amazing, isn't it? Freedom is on the march in Afghanistan, and that's good for America.
In Iraq, we removed a sworn enemy of America who had ties to terror and used weapons of mass destruction. Listen, I recognize we didn't find the stockpiles we all thought were there -- all of us thought were there. (Applause.) But -- but remember Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons. He could have passed that capability on to the enemy. And that's not a risk we could afford to take after September the 11th. (Applause.) Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision. (Applause.) America -- America and the world are safer with Saddam in a prison cell.
We're making progress there. I'm impressed -- I'm impressed by Prime Minister Allawi. He's a strong guy who believes that democracy is the future of Iraq, and he's got hard work to do. It wasn't all that long ago that people were brutalized by Saddam Hussein. But we're making progress. There will be elections in January of next year. It's amazing when you think about it -- they've gone from tyranny to elections in a brief period of time. (Applause.)
Our goal -- our goal in Iraq is to -- like it is in Afghanistan, is to help provide enough stability so the political process can move forward; is to train Iraqis and Afghan citizens so they can do the hard work of defending their country against the few who want to thwart the desires of the many; is to put those countries on the path to stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then bring our troops home. (Applause.)
I'm oftentimes asked what I tell those who -- the loved ones of those who lost their life in combat. I tell them this: I say, your son or daughter or wife or husband is serving during historic times. These are times that will help make this world a more peaceful place. It's a time for little children to be able to -- when we get it right -- for children to grow up in a peaceful world. I tell them that in order to honor their memory, we will complete the mission. (Applause.)
I say this -- I believe in the power of liberty to transform lives. That's what I believe. The core of my belief is that liberty has got the incredible capacity to convert enemies to friends, tyrannical societies to free societies. And that makes the world more peaceful, a peace we all want.
You know, I tell people about my meetings with Prime Minister Koizumi, the Prime Minister of Japan, who is the Prime Minister of a country that my dad fought against, your dads and grandfathers fought against. They were the sworn enemy of America some 60 years ago. And today I sit down at the table with him to discuss peace. He's an ally in peace. And I'm able to do so because my predecessor, Harry Truman, and other American citizens believed that the enemy could become a friend if democracy took hold in Japan.
Now, there was a lot of skeptics and doubters during those days, and you can understand why -- we'd just been fighting these people. But because they believed in the power of liberty to transform lives, they helped Japan develop a self-governing democracy. And today Japan is an ally when it comes to keeping the peace. The Prime Minister and I talk about North Korea, we talk about Iraq, we talk about humanitarian needs around the world. Someday an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, and they're going to be talking about the peace, and they're going to look back in history, and say, thank goodness America never forgot the power of liberty -- (applause) -- the power of liberty to change lives. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for giving me a chance to come by today. As you can see, I've got a plan to continue growing this economy, so people can realize their hopes and dreams; that I know what needs to be done when
it comes to securing this homeland and winning the war on terror; that I believe strongly in the values that make us a great nation; and that, with your help, we're going to win Pennsylvania and win a great election in November. (Applause.)
God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all. (Applause.)
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Fact Sheet: Three Years of Progress in the War on Terror
"In the three years since our country was attacked, we've taken steps to overcome new threats. We will continue to do everything in our power to defeat the terrorist enemy and to protect the American people. Recently, the Commission on the Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States came to a conclusion that I share: that our country is safer than it was on September the 11th, 2001, yet, we're still not safe. . . . We are a Nation in danger. We're doing everything we can in our power to confront the danger. We're making good progress in protecting our people and bringing our enemies to account. But one thing is for certain: We'll keep our focus and we'll keep our resolve and we will do our duty to best secure our country."
- President George W. Bush (August 2, 2004)
Three years have passed since the attacks of September 11, 2001. While the danger has not passed, America today is safer and stronger because of the actions taken by President Bush and the Bush Administration to protect America.
Protecting America's Homeland
The Bush Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. Already, President Bush has led the largest reorganization of government in more than 50 years; strengthened U.S. intelligence capabilities; expanded support for first responders and state homeland security efforts; and increased protection of our transportation systems, borders, ports, and critical infrastructure.
Creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): President Bush has led the most extensive reorganization of the Federal Government in more than 50 years by creating DHS. DHS brought together 22 entities and over 180,000 employees with critical homeland security missions and provided the Nation with a single Federal department with the primary mission to protect the homeland against terrorist threats.
Leading the Way on Reforming and Strengthening Intelligence and Coordination: President Bush has led the way on intelligence reform and has already undertaken a number of major reforms to improve intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing to obtain the best information on the terrorist threat to the Nation - including:
Acting on 36 of the 9/11 Commission's 41 recommendations: President Bush, on August 27, signed executive orders giving the Director of Central Intelligence many of the strengthened management powers over the Intelligence Community that will eventually belong to the National Intelligence Director (NID) proposed by the 9/11 Commission. He also established a National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to serve as a central knowledge bank on known and suspected terrorists and international terror groups, as well as their goals, strategies, capabilities, and networks of contacts. The NCTC will also provide strategic planning for U.S. government-wide counterterrorism activities. President Bush also ordered that additional actions be taken to continue to improve the sharing of terrorism information among agencies and to improve U.S. information technology architecture.
Proposing the creation of a National Intelligence Director (NID) with the authority needed to get the job done. President Bush intends to give the NID budget authority over the National Foreign Intelligence Program appropriation and the management tools necessary to successfully oversee the Intelligence Community, including ensuring the full integration of foreign and domestic intelligence. President Bush seeks intelligence reform legislation that is consistent with the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Transforming the FBI: For three years, President Bush has led the effort to transform the FBI into an agency focused on preventing terrorist attacks through intelligence collection and other key efforts, while improving its ability to perform its traditional role as a world-class law enforcement agency.
Establishing the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) to integrate and analyze terrorism threat-related information collected domestically and abroad, ensuring that intelligence and law enforcement entities are working together. Elements of the CIA, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Justice, DHS, and the FBI work to close the "seams" in U.S. intelligence analysis. Launched in early 2003, the TTIC has been regarded by the 9/11 Commission as the foundation for the newly established NCTC.
Creating the Terrorist Screening Center to consolidate terrorist watchlists and provide 24/7 operational support for Federal and other government law enforcement personnel across the country and around the world. The Center ensures that government investigators, screeners, and agents are working with the same unified, comprehensive set of information about terrorists - and that they have access to information and expertise that will allow them to act quickly when a suspected terrorist is screened or stopped.
Creating U.S. Northern Command to provide for integrated homeland defense and coordinated DoD support to Federal, State, and local civilian governments.
Proposing and signing into law the USA PATRIOT Act, which strengthens law enforcement's abilities to prevent, investigate, and prosecute acts of terror, facilitating Federal government efforts to thwart potential terrorist activity throughout the United States. President Bush continues to call on Congress to take action to ensure that these vital law enforcement tools do not expire.
Creating a White House Homeland Security Council, led by a homeland security advisor who reports directly to President Bush, to coordinate homeland security policy across multiple departments and agencies - modeled on the National Security Council.
Creating President Bush's Board on Safeguarding American's Civil Liberties to continue to carry out President Bush's commitment to protecting the privacy and other rights of all Americans.
Significantly Increasing Homeland Security Funding: Since 2001, President Bush has:
Proposed a near tripling of funding for homeland securityr. The FY 2005 budget will increase homeland security funding by 9.7% over FY 2004 - not counting homeland security funding in the Department of Defense and Project BioShield.
Strengthened counterterrorism efforts through the Department of Justice (DOJ), proposing a 19% increase in homeland security funding for programs within DOJ over FY 2004 to $2.6 billion. The FY 2005 budget also brings overall FBI funding to $5.1 billion, a $1.9 billion (almost 60%) increase over the FY 2001 level.
Allocated more than $13 billion to help State and local governments prepare for terrorism. President Bush has sought and secured historic and massive increases in funding for first responder preparedness since September 11, 2001. These funds should be spent on training and equipping first responders for terrorism preparedness and response.
Bringing Terrorists to Justice and Disrupting Terror Cells Inside the United States: The Department of Justice has charged over 350 individuals uncovered in the course of terrorist investigations, and convicted or secured guilty pleas from over 185 individuals. The U.S. government has disrupted alleged terrorist cells in New York, Washington, Oregon, Northern Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.
Strengthening Transportation Security: The Bush Administration instituted a multi-layered strategy to enhance aviation security from the curb to the cockpit. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screens 100% of commercial air passengers and bags. TSA has trained and authorized hundreds of pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit, directed the hardening of cockpit doors on 6,000 commercial aircraft, and stationed explosives-detection canine teams at each of the Nation's largest airports. Federal Air Marshals ride aboard the Nation's aircrafts, protecting passengers and crew. President Bush's FY 2005 budget proposes $5.3 billion for transportation security funding, a 93% ($4.9 billion) increase over FY 2001 levels.
Improving Border Security:
Three years ago, there were inspectors from three different Federal agencies at U.S. ports of entry. Today, the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) consolidates all port inspection activities into a single workforce to create "one face at the border." The Border Patrol is also part of CBP, creating synergy between inspectors at the ports and those patrolling between them. More than 18,000 CBP Officers, 1,400 CBP Agriculture Specialists, and 11,000 Border Patrol Agents guard the Nation's borders.
The US-VISIT entry-exit system uses cutting-edge biometric technology to help ensure that U.S. borders remain open to legitimate travelers but closed to terrorists. US-VISIT was launched at 116 airports and 16 seaports across the country and the program is expanding to land ports of entry. This program has been very successful, processing more than 8.5 million travelers since January.
President Bush's FY 2005 budget includes $7.1 billion for border security funding, a $3 billion increase over FY 2001 levels.
Increasing Port and Cargo Security:
President Bush has significantly increased funding for the Coast Guard, including dramatic increases for port security and acquisition of new resources. The Coast Guard is creating over a dozen 100-person Maritime Safety and Security Teams, to provide point defense for critical infrastructure and high-value shipping; employing armed helicopters to provide waterside security; and reviewing thousands of new vessel, facility, and port security plans. Funding for Coast Guard port security efforts has increased over 500% from the beginning of the Bush Administration through 2004. The Coast Guard's Deepwater fleet modernization project has received a total of $1.5 billion over the last three years, and President Bush has requested $678 million in his FY 2005 budget.
DHS has strengthened measures to protect the Nation from smuggled radioactive materials and nuclear devices, by equipping CBP inspectors, Coast Guard boarding personnel, and Border Patrol agents with portable radiation detectors and installing radiation detection portals at sea, land, rail, and air ports of entry, including mail processing facilities. The first radiation portals were installed in March 2003.
DHS established the National Targeting Center (NTC), which uses computer-assisted analytical protocols to determine which cargo and passengers destined for the United States present the greatest threat, focusing examinations and inspections on them. The NTC screens data on 100% of inbound seaborne shipping containers (6 million per year) to identify those posing a "high risk"; CBP personnel conduct examinations of 100% of high-risk containers.
DHS established the Container Security Initiative (CSI), deploying CBP officials to 25 major international seaports to pre-screen shipping containers for illicit or dangerous materials before they are loaded on vessels bound for the United States. CSI includes the ports that ship roughly two-thirds of inbound containers to the United States. Additional ports are being added over the next two years.
Significantly Expanding U.S. Biodefense Capabilities: Keeping Americans safe from the threat of bioterrorism has been a priority since the outset of the Bush Administration. Since 2001, over $10 billion has been invested across all aspects of biodefense - and NIH bioterrorism funding alone has increased by more than 3,000 percent. President Bush and the Bush Administration have:
Approved "Biodefense for the 21st Century" - the first-ever national strategy against bio threats - that provides a roadmap for developing comprehensive U.S. biodefense capabilities.
Proposed and signed into law Project BioShield, which provides new tools to acquire medical countermeasures protecting Americans against a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. Project BioShield is a comprehensive effort that will ensure that resources ($5.6 billion) are available to pay for "next-generation" medical countermeasures, expedite the conduct of NIH research and development on medical countermeasures based on the most promising recent scientific discoveries, and give FDA the ability to make promising treatments quickly available in emergency situations.
Expanded international efforts to secure and keep dangerous biological materials out of the hands of terrorists.
Deployed early warning environmental sampling systems - the BioWatch program - making it possible to detect biological weapons attacks against major cities. To date, the BioWatch program has analyzed more than one million samples.
Increased biodefense medical research and development within the Department of Health and Human Services to more than $1.5 billion per year since 2003, thirty times the investment in 2001.
Expanded funding five-fold for the Strategic National Stockpile of medicines for treating victims of terror attacks, ensuring that "push packages" can be anywhere in the United States within 12 hours.
Stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine for every American and vaccinated over 600,000 members of the armed services.
Trained hundreds of thousands of first responders to recognize and respond to the effects of WMD.
Created the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasure Center to systematically apply, for the first time, cutting-edge science to the study of classified intelligence about foreign weapons programs and develop first-class forensics in support of law enforcement investigations of biological crimes.
Initiated a major new agriculture and food program to defend against diseases, pests, or poisons that could intentionally by delivered by acts of terrorism.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure: The Bush Administration has made unprecedented efforts to protect America's critical infrastructure against the threat of terrorism - including strengthened security for chemical plants, nuclear facilities, and other potential targets of terrorists. President Bush's FY 2005 budget includes $864 million for DHS information analysis and critical infrastructure protection - a seven-fold increase over FY 2002 levels.
Progress in the Global War on Terror
Three Commitments in the Strategy for Peace: To overcome the dangers of our time, America is also taking a new approach in the world. The Bush Administration is determined to challenge new threats - not ignore them and simply wait for future tragedy. The strategy for peace has three commitments:
First, the Bush Administration will defend the peace by taking the fight to the enemy - confronting them overseas so America does not have to confront them here at home. They are destroying the leadership of terrorist networks in sudden raids, disrupting their planning and financing, and shrinking the space in which they can freely operate by denying them territory and the support of governments.
Second, the Bush Administration is protecting the peace by working with friends and allies and international institutions to isolate and confront terrorists and outlaw regimes. America is leading a broad coalition of nations to disrupt WMD proliferation. They are working with the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international organizations to take action to preserve common security.
Third, the Bush Administration is extending the peace by supporting the rise of democracy - and the hope and progress that democracy brings - as the alternative to hatred and terror in the broader Middle East. In democratic and successful societies, men and women do not swear allegiance to malcontents and murderers; they turn their hearts and labor to building better lives. And democratic governments do not shelter terrorist camps, or attack their peaceful neighbors.
Three Years of Progress: The Bush Administration has followed this strategy - defending the peace, protecting the peace, and extending the peace - for nearly three years, and the results are now clear for all to see.
Afghanistan: Three years ago, Afghanistan was the home base of al-Qaida - a country ruled by the Taliban, one of the most backward and brutal regimes of modern history. Today, a presidential election is scheduled for this fall, the terror camps are closed, and the Afghan government is helping us to hunt the Taliban and terrorists in remote regions. Today, because the United States acted to liberate Afghanistan, a threat has been removed, and the American people are safer.
Pakistan: Three years ago, Pakistan was one of the few countries in the world that recognized the Taliban regime, and al-Qaida was active and recruiting in Pakistan without serious opposition. Yet the United States was not on good terms with key Pakistani leaders - the very people they would need to help shut down al-Qaida operations in that part of the world. Today, the United States and Pakistan are working closely in the fight against terror, and Pakistani forces are rounding up terrorists along their nation's western border. President Musharraf is a friend of our country who helped us capture Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the operational planner behind the 9/11 attacks. Today, because the Bush Administration is working with Pakistani leaders, Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror, and the American people are safer.
Saudi Arabia: Three years ago, terrorists were well-established in Saudi Arabia. Inside that country, fundraisers and other facilitators gave al-Qaida financial and logistical help - with little scrutiny or opposition. Today, after attacks in Riyadh and elsewhere, the Saudi government knows that al-Qaida is its enemy. Saudi Arabia is working hard to shut down the facilitators and financial supporters of terrorism, and they have captured or killed many first-tier leaders of the al-Qaida organization in Saudi Arabia. Today, because Saudi Arabia has seen the danger and joined the war on terror, the American people are safer.
Iraq: Three years ago, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America, who provided a safe haven for terrorists, had used weapons of mass destruction, and turned his nation into a prison. Saddam Hussein was a proven mass murderer who refused to account for his weapons of mass murder.
The Bush Administration, Members of Congress, and the United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence on Iraq and saw a threat. The previous Administration and the Congress looked at the intelligence - and made regime change in Iraq the policy of our country.
In 2002, the UN Security Council yet again demanded a full accounting of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. As he had for 12 years, Saddam Hussein refused to comply. So President Bush had a choice to make: either take the word of a ruthless dictator, or take action to defend America. Faced with that choice, President Bush will defend America every time.
The Bush Administration was right to go into Iraq. The U.S. removed a declared enemy of America, who had defied the international community for 12 years, and who had the capability of producing weapons of mass murder, and could have passed that capability to terrorists bent on acquiring them. Although the United States has not found stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, in the world after September 11th, that was a risk the U.S. could not afford to take.
Today, the dictator who caused decades of death and turmoil - who twice invaded his neighbors, who harbored terrorist leaders, and used chemical weapons, is finally before the bar of justice. Iraq is now becoming an example of reform to the region. Iraqi security forces are fighting beside coalition troops to defeat terrorists and foreign fighters. Today, because America and the coalition helped to end the violent regime of Saddam Hussein, and because they are helping to raise a peaceful democracy in its place, the American people are safer.
Libya: Three years ago, Libya, a longtime supporter of terror, was spending millions to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. Today, thousands of Libya's chemical munitions have been destroyed, and equipment to produce nuclear materials that could ultimately have threatened the lives of hundreds of thousands is stored in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Today, because the Libyan government saw the determination of the civilized world, and correctly judged its own interests, the American people are safer.
Weapons Proliferation: Three years ago, a private weapons proliferation network, operated by Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, was selling nuclear plans and equipment to countries like Libya, Iran, and North Korea. Today, the A.Q. Khan network has been exposed, one of the most dangerous sources of proliferation in the world has ended, and the American people are safer.
Breaking this proliferation network was possible because of outstanding work by the CIA. Dedicated intelligence officers were tireless in obtaining vital information, sometimes at great personal risk. U.S. intelligence services do an essential job for America.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has identified some shortcomings in U.S. intelligence capabilities - and the Committee's report will help us in the work of reform. President Bush believes that intelligence reform efforts should: 1) increase the number of intelligence agents to cover the globe; 2) invest in the best, cutting-edge technology to listen and look for dangers; and 3) result in better coordination among intelligence services.
President Bush proposed the establishment of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). PSI is a broad international partnership of countries which, using their own laws and resources, will coordinate their actions to interdict shipments of dangerous technologies to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern - at sea, in the air, and on land.
President Bush proposed and the United States led the effort to pass UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires states to criminalize proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery by non-state actors, enact and implement effective export controls, and secure proliferation-sensitive materials.
Missile Defense: The United States will soon begin the operational deployment of an initial capability to defend against long-range ballistic missiles from rogue states such as North Korea. While this initially will be a limited capability, it will provide a basis for improvements as the threats and technologies evolve.
Terrorist Financing: On September 23, 2001, President Bush opened a new front in the war on terror by signing an Executive Order to freeze the U.S.-based assets of individuals and organizations involved with terrorism, and authorizing the Secretaries of State and the Treasury to identify, designate, and freeze the U.S.-based assets of terrorists and their supporters. Since September 11, 2001:
The United States has designated 387 entities as terrorists or supporters of designated terrorists and frozen nearly $142 million in terrorist-related assets. More than $37 million has been frozen in the United States.
The U.S. Government has identified and frozen over $4.5 million in al-Qaida-related funds. In addition, almost $72 million has been frozen by other governments worldwide.
Almost 1,500 terrorist-related accounts and transactions have been blocked around the world, including 151 in the United States.
Over 80 countries have also introduced new terrorism-related legislation, and 94 have established Financial Intelligence Units.
Consistent with applicable UN Security Council Resolutions, more than 170 countries and jurisdictions have issued freezing orders.
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gruß
proxi
Gesteuert werde der Chip über einen Knopf am Ohrläppchen. Dieser ermögliche dann, das Gehirn von Manuell auf Automatik umzuschalten. Da es sich bei den integrierten Speicherbausteinen um Flashmemories handele, könnten typenspezifische Entscheidungs- und Analseprogramme geladen werden. Die SW stamme hierbei von Microsoft (MSC). Im späteren Stadium soll sogar das Online Flashen via UMTS möglich sein. Wie dem Artikel zu entnehmen ist, wurden bereits von Ende 2002 bis Mitte 2003 erste Prototypen einem Härtetest unterzogen. Gerüchten zufolge hätten sich mehrere Mitglieder der US Regierung, unter ihnen angeblich auch Präsident G.W. Bush, als Testpersonen zur Verfügung gestellt. Auf Anfrage von Chips & Flips räumte ein Intel-Sprecher ein, dass hierbei die Logik-SW-Bausteine vergessen wurden und es deswegen zu kleineren Störungen gekommen sei, die aber behebbar seien. Diese Störungen äußerten sich dann in zusammenhangslosen Sätzen, die nur für die SW-Entwickler Hinweise ergäben. Als Beispiele inkl. der wirklichen Bedeutung wurden genannt:
"We will prevail" -> Datenspeicher defekt, bitte führen Sie ChkDsk aus
"Mission accomplished" -> Ein schwerer Fehler ist aufgetreten, Windows wird beendet
"We stand for peace and freedom" -> Unbekannter Fehler, Standby wird aktiviert
Optionen
Vice President Cheney Points to Our Unique Place in History; New Challenges with New Solutions
Ottumwa Industrial Airport Hangar
Ottumwa, Iowa
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Morning. (Applause.) Morning everybody. (Applause.) Good morning. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Sit down, please.
Well, I've got to go back and report to my wife, Lynne, on how Liz did this morning, substituting. (Laughter.) I thought she did pretty well. (Applause.)
Of course, all the things you get to do in your life, when all is said and done, the most important thing always comes back to family. And Lynne and I are enormously proud of our two daughters. And needless to say, I made a very wise choice -- I guess, it was 40 years ago last Sunday when we got married -- our 40th wedding anniversary. (Applause.)
I tell people lots of times that our marriage came about because Dwight Eisenhower got elected President of the United States, that in 1952, I was a youngster living in Lincoln, Nebraska with my folks. Dad worked for the Soil Conservation Service. Eisenhower got elected, he reorganized the Agriculture Department, Dad got shipped to Casper, Wyoming, and that's where I met Lynne, and we grew up together, went to high school together, and as I say, celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary here a couple of Sundays ago. But I explained to a group the other night that if it hadn't been for Eisenhower's election victory, Lynne would have married somebody else. (Laughter.) And she said, right, and now he'd be Vice President of the United States. (Laughter and applause.)
But we're here this morning because this is an extraordinarily important year. We've done a series of these town hall meetings various places around the country. It's an opportunity for me to share a few thoughts with you, and then to have an opportunity to hear from you and to respond to some of your questions and comments and concerns, as well, too.
And I say this is an important year because I think -- I've been involved in politics off and on for quite a while now. So I've been involved in a number of campaigns. And I realize my name is on the ballot this year. So you might say, well, sure, he thinks it's an important election. But I think it's one of those periods in our history when we -- really sort of a turning point, if you will, a time when we're faced with new challenges, new problems that we've got to overcome, and when we have to create new policies, new strategies, new institutions to be able to deal with those challenges. And periods like this come along every once in a while -- maybe every 50, 60, 70 years in our history. I think we had one right at the end of World War II, after we'd won that tremendous victory against the Germans and the Japanese, and then all of a sudden we were faced with the prospect of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union, and the threat that that represented to the United States. And we created the Department of Defense. We created the Central Intelligence Agency. We set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. We completely rebuilt the United States military, and embarked upon a course of action that was supported by Republican and Democratic administrations alike for the next 40 years, until we succeeded in winning the Cold War. I think that we are at a similar period in our history today -- especially when I think about the situation with respect to the national security threat we now face, the problems with the war on terror, the nature of the challenge that America has to deal with these days internationally.
Before I talk about that, though, I want to say a few words about a couple of domestic issues that I think are equally important. And just as the events of 9/11 had a big impact on us from the standpoint of our national security, they clearly also had a big impact on us from the standpoint of our economy, and our circumstances here at home. Going forward now, as we build a stronger, safer, healthier America, an important component of that, obviously, has to always be that we are also doing whatever is necessary to make certain that we've adequately provided for the defense of the country, to safeguard the homeland, and to protect ourselves against future attacks.
One of the big issues, of course, from the standpoint of the economy -- as we came in, we were faced with a recession, but then it was made significantly worse by the events of 9/11. That terrorist attack that morning that cost us 3,000 Americans, the worst attack on American soil, in our history, obviously did serious damage to the economy, as well, too. We lost over a million jobs in the weeks after the attack of 9/11.
We think we've come back quite a ways now. We've made significant progress, in terms of restoring the overall health of the economy. We've got the employment rate -- national employment rate now back down to 5.4 percent. We've added 1.7 million jobs over the course of the last year here in Iowa. We're down to about 4.4 percent on unemployment -- not perfect yet. We've still got a ways to go. We know there are a lot of places where work is needed to make certain that every American who wants to work can find a job. We've still got some soft spots in the economy.
But on balance, we think things are headed in the right direction, that, in fact, the President's decision with respect to economic policy has been successful. And at the heart of that decision was really a fundamental philosophical belief that the best way for us to have a strong, healthy economy in this country is to let the hard working American wage earner, and businessman, and farmer keep more of what they earn instead of send it to Washington in the form of taxes. (Applause.)
Now, that fundamental decision was obviously implemented the three times that we've cut taxes since 2001. We had a great partner in that effort as we went through those exercises because the man on Capitol Hill who was absolutely vital to everything we did was none other than Iowa's Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the finance committee. (Applause.) And might I also while I'm on your congressional delegation mention my old friend Jim Leach. Jim and I have known each other for 30 years -- he's been a superb member of Congress for everybody here in Iowa, as well, too. (Applause.)
But cutting taxes is part of it. Going forward in terms of the future, it's very important that we keep the tax changes that we put in place -- that we make those permanent. The changes we made to double the child tax credit, to increase -- to reduce the marriage penalty, to cut rates, to make it possible for small businesses to expense more of their investment so they can afford to expand their businesses; the repeal of the death tax absolutely essential so that people can pass on their farm, or their ranch, or their small business to the next generation without getting taxed on it yet again after you've already paid tax on it once during your lifetime -- a series of those changes that are vital that we need to continue into the future.
But we also need to work in a lot of other areas, in education, in trade. We need to make certain that our regulatory system isn't overly burdensome for the private sector so that we don't bury ourselves in bureaucracy and red tape. All of those are priority items that the President will address going forward.
We also need to focus very much on health care because health care -- both from the standpoint of the availability of health care for our folks here at home, the cost of it, as well as its impact on our ability to build a strong, healthy, viable economy because in the final analysis if you look at the problem, for example, with respect to the uninsured in America, about 60 percent of the uninsured population in the country are, in fact, employees of small businesses. And making it possible for businesses to be able to afford to pay for benefits for their employees is a vital part of what we need to do to guarantee that we can have the strong healthy economies here in the United States that are essential for us.
One of the most important things the President did this year -- again, together with the Congress; Chuck played a major role in this -- was our Medicare reform legislation. For the first time, we're going to have prescription drug benefits available through the Medicare system to our seniors. That program will kick in, in early 2006. We're already started down that road with respect to the Medicare drug discount card that's now available. Several million Americans, senior citizens, have enrolled in that, as well, too. And that program is vital going forward.
Our opponents voted against it -- did not want to support fundamental reform of the Medicare system. The Medicare system provides essential benefits for all of our senior Americans. The system badly needed updating and reform because it didn't provide prescription drugs. And of course, anybody who is concerned about health care these days understands that prescription drugs are a far more important part of somebody's total health capabilities and care than they were back in the 1960s when they passed the Medicare program -- absolutely essential that we make those kinds of changes.
Senator Kerry has got a proposal in the health care area that he's put out recently. There was a study released just today by a nonpartisan think tank in Washington that estimates that his package will cost about $1.5 trillion. That basically breaks the bank. There isn't any way you can have a program that large and pick up that much of the cost without ultimately generating, probably the need for a broad scale increase in taxes pretty much across the board. And so it's important as we go forward this year -- we'll have this debate over health care, it's very important -- but we've got a clear distinction out there between the President who had done something very significant in this area, who, for example, among other things is recommending that we have health associations so small businesses can pool their assets and be able to get the big kind of discounts for their employees that large corporations do, that we talk about refundable tax credit for small business owners to be able to contribute to health savings accounts for their employees -- a series of proposals that are already in law, or on the books that will be vital to reduce our overall health care costs and make it more available to the American people.
But we don't want to go down the road that's being recommended by our opponents because basically what it does is re-nationalize our health care system in this country, put us in a position where you'll insert the government to a greater extent than ever before between the doctor and the patient. It harks back to the Clinton-style plan that was rejected overwhelmingly by the American people back some 15 years ago. We don't need to go down that road with respect to improving our health care system. And one of the decisions we'll make this year is to make certain we reject that alternative and head down the road the President has laid out for all of us. (Applause.)
One of the areas where there are fundamental difference is this whole area of medical liability reform. The fact is that a lot of our health costs are driven by the way the medical liability system currently functions. One estimate is that we spend $108 billion a year as a nation on the medical liability system that currently doesn't work very well. It doesn't work very well because it has driven up the cost of malpractice insurance all across the country.
A lot of states around the country -- my home state of Wyoming, for example, we are literally driving doctors out of business, having to close down their practices because they can't afford the insurance policy to protect themselves against medical liability lawsuits during the course of their practice. OB/GYNs -- about one out of every 10 or 11 of them had had to shut down their operations nationwide. My hometown of Casper, Wyoming, there was a news report the other day that indicated that over the last two or three years, the cost of an insurance policy for a general practitioner has gone from $40,000 a year to $100,000 a year. A new doc coming out of medical school needs to have about $80,000 cash up front just to open the doors and start his practice. That's unacceptable.
We can fix it. There are ways to fix it. We need to place reasonable limits on non-economic damages. Everybody understands there are cases where people do, in fact, deserve compensation, and ought to be able to go to the courts and get compensation. But what happens today, of course, is that a big chunk of the compensation doesn't go to the people who were harmed, it goes as administrative overhead, as legal fees as much as 40 percent to 50 percent of the total cost. And what it does ultimately is it adds to the cost of our total health care system, raises the cost for everybody else, raises the cost for what small businesses have to pay to provide benefits for their employees, et cetera. We can fix that. We've gotten legislation through the House of Representatives to do exactly that. It has been blocked in the Senate. Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards are opposed to medical liability. That's another fundamental difference, if you will, between the two tickets.
But all things considered, I think there's no question about the course we want to pursue domestically in the months and years ahead. I think we will have a full airing and debate. The President will spend a lot of time this week if you'll note in his remarks out there, talking especially about the health care system. And I commend his comments to you. You'll want to follow that very closely.
Let me shift over, if I can, and spend a few minutes on the national security side, and some of those issues as we contemplate the choice we're going to make on November 2nd.
On 9/11 when the terrorists struck New York, the World Trade Center, and, of course, the Pentagon -- and the plane that went down in Pennsylvania that was headed for Washington -- we were force as a result of those events to take a fresh look at the threats that America faces and to think about how we wanted to defend the country and what is necessary by way of securing our future. And what we saw that day was that the old strategies that we had used in the past during the Cold War didn't have much relevance when it came time to talking about terror, that we saw what 19 individuals could do, coming into the United States, getting their training here, armed with knives and boarding passes. And of course, they were able to wreak havoc in New York City and at the Pentagon.
The other lessons we derived from that process as we went forward, we discovered that the terrorists were trying very hard to acquire deadlier capabilities than anything they had used to date. We know from having interrogated people that were captured, we know from training materials we found, manuals and so forth that they are trying very hard to acquire chemical or biological weapons, or even a nuclear weapon if they can. And the ultimate threat we face today as a nation is the possibility that at some point one of those terrorist cells, small group of terrorists ends up in the middle of one our cities with that kind of deadly capability, and then the lives of Americans put at risk wouldn't be just a few thousand, but, indeed, might be even hundreds of thousands. That's the ultimate threat we face today as a nation.
To deal with it, the President decided on 9/11 that we needed a new strategy. The old idea, for example, that during the Cold War that we could deter the Soviets from launching an attack against the United States was based on holding at risk their territory, so they knew if they were foolish enough to start something, that they would pay a terrible price. With respect to the al Qaeda organization, or to a terrorist who is committed to jihad, who is out to kill infidels and is prepared to sacrifice their life in the process, the whole notion of deterrence is meaningless. There isn't anything they value highly enough that you can put at risk that would lead them to decide they wanted to change their policy.
So as we acted on 9/11, the President moved very aggressively to improve our defenses here at home -- which we've done, the Department of Homeland Security; the Patriot Act, that allows our law enforcement to have the tools they need to be able to prosecute and put away terrorists -- those kinds of measures have been an important part of the effort; the reorganization of the intelligence community, and so forth. But we also needed -- no matter how hard we worked here at home defensively, we also needed to be able to go on offense. A good defense isn't enough. If you're successful 99 percent of the time against that kind of threat, it's inadequate to the task if there's still that 1 percent chance that they can get through and get to you. So we learned a long time ago a good defense is not enough. You also have to go on offense. And that's exactly what we've done. (Applause.)
The decision the President made in that regard obviously has been a vital one. We launched our efforts in Afghanistan. And there, of course, we took down the Taliban. We closed the training camps where the terrorists had trained to kill Americans, and some 20,000 terrorists went through those training camps in the late 1990s. We captured or killed hundreds of al Qaeda. We have since then stood up and interim government in Afghanistan under President Karzai. We have watched them -- they did this by themselves, wrote a brand new constitution. They've scheduled for next month. In October, they'll have elections before we do. The amazing thing is in the last few weeks they have registered to vote 10 million Afghan citizens -- first time in history. (Applause.) And over 40 percent of those are women. (Applause.)
What that means is that here by the end of the year, there will be in place in Afghanistan a democratically elected government committed to friendship for the United States, a government that will grow stronger day by day. They've got a lot of difficult tasks ahead of them -- without question, and we'll continue to be heavily involved there for some period of time. But we're also spending a lot of time and effort training a new Afghan national army, putting in place Afghan forces that can take care of their own security and ultimately be able to deal with any threats that might arise inside Afghanistan. That's a dramatic change in about three years from a nation that just three years ago was, in fact, a base of operations for the worst terrorist attack ever on the United States, where we lost 3,000 of our people. Very, very significant achievement -- it would not have come about it hadn't been for the decision the President made that we were going to use U.S. military force to aggressively go after the terrorists wherever they might be found. And the other -- (technical difficulties) -- against his own people, the Kurds and who had previously provided sanctuary and safe harbor for terrorists. He allowed Abu Nidal to operate out of Baghdad for years; the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He provided $25,000 payments to the families of suicide bombers who had used terror tactics to kill Israelis. And there was a relationship with al Qaeda. So the world is far safer today, the region is more secure, and America is safer because today Saddam Hussein is in jail. (Applause.)
Now, we're also moving aggressively in Iraq to establish there a viable, democratically elected government. We've got an interim government in place, headed up by Prime Minister Allawi -- a good man who has taken over the government at this point. And there are Iraqi officials in charge of every ministry of the Iraqi government today. We're also spending a lot of time and effort there, as well, too -- training Iraqis to be able to take on the responsibilities for security in their own country, building and Iraqi army, a police force, border control elements and so forth. And that process is going forward.
The task, though, is very difficult. I don't want to underestimate, or leave anybody with a false impression that these are easy assignments. This is a hard thing to do -- both in Afghanistan and Iraq. In Iraq, they have a national advisory council now in place. There will be elections there in January. That group elected in January will write a constitution and by a year from December, they should have in place, in Iraq, a democratically elected national government operating under a constitution that they've devised and they've written. (Applause.)
But the heart of the effort, the importance of what we're attempting here -- it's important for people to think about it as a long-term strategy. It's not enough just to go kill terrorists. We've got to do that wherever we can find them, obviously. We've got to go destroy the al Qaeda organization. But we also have to change circumstances on the ground in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and in that part of the world that has been the breeding ground, if you will, for terror. We've got to remember, as well, that this is not just a U.S. problem. We're not the only ones who have been hit. Just think about what has happened since 9/11, all the cities in the world that have been on the receiving end of terror-type attacks -- in Madrid, in Casablanca, in Mombassa, and Jakarta, and Bali, and Riyadh, Istanbul. And of course, most recently, we saw what happened in Russia here, the week before last, where first they took down two airliners, killed some 90 people that way; and then, of course, went into Beslan and took a school, killed over 350 people, including a majority of school kids. Using terrorism is the only way to describe it -- an effort to commit terribly violent acts against innocent human beings in order to change the policy, or achieve some kind of political objective.
This is a global conflict. It requires a long-term commitment from the United States for us to make certain that we get the job done here. There are fundamental differences, I believe, between the way the President has addressed these issues -- and he's been at it now -- he's got a track record there, three years since 9/11 for anybody who wants to know what George Bush believes and what he thinks, and how important we believe it is to continue a very aggressive policy going forward in order to defeat the terrorists so they don't get more shots at the United States and the way John Kerry would deal with these issues -- I believe.
For example, if we look at the situation in Iraq, it's very hard to tell what John Kerry really believes with respect to Iraq. (Laughter.) He's had a number of positions on the matter. He initially -- of course, if you go back and look at his track record over the years, and I don't mean by any means to disparage his military service. He served in Vietnam. I think as we honor all the veterans, we also need to honor John Kerry's service in Vietnam. That's altogether fitting and proper that we do so. I've never criticized that. Nobody has ever suggested he's unpatriotic, no matter what the opposition might say.
But what we have said is he's also accountable for a 20-year record in the United States Senate, that, in fact, if you went to look and get some kind of idea, or make some kind of assessment of how he would approach the problems we're faced with now, with respect to the war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq and the global conflict here. Go back and look and see how has he voted on national security issues for the 20-year period of time that he served in the United States Senate.
If you do that, you'll find several things. You'll find, first of all, that he worked hard to either eliminate or reduce most of the major weapons programs in the military during the Reagan years -- all those programs that President Reagan supported, that I supported, that I think many Americans supported, John Kerry opposed, more often than not.
If you look at the first Gulf War, Desert Storm, when I was Secretary of Defense, he was a member of the United States Senate, he voted against Desert Storm. He did not support that effort. A series of judgments, or decisions like that over the years that leave a very clear pattern with respect -- for example, his service on the intelligence committee. He served on the intelligence committee for six years. Among other things, he moved at one point to try to cut over $6 billion from the intelligence committee budget -- and this was right after the first attack on the World Trade Center -- in 1993. It was such an extreme position that even Ted Kennedy wouldn't support him. (Laughter.)
So I think the evidence is overwhelming. And then if we move forward now to the current set of circumstances with respect to Iraq, we have -- you'll find a series of very strong statements that he made, starting back in 1998 during the Clinton administration on the importance of dealing with Saddam Hussein on regime change, which he supported; on taking action to force Saddam Hussein to come into compliance with the U.N. Security Council resolutions, et cetera. When the President asked for authorization from the Congress to use military force in Iraq, John Kerry voted yes. But then later on, he changed his position. And when it was time to vote for the $87 billion that we needed to support the troops once they were committed to combat, once they were in the field, he voted no. There were only four senators in the United States Senate who voted to commit the troops, and then voted against providing them the resources they needed once they were there -- only four. One of those was John Kerry, the other was John Edwards.
Now, given that kind of track record, I think it raises serious questions about exactly what he does believe in terms of how to prosecute the current conflict, how to deal with the challenges that we face now, and that we'll face in the future. And, obviously, I think that the record is pretty clear that George Bush is exactly what we need in a President on this issue -- not John Kerry. (Applause.)
The fact is a senator can be wrong for 20 years, and it doesn't really matter. There are no real consequences if one senator who is only one out of a hundred votes in the United States Senate fails to get it right on these kinds of issues. But a President -- a President -- always has the deciding vote. Presidents make decisions that have enormous consequences for all of us -- obviously, for our men and women in the military, but obviously for all Americans, in terms of how we deal with basic, fundamental issues of national security -- how we're going to protect the country, how we're going to guarantee the safety and security of our kids and grandkids. And the decision we're going to make this year is we're going to pick a Commander-in-Chief who is going to pursue his responsibilities from the Oval Office for the next four years. And since we're at one of those break points, if you will, in history, where we're setting up new institutions and new strategies that are likely to be in place for 20, or 30, or 40 years down the road, the consequences of the decision that we make on November 2nd, are very, very significant. We don't want to forget that. And I'd ask all of you to keep that in mind. (Applause.)
Final point, and then I'll stop and have a chance to respond to some of your questions, as well, too -- there are two places I look when I express my gratitude for what we've been able to accomplish so far. Obviously, right at the top of my list is our President, George W. Bush, who I think has done a superb job since he was sworn in a little over three years ago. (Applause.)
But none of what we've achieved would have been possible without the superb performance of our men and women in uniform in the armed forces of the United States. (Applause.)
So let me close this morning by thanking them, and their families for all that they've done for us. They're the ones who make the sacrifices and put literally everything on the line in order to protect us and keep us safe here at home to make certain that we deal with these problems overseas, not here in the streets of our own cities. And their families, obviously, also bear a very special burden. And finally, let me say thanks to all our of veterans in the audience here today -- whenever they served. We greatly appreciate what you did for us. (Applause.)
Now, the way this usually works, we've got people in the audience with these very attractive yellow jerseys on -- (laughter) -- with the numbers on them. And they've got microphones with them. And if you want to ask a question, or make a comment just get the attention of one of them. They'll come over with a microphone. And then I'll call on you as I can. Yes, sir, back here.
Q Mr. Vice President, you've talked about health issues and a lot of other issues. But one that I see that hasn't been addressed is our judicial. We see judges taking the laws and just getting away with them, and they're making laws instead of enforcing them. How is that going to be addressed?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, one of the big problems we've got in the judicial area is we've moved aggressively to fill vacancies on the federal bench. But we've run into a problem because the Senate Democrats have begun to filibuster on certain judicial nominations. So we've got perfectly able and talented people with good strong legal backgrounds that meet all the requirements in terms of their capacity to serve on the federal bench. But the Democrats have zeroed in on a few of those, especially in the circuit courts, and filibustered that, which means, in effect, we have to have 60 votes in order to break the filibuster to get those people confirmed. We think that's wrong. We think it's a violation of the way the Senate is supposed to work. Filibusters have not previously been used on judicial appointments. We had a case just the other day, for example, a friend of mine, a man named Bill Myers, from Idaho, a Westerner, strong background, worked on the Hill at one point, has got all the credentials, and he's got the votes to get confirmed. He's got 54 or 55 votes that will support him. But he's been filibustered. He is the nominee the President sent up to serve on the Ninth Circuit, which is the circuit that covers the western part of the country, California and the West Coast. That, by the way, is the circuit that decided that we shouldn't be allowed to say "under God" when we pledge allegiance to the flag. Now, I think the American people ought to be able to say "under God" when we pledge allegiance to the flag. (Applause.) And it sounds to me like the Ninth Circuit could use some new judges. (Laughter and applause.)
The best, most immediate solution to the problem is to make certain we get great senators like Chuck Grassley reelected to the United States Senate -- (applause) -- and to expand our numbers in several of the other races around the country this year. And we're working on that. But it is -- it's a real problem, because as I say, it's the first time we've sort of crossed over that line now to a conscious strategy by one party to try to apply the filibuster rules to judicial appointments. And it's a big issue.
Somebody over here, number two.
Q Good morning, Mr. Vice President, my question to do you deals with Russia and the events that recently transpired there. Previously, Russia hasn't been always as supportive as I think they should have been in our efforts in fighting terrorism around the world. Do you see, with the events that have occurred, Russia taking a more aggressive stance, and standing more strongly with us as we continue to fight terrorists around the globe?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I think they will. I think there has been -- in some circles, in Europe, for example, I think a lot of our European friends have been somewhat ambivalent about this whole proposition with respect to how we deal with these terrorist attacks. I think some have hoped that if they kept their heads down and stayed out of the line of fire, they wouldn't get hit. I think what happened in Russia now demonstrates pretty conclusively that everybody is a target, that Russia, of course, did not support us in Iraq. They did not get involved in sending troops there. They've gotten hit anyway. And I think people are back sort of reassessing now, in terms of what the motives may be of the people who are launching these attacks or using these kinds of tactics against our people.
President Putin and President Bush have a good relationship. President Bush called Putin almost immediately -- as soon as we got word of this attack. He was the first major world leader to call him and express condolences. You may have seen a picture in the last day or two when the President and Laura went to the Russian embassy in Washington, and signed the condolence book, which is a mark of respect and a way to pay our respects to the Russians. I think that there will be a higher degree of cooperation among all countries going forward. There's already a lot.
In the intelligence area, for example, there's a great deal of coordination, of cooperation from government to government -- oftentimes with the intelligence services of governments you might not necessarily think allies of the United States. Everybody -- to the extent that people are coming to realize that this is a global threat and not just a target -- not just targeted on the United States, I think we'll see a wider basis of support for the measures that are needed in order to defend ourselves, and to deal with this threat. So I'm fairly optimistic going forward that we will see that.
Got somebody back here. Back here, number four.
Q Mr. Vice President, welcome to Ottumwa.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
Q With all the jobs that are being exported, what are we doing to try to conserve -- bringing those jobs back into the United States, and keeping jobs here?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, the most important thing I think we can do here in the United States is to make the U.S. to best place in the world to do business. If we're going to have people invest here, build businesses here, create jobs here, then they'll sit down and they'll make a hard-nosed economic decision about whether or not this is a good place to do business.
The fact is we are the world's leading trading nation. We're also, I believe, in general terms, the most attractive place in the world to invest. And in terms of the overall flow of trade and commerce back and forth across international borders, we do very well with respect to our ability, for example, to produce here and export overseas. One out of every three acres that's in production in the United States is for export. We've got several million Americans who are employed by the U.S. subsidiaries of foreign-owned firms. That is in a question of the trade back and forth, the United States does extraordinarily well. But there isn't any one silver bullet that will lead people to make that choice that they definitely want to invest here. I think you have to do several things.
As I mentioned at the outset, you've got to have a tax system that encourages savings and investment and risk-taking, and the entrepreneurial spirit on the part of small businesses. Seven out of 10 new jobs in America are created by small businesses -- not by the big corporations. This has got to be a friendly environment for them to operate in. We've got to have a first class education system so that businesses operating here can find people with the talents and the skills they need, and so that our young people can have the opportunity to rise and succeed in the world by being part of an effective company. You've got to have a first rate health care system. You've got to end lawsuit abuse so we don't spend so darn much money running a business, or an enterprise of some kind hiring lawyers instead of hiring workers. Our legal system is not all that efficient. (Applause.)
If you look at the proposals the President has put together, we tried -- we've got initiatives in all of these areas. And I'm convinced that with the right kind of policies in place, there isn't any question Americans can out-compete anybody, anyplace in the world as long as there's a fair, level playing field there. And we've done it consistently over the years. I say we are the world's leading trading nation -- both in terms of exports and imports. And we'll continue to do that as long as we make the right decisions, put in place the right policies, and recognize that we're all in this together.
Yes, over here.
Q Mr. Vice President, I would like to know what we can do as a community to help our military overseas, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, the remarkable thing is to get a chance to spend some time with our folks who are serving, or have served, or are just back from over there. It's the most remarkable group of people you're ever going to want to see. I was down -- well, a few weeks ago, I stopped at Camp Pendleton and spent part of the day with our Marines out in California, a lot of them getting ready to go back for a second tour in Iraq. And the other night, I had a tremendous experience. I went down -- I was invited to go down to Fort Benning, Georgia, with the Third Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment. These are Rangers -- we've got three battalions of Rangers. They do phenomenal work. They were the first ones to jump into Afghanistan when we launched our operations there. And they have been deployed so much over the last couple of years because of our operations overseas that they hadn't had a chance to have their annual ball, where they get together with their wives and families and so forth and have this very special occasion. And they were able to do it, and they invited me to come have dinner with them and speak to them, which I did.
The most important thing I think of all is to say thank you. Every chance you get them, let them know we know what they're doing for us. Second, I would say is to support them absolutely. Let them know there's always going to be a lot of hand-wringing and controversy any time we get into a conflict. That seems to be our habit. And as a democracy, we debate everything. We'll argue about what the weather is going to be tomorrow. But that should never extend to the men and women in uniform who have taken on these assignments and these responsibilities. Look out for their families. If you know somebody who is deployed overseas, stop by and see if there's anything they need, can you help them out. The wife and kid -- do the wife and kids here at home need help getting something done around the house, whatever it might be, just offer support and assistance, and let them know how much you appreciate them.
A lot of communities around the country have gotten together and write letters, correspond with the folks overseas. I know when we did Desert Storm years ago when I was Secretary of Defense, one of the biggest problems I had was that we didn't have enough logistics capability to haul all the cake and the cookies and the goodies that everybody at home wanted to send to the troops overseas.
I can remember going out to visit with a Marine unit in the desert up along the Iraq border, just before we launched into Kuwait. And about 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, the guy turned to me, the commander who was taking me around, and he said, you notice the camels out there?
And there were camels coming in out of the desert into -- to the edge of the camp. And I said, yes, what are they doing?
He said, well, it's mail call.
I said, what do you mean it's mail call?
He said, well, the camels have learned that the mail truck shows up every afternoon about 4:00 p.m., and it's always chock-a-block full of goodies. And we've got so many goodies the guys started feeding the camels, so the camels come in every day at 4:00 p.m. (Laughter.)
But just the measure of the affection and the respect that we show them, and as I say, the most important thing we can do of all is to thank them for what they're doing for all of us. (Applause.)
Q Mr. Vice President. I'm in the United States Army. I just spent six month in Iraq, and I was injured there in June. And I have been home for about three months now. And I just wanted to say I left supporting you guys, and after being there, I support you guys even more -- after seeing what those people had to go through and how they lived. And I ran missions handing out food and water to people there. And having those people -- and be there with them for six months is -- it was amazing. And I truly understand what we're doing over there. And I thank you for doing what you did.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much for doing what you did. (Applause.)
I can't think of a better note to end on than that one. Let me thank all of you for being here this morning. I ask you again to keep in mind what is at stake here on November 2nd, how enormously important it is -- because we are talking about the kind of nation we want to hang on to our -- hand on to our kids and grandkids. There is a great deal at stake in the choice we're all going to make. And we also need to remember how enormously fortunate we are to get to participate in that process. The thing that always bugs me a little bit, and maybe I'm getting old and crotchety now, and so I'm not as temperate as I used to be, but it's people who take for granted what we have and our right to participate in the process of deciding who our President is going to be, and then hold them accountable for their performance and get that opportunity every election to go out there and be part of the process. And I look back at the last election, how close it was, 537 votes in Florida. That decided the outcome of who was going to President of the United States and how we were going to be governed for the next four years. You can't tell me that individual effort doesn't matter. Every volunteer hour, every dollar contributed, all of the doorbells rung, and the phone calls made, all of that is absolutely a crucial part of the process. And the last thing in the world we want to do is, by any means, to take it for granted and not recognize that we are enormously fortunate to be living in the United States, and to have the right to do something that very few citizens in history have ever been able to do, except here in the United States, and increasingly around the world. But that's a very special -- it's a very special privilege, and we should not treat it lightly.
Thank you very much for being here. (Applause.)
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President Bush Thanks Women in DC for Support, Tells Why Four More Years are Needed
Grand Hyatt Washington
Washington, D.C.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I want to thank you all for coming. Thanks for being here. Al, thanks for your hard work. I appreciate your gathering up a little help here, as we're coming down the stretch. (Laughter.)
I feel great about the election. I want to thank you for your help. We're making good progress. (Applause.) I want to thank you all here. I know we've got a lot of Latinos here. Gracias por su apoyo.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: S. (Applause.) Vamos a ganar, con su apoyo. Thank you all for coming.
You know, Laura and I are traveling our country a lot. And it's exciting to get out amongst the people; it really is, I'm enjoying it. The crowds are big. The enthusiasm is high. Came off a bus trip in Minnesota yesterday, which was very successful; heading down to North Carolina today. (Applause.) Yes. My energy level is high. My vision is clear. And we're going to win. (Applause.)
So I said to Laura -- so when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, fine, just so long as I don't have to give any political speeches. (Laughter.) I said, okay, you won't have to give any. Fortunately, she didn't hold me to the promise. (Laughter.) You know, in New York City the people got to see Laura. You know, there's a lot of pressure on and she gave a great speech. She's a compassionate, decent soul. She's a wonderful mother, a great wife. I'm telling the people around the country that the reason to put me back in is so Laura will have four more years. (Laughter and applause.) I'm really proud of her. She's in -- she's in West Virginia and South Carolina and Pennsylvania today. So she sends her best.
Dick Cheney is doing a great job. I'm proud to be running with him. I like to remind people that he doesn't have the waviest hair in the race. (Laughter.) And then I tell them I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. (Laughter.) I picked him because he's a man of great judgment, sound experience, and a person getting the job done for the American people. (Applause.)
I also want to thank Suzanne Lord. Al gets the credit, Suzanne probably did all the work. But thank you. (Applause.) Thanks for being here. I want to thank my friend, Mercer Reynolds, who is the Victory 2004 National Finance Chairman. This is a Victory Committee fundraiser. This is -- the money goes to help turn out the vote in key states. It's really important. And Mercer has done a great job. He was the finance chairman for Bush-Cheney, did such a fine job that we deputized him to do the Victory Committee. And I appreciate my friend's hard work.
I want to thank my friend, Raul Romero -- (applause) -- est, Raul. All. It's good to see you, friend. Thanks for bringing so many of your friends here. I'm honored to have your continued support. Raul is a Tejano. I know him well from Texas. He's a good friend, and you got to count on your friends in politics, you know. If you don't have any friends you're not going anywhere in politics. (Laughter.) And I, fortunately, have got a lot of friends -- many here in people like Raul. I appreciate you coming. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Jim Langdon. He's a Texan, too. I appreciate him being here, and his hard work. I want to thank Julie Finley, Dick Hug and Lois, and Shelly Kamins and Lynne. Thank you all for putting this good group together, and thank you all for coming.
I'm telling the people where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm going to lead. That's what I'm doing, and will continue to do so. I tell people that I believe every child can learn and every school must teach. And I came to Washington to challenge what I call the soft bigotry of low expectations. And we've done so, by raising the standards in schools; by measuring early so we can solve problems before it's too late; by spending extra federal money, but in return, insisting upon results. And there is an achievement gap in America that is narrowing, and we're not going to turn back to the old days of public schools.
I tell people that I believe we have a moral responsibility to provide good health care for our seniors. I came to Washington to fix problems. We had a problem in Medicare -- medicine was modernizing, Medicare wasn't. People say, what do you mean by that? Well, I'll tell you what I mean. It means that we can pay $100,000 for heart surgery, but not one dime for the prescription drugs that would prevent the heart surgery from being needed in the first place. That didn't make any sense. (Applause.) We have strengthened and modernized Medicare, and we're not going to go back to the old days.
I tell people that I believe in the energy and innovation of America's workers and farmers and ranchers and entrepreneurs, and that's why we unleashed the energy with large tax cuts. And they're working. Our economy is -- (applause.) I remind people on the campaign trail that we've been through a lot. The economy of our country has been through a recession, we've been through corporate scandals. That hurt, those corporate scandals hurt. It shook the confidence of the investor class. It shook the confidence of the consumers. I also tell them that we passed tough laws that now make it abundantly clear we're not going to tolerate dishonesty in the boardrooms of America.
We've overcome the attacks. That attack of September the 11th cost us about a million jobs in the three months after September the 11th. I say we're overcoming it because our economy is growing at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. (Applause.) We've added 1.7 million new jobs since August of '03. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, which is below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s. (Applause.)
I tell the people that my most solemn duty is to protect the American people, and that if America shows any uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. It's not going to happen on my watch. (Applause.) I'm running with a compassionate conservative philosophy that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. And from what I hear and what I see, the American people want a consistent, steady, principled leader. And that's why with your help we're going to win. (Applause.)
I understand the world in which we live is changing. It's very important for me to explain that to the American people, that we are now part of a changing world and the role of government is to change the fundamental systems of government to help people. The changing world occurs because we've got women in the work place today. Fifty years ago, women were at home. The changing world occurs because people change jobs or careers often in a lifetime. Fifty years ago, people only had one job and one career. And, yet, the fundamental institutions of government -- our health care, our pension plans, worker training programs or the tax code -- hasn't changed. They were designed for the days of yesterday; I believe they need to be designed for tomorrow. And so I will do so over the next four years. (Applause.)
A hopeful society is one in which government systems help people realize their dreams. A hopeful society is also one that has a growing economy. It's an issue in this campaign, is who's got a vision to make sure this economic recovery is sustained economic growth. In order to make sure jobs are here in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business. That means less regulations, it means tort reform, legal reform for our small businesses -- and all businesses, for that matter.
We need to get an energy plan to my desk. I proposed a comprehensive energy plan to the United States Congress. It's stuck. It's a plan that encourages conservation, encourages the use of renewables like ethanol and biodiesel. It's got a very important electricity title that modernizes the -- help modernize the electricity grid. It says we'll explore for natural gas in environmentally friendly ways and use coal technology -- clean coal technology so we can use abundant resources at home. I'm telling the people if we want jobs here, we must become less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)
In order to keep jobs here, we've got to have wise trade policy. We open up our markets for goods from overseas, and it's good for the consumers we do so. If you're a consumer for a product and you have more choices, you're likely to get the product you want at a better price and better quality. And what I'm telling the American people is over the next four years I will continue to insist others treat us the way we treat them. I will continue to remind China that they must open up their markets to our products. And I say so because I know we can compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere, so long as the rules are fair. (Applause.)
To make sure the economy continues to grow, we'll be wise about how we spend the money, the people's money. And to make sure the economy grows, we've got to keep your taxes low. And taxes are an issue in this campaign. My opponent has proposed at least $2.2 trillion in new federal spending -- so far --(laughter) -- and we've still got the month of October to go. (Laughter.) So they asked him, how are you going to pay for it. He said, oh, it's simple, just tax the rich. Well, first, you can't raise enough money by taxing the rich to pay for $2.2 trillion in new spending. So there's a tax gap. And guess who's going to get to fill the tax gap? You are, yes.
And, secondly, we've heard the rhetoric before, "tax the rich." The rich hire lawyers and accountants so that the middle class gets stuck with the bill. We're not going to let him tax anybody, because we're going to win in November. (Applause.)
I'm serious about fixing the tax code. It's a complicated mess. And I'm going to bring Republicans and Democrats together to make the code more simple and more fair. In order to make sure jobs stay here, and to make sure this economy grows, we need to spend less time filling out tax forms, and more time in constructive work. And so I'm serious about fixing this tax code. And the people want me to help fix the tax code. (Applause.)
You know, one of the interesting challenges we face here in this country during changing times is to make sure the workers have the skill sets necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century. You know, I'm going down to North Carolina today, and I met textile workers who lost their job, but who are able to go back to a community college and gain the skills necessary to become employed in the health care sector, for example. Because of some education, because they're able to enhance their skills and enhance their productivity, they're able to find higher-paying jobs in the jobs of the 21st century. So one of the real challenges for us is to make sure that worker training programs are relevant and actually fulfill the need of making -- of matching skills with people who want to work.
And, as well, we've got to do something about our high schools, because most new jobs in a changing world require two years of college, yet only one in four of our students gets there, which means we better have good remedial education, good intervention programs for at-risk students in high school. We've got to make sure we emphasize math and science. You know, as the No Child Left Behind Act gains steam and -- and over time we'll require a rigorous exam before graduation from high school. See, by raising standards in high school and by increasing Pell grants for low-and middle-income families, it will mean more Americans are able to start their career with a college degree. (Applause.)
Health care is an issue in this campaign. I see Vin Weber there -- he and I spent a little time yesterday in Minnesota, where I was explaining our health care vision. It's a commonsense, practical plan to make high-quality health care more affordable and more accessible. And we have a difference in opinion in this campaign. I mean, it's a clear difference on health care. My opponent wants government to dictate -- government to dictate the health care decisions; I want you to decide the health care decisions. (Applause.)
Here are some of the practical, commonsensical ideas that I'm talking about on the campaign trail. More than half of the working uninsured work for small businesses. Small businesses are having trouble affording insurance. One reason why is because they're in the marketplace alone. I think small businesses ought to be allowed to pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can purchase insurance at the rates big companies get to purchase insurance. (Applause.) My opponent disagrees with that. Those are called association health plans, and they make a lot of sense.
Another way to help people with their health insurance is to expand health savings accounts, tax-free health savings accounts. These make a lot of sense because it enables a patient and a doc to interface. It lets a person control his own money. It means a person can take that health savings account from one job to the next. Remember, people are changing jobs and careers during the course of a lifetime here in America today.
I've got a plan to help small businesses better afford health savings accounts for their working uninsured. We're going to allow low-income Americans to have a tax credit that they can apply to a health savings account. Health savings accounts are a practical way of helping reduce the cost of medicine and making sure people have got insurance.
We're going to continue to expand community health centers. I think they make sense, because community health centers are places where the indigent and the poor can get primary care and preventative care without having to go to an emergency room of a hospital. I told the people when I was running we were going to renovate or expand 1,600 clinics. I'm meeting that goal. The goal in a second term is going to be every poor county in America have a community health center. (Applause.)
A big issue in the campaign is medical liability reform. People are now beginning to understand what these junk lawsuits mean for their health care. The junk lawsuits are running up the cost of health care, and more and more citizens understand that. And junk lawsuits are running good docs out of the practice of medicine. If the goal is to make health care more available and affordable, this country needs medical liability reform now. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to the health care debate. My opponent's plan is a massive, big government plan. And you can tell by the size of the price tag it's massive and it's big. (Laughter.) They estimated the cost of his health care plan to be $1.5 trillion. That's with a "T." (Laughter.) And that's a lot, even for a senator from Massachusetts. (Laughter and applause.)
He wants to expand Medicaid. By expanding Medicaid, you're crowding out families from small businesses, from private health plans in small businesses. In other words, you're moving people from the private sector to the public sector. And what's wrong with that is that all of a sudden you have government officials deciding what coverage you get, and you have government officials deciding decisions for you. His plan is the exact opposite of what we believe. We believe when it comes to health care decisions, they ought to be made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats here in the nation's capital. (Applause.)
I've spent a lot of time talking about ownership in the campaign. I believe ownership helps bring stability in changing times. During my administration, the home ownership rate is at an all-time high in America. We want more people owning their own home. It's a fantastic statistic. (Applause.)
We're working hard to make sure more Latinos own their own home, and people from all walks of life own their own home. I can't think of anything more important than promoting ownership throughout America. I love the fact somebody opens up the door where they're living and says, welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property. (Applause.)
And I think in order to make sure the retirement system, Social Security works well for a younger generation, we've got to incorporate ownership into Social Security. I tell the people where I go that if you're on Social Security you don't have to worry about the government fulfilling its promise. Now, I know there's going to be political rhetoric trying to say something different than that, but it's not a fact. Social Security trust is solvent when it comes to those who've retired.
Finally -- frankly, the Social Security trust is in pretty good shape for baby boomers. But we've got to worry about the youngsters, our kids and our grandchildren, when it comes to the solvency of the Social Security system. That's why I believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of their own money, set aside a personal savings account that will help Social Security fulfill its promise, a private account that they can call their own, a private account they can pass on to the next generation, and a private account that government can't take away. (Applause.)
I also spend time out there reminding people that in a changing world some things don't change, the values we try to live by -- courage and compassion, and reverence and integrity; The institutions that are fundamental to our lives -- our families, our schools, our religious congregations. We believe in a culture of life in which every person matters and every being counts. (Applause.) We stand for marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) And I stand for the appointment of federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. (Applause.)
This election will also determine how our country responds to the continuing danger of terrorism. Since September the 11th, 2001, we've fought the terrorists across the earth, not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. It's very important for me to continue to lay out our strategy. We've got to lay out our strategy. We've got a clear strategy: we'll continue to defend the homeland; we'll transform our military to meet the threats of the 21st century; we'll strengthen our intelligence services; we will stay on the offensive -- it is best to strike the terrorists elsewhere, so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)
And we will continue to spread freedom and peace. And we're going to prevail. Our strategy is working. When you're out gathering up the vote, remind people about what life was like three years ago, compared to today. Maybe this will help you: Afghanistan was the home base of al Qaeda; Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist groups; Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising; Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons; Iraq was a gathering threat, headed by a sworn enemy of the United States; al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned its attacks.
Because we acted, Afghanistan is fighting terror; Pakistan is making raids and arrests; Libya is dismantling its weapons programs; Saudi Arabia is after al Qaeda; the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom; and more than three-quarters of al Qaeda key members and associates have been brought to justice. (Applause.)
America and the world are safer. This progress involves careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose and some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. I knew Saddam Hussein's record of aggression and his ties to terror. When people say, what ties to terror, remind them about Abu Nidal, the killer of Leon Klinghoffer, and his organization. Or Zarqawi. He's the person who beheads people, trying to shake our conscience and shake our will. He was in and out of Baghdad, as were some of his cohorts. Or the fact that Saddam Hussein paid the families of suicide bombers. He had a history of using weapons of mass destruction. It's important for the President and the country to always remember one of the lessons of September the 11th is that we must take threats seriously before they fully materialize. (Applause.)
My administration saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. I went to the Congress; they looked at the same intelligence I looked at, remembered the same history I remembered, came to the same conclusion we came to -- Saddam Hussein was a threat. And members of Congress authorized the use of force. My opponent looked at very same intelligence I looked at, and having looked at it, concluded that Saddam Hussein was a threat, and voted "yes" when it came time to authorize the use of force.
Before the Commander-in-Chief commits the troops into harm's way, he must try all options before the military. I was hoping diplomacy would work, so I went to the United Nations. And the United Nations looked at the same intelligence we did and remembered the same history we remembered, and concluded, with a 15-to-nothing vote in the U.N. Security Council, that Saddam Hussein must disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. I believe when international bodies speak, they must mean what they say. I believe when the President speaks, he must mean what he says. (Applause.)
Saddam Hussein wasn't about to listen to another U.N. resolution. We hoped he would, we would hope he'd listen to the demands of the free world. But he didn't. He not only didn't listen to the United Nations Security Council, but when the U.N. tried to send inspectors in there, he systematically deceived them. So I have a choice, at this point in our history: Do I forget the lessons of September the 11th and hope for the best when it comes to a madman, or take action to defend the country? Given the choice, I will defend this country every time. (Applause.)
We didn't find the stockpiles we thought would be there, that we all thought would be there. But Saddam Hussein had the capability of making weapons and he could have passed that capability on to the enemy. And that is a risk we could not afford to take after September the 11th, 2001. Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision. (Applause.) And America and the world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell. (Applause.)
Because we acted to defend ourselves, 50 million people now live in freedom. Afghanistan three years ago was run by these barbaric people. When they hear me talk about an ideology of hate, I'm talking about people like the Taliban. Young girls weren't allowed to go to school; their mothers were whipped in the public square, or killed in sports stadiums, if they didn't toe the line of these backward people.
Today, 10 million citizens, 41 percent of whom are women, have registered to vote in the upcoming October presidential election. (Applause.) Think about that. It wasn't all that long ago that four women were pulled out of a bus and executed by some of the Taliban holdovers because they were trying to -- I think they we're registering people to vote or just registered to vote. And the world was, "oh, no, the elections won't be happening, it's too dangerous." People want to be free. And if given a chance, they will exercise their rights. And look what's happened in Afghanistan. (Applause.)
Despite ongoing acts of violence in Iraq, that country has a strong Prime Minister, they've got a national council, and they are going to have elections in January of 2005. The world is becoming a better place because freedom is on the march. (Applause.)
We stand for free societies in the Middle East because they'll be hopeful societies which no longer feed resentments, the resentments that cause people to kill in the name of a hateful ideology. We stand for free governments in the Middle East because we know they'll fight terrorists instead of harboring them. I talk to people a lot about why freedom will make us more secure -- that's why. Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat -- at the drop of a hat.
So the mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear: We'll help these new leaders train Afghan and Iraqi citizens so they can do the hard work of preventing the designs of a few from stopping the hopes of the many. We'll help them train their police, and help them train their armies so they can defend themselves. We'll help them have these elections. We'll get them on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible. And then our troops are coming home with the honor they have earned. (Applause.)
We got a great military. I'm proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of a fantastic military. It's been my honor to have met many who wear the nation's uniform. These are extraordinary citizens of great courage and great decency, and they deserve the full support of the federal government. That's why, last September, I went to the Congress and asked for supplemental funding of $87 billion to support our troops in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And this was an important request. It was for ammunition, spare parts, body armor. It was for fuel, hazard pay, health benefits. This was an important piece of legislation -- so important, support was overwhelming in the United States Congress. So strong that only 12 members of the Senate voted against it -- two of whom were my opponent and his running mate. (Applause.) Do you realize this? Do you realize that four members of the Senate voted to authorize the use of force, and then voted against funding the troops? Only four of 100 -- two of whom were my opponent and his running mate.
So they asked him why, and he said, I actually did vote for the $87 billion -- right before he voted against it. (Laughter.) And he said he was proud of the vote. And finally he just said, it's just a complicated matter. (Laughter.) There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in harm's way. (Applause.)
A President must be clear and a President must mean what he says. During the course of this campaign, my opponent has, I think seven, or maybe eight different positions on the war in Iraq. He was for it, but didn't fund the troops. Then he became the anti-war candidate. Then I think it was at the edge of the Grand Canyon that he said, well, knowing everything we know today he still would have voted for it. Then he said we're spending too much money, and he was on a national talk show earlier that said, we weren't spending enough money. And then he did a radio interview two days ago to try to clear it all up. (Laughter.) And here's what he said: There were no circumstances -- none -- under which we should have gone to war, although his own vote to go to war is the right one and it was right to hold Saddam Hussein accountable. (Laughter.)
Even the radio talk show guy said, I can't tell you what he said. (Laughter.)
Mixed signals are the wrong signals to send our troops in the field, to the Iraqi people, to our allies, and most of all, to our enemy. (Applause.)
We've got a strong alliance, and during the next term I'll continue to work with our friends and allies to try to stop proliferation, to continue to help Afghanistan and Iraq. There are nearly 40 nations in Afghanistan and some 30 in Iraq. And it's important for the President to continue to reach out to other nations. But I will never turn over our national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I've spent time with Prime Minister Koizumi. I like to share this with the people of our country, this little conversation about Koizumi, because it helps make the point of what I mean by the transformational power of liberty. Koizumi, of course, runs a country that -- with whom -- with which we were at war. My dad fought against the Japanese; your dads, relatives, loved ones fought against the Japanese, too. Japan was the sworn enemy of the United States of America. Yet, after World War II, Harry Truman believed that liberty could transform societies. Fortunately, a lot of Americans agreed with him. I'm sure some didn't. You can imagine how hard it would be to say, after having lost a loved one in a war against the Japanese, to say, why do we care? Why do we want to work to help them become a democracy?
But Truman did. And as a result of doing the hard work, of helping an enemy transform itself by becoming a democratic society, I now sit down at the table with the leader of Japan, talking about the peace that we all want. Think about that for a minute. (Applause.) See, liberty has the ability to take -- transform an enemy into an ally, so we can work on the peace together. Some day an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, talking about how to keep the peace in the greater Middle East, and our children and our grandchildren will be better off for it. (Applause.)
These are historic times. This is a historic moment in history, as far as I'm concerned. We're helping to change the world for the better by spreading freedom. And it's hard work. It's hard work for a society to go from one that had been brutalized by a tyrant who condoned mass graves, cut off the hands of the guys that came to see me in the Oval Office because his currency had been devalued. It's hard work. But it's necessary work, and it's work that will succeed, because I believe that freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world. (Applause.)
I tell the people, this young century is going to be liberty's century. By promoting freedom at home and abroad, we're going to build a safer world, a more hopeful America. By reforming our systems of government, more Americans will be able to make their own choices and realize the dream that are available in this country. We'll continue to spread ownership and opportunity to every part of our country. We'll pass the values of our nation on to a new generation, and we'll work for peace and freedom.
And I want to thank you for giving me a chance to be your President. (Applause.) I'm excited about this campaign. I'm looking forward to the next days. I like coming down the stretch. (Laughter.) And I appreciate your help. We'll put your good hard work and your help to good use. We're going to turn out the vote, and we're going to win in November. And I'm honored to have you on my side. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. (Applause.)
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The Kerry Line: John Kerry's Retreat And Defeat
"John Kerry's latest position on Iraq is to advocate retreat and defeat in the face of terror. This sends the wrong signal to our troops, our allies and our enemies. The American people understand the stakes and Prime Minister Allawi understands the need to defeat the terrorists trying to destroy the approach of freedom in the Middle East. President Bush has made it clear that we will complete this mission and has made it clear that the status quo is unacceptable in a region that can produce killers capable of flying planes into buildings."
- Steve Schmidt, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman
John Kerry's Military Advisor Says U.S. Must Consider Withdrawal
Kerry Military Advisor Retired Admiral William Crowe Raises The Possibility Of Leaving Iraq. "'Our leaders must explain why we're going to stay, and what type of progress must be made,' he said in a speech here Thursday. 'That is the No. 1 lesson of Vietnam. We must decide if we're paying a larger price at home then justifies the gains made in Iraq.' 'Time and again in Vietnam we ignored reality,' he said in the speech to members of the University of Oklahoma Presidents Associates. 'We paid a high price for that in people and treasure.'" ("Crowe Speaks Out Against Bush Policy," The Associated Press, 9/17/04)
Kerry On "Retreat And Defeat":
Kerry Pledged To Significantly Reduce Troops In Iraq, Surprising Aides. "In an NPR interview Friday, Kerry said: 'I believe that within a year from now, we could significantly reduce American forces in Iraq, and that's my plan.' His comments took several aides by surprise." (Jim VandeHei And Mary Fitzgerald, "Kerry Defends Position on Iraq," The Washington Post, 8/8/04)
Kerry Said The People Running The Iraqi Election "Just Can't Do It At This Point In Time." (MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 9/15/04)
Kerry Said Our Troops Are Not Doing The Training Necessary "To Establish The Security" In Iraq. (MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 9/15/04)
Kerry: "I Believe This Administration And Its Policies Is Actually Encouraging The Recruitment Of Terrorists." (CNN's "American Morning," 8/2/04)
Kerry Said President "Didn't Learn The Lessons" Of Vietnam And Is Putting Soldiers "At Greater Risk." (Pete Yost, "Bush, Kerry Honor Veterans On Memorial Day," The Associated Press, 5/31/04)
Kerry Wrote That Iraqis Are "Lashing Out" At U.S. Soldiers For Bush Failures. (Sen. John Kerry, Op-Ed, "A Strategy For Iraq," The Washington Post, 4/13/04)
John Kerry Called Iraq's Liberation "Wrong War … At The Wrong Time" And Declared The Coalition "Phoniest Thing." (Patricia Wilson, "Kerry On Iraq: Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time," Reuters, 9/6/04)
Kerry's Surrogates On "Retreat And Defeat ":
John Edwards Said "Iraq Is A Mess." (Jennifer Bundy, "Edwards: No Military Draft If Dems Win," The Associated Press, 9/15/04)
Kerry Foreign Policy Advisor Richard Holbrooke Said "The Situation In Iraq Is As Bad As The More Pessimistic Observers Have Said." (Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei, "Polar Views Of Iraq Are Defining Election," The Washington Post, 9/19/04)
Kerry Surrogate Max Cleland Called Iraq A "Nightmare" That Is "Going South." (Scott Kraus, "Disabled Vet, Former Lawmaker Campaigns For Kerry In Whitehall," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], 9/18/04)
Cleland Said Iraq Is "Descending Into Civil War And Chaos" And "We Have Another Vietnam In The Making In Iraq." (Paul J. Nyden, "Bush's Health Plan Unpatriotic, Veteran Says," Charleston Gazette [West Virginia], 9/17/04)
Kerry Surrogate Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) Accused The Administration Of "Misrepresenting And Distorting The Progress That's Being Made Over There." (Mark Scolforo, "Kennedy Campaigns For Kerry At Union Convention," The Associated Press, 9/17/04)
Kerry Surrogate Retired General Merrill McPeak Called Iraq "A Wall-To-Wall Disaster" That Is "Likely To Get Worse." (CNN's "Inside Politics," 9/16/04)
Kerry Surrogate Wesley Clark Called Iraq A "Grand Strategic Blunder." (Jake Bleed, "Clark Calls On Cheney To Address Job Losses," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette [Little Rock], 9/14/04)
Kerry Foreign Policy Adviser Richard Holbrooke Said: "The Situation Is Clearly Getting Worse, And There Is No End In Sight, And There Is No Strategy Either For Success Or For Victory Or For Exit." (FOX News' "Fox News Sunday," 9/12/04)
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Gut Wetter
Von Joachim Müller-Jung
01. September 2004 Mehr Hitzewellen, weniger Frosttage, schwindendes Meereis, das sind die jüngsten klimatologischen Wasserstandsmeldungen aus der Wissenschaft. Meldungen, wie sie sich nicht erst seit kurzem häufen. Aber sosehr sie für die Europäer geeignet waren, politische Beben auszulösen, so resistent erwies sich stets die amerikanische Regierung mit ihrem nun wieder emsig Wahlkampf treibenden Präsidenten an der Spitze. Auch von dem Umstand, daß solche Meldungen aus den Hinterzimmern seiner eigenen Ministerien und von zentralen Forschungsbehörden wie zuletzt dem National Center for Atmospheric Research in Umlauf gebracht wurden, hatte sich George W. Bush von seinem Skeptizismus nicht abbringen lassen.
Sein Hang zur Interessenpolitik ging mit einer Mißachtung der eigenen und der internationalen Forschung einher, die nicht nur in den Vereinigten Staaten für Unmut sorgte. Bushs Ausstieg aus dem von seinen eigenen Wissenschaftlern vorbereiteten und vor sieben Jahren in Kyoto beschlossenen Klimaschutzprozeß war in dieser Hinsicht ein mehr als symbolischer Akt. Das ist drei Jahre her. Doch nun, scheinbar wie aus heiterem Himmel, wittern einige kritische Beobachter wie die "New York Times" Morgenluft. Eine politische Kehrtwende sei möglicherweise mit der Veröffentlichung eines Routineberichts des "US Climate Change Science Program" eingeleitet worden.
„Ach ja, war das so?”
Anlaß sind einige Passagen in dem im Internet veröffentlichten Bericht, in dem es etwa heißt: "Es ist unwahrscheinlich, daß die Temperaturveränderungen in Nordamerika zwischen 1950 und 1999 ausschließlich auf natürliche Klimaschwankungen zurückzuführen sind." Die Regierung, die immer wieder die Schuld des Menschen am Klimawandel in Frage gestellt hatte, wurde scheinbar weich. In einem Interview danach gefragt, wie es zu dem Meinungsumschwung gekommen sei, antwortete Bush lapidar: "Ach ja, war das so? Das glaube ich nicht."
Bushs Replik war natürlich ein Ausweichmanöver. Falsch war sie dennoch nicht. Denn seine mit dem Klimaschutz befaßten Regierungsbehörden ebenso wie die großen nationalen Forschungsorganisationen, etwa der National Research Council, hatten sich von dem internationalen wissenschaftlichen Konsens nie verabschiedet. Unzählige Stellungnahmen und Berichte belegen das. Nur hat sich Bush bis dato wenig um diese Widersprüche geschert.
Feinde in der Wissenschaft
Die Zeichen, daß sich das ändern könnte, dürften weniger mit einem Sinneswandel der Regierung Bush als offenkundig mit der nun heißen Phase des Wahlkampfs zu tun haben. Kein amerikanischer Präsident vor ihm hatte sich in der Wissenschaft so viele Feinde gemacht wie er. Wo in anderen Ländern die mangelnde - finanzielle - Unterstützung beklagt wurde, stand die größte Forschungsnation vor einem wirklichen Scherbenhaufen. Nicht nur, daß er wie in der Klima- und Umweltpolitik den Rat der versammelten Forscherschaft ignorierte oder sich wie im Falle der Stammzellforschung ausdrücklich gegen die biomedizinische Spitzenforschung stellte. Seinen republikanischen Freunden wurde auch immer öfter vorgeworfen, einflußreiche Stellen wie in dem präsidialen Bioethikrat mit politisch wohlgesonnenen Wissenschaftlern zu besetzen oder auf wichtige Entscheidungen ungebührend Einfluß zu nehmen.
Berichte wie die Mißachtung eines wissenschaftlich eindeutig positiven Urteils vor der Arzneimittelzulassungsbehörde, die trotzdem zum Verbot eines Mittels wegen angeblich "mangelhafter Sicherheitsdaten" führte, sorgten zusehends für Unmut. Bei der selten so aufgebrachten Forschergewerkschaft Union of Concerned Scientists wurden entsprechende Vorkommnisse gesammelt. Als diese dann im Juli eine zu Beginn des Jahres gestartete Unterschriftenliste veröffentlichte, in der die unausgesetzte Gängelung von Forschern beklagt wurde, ist das Ausmaß der Konfrontation unübersehbar geworden: Mehr als viertausend Wissenschaftler, darunter 48 Nobelpreisträger und die Vertreter nahezu aller Wissenschaftsakademien, hatten sich öffentlich gegen Bush gestellt.
Forschungspolitik erstmals wichtiges Wahlkampfthema
Dessen politischer Gegner, der demokratische Herausforderer John Kerry, hat längst die Lunte gerochen und inzwischen ganz offen nicht nur den Stammzellforschern Unterstützung zugesagt. Er weiß sich inzwischen prominenter Unterstützung auch von republikanisch gesinnten Wissenschaftlern sicher. Eine Kampagne letzthin, die die Forschungspolitik zum erstenmal zu einem wichtigen Wahlkampfthema in einem stets von sicherheits- und wirtschaftspolitischen Themen diktierten Präsidentenwahlkampf machen könnte.
Bushs weiche Wendung in der Klimaschutzfrage dürfte demnach ein vor allem strategisches Manöver sein, einen Stimmungswandel in der amerikanischen Forschungsgemeinde herbeizuführen. Ein unübersehbares Signal dafür war nicht zuletzt auch die vor kurzem vom amerikanischen Energieminister Spencer Abraham in der Zeitschrift "Science" (Bd. 305, S. 616) veröffentlichte Stellungnahme zur "ultimativen" amerikanischen Klimaschutzpolitik. Abrahams Mission war offenkundig nicht, den Kyoto-Prozeß zu beleben oder weiter zu torpedieren, sondern in den Forschungshochburgen der Nation gut Wetter zu machen.
Text: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 01.09.2004, Nr. 203 / Seite N1
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die unsägliche hetzkampagne der europäischen linken ist nun endlich zu ende. das ganze gegreine brachte nichts. leider läßt sich, diese europäische gleischaltungsdiktatur nicht auch noch der FREIEN usa überstülpen.
sogleich wurde auch noch demokratisch über die widernatürliche homosexuellen-ehe abgestimmt. über 90% sind gegen diese "ehe". kiffen und drogenmißbrauch wurde auch demokratische mitbestimmt und bleibt auch weiterhin verboten.
lieber george, wann befreist du uns hier in old-germany von der rot/"grünen" diktatur???
sie sind schlimmere feinde der freiheit, als es die al-kaida je war.
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naja liebe linksliberale propagandamaschine, alles umsonst:)
80% aller deutschen für kerry, selbst goebbels hätte wohl nicht dreister lügen können.....
lang lebe bush!
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Da kommt doch sicher noch was?
Gruß BarCode