[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 45 (Monday, November 13, 2006)]
[Pages 1977-1984]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks at an Iowa Victory 2006 Rally in Le Mars, Iowa
November 3, 2006
The President. Thanks you all very much. Thanks for coming. I've got
something on my mind, but before I tell you, I want to bring Congressman
Steve King up here. He asked for a little air time. [Laughter]
Representative Steve King. And the President yielded the balance of
his time to--no, he didn't. [Laughter] But I do want to make sure we
give the warmest of Le Mars and Plymouth County welcome to the
President. We can't do that without having the Bull Dogs up here to do
that.
The President. I was hoping--I was hoping to get a Bull Dog shirt.
I'm glad to be back in Sioux land; I'm glad to be Le Mars, Iowa. And
I can't thank you enough for coming. I like being in country like this.
It's good to look at, but more importantly, this part of the world is
full of decent, hard-working people with common sense. And that's what
you need in the statehouse here in Iowa, and that's what we need in the
Capitol in Washington, DC--good, old, plain common sense, with a strong
dose of values.
I'm proud to be here with your next Governor, Jim Nussle. I've seen
him in action. When he says he's going to do something, he'll do it. The
thing about Jim Nussle is, he doesn't need to take a poll or have a
focus group to tell him what to believe. When he says he's going to work
to have a first-class education, he means it. When he says he's going to
work to have affordable health care, Jim Nussle means it. When he says
he's going to reduce your taxes, you can take it to the bank.
I appreciate you coming out to support Nussle, and I appreciate your
support for Steve King. Let me tell you something about Steve King. He
is a self-made businessman. Listen, we've got plenty of lawyers in
Washington, DC. [Laughter] It makes sense to have somebody who
understands what it means to make a payroll. And in Congressman King,
you've got somebody who knows what it means to make a payroll. He
understands what you're going through. Send him back to the United
States Congress.
And finally, I'm glad to share the same stage with the chairman.
That would be chairman of the Finance Committee; that would be one of
the most important people in Washington, DC; that would be a good friend
of mine, and that's a good friend of yours, Chuck Grassley. I have
campaigned in your State with Chuck Grassley, and there's nothing like
it. You're riding down the road, and he says, ``That's where old Smith
lives.'' [Laughter] And about two miles later, he says, ``That's my
friend, Jones.'' I think he has shaken hands with every single person in
this great State.
All three of these men love Iowa, and they love Iowans. You know how
I know? They're always talking about you when I'm with them. And
somebody else who loves Iowa in my family is my wife, Laura. She sends
her best. She's been out on the campaign trail. She's working hard for
our candidates, and she's working her way back to Crawford. See--don't
tell her this--[laughter]--but tomorrow, I'm sliding back after one
event because we're going to have a birthday party for her. I'm not
going to tell you her age--[laughter]--but we were both born in the same
year, and I turned 60 this year. I guarantee you she is just like the
people you live next door to. She's raised in Midland, Texas. She is
down-to-earth. She is a fabulous First Lady for this country, and I'm
proud to call her wife.
I'm proud to be here, as well, with Jim's runningmate, Bob Vander
Plaats, and his wife, Darla. Speaking about wives, we got the next first
lady of Iowa with us, and that would be Karen Nussle. State Auditor Dave
Vaudt is with us. I saw him the other day in Des Moines. I said, ``How's
your campaign
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going?'' He said, ``Pretty good. I don't have an opponent.'' [Laughter]
What is that like? [Laughter]
My friend Mary Ann Hanusa is with us; she is running for the
secretary of state. I say she's my friend--she used to work in the Oval
Office. She'll be a fine secretary of state. Put her in there. Give her
a chance.
Candidate for secretary of agriculture Bill Northey is with us
today. I appreciate you coming, Mr. Secretary. Mayor Virgil Van Beek is
with us. Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming. My only advice--you didn't ask
for any--[laughter]--and I recognize I'm at the Federal level, but my
only advice is, fill the potholes. [Laughter]
I want to thank Le Mars High School Marching Band for being here
today. I want to thank the school for letting us come and use this
fantastic facility. I want to thank the teachers who are here in this
crowd. I want to thank you for working in a noble profession.
And I want to thank all the grassroots activists. One reason I have
come is to remind you that all of us have a duty to vote, and on
November the 7th, you have a duty to show up at the polls. I'd like you
to encourage your neighbors to go as well.
You know, it's amazing what happens in Washington. Some of them have
already begun to measure for new drapes. [Laughter] People are already
deciding how this election is going to turn out, before the people of
Iowa or anywhere else have shown up to vote. You know, I'm used to that.
I remember 2004 campaign. The prognosticators said, ``No way old George
W. can carry Iowa.'' You proved them wrong. In 2004, a bunch of them in
Washington were already picking out their offices in the West Wing. And
then the people went to the polls, and the movers were not needed.
And the same thing is going to happen this year. The people are
going to go to the polls; you're going to elect a Republican Governor;
and we're going to have a Republican-controlled House and Senate, and
the country will be better off for it.
We're going to win, because we understand the values and the
priorities of the American people. We understand--we understand, you
can't make decisions based upon political polls. You have to stand for
something. You have to believe in something. We are working to raise----
Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
The President. We believe in raising standards for our public
schools and measuring so we can make sure no child is left behind in
America. We have worked hard to make sure our seniors have got
affordable prescription drugs, and the days of poor seniors having to
choose between drugs and food are over with.
We have got a record to run on. Jim Nussle has got a record to run
on, and so does Steve King. We've got a record to run on when it comes
to making sure we're less dependent on foreign oil. Oh, there's been a
lot of talk about renewable fuels, but this administration and these
public servants have delivered. We understand that when America's
agricultural economy is strong, the whole economy is strong. And we are
developing new technologies that will enable Iowa's farmers to produce
the fuels necessary to run our automobiles.
When people around this country go in the polls to vote,
particularly where there's a Senate race, they're voting for more than
just a Senator. They're voting for what the judiciary will look like.
When I campaigned here in Iowa, I said to the people here in this State,
``If I'm fortunate enough to be your President, I will name people to
the bench who will strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the
bench.'' And that is exactly what I have done. And make no mistake about
it, if the Democrats were to control the United States Senate, judges
like Sam Alito and John Roberts would never have been confirmed to the
Supreme Court. And I thank Senator Grassley for his stalwart support of
the kind of judges you expect me to appoint.
There's a lot of issues in these campaigns. Jim Nussle talks about
making sure this is a fine place to do business--he'll deliver. Jim
Nussle talks about being fiscally wise with your money--he'll deliver.
There's a lot of issues--I want to talk about two issues that
confront the good folks of Iowa and the folks around this country. The
two big issues in this campaign are taxes and
[[Page 1979]]
who best to defend the United States from attack. Let me start with
taxes. We believe you can spend your money better than the Federal
Government can. The Democrats will raise your taxes, because they think
they can spend your money better than you can.
Audience members. No-o-o!
The President. We believe that when you have more of your own money
in your pocket to save, invest, or spend, the economy benefits. But you
didn't send us to Washington just to be philosophers; you sent us to
act. I was proud to sign the largest tax cuts since Ronald Reagan was
the President of the United States. We cut taxes on everybody who pays
income taxes. We doubled the child tax credit. We reduced the marriage
penalty. We cut taxes on small businesses. We cut taxes on capital gains
and dividends to encourage investment. And for the sake of our farmers
and for the sake of our small-business owners, we put the death tax on
the road to extinction.
And Grassley, Nussle, and King were strong supporters in making sure
you had more money. You might remember the debate in Washington. Oh, the
Democrats said the tax cuts would not create jobs, and the Democrats
said the tax cuts would not increase wages, and the Democrats said that
those tax cuts would cause the Federal deficit to explode. Well, the
facts are in. Reality has now come to be. The tax cuts we passed have
led to a strong and growing economy. And I want to share with you the
news that came out this morning. The national unemployment rate is at
4.4 percent. We added 92,000 jobs in the month of October. Over the last
3 months, Americans added 470,000 jobs. People are working in this
country, and the wages are going up. Real wages rose 2.4 percent over
the past 12 months. That means an extra $1,300 for the typical family of
four with two wage earners.
And let me talk about the deficit. Instead of exploding, we have cut
the deficit in half, 3 years ahead of schedule. If the Democrats'
economic predictions--let me say, if their election predictions are as
good as their economic predictions, we're going to have a fine day on
November the 7th.
The interesting thing about campaigns, if somebody is going to raise
your taxes, they don't want you to know about it. Here are the words of
the ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. They asked her
about tax cuts, and she said, ``We love tax cuts.'' Given her record,
she must be a secret admirer. [Laughter] The record they have to run on
is that every single tax cut we passed was opposed by the Democrats.
When we made it easier for families with children, they voted no. When
we made it easier for small businesses, they voted no. When we said,
``You shouldn't tax a fellow who owns a farm when he's living and then
tax him after he dies,'' they voted no. Time and time again when they
had the opportunity to show love for--their love for tax cuts, they said
no. If that's their definition of love, I sure would hate to see what
hate looks like.
Let me explain to you how it works: If we don't make the tax cuts we
passed permanent or extend them, your taxes go up. And that's why people
here in Iowa and around the country must take the words of those who
want to run the Congress very seriously. The person who thinks he will
be the head of the Ways and Means Committee, the head Democrat, said he
couldn't think of one tax cut that he would extend. If that were to
happen, the child tax credit would go from $1,000 a child to $500 a
child.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. So when you get home and have dinner this evening,
count the number of children you have at your table--[laughter]--and
multiple by 500. See, if they take control of the House, they're going
to raise your taxes by not making the tax cuts we passed permanent. So
if you've got three children, you can go one, two, three times 500,
that's a $1,500 tax increase. If you happen to have four children--I bet
somebody here has got four--[laughter]--there you go--you count them up,
one, two, three--you got six? One, two, three, four, five, six.
[Laughter] And you multiply those six children by $500 a head, you're
paying $3,000 more in taxes. That may not seem like a lot to those folks
in Washington, but it seems like a lot to us. And that's why it's
important to send Steve King back to the United States Congress, to keep
your taxes low.
This election is taking place in an historic time for our country.
And when our children
[[Page 1980]]
and grandchildren look back on this period, one question will overwhelm
all the rest: Did we do everything in our power to fight and win the war
on terror? I wish I could report to you all that there was no war, but
there is. I see it every day. Our most important job in Washington is to
protect you. It's by far the fundamental responsibility we have. And we
face a brutal enemy that wants to kill Americans again. Let me share
some thoughts with you about the enemy. You can't negotiate with them.
You can't try to talk sense into them. The best way to protect you is to
find them where they are and bring them to justice so they won't hurt
Americans again.
I know some ask, ``Well, why would they possibly want to hurt
America?'' We're full of decent and compassionate people, which we are.
And the reason why is these folks are ideologues. They're totalitarians.
They believe in something, and what they believe in is the opposite of
what we believe in. We believe in the freedom of people to worship as
they so choose; they don't. We believe in public dissent; they don't. We
believe that you can criticize your government; they don't believe that.
They are the opposite of what we stand for. And yet, they have
ambitions. They want to establish a governing organization, a caliphate.
They want to impose their will. And that's why I have called this
struggle the ideological struggle of the 21st century.
And so we're on the offense, and that's part of our strategy. The
other part of our strategy is do everything we can to protect you here
at home, and it's a challenge. It's a challenge because we have to be
right 100 percent of the time to protect Americans, and they only have
to be right one time.
And that is why I have worked with Congress to provide our
professionals with the tools they need to protect you. And let me share
some of my thinking. You know that there was a wall that prevented our
intelligence services from sharing information with law enforcement.
That doesn't make any sense. I know it doesn't make any sense. It
certainly had no common sense to it. But nevertheless, that's what
happened. This is a different kind of war, and when we find
intelligence, in order to protect you, it has to be shared with the
people on the frontline of law enforcement. And yet we couldn't do it.
That's why I went to the Congress and asked Congress to pass the PATRIOT
Act. The PATRIOT Act protects civil liberties. On the other hand, it
tears down the barrier that prevents people from sharing information. It
was a vital piece of legislation.
When it came time to be renewed, the Senate Democrats filibustered
the bill. They tried to kill it. As a matter of fact, the minority
leader of the Senate said--bragged, ``We killed that bill.'' See,
there's a different mindset in Washington, and when people are thinking
about going to the polls, they've got to understand the differences of
opinion.
I felt like if an Al Qaida or an Al Qaida affiliate was making a
phone call into the United States, we need to know why. If our job is to
protect you, and this is a different kind of war that requires good,
sound intelligence, we ought to know why. And yet when that bill came up
in front of the House of Representatives, by far the vast majority of
Democrats voted against giving our professionals the tools. See, they
must not think we're at war. Either that--they must think it's okay to
respond after we're attacked. What we must do is to respond before we're
attacked, to protect the American people.
We're picking up people on the battlefield. One day the--came in the
Oval Office and said, ``Mr. President, we have captured Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed.'' Our intelligence folks believe he was the mastermind of the
September the 11th attacks. I told the CIA that I think it's important
for them, the professionals, to figure out what he knows. See, if he
ordered the first attack, he might know something about another attack.
And if our job is to protect you, we need to know what these radicals
and extremists are thinking, what they're planning. And so I put the
program in place. It came up for a vote--in both bodies, the vast
majority of Democrats voted against giving the professionals the tools
necessary to protect you.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. We need to put people in the Congress like Steve
King. We need people all across the United States who are running for
the Senate and the House of Representatives who understand we're at war
[[Page 1981]]
and will give us the tools necessary to protect you from attack.
We've got a lot of great people who are on the hunt. It is hard to
plan and plot when you're on the run. And that's exactly what we're
doing. We're pressing on the offense. Anytime, anyplace we think there's
an enemy who will do harm to the American people, we're moving. And you
just need to know that.
One of the lessons of September the 11th is this--and it's a lesson
no President can ever forget--that when we see a threat, we must take
that threat seriously, before it comes home to hurt us. See, it used to
be that if a threat were overseas, we could say, ``It's overseas.''
September the 11th changed that. It changed it once and for all in this
new kind of war. I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein; Members of the United
States Congress in both political parties saw a threat in Saddam
Hussein; the United Nations saw the threat in Saddam Hussein. I made the
right decision to get rid of Saddam Hussein, and the world is better off
for it.
We're in a global war against these terrorists. And we must fight
them where we find them, and right now Iraq is a central front in that
war. Oh, I've heard them in Washington; you know, they say Iraq is a
distraction from the war on terror. Well, we just have a difference of
opinion. I believe Iraq is central to the war on terror. Our troops
believe Iraq is central to the war on terror. And so does Usama bin
Laden. Usama bin Laden has said that the fight in Iraq is the third
world war. He went on to say--and I want you to listen to the enemy's
words--he said that victory for the terrorists in Iraq will mean
America's defeat and disgrace forever. That's what he said.
But they think differently in Washington, particularly the
Democrats. I want you to hear the words of one of the leading Democrats
in Washington about this war on terror--she said, ``The President says
that fighting there makes it less likely we will have to fight them
here.'' I agree; I did say that because I believe that. She went on to
say, ``The opposite is true. Because we are fighting them there, it may
become more likely that we will have to fight them here.''
Let me say something to you loud and clear: Iraq is not the reason
why the terrorists are at war with us. We were not in Iraq when the
terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 1993. We were not in Iraq
when they attacked the Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. We were not in
Iraq when they attacked the USS Cole. And we were not in Iraq on
September the 11th, 2001, when they killed nearly 3,000 of our citizens.
You do not create terrorists by fighting the terrorists. The best way to
protect you is to stay on the offense and bring these folks to justice
before they hurt the American people again.
Our goal in Iraq is victory. Our goal is to have a country which can
govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself, and be an ally in the
war on terror. And it's a tough fight. I know it's a tough fight, and
you know it's a tough fight. It's a tough fight because we face an enemy
that kills innocent people in order to achieve their objectives. And
they're good at propaganda. They understand that the carnage they create
will end up on our TV screens, and they believe that the American people
do not have the will to protect ourselves in the long run. That's what
they believe.
But they don't understand this administration, and they don't
understand the American people. We're not going to run from thugs and
assassins. My message to our commanders on the ground is, you will have
what it needs to succeed. You can adjust your tactics the way you see
fit, in order to be able to defeat the enemy. As the enemy changes, we
change. As the enemy adjusts, we adjust.
We've got something going for us in Iraq--two things--that the
American people must understand. We've got a strategy for victory that's
being implemented by the finest United States military ever on the face
of the Earth. And around this country--I understand people don't agree
with my decision on Iraq, but let me say this: Whether you do or not,
you owe the troops the full support.
When I went to the Congress to ask for the full support for our
troops, I could count on Jim Nussle, and I could count on Steve King,
and I could count on Chuck Grassley. You don't have to worry about these
three people understanding that we owe it to our
[[Page 1982]]
troops and their families to make sure they have everything they need to
do the jobs I've asked them to do.
And there's something else that leads me to believe we'll win. I'm
going to tell you something pointblank: If I didn't think we could win,
I'd get our troops out. See, I can't look in the eyes of the loved ones
who have got somebody in harm's way and not believe in my heart of
hearts that the cause is noble and necessary and that we'll achieve
victory.
The Iraqis want success. They're suffering unspeakable violence, yet
they are firm in their resolve to be a country which can govern itself,
sustain itself, and defend itself. You know, I was pleased when nearly
12 million people defied the car bombers and terrorists and voted, but I
wasn't surprised. I'll tell you why I'm not surprised. I believe that
one of the great gifts from an Almighty is a desire to be free--in
everybody's soul. I believe in the universality of freedom. It didn't
surprise me that people, when given a chance, would say, ``We want to
live in a free society.''
So our strategy is to help this young democracy defeat the
extremists by encouraging a political system that unifies the country,
by helping their economy grow, and by training Iraqis so they take the
fight. And I believe we'll succeed in having a government of and by and
for the people in Iraq, unless we leave before the job is done.
This is an important issue facing the American voters. If you listen
carefully for the Democrats' plan for success in Iraq, you're not going
to hear anything. They don't have a plan for success. Iraq is the
central front in the war to protect you. And yet, they don't have a plan
for victory. You can hear all kinds of voices. You hear them say, ``Pull
out now.'' Then you hear other candidates say, ``We're going to have a
fixed date for withdrawal, regardless of whether or not we've
succeeded.'' You've had a Member of the House of Representatives from
the Democrat side saying his recommendation is to move our troops to an
island 5,000 miles away. You've had 19 House Democrats say, ``We're
going to cut off the funds for our troops.''
One of Chuck Grassley's colleagues, a Democrat Senator, explained
her party's position this way: ``We haven't coalesced around a single
plan,'' she said, ``but we're in general agreement on basic
principles.'' She's right. The basic principle is, get out before the
job is done. I'm not saying these people are unpatriotic; I'm saying
they're wrong.
On this vital issue, the Democrats have taken a calculated gamble.
They believe that the only way they can win this election is to
criticize and not offer a plan. One Democrat said recently of the
strategy, ``This election is about them,'' talking about us. So far,
they've refused to tell us how they intend to win in Iraq and how they
intend to secure this country. But there are 4 days left in the
election. There's still time. [Laughter]
If you happen to bump into a Democratic candidate, you might want to
ask this simple question: What's your plan? If they say they want to
protect the homeland but opposed the PATRIOT Act, ask them: What's your
plan? If they say they want to uncover terrorist plots but opposed
listening in on terrorist conversations, just ask them: What's your
plan? If they say they want to stop new attacks on our country but
oppose letting the CIA detain and question the terrorists who might know
where those plots are, ask them: What is your plan? If they say they
want to win in the war on terror but call for America to pull out from
what Al Qaida says is the central front on the war on terror, ask them:
What is your plan? See, they don't have a plan. They have no plan.
Harsh criticism is not a plan for victory. Second-guessing is not a
strategy. If we were to leave Iraq before the job is done, the enemy
would be emboldened. This is a different kind of war. Unlike other
wars--you could leave the battlefield before the job was done, and
nothing would happen here at home. In this war, if we were to leave
before the job was done, the enemy will follow us here. If we were to
leave before the job is done, it would strengthen the hands of the
radicals and extremists. If we were to leave before the job was done, it
would dash the hopes of millions in the Middle East who want to simply
live in peace. And if we were to leave before the job was done, it would
dishonor the sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our uniform.
The consequences of not fulfilling our strategy for victory would be
felt for generations.
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See, the enemy has made it clear that they believe they can drive us
out of the Middle East so they can establish a safe haven from which to
launch further attacks, just like the safe haven they had in
Afghanistan. The enemy has made it clear that they would like to topple
moderate governments to begin to impose their totalitarian ideology. The
enemy has made it clear that they would like to use energy resources to
be able to blackmail the West.
Imagine a Middle East where the radicals and extremists were able to
use oil to say to America, ``We're going to run your price of oil up
unless you abandon your allies such as Israel,'' or, ``We're going to
run your price of oil up unless you just totally withdraw and let us
be.'' And you couple all that with a country which doesn't like us
having a nuclear weapon, and 30 years from now, people are going to look
back and say, ``What happened to them in 2006? How come they couldn't
see the impending danger? What clouded their vision?''
My vision is clear. I see the danger. That is why we will support
our troops. That is why we will fight in Iraq. And that is why we will
win in Iraq.
I would like to share one story with you, and then we'll all go
outside and get some oxygen. [Laughter] Pretty soon. Recently, I went
with the then-sitting Prime Minister of Japan to Elvis's place.
[Laughter] I did so for a couple reasons: One, I had never been in
Elvis's place, thought it would be fun to go. [Laughter] And Laura was
kind of nudging me. [Laughter] Secondly, Prime Minister Koizumi wanted
to go to Elvis's place because he liked Elvis. Thirdly, I want to tell a
story, and it's a story about the power of liberty.
The Japanese attacked us in the early forties. People like George
H.W. Bush, people like your relatives said, ``I want to join the
military to defeat the sworn enemy,'' and a lot of people did--just like
people are doing today, by the way. A lot of people--a lot of--
[applause]. And it was a bloody conflict, and thousands and thousands of
people lost their lives. And yet, I'm on Air Force One, flying down to
Memphis, Tennessee, talking to the Prime Minister of the former enemy
about peace. I'm talking to him about how we can work together to
convince the leader in North Korea to give up his nuclear weapons
ambitions. I talked to him about the fact that Iraq has--I mean, Japan
has 1,000 troops in Iraq. See, he understands what I know. In an
ideological struggle against totalitarians, you can defeat them with
liberty. And therefore, when we find young democracies, it's in our
interest and the interest of our children to help those young
democracies survive.
We talked about how to whom much is given, much is required, and
that is why we will continue to help save lives on the continent of
Africa by defeating the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. We talked about the need
to feed the hungry. We talked about our responsibilities to do necessary
work to keep peace.
Isn't that interesting that my dad fought the Japanese, and yet, his
son was able to talk about keeping the peace. What happened was, was
that Japan adopted a Japanese-style democracy. Liberty has got the
capacity to change enemies into allies. And liberty has got the capacity
to change regions of frustration and hopelessness to regions of hope.
Someday, an American President will be sitting down with elected leaders
from the Middle East talking about keeping the peace, and a generation
of Americans will be better off for it.
I'm honored you came out and let me share some thoughts with you. My
thought to you is, go from here and find Republicans, discerning
Democrats--[laughter]--open-minded independents--[laughter]--and get
them to the polls, and remind them about the stakes. You got a chance to
have a fantastic Governor in Jim Nussle in the statehouse. The people in
this State and around the country have an opportunity, in their votes,
to decide how much money you have in your pocket. Make no mistake about
it, one of the big issues in this campaign is whether or not your taxes
are going to go up or whether they're going to go low. You know our
choice. Our choice is, we're going to keep your taxes low.
And finally, the vote in 2006 will help determine whether or not
this country will use everything in our power to protect the American
people from attack and, at the same
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time, lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
I'm honored you're here. May God bless you, and may God continue to
bless the United States.
Note: The President spoke at 4:54 p.m. at Le Mars Community High School.
In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq;
Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization; former
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan; and Chairman Kim Jhong Il of
North Korea. This item was not received in time for publication in the
appropriate issue.