Republican convention
Friday September 3, 2004
Mr. Chairman, delegates, fellow citizens: I am honored by your support,
and I accept your nomination for President of the United States.
When I said those words four years ago, none of us could have
envisioned what these years would bring. In the heart of this great city,
we saw tragedy arrive on a quiet morning. We saw the bravery of
rescuers grow with danger. We learned of passengers on a doomed plane
who died with a courage that frightened their killers. We have seen a
shaken economy rise to its feet. And we have seen Americans in uniform
storming mountain strongholds, and charging through sandstorms, and
liberating millions, with acts of valor that would make the men of
Normandy proud.
Since 2001, Americans have been given hills to climb, and found the
strength to climb them. Now, because we have made the hard journey,
we can see the valley below. Now, because we have faced challenges with
resolve, we have historic goals within our reach, and greatness in our
future. We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America and nothing
will hold us back.
In the work we have done, and the work we will do, I am fortunate to
have a superb Vice President. I have counted on Dick Cheney's calm and
steady judgment in difficult days, and I am honored to have him at my
side.
I am grateful to share my walk in life with Laura Bush. Americans have
come to see the goodness and kindness and strength I first saw 26 years
ago, and we love our First Lady.
I am a fortunate father of two spirited, intelligent, and lovely young
women. I am blessed with a sister and brothers who are also my closest
friends. And I will always be the proud and grateful son of George and
Barbara Bush.
My father served eight years at the side of another great American,
Ronald Reagan. His spirit of optimism and goodwill and decency are in this
hall, and in our hearts, and will always define our party.
Two months from today, voters will make a choice based on the records
we have built, the convictions we hold, and the vision that guides us
forward. A presidential election is a contest for the future. Tonight I will tell
you where I stand, what I believe, and where I will lead this country in the
next four years.
I believe every child can learn, and every school must teach, so we
passed the most important federal education reform in history. Because
we acted, children are making sustained progress in reading and math,
America's schools are getting better, and nothing will hold us back.
I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor America's seniors so I
brought Republicans and Democrats together to strengthen Medicare.
Now seniors are getting immediate help buying medicine. Soon every
senior will be able to get prescription drug coverage, and nothing will hold
us back.
I believe in the energy and innovative spirit of America's workers,
entrepreneurs, farmers, and ranchers so we unleashed that energy with
the largest tax relief in a generation. Because we acted, our economy is
growing again, and creating jobs, and nothing will hold us back.
I believe the most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the
American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
watch.
I am running for President with a clear and positive plan to build a safer
world, and a more hopeful America. I am running with a compassionate
conservative philosophy: that government should help people improve
their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this Nation wants steady,
consistent, principled leadership and that is why, with your help, we will
win this election.
The story of America is the story of expanding liberty: an ever-widening
circle, constantly growing to reach further and include more. Our Nation's
founding commitment is still our deepest commitment: In our world, and
here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom.
The times in which we live and work are changing dramatically. 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.
And 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 changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to
earn a better living, support your family, and have a rewarding career.
And government must take your side. Many of our most fundamental
systems - the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training -
were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We will transform
these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared and thus truly
free to make your own choices and pursue your own dreams.
My plan begins with providing the security and opportunity of a growing
economy. We now compete in a global market that provides new buyers
for our goods, but new competition for our workers. To create more jobs
in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business. To
create jobs, my plan will encourage investment and expansion by
restraining federal spending, reducing regulation, and making tax relief
permanent. To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on
foreign sources of energy. To create jobs, we will expand trade and level
the playing field to sell American goods and services across the globe. And
we must protect small business owners and workers from the explosion of
frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across America.
Another drag on our economy is the current tax code, which is a
complicated mess filled with special interest loopholes, saddling our people
with more than six billion hours of paperwork and headache every year.
The American people deserve and our economic future demands a
simpler, fairer, pro-growth system. In a new term, I will lead a bipartisan
effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code.
Another priority in a new term will be to help workers take advantage of
the expanding economy to find better, higher-paying jobs. In this time of
change, many workers want to go back to school to learn different or
higher-level skills. So we will double the number of people served by our
principal job training program and increase funding for community
colleges. I know that with the right skills, American workers can compete
with anyone, anywhere in the world.
In this time of change, opportunity in some communities is more distant
than in others. To stand with workers in poor communities and those that
have lost manufacturing, textile, and other jobs we will create American
opportunity zones. In these areas, we'll provide tax relief and other
incentives to attract new business, and improve housing and job training
to bring hope and work throughout all of America.
As I've traveled the country, I've met many workers and small business
owners who have told me they are worried they cannot afford health
care. More than half of the uninsured are small-business employees and
their families. In a new term, we must allow small firms to join together to
purchase insurance at the discounts available to big companies. We will
offer a tax credit to encourage small businesses and their employees to
set up health savings accounts, and provide direct help for low-income
Americans to purchase them. 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. And we will provide
low-income Americans with better access to health care: In a new term, I
will ensure every poor county in America has a community or rural health
center.
As I have traveled our country, I have met too many good doctors,
especially OB-GYNS, who are being forced out of practice because of the
high cost of lawsuits. To make health care more affordable and accessible,
we must pass medical liability reform now. And in all we do to improve
health care in America, we will make sure that health decisions are made
by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
In this time of change, government must take the side of working families.
In a new term, we will change outdated labor laws to offer comp-time and
flex-time. Our laws should never stand in the way of a more family-friendly
workplace.
Another priority for a new term is to build an ownership society, because
ownership brings security, and dignity, and independence.
Thanks to our policies, homeownership in America is at an all-time high.
Tonight we set a new goal: seven million more affordable homes in the
next 10 years so more American families will be able to open the door and
say welcome to my home.
In an ownership society, more people will own their health plans, and have
the confidence of owning a piece of their retirement. We will always keep
the promise of Social Security for our older workers. With the huge Baby
Boom generation approaching retirement, many of our children and
grandchildren understandably worry whether Social Security will be there
when they need it. We must strengthen Social Security by allowing
younger workers to save some of their taxes in a personal account - a
nest egg you can call your own, and government can never take away.
In all these proposals, we seek to provide not just a government
program, but a path to greater opportunity, more freedom, and more
control over your own life.
This path begins with our youngest Americans. To build a more hopeful
America, we must help our children reach as far as their vision and
character can take them. Tonight, I remind every parent and every
teacher, I say to every child: No matter what your circumstance, no
matter where you live, your school will be the path to the promise of
America.
We are transforming our schools by raising standards and focusing on
results. We are insisting on accountability, empowering parents and
teachers, and making sure that local people are in charge of their schools.
By testing every child, we are identifying those who need help and we're
providing a record level of funding to get them that help. In northeast
Georgia, Gainesville Elementary School is mostly Hispanic and 90 percent
poor and this year 90 percent of its students passed state tests in reading
and math. The principal expresses the philosophy of his school this way:
"We don't focus on what we can't do at this school; we focus on what we
can do; we do whatever it takes to get kids across the finish line." This
principal is challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations, and that is the
spirit of our education reform, and the commitment of our country: No
dejaremos a ningun niño atras. We will leave no child behind.
We are making progress and there is more to do. In this time of change,
most new jobs are filled by people with at least two years of college, yet
only about one in four students gets there. In our high schools, we will
fund early intervention programs to help students at risk. We will place a
new focus on math and science. As we make progress, we will require a
rigorous exam before graduation. By raising performance in our high
schools, and expanding Pell grants for low and middle income families, we
will help more Americans start their career with a college diploma.
America's children must also have a healthy start in life. In a new term, we
will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are
eligible but not signed up for the government's health insurance
programs. We will not allow a lack of attention, or information, to stand
between these children and the health care they need.
Anyone who wants more details on my agenda can find them online. The
web address is not very imaginative, but it's easy to remember:
GeorgeWBush.com.
These changing times can be exciting times of expanded opportunity.
And here, you face a choice. My opponent's policies are dramatically
different from ours. Senator Kerry opposed Medicare reform and health
savings accounts. After supporting my education reforms, he now wants
to dilute them. He opposes legal and medical liability reform. He opposed
reducing the marriage penalty, opposed doubling the child credit, and
opposed lowering income taxes for all who pay them. To be fair, there are
some things my opponent is for: he's proposed more than two trillion
dollars in new federal spending so far, and that's a lot, even for a senator
from Massachusetts. To pay for that spending, he is running on a
platform of increasing taxes, and that's the kind of promise a politician
usually keeps.
His policies of tax and spend - of expanding government rather than
expanding opportunity - are the policies of the past. We are on the path
to the future and we are not turning back.
In this world of change, some things do not change: the values we try to
live by, the institutions that give our lives meaning and purpose. Our
society rests on a foundation of responsibility and character and family
commitment.
Because family and work are sources of stability and dignity, I support
welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work. Because a
caring society will value its weakest members, we must make a place for
the unborn child. Because religious charities provide a safety net of mercy
and compassion, our government must never discriminate against them.
Because the union of a man and woman deserves an honored place in
our society, I support the protection of marriage against activist judges.
And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference
between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
My opponent recently announced that he is the candidate of
"conservative values," which must have come as a surprise to a lot of his
supporters. Now, there are some problems with this claim. If you say the
heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm afraid you are not the
candidate of conservative values. If you voted against the bipartisan
Defense of Marriage Act, which President Clinton signed, you are not the
candidate of conservative values. If you gave a speech, as my opponent
did, calling the Reagan presidency eight years of "moral darkness," then
you may be a lot of things, but the candidate of conservative values is
not one of them.
This election will also determine how America responds to the continuing
danger of terrorism and you know where I stand. Three days after
September 11th, I stood where Americans died, in the ruins of the Twin
Towers. Workers in hard hats were shouting to me, "Whatever it takes."
A fellow grabbed me by the arm and he said, "Do not let me down." Since
that day, I wake up every morning thinking about how to better protect
our country. I will never relent in defending America whatever it takes.
So 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 have tripled funding for homeland security and trained half a
million first responders, because we are determined to protect our
homeland. We are transforming our military and reforming and
strengthening our intelligence services. We are staying on the offensive
striking terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East,
because freedom will bring a future of hope, and the peace we all want.
And we will prevail.
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the home
base of al-Qaida, 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, and al-Qaida was
largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. Today, the government of a
free Afghanistan is fighting terror, Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders,
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-Qaida's key members and associates have been
detained or killed. 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 record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long
history of pursuing, even using, weapons of mass destruction. And we
know that September 11th requires our country to think differently: We
must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late.
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. Members of both political parties,
including my opponent and his running mate, saw the threat, and voted
to authorize the use of force. We went to the United Nations Security
Council, which passed a unanimous resolution demanding the dictator
disarm, or face serious consequences. Leaders in the Middle East urged
him to comply. After more than a decade of diplomacy, we gave Saddam
Hussein another chance, a final chance, to meet his responsibilities to the
civilized world. He again refused, and I faced the kind of decision that
comes only to the Oval Office - a decision no president would ask for, but
must be prepared to make. Do I forget the lessons of September 11th
and take the word of a madman, or do I take action to defend our
country? Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time.
Because we acted to defend our country, the murderous regimes of
Saddam Hussein and the Taliban are history, more than 50 million people
have been liberated, and democracy is coming to the broader Middle East.
In Afghanistan, terrorists have done everything they can to intimidate
people yet more than 10 million citizens have registered to vote in the
October presidential election - a resounding endorsement of democracy.
Despite ongoing acts of violence, Iraq now has a strong Prime Minister, a
national council, and national elections are scheduled for January. Our
Nation is standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, because when
America gives its word, America must keep its word. As importantly, we
are serving a vital and historic cause that will make our country 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 new leaders to train their armies, and move toward elections, and 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.
Our troops know the historic importance of our work. One Army Specialist
wrote home: "We are transforming a once sick society into a hopeful
place The various terrorist enemies we are facing in Iraq," he continued,
"are really aiming at you back in the United States. This is a test of will for
our country. We soldiers of yours are doing great and scoring victories in
confronting the evil terrorists."
That young man is right - our men and women in uniform are doing a
superb job for America. Tonight I want to speak to all of them and to their
families: You are involved in a struggle of historic proportion. Because of
your service and sacrifice, we are defeating the terrorists where they live
and plan, and making America safer. Because of you, women in
Afghanistan are no longer shot in a sports stadium. Because of you, the
people of Iraq no longer fear being executed and left in mass graves.
Because of you, the world is more just and will be more peaceful. We owe
you our thanks, and we owe you something more. We will give you all the
resources, all the tools, and all the support you need for victory.
Again, my opponent and I have different approaches. I proposed, and the
Congress overwhelmingly passed, 87 billion dollars in funding needed by
our troops doing battle in Afghanistan and Iraq. My opponent and his
running mate voted against this money for bullets, and fuel, and vehicles,
and body armor. When asked to explain his vote, the Senator said, "I
actually did vote for the 87 billion dollars before I voted against it." Then
he said he was "proud" of that vote. Then, when pressed, he said it was a
"complicated" matter. There is nothing complicated about supporting our
troops in combat.
Our allies also know the historic importance of our work. About 40 nations
stand beside us in Afghanistan, and some 30 in Iraq. And I deeply
appreciate the courage and wise counsel of leaders like Prime Minister
Howard, and President Kwasniewski, and Prime Minister Berlusconi and, of
course, Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Again, my opponent takes a different approach. In the midst of war, he
has called America's allies, quote, a "coalition of the coerced and the
bribed." That would be nations like Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Japan, the
Netherlands, Denmark, El Salvador, Australia, and others allies that
deserve the respect of all Americans, not the scorn of a politician. I respect
every soldier, from every country, who serves beside us in the hard work
of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget.
The people we have freed won't forget either. Not long ago, seven Iraqi
men came to see me in the Oval Office. They had "X"s branded into their
foreheads, and their right hands had been cut off, by Saddam Hussein's
secret police, the sadistic punishment for imaginary crimes. During our
emotional visit one of the Iraqi men used his new prosthetic hand to
slowly write out, in Arabic, a prayer for God to bless America. I am proud
that our country remains the hope of the oppressed, and the greatest
force for good on this earth.
Others understand the historic importance of our work. The terrorists
know. They know that a vibrant, successful democracy at the heart of
the Middle East will discredit their radical ideology of hate. They know that
men and women with hope, and purpose, and dignity do not strap
bombs on their bodies and kill the innocent. The terrorists are fighting
freedom with all their cunning and cruelty because freedom is their
greatest fear and they should be afraid, because freedom is on the march.
I believe in the transformational power of liberty: The wisest use of
American strength is to advance freedom. As the citizens of Afghanistan
and Iraq seize the moment, their example will send a message of hope
throughout a vital region. Palestinians will hear the message that
democracy and reform are within their reach, and so is peace with our
good friend Israel. Young women across the Middle East will hear the
message that their day of equality and justice is coming. Young men will
hear the message that national progress and dignity are found in liberty,
not tyranny and terror. Reformers, and political prisoners, and exiles will
hear the message that their dream of freedom cannot be denied forever.
And as freedom advances heart by heart, and nation by nation, America
will be more secure and the world more peaceful.
America has done this kind of work before and there have always been
doubters. In 1946, 18 months after the fall of Berlin to allied forces, a
journalist wrote in the New York Times, "Germany is a land in an acute
stage of economic, political and moral crisis. [European] capitals are
frightened. In every [military] headquarters, one meets alarmed officials
doing their utmost to deal with the consequences of the occupation
policy that they admit has failed." End quote. Maybe that same person's
still around, writing editorials. Fortunately, we had a resolute president
named Truman, who with the American people persevered, knowing that
a new democracy at the center of Europe would lead to stability and
peace. And because that generation of Americans held firm in the cause of
liberty, we live in a better and safer world today.
The progress we and our friends and allies seek in the broader Middle East
will not come easily, or all at once. Yet Americans, of all people, should
never be surprised by the power of liberty to transform lives and nations.
That power brought settlers on perilous journeys, inspired colonies to
rebellion, ended the sin of slavery, and set our Nation against the
tyrannies of the 20th century. We were honored to aid the rise of
democracy in Germany and Japan and Nicaragua and Central Europe and
the Baltics and that noble story goes on. I believe that America is called to
lead the cause of freedom in a 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, it is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this
world.
This moment in the life of our country will be remembered. Generations will
know if we kept our faith and kept our word. Generations will know if we
seized this moment, and used it to build a future of safety and peace. The
freedom of many, and the future security of our Nation, now depend on
us. And tonight, my fellow Americans, I ask you to stand with me.
In the last four years, you and I have come to know each other. Even
when we don't agree, at least you know what I believe and where I stand.
You may have noticed I have a few flaws, too. People sometimes have to
correct my English. I knew I had a problem when Arnold Schwarzenegger
started doing it. Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which
in Texas is called "walking." Now and then I come across as a little too
blunt and for that we can all thank the white-haired lady sitting right up
there.
One thing I have learned about the presidency is that, whatever
shortcomings you have, people are going to notice them and whatever
strengths you have, you're going to need them. These four years have
brought moments I could not foresee and will not forget. I have tried to
comfort Americans who lost the most on September 11th - people who
showed me a picture or told me a story, so I would know how much was
taken from them. I have learned first-hand that ordering Americans into
battle is the hardest decision, even when it is right. I have returned the
salute of wounded soldiers, some with a very tough road ahead, who say
they were just doing their job. I've held the children of the fallen, who are
told their dad or mom is a hero, but would rather just have their dad or
mom.
And I have met with parents and wives and husbands who have received
a folded flag, and said a final goodbye to a soldier they loved. I am awed
that so many have used those meetings to say that I am in their prayers
to offer encouragement to me. Where does strength like that come
from? How can people so burdened with sorrow also feel such pride? It is
because they know their loved one was last seen doing good. Because
they know that liberty was precious to the one they lost. And in those
military families, I have seen the character of a great nation: decent, and
idealistic, and strong.
The world saw that spirit three miles from here, when the people of this
city faced peril together, and lifted a flag over the ruins, and defied the
enemy with their courage. My fellow Americans, for as long as our country
stands, people will look to the resurrection of New York City and they will
say: Here buildings fell, and here a nation rose.
We see America's character in our military, which finds a way or makes
one. We see it in our veterans, who are supporting military families in their
days of worry. We see it in our young people, who have found heroes
once again. We see that character in workers and entrepreneurs, who are
renewing our economy with their effort and optimism. And all of this has
confirmed one belief beyond doubt: Having come this far, our tested and
confident Nation can achieve anything.
To everything we know there is a season - a time for sadness, a time for
struggle, a time for rebuilding. And now we have reached a time for hope.
This young century will be liberty's century. By promoting liberty abroad,
we will build a safer world. By encouraging liberty at home, we will build a
more hopeful America. Like generations before us, we have a calling from
beyond the stars to stand for freedom. This is the everlasting dream of
America and tonight, in this place, that dream is renewed. Now we go
forward grateful for our freedom, faithful to our cause, and confident in
the future of the greatest nation on earth.
God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.
