THE
PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Mr. Chairman -- Mr. Chairman,
delegates, fellow citizens: I am honored by your support, and I accept
your nomination for President of the United States. (Applause.)
When I -- 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
In the work we have done, and the work we will do, I am fortunate to
have a superb Vice President. (Applause.) I have counted on Dick
Cheney's calm and steady judgment in difficult days, and I am honored to
have him at my side. (Applause.)
I am grateful to share my walk in life with Laura Bush. (Applause.)
Americans -- Americans have come to see the goodness and kindness and
strength I first saw 26 years ago, and we love our First Lady.
(Applause.)
I'm a fortunate father of two spirited, intelligent, and lovely young
women. (Applause.) I'm blessed with a sister and brothers who are my
closest friends. (Applause.) And I will always be the proud and grateful
son of George and Barbara Bush. (Applause.)
My father served eight years at the side of another great American --
Ronald Reagan. (Applause.) His spirit of optimism and goodwill and
decency are in this hall, and are in our hearts, and will always define
our party. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
I believe -- 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) Because we acted,
our economy is growing again, and creating jobs, and nothing will hold
us back. (Applause.)
I believe the most solemn duty of the American President is to
protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in
this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen
on my watch. (Applause.)
I'm running for President with a clear and positive plan to build a
safer world, and a more hopeful America. I'm running with a
compassionate conservative philosophy: that government should help
people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. (Applause.) I
believe this nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership --
and that is why, with your help, we will win this election. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) To create jobs, my plan will encourage investment
and expansion by restraining federal spending, reducing regulation, and
making the tax relief permanent. (Applause.) To create jobs, we will
make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
(Applause.) To create jobs, we will expand trade and level the playing
field to sell American goods and services across the globe. (Applause.)
And we must protect small business owners and workers from the explosion
of frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across America. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) In a new term, I will
lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code.
(Applause.)
Another priority in a new term will be to help workers take advantage
of the expanding economy to find better and 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
our community colleges. (Applause.) I know that with the right skills,
American workers can compete with anyone, anywhere in the world.
(Applause.)
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 will 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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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, D.C. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
In an ownership society, more people will own their health care
plans, and have the confidence of owning a piece of their retirement.
We'll 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. (Applause.)
In all these proposals, we seek to provide not just a government
program, but a path -- a path to greater opportunity, more freedom, and
more control over your own life.
And the 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 promise of
America. (Applause.)
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 are providing a record level of funding to get them that help.
(Applause.) In northeast Georgia, Gainesville Elementary School is
mostly Hispanic and 90 percent poor -- and this year 90 percent of the
students passed state tests in reading and math. (Applause.) The
principal -- 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. And we do whatever it takes to get kids across the
finish line." See, this principal is challenging the soft bigotry of low
expectations. (Applause.) And that is the spirit of our education
reform, and the commitment of our country: No dejaremos a ningn nio
atrs. We will leave no child behind. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Viva Bush! Viva Bush! Viva Bush!
We are making progress -- 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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,
opposed lowering income taxes for all who pay them.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute, wait a minute: To be fair, there are
some things my opponent is for. (Laughter.) 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. (Applause.) And to pay for that
spending, he's running on a platform of increasing taxes -- and that's
the kind of promise a politician usually keeps. (Laughter.)
His tax -- 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're not turning back. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: 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.
(Applause.) Because a caring society will value its weakest members, we
must make a place for the unborn child. (Applause.) Because -- because
religious charities provide a safety net of mercy and compassion, our
government must never discriminate against them. (Applause.) Because the
union of a man and woman deserves an honored place in our society, I
support the protection of marriage against activist judges. (Applause.)
And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference
between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
(Applause.)
My opponent recently announced that he is the conservative -- the
candidate of "conservative values," which must have come as a surprise
to a lot of his supporters. (Laughter.) There's some problems with this
claim. If you say the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood,
I'm afraid you're not the candidate of conservative values. (Applause.)
If you voted against the bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act, which
President Clinton signed, you are not the candidate of conservative
values. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
This election will also determine how America responds to the
continuing danger of terrorism -- and you know where I stand.
(Applause.) Three days after September the 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. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
THE PRESIDENT: 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 a 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: 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, and al-Qaeda was
largely unchallenged as it planned attacks. (Applause.) 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-Qaeda's key
members and associates have been detained or killed. (Applause.) We have
led, many have joined, and America and the world are safer. (Applause.)
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 the 11th requires our country to think differently:
We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late.
(Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
AUDIENCE: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
THE PRESIDENT: 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 the 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.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
THE PRESIDENT: 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. (Applause.) 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 for democracy. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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 and confronting the evil terrorists."
That young man is right -- our men and women in uniform are doing a
superb job for America. (Applause.) 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 you're 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. (Applause.)
Again, my opponent and I have different approaches. I proposed, and
the Congress overwhelmingly passed, $87 billion 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.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: When asked to explain his vote, the Senator said, "I
actually did vote for the 87 billion dollars before I voted against it."
AUDIENCE: Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!
THE PRESIDENT: Then he said he was "proud" of that vote. Then, when
pressed, he said it was a "complicated" matter. There's nothing
complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: 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.
(Applause.)
Again, my opponent takes a different approach. In the midst of war,
he has called American 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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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.
(Applause.) I am proud that our country remains the hope of the
oppressed, and the greatest force for good on this earth. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
They know that men and women with hope and purpose and dignity do not
strap bombs on their bodies and kill the innocent. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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.
(Applause.)
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 is still around, writing editorials. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: 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. (Applause.) You may have noticed I have a few flaws,
too. People sometimes have to correct my English. (Laughter.) I knew I
had a problem when Arnold Schwarzenegger started doing it. (Laughter and
applause.) Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which in
Texas is called "walking." (Applause.) 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. (Laughter and applause.)
One thing -- one thing I have learned about the presidency is that
whatever shortcomings you have, people are going to notice them --
(laughter) -- and whatever strengths you have, you're going to need
them. (Applause.) These four years have brought moments I could not
foresee and will not forget. I've tried to comfort Americans who lost
the most on September the 11th -- people who showed me a picture or told
me a story, so I would know how much was taken from them. I've 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 mom or dad.
I've met with the 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'm in their prayers and 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,
idealistic, and strong. (Applause.)
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, here a nation rose.
(Applause.)
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.
(Applause.)
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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 our great country.
(Applause.)