Remarks in Mason City, Iowa

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Oct 25, 2004

October 20, 2004

The President. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for coming out to say hello. It is great to be in Mason City, Iowa. I appreciate the warm welcome. It's the home of fine corn, fine people, and fine music.

I'm here to ask for your help. We're less than 2 weeks away from voting time. And I'd like for you to get your friends and neighbors and remind them we have a duty in democracy to vote. And get them headed to the polls, and remind them, if they want a safer America and a stronger America and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.

My only regret is that Laura is not traveling with me today.

Audience members. Aw-w-w!

The President. That is generally the reaction. [Laughter] "Why didn't you send her, and you stay at home?" [Laughter] She was a public school librarian when I met her for the second time. See, we were in the seventh grade together in San Jacinto Junior High in Midland, Texas. She became a public school librarian, and I met her again. I said, "Will you marry me?" She said, "Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech." [Laughter] I said, "Okay, you got a deal." Fortunately, she didn't hold me to that deal. She is giving a lot of speeches, and when she does the American people see a warm, compassionate, great First Lady. I am traveling in Iowa today to give you reasons why I think you ought to put me back into office, but perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is the First Lady for 4 more years.

This morning in the Oval Office, I met with our fine Vice President, Dick Cheney. I was there, of course, to discuss national security matters before we hit the campaign trail today. I'm proud of my Vice President. I admit to you, he does not have the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] You'll be happy I didn't pick him because of his hairdo. [Laughter] I picked him because of his judgment, his experience, and his ability to get the job done.

I am proud of your United States Congressman, Tom Latham. He is doing an excellent job. You're proud to call him Congressman. I'm proud to call him friend. And I appreciate his wife, Kathy, as well. She's a fine, fine lady.

I'm 'also proud to be working with your United States Senator, Charles Grassley. I told him when I saw him--I saw him the other day in Cedar Rapids. I took him aside, and I said, "Listen, the South Lawn at the White House has got a lot of grass." [Laughter] I'm proud to work with him, and with your help, I'll continue to work with him for 4 more years.

I want to thank the house majority leader, Chuck Gipp, who's with us. I want to thank "all those who serve in State and local government.

I appreciate the mayor being here. I'm honored that the mayor is taking time out to be here. My only advice to the mayor is to pave the potholes. [Laughter] I appreciate your service, Mayor.

I want to thank all the grassroots activists. I thank you for what you have done and what you're going to do. Put up the signs. Get on the phone. Turn people out to vote. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Go to your community centers. Go to your coffee shops. Go to your houses of worship. Remind people we have a duty. With your help, we will carry Iowa and win a great victory in November.

Listen, in the last few years, the American people have come to know me. They know my blunt way of speaking. I got that from my mother. [Laughter] They know that sometimes I mangle the English language. I got that from my dad. [Laughter] Americans also know I tell you exactly what I'm going to do, and I keep my word.

When I came into office, the stock market had been in serious decline for 6 months. That had been an indication that our economy was sliding into a recession. To help families and to get this economy growing again, I pledged to reduce taxes. I kept my word. The results are dear. The recession was one of the shallowest in American history.

Over the last 3 years, our economy has grown at rates as fast as any in nearly 20 years. Today, the homeownership rate is at an alltime high in America. In the past 13 months, we've added more than 1.9 million new jobs. The unemployment rate in America is 5.4 percent, lower than the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and the 1990s. Farm income is up. The unemployment rate in Iowa is 4.5 percent. This economy is moving forward, and we're not going to go back to the days of tax and spend.

To keep this economy strong, we'll continue to stand with our farmers. I understand a good national economy depends on a good farm economy. I signed a good farm bill that's helping our farmers. We're phasing out the death tax to help our farmers keep their farms from generation to generation. We have extended contracts in the Conservation Reserve Program to help protect our wildlife, to help improve land, and to help our farm families. We're expanding broadband technology to make high-speed Internet access available to all Americans by 2007. We're opening up markets for Iowa farmers all across the world.