Transcript: Bush in New Hampshire

President Bush told a campaign rally of supporters Friday that the presidet must be resolute and that he, not Democrat John F. Kerry is the right person to continue to do the job. Here is a transcript of Bush’s remarks.

[*]

BUSH: Thank you all.

(APPLAUSE)

Thanks for coming.

We are honored you are here. Thanks for being here today. You have lifted our spirits.

(APPLAUSE)

And with your help, we’ll carry New Hampshire and win a great victory next Tuesday.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to thank my friend Senator Judd Gregg and Kathy. I want to thank Senator Sununu, Congressman Bradley, Congressman Bass, Governor Benson -- put him back in.

(APPLAUSE)

Put Gregg back in too.

Most of all, thank you for coming.

Laura and I are thrilled you are here.

You know, I’m here to tell the people of New Hampshire, you need to put me back in for a reason. Perhaps the most important one of all is so that Laura is the first lady for four more years.

(APPLAUSE)

I love her dearly. She is a great first lady.

(APPLAUSE)

In the final four days of this historic campaign, I’m taking my vision of a more hopeful America directly to the people of this country. That’s what I’ve come to New Hampshire about, to talk about a hopeful future for all of us.

Today, our economy is strong and it is getting stronger.

(APPLAUSE)

The tax relief we passed is working.

(APPLAUSE)

Think about this: Home ownership rate is at an all-time high in America.

(APPLAUSE)

More minority families own a home than ever before in our nation’s history.

(APPLAUSE)

Our farmers are making a good living. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in America.

(APPLAUSE)

In the course of traveling your state, I’ve met a lot of small- business owners who are making a good living because of our tax relief and because of their ingenuity and vision, and because they’re making a good living they’re hiring people.

We’ve added 1.9 million new jobs across this country in the last 13 months. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in perspective for you.

BUSH: That’s lower than the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.

(APPLAUSE)

The unemployment rate in the great state of New Hampshire is 3.5 percent.

(APPLAUSE)

Our economic policies are working.

In a new term, we’ll keep your taxes low, we’ll reduce the regulations, we’ll do something about these lawsuits, we will put plans in place to make sure the entrepreneurial spirit is strong so people can continue to work.

(APPLAUSE)

When I campaigned in 2000, I promised to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations in our public schools. I kept my word.

(APPLAUSE)

In a new term, we’ll stay on the path of reform and results in all our schools, so no child is left behind in America.

(APPLAUSE)

In a new term, we’ll make sure health care is more affordable and accessible for our families. In all we do to reform health care, we will make sure the health care decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by officials in Washington, D.C.

(APPLAUSE)

In a new term, we’ll keep the promise of Social Security for our seniors and strengthen the system for our children and our grandchildren.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: In a new term, we’ll protect marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society.

(APPLAUSE)