CEDAR RAPIDS — President Bush finished up the last of his rounds across the country with a visit to Cedar Rapids on Tuesday to talk about terrorism concerns and the growth of the economy.

A crowd of nearly 3,000 came to watch and cheer him as he spoke at Kirkwood Community College.

Despite talks of terrorism and war, Bush managed to keep the visit up-beat, mentioning his opponents, John Kerry and John Edwards, by name only once.

“Oh, I know you’re probably there thinking I’m going to spend most of my time attacking my opponents,” he said. “I’ve got too much good to talk about.”

During the speech, the president rehashed a number of points concerning homeland security, including his now-famous doctrine: “If you harbor a terrorist, you are just as guilty as the terrorists.”

“It’s very important to never forget the lessons of that fateful day that changed American history,” he said. “First, the terrorists … are nothing but a bunch of cold-blooded killers. You cannot talk sense with them, you cannot negotiate with them, and they must be brought to justice.”

The second lesson from Sept. 11, he said, was that if there is athreat, the United States must deal with that threat before it materializes.

“We used to think we could hope for the best until September the 11th changed all, and now we must deal with it,” he said.

Bush defended his rationale for going to war in Iraq, saying the intelligence was there and that former Iraq President Saddam Hussein, was a “sworn enemy of the United States” and a threat.

The statements came two days before the public release of a report from the Sept. 11 commission detailing significant intelligence lapses that allowed the attacks to happen.

According to The Associated Press, the report will fault Congress and government agencies for the intelligence failures and poor emergency response to the attacks, with the worst of the attacks aimed at the CIA and FBI.

Critics of the war have used recent developments such as the kidnapping of Americans as a sign the war is not going well. Democratic challenger John Kerry has said the problems are a result of poor planning by the Bush administration.

Bush criticized both Kerry and Edwards for voting against a supplemental spending bill that would increase pay to soldiers and provide much-needed supplies. The senators said they voted against the spending bill to send a message to the president that they disapproved of how the war was being handled.

“When you put people in harm’s way, they deserve the best,” he said.

The president also defended his economic policies, saying Americans are better off with the Bush tax cuts. He also said there needs to be a permanent tax relief for Americans.

In keeping with his tradition, Bush turned to people in the crowd that had stories to share about benefits they’ve received from his administration’s policies.

One small business owner, John Bloomhall of Cedar Rapids, said tax cuts have allowed him to reinvest more than $1 million into his business.

“Now is not the time to be raising taxes on the small business owners of America,” Bush said.

The president also used the opportunity to take shots at the prior backgrounds of his Democratic challengers.

“I’m not a lawyer, you’ll be happy to hear,” he said. “This is the pro-small-business team.”

Jim Scott, an ISU alumnus and Hiawatha Republican, said he thought the president’s speech was very moving and pragmatic.

“It’s a hopeful message for America that things are good, and they’re only getting better,” Scott said.

Many of the things Scott said were important, such as the growth of the economy and the strength of the homeland, were addressed by the president during his speech.

After his appearance in Cedar Rapids, Bush flew down to St. Louis for an evening event, the only other event scheduled this week. His visit was part of a whirlwind of visits by candidates in the weeks leading up to the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday.