For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 23, 2004
Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Reception
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Coral Gables, Florida
5:31 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Thank you.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Vamos a ganar. (Applause.) Thank you
all for coming. For those who don't speak Spanish, that says: we're
going to win. (Applause.) And one reason why is because we've got
such great support here in South Florida.
I'm honored you all came out today. I can't tell you how grateful
I am to see the grass-roots so excited. (Laughter.)
I picked a pretty good man to be the chairman of the state of
Florida for my campaign. I consulted with my mother -- (laughter) -- I
said, who do you think would be the best man to carry the Bush banner
here in Florida? She said, why don't you turn to the governor?
(Laughter.) I said, okay. You've got a great governor in the state of
Florida. (Applause.) He's a good man. He really makes us proud.
We had a great day today on the west coast of Florida. I was
talking about how to increase the wetlands so that our environment is
stronger. I reminded Jeb that when I make a promise, I meant it. When
I said there's not going to be any drilling offshore of Florida, I
meant what I said. (Applause.)
I want to thank my friend, Armando Codina for his leadership.
(Applause.) He's been a long-time friend, and I thank him for
convincing you all to support this candidacy, and this campaign. I
want to thank my friend Al Hoffman and Al Cardenas. (Applause.) Today
I've been spending some quality time with a member of the United States
Congress, Mario Diaz-Balart. (Applause.) Donde esta, Mario? A donde
esta? Thank you, Mario. I'm glad you brought your brother, Lincoln,
here today, too. (Applause.) Thank you, Lincoln. There's Lincoln
back there. And Ileanna is with us today. Donde esta Ileanna? Ahi.
(Applause.) Stand up, Ileanna. (Laughter.)
These three members of the Congress are strong and steadfast.
They're great members of the United States House of Representatives,
they care deeply for our country, they care deeply for a free Cuba.
(Applause.) They've been strong supporters, and I'm proud to call them
friend. I'm sorry that the First Lady isn't traveling with me today --
no, I know it, I know it. She's campaigning in Tennessee.
(Applause.) Tennessee got the better deal. (Laughter.)
But I'm really proud of Laura she is a fabulous wife, a wonderful
mother, and a great First Lady for our country. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to the campaign. I really am. I look forward
to bringing our message to the American people. It's a positive
message. It's a hopeful message. It is an optimistic message, what I
believe is possible. I will campaign and present a vision to the
American people as to how to win the war on terror and how to continue
to spread freedom and peace throughout the world. (Applause.)
I will continue to campaign on a positive vision to make sure that
we expand prosperity to all corners of our country so every single
citizen has the chance to realize the great American Dream. I'm
looking forward to the campaign. There's no doubt in my mind we will
carry Florida, and we will win on November the 2nd. (Applause.)
I put together a great administration to serve the American people,
people from all walks of life, men and women who care deeply about the
future of our nation. And, thankfully, I have put together a good
administration, because we have been tested. We've shown the American
people that we know how to lead. Once you remember the history of the
last three years -- when we came to office, this country was headed
into a recession, the stock market had begun to decline. But we
acted. We passed historic tax relief. We let people see more of their
own money. (Applause.) And as a result, the economy is strong and it
is growing stronger. (Applause.)
When we came into office we had to confront corporate citizens who
did not tell the truth to their shareholders and their employees. It
was a problem for our nation, but we acted. We passed tough laws. And
now it is abundantly clear that we will not tolerate dishonesty in the
boardrooms of America. (Applause.)
When we came to office, when Dick Cheney and I came to office --
Dick Cheney is the greatest Vice President our country has ever had.
(Applause.) Mother heard me say that one time and she said, wait a
minute, buster. (Laughter.) But when we came to office our military
was growing dispirited, it wasn't receiving the resources it needed.
So we strengthened our defense budget, and today, no one can question
the skill and the strength and the spirit of the United States
military. (Applause.)
And we were attacked on that September day in 2001. The enemy hit
us, they hit us because of what we love. See, we love freedom. They
hate freedom. The enemy came to our shore. They declared war on the
United States of America that day, and war is what they got. We've
been on the offensive against this enemy -- (applause). We're chasing
them down one at a time to bring them to justice. We will use every
resource at our disposal to protect America. And, once again, this
nation is proud to lead the armies of liberation. Fifty million people
are now free, thanks to the United States of America and our
coalition. (Applause.)
I have made it clear where I stand. I have spoken clearly to the
American people and to the world. And when I say something, I mean
it. And that's important for a leader. It's also important for a
leader to understand the responsibilities of leadership. My job is to
confront problems, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future
generations. (Applause.)
I'm looking forward to the campaign. I'm looking forward to it.
I'm running against a fellow who has been in Congress a long, long
time. So long that he's taken just about both positions possible on
every issue. (Laughter.) He was for the Patriot Act, he was for the
No Child Left Behind Act, he was for NAFTA, he was for the use of force
in Iraq. Now he's against the Patriot Act, he's against NAFTA, he's
against the No Child Left Behind Act, he was against my decision in
Iraq. He's been on both sides of just about every issue. If there was
a third side possible, he'd take it. (Laughter.)
Not only have we confronted problems, we have delivered. We've
delivered results for the American people. This economy of ours is
growing stronger every day, every single day. Think about what we've
overcome. We've overcome attacks, we've overcome war, we've overcome
scandal, we've overcome recession. Yet I can tell you, the economy is
strengthening. GDP growth is strong, manufacturing activity is up.
Home ownership is at the highest rate ever in American history.
(Applause.) More minorities own a home today than ever before, and
that is positive news for America. (Applause.)
Our economy is adding new jobs now. Remember, we had 308,000 job
increase in March; 750,000 jobs since last August. People are finding
work. Things are getting better. We acted, and as a result, this
economy is improving. That's good news. That's real good news.
But there's more to do. One of the things that's important for a
person running for office is to constantly talk about what we intend to
do. See, I've got a vision to make sure our prosperity is lasting
prosperity. We've got to make sure we're a nation that doesn't wall us
off from the rest of the world. We must reject economic isolationism.
We must open up markets for U.S. products. Listen, if you're good at
something, you want to be selling things in the world. For the sake of
job creation and lasting priority and prosperity, I will work to open
up markets for U.S. goods so people can find work right here at home.
(Applause.)
In order to make sure we have lasting prosperity, we've got to have
a legal system that is fair. There's too many junk and frivolous
lawsuits that penalize small business owners here in America. We need
tort reform. (Applause.) In order to make sure -- in order to make
sure that we have lasting prosperity, we've got to do something about
health care, the cost of health care. What I will not do is allow the
federal government to run the health care system of America.
(Applause.)
I'm for -- I strongly support health savings accounts to empower
consumers in America. I'm for association health care plans to allow
small businesses to pool risk, so they can better afford insurance for
their employees. And we need medical liability reform at the federal
government. (Applause.)
We need an energy plan. We need more energy in this country, and
we can do so without drilling off the coast of Florida. We're too
dependent on foreign sources of energy. We need to encourage
conservation. We need new technologies to make us less dependent. But
one thing is for certain, we need to use the resources that are at our
disposal so that we're not dependent on foreign sources of energy. For
us to have lasting prosperity, the Congress needs to get me an energy
bill to my desk this year. (Applause.)
In order to make sure we have lasting prosperity, we better make
sure our folks are educated. There's all kinds of new jobs being
created. And sometimes the skill sets of our workers don't match those
jobs. Good education, by the way, starts in the early grades.
I passed the No Child Left Behind Act. It's a strong piece of
legislation. It says that every child can learn, every child has the
potential to learn. We're going to stop this business about just
shuffling our children through the schools. You see, what happens is
if you just give up on kids, like oftentimes happens, you wake up at
the end and people can't read and write and add. You can't be a
country with lasting prosperity unless every child learns to read and
write and add and subtract. In return for federal money, we're now
insisting that -- we're now insisting that states measure. See, we
want to know. We want to know if a child can read and write. And if
they can't, they're going to get extra help early. The No Child Left
Behind Act is an important part of making sure this country is literate
and strong. (Applause.)
And as our economy grows and changes, we better make sure that our
workers are re-educated. I put out what we call the Jobs for the 21st
Century plan, which utilizes community colleges more actively. I said
to the community colleges, here's some federal help so you can train
people for jobs which actually exist. Technology is changing our
world. We'd better make sure our workers have the skills to fill the
jobs of the 21st century. If we want to have lasting prosperity, we've
got to have an education system that works, an education system that
enables our workers to fill the jobs that are being created here in our
country.
In order to make sure we have lasting prosperity, we need certainty
in the tax code. Listen, we did good work on the tax relief package.
We increased the child credit. If you've got a family, we made it
easier for you to raise the family. We reduced the marriage penalty.
What kind of tax code is it that penalizes marriage? (Laughter.)
We're not interested in penalizing marriage in America, we're
interested in encouraging marriage in America. (Applause.)
If you paid taxes, you ought to get relief. Instead of trying to
pick or choose winners, if you pay taxes, you get relief. The tax
relief we passed helped our small businesses all across America. It
was an incredibly important part of the vitality of our economy,
because most new jobs are created by small businesses and
entrepreneurs. No, the tax relief we passed came at the right time.
It's working, and in order to make sure we have lasting prosperity, we
need to make the tax relief permanent. (Applause.)
And, finally, in order to make sure we have lasting prosperity, the
federal government has got to be wise about how we spend your money.
See, it's your money, not the government's money. We've got to be wise
about how we spend it. We need fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C.
We need to be willing to set priorities and meet those priorities.
The problem in the campaign, of course, is that the tendency is to
over-promise. My opponent has done a good job of that. He's already
promised over a trillion dollars of new spending. See, the temptation
is to get in front of audiences and promise here and promise there.
I've submitted a budget which cuts the deficit in half over five
years. He's begun to make those promises. There's no audience that
he's not willing to make a promise in front of.
But we're adding up the money. There's over a trillion dollars,
and he says he's going to pay for it by taxing the rich. The problem
is, there's not enough money in taxing the rich to pay for the
promises. You know what it means he's going to do? He's going to tax
everybody in America. The good news is, we're not going to let him,
because I'm going to win in November. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: There are big differences in foreign policy, during
the foreign policy debates. I've got a clear vision as to how to
protect America and to spread freedom and peace throughout the world.
We're still at war. It's important for the President to understand the
stakes. I understand the enemy: they're ruthless, they're
cold-blooded, they're trying to frighten us, they're trying to shake
our will. This country must be determined, must be strong and never
relent to the killers. (Applause.)
I will use all the tools at my disposal to protect America. We'll
work with other nations to protect America. We'll share intelligence,
we'll use our great military. We'll do everything we can. My most
solemn duty is to protect America from the enemy. That's why I created
the Department of Homeland Security, to better share information, make
sure our borders are better protected. The best way to protect America
is to stay on the offensive, is to find them. There is no cave or hole
deep enough to hide from justice of America. (Applause.)
We're making progress against al Qaeda. Two-thirds of the known
leaders have been captured or killed, and we'll get the rest of them
with time. It's a matter of time. It's a matter of will and strength
and determination and time. I'm telling you, we've got a fabulous
military. (Applause.) For those of you who have got a loved one in
the United States military -- (applause) -- for those of you with a
loved one in the military, you tell them the Commander-in-Chief is
incredibly proud of their service to our nation. (Applause.)
Right after September the 11th, I told the world that if you harbor
a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist. When the
President says something, he better mean it. I meant it, and the
Taliban found out what we meant. This was this barbaric crowd that was
running in Afghanistan. They were providing safe haven for al Qaeda;
they were providing training camps for al Qaeda. They not only did
that, but they were incredibly repressive. Young girls were not able
to go to school in Afghanistan. But thanks to the United States and
our coalition, not only is America more secure, not only is the world
more secure, but young girls now go to school, many of them for the
first time in their life. (Applause.)
Another lesson of September the 11th is that when we see a threat
overseas, we must take it seriously. When we see a gathering threat,
we can no longer hope oceans protect us from harm's way. I looked at
the intelligence and saw a threat in Iraq. The United States Congress
looked at the same intelligence, and they saw a threat in Iraq. The
United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw
a threat in Iraq. I took the threat seriously as your President. I
knew the world had changed after September the 11th.
I took the threat seriously because I remembered the facts, not
only the intelligence said something, but Saddam Hussein used weapons
of mass destruction on his own people. Saddam Hussein invaded
countries in his neighborhood. Saddam Hussein paid suiciders to kill
Israelis. Saddam Hussein had ties to terrorist organizations. I took
the threat seriously and went to the United Nations Security Council.
I said to the United Nations Security Council for nearly a decade,
you have said to Saddam Hussein to disarm, and now is the time for your
words to mean something. But if you won't disarm him, we will lead a
coalition to do so. The United Nations Security Council, if you
remember, acted. With a 15 to nothing vote, they sent this clear
message to Saddam Hussein: disarm or face serious consequences.
Saddam Hussein, once again, decided to deceive the world. So I was
presented with a choice: either trust the word of a madman, or defend
America. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
(Applause.)
My opponent voted for the use of force in Iraq -- he just didn't
support my decision to get rid of Saddam Hussein. Perhaps he was
hoping that Saddam would lose the next election. (Laughter.)
We acted. We acted and there are no longer mass graves and torture
rooms and rape rooms in Iraq. (Applause.) We acted -- because we
acted, Libya got the message, and it now voluntarily decided to
disarm. (Applause.) Because we acted, freedom is rising in the heart
of the Middle East. Because we acted, the world is more peaceful and
America is more secure. (Applause.)
There is a debate going on about when the President must take
action to defend America. Listen, we'll build coalitions, and we
have. There's over 30 nations in Iraq helping us now. You've got
nations in Afghanistan helping us. We're working closely with our
friends and allies who understand the stakes.
But let me make this very clear to you: I will never allow leaders
of other nations to determine the national security issues of America.
(Applause.) We have tough work in Iraq. It's been tough weeks for
America. It's been tough weeks for those who have got loved ones in
the Iraq theater. And there's a reason why, because we're making
progress toward freedom, and the enemies of freedom want to stop us.
They want to shake our will. They'll kill anybody in their way in
order to try to get us to leave.
But the stakes are too high for us to leave. This is an historic
moment. You see, a free society will be a peaceful society. A free
society in the heart of the Middle East will begin to change the world
for the better. No, they're trying to shake our will, but America will
never be run out of Iraq by a bunch of thugs and killers. (Applause.)
We will keep our word to the Iraqi people. There are thousands in
Iraq who long for freedom. See, freedom is not America's gift to the
world, freedom is the Almighty's gift to each man and woman in this
world. (Applause.) That's what we believe. That's what we hold dear
here in America. That's something we will never forfeit. And,
therefore, the United States and our brave troops and allies will
continue on the offensive, continue implementing our strategy, and we
will win this essential battle in the war against the terrorists.
(Applause.)
We believe in freedom not only in Iraq, but we believe in freedom
in our own neighborhood. Foreign policy -- I've got two words for my
policy -- two words for my foreign policy for Cuba: Cuba Libre!
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Viva Bush! Viva Bush!
THE PRESIDENT: We will keep the pressure on the tyrant. We want
the people of Cuba to hear this message loud and clear: We will make
no concessions to tyranny; we believe strongly in freedom. We will
insist upon their human rights, their God-given rights. We stand
strongly with the freedom fighters and the island of Cuba. (Applause.)
As well, we believe in a democratic and free Haiti. (Applause.)
Our quest -- our quest for freedom -- our quest for freedom is around
the world. Good foreign policy is a foreign policy that insists upon
freedom in our own neighborhood. Good foreign policy is a policy that
insists upon freedom in parts of the world where there's hatred and the
lack of hope. That's why I will continue to work, so long as I'm
President, for a vision of peace based upon the cornerstone of free
societies. And we will succeed. (Applause.)
And, finally, I will continue to work for a culture which says that
each of us is responsible for the decisions we make in life. See, I
want to help to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels
good, just go ahead and do it, and if you've got a problem, blame
somebody else, to a culture in which each of us understands we're
responsible for what we do.
See, if you're a mother or a father, you're responsible for loving
your child with all your heart. That's your responsibility. It is
your most solemn and important responsibility to love your children.
If you -- if you're worried about the quality of the education in the
community in which you live, you're responsible for doing something
about it. Just don't hope that Washington, D.C. solves problems. Get
involved with your schools here in Miami, Florida and insist upon
quality of education for each -- each child. Support your teachers.
If you're in corporate America, if you're a CEO, you're responsible for
telling the truth to your shareholders and your employees.
(Applause.)
And, finally, in a responsibility era, each of us is responsible
for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves.
Listen, the strength of this country is the citizens of this country,
the hearts and souls of the people. That's the true strength of
America. We're a compassionate nation. We're a decent nation. We're
a nation of many people bound by freedom and a nation of many people
who care deeply about their neighbor.
I met -- I met Donna Huck today -- I got to the airport. She's a
volunteer. She's a soul who said, what can I do to make my community a
better place? So she works at the Children's Hospital here. She cares
about children. She's lending her love to help heal the broken heart
of the sick. I call to you here in Miami, as I do around America, and
say, if you want to serve your nation, feed the hungry, mentor
children, provide shelter for the homeless, reach out the lonely, and
together, we can change America one heart, one conscience, one soul at
a time. No, the strength of this country is the great people of
America and it is my high honor to be the President of such a fantastic
country.
Thanks for coming. May God bless. Thank you all, very much.
(Applause.)
END 6:00 P.M. EDT
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