[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[March 4, 1992]
[Pages 376-378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 376]]

Remarks at the Bush-Quayle South Florida Rally in Hialeah, Florida

March 4, 1992
    The President. Thank you very, very much. What a wonderful turnout. 
Thank you. Thank you, Jeb. And may I first salute your great 
Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, doing a superb job in Washington, 
DC; Mayor Julio Martinez, also working at this important local level. 
And it's great to be back in south Florida. I believe I am the first 
President to visit Hialeah, but I am sure proud to be here. I want to 
mention three other State leaders who can't be with us today, Senator 
Casas and Representatives Garcia and Rojas. They'd planned on being 
here; they were called to Tallahassee for action in the legislature. And 
I just pay them my respects because they, too, are serving you all very, 
very well.
    I wish we had a little more time here today. It would be great to 
have a Cafe Cubano at Chico Two's, but time won't permit it. And may I 
thank the people from south Miami here who are providing us with this 
cheering. And right over here, there they are, Hialeah.
    I'm going to keep this speech short. When you've got to face the 
voters, you can't afford to give a 4-hour stemwinder, Castro-style. So 
I'll keep it shorter. Let me get right to the point of this visit. I 
want to be your President for 4 more years. We can and we will win 
elections up and down the line, in Congress, in the statehouses, and in 
local communities, for people that share our values, who are working for 
jobs, family, peace. And together, we can win a great victory on primary 
day and then another one on November 3d, 1992.
    You see, I think we agree on the big issues that shape the world, on 
the values that guide us at home. And I'm speaking of world peace, the 
importance of family, the need to create and sustain good jobs in a 
productive society.
    We have big plans for this year. Here's what we need to accomplish 
together. First, we are going to get that economy growing and thriving. 
Help me with the Congress. And with Ileana's help, I will try to keep 
rolling back a Government that's too big and spending too much. We'll 
try to keep working on that one, Ileana. And we're holding Congress' 
feet to the fire, to meet this March 20th deadline for tax cuts to 
create jobs and incentives to get the housing market back on its feet.
    Right now, the tired old liberal leadership in the Congress is 
moving in the wrong direction. You know, the House passed a bill that 
would raise taxes $100 billion, and if it comes to my desk, I am going 
to veto it so fast it'll make your head swim.
    And let me say also, we've got to break this stranglehold of 
government monopoly on the schools. You see, we say don't let the 
bureaucrats decide. Let the parents decide. Let the parents choose where 
the children go to school, and let them have the freedom to choose among 
private and parochial schools as well as public schools.
    Another point, and Jeb touched on it, we've got to take back our 
neighborhoods from the thugs and the drug dealers. Part of the answer is 
a tough crime bill in Washington, DC. Give me your support to get that 
passed. Our bill gives new protection to women and children, those that 
are victimized by sex criminals. It stops endless appeals. And for the 
worst kind of crimes, it provides the death penalty for the cop-killers 
and those narcotic kings. I support our police, and I think we need to 
show more compassion for the victims of crime and be a little tougher on 
the criminals.
    And let me shift a little bit, to a little bit to do with foreign 
affairs. I am looking forward to the day when democracy has triumphed 
and the Castro dictatorship nearby is no more. And let me say to those 
people outside who are concerned about their country: I want to see 
democracy restored to Haiti, and we will continue to work for the return 
of President Aristide.
    I want to honor the Cuban brave human-rights activists and its 
martyrs for freedom and those who died resisting the dictatorship of 
Castro. And I'm looking forward to being the first President of the 
United States to set foot on the free soil of post-

[[Page 377]]

Castro Cuba.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Let's look at the real situation in the world. Look 
around the world. Fidel Castro is now hopelessly isolated. And let me be 
very clear about this: We cannot and we will not have a normal dialog 
with Cuba as long as that dictatorship remains in power. And we do not 
and we will not help Castro police that prison state. We're going to 
keep heavy pressure on the outlaw regime, and we are going to strictly 
maintain our embargo.
    Now let me say, as I look at this situation as your President, 
Castro is showing signs of desperation. Over the past year, he has 
intensified his persecution of people who attempt free expression, of 
people who try to form independent organizations. And the secret police 
have carried out more arrests. The Government-controlled mobs are 
increasing their violence against brave individuals who stand up for the 
basic rights and liberties that we take for granted in this country. And 
so, Castro is trying to crush the Cuban spirit and the Cuban society in 
a manner like Stalin.
    The world has run out of patience with Fidel Castro. Let me give you 
a profound example of what I have just said. Yesterday, at the Human 
Rights Commission in the United Nations in Geneva, they voted for the 
strongest action ever against Castro's human rights abuses. And listen 
to this one: A new democracy, a brandnew democracy, joined the world's 
condemnation of Castro's crimes, and that democratic was Russia. Imagine 
the change: Russia condemning Fidel Castro. And the vote of that 
important Commission was overwhelming. The ex-Communist states of 
Bulgaria and Hungary and Czechoslovakia cosponsored that anti-Castro 
resolution. But not a single Latin American country voted to defend 
Castro. It's changing. It's changing all around the world. And this man 
is isolated in his dictatorship.
    But let me say this more positively. Let me say this more 
positively: When Castro falls, and inevitably he will, we are going to 
be instantly prepared to renew our friendship and then help instantly in 
the rebuilding of a free and democratic Cuba. And I'm talking about a 
lot of trade.
    And while I'm on that subject, let me mention in a broad sense that 
the people I am running against for President of the United States, or 
who are running against me, do not share this vision of free and fair 
trade. They want to barricade our borders against job-creating trade. 
And they're the same kind of people that said to Columbus, ``The Earth 
is flat, don't go.'' And as for me, I'm going to keep working to 
increase the flow of foreign trade and investment which is the lifeblood 
of modern Miami. We will not go back to the sorry, sad, pessimistic days 
of protectionism. We're not going to do that as long as I am President.
    My son Jeb told me that there were many people right here in the 
Guards and in the Reserve and in the regulars that served in Desert 
Storm. And they served with great patriotism. And let me say to them: 
You did a first-class job.
    And now you're seeing in this political year many people that are 
saying, cut the heart out of defense. Cut it all up. Cut it away. Don't 
have a defense. Let me tell you something. I am going to keep this 
country strong and ready for the challenges ahead, whatever they may be. 
Yes, we can make cutbacks. Because these people fought so well, our 
credibility is high, communism is on the run, democracy is going 
forward. We can make cuts in defense. But true to form, the liberals 
want to cut it to the bone. And we must not let that happen. I am for 
prudent cuts. We have suggested some. They're on the recommendation of 
the Joint Chiefs and of Colin Powell and of Dick Cheney. But I am not 
going to permit these people to gut defense so they can run off and 
spend your money in a reckless way.
    When I think of Hialeah, I think of patriotism and service to 
country. And the Florida reservists and guardsmen answered that call for 
Desert Storm, and airmen and sailors from Florida's bases, and of 
course, the soldiers of General Schwarzkopf, central command all 
responded. And I am so proud of those of you here who served. And with 
your service and with your courage you said, ``Never will we tuck our 
tail and let aggression stand.'' And we fought. And we

[[Page 378]]

won. And you that served deserve the credit.
    And there were those who didn't support us then, and there are those 
who second-guess us now. But not the good people of Hialeah, not the 
people of Florida. And when our kids laid it on the line, you never 
wavered. And for this, I want to thank the people of this great State.
    And every 4 years we have this political dance. And now we are in 
the battle for the future of the United States of America. And we are 
determined to leave our kids the best legacy possible. We want to lead 
the world in good jobs with productive work. We want to remain a 
powerful force, the single world leader for world peace and freedom. And 
we're fighting to protect our most basic institution, the one that means 
so much to the people of Hialeah, and I'm talking about the family.
    And on primary day and in November, you are going to have the future 
of this country in your hands. And you can prove your faith in self-
government. You can prove that this epitomizes success in America, 
people that come here halfway around the world and then make a success 
of their lives. You can prove your success, and we can prove the 
pessimists wrong. So stand up and vote for what you believe in. Show 
Florida your strength. Show America the power that you represent. And 
give me 4 more years as President of the United States of America.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all, and may God bless the 
greatest country on the face of the Earth. Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 6:08 p.m. at Milander 
                        Park Stadium.