[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[February 17, 2006]
[Pages 283-289]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Republican Party of Florida Dinner in Lake Buena Vista, 
Florida
February 17, 2006

    Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. Please be seated. 
Florida is a Republican State because Jeb Bush has 
done in office what he promised the citizens of Florida he would do. He 
has been a great Governor because he doesn't waver in the face of 
criticism, because he doesn't rely upon polls and focus groups to tell 
him what to think, and because he has a clear vision for a better future 
for the people of this State.
    And on top of all that, he married well. I'm proud to be here with 
my sister-in-law, Columba Bush. I married well 
too. And Laura sends her love to Columba and 
Jeb and to our friends here in Florida.
    It is so wonderful to be here to be able to thank the many people 
that helped me get to where I got and helped Jeb 
get to where he got. And, you know, you just can't take anything for 
granted in the political business. You can't say thanks enough, and 
particularly when I look around the room and see so many people that I 
know I can't thank enough. I'll try: Thank you from the bottom of our 
hearts for being here. Thank you for helping the party.
    I'm proud to be here with Mel Martinez 
and Kitty--the United States 
Senator from the State of Florida. I want to thank Mel for standing 
strong with the administration and with me when it came time to ratify 
and confirm judges who would strictly interpret the Constitution, judges 
like Judge Roberts and Judge 
Alito. And it would sure be nice to 
have two United States Senators who would confirm conservative judges.
    To that end, I welcome Congresswoman Katherine Harris. Thank you for coming. Congressman Ric 
Keller, Congressman Mike 
Bilirakis and 
Evelyn--where's Michael? There he is. Michael, good to see--flew down on 
Air Force One--kind of wanted a little comfortable ride back home. 
[Laughter] John Mica is with us, and Pat. John, thank you for being here. Ginny Brown-
Waite and 
Harvey--where's Ginny Brown? Thank you for coming. I appreciate Toni 
Jennings, the Lieutenant Governor. The 
attorney general, Charlie Crist--thank you for 
coming, Charlie; the chief financial officer, Tommy 
Gallagher.
    I guess I shouldn't feel too uncomfortable reading the names back to 
back, you know? [Laughter] Thanks for running. Good luck. [Laughter]
    I appreciate Charlie Bronson, the 
commissioner of agriculture. Thanks for being here, Charlie. Members of 
the statehouse--

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Senator Tom Lee, the president of the senate, as 
well as Allan Bense, the speaker of the 
house. It's good to see you, Allan. Thank you. Look, my only advice to 
the speaker and the president, just do what the Governor tells you. It's real easy. [Laughter] That's all it 
takes. [Laughter] Not exactly the way they do it in Washington. 
[Laughter]
    I want to thank Carole Jean Jordan, 
the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. You'd have thought they 
gave you a better seat than that, you know, after all the hard work. I 
want to thank Al Austin, who is the finance 
chairman, and his wife, Beverly. They're 
great friends of Jeb and mine. Thank you, Al. Jim 
Blosser, finance cochairman--thank you, Jim. And 
Jim MacDougald--I appreciate you all being 
here. Thanks for coming.
    Finally, I've got to say something about Rich Crotty. Now, you might remember, Rich raised a little 
fellow named Tyler. [Laughter] I don't know if 
you remember the moment or not, but I got up there to give what I 
thought was going to be a stemwinder of a speech, and Tyler went flat 
asleep. [Laughter] So I asked Rich, where is Tyler? He said, ``Well, Mr. 
President, he's taking a nap in anticipation of this address.'' 
[Laughter] Crotty, give him my best.
    I am amazed by this number: The unemployment rate in Florida is 3.3 
percent. It's an amazing statistic. It's a tribute to people in office 
who understand the role of government is not to try to create wealth, 
but the role of government is to create an environment in which people 
are willing to risk capital, in which small businesses grow to be big 
businesses, in which people can realize their dreams.
    Feeney, I forgot to mention you. [Laughter] I 
was thinking about entrepreneurship and looked right at you. [Laughter] 
This Florida economy is strong, and so is the economy around the United 
States. We've overcome a lot. We've overcome attacks and corporate 
scandals and stock market collapses. And yet we're growing--amazing 
growth last year, over 3 percent growth, in spite of the fact we had 
high energy prices and a devastating hurricane.
    And the reason why is because people feel there's an incentive to 
work in America. The tax relief we passed is working, and the United 
States Congress needs to make that tax relief permanent.
    You'll hear them say in Washington, ``Well, we need to balance the 
budget.'' And they're right. But then they say, ``We're going to raise 
the taxes to balance the budget.'' I just want to warn you that that's 
not the way Washington works. It may sound good in the newspapers, but 
Washington works this way: If you give them more money, they will spend 
it. A tax increase, raising your taxes will mean there is more money to 
spend in Washington, and this economy isn't going to grow as strong. No, 
the way to balance the budget is keep progrowth economic policies in 
place and be wise about how we spend your money.
    There's uncertainty in our economy today. It's an interesting 
phenomenon, isn't it? You get unbelievable economic growth, and yet 
people are worried. They're worried about changing jobs and not having a 
health care plan they can take with them. They're worried about having 
the skill set necessary to find the jobs of the 21st century. People are 
worried about China and India. And any time people worry about an 
economy, the reaction sometimes in our country is to wall ourselves off 
from the world, is to be protectionist. That's the wrong attitude for 
the United States of America. America needs to be confident about the 
future because we intend to shape the future.
    And that's what this Republican Party stands for. This Republican 
Party stands for leadership based upon sound principles. And let me 
share some ideas with you.

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    To keep this economy the leader in the world, we got to make sure we 
do something about all these frivolous and junk lawsuits that are making 
it hard to risk capital. And I applaud your Governor, and I urge the 
Florida Legislature to join him in enacting meaningful, real tort 
reform.
    We can become independent from oil from the Middle East. In order to 
remain a competitive nation, in order to remain a world leader, this 
country has got to use technology to get us off being hooked on oil. I 
know that may sound strange from a guy from Texas. [Laughter] But I sit 
there and think about the world on a daily basis. I see what happens 
when there's instability in parts of the world from which we get our 
oil. Listen, we're close to some amazing technological breakthroughs 
that will enable us to drive automobiles fueled by ethanol or have a 
plug-in hybrid battery that will make it much easier for you to use 
electricity when it comes to driving your cars.
    Our party stands for innovation. Our party stands for change. And 
our party is going to stand for economic and national security by doing 
something about our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
    We're getting some things done. One of the commitments this Federal 
Government has made is to take care of the elderly. And when we go to 
Washington, DC, and the commitment is to take care of the elderly, it 
seems like to me, we want to make sure we do it in a way that is modern. 
So I saw an old, tired, stale Medicare system there. You know, this 
Government of ours would pay thousands of dollars for ulcer surgery but 
not one dime for the prescription drugs that would prevent the ulcer 
surgery from being needed in the first place. That's a waste of your 
money, and it wasn't that--we weren't fulfilling a promise to our 
seniors. So we reformed Medicare. And today, seniors are getting modern 
medicine, thanks to the Republican Party.
    And I want to tell you something. We've signed up 25 million people 
since January 1st for this new, reformed system. And sure, there's some 
glitches. But we're also the party that knows how to solve problems. And 
you mark my words: When seniors get settled in and realize what we have 
done for them, they will realize the Republican Party has delivered good 
medicine.
    But we also know something else, that the best practice of medicine 
is in the private sector, and the most important relationship is between 
doctor and patient. And so we're going to continue to promote HSAs, 
health savings accounts, which puts patients in charge of their health 
care, and it helps small business afford insurance.
    I want to say something about Jeb and 
education. This guy understands, and so does our party, that we must 
challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations if we want the United 
States to be the leader in the world's economy. You cannot allow a 
system to develop in education that just simply shuffles kids through 
and hopes for the best. It doesn't work. It just doesn't work.
    I remember when I was Governor of Texas, and we saw these statistics 
about kids coming out of high school not able to read. I decided--I 
dedicated myself then, just like Jeb has dedicated 
himself as Governor of Florida, to stop this business of socially 
promoting kids. You know who suffers? Inner-city African American kids 
suffer; families who don't speak English as a first language suffer. 
Ours is a party that believes in high standards and excellence when it 
comes to education.
    And so we've said something pretty easy for people to understand. We 
said, ``We're going to spend your money, but we're going to insist that 
schools measure, because you can't solve problems unless you diagnose 
the problem.'' Ours is the party that says no child will left behind--be 
left behind, and we're delivering on the results.
    And so we're going to take this attitude of high standards and 
accountability and apply it to math, particularly in junior high grades. 
If our kids do not have the skills of the 21st century, jobs are going 
to go

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somewhere else. In order for this country to remain competitive and the 
world leader, we must lead the world in research and development, and we 
must make sure we're educating the young scientists and engineers for 
the 21st century. And that's exactly what we're going to do.
    I am always amazed to hear some talk about, well, you know, maybe 
the best days are behind us when it comes to our economy. You just got 
to know something about me. I think this country can do anything we put 
our mind to. I think we've got such a strong entrepreneurial spirit, 
such wonderful people, that we're a land of doers and accomplishers and 
risk takers, that just given the right impetus and the right leadership, 
this country will still remain the preeminent economic leader in the 
world. And that's good for our people, and that means a higher living--
standard of living.
    I said in my State of the Union, we must reject isolationism. You 
see, when you get nervous about things or get a little despondent, the 
tendency is not only to wall yourself off but to withdraw from the 
world. And in the 21st century, we can't afford to do that. We can't 
afford to do it because there's an enemy that still lurks, an enemy that 
wants to attack the American people.
    Today in Tampa, I was trying to explain to people how I make 
decisions, and I said, 9/11 affected my way of thinking, because I made 
the determination that so long as I'm the President of the United 
States, I will use everything at my disposal to protect the American 
people. That is our most solemn duty. I knew the further we got away 
from 9/11, the more likely it is people would kind of get comfortable 
and forget the challenges. And that's good, actually. It's hard to have 
economic growth if you walk around wondering when the next attack is 
going to occur. My job and the job of those of us in Washington is to 
constantly worry on behalf of the American people and to act on behalf 
of the American people so the American people can go about their 
business.
    In order to be able to defeat an enemy, you've got to understand the 
nature of the enemy. I will tell you, these people are fierce 
ideologues. They have a totalitarian view of the world. In other words, 
they want to decide how people think and act and how they worship the 
Almighty. It's their judgment that matters, not an individual's 
judgment. And they are nothing but coldblooded killers that kill 
innocent life at the drop of a hat in order to achieve their objectives.
    They have clearly stated their objectives, and I hope you appreciate 
a President who listens carefully to the words of the enemy. See, my job 
is to see the world the way it is, not the way some would like it to be. 
And this enemy--[applause]. They have openly stated, it's just a matter 
of time for the United States to lose its nerve. To what end? They want 
to find safe haven in which to plan, plot, and strike the United States. 
They look forward to having safe haven in which they can develop weapons 
of mass destruction to use against our people. This is what the enemy 
has said.
    They made a big mistake, however, when they attacked the United 
States. They roused a mighty nation that understands the stakes in this 
war on terror. And we will not relent, and we will not tire until we win 
the war on terror. So we're on the offense, and we will stay on the 
offense so long as I'm the President of the United States.
    One of the lessons of September the 11th is, we've got to prevent 
attacks before they occur. There are some old enough out here to 
remember the era when oceans protected America, and if we saw a threat 
overseas, we could decide to deal with it if we wanted to, or not. But 
we no longer have that luxury. And so part of my thinking and part of my 
rationale for our policy is my clear understanding that we must defeat 
the enemy overseas so we do not face them here at home.

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    And that's what we're doing. We got a lot of good people on the hunt 
right now. It's hard to plot and plan if you're trying to hide from 
Special Forces of the United States military.
    I also made it clear that if anybody harbors a terrorist, they're 
equally as guilty of murder; that if you provide safe haven for a 
terrorist organization, you're equally as guilty as the terrorist. And 
when the United States--and when the President of the United States says 
something, for the sake of peace and stability, he better mean it. And I 
meant it when I told the Taliban to kick Al Qaida out. They refused to 
listen, and the United States military and our coalition rid Afghanistan 
of one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of mankind, and 
America is safer for it.
    The whole world thought Saddam Hussein 
had weapons of mass destruction. The United Nations Security Council 
voted resolution after resolution after resolution because they felt he 
had weapons of mass destruction. Members of the United States Senate, 
both Republicans and Democrats, felt he had weapons of mass destruction. 
Members of the United States Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, 
in voting to give me the right to use force to remove Saddam Hussein, 
felt he had weapons of mass destruction. So did I. And he didn't. But he 
had the capacity to make weapons of mass destruction. He was a state 
sponsor of terror. He was shooting at American airplanes. The decision I 
made was the right decision, and America is safer for it. [Applause]
    Thank you all. And now we're implementing a strategy for victory, 
where Iran--I mean, Iraq becomes a ally in the war on terror, where this 
young democracy can sustain itself and defend itself, where this 
democracy becomes an example of hope for people in Iran and Syria, where 
this country can be an example for others who demand the natural rights 
of men and women.
    I want to assure you this--that we have one goal in mind, and that's 
victory, and we're going to achieve it. And the Iraqi people are 
helping. Think about what happened in one year. We live in a world 
where, I guess, there's too many television stations or something--
[laughter]--but there's a lot of opinion; that's for sure. [Laughter] 
But in one year's time, these people who were threatened by brutal 
terrorists went to the polls three time, every time in increasing 
numbers, with more and more people voting from different religious 
groups, saying loud and clear to the world, we love our freedom; we want 
to be free. The political part of our strategy is working.
    And now you'll watch the formation of a government, and we're 
helping to make sure there's a unity government. But isn't it fun to 
watch a government being formed by people who had just finished living 
under the thumb of one of the most brutal tyrants in the history of 
mankind, Saddam Hussein?
    Secondly, we'll help this country grow its economy by being wise 
about reconstruction money. We understand that in order for people to 
accept democracy, there has to be tangible benefits in their lives. But 
the good folks in Iraq are entrepreneurial, and businesses are beginning 
to flourish. Oh, I know sometimes it's hard to tell it, but it's 
happening.
    And the final part of our strategy is, not only chase the terrorists 
down inside of Iraq but to train the Iraqis so they can take the fight 
to the enemy. And there are about 235,000 Iraqis now taking more and 
more control over their country. You know, one of the interesting 
measurements early on was when the enemy started bombing recruiting 
stations. I don't know if you remember that, but they'd drive by with a 
suicider or an IED and destroy people standing in line trying to serve 
their nation.
    So one of the first questions I asked our commanders was, are you 
having any trouble finding anybody to sign up? The answer

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was, absolutely not. The people of Iraq want their freedom, and they're 
willing to stand up and defend their freedom. And the United States of 
America is proud to help them do so.
    The enemy has got one weapon; they've got one weapon: their 
willingness to kill innocent life and have those images on the TV 
screen. The only way we can possibly lose is if we lose our nerve, and 
we're not going to lose our nerve so long as I am the Commander in 
Chief.
    And the stakes are high, because not only are we defending ourself, 
not only are we preventing Iraq from becoming a safe haven for Al Qaida 
and their killers, we're helping spread freedom, which is an incredibly 
important part of achieving peace. I want the youngsters here to go back 
and think about the history of Europe over the last 100 years. Americans 
lost--America lost thousands of lives in World War I and World War II 
because of war on the European Continent. Today, there are no wars on 
the European Continent because of democracy. Democracies do not fight.
    You can't imagine somebody saying, ``Vote for me; I promise you 
war.'' [Laughter] Generally, the person doesn't get elected. [Laughter] 
People tend to run and say, ``Vote for me; I'll promise to fight 
corruption,'' or, ``Vote for me; I'll help your child get educated,'' 
or, ``Vote for me; I'll help your health care system be modern.'' I 
believe that everybody in the world desires to be free. I believe there 
is an Almighty, and I believe the greatest gift of the Almighty, besides 
salvation, is freedom. And if you believe that--if you believe that, 
then you shouldn't be surprised that 11 million Iraqis have gone to the 
polls. And you shouldn't be surprised that Lebanon wants to be free. And 
you shouldn't be surprised that people are demanding their freedom in 
Afghanistan. Freedom is on the march, and we're laying the foundation of 
peace for generations to come.
    I'm excited. I am excited to be your President. It has been a 
fantastic experience. I can't tell you how great it is to represent the 
United States of America around the world. We're a land of entrepreneurs 
and doers and dreamers. And when we find people that hurt, we help lead 
the world. One reason you don't become isolationists in this world is 
because--let me just say, to whom much has been given, much is required. 
And a lot has been given in the United States of America.
    And the world requires our help in helping defeat HIV/AIDS on the 
continent of Africa, to feed the hungry, to provide relief in the 
outreaches of Pakistan, to help those who suffer from tsunami. No, ours 
is not only a nation laying the groundwork for peace, ours is a nation 
that's leading the world in compassionate help for people who suffer. 
We've got a great country. We've got a great country, and we're going to 
keep it great by making strong decisions that rally and play to the 
great strength of America, which is the hearts and souls of the American 
people.
    Thanks for letting me be your President. Thanks for supporting 
Jeb. God bless. God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 5:50 p.m. at Disney's Contemporary Resort. 
In his remarks, he referred to Kitty Martinez, wife of Senator Mel R. 
Martinez of Florida; Evelyn Bilirakis, wife of Representative Michael 
Bilirakis of Florida; Patricia Mica, wife of Representative John L. Mica 
of Florida; Harvey Waite, husband of Representative Ginny Brown-Waite of 
Florida; Jim MacDougald, finance cochairman, Florida Victory 2006; and 
Mayor Richard T. Crotty of Orange County, FL.

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