Remarks at a Republican
Party Fundraising Brunch in
Thank
you all very much. And I have to say that since I'm a before-lunch speaker
instead of an after-lunch, I can't tell that story about the fellow in the Colosseum in Rome who -- when the hungry lions came
charging out upon them -- stood up and said a few quiet words, and the lions
laid down. And then the crowd was furious. Caesar sent for the man and said, ``What did you say to them that made them act that way?'' He
said, ``I just told them that after they ate there would be speeches.''
[Laughter]
Well,
Connie, I thank you very much for that introduction. Governor Bob Martinez and
Priscilla Mack and Ken Adams and Chuck Cobb and Jean Austin and Alec Courtelis, and a special thank you to our Republican
National Committee chairman, Frank Fahrenkopf, for
what he's been doing -- but thank you all very much. You know, I was in
Seriously,
I'm very happy to be here not only to see all of you but because, as you know,
my term is up in January; and when you're retiring, you come to Boca to look
around. [Laughter]
Well,
thank you. You know, when you reach what the French call ``a certain age,'' you
discover there are a few things that keep you young. There's fresh air, a
beautiful sunset, Sam Donaldson's [ABC News] yelling at you in the White House
Rose Garden. [Laughter] Of course, I can't help but tell you that there are a
few signs of advancing years -- three particularly. One, you tend to forget
things and -- I can't remember the other two. [Laughter] And one of the things
that keeps me young is helping dynamic Republicans who
are going to continue the great tradition of our party.
You
have a great slate of candidates running on the Republican ticket this year,
guys like Jim Smith; Tom Gallagher; and the fellow who's running a
tough-as-nails race to become the next Representative from this very district
-- and he'll make a super Congressman -- Ken Adams. And then there's Connie.
All Florida knows there hasn't been a more outstanding Congressman these past 6
years, and based on his record, you can be sure he's going to make a great
Senator for the State of Florida -- your friend, my friend, and a friend to all
those who yearn for freedom, Connie Mack.
And
I want to tell you why I think voting for Ken Adams and Connie Mack is so very
important. When we fight for the death penalty and for revising the
exclusionary rule and for judges who are tough on crime and on the drug
traffickers in
And
the principles that motivated us in 1981 are the same principles that motivate
George Bush and the Republicans of the future. Some say it's time for a change.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are the change. We started almost 8 years ago,
and the job now is to continue that change.
The
history books will reflect this. We stand for growth, not limits. We stand for
a strong and dynamic economy at home, not protectionist gloom and doom. We've
cut interest rates in half. We've created, as you've been told, more than
17\1/2\ million new jobs. And today there's something very interesting about
that -- 62.7 percent of our countrymen, everyone male and female who is 16
years and up -- that percentage, they are employed, and that is the highest
percentage in the history of the
We
know the limits of government. We also know its responsibilities, and we've
fought for them. Yes, when the history books are written, ladies and gentlemen,
we are the people of whom it will be said: They saved Social Security.
We
know that it's not enough to be content with the freedoms we enjoy. No, we must
expand those freedoms throughout the world. And when the history books are
written, we are the people of whom it will be said: For the first time, they
removed the shackles of Communist tyranny and brought democracy to a suffering
people, the freedom-loving people of
We
know that we must not allow a second
We
know the importance of sustaining and expanding upon our unique and special
commitment to our closest democratic ally in the
We
know that the menace of terrorism must be challenged when and where it appears.
And the history books will say that on
Later
today I'll be meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard
Shevardnadze, and we'll continue our efforts to ease tensions throughout the
world. And here, truly, is one for the history books. They will say: These were
the men and women who eliminated an entire class of
But
history tells us what the last 8 years have made very clear: It was only
because we rebuilt our defenses and made clear that we and our allies would not
waver in our resolve that the Soviets realized they had to come to the table.
If the history books are honest, they'll say the Soviets did business because
they knew we meant business.
Before
we took office in 1981, the world was reeling from a series of events that
seemed to place the free world in jeopardy. In
Now,
if you remember, some of our European allies were under intense pressure from
antinuclear demonstrators, and naturally they were getting a little nervous.
Well, I asked a friend of mine to go over and talk to them and shore them up.
It was one of the most important diplomatic efforts of this administration. The
mission was a triumph; the missiles went in. And 2 weeks ago that man watched
as the first of our missiles was destroyed. His name is George Bush.
Now,
you know, some people have tried to make a Federal case out of competence.
Okay, let's talk about competence. I just happen to think that the former
captain of the Yale baseball team; the youngest flier in the Navy with 58 combat
missions; the former Texas wildcatter who turned down a soft job on Wall Street
to make his own way; the former Member of the House of Representatives from
Texas; the former Republican National Chairman.
Hang
on, there's more -- the former Ambassador to the United Nations; the former de
facto Ambassador to China; the Director of Central Intelligence; and the
current Vice President of the United States, who's handled every tough issue
from deregulation to drugs to terrorism -- frankly, I think the fella with that resume has it all over anybody else in the
competence department.
The
choice this year is between the policies of accommodation and retreat or the
policies of
You
know, some people -- and I've been a little flattered by this -- refer to this
group as Reagan Democrats. Well, if it's true I have an ``in'' with those
Democrats, here's what I want to say to them and what I hope you'll say to
them, too: You're right to feel uncomfortable about the leadership of the party
you and I once pledged loyalty to, because the party of Roosevelt, Truman, and
Kennedy has become the party of McGovern, Carter, and Mondale.
A
party that once stood for the broad interests of
And
I would also say to those good Democrats here in
You
may remember that in January, when I went up on Capitol Hill for the State of
the Union Address, I talked about some of the problems caused by the liberal
leadership in the Congress. I mentioned that in 7 years, of 91 appropriations
bills scheduled to arrive on my desk by a certain date, only 9 made it on time.
Last year, of the 13 appropriations bills due by October 1st, none of them made
it. Instead, we had 4 continuing resolutions lasting 41 days, then 36 days, and
2 days, and 3 days, respectively. And then along came that behemoth, the
continuing resolution containing all the appropriations. It was 1,057 pages
long, weighed 14 pounds, and was 2 months late. Congress had 3 hours -- yes, 3
hours -- to consider it. And it took 300 people at my Office of Management and
Budget just to read the bill so the Government wouldn't shut down. As I said in
my State of the Union Address, if that happens this year, I won't sign the
bill.
But
today Congress and our administration are working to keep it from happening
again. I want to receive by the beginning of the new fiscal year, October 1st,
all the Government's appropriation bills -- ones that I can sign. Our
administration will pull out all the stops on our end to see to it that this
happens. I believe there is a good chance all of the Government's appropriation
bills will reach my desk by October 1st, and if so, it will be the first time
the Nation's business has been done on time since 1948.
The
liberals have controlled one or both Houses of Congress for 36 of those 40
years since 1948. And my friends, the next President deserves better than this,
and so do all the American people. Let's spare him this. In February, to get
contra aid approved, we only need 5 more votes. To get some of our crucial
budget votes passed, we need only a few more votes. My friends, this year I say
And
finally, there is this one last issue, yes, more important than even all the
other crucial matters that I've discussed with you today. When we reach our
journey together -- or began our journey together, I should say, I wonder how
many of us could really have believed then that so many of our fondest hopes
and dreams for
And
you know, it didn't bother me a bit. In fact, I kind
of liked it. They couldn't get all the students in the auditorium, so they
picked the students that could come. And after it was all over, I found out
they had picked all members of the Young Communist League. Well, they heard
something about freedom; and you know, the funny thing is, they seemed to react
pretty favorably to it.
What
a great moment we have before us; and, oh, how future generations will dishonor
us, how the history books will judge us, if in a moment of sudden folly we
throw it all away. And this is what is now at stake. We must hold to this
moment of hope, and I tell you with every ounce of energy and every fiber of my
being: Only electing the Republican ticket can accomplish that. So, let's go
forth then, you and I, to elect George Bush, to give him Connie Mack in the
United States Senate and Ken Adams in the House, to tell the American people what's
really at stake: the fate of generations to come, the hopes of peace and
freedom for our children and grandchildren, for all the children and
grandchildren of the world.
And
I'm going to do something my people are always afraid I'm going to do. I did do
it for a few of you before I came in here. But I've got a new hobby. I'm
collecting stories that I can prove are made up by the people in the
An
order was given out by the Government that anyone caught speeding in the
Well,
I've kept you from lunch long enough, so I don't want to be like the fellow
with the lions. So, thank you, and may God bless you all.
Note: The President
spoke at