Administration of William J. Clinton, 1997 / Dec. 11 2021

endeavor in the is accom- Remarks at a Luncheon for panied by a media campaign. But when we Gubernatorial Candidate Buddy decided to ask for this, a lot of people MacKay in thought we had slipped a gasket, because it December 11, 1997 made General McCaffrey and the whole ef- fort so subject to cheap political attack. But The President. Thank you very much. You in fairness to the Members of Congress, all calm down now; we don’t want to be too there was very little of it. And everyone un- rowdy. [Laughter] You’ve got to save some derstood that this was not a Democratic or of this for the spring and the summer and a Republican issue, this was an American the fall, so that on election day you have max- issue. And we had to reach our children how- imum enthusiasm and energy for Buddy ever we could, whenever we could, in the MacKay for Governor. I want you to do that. best way that we could. So I thank you, Gen- Let me say, I am very honored to be here eral, for one more time risking a bullet for today. I want to thank so many people, but America’s future. let me first say that Representative Kendrick I want to say, when these things start, I Meek made such a good speech I thought hope they will remind the parents, the teach- the rest of us were going to be superfluous. ers, the coaches, the religious leaders that Repetition is important, and he did it in a they have to take the lead in making our chil- beautiful and eloquent way. And I thank him dren strong enough to take the right stands for his—for representing ’s future so and turn away from drugs. This is not—this well. war on drugs, as it’s often called, is somehow I thank Attorney General misleading, I think, in the sense that its not for being my friend and for being with me an offensive against a single enemy con- for a long time and for his strong support ducted by a single army. Instead, it’s more of Lieutenant Governor MacKay. I thank like one of the Lieutenant Britton’s hobbies. for his great leadership of the She just ran in a marathon race where there State of Florida. He has done a wonderful, are lots of people running at different paces wonderful job. And he has helped me to be in different ways; everyone that finishes a better President, as well as to do a better ought to get a medal. And it requires strength job for the people of Florida. I will never and determination and conditioning and un- forget it. And he showed us all 4 years ago believable patience. It requires also a certain how to win a tough election, and I haven’t courage never, never to stop in the face of forgotten, Buddy MacKay hasn’t forgotten, the relentless obstacles ahead. That’s what and all of you haven’t forgotten. Let’s bring this is. We’re making progress in this mara- our lessons to the table and push this thing thon. The Coast Guard is leading the way. forward next November. We can do it. But all of us have a role to play, and we better Thank you, Jim Pugh, and all the others determine to play it if we expect the 21st who worked so hard to make this a success. century to be America’s best years. That’s And thank all of you for giving your contribu- what I expect, and I think you do, too. tions to Buddy MacKay. It is not easy to run Thank you, and God bless you. a campaign, and they are not inexpensive. And normally our side is running against peo- NOTE: The President spoke at 11:20 a.m. at the ple who have more money than we do. But U.S. Coast Guard Station. In his remarks, he re- the important thing is not whether they have ferred to Lt. Megan Britton, USCG, Duty Officer, more, it’s just whether we have enough. If Seventh District Command Center; Adm. Robert our side has enough to get our message out, E. Kramek, USCG, Coast Guard Commandant; we’ll be all right. And you’ve taken a major Rear Adm. Norm Saunders, USCG, Commander, step in that direction today, and we are pro- Seventh Coast Guard District; Vice Adm. Roger T. Rufe, USCG, Commander, Atlantic Area; Gen. foundly grateful to you. Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC, Commander in Let me just take a couple of minutes of Chief, U.S. Southern Command; Gen. Wesley K. your time to tell you what I think this election Clark, USA, Supreme Allied Commander, Eu- is about and why I am here almost a year rope; and Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay of Florida. before. First of all, Florida is important to

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America. It’s not only one of the biggest I do think, you know, that it’s clear that States in America, it represents every good the Vice President has had more influence thing that is going on as we hurtle into the and a wider range of activity by far than any 21st century and presents almost all the chal- Vice President in history, in no small meas- lenges our country faces as we move into the ure because I believe that’s the way we ought 21st century. Just think about it. You have to work. We ought to make maximum use a booming economy and you have a gorgeous of the talents of all of the people who can environment and you have the conflict be- serve. And I saw when I looked at Lawton tween the two. How are you going to pre- Chiles and Buddy MacKay that it could work, serve your natural resources? Can we restore and so I am indebted in that way as well. the ? Will there be enough water Finally, let me say, just on a personal note, here 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 years from now? I’m here because in 1991, when I started to Then you have a wonderfully diverse cul- run for President and only my mother ture with people coming from every country thought I had a chance to win—[laughter]— in our hemisphere and increasingly from all Buddy MacKay stood up and stood by me over the world. And you have some of the in the straw poll in Florida and stayed with conflicts that that occasions. We have people me in the darkest hours of my campaign. And living together and working together; we also when all the experts said that have the challenges of crime and welfare. We is dead, he will be a minor footnote in history, have a place that people come to because we have to get somebody—in every elec- they feel better and they feel healthier. And tion—he’s the one we got out this time— I can tell you, even though I didn’t get here Buddy MacKay said, ‘‘I don’t think so. I think until after 2 o’clock last night, it still felt good I’ll stay right there.’’ And so I’m staying right when I got off the airplane after having stood here. I feel very good being here with my in the snow in New York yesterday. So peo- friend. ple come here because they feel good and There’s something to be said for that. You they feel healthy, but you’ve got a whole lot ask, what do you want in a Governor? You of kids that don’t have health insurance. want charisma, you want eloquence, you So you have the challenges and the joys want somebody that’s worked a lifetime and and the opportunities of 21st century Amer- produced something for you. One thing you ica writ large. It matters to America what want is somebody who will stick right there, happens in Florida. It matters to America just pure old-fashioned personal strength of whether Florida can meet its challenges and conviction. And all I know is I have no doubt move forward together. That’s the first thing. that if any one of you or your beloved State The second thing I want to say is that what were in trouble, he’d be the last guy to aban- the previous speakers said about the leader- don ship. And that’s important. I know it be- ship Florida has enjoyed under the Chiles- cause I have seen it, and it matters in a leader MacKay team was not just political luncheon of a State or a nation. rhetoric. This State is in better shape than Now, anybody can rock along with you it was 8 years ago. It has been very, very when the times are good or when the cir- well led. And you should be very proud of cumstances are comfortable or when there’s that, and it matters who has these jobs. just another nice little media event to do. It’s also true that Lawton, as he said, and It’s quite another thing to stand there when Buddy have had a remarkable partnership. the times are tough but the stakes are high. And I did study up on the details a little when And you should be very proud of that. and I took office, and the thing I Now, let me ask you this: What do you liked the best was what Lawton said about— want in a Governor? What do you want? he got to do the good stuff and the Lieuten- What do you want for your State? If I were ant Governor got to do the bad stuff. I’ve to make the argument, I would say first of tried to implement that at every turn in all, what we do works. And at some point, Washington—[laughter]—with mixed levels no matter how good our friends in the Re- of success, I might add. But I’ve done my publican Party are with their rhetoric, with very best. their attacks, with their characterization,

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sometimes, sooner or later, results should be that is, in effect, written by local prosecutors rewarded. and police officers and community workers You know, when I ran for President, re- trying to save our kids. And that’s why we member what this country was going—we said, let’s put 100,000 police on the street; had high unemployment, stagnation, drift, di- let’s take the assault weapons off the street; vision. And they had been telling us for 12 let’s stop selling handguns to people with years that the Government was the problem criminal records; and let’s give our kids and they were going to get it out of our lives. something to say yes to when they get out Meanwhile, they had quadrupled the na- of school in the afternoon. And it’s worked. tional debt, and the deficit was $290 billion It’s worked. a year. Crime was up; they didn’t like it. Wel- In this last balanced budget bill, we got fare was up; they didn’t like it. They just the biggest increase in investment for child didn’t do anything about it. health since 1965; it will help to insure 5 mil- And we said, consistent with, as the pre- lion people. But it will be done at the State vious speakers have said, what we’ve tried level. Which Governor do you trust more to to do with the Democratic Leadership Coun- insure the largest number of people over the cil, look, we don’t think Government is the next 5, 6 years? solution, but we don’t think it’s the problem In this balanced budget bill, we’ve got the either. We think it should be a partner. We largest new investment in education since don’t believe Government can do everything, 1965 and a commitment to set higher stand- but neither do we want Government to go ards and a commitment to accountability. AWOL and sit on the sidelines. We believe And we opened the doors of college wider the job of Government is to create the condi- than we had in 50 years, since the GI bill tion and give people the tools to solve their passed. But the work of implementing these own problems, fulfill their own dreams, and things has to be done at the State level. Who make their communities in this country what do you trust to stand up for opportunity and it ought to be. That’s what we stood for. And excellence and accountability in education we said, look, we’re going to have to do some and giving Florida the kind of schools you things differently. If we want to restore the need for the 21st century? Buddy. economy, rebuild the middle class, reclaim There are high stakes here. We have a the future for our children, we have to do good record; we have gotten results; we have some things differently. We have to have dif- done it by working together. Our theory of ferent policies, policies that favor the future Government was right, and theirs was wrong. over the past, policies that help not just a And you can see it in the evidence. But the few, and policies that unite us instead of poli- most important thing is, look at Florida’s fu- cies that divide us for short-term political ture. You have to reconcile education oppor- gain. tunity as well as excellence in standards. You And so we have worked at that. And we have to figure out how to continue to grow have worked in partnership with your leaders this economy, but you have got to stick up here. And you heard Bob Butterworth say for the integrity of the Florida environment. what the results were. We had a $290 billion Why have all these people moved here in deficit the day I took office; it was $22 billion the first place? Who do you trust to protect this year. Ninety-two percent of the work was the environment of Florida for the 21st cen- done by a Democratic economic plan before tury? the last balanced budget passed. The lowest Audience members. Buddy! unemployment and the lowest crime rates in The President. So there are three issues: 24 years, and all we did on crime—does the the environment, the economy, education Federal Government have anything to do and health care for children. And I can give with the crime rate? It depends on whether you lots more. It is the nature of what we it’s a good partner. are trying to do in Washington to have a lot I’d heard all this talk all these years, but of this work actually done at the State and I was living out there in America like you. local level. If there is a partnership—and I’m So I said, we’re going to pass a crime bill trying to do what you want me to do, to set

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the direction for the country but not to try with a number of people in the Coast Guard to direct the country, to set the direction, who are working to protect the borders of and then let people in their local commu- our country here off the coast of southern nities solve their own problems—then the Florida. In the last year they have had a 1,000 Governors of this country become more im- percent increase in the number of arrests and portant than ever before. a 300 percent increase in the volume of drug So Florida is in better shape than it was. confiscations because of their efforts. And I The ideas that we’ve espoused have been just went to encourage them and to thank proved right. And he is the person you can them. And then we had, earlier today, a mar- best trust to deal with the challenges of the velous kick-off fundraiser for Lieutenant future. That sounds like a pretty good case Governor Buddy MacKay’s campaign for to me, and if you go out there and make Governor. And many of you said something it for a year, I don’t care what other argu- to me about that. ments are made, I don’t care how much I want to thank you for being here for the money is brought into play against him, I Democratic Party. I want to thank you for don’t care what other national political cur- being here for the people of south Florida, rents are supposed to be bearing down on for the people of Miami-Dade County. This Florida and who is trying to get this electoral State has been extraordinarily good to me. bloc or that one—just ask the people of Flor- My first real victory, when I started running ida to vote for their children and their future for President, was in the Florida Democratic and forget about the politics, and Buddy Convention straw poll in December of 1991. MacKay will be the next Governor of Florida. I will never forget that. Thank you, and God bless you. And we came very close to carrying Florida in 1992. And I strongly felt that we could NOTE: The President spoke at 1:27 p.m. at the and would carry it in 1996 because of the Radisson Mart Hotel. In his remarks, he referred opportunity that so many of you gave me to to State Representative ; Gov. Lawton Chiles of Florida; and Jim Pugh, general work with you—for sensible immigration chairman, MacKay Campaign for Governor. policies, for sensible policies toward our neighbors in this hemisphere, for sensible policies on crime and drugs and housing and Remarks at a Democratic National economic growth, for sensible partnerships Committee Dinner in Miami for the State of Florida, and one of the most December 11, 1997 important things we’ve done since I’ve been President, for an aggressive effort to save the Thank you very much. Well, thank you Florida Everglades. Thank you all for the op- very much. Mr. Mayor, Mrs. Penelas, Lieu- portunities you have given me. tenant Governor MacKay, and to Chris and If you look at Florida, which in so many Gene and Mitch Berger—I thank all three ways represents where America is going, with of them for all the work they did to make all of its opportunities and its challenges, a this night a sterling success. State full of people who are older—well, I thank Governor Romer and Dan Dutko we’re all getting older, and life expectancies and Alan Solomont for the work that the are going up. And I don’t know about you, DNC has done. And about the only thing but with every passing day I like that more harder than being President on a regular and more. I think that’s a fine idea. [Laugh- basis is trying to do a stand-up comedy rou- ter] Florida, a State where people from all tine at a fundraiser. And I thought they were over the world are living here. We’re all get- both great, so let’s give them another hand. ting more diverse all over America; a State I thought they were great. [Applause] with high-tech employment and with people You know, I have a lot of friends in this who are dying to work who don’t have much crowd tonight. Many of you have been with education; a State with a lot of innovative me for a long time. And today I had two partnerships to solve problems like crime and immensely satisfying experiences. First, I drugs, and on occasion, too much crime and went out on a Coast Guard cutter and met drugs; a State with enormous economic

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