Political Quotes

“Well, the story is really beautiful because what it is--and it really touched me as a grandfather of thousands. [Laughter] But I know some of you will be as moved by it as I was. I mean, this man is committed. He has shut down the largest polluting refinery in Mexico over the--and had to fight to do this, had to fight special interests to get this done. And he did it because of the commitment to the environment. But the story that he tells is about how the children in Mexico, particularly Mexico City, when they paint a picture of the sky at night, it's gray or black. And he said, ``I want these children to paint the sky with stars in it.'' And he is determined that they do, that you don't have a 6-year-old in the first grade who never sees the stars because of the environmental pollution. And it's a commitment. I mean, that's an emotional portrayal of his commitment that he has subsequently demonstrated in many, many ways. So, I've got to convince the Members of Congress on these questions of labor, questions of the environment. We've got to explain that Mexico's economic success--it isn't a threat to us, it's an opportunity. It's an enormous opportunity. I just got a question over there about the--questions on the border. I'm from Texas, and I know some of the border problems and I know, in the past, how we kind of fenced with each other about these border problems that exist, whether it's people that come here illegally or whether it's the drug question. But I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that we're getting superb cooperation. That isn't to say we don't have a ways to go. But we want to work with these people in that way. They're our friends. They're our future, in a sense, because we have an enormous potential market there and on below. And we're committed to the democracy that is sweeping most of South America. So, I get very intense on this question because I really believe it is in our interest. And as people struggle to improve their societies, we ought to be in there helping. And it will help Mexico, but it will also help the United States. So, on these technical questions that are of understandable concern to the labor unions or to the environmentalists, we understand their concerns, and Carla has done a superb job of answering those concerns. Again, we need you. This is a team effort. It is not going to get done by the most able Trade Representative we have, by the President, by any individual member of the Cabinet. We've got to get this done by people like yourselves weighing in where you can with these Members of Congress. And I pledge to you that I will go the extra mile because I am absolutely certain it is in the best interest of this country we all love so much. Thank you very, very much. Note: The President spoke at 2:49 p.m. in Room 450 of the Old Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to U.S. Trade Representative Carla A. Hills, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Representatives Richard A. Gephardt and Dan Rostenkowski, and President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico.”