wouldn't believe and i would be in there fasts and i would be working iran. i would help israel big league. there wouldn't be speeches made behind my back. i would help israel out big league. iran has bad intentions. when you look at this is negotiating 101. you look at a president who is negotiating and he drops the safrningsdz. i would have said triple up the sanctions. so now they are not doing anything. they are not coming to a good conclusion and i hear the deal is terrible. so when netanyahu comes here it will be interesting. we have a president who doesn't know what he is doing. >> let me go back to specifics. we see what the jordan cranes and e jimingsdz are doing. what would specifically you do to a stop iran's nuclear program and, b to defeat isis because i don't --

>> with isis i would hit them hard. that would probably, you know a year ago, you wouldn't have said it. you may have to have boots on the ground for a period of time until you get rid of the cancer. that's number 1. they are cutting off heads of people burning people at the stake. it's like we are living in medieval times. as far as iran is concerned, if they respected our leadership, they would negotiate. if we put sanctions all over the place they would negotiate. they were being badly hurt by safrningsdz. now, all the sudden, it's like they are not taking us seriously sanctions all over the place believe me you can answer make the right deal. if we had the right people we

could solve the isis problem and solve the iran problem. a lot more quickly than you think. >> you made a statement about immigration where you said, immigrate at building things. immigrate at building fences. >> i would build al wall. it will all starts with a wall. you have to build. first of all it also has to go with mexico having some respect for our country. they don't respect us whatsoever. people are flowing through mexico. what a amount of people don't realize, the hardest country treatment one of the hardest countries to become a citizen of, you probably couldn't do it is mexico. the people flow right through mexico. shove them through our borders. we have no idea. by the way, you don't know where those people are coming from. they could have very, very bad intentions, and they don't necessarily have to be from the areas that you think they are. >> mexico puts you in jail. they tell them to go home immediately. >> mexico is one of the hardest countries in this oral to become a citizen of but they flow them through our border.

i see on television, i hope watching. thousands of people walking across border. guards are standing there. they just walk. what are we stupid? it's hard this can happen. >> there are so many young people in this room obama has bu the team he leaves offices will have accumulated more debt that every other president combined. what do you say to them about how a president trump could balance the budget? >> i understand debt. i understand business better than anybody that's ever run in my opinion for. nobody has had the success in a business sense that i have had. i know how to get rid of debt. i would do it quickly because it's sitting out there and it is a time bomb for this country. >> specifically though, this is important. i like the penny plan. >> that's fine but i like two plans, making the country rich again, taking in tremendous amountats of money stopping china from ripping us and

cutting costs but not cutting them when it comes to the military. not cutting them when it comes to social security either. every time up here, it says wrap up now. lightning round. abortion. >> okay. i am pro-life and feel strongly about it. life of the mother, et cetera. >> rape and incest? life and mother? >> life and the mother rape incest. >> gay marriage? >> i am for traditional marriage. i think it's a states right issue, not a judge issue. it's a voter issue, but it's a states rights but i am for traditional marriage. >> colorado, marijuana, or bad experience? >> bad. medical marijuana is another thing but i think it's bad. i feel strongly about that. >> hang on. what about the states right aspect of it if the people -- >> if they vote for it they vote for it. they have a lot of problems going on right now in colorado. big problems.

medical marijuana. >> let me mention some names to you. hillary clinton? >> like a one word response? i think of benghazi a failed secretary of state but benghazi was a disaster. i don't think it resonated like it should have but benghazi was a total disaster. >> we learned today they knew from the first minutes of that attack it was a tear attack. bill clinton. news guy. problems in my opinion with the famous island with jeffrey epstein. a lot of problems. >> bar accused obama? >> incompetent president. >> okay. the american dream has worked in your life action your father's life. i know a lot about your background. we are now talking a lot about american exceptionalism and donald trump's mind what makes

america exceptional and why do you so love this country that you want to be its commander in chief? >> it's got a great fabric. they have phenomenal people like the people in this room. we have so much going. we need the incentives. we can't take away those incentives, but we have a country that can be so great again. we have a country that will be absolutely admired by everybody. right now, it's not admired by other countries. i deal with these countries. they talk to me sean, and they say, i can't believe it. chinese. they are friends of mine. they say, i can't believe we are getting away with this. until saudi arabia, they say i can't believe we get away with this. they don't put up the money. we put wars for them. i know these people. i have nothing against china. their leaders are just much smarter than us. if we bring our country back to the grassroots if we keep the incentives going, i am telling you the potential of the united states is so incredible. if we do it properly and if we have smart, really small leadership. >> one last question.

you almost single-handedly were out there questioning president obama's background. you said, how can you not show a birth certificate. >> right. >> i am not bringing up that issue as much. you wanted to see college records. some people very many criticized you for asking those records. what is your response? >> i would like to see his college records. i mean i would like to see a couple of things but i am not looking at his marks. i would like to see. he wrote a book when he was a young man and it said born in kenya. blah. blah. blah. i would like to see his college records. i think it's important as far as the birth certificate hillary clinton wanted his birth certificate. hillary is a berther. she wanted it but she was unable get it. john mccain fought hard and viciously to get his birth certificate. john mccain failed, couldn't get it. trump comes along, and i am not a sitting senator. i am not a sitting anything else. ism i am a good businessman but

trump comes along and said birth certificate. he gave a birth certificate. whether or not that was a real certificate because a lot of people question it. i certainly question it, but hillary clinton wanted it. mccain wand it and i wanted it. he didn't do it for them. he did it for me. so in one since i am proud of it. now, we have to find out whether or not it was real. >> cpac, give it up. donald trump. >> senator marco rubio spoke at cpac for a little over 20 minutes. he talked about his family and took questions on a ring of issues including healthcare and his own political future that

you were. thank you very much. i am happy to be back at cpac for the 5th time. my first time was in 2010 when i was 50 pounds down in the polls and the only people thought i could win lived in my home. four were under the age of 8 at the time. but i am glad to be back with you on the eve of the most important election in my lifetime. november 2016 is not going to be a choice about who the next president is alone. the question before us in november of 2016 is what kind of country are we going to be? over two countries we have been an an exceptional nation founded on the belief that every man woman and child was given a god given right to liberty and pursue happiness. sometimes you wouldn't know by listening to the left. they describe us as a people divided odd lines of gender and ethnicity and race and class. sometimes you wouldn't know we

are an exceptional nation by listening to the president who described our nation as being arrogant or dictating terms to others americans know we are exceptional. you know who else knows we are exceptional? the oral does. after all when was the last time you heard about a boat load of american refugees arriving on the shore of another country. your greatness was not an accident. it didn't happen on its own. our greatness is a result of god's blessings the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform. and the choices made by the people here before us. god is still blessing america and we are still blessed as brave young americans willing to sacrifice their safety for the sake of ours [applause.] what remains to see subpoena

whatever it takes to keep america exceptional. like those who came before us we face challenges. at home we have millions of hard working families living paycheck to paycheck and they are wondering when are things ever going to get bet are for them? around the oral because of the obama clinton foreign policy, our all lies no longer trust us and our enemies no longer fear us. this is the road this president has placed us. a government that increasingly controls every aspect of our life to now the internet. a foreign policy that treats the ayatollah in iran with more res spec than the prime minister of israel [applause.] here is bad news. our nation is on the road to key decline. here is the good news. we are one election away from triggering another american

century. imagine if we cut our taxes and simplified our taxes and our regulatory code balanced our budget. imagine if we repealed and replaced obamacare [applause.] >> if we did these things our economy would create millions of better paying jobs. the american dream would reach more people than its ever reached before. imagine if we had leaders that understood that the family, not government is the most important organization in society. if fem had not just four years of college but welders and airplane mechanics? those are good jobs too. (applause.) imagine if we had a reduction in national debt. if we had these things if we had

these things. not only would people be stronger than ever before but they would be equipped with skills and values they need to succeed in this new century. imagine if we had a commander in chief that understood that the way to defeat isis was not to find them a job [applause.] imagine if we had a president who doesn't travel the oral badmouthing america. that's the u.n.'s job. [applause.] massage if we didn't have a secretary of state who believed the oral is safer today than it's ever been. radical islamic jihadists are talking young women as brides burning prisoners in cages and beheading christians on a beechl in libya. america would be the most trusted and respected nation on earth and we would be safer. this new century presents us with significant challenges but solving them are well within our

reach and if we do our future will be better than our history and the 21st century are will also be an american is not tree. leaving our children and our country better off in the way we found it t that's what americans have always done. >> that's what we are called to do now [applause.] let me close with this. for me 24s deeply personal as it is with many of you. america doesn't owe me anything but i have a debt to america that i will never be able to repay. in may of 1956, my parents arrived here in search of a better life. they had little money no connection. quite frankly barely spoke the language and had a very limited education. less than four decades later

all four of their children live the lives and dreams that my parents once had for themselves. for me america isn't just a country. it's the place that changed the history of my family. it's a nation of equal opportunity. the most powerful force for good that the oral has ever known. this is the america that changed the oral. this is the america that you and i are now called to leave behind. and so inspired by the memory of who we have been and are. let's move forward to seize our dest. the sing greatest nation man has known. thank you for having me. god bless you. thank you. thank you. thank you. >> give it up for senator marco

rubio. good morning cpac. how are y'all doing? i can't hear you [applause.] >> by the way, if some of you aren't feeling well this morning, you were up late drinking, it's not your fault. it's not jack daniel's fault. it's george w. bush's fault. there is nothing doing wrong with drinking sean. >> might have water, too. >> it's anhon to be with you. great conservative tea party. >> thank you. >> senator from the great state of florida. here is where we are now. this breaks my heart and i think it brakes the heart of everybody in this room. 50, nearly 50 million americans in poverty, nearly 50 million americans on food stamps. >> yeah. >> we have 92 million americans

not working out of a labor force but the government tells us the unemployment level is great. we have 18.1 trillion in debt, 100 trillion in unfunded liabilities. how do we dig ourselves out of that hole? >> first we have to understand that the oral is rapidly changed. we are basically having the industrial revolution every five years. that's how fast the oral is changing. and our leaders are still stuck in yesterday. they think if we pour more money more of your money into the same programs that didn't even work that well in the past we are going to get us out of this. unless we cut our taxes reduce regulations, get rid of obama kay balance budget and use our energy portfolio we can't compete. we do those things, we can compete with anyone in the world [applause.] >> the second thing is, we need to help our people be stronger than ever. >> begins with strong families empowering parents allowing parents foto choose the kids their school go to.

not have the government tell them where they are going to go to school. >> that also means not having a national school board that imposes a national curriculum on the whole country. >> put you down for common core? >> beyond that in the 21st century, some of the best jobs require more than high school but less than four years of college. we shouldn't be stig matizing those careers. we should graduate more people ready to work as plumbers electrishingsz welders, machinists, bmw technicians. you name it. by the way the four-year degree is important. i went to a 4 year drear and owed $100 which i paid up with the proceeds of my book now available in paper bark if you are interested. we have too many people today graduating with a 4-year degree that doesn't lose to jobs and they owe tens of thousands of dollars. >> we should tell students if

you graduate with a degree in greek philosophy the job mark is tight. >> i think everybody in this room room, that's the vision of what conservatism is about. a lot of disappointment with the republican party. a lot of republicans run. they say they want to, you know repeal or replace obama kay but then when this comes to that moment where they can use constitutional authority and the power of the purse it doesn't happen. we see we have now kicked the can down the road as it relates to the dhs funding bill. every republican i remember in this last election said they would do everything in their power they would not allow obama's orders on executive immigration to go through. it appears some people are buckling a little bit. >> here is the problem we face from the party. there is a dispute between those who think our job is to do a better job of managing the government and those who understand we are at a crossroads moment at our

history which every generation faces. the point of my speech we are not alone in this. every generation of america has been the asked the same thing. do you want america to be special. the point is come again. so a lot of these issues i understand they don't blay well in the media. when reagan took on the soviet union and the cold war and said they were destined for the ash heap of history, that wasn't popular. they called him crazy for calling the soviet union an evil empire. there are important critical moments where you have to stand up and say if you keep doing what we are doing now it doesn't matter. we are going to lose what makes us different. >> has come a number of these issues. we have to view it that way. >> why is there this mysterious reluctance and resistance and fear that the republicans are going to be blamed for a shutdown if for example -- >> we are. that's the hypocracy. when we are on the minority and we filibuster obama care we want to repeal it or we've got to vote on it we are shutting down the government. when they are in the minority

and they are fillibustering getting rid of this executive order we shutting down the government, too. that how they are going to portray it. >> is there a point where you stand on principal and put all political considerations aside? >> this latest issue, this latest issue we face on the executive order the president took in december it is not a policy issue per se alone. it is a constitutional issue. this is a president that -- let me tell you something. i believe we need to cut the corporate tax rate cut personal tax rates in america. if a president took executive order to cut the tax rate by refusing to collect more than a certain percentage, i would be against that even though i support the policy because you don't have the power to do that. if you lose that constitutional check and balance on power, you lose the essence of what makes our nation different from a government standpoint. so 22 times, the president said he did not have the authority to do what he did.

as far as i can tell p the constitution has not been amended. i don't know where he suddenly found the constitutional power to do this. it's not a policy debate. this is a constitutional debate. he made it up as usual. i think it's very key, though, because it's fidelity to the constitution. >> that's our foundation. >> that's our rule of law. let me ask you about immigration. you went forward with your immigration proposal. at the end of the day, you said it didn't work. i tried. it's not going to work. >> right. >> and you even you were kind of last time i interviewed you on radio about it, you said you regretted going forward. you learned from the months. you thought you made a mistake. explain? >> i wasn't very popular. i don't know if you know that from some of the fotickets here it's serious. we don't have -- we don't have mechanisms in place to enforce some of our immigration laws. we don't have any verified system. with do not track -- 40s % of the illegal immigrants come

legally and over stay vis as. we doe know who they are. three sectors. one in particular that are just completely unsecure. needs nor fence can more patrols. >> stuff has to get done. we have a legal immigration system the most generous in the world. a million people come legally. no other country comes close to that. it's all based upon whether or not you have a family member here it can't continue to be based on family alone. it has to be based on merit and economic contribution. >> has to be dealt with as well [applause.] you have people in the century many living longer than a denying aid. i get all of that. you can't have a conversation about that until people believe and know. not just believe but it's proven to them that future illegal immigration will be controlled. >> that's and brought under control. >> that's the single biggest

lesson. when they talk about all right. we will have tax increases and spending cuts, you always get the tax increase on day 1 and then the spending cuts 10 years later never happen. >> yes. >> is at a time same thing with immigration. >> that was the strongest argument against the bill. it was proven to be true because the president not once but twice said by executive order i won't enforce the law. >> my question is: everyone agrees i think we have to deal with people that enter this country illegally or over stayed their visas. but isn't the real answer, it's sort of like getting the spending cuts up front secure the border first? >> that's my point. my point is the only way forward wish going to verify. they have to see it working. then they are going to have a reasonable conversation with you about the other part.

what's happened over the last two years, the my grat fore system, the two executive orders, that's orders, that's more true than ever. >> let me ask you: you are a first term senator from the great state of florida? >> yeah. >> we have a man in the white house right now who is a one-term senator voted president -- present as a state senator had bizarre friendships in case you didn't hear me talk about it. >> i talk about it a lot. >> but why do you want to be president of the united states? >> i haven't made that decision yet. sean, a good try to get me to announce. >> look. on a scale of 1 to 100 action where are you in the process of committing to it? >> i don't know about the numbers but look. for me, it's very simple. what i said there is absolutely true. the only reason i want to be in public service is because i believe i owe a debt to america i will never be able to repay. >> we all benefit. >> insome people don't think that way. i feel that way.

to me, for someone who has literally seen my family's entire destiny altered by the fact that america happened to be 90 miles from cuba instead of some other country, i have to pay that back. not only do i have to pay that back in some way i have to make sure that people who are trying to do the same thing now get the chance to do it. i don't want my kids to one day grow up and ask me how come you got to grow up in the greatest country in the world but we get to live in a country that's diminished. i have to decide through careful prayer where is the best place for me to serve this country at this stage of my life. >> you might be willing. you said you wouldn't run simultaneously for president and the u.s. senate but you don't have to make that decision to -- until march april or may? >> but if you want to be president of the united states, you decide that that's where you have been called at this time in your life to at least run for it you believe that's the best place for you to serve america. that's what you run for. i don't think you can start thinking about what's my exit strategy, plan b. i don't want to be in politics my whole life. i want to serve our country and i would like to do some other

things like maybe own an nfl team or something. i would have to sell a lot of books for that. >> all right. one of the most pressing problems that the oral faces right now we have seen mass beheadings people burned alive. we have a president that says the islamic state is not islamic. >> not presbyterians. >> no, they are not. we see hostility you mentioned in your speech toward the prime minister of israel. if you did become president, how would you deal with this crisis of worldwide terrorism, a group that wants to raise the flag of islam and meet us in new york? >> two separate points. first is sundays why the president has not put in place a military strategy to defeat isis. if we wanted to defeat them militarily, he doesn't want to upset iran. in his mind this deal with iran is going to be the obamacare of

his sec term. he doesn't want to do anything that upsets iran and they don't like it when we send military forces in the region because they think it should belong to them. as far as what we should do, it's straightforward, isis is a radical sunni islamic group. they need to be defeated by a sunni military force with air support from the united states. the e job descriptions the saudis, the jordanians, the uae, bahrainis and turks and kur did. s put together a coalition armed forces to confront them on the ground with u.s. special operation support intelligence support and most devastating air support possible. you will wipe isis out. if you were elected, what would be the top 5 agenda items you would push hardest for? >> three things, first a healthy

economy. tax reform sues our energy and balance our budget. we need to get people skills revolutionize the way we pay for hire education. not everyone should be forced to get a 4-year degree in order to find a job. there are millions of good paying jobs out there. we should allow people to access the skills they need. third, the strongest, most powerful military force in the world and an american foreign policy. it is bad to be our enemy and good to be our friend? >> all right. our lightning round. >> lightning round? >> abortion. >> i am pro-life. i mean it's just as simple as that. >> gay marriage? >> i believe marriage is between one man and one woman. that's what it has been for thousands of years. it served people well. >> colorado marijuana? >> i am against the legalization of marijuana.

>> should every law-abiding states nevin states with restrictive begun laws should they have the right to carry a weapon? >> absolutely. the only people who don't care about gun laws are criminals. >> hillary clinton? >> yesterday. >> bill clinton? >> real questionedyesterday. >> barack obama? >> failed. >> last question. you talked about your love for america and how we all really we receive so much more than we could ever pay back explain if you believe in american exceptionalism and why? >> i don't know if people realize but in every other society in human history, your future is decided by what your parents did before you. if your parents were rich if your parents were famous or politically connected if they

could find you your first job, you were set. if they couldn't you were stuck no matter how hard you worked how much you tried. the fact that the son of a bartender and a mais that worked at a hotel, that's why america is special. >> senator marco rubio. >> thank you. thank you. >> more from cpac now with former florida governor jeb bush. he spoke to the conference for about half an hour [applause.]

>> a day with governor bush. there is a lot of -- i've got to start with: are you mad at your mom because she did say well i don't know if we need another bush in the white house? what is your reaction to your mom? >> i saw that actually, sean, on the quad today's show" when my brother was opening up the national library and that was a little difficult. but since that time she has had a change of heart. >> yeah. >> that's all right by me. >> >>. >> we have had your dad and your brother? >> yeah. >> as president of the united states. you made a statement the other day. you said i am my own man. >> yeah. so, if i go beyond the

consideration of the possibility of running which is the legal term nothing else that many of the people coming to cpac are using to not trigger a campaign if i get beyond that and i run for president, i have to show what's in my heart. i have to show that i care about people, their future. it can't be about the past. it can't be about my mom and dad or my brother who i love. i love them all. it has to be about the ideas i believe in to move our country forward so we can have high, sustained economic growth where more people have a chance to earn success because america today, more and more people don't think that system works for them anymore. for conservatives to win we need to give them hope that if we create the field of dreams that people can rise up again. >> let me ask you: last time you were at cpac in the washington post today, you said "all too often we're --" i think you were talking about conservatives. "we are labeled and associated with being anti-everything. >> yeah. >> way too many people believe

republicans are anti-i am grant and science anti-worker and the list goes on. i want you to ex panted on that. >> i think the conservatives in washington. opposing the over reach. they have done a pretty good job. the president jammed down the throat obamacare, the affordable care act and dodd frank and stimulus but we have fought in a principle way. he is using his executive power to try to carry out his agenda over time we have to start being for things again. i think what we need to be for is a strong national defense. where we are committed each and aday to protect the homeland with threats that exist. it's not a joke. these are threats that not just have an xwant in the neighborhood in the middle east or have an impact on israel. it impacts us as well. so we need to stand for a strongs national defense in the defense of the homeland and we need to get people a sense that

if we started growing our economy again the middle would start having rising income again. what you would do to do that is offer compelling alternatives to the failed tax policies, the fails regulation policies, a broken education system and making sure that people know that we are on their side, to rise up. it's good to oppose the bad things. we need to be start being for things. here is the deal. there are 589 of committed conservatives in this room. there are a lot of other conservatives that haven't been asked. they don't know that they are conservative. if we share our enthusiasm and love for our country and belief in our philosophy we will be able to get latinos and young people and other people that you need to win to get 50 [applause.] >> every article i had read talks about you and a divide

with the conservative movement over two issues. >> i read about it. >> saw it once in a while. it has to do with immigration and common core. >> yeah. >> let's directly deal with this. >> yeah. >> now you said yeah, they broke the law. it's not a felony. it's an act of love. you also said that you support a pathway to citizenship, and when you were governor -- two other things, you supported driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and you supported in-state tuition prices for those children of illegal immigrants that weren't citizens. >> i want to give you an opportunity to address that. >> okay. sure. on immigration, i wrote a book about this. instead of people opining about what i believe they might want to read book. it's called "immigration wars" you can get it on amazon for a buck, 99, deeply discounted.

i talked about the need to enforce the borders. a great country needs to enforce borders for security purposes, public health and the rule of law. first and foremost we have to do that. we need a narrow family petitioning so it's the same as every other country spouse and minor children, not this broad definition of spouse, minor children adult siblings and adult parents that crowds out what we need, which are economic-driven immigrants, those who want to come here to work to adjust in their dreams create opportunities for all of us. that's what we need to get to. and so as the plan also includes a path to legal status. i have not seen anybody -- and i know there is disagreement here some are angry about this. and look. i kind of feel your pain. i was in miami this morning and it was 70 degrees. the simple fact is the simple fact is, there is no plan to deport 11 million people. we should give them a path to

legal status where they work, where they don't receive government benefits, where they don't break the law, where they learn english. and where they make a contribution to our society. that's what we need to be focused on. >> all right. reaction? let me do a follow-up. we had senate rubio a friend of yours from florida. i asked him the same question. we only care about spending cuts and tax increases. we always get the tax increase. we never get the spending cuts. >> the congress has tried comprehensive immigration reform and it has failed. we now have a crisis going on with the department of homeland security the president's executive orders. my question is: why not secure the borders first. once it's verified secure -- ? >> let's do it, man. >> and talk about it. >> instead of having the political argument about this the president did use authority he doesn't have. the courts are going to overrule

that. i have been consistent about that. let's control the border. >> uh-huh. >> there is nothing wrong with that. that's what a great nation has to do. there is nothing that holds back the republicans to put a comprehensive plan in place to do that. the simple fact is: this nation needs to start growing at a far faster rate than we are growing today. we have the young and dynamic and aspirational again for a lot of the young people in this crowd to be able to get a job with purpose and meaning. we need to begin to change the subject with high sustained growth. >> i don't want to spend our time on immigration but some yes or no scenarios with you. number one, for example, do you agree with conservatives who say congress should not pass a home land security funding bill that would pund the president's illegal and unconstitutional amnesty? >> i think the congress ought to pass a bill that does not allow him to use that authority. look, i don't know. i am not an expert on the ways of washington. it makes no sense to me that we

are not funding control of our border which is the whole argument. i am messissing something. the simple fact is the president has gone way beyond his constitutional powers to do this. the congress has every right to reinstate their responsibility for what law is about. >> yes or no. 100,000 people came from central america. we all watched over the last summer. should they be sent home? >> i thought they should have been sent home at the border to be honest with you. here is the deal. the hughmanitarian thing to do would have been to consistently say from the from the beginning don't risk your lives crossing as young people don't pay the gangsters in central america money from your family members in this country to come all the way across and just get in to the country and be processed and now, with our broken system it may take three or four years to even begin to process them. send a clear signal that this was a dangerous thing to do and

a wrong thing to do and it would stopped the floor. we did that in miami and florida. that was exactly what bush 41 did as it related to haitians. it stopped the flow of people. people didn't lose their lives trying to come to this country. >> let me ask you this. okay. i mentioned this early when i had an opportunity to speak to this great crowd here that is: right now at this point in the country, at this moment in history, we have 50 million americans, nearly 50 million in poverty, nearly 50 million on food stamps. >> yeah. >> the lowest labor participation rate since the 1950s. >> that's it. >> i want you to connect it to immigration. shouldn't americans have the opportunity for those jobs first? you say go to the back of the line. >> yeah. >> but if thing go to the back of the line they get to stay here and compete for those jobs. sean here is the deal. >> yeah. >> you believe the pie is static. that's the left point of view.

and many on the right don't agree with that. but they by their policies they imply it. what we -- and therefore we are splitting up someone's benefit is someone else's detriment. i believe what we ought to focus on is outgrowing the economic pie and growing it at a rate -- [applause.] >> that looks more like the '80s in america. closer to 4%. not 2%. if we stay at this anemic rate,ing it becomes valid but if we grow at 4%, it will not be a zero sum law. that's not how republicans and conserve conservetives think. we don't think it's about the government living it up for us to get our crumb. the poor people to do it, the more economic growth will take place for all of us. >> my left question is going to be, as governor, do you stand by the decision driver's license did. >> didn't happen. >> didn't happen. you tried. and the other decision about

in-state tuition. >> i do. i do. in fact that was the in-state tuition was passed this year by one of the most conservative state legislatures, i might add add and a con servative governor signed into law this year. >> next issue? >> not by me. >> that comes up when you read about jeb bush is the issue of common core. it was interesting. i didn't know until i was researching you that you were the first governor to institute vouchers in the country. it was overruled by the swort of florida. you were the first governor to allow a voucher system. i think a lot of conservatives belief in vouchers. i want you to address the common core? >> i will do it in the context of comprehensive reach. >> high standards aren't meaningful. helpful better than lower standards. if there is no accountability around this no sequence between mediocrity and failure or

excellence the system won't move fort worthlorida. we took a comprehensive approach. we did have the first statewide voucher program and more school choice in florida both public and private than any state in the country. we have the largest virtual school. we have the largest corporate tax similar chirp program. we have 30,000 students that if their parents if their child has a learning disability, they can take the dollars, the state and local dollars and send them to any private school of their choice. we have all of that. that's improved public schools. we eliminated social promotion in third grade which was a pretty difficult thing to do. we did all of this and we raised standards. nigh belief is our standards have to be high enough where a student going through our system is college or career ready. that's not what's happening right now. >> is common core a federal take over? >> no. it shouldn't be. here is where i think conservatives and myself all of us are deeply concerned with this president in this

department of education, there is a risk that they will intrude and they have as it relates to race to the top. what we should say quite clearly in the reauthorization of the k-12 law, i think it may have been on the floor in the house of representatives is to say the federal government has no role in the creation of standards either directly or indirectly. the federal government has no role in curriculum and content should have no access to student id or student information. the role of the federal government if there is any is to provide incentives for more school choice. take the title i money and the idea money. if states want to innovate with their programs, give them the money to let them create their programs. >> that's a better approach. >> yeah. i want to give you an opportunity to talk a little bit about your record as governor. >> yeah. >> and inasmuch as you privatized state jobs cut taxes $19,000,000,000 as governor?

>> yeah. >> in doing my research. you ended affirmative action. i want to give you a chance to someplace for those that earlier today, i was surprised. i mentioned candidates. some people, ooh, when you mentioned your name. i want to give you a chance to talk about your record directly to the cpac? >> for those who made an ooh sound. is that what it was? i am marking it down as newtral and i want to be your second choice if i decide to go beyond this. but here is the record. it's a record that may be hard for people to imagine because it's a record of accomplishment of getting things done of taking conservative principles running on them for starters and having the courage to say i was for a statewide voucher program, i believed we should cut spending take on the trial bar and all of the things we did so we created a world-class business climate, 1 dort 3 million net new jobs created in eight years, more than any state but one. don't tell rick perry but more than texas during those 8 years.

i left the state with a 3% unemployment rate. we made florida business-friendly and they came and they created jobs. our economy grew by 3.9% when the rest of the country was growing at 2.6%. we had reformed otherur education system and florida it wasn't just the fight that mattered. we actually have led the country dro in student achievement. kids in poverty in florida out perform all of their peers in other places. florida is a place where conservative principles have helped not just republicans but everybody. we eliminated affirmative action. i know there are people who come here and talk about the courage legitimately so. i eliminated affirmative action. trust me. there were a lot of people upset about the this through hard work we ended up having a system where there were more

african-americans and hispanic kids attending university than they were to the system that was discriminatory. i left the state with $95,000,000,000 of reserves. no drunken sailors. they called me veto corleoni. totalling $2,000,000,000. we left my successor $9000,000,000 plus dollars of cash for a rainy day. they know we had the financial meltdown. so conservatives need to be focused on not spending everything that they have of cutting taxes to stimulate economic growth so more revenue comes in people's pockets and the government gets their fair share as well. >> do you think you can lower taxes with 18.1 trillion in debt that we have enough to 100 trillion in unfunded liabilities? >> you can lower taxes and create more economic opportunity that will generate more revenue for government than any of the most exotic tax plans that barak

obama has. i believe that. >> let me ask: national security national defense. your brother predicted in 2007 unfortunately well pinpoint accuracy what would happen if we left iraq too early, didn't keep intelligence or any forces on the ground. now, we have isis people being beheaded, burned to death, could notkick christians simultaneous beheadings. my question is: what would you do if you were the commander in chief to defeat isis? >> by the way, mitt romney was right in the debate about putin. mitt romney was right about a lot of things that the president just sloughed off about not having a strong military. our position needs to be to reengage with a strong military and a strong presence. we can't disengage in the world and expect a good result. as we pull back voids are filled. we need to reestablish relationships with countries

that we have managed to mess up. we have been messed up almost every relationship including canada which is hard to do. we have done it. he script, we got it wrong three times in a row in the last three years. jordan the king comes asking for support. i have yet to see. perhaps it went covertly. >> israel? >> israel for sure. turkey all of these countries have doubts about america. we need to be engaged in the world. build a coalition to isolate and put isis around the noose and take them out. that can be done not by ourselves, unilaterally. >> has to be done with american leadership. >> how would you do you it? specifically, what would be a first step? >> i like the idea senator was talking about a safe zone for a free syrian army action begin that process. i like the idea of not putting conditions of boots on the ground so we can have intelligence capabilities and special forces capability to see

make a difference. i like these ideas k all of them require reingauging with the neighborhood so they consider it a high priority prior to for their interests to be able to participate in this. negotiations with iran maz make this more complicated. the idea we will trip over find a deal, negotiate downward creating an unsafe oral and legitmizing the ayatollah and his nuclear capability is troublingly. >> all of the reports are that negotiations are going on now that in fact the mullahs of iran will in fact be allowed to enrich uranium. they have the delivery system? >> exact right. >> as president, what would you say to any deal that is struck before you took office? >> first, i hope the congress acts on this and requires that this deal go back for approval in the united states congress. i think that is the first step so we don't get to the point where the next president,

because it will be done by executive order, is forced to undo that by executive order as well. that would be the best thing to do. we need to be clear there should be no light between us and israel and we need to be clear that other discussions as it results to iran need to include their trat gee of using surrogates to restrategize the region. focusing on whether or not iran has a weapon and if we are going to be regulating it is bad policy. >> what is your reaction to a president who the can't acknowledge radical islam? >> it's about economic uncertainty. >> jobs for jihadi? >> the one in london was a college graduate. >> and wealthwy. bin laden was rich? >> misunderstanding of what this islamic terrorist threat is the is dangerous because it doesn't allow you to have the right strategy to deal with this we

need a heightened understanding of what this means. that's why prime minister netanyahu's visit is going to be important. he will tell the truth and the american people, i believe, are going to reject what president obama is trying to do in iran. >> i am running out of time. i have to wrap up in a minute. i have asked every other candidate it an tund to interview real quickly? >> boxers. >> that was not president question. i will leave that for nbc news. the top five agenda. if you become president what are your top five priorities in the first 100 days? >> undoing -- right. undoing by executive order, undoing what the president has done, using authority he doesn't have creating a regulatory reform agenda that allows for investment to take place in our country, presenting the congress a plan to reform our tax code so that we can see.

inversions happen the other way. when countries create highway jobs. we need to get to high sustained growth and send anal we are going to be their partner for peace and security. >> lightning round but before i do that a lot of has been written about terri schaivo. you used to have a license plate it that said "choose life." >> yes. >> any regrets over that fight? >> we were the first state to have a license plate that helped with crisis pregnancies around the state. i am pro-life. i also believe that the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected. and in this case here was a woman who was vulnerable and the court bass of our lawyers didn't allow her -- they were going toshire her to be starved to death. we passed terri's law which was ruled unconstitutionm a. i acted on my belief that the

most vut nerable should be in the front of the line receive love and protection and that's exactly what i did. >> okay. there was an education in an article today gay marriage, are you changing your position at all? >> no. i believe in traditional marriage. >> okay. there are numerous reports you are telling people privately that you are a moderate? >> no. >> but -- how do you -- i describe myself as a reagan constitutional conservative. how would you describe yourself? >> i would describe myself as a practicing preefrm minded conservative. >> i have actually done it. >> marijuana in colorado legalization? good or bad idea? >> i thought it was a bad idea but the states ought to have a right to do that. i would have voted know if i was in colorado. >> i will mention a few things. i have interesting answers. hillary clinton? >> foreign fundraising. word association? >> kind of. you did good. had that working.

bill clinton. >> bubba. >> all right. that's pretty funny. how are you doing? i want to say hi to the cute chick in the back there. the governor? >> over here. >> stay away from these radio and t.v. talk hosts. barack obama. >> failed president. fail president. >> you know there has been such a big debate about the issue of american exceptionalim? >> yeah. >> do you believe america is exceptional? and c do you love this country enough that you are going to go through the difficulty and the trials and tribulations of running for office? >> my last question kfrnlths i believe in american exceptionalism. i got to be the chairman of the national constitution center for a couple of years that honors our constitution. it's a museum. i fell in love with the constitution again being there in its presence.

and this president put aside -- whether you like his beliefs, i imagine no one in this room does that he wasis disrespecting our history and doing what he has done is deeply disturbing to me. it'suheritage and expanding that that gives his people confidence that they can rise up that they can live the american dream has to be one of the primary responsibilities of the next president of the united states. >> okay. ladies and gentlemen, cpac governor jeb bush. thank you. [applause.]

think. you can call us on the republican line, (202) 748-8001. democrats can call (202) 748-8000. independents call us at (202) 745-8002.