Our brave men and women have made many sacrifices in just wars to defeat the forces of evil. We have exported our greatest values: freedom and opportunity, which have lifted millions out of poverty. At home, these values allow Americans to use their God-given potential and make their dreams reality.

For over 200 years this has been a special country. A unique place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything. But now millions of Americans feel like they're being left behind. Insecure in their future and unsafe in the face of terrorism.

I do think the most important thing we need in leadership in our country, not just in the presidency but in the United States Senate, are people that have a clear vision of what the role of government should be in our lives and what the role of America should be in the world.

I don't want there to be millions of people that are permanently barred from every becoming Americans.

A sense that with the blessings that God bestowed upon this land, came the responsibility to make the world a better place.

America is not perfect. It took a bloody civil war to free over 4 million African Americans who lived enslaved. It took another hundred years after that before they achieved full equality under the law.

I haven't officially spoken in public about that issue, but I don't think it's a secret that Carlos [López-Cantera] has been a good friend of mine for many years. I respect him. I think he has done a great job as a state representative, as property appraiser in South Florida, and he's doing so now as lieutenant governor of Florida, and I think he would be a great senator, but I don't have an announcement for you today.