Identifying herself as the proud daughter of Indian immigrants, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley today took a dig at US President Barack Obama for suggesting that business owners can’t claim credit for their success.
Delivering a prime time speech during the ongoing Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, Haley recollected the success story of the business of her parents.
“I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants who reminded my brothers, my sister and me every single day how blessed we were to live in this country. They loved the fact that only in America, we could be as successful as we wanted to be and nothing would stand in our way,” Haley said.
Obama in a campaign-trail comment recently had said, “If you have got a business, you did not built that”, suggesting they can’t claim credit for their businesses.
“My parents started a business out of the living room of our home and, 30-plus years later, it was a multi-million dollar company. But there wasn’t a single day that was easy and there wasn’t a single day my Mom and Dad didn’t put everything they had into making that business a success,” she said.
“So, President Obama, with all due respect, don’t tell me that my parents didn’t build their business,” Haley said in her speech in the presence of thousands of party men in Tampa, and being watched live nationwide.
“Almost forty-five years after my parents first became Americans, I stand before you and them tonight as the proud Governor of the state of South Carolina,” she said.
Haley in January 2011 created history by becoming only the second Indian American Governor of a US State and the first woman Governor of South Carolina.
“And, sadly, the hardest part of my job continues to be this Federal Government, this administration, this President,” she said.
“As I said, my parents loved that when they came to America, if you worked hard, the only things that could stop you were the limits you placed on yourself. Unfortunately, these past few years, you can work hard, try to be as successful as possible, follow the rules, and President Barack Obama will do everything he can to stand in your way,” Haley said.
“In 2009, South Carolina was blessed to welcome a great American company that chose to stay in our country to continue to do business. That company was Boeing,” she said.
Boeing started a new line for their 787 Dreamliner, creating 1,000 new jobs in South Carolina.
“And what did President Obama and his National Labor Relations Board do? They sued this iconic American company. It was shameful. And not worthy of the promise of America,” she said.
Haley said Mitt Romney is results driven.
“He’s taken broken companies and made them successful. He took a failing Olympics and made it a source of pride for our country. He went into a Democratic state, cut taxes, brought in jobs and improved education,” she said adding that he actually balanced his budget.
“This is a man at peace with who he is, with the challenges he faces, and with what he intends to accomplish.
This is a man who is not just a candidate looking to win an election, but a leader yearning to return our Nation to its greatest potential,” she said.