RNC

credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography

 

 

The polls are tightening across the nation, and one thing is clear: this year's presidential election will be one of the closest in history. We know that John McCain and Sarah Palin will change Washington, but before they reform our nation's capital, you have to send them there first.

Now more than ever, your vote is critical. And there's no better way to vote than by voting early, or with an absentee ballot. Voting early, or with an absentee ballot, is the best way to avoid the long line on Election Day and get your vote counted. Many states allow you to vote early by requesting an absentee ballot through the mail. Please visit www.JohnMcCain.com/AB for more details on early voting and absentee ballot requests in your state.

Your support is extremely important to electing John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin in November, and your vote will matter. I'm encouraging you to visit our website and either register to vote or sign up for early voting or an absentee ballot. Your vote will make all the difference in November.

Thanks for your support and for your vote!

Rick Davis
Campaign Manager

 

Full Text: Remarks by John McCain
 




U.S. Sen. John McCain 

Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans -- the privilege of accepting our party’s nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence. 

In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn’t any different. That’s a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They’re leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won’t forget. 

I’m grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country. 

As always, I’m indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children. The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation’s business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can’t imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she’s more my inspiration than I am hers. Her concern for those less blessed than we are - victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects - shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady. 

When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn’t be here tonight but for the strength of her character. 

My heartfelt thanks to all of you, who helped me win this nomination, and stood by me when the odds were long. I won’t let you down. To Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for, thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to win your trust. I intend to earn it. 

Finally, a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We’ll go at it over the next two months. That’s the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We’re dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn’t be an American worthy of the name if I didn’t honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement. 

But let there be no doubt, my friends, we’re going to win this election. And after we’ve won, we’re going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace. 

These are tough times for many of you. You’re worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home. All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way. And that’s just what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future. 

And I’ve found just the right partner to help me shake up Washington, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. She has executive experience and a real record of accomplishment. She’s tackled tough problems like energy independence and corruption. She’s balanced a budget, cut taxes, and taken on the special interests. She’s reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and Independents to serve in her administration. She’s the mother of five children. She’s helped run a small business, worked with her hands and knows what it’s like to worry about mortgage payments and health care and the cost of gasoline and groceries. 

She knows where she comes from and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what’s right, and she doesn’t let anyone tell her to sit down. I’m very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can’t wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming. 

I’m not in the habit of breaking promises to my country and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we’re going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. We’ve got a record of doing just that, and the strength, experience, judgment and backbone to keep our word to you. 

You know, I’ve been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it’s meant as a compliment and sometimes it’s not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don’t work for a party. I don’t work for a special interest. I don’t work for myself. I work for you. 

I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I’ve fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment. I’ve fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I’ve fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses. 

I fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq, when it wasn’t a popular thing to do. And when the pundits said my campaign was finished, I said I’d rather lose an election than see my country lose a war. 

Thanks to the leadership of a brilliant general, David Petraeus, and the brave men and women he has the honor to command, that strategy succeeded and rescued us from a defeat that would have demoralized our military, risked a wider war and threatened the security of all Americans. 

I don’t mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I’ve had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way. In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test. 

I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills. 

I fight for Jake and Toni Wimmer of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Jake works on a loading dock; coaches Little League, and raises money for the mentally and physically disabled. Toni is a schoolteacher, working toward her Master’s Degree. They have two sons, the youngest, Luke, has been diagnosed with autism. Their lives should matter to the people they elect to office. They matter to me. 

I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfboro, New Hampshire, who died serving our country in Iraq. I wear his bracelet and think of him every day. I intend to honor their sacrifice by making sure the country their son loved so well and never returned to, remains safe from its enemies. 

I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles. 

We’re going to change that. We’re going to recover the people’s trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics. 

We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential from the boy whose descendents arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We’re all God’s children and we’re all Americans. 

We believe in low taxes; spending discipline, and open markets. We believe in rewarding hard work and risk takers and letting people keep the fruits of their labor. 

We believe in a strong defense, work, faith, service, a culture of life, personal responsibility, the rule of law, and judges who dispense justice impartially and don’t legislate from the bench. We believe in the values of families, neighborhoods and communities. 

We believe in a government that unleashes the creativity and initiative of Americans. Government that doesn’t make your choices for you, but works to make sure you have more choices to make for yourself. 

I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it. 

My tax cuts will create jobs. His tax increases will eliminate them. My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government run health care system where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor. 

Keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs. Cutting the second highest business tax rate in the world will help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas. Doubling the child tax exemption from $3500 to $7000 will improve the lives of millions of American families. Reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs will let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit. Opening new markets and preparing workers to compete in the world economy is essential to our future prosperity. 

I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn’t even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That’s going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We’re going to help workers who’ve lost a job that won’t come back, find a new one that won’t go away. 

We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we'll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage. 

Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work. 

When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity. 

Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I’m President, they will. 

My fellow Americans, when I’m President, we’re going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we’ll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles. 

Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and to restore the health of our planet. It’s an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we have faced greater challenges. It’s time for us to show the world again how Americans lead. 

This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce. 

Today, the prospect of a better world remains within our reach. But we must see the threats to peace and liberty in our time clearly and face them, as Americans before us did, with confidence, wisdom and resolve. 

We have dealt a serious blow to al Qaeda in recent years. But they are not defeated, and they’ll strike us again if they can. Iran remains the chief state sponsor of terrorism and on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons. Russia’s leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world’s oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and prayers. As President, I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War. But we can’t turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people. 

We face many threats in this dangerous world, but I'm not afraid of them. I'm prepared for them. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. I know how to secure the peace. 

When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house. A Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I rarely saw my father again for four years. My grandfather came home from that same war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home with me. I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination. 

I’m running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal - diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals - to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace. 

In America, we change things that need to be changed. Each generation makes its contribution to our greatness. The work that is ours to do is plainly before us. We don’t need to search for it. 

We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. All these functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington. 

The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom. It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you. 

Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That’s how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not. 

Instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn’t think of them first, let’s use the best ideas from both sides. Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let’s try sharing it. This amazing country can do anything we put our minds to. I will ask Democrats and Independents to serve with me. And my administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability. 

We’re going to finally start getting things done for the people who are counting on us, and I won’t care who gets the credit. 

I’ve been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I’ve never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn’t thank God for the privilege. 

Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. I was blessed by misfortune. I mean that sincerely. I was blessed because I served in the company of heroes, and I witnessed a thousand acts of courage, compassion and love. 

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I hadn’t any worry I wouldn’t come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn’t think there was a cause more important than me. 

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn’t feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn’t set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn’t get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life. 

I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn’t in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down. 

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I’d been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I’d been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me. 

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn’t know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me. 

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s. 

I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God. 

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you’re disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself. 

I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me. 

Fight for what’s right for our country. 

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. 

Fight for our children’s future. 

Fight for justice and opportunity for all. 

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. 

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America. 

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history. 

Thank you, and God Bless you. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

 

Remarks by Mrs. Cindy McCain
 




MRS. CINDY McCAIN 

Thank you everyone. 

John and I are so proud of them and so happy to have them here with us tonight. 

Nothing has made me happier or more fulfilled in my life than being a mother. 

But while John and I take great joy in having been able to spend time together this week as a family, our hearts go out to the thousands of families who have had to leave their homes once again due to devastating weather.

It is not only our natural instinct to rally to them, to lift them up with our prayers and come to their aid, it is also our duty to our country.

That duty is what brings me before you tonight. And it's much larger and more important than just me or John or any of us: It's the work of this great country calling us together - and there is no greater duty than that, no more essential task for our generation -- right now.

That's been very much on my mind these last few months as I traveled our country. 

Each day, after the bands packed up, the speeches were done, and the camera lights darkened, I always came back to how blessed and honored I was to be part of our national conversation. 

And in these times, when so many of our fellow Americans face difficult situations, what I saw moved me deeply. 

Families worried about losing their homes. 

Towns deserted by industries once at their center. 

Mothers with no choice but to send their children to unsafe and underperforming schools. 

But I have also seen the resilience of the American people. I've heard stirring stories of neighbor helping neighbor, of cities on one end of the country offering help to fellow citizens on the other. 

Despite our challenges our hearts are still alive with hope and belief in our individual ability to make things right if only the Federal government would get itself under control and out of our way.

So tonight is also about renewing our commitment to one another. 

Because this campaign is not about us. It's about our special and exceptional country. 

And this convention celebrates a special and exceptional Republican Party ... the hand we feel on our shoulder belongs to Abraham Lincoln.

Our country was born amidst the struggle for freedom ... and our party arose from a great battle for human rights, dignity, and equality for all people. We give way to no one and no other party in that cause.

From its very birth, our party has been grounded in the notion of service, community and self-reliance ... and it's all tempered by an uniquely American faith in - and compassion for - each other's neighbors. 

A helping hand and friendly support has always been our way. It's no surprise that Americans are the most generous people in history. 

That generosity of spirit is in our national DNA. It's our way of doing things. It's how we view the world.

I was taught Americans can look at the world and ask either: what do other countries think of us ... or we can look at ourselves and ask: what would our forefathers make of us and what will our children say of us? That's a big challenge. In living up to it, we know the security and prosperity of our nation is about a lot more than just politics.

It also depends on personal commitment, a sense of history and a clear view of the future.

I know of no one who better defines how to do that ... whose life is a better example of how to go about that than the man I love and with whom I have shared almost 30 years of my life: 

My husband, John McCain.

From the beginning of time, no matter how accomplished in other fields, women have always sought a husband with an eye to what kind of father that man would be.

Well, I hit a home run with John McCain!

I got the most marvelous husband and friend and confidant ... a source of strength and inspiration ... and also the best father you could ever imagine.

In that most sacred role, he brought to our children his great personal character ... his life-long example of honesty... and his steadfast devotion to honor.

He has shown the value of self-sacrifice by daily example and, above all... John showers us with the unconditional love and support every family dreams of. I know what his children say of him.

And his courageous service to America in war and peace leaves no doubt what our forefathers would make of him!

It's these virtues of character that led him to this campaign, to this moment. 

John McCain is a steadfast man who will not break with our heritage ... no matter how demanding or dangerous the challenges at home or abroad. 

And let's not be confused: these are perilous times, not just for America, but for freedom itself.

It's going to take someone of unusual strength and character - someone exactly like my husband - to lead us through the reefs and currents that lie ahead. I know John. 

You can trust his hand at the wheel.

But you know what, I've always thought it's a good idea to have a woman's hand on the wheel as well.

So how about Governor Sarah Palin! 

John has picked a reform-minded ... hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five for vice president. And as a fellow hockey mom myself and a western conservative mother, I couldn't be prouder that John has shaken things up as he usually does!

No one can do the job alone. And that's why I'm glad John will have Governor Palin by his side.

We all to have work together ... build consensus - the way John has done all his life. 

His leadership inspires and empowers ... and places ultimate success in all our hands.

Ronald Reagan was fond of saying, "with freedom goes responsibility -- a responsibility that can only be met by the individual himself." 

I have been witness to great service and sacrifice - to lives lived with humility and grace. 

In World War II, my father's B-17 was shot down three times. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. 

But he was quiet about that... and never claimed to have done more than his small share. 

Just like my husband. 

I think John was a hero in Vietnam. 

But he thinks it was just his turn.

Our son, Jack, will graduate from the United States Naval Academy next year - fourth generation - ready to do his service. 

And our son Jimmy - a lance corporal in the Marine Corps - served honorably in Iraq ... as hundreds of thousands of other young men and women just like him are doing for America and freedom everywhere. 

The stakes were never more clear to me, than the morning I watched my son Jimmy strap on his weapons and board a bus headed for harm's way.

I was born and raised in the American West and will always see the world through the prism of its values. 

My Father was a true "Western Gentleman."

He rose from hardscrabble roots to realize the American dream. 

With only a few borrowed dollars in his pocket, a strong back and a can-do spirit, he built a great life for his family.

His handshake was his solemn oath. He looked you straight in the eye and he always believed the best of you unless you gave him good cause not to. 

Modest and good-natured, he had deep roots in our American soil. 

He taught me life is not just about you - it's also about nurturing the next generation ... preparing a better world for all our children and helping them find the right way up.

We all come to that knowledge in different ways. For me, the great moment of clarity came when I became a mother. 

Something changed in me, and I would never see my obligations the same way. 

It was after that, I was walking through the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, surrounded by terrible poverty and the devastation of a cyclone. 

All around me were the children, and the desperate faces of their mothers. The pain was overwhelming ... and I felt helpless. 

But then I visited an orphanage begun by Mother Teresa, and two very sick little girls captured my heart.

There was something I could do. I could take them home. 

And so I did.

Today both of those girls are healthy and happy. And one of them you just met: our beautiful daughter, Bridget.

Much is expected of a country as blessed as America ... and our people are at work all over the globe ... making it a better planet ... doing their part. 

It was my privilege to work with the men and women of the American Voluntary Medical Teams in places like Zaire, Micronesia and Vietnam ... watching as they relieved whole towns from disease ... and rescued countless children from sickness. 

The reward for sharing in that work is truly indescribable. 

To see a child rescued from a life in the shadows by Operation Smile is to witness and share a joy that is life-changing. 

And the challenges go on. 

I just returned from the Republic of Georgia, where HALO Trust - an organization specializing in clearing the debris of war - and others, are rescuing innocent victims from landmines and missiles.

Sometimes the courage of others leaves me breathless. 

I only need to speak the word Rwanda and the images it conjures are beyond description. 

In my box tonight is Ernestine, a woman, a friend, a mother like myself, whom I met in Kigali.

She suffered unimaginable horrors and was made to watch appalling havoc wreaked on her family. 

Yet, as the violence in her country subsides, she doesn't seek retribution -- instead, she offers love and seeks reconciliation for her people. 

She says, simply, "It's time to move on for me and my country."

Ernestine, would you please stand up?

Your courage is humbling. Your forgiveness is healing. You are my hero.

Forgiveness is not just a personal issue: it's why John led the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam ... to retrieve the remains of our MIAs... to bring closure to both sides.

That's leadership - national leadership. And it's leading by example.

The Presidential contest will begin in earnest when this convention closes. 

If Americans want straight talk and the plain truth they should take a good close look at John McCain ... a man tested and true ... ... who's never wavered in his devotion to our country ... ... a man who's served in Washington without ever becoming a Washington insider... ... who always speaks the truth no matter what the cost... ... a man of judgment and character ... ... a loyal and loving and true husband and a magnificent father! 

This is a good man, a worthy man ... I know. 

I have loved him with all my heart for almost 30 years ... and I humbly recommend him to you tonight as our nominee for the next President of the United States!

I'm so grateful to have had the chance to speak with you tonight ... and for the honor you are about to grant my husband -- and, indeed, our entire family. I promise you I will work every day to help John strengthen our freedom ... to serve this great country with the honor, dignity and the love it deserves ... from each and every generation it blesses.

May God bless all of you: ... our beloved America ... the citizens of the Gulf Coast ... and all the sons and daughters serving this great country around the world tonight.

Thank you. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

JAMES McEACHIN 

The cruelty of war has taken away John McCain's ability to salute the flag - the flag that he so staunchly defended.  I've just done so to honor him. 

To those who do not understand, permit me to say: Country first... country last... country always. 

John McCain may not be able to salute the flag, but it can be dipped in his honor by passing parades on Inauguration Day.  I hope to be off somewhere saying, as I have said on other occasions... 

On days of remembrances past, I have borne in mind that last full measure of devotion of which Abraham Lincoln so eloquently spoke at Gettysburg. 

From shadowed lanes and far-away roads, I have looked off and I have seen the symmetrical obedience of numberless headstones that stand like dwarfed sentries for the honored dead. 

I say to you, Mr. and Mrs. America, I say to your sons and daughters -- I say to all who are privileged to be within these borders -- one cannot help but be touched by the price of our liberties, humbled by graves that stretch from coast to coast.  On this day of tribute and remembrance, lo a day backed by the trembling winds of yet another war, voices of doubt and dissent have pushed me to a place beyond the site of graves and I find myself now moving along stark, sobering corridors, dedicated to the living who has sacrificed much for democracy's cause. 

I find myself in a hospice for the American veteran. 

Swept amid remnants of wars old and new, the sorrowing consequences of battle ever so evident, I pray -- oh, how I pray there never again be this need for war; but if, in the final hour, war we must, let it be for the principles for which our forefathers stood, for the freedoms for which this God-anointed nation has been ordained to stand.

Then, when in observance of the toll of war, or whether in ceremony of the great gift of freedom, it is those strident voices of doubt and dissent to whom I shall first look, and I will pray that we unite as one, and that over and over, and over and over again, we give thanks to the American veteran...defenders of freedom. 

And holding dear the memory of the dead and the unaccounted for, I shall further pray that none among us forget those whom I see here in this place, and in walks and hospices the country over -- those who once stood tall for democracy -- for the precious right to speak freely, but are now moving -- infirmly and without grace -- down the long, long corridors of duty, honor, and gallantry; going their separate way; silent of deeds and sacrifice, yet ever and ever, in a special kind of way, still giving their all to say to us all; 

No veterans, no democracy; no democracy, no America." 

 


ARCHIBISHOP DEMETRIOS 

Let us bow our heads to the Lord. 

Almighty and Loving God, we bow our heads before you in deepest gratitude for the abundant blessings which You bestow continually upon our great American nation. 

We thank You for the opportunity of being the privileged inhabitants of this land, in which peace and possibilities for progress and prosperity prevail. 

We know, Lord, that these conditions are made possible because of the great diversity of our country, where we can live and work side by side among people from all walks of life, ever-mindful that we are all created in Your divine image and likeness. 

Lord, we are also conscious that the peace and freedom which we enjoy today is the result of many sacrifices made by those who have offered their lives in defense of our nation. 

We pray that You keep alive the memory of all who have fallen in defense of freedom and that You protect those who valiantly serve today in our Armed Forces, as they continue to make freedom possible for us. 

We thank you, Lord, for bringing us together at this Republican National Convention, and we ask that You bless all the delegates here present as they nominate the candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States. 

Remember these noble candidates, Your servants, and grant them wisdom and courage as they confront challenges, both known and unknown, in service to our nation and world.  Guide them in the awesome task related to the offices of the Presidency and Vice-Presidency, a task of building a sustainable peace, prosperity, and security for our country and all the nations of the Earth; for You, O Lord, are the source of all that which is good and true and praiseworthy, and to You we ascribe glory and thanksgiving, now and forever and ever. 

Amen. 

 


U.S. REP. TOM COLE 

Last week we saw what Democrats are offering America: an inexperienced Presidential nominee in a dangerous era; a Vice-Presidential nominee who's the hand maiden to liberal special interest groups. 

A Senate Majority leader who declared a war was lost while our soldiers were winning on the battle field; and a Speaker who promised in 2006 she'd lower the price of gas at the pump by 2008. 

Well, four-dollar a gallon gasoline became the norm in America this summer. 

And while working Americans were paying the price, Congressional Democrats voted for a five-week paid vacation in August, rather than vote on energy solutions for Americans. 

No wonder Congress's approval rating is at 9 percent. 

Our strength in Congressional races this year rests at the top of the ticket. 

Americans admire John McCain's courage and support his leadership. 

The harder you campaign for John McCain, the better our Congressional candidates will run. 

With 64 days to go, we must finish the race strong. 

Run hard until we cross the finish line. 

The future of our party - and our country - depends on the fight we wage through November. 

God bless you. 

And God bless the good and great people of the United States of America. 

 


ERIK PAULSEN 

I join the many friendly Minnesotans you've already met in welcoming you to our great state! 

I am Erik Paulsen, and I am running for Congress in Minnesota's third district. 

This convention gives us a great chance to reflect on who we are as a party and why America needs our leadership. 

I am one of a new generation of Republican reformers, ready to transform our founding principles into sound public policy. 

Our pro-growth ideas -- lower taxes, free trade, open markets, smarter government, and education reform --will create jobs, jump-start the economy, lower gas prices, reduce health care costs, and boost our competitiveness in the global economy. 

I am running for one main reason: Congress is broken, and I want to help fix it. 

Congress seems to want to spend more and tax more and has done a poor job of addressing the federal budget deficit. 

And, if elected, I will not only do my part in Congress, I will work to re-acquaint my own party with the principle of fiscal responsibility. 

We are on the verge of new leadership for our nation. 

Our next president, John McCain, with the help of a new generation of Republican reformers, will restore the people's confidence in Republican leadership. 

Working together, we will grow our economy and put our fiscal house in order. 

Working together, we can provide an America that will give my four daughters - and the sons and daughters of all Americans - hope for the future. 

Working together, we can create an America that leaves no one behind, but builds an opportunity for all. 

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America. 

 


JAY LOVE 

It's an honor and privilege to stand here today, where our nominee - Senator John McCain - will accept the Republican nomination. 

I am proud to carry the McCain banner. 

I will be proud to help him fulfill our conservative values, fighting for the sanctity of life, the right to own a gun, and lower taxes. 

Just as there are differences in the Presidential race, there are differences in Congressional races across the country. 

The race to replace my friend, Congressman Terry Everett, in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, is no exception. 

Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi and her allies are obsessed with an ultra-liberal agenda.
America's energy independence means nothing to them. 

They say NO to allowing a vote to drill for oil and NO to protecting the life of the unborn. 

They say YES to higher taxes. 

I say "NO, we won't!" 

From Dothan to Opp, Alabama and from Prattville to Elmore County, Alabamans want leaders to take on Nancy Pelosi and her liberal ideas and fight for what is right. 

Like John McCain, my campaign in Alabama is about protecting our values and fighting for the conservative heart and soul of America. 

It's a fight I welcome and one we can and must win. 

 


CHARLIE SUMMERS 

My name is Charlie Summers, and last year I decided to run for Congress in Maine's First Congressional District. 

After I started running, I was called to active duty to serve in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve. 

Dropping out of the race appeared to be the only option, but then my wife, Ruth - a Naval officer herself - offered to campaign on my behalf. 

And, that's exactly what she did for the next 9 months until I returned just three weeks before the primary - Without her, I would not be speaking to you tonight. 

Ruth is a perfect example of the strong, capable, compassionate Republican women leading our party. And she also reflects the values of service we both learned as children of service veterans. 

John McCain also personifies principled Service to Country. A man who knows America can no longer afford the ways of the past and who will lead us forward with a single purpose - doing what is right for our families and our country. 

I have been to Iraq and back, and I can tell you this --it's not a liberal vs. conservative proposition. 

It's an AMERICAN PROPOSITION. 

And John McCain is THE AMERICAN to make it happen. 

 


AARON SCHOCK 

I have long been inspired by John McCain's unconventional ways. 

You see, he is a different type of Republican. 

He reaches out to all Americans, including those inner city residents not accustomed to seeing Republican candidates. 

That is why I stand here as a State Representative and a nominee for Congress at age 27. 

I represent an inner-city area of Peoria, Illinois - a district that has NEVER elected a Republican. 

Four years ago, I narrowly defeated a veteran incumbent. 

The conventional wisdom was that a district that was majority Democrat, one-quarter African-American, and has 20,000 people on food stamps could not be won by a Republican. 

But, by trumpeting the timeless principles of our party, we turned the conventional wisdom upside down. 

I won by 235 votes! 

After winning, I worked tirelessly to reach out to every constituent. I worked to resolve problems for the most needy in our community. 

Often I would get a comment "Why are you doing this, you are a Republican." 

I always respond, "This is what the Republican Party stands for - a leg up, not a hand out... helping impoverished folks become self-sufficient, contributing members of society." 

By embodying John McCain's unconventional ways, I was re-elected with 39% of the African-American vote, up from 4% just two years earlier. 

As a candidate for Congress, I look forward to serving in John McCain's army, and helping spread our message of freedom and prosperity to all Americans. 

 


DAVID CAPPIELLO 

Hello fellow Republicans! 

I'm State Senator David Cappiello, and I'm running for Congress to represent Connecticut's Fifth District. 

The people where I live in Western Connecticut share the same concerns as every hard working community in America. 

They don't ask for much - only a government that promises a more affordable America today, and a better future for tomorrow. 

Yet so many politicians think the answer to every single problem is taxes, taxes...and more taxes. 

But, the people of Western Connecticut know that when taxes go up, so does the cost of their groceries and their gas - their budgets are stretched thinner and thinner. 

They want lower taxes that allow individual ingenuity and innovation to create more jobs. 

We need leaders that will work with all Americans - Independents, Democrats & Republicans to get RESULTS for our economy. 

Only John McCain and Sarah Palin have proven bi-partisan experience in putting people above party. 

Only the Original Maverick... and the Alaskan Maverick... can reform Washington. 

That's why I love being part of a party of reform, but more importantly, a party of action. That's why I urge all Americans -from every stripe of party and coalition - to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. 

 


U.S. SEN. JOHN ENSIGN 

Good evening. 

I'm Senator John Ensign, Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. 

I was first elected to Congress in 1994. 

You probably remember it as the year of the Contract with America. 

After 40 years of a Democrat majority in the House of Representatives, it was time to put the focus of government back on freedom and opportunity. 

We came to Washington with real ideas and real solutions. 

We enacted welfare reform and freed countless people from poverty. 

We worked to lift the burden of oppressive taxes from American families. 

We scaled back regulation and bureaucracy. 

Our inspiration was a man whose vision will forever guide our nation -- President Ronald Reagan. 

Ronald Reagan was a true champion of freedom. 

He understood that when we stand for freedom, we always win. 

And he never wavered in that belief. 

Nor should we. 

To stray from freedom is to turn our backs on the 42 million Americans who have served our nation on the frontlines of freedom by donning the uniform of the United States Military. 

They are proof of how sacred freedom is. 

One of those Americans is Jacob Fogel from my home state of Nevada. 

Jacob graduated from Elko High School and joined the U.S. Navy. 

He deployed to Iraq, where he worked under the threat of terrorist attack to help construct bridges. 

He lost friends who fell beside him on the field of battle. 

Jacob knows the price of freedom. 

He put it this way: "Nobody really knows what freedom is like until you have to fight for it." 
John McCain knows freedom. 

He has fought for it and sacrificed for it. 

He has proudly served this nation as a combat aviator and a public servant. 

It is impossible to imagine the horrific experiences he survived as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. 

But I can guarantee one thing: John McCain knows what it means to be free. 

If we fail to elect leaders who understand that, we also fail as freedom's keepers.  We are facing one of the most important national elections in generations. 

If the Democrats win a stronger majority in the United States Senate, our nation will move farther and farther from the principles of freedom. 

The vision of Ronald Reagan will be replaced by an agenda of bigger government, higher taxes, and less security. 

The choice in this election is clear. 

Do you want a country more dependent on Middle Eastern oil and crippled by higher gas prices? 

OR do you want a country with its own innovative energy supply? 

Do you want a government-run healthcare system that takes the choice away from patients? 

OR do you want a system that gives you control over your own health care? 

Do you want bigger government and higher taxes? 

OR do you want to eliminate wasteful Washington spending and keep more of your hard-earned money? 

Do you want Democrats to eliminate the right to a secret ballot, letting big union bosses run rampant over employers and employees? 

OR do you want Republicans to protect workers' rights? 

Do you want judges who legislate from the bench? 

OR do you want judges who strictly adhere to the Constitution and our laws? 

And most importantly, do you want those who do not understand that there is true evil in the world to dictate our foreign policy? 

OR do you want to continue to stand up to radical Islamic extremists? 

Republicans are on the right side of these critical issues, because we will always champion freedom. 

We know that sacrifices are made every single day to strengthen, protect, and honor that freedom. 

That is why we must work to take back the majority in the United States Senate -- make Sarah Palin our next Vice President -- and elect John McCain our Commander in Chief. 

This is the great cause of our party -- and I ask each of you to give everything you have to this cause in the months ahead. 

Inspire Americans with the fundamental ideals of the Republican party: freedom and opportunity. 

And make sure that they turn out to vote in this election... 

On November 4th, freedom is on the ballot. 

In addition to the Presidency, there are ten key races that will decide the makeup of the U.S. Senate. 

If we want strict constructionist judges... less dependence on foreign oil... tort reform... healthcare choices... and lower taxes -- we need to elect Republicans to these seats. 

If we want to protect freedom, we must win these Senate races, and we must win the White House. 

Let's work together to keep the freedom that we all cherish. 

God bless you, and God bless America. 

 


UTAH GOV. JON HUNTSMAN 

Thank you, thank you my fellow Republicans -- history will be made tonight, and her name is Sarah Palin! 

We are here as a party, united -- and excited --for a John McCain and Sarah Palin Presidency! 

Last night, John McCain asked this group a question about his selection for Vice President, and tonight we're here to answer it. 

"Do you think we made the right choice?" 

YES! 

I know that the vast majority of Americans tuning in tonight are not committed to any one political party, but instead are looking for a pathway forward. 

In a world of artificiality, we are looking for originality, we are looking for authenticity, we are looking for a Beacon of Light to show us the way. 

We are looking for an American who represents every one of us, who can relate to the needs of our families... and the struggles of our country. 

Our nation's challenges are real and daunting.  But, we will not despair! 

The future depends on leadership... the kind of leadership that carries a confident and independent spirit -- born out of experience, hardship, disappointment and success. 

So, I say, "Hello, Sarah Palin!" 

She's a Hockey Mom -- a hunter -- a hard-hitting reformer -- and quite frankly, she's not afraid to raise a little Hell amidst the Washington elite! 

Which is just what America needs! 

I've long supported my good friend John McCain... and now, it is my distinct honor and privilege to lend my support to my fellow Western Governor Sarah Palin. 

My friend Sarah has shown her strength, and tenacity... to stand up for what she believes in -- to stand up for the taxpayers -- to stand up for energy independence... and to stand up for America! 

And tonight -- we stand in support of her! 

 


U.S. SEN. MEL MARTINEZ 

Thank you and good evening. 

As we just watched, it is - indeed - a dangerous world. 

 That is why we need a strong America. 

That is why we need a strong Commander-in-Chief. 

That is why we need President John McCain! 

On the world stage, America stands as a beacon of hope and a sentinel of freedom.  My journey to freedom, from Cuba, began with the dream and hope offered by America.

My journey, however, is not a unique one.

What is unique is the special place our country holds for people around the world - especially those who are oppressed or denied the liberties we take for granted. 

The challenges and dangers we face in this uncertain world... call for strong leadership, and a clear understanding of the threats we face... and how to meet and beat them. 

Only one man in this race is qualified to meet the current global challenges. 

Only one man has a history of always putting country first. 

That man is John McCain! 

John is a leader committed to peace, because he knows - first-hand - the pain and horror of war. 

To meet the challenges of our dangerous times, he knows that peace is a dividend of strength. 

And John McCain will ensure that our Armed forces have the troop strength and the equipment necessary to meet all threats. 

We must ensure that our forces are led by a Commander-in-Chief who is ready to walk in to the Oval Office on Day One ...with a clear vision of the mission and the know-how to succeed. 

This is not a time for on-the-job-training. 

In addition to our military strength, the world respects our ideals and values. 

President McCain will help spread these ideals and values across the globe... in places such as:
Latin America, where authoritarian rule and worn out ideas drive tyrants like Fidel Castro and his sidekick, Hugo Chavez. 

Iran and North Korea, where we have seen the dangerous and destabilizing pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

And the Middle East, where anti-American sentiment - bred by hatred and fueled by radicalism - threatens us all. 

We must engage and compete with the strength of our ideas.  We must engage with confidence and without apology. 

America is a good and decent country -I know. 

And I know, John McCain is the right person to carry this message . 

And he will do it in a consistent manner - unlike his opponent. 

Senator Obama is a relative newcomer on the national scene and an unproven quantity on the global stage, so, do we know what he stands for? 

First, he said he would meet with rogue leaders without condition, then he came to understand that is an unwise and dangerous approach to American leadership. 

First, he was for trade, then he was against NAFTA. 

First, he was for a "soft" response to the Russian invasion of the emerging democracy of Georgia, then he realized it warranted a more muscular response...only after John McCain led the way in standing up to Russian aggression. 

Is this what he means by "change we can believe in?" 

It is not the kind of change we need from our President and Commander-in-Chief. 

Our country needs our next president to have character, experience, and an unending willingness to put country first - first above self, and first above political ambition. 

That person is John McCain. 

With him as President, we know America will be to others what it has been for me - a land of hope and great opportunity. 

Thank you. 

 


MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY 

Thank you. 

We're so glad we're in Minnesota. 

How do we measure the content of a person's character?  How do we recognize their fitness to serve? 

Barack Obama gives a good speech. 

But the best sermons aren't preached, they're lived. 

John McCain's whole life is a testimony to service, duty, courage and common sense.  John McCain has walked the walk, and he has always put our country first! 

When he showed guts and courage as a Prisoner of War, John McCain put our country first! 

When he stood up to special interests, and fought against earmarks and pork-barrel spending in Congress, John McCain put our country first! 

When he saw the need to change strategy in Iraq and boldly called for the surge, John McCain put our country first! 

When he responded to our energy crisis with an all-of-the-above energy plan, John McCain put our country first! 

And when John McCain is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, we know he will always put our country first! 

We've seen in this man the very best our country has to offer. 

I recently traveled with John to Iraq, a nation whose destiny he helped change. 

I saw first-hand how he loves and admires our troops. 

And I saw how they love and admire him. 

They know how he personally understands the costs of war. 

They also know how committed he is to doing whatever it takes to ensure they come home with honor and victory. 

We live in a dangerous world. 

With John McCain as President, there will be no misunderstanding about where America stands and what we stand for. 

John McCain is tough -- but he's also compassionate. I've gotten to know John, and I can tell you he is a Purple Heart recipient with a heart of gold. 

He understands the concerns of everyday Americans like you and me. 

What I like to call "Sam's Club Republicans." 

These voters are on a tight budget. 

They're looking for value and accountability at the store. And they're looking for value and accountability from their government. 

John McCain connects with Sam's Club voters. 

He gets it. 

He will force government to live within its means, just like families do. 

He knows that small businesses are the job growth engine for our country. 

He knows the last thing they need is MORE taxes. 

John also understands that health care costs are budget busters for too many American families. 

He'll provide help but will put consumers and their doctors in charge, not the federal government. 

John also knows it's getting tougher for us to afford to fill-up at the pump. 

His energy plan is classic McCain - bold and aggressive. 

In this time, we don't need a president who can just read a poll or momentarily thrill a crowd. 

We don't need rhetoric or empty promises. 

We need a president who has the integrity and courage to make the tough choices so America will be stronger and safer. 

I believe the times call out great leaders. 

This time, our time, calls out for John McCain. 

 


FORMER U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER BILL FRIST 

A few years back, I was in Southern Sudan. 

Late one afternoon, walking down a dusty, rural road, a family approached - a mother with a yellow jug of water on her head and a baby swaddled across her back. 

She was following two young children, who were playfully spinning an old bicycle wheel with a stick. 

The children came over and greeted me. 

The older child said, "My name is America." 

I said, "America? I love your name, that's where I'm from. 

How did you get your name... "America?" 

Glancing up at his mother with pride, the boy explained, "My mom named me 'America' because an American doctor saved our lives the day I was born. 

"Without America, I would not be alive." 

There are millions of other children around the world like "America," thanks to the volunteer spirit of everyday citizens and Republican leadership that made this cause a priority. 

This medical diplomacy transforms hearts and minds and revolutionizes how people of the world see us. 

Health is the foundation for strong families and for prosperous societies.  Health builds trust, and health bridges divides. 

That's why America's investment in medical diplomacy is a long-term investment in national security. 

Health is a currency for peace. 

I'm proud to tell you that it was a Republican president and a Republican-led Congress that launched our nation's historic initiative to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis in the world's poorest countries - the greatest global health commitment in history. 

Has it made a difference? Oh yes! In just six years, the number of Africans on life-saving treatment jumped from 50,000 to over 2 million! The incidence of malaria has been slashed by two-thirds in some countries.  Today, 20 million more children are in school. 

But much work remains to be done. 

HIV/AIDS continues to hollow out entire generations of people at the prime of their lives. It's easy for people to lose hope. 

And when they do, the vacuum is filled with desperation, instability, and - yes, the seeds of terrorism. 

John McCain understands that health diplomacy can be a powerful antidote to terrorism. 

John McCain knows you don't go to war with someone who has saved the life of your child. 

Six weeks ago, Cindy McCain and I were in the small, central African country of Rwanda, a country where, in 1994, an extremist government slaughtered over a million people in the worst human catastrophe since the Holocaust. 

In a meeting with local leaders, I asked who in the room was actually in Rwanda at the time of the genocide. 

Few raised their hands - but Cindy McCain did. 

You see, at a time when most of the world looked away, Cindy was there, on the ground - with medical relief, a huge heart, and open arms. 

Through more than 50 similar medical missions, Cindy McCain has brought comfort to those in anguish, serving as America's most passionate ambassador for peace. 

John McCain understands that entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth bloom where there is democracy, accountability, and free markets. 

Using innovative new institutions like the Millennium Challenge Corporation, he will make certain that U.S. aid will not be squandered by corrupt foreign governments, or wasted by inefficient bureaucracies. 

It will go to the people in need. 

John McCain understands that health and responsible international assistance are core components of our strategy for national security. 

They become the foundation for enduring peace. 

John McCain understands that we can be the generation to make extreme poverty... history. 

John McCain will lead with compassion and urgency to save lives, to show America's greatness, and to spread peace through health, one child at a time, for a better, safer world... for us all. 

God bless you, and God bless the children of the world. 

 


LT. GEN. CAROL MUTTER (USMC - RET.) 

Good evening. 

I am honored to join you tonight to support a great man and a great American -- Senator John McCain -- the next President of the United States. 

Like Senator McCain, I've had the privilege of serving our country in uniform. 

I served 31 years in the United States Marine Corps -- becoming the first woman in the Corps to earn the rank of three-star general and the first woman nominated to that rank in the Armed Forces. 

But tonight I want to talk to you about another woman who earned a unique and honored distinction in our nation's history... The daughter of another Marine I served with more than 25 years ago, Major Megan McClung. 

She was the first female Marine officer ever killed in combat and the highest ranking woman killed in Iraq. 

Megan was killed by a roadside bomb in al-Anbar province in 2006. 

She was a public affairs officer and her advice to young Marines talking to the press was simple: 
"Be bold. Be brief. Be gone." 

And this year in Megan's memory, the Women Marines Association and her family will award the first annual Major Megan McClung Memorial Scholarship to a deserving college student.  
I tell you about Megan because it's so important that we remember the sacrifices our brave men and women are making every day. 

Megan, like so many young airmen, soldiers, sailors, coastguardsmen, and marines, was proud to serve her country without pomp or circumstance and she accepted the risk. 

And that is why it is imperative that we elect a President who appreciates the gravity of their commitment and their sacrifice. 

We live in a dangerous world... 

Where enemies don't talk about timelines or retreat, and where old foes are emboldened enough to resurrect old ambitions. 

We live in a world where the enemy can accept a short-term setback for a long-term gain. 

This is the world we live in, and in such a world we cannot afford to be impatient. 

The challenges we face as a nation are plenty and complicated. 

The next Commander-in-Chief must not only know how to defeat an enemy but know how to inspire a nation with more than platitudes and cliches. 

Our brave men and women in uniform are doing their part. It is time that we do ours. 

I know that John McCain will be the kind of Commander-in-Chief who will never forget what's at stake or who pays the ultimate price. 

Thank you. 

 


U.S. SEN. SAM BROWNBACK 

John McCain is a friend of mine, a colleague and an inspiration. 

He comes from the Teddy Roosevelt wing of the Republican Party. 

Bold and aggressive. 

Given to action more than words. That's the way John lives. 

From the halls of the Naval Academy, to the  hole of the Hanoi Hilton -- from confronting cancer to making history with his Vice Presidential selection -- John McCain lives for something bigger than himself. 

It's not about him... it's about us and taking that difficult path that has always been required for this nation to be what it was meant to be. 

This is the most powerful nation in the history of mankind. 

We have liberated more nations, invested more in research and development, cured more diseases, fed more people, produced more technology, explored more, and saved more lives than any other nation in history. 

These accomplishments are all the product of our greatness. 

The source of our greatness has always been the American People, who have lived for something bigger than they are.

In this historic nation, John McCain is a history maker, and with selecting Sarah Palin, a history breaker. But that's not what I like most about John McCain. 

What I like is that he does what he tells you he'll do... even if it hurts him. 

He's always working to make the team around him better and give the glory to them. Last week in Denver, the other party was encouraging us to "believe." They told America over and over, "Yes we can." But when you look at the past two years with Democrats controlling the House and Senate, all we've seen is, "NO we can't." 

They said we can't reach energy independence by finding new sources of oil and gas in our own country. 

We can't cut spending. 

We can't have a health care system run by doctors and patients instead of a federal bureaucracy. 

They say we can't win the war in Iraq. 

While the other side may say "yes we can" and then votes "no you won't" -- John McCain says "yes we will." 

Are we going to achieve energy independence with conservation, renewables, biofuels, and new domestic production of oil and gas? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to develop more nuclear energy, clean coal technology, and the wind energy we need to generate the power to keep our nation running? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to have a health care system that works for patients and doctors and not for a bureaucracy? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to cut taxes and reform the tax code to improve this economy? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to give love and respect to the unborn child, regardless of whether that child has Down syndrome or is born into poverty? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Iran? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to win in Iraq? 

Yes we will. 

Are we going to keep America a shining city on a hill full of hope and optimism? 

Yes we will. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe in American exceptionalism. 

That this is a special land and that to whom much is given much is required. 

We are blessed to be a blessing. 

But for America to fulfill its God-given destiny, we need leaders to help take us there. 

Leaders who deny themselves the pleasures of the moment to pursue the joy of serving others. 

John McCain is one of those leaders. 

You know, John McCain is easy to understand. 

He loves America and feels a duty to his very core to serve this nation he so loves. 

So when John McCain stands up on the west side of the Capitol to take the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States ... 

He will put his left hand on the bible and raise his right hand about this high. 

He can't raise it any higher because of the broken bones he suffered in Vietnam serving his country and standing up for his men. 

I don't know about you, but where I come from that's called true grit. 

He'll give that same level of commitment, courage and true grit to being President of the United States of America! 

May God so bless us; and may God continue to bless the United States of America!! 

 


U.S. REP. MARY FALLIN 

Good Evening. 

Thirteen years ago, on a bright April morning in 1995, Oklahoma City was attacked by domestic terrorists. 

We lost 168 of our friends and neighbors. 

But we also witnessed the greatness of the American community. 

I was at ground zero that day as Oklahoma's Lieutenant Governor. 

As our beautiful memorial reads, I came away "changed forever." 

We coined a name for a lesson that grew out of Oklahoma City. 

We called it the "Oklahoma Standard," but it is really the American Standard. 

It's the extraordinary ability of the American people to unite in the face of overwhelming adversity and be stronger for it.

Moments after the bomb, people rushed to help.  Help came from up the street, across the city, and from every state in our union. 

Many came from New York -- some of those same first responders gave their lives years later at the World Trade Center. 

They gave their sweat and time, and some gave their blood. 

Most of all they gave their love. 

As the smoke and rubble cleared, I saw the volunteers who stood in the rain to help feed a hungry rescuer... The teddy bears tied to a fence in memory of a lost child... The barbers who set up shop to give free haircuts to weary firefighters and police officers... The man who donated a pair of work boots one night... and drove away barefoot. 

We saw the same sacrifice and selflessness years later when an entire nation rallied behind the families that lost loved ones in the tragedy of 9/11.  Our American standard embodies the spirit of free people who will not be cowed by terror, and who stand together with courage and resolve. 

It embodies the spirit of John McCain. 

The American people have in John McCain a leader who doesn't just understand that spirit. 

He has lived it. 

The events of 1995 are passing into history, but we Oklahomans remember. 

We remember the lost, and we remember the greatness of this country, even in the face of the most heartbreaking tragedies. 

Our nation has learned some hard lessons, but they are lessons that anyone who proposes to serve as our president must understand. 

We cannot afford a president who thinks you can negotiate with evil. 

Talk, yes... but remember Teddy Roosevelt's big stick. Strong leaders like John McCain know that evil must be confronted if free societies are to remain free. He knows that government's most important task is to do everything it can to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. 

Ask yourself tonight, America - who do you trust to defend your children against the haters and killers whose only creed is evil? 

You can trust John McCain. 

Goodness can defeat evil, but it takes strength, courage and an unwavering commitment to enduring peace. It takes character to put country first. 

And it takes a man like John McCain. 

From Oklahoma, thank you all for your hope, your prayers and your love. 

 


U.S. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM 

By every measure, the surge of troops into Iraq has worked. 

Sectarian violence and coalition casualties are at record lows. 

15 of the 18 political benchmarks have been met. 

The Iraqi's have a larger, more capable Army. Oil production is dramatically increasing. 

This week, Anbar Province, once an Al Qaeda stronghold, was turned over to the Iraqis. And all American combat brigades who made up the surge have returned home. 

We know the surge has worked. Our men and women in uniform know it has worked. 

I promise you -- above all others -- Al Qaeda knows it has worked. 

The only people who deny it are Barack Obama and his buddies at MoveOn.org. 

Why won't they admit it? 

Because Barack Obama's campaign is built around us losing in Iraq. Without John McCain's courageous leadership there would be no surge. 

I know. 

I was there with John McCain and Joe Lieberman every step of the way. 

In our visits to Iraq, we saw the situation deteriorate. 

The troops we met - the sergeants, captains, and colonels - had such respect and admiration for Senator McCain they felt comfortable giving him something he knows a lot about -- Straight Talk. 

They said -- Senator McCain, this ain't working. John heard their message and put their interests ahead of his own. He came back to Washington and told everyone, including Republicans, - we must change course. 

For his honesty, some accused him of being disloyal. But John McCain's loyalties have always been to his country and to our men and women in uniform. 

Not a political party. 

Calling for more troops to be sent to Iraq was one of the most unpopular things John McCain could have done. Some said it was political suicide. But you know what? 

It WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 

Because losing in Iraq would have been a nightmare for America. Al' Qaeda would have claimed victory over our nation. Sectarian violence would spread throughout the region.  And Iran would fill the vacuum. 

Last summer, we came within 2 votes of a congressionally mandated surrender. One Democrat broke with his party to support the surge. 

Ladies and gentlemen, thank God for Joe Lieberman. 

It was John McCain's voice and credibility that stopped Congress from losing this war. 

The Petraeus plan will be a model for generations to come, and our troops will be heroes for the ages. 

Those who predicted failure, voted to cut off funding for our troops, and played politics with our national security will be footnotes in history. 

There's no doubt about it, we are on the road to victory. 

America is safer by winning in Iraq - A Muslim nation in the heart of the Arab world that rejects Al Qaeda. 

A nation where the rule of law replaces the rule of gun. 

A place in the Middle East where a woman can finally have a say about her children's future. 

While Barack Obama expresses appreciation for our troops' service, he refuses to acknowledge their success. 

They have worked too hard and sacrificed too much for a patronizing pat on the back. 

Barack Obama went 2 and a half years between visits to Iraq and never once sat down with General Petraeus. If Barack Obama cannot appreciate that our troops are winning in Iraq, he should not be their Commander in Chief. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Barack Obama doesn't care. 

I'm just saying - he doesn't get it. 

Not once was Barack Obama's eloquent voice ever raised in support of Victory in Iraq. Not once was it used to rally our troops in battle. Instead, he inspired those who supported retreat and would have accepted our defeat. 

We should all be grateful that Barack Obama was unable to defeat the surge. The surge was a test for Barack Obama. 

He failed miserably. 

Our troops deserve a Commander in Chief who acknowledges their success. Has walked in their shoes. Speaks their language. Shares in their sufferings. And will lead them to victory in a war we cannot afford to lose. 

That person is my dear friend John McCain. 

John often says he would rather lose a campaign than lose a war. Here's the good news. 

We are going to win this war. 

And John McCain will be our next President of the United States. 

But wait, it gets even better. Because John McCain has one of the toughest and most talented political reformers in America as his running mate. 

Let's watch to learn more about the phenomenal Governor of Alaska, Sara Palin. 

 


FORMER PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOM RIDGE

Thank you. Tonight I speak to you with a grateful heart and enormous pride. 

I speak to you as one friend about another. 

About a proven leader... a world statesman... an untiring and effective public servant. I speak to you about a warrior...who has sometimes stood alone... or shown the way... in fighting for the most vulnerable of our citizens... for the country he so dearly loves... and for the founding principles we all so deeply cherish. 

I speak to you about a friend - who was first pointed out to me - in the same way he is proudly pointed out wherever he goes today - "That's John McCain." 

John and I have been friends for 26 years. 

Both of us got elected to Congress in 1982 and both of us are Vietnam veterans. 

Some might say that is our common bond. For certainly the Vietnam experience is a uniting one.
But I would also say that our friendship blossomed over many a laugh as we told jokes that only we thought were funny. 

Over many a moment boasting about our children. 

And over many a conversation about our country and the world in which we both feel so privileged to live and to serve. 

It was only a little more than a year ago - in August of 2007 - that I drove to John's office to offer an encouraging word. 

You all remember that time. 

It was really rough going for the campaign. Some were ready to count John out. 

Some questioned his resolve. 

Some wondered and waited for the white flag of surrender. 

Having rehearsed my pep talk... I walked into John's office... put my arm around him... and asked, "Hey - how are you doing?" 

He paused for a moment. 

From his shoulders came a quick shrug. 

Then he looked at me and said, "Tom, you and I both know I've been through worse." 

We sat down... he spread some papers across a table... and said, "NOW - let me tell you how I think we can win." 

He talked strategy... a way forward... next steps. 

And later I would leave my friend's office thinking what I share with you tonight - "That's John McCain." 

Where some people see adversity, John McCain accepts a challenge. 

Where some people see a crisis, John McCain creates an opportunity. 

Where some people see defeat, John McCain pursues victory. 

John knows - the purpose of elections is not merely to win. 

You run to win... but you win to govern. 

So who of our two candidates is the most qualified to govern the freest, strongest, most blessed nation on Earth? 

Who but John McCain understands that America's security and prosperity will - now and forever more - be tied to the security and prosperity of the rest of the world? 

Who but John McCain has the experience... the sheer will... the steady hand... and the informed judgment to advance our economic and political interests during these perilous 21st century times? And who but John McCain - and only John McCain - can negotiate from a position of strength and proven ability - because he's already earned the trust... respect... and admiration of our friends and allies around the world?  And I suspect he has the attention of those who would oppose us. 

Now more than ever we need a leader who fits the times - not a candidate who merely thinks it's his time to lead. 

For the consideration before us is not about who can take a 3 a.m. call. 

It's about who has answered the call throughout his life. 

It's not about building a record. 

It's about having one. 

It's not about talking pretty. 

It's about talking straight. 

The challenge of our times is not simply to change. 

The challenge of our time is to leave nothing to chance. 

More than 230-plus years ago, a group of leaders - some people called them mavericks - dared to think differently, dared to act boldly and dared to believe its future leaders would preserve, honor and protect the great land of the free. 

Today - we have a leader - some people call him a maverick - who for his country, has put his life on the line. 

Who for his country, leads with his conscience. 

Who for his country, has worked to preserve, honor and protect the great land of the free. 

That's John McCain. 

John dares to think differently, to act boldly and to put country before self. 

He dares to believe that we are all called to serve as long as we call ourselves free. 

He dares to embrace the founding principle that our responsibility to one another extends from a national crisis to an individual need - from nation to nation - community to community - in this, the greatest community ever formed. 

So may we rise to the occasion, to the moment, to the vision of our Founding Fathers. 

May we summon ourselves to our best efforts and call this maverick forward. 

Let us elect a man who has firmly and unequivocally laid out his vision of where this country can go. 

Who offers a better way...a better day...and a greater say - for all who call this great country home. 

That's John McCain. 

Let us elect a public servant who refuses to think in terms of red versus blue - but only in terms of red, white and blue. 

That's John McCain. 

An artful leader... a diplomat... a tenacious legislator. 

Say it with me! 

That's John McCain! 

Someone who speaks truth to power, truth to the American people, and rises above politics to get things done. 

That's John McCain. 

A consensus builder, a reformer - the patriot who always puts his country first. 

That's John McCain! 

A Reagan conservative...an optimist... 

America's go-to guy. 

That's John McCain! 

That's John McCain. 

That's John McCain. 

I am so very proud to say... 'that is my friend - John McCain.' 

The next president of the United States. 

The next Commander-in-Chief. 

Ready to lead. 

Ready to serve. 

Ready to deliver. 

God bless you, John. 

God bless you all. 

And may God continue to bless our brave troops who serve our country so well. 

Thank You. 

 


About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 
 

credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography

 

Excerpts: Remarks by Senator John McCain
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening U.S. Sen. John McCain will accept the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. Excerpts from Sen. McCain’s acceptance speech, as prepared for delivery, are below. 

On running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin: 

"I’m very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can’t wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming." 

On solving problems in Washington: 

"The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom. It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you. 

Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That’s how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not." 

On love of country: 

"I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s." 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

Excerpts: Remarks by Mrs. Cindy McCain
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening Mrs. Cindy McCain will address the 2008 Republican National Convention. Excerpts from Mrs. McCain's remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below. 

On Americans' duty to their country:
"That duty is what brings me before you tonight. And it's much larger and more important than just me or John or any of us: It's the work of this great country calling us together - and there is no greater duty than that, no more essential task for our generation -- right now." 

On John McCain's character: 
"It's going to take someone of unusual strength and character - someone exactly like my husband - to lead us through the reefs and currents that lie ahead. I know John. You can trust his hand at the wheel." 

On John McCain leading by example:
"Forgiveness is not just a personal issue: it's why John led the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam retrieve the remains of our MIAs... to bring closure to both sides. That's leadership - national leadership. And it's leading by example." 

Personal reflections on John McCain:
"If Americans want straight talk and the plain truth they should take a good close look at John McCain...a man tested and true...who's never wavered in his devotion to our country...a man who's served in Washington without ever becoming a Washington insider...who always speaks the truth no matter what the cost...a man of judgment and character...a loyal and loving and true husband and a magnificent father!" 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

 

 

credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography

MARIA CINO 

Good evening. 

I'm Maria Cino, President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention. 

Hosting a convention for over 45,000 delegates, alternates, party officials, volunteers and media guests requires a lot of help. 

So, let me thank all the staff, and volunteers that have worked so hard to bring the first Republican convention back to Minnesota in 116 years. 

You know, putting on a convention is a lot like holding a circus. 

You need a really big tent, elephants are always the star attraction, and from all over the country, young people have run away from home to join us. 

I am talking about the young people who have come from all across the U.S. to become part of this convention staff. 

Mix their youthful energy and a host of experienced professionals, and you have the winning team for putting on a great convention. 

These young Republicans have also brought an energy and spirit that is visible throughout the region. 

Just last month, GOP Convention staff completed over 1,000 hours of Community Service as part of the 2008 Republican National Convention's American Neighbor volunteer Program.

Touched by the generosity of our host cities, the American Neighbor program is our small way of saying thank you for the hospitality shown to us by the people of Minneapolis - Saint Paul.

And over the past 18 months, convention staff has served meals at the Dorothy Day Center, shipped donations of food at Second Harvest Heartland, assisted in an Earth Day Watershed Cleanup event and volunteered at the Special Olympics.

We also helped send more than 80,000 comfort packets to Gulf Coast area.

We not only wanted to serve the Minneapolis-Saint Paul community, but we wanted to inspire and challenge Americans across the nation to take action in their own communities. 

Our staff has embodied John McCain's call to serving something greater than ourselves. 

Last night, I was also grateful to be in the hall with all of you for the historic nomination of Sarah Palin.

Did you hear that roaring sound after her acceptance speech? 

That was the sound of unstoppable Republican momentum.

And tonight, after John McCain accepts his nomination, we are going to launch McCain and Palin directly to Washington ... with a speed that breaks barriers of glass and sound. 

So on behalf of the entire convention team, my thanks to all of you for attending the 39th Republican National Convention and helping change our country. 

 


U.S. REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN 

Last night, for the first time in a long time, millions like me whispered to themselves, "thank God, someone finally gets it." We heard a voice that spoke with the accent of real America, not the washed-out, mainstream TV-speak that sometimes soothes the soul, but never solves the problem. 

We met a woman who, with the bravery that only the mother of five can summon, said "thanks but no thanks" to the good ole' boy earmarks. And, it's an honor for me to quote those constituents I heard from today when I say "It's about damn time!" 

To all the gray suits in the booths, who had their backs turned last night facing Washington, on behalf of the great gals in this room, I tell you -- "listen up boys!" 

As a wife, mother, business woman, and public servant; neither Governor Palin nor I need you to tell us what our limitations are, or when we might have taken on too much or reached too far.

Every working mother knows the value of action over deliberation and decision over debate.

Vice President Sarah Palin is going to be the most action-oriented, problem-solving, revolutionary second-in-command this country has ever known.

Tennesseans already know and respect John McCain, and love his "straight-talk" and unyielding sense of honor.

Last night my NASCAR dads fell in love with our hockey mom.

We are the gun totin', God fearin,' flag wavin' Americans who are excited to see two crack shots on the ticket with the status quo in their sights. We don't need to elect someone to install an ATM machine on Pennsylvania Avenue that debits your liberty to fund wasteful programs, and won't do the one thing that can drive down gas prices.

We know the only place Senator Obama wants to drill is your wallet.

Leadership is not about creating perceptions, it's about creating results.

And leadership is honed and tested on Alaska's frontier, on the deck of an aircraft carrier and in a dark, squalid cell in Vietnam.

Last night, when I saw John and Sarah on the stage, I saw the brilliant spark of leadership catch fire illuminating the path to a brighter tomorrow. 

 


THE HONORABLE ROSARIO MARIN 

Buenas noches. 

I am so thrilled to be here ... especially after hearing last night from our Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin! 

You know, I was supposed to talk to you tonight about government reform and taxes.

But having seen how the media and our opponents have treated our nominee this week, I am compelled to talk about Sarah Palin.

After all, we have a few things in common.

Like her - and millions of women across this land - I am a working mom. I have three wonderful children who have blessed my life.

Like her, I have been underestimated.

Who would have thought the girl who came to this country from Mexico when she was 14-years-old without speaking English would become the first immigrant to serve as Treasurer of the United States?

Like her, I have been the mayor of a small town. I served Huntington Park - in the glorious state of California! 

But most importantly - like her, I have had the privilege of raising a son with Down Syndrome.

Eric, my first-born, is now 23. He has been and will always be the Wind Beneath My Wings. As a matter of fact, my desire to impact government and make a positive difference in my community started, almost immediately, after Eric was born.

When I was running for office, I was criticized as Sarah Palin has been. And while painful, I knew that was the price I'd have to pay to leave this country a better place for Eric and others like him.

I know I speak for the millions of families that have a child with a disability: Who better than Sarah Palin to understand the daily challenges of raising a family while holding a job, working on a career or managing your own business?

Who better than her to understand our fears, our hopes and our dreams for all our children but especially those with disabilities? 

Sarah Palin will serve alongside John McCain as a passionate advocate for Americans with special needs - breaking down both physical obstacles and false perceptions of people with disabilities and ensuring that all of our children have access to the jobs, education, and privileges that Americans enjoy. Senator McCain, thank you for your choosing Sarah Palin as our next Vice President.

You have given families like mine an accomplished leader, a true advocate and a clear voice.

I know in my heart that there could be no better champions in the White House for people with disabilities and their families than John McCain and Sarah Palin.

So let's get them there! 

Gracias! 

 


JOE WATKINS 

Ladies and Gentleman, I'm Joe Watkins from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

I've traveled the world on business to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

But nothing compares with these United States of America.

This place is special, our people are special.

We are blessed to live in the greatest country on earth.

But do you know what makes us special? It's our generosity of spirit. 

Each night you've been asked to remember the people of the Gulf Coast who were put in harm's way by recent hurricanes. Tonight, it's my turn to make that same plea.

In the spirit of John McCain's powerful belief in the good of America and his determination to restore its greatness, we take time to remember those in need.

He has sounded the call.

He has set the standard.

It is up to us to give what we can, in our thoughts, in our prayers, in our time ... and in our dollars. 

On Monday, Laura Bush and Cindy McCain asked us to support our fellow Americans in the Gulf States facing Hurricane Gustav. 

In the coming days, our neighbors in the southern states of Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina are facing similar -- and possibly more serious -- challenges. 

We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers. And we can also act.

On the screen behind me, we have listed two websites www.aidmatrix.com and www.causegreater.com. Please log on and make a commitment to help. 

You can also text the American Red Cross at GIVE 2 HELP. 

That number is 448-322-4375. 

When you leave here tonight, don't leave behind the people of the Gulf States or those along the Eastern seaboard who may be affected by coming storms.

Continue giving.

Continue volunteering.

Continue caring.

We leave this convention with outstanding nominees.

Let's also leave with a renewed spirit of community and country that will last long after our convention and long after the election of John McCain. 

 


JOE GIBBS 

It's a little awkward for me to put on a partisan hat. But, with all the media hype, I feel compelled to tell you where I stand.

Tonight, I'm supporting ... the Washington Redskins, who are taking on the New York Giants! 

Actually, I'm not here to cheer on my favorite football team. I'm here to share with you some observations based on my personal experience, which included financial disaster, a serious health problem, and yes, putting together the teams that went to three Super Bowls and won three NASCAR championships.

These lessons can help us in any competition - whether it takes place in a stadium or in the political arena. In troubled times, it's human nature to feel vulnerable and weak -- like nothing is going your way and it never will.

But I've found that the greatest challenges in life have the potential to call out our best virtues - to inspire and strengthen us.

I have seen it play out on the football field.

I have seen it happen on the racetrack.

I've seen it in the eyes of a child suffering from cancer.

And the world saw it when John McCain was released from the grip of evil in Vietnam.

It truly is a paradox that those who suffer can overcome extreme adversity and give the rest of us strength.

Faith is the reason. 

Faith in family and friends - our first team, who we can rely on for support and protection.

Faith in God - he has the game plan and always sends in the right plays, if only we tune in our headsets.

And faith in oneself.

Applying these lessons to our everyday lives can help us overcome any obstacle.

They can even propel an average person to greatness.

America is blessed with an abundance of these uncommon heroes.

American icon Will Rogers observed that "We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap when they go by." 

I ask you to step onto the curb with me as we honor a true American hero - Senator John McCain! 

By supporting the McCain-Palin ticket, I am confident that we are choosing the right game plan for America! 

I believe that electing John McCain and Sarah Palin will spark a return to God's Word and a spiritual revival that will bring our nation together. God bless you, and God bless America! 

 


BRYAN CLAY 

Aloha and good evening. 

I am proud to be a gold medal winner representing the United States of America. 

But my proudest accomplishment is being a dad to Jacob and Katherine. 

For me, family values are the most important thing.

My priorities are: God first, family second, and track third. I can tell you that without my faith -- in God, the support of my family and friends, and my strong work ethic -- I would not be standing before you today with a Gold medal hanging around my neck.

Politicians and athletes have a lot in common. 

Both are competitors -- challenging one another. 

And neither wins on his or her own.

Some of the best support I've received has come from one of my fiercest competitors, Roman Sebrele.

Roman is from the Czech Republic and is the current decathlon world record holder and 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

We were in Beijing on the second day of competition. I was exhausted. I walked over to Roman, who was not in a position to medal.

We began to chat about the next event, which was the dreaded 1500m run.

Roman said to me in his broken English, "I don't run." And I said, "You have to run.

You are the world record holder and a gold medalist - you have to run and finish. 

I was with you in Athens and I want you to be with me when I win tonight."

And he said "ok fine I run, but not fast." 

Roman helped pace me through the race.

After I crossed the finish line, it was Roman who walked over and held my arm up to celebrate this victory.

I'm the one competing in those 10 events, but I'm never alone. 

My coaches, mentors, and most importantly, God and my family are a big part of my success, on and off the field. 

Now, the big difference between the decathlon and politics is that when my race ends, I go back home and start training for the next Olympics. 

But when the election ends, that's when the real work begins.

And whether your platform is -- a classroom, a conference room, a track or the White House, we all must stay true to our principles. 

Whether you're a decathlete or a politician, we must stand together and believe in each other, and this great nation. 

Mahalo. God Bless you and may God Bless America. 

 


About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography

 

First Look: New Podium Assembled for John McCain’s Acceptance Speech
Modified Podium Reflects Town-Hall Approach That Has Characterized McCain’s Campaign


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the 2008 Republican National Convention unveiled the podium from which John McCain will accept the Republican Party’s nomination to be the next president of the United States. 

The podium used for the first three nights of the convention was modified to enable John McCain to deliver his acceptance speech from the center of the Xcel Energy Center. The new podium is a reflection of the town-hall style that has been a hallmark of McCain’s campaign. In the new forum, he will be surrounded by the delegates that nominated him the night before. 

The new podium was constructed by removing the front corner sections of the existing platform and extending its midsection by 30 feet. The extension will be eight feet wide. Near the conclusion of tonight’s program, Sen. McCain will address the convention from a lectern positioned near the end of this newly-constructed extension. To accommodate the modified platform, delegates from the state of Ohio will be re-seated on either side. 

"The extended podium will serve as a fitting complement to John McCain’s preference for direct interaction with his fellow citizens," said Maria Cino, president and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention. "We look forward to a tremendous speech by America’s next president, and a successful conclusion to this year’s convention." 

For the first three days of the convention, speakers and program participants appeared on a black hard laminate stage measuring 51.5 feet wide by 34 feet deep. The stage is bordered by 101.5 feet of recessed lighting and backed by an impressive video wall that gives everyone in the convention hall a perfect view of the proceedings. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

Remarks by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin 
 
Vice Presidential Nominee To Address the 2008 Republican National Convention


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee, will address the 2008 Republican National Convention. The governor's remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below. 

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the United States...

I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America. 

I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country. 

And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain. 

It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.

With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. 

But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.

They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better. 

And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first. 

Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.

He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight. 

And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way. 

Our son Track is 19. 

And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country. 

My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.

My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children. 

In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between - my strong and kind-hearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper. 

And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.

That's how it is with us. 

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys. 

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love. 

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself. 

He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union ... and world champion snow machine racer. 

Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package. 

We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town. 

And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity. 

My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and habber-dasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency. 

A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

I grew up with those people. 

They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.

They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. 

I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better. 

When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.

And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. 

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco. 

As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment.< br>
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. 

But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.

Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests. 

The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.

No one expects us to agree on everything.

But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. 

I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.

Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve. 

But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.

And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.

I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law. 

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.

That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay. 

I also drive myself to work.

And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.

Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.

Our state budget is under control.

We have a surplus.

And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes. 

I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.

I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.

If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska. 

And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.

As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.

I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. 

And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart. 

The stakes for our nation could not be higher.

When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil. 

With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.

To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. 

And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.

Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.

But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. 

Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more new-clear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.

We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.

Maybe you have, too.

We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers. 

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate. 

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it. 

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more. 

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses. 

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. 

And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals. 

Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things. 

And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day. 

Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.

He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party. 

A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee. 

He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer. 

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely. 

There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country. 

It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.

But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made. 

It's the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home. 

To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.

As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" - as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years. 

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.

For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.

Thank you all, and may God bless America. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

ANNE BEILER

Greetings to all my fellow Americans: Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike. I stand here tonight with deep gratitude to God and to all the people, who along my journey have brought me to this place.

Nearly 50 years ago, a little Amish girl eavesdropping by an open window heard the hushed tones of adults whispering nervously.

The women sounded upset.

The men shuffled their feet.

I remember this moment so vividly because I was that Amish girl listening by the window - my father, a farmer, had just lost his herd.
 

My parents had run out of money. 
 

My relatives had come to help, and for the next few months they brought food and clothing. Occasionally, we found envelopes of money on our doorstep.
 

From that point in my life, faced with the reality that we were poor, I became determined to work hard, to make my way in the world and to help my family any way I could. 
 

My culture, my values and my heritage helped me to go from that little girl of poverty to this woman of prosperity.
 

My faith and determination helped me build Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels, which is now an international enterprise with almost 1,000 locations. 
 

Auntie Anne's was my American Dream. 
 

Thirty-three years ago on September 8th, 1975, my sweet little daughter Angela, just 19 months old, was killed in a farming accident.
 

I felt a level of grief that I never knew existed.
 

I didn't know where to turn. I wanted to run.
 

Although I had faith in God, and my family surrounding me, I felt despair.
 

I thought my life was over. 
 

That tragedy was my nightmare. What I didn't realize then, was that out of MY pain, MY purpose was born.
 

Not unlike Senator John McCain.
 

He is a man of purpose. Out of his pain and torture his purpose was formed.
 

In our stories, hope has turned fear into faith, nightmares into miracles and tragedies into purpose.
 

God mends our broken spirits, and leads us on a path to spiritual and emotional wholeness. My husband and I realized we wanted to help other families going through difficult times by offering counseling. 
 

I'm proud to say that in just one week, we will celebrate the grand opening of The Family Center of Gap, Pennsylvania.
 

This 55,000 square-foot community-based center will be "one-stop shop" for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of hurting families.
 

It will provide affordable education, counseling, prayer and healing, ministering to families at their darkest hour of need.
 

The Family Center is our northern star, and for many others a beacon of hope. 
 

What I have learned from the pain of my loss, and from my journey from poverty to prosperity, is that this life is about others. 
 

It's not about money. 
 

Life is never about what you can accumulate. It's not about the pocketbook. True prosperity is a richness of heart and spirit. 
 

In Psalm 49, it says, "Do not be overawed when people become rich, when the wealth of their house increases. For when they die, they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them." 
 

I began to live when I learned to give. 
 

Giving is my purpose.
 

I believe it is our responsibility to unleash this spirit in others and keep it the hallmark of our great country.
 

Our success is not a point of arrival. It is a launching pad to do more. I've found -- with prosperity, comes responsibility. To whom much is given much is required.
 

That is true for each of us as individuals, and it is true for all of us, collectively, as one Nation under God. 
 

We are a blessed nation. We must continue to be a giving people, and we must continue be a giving nation! 
 

America has a long, lasting tradition of being the most giving nation on Earth. While our economic fortunes may rise and fall, it is our prosperity of spirit, which has made us a shining star for others.
 

Our spiritual richness was forged by our earliest endeavors to safeguard our liberty, and protect our families and our values. 
 

The spirit of prosperity that has engulfed my life is the spirit of America. Under the leadership of John McCain and Sarah Palin this spirit will continue. 
 

Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian who traveled to our shores to better understand our nation, said it well: America is great because America is good. 
 

Under John McCain's leadership, we will recommit ourselves to a greater good.
 

To be our very best. To give hope to the hopeless. To give courage to the weak. 
 

The prophet Isaiah said, we must, "share our bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into our homes." This will cause our spirits to prosper. 
 

I have learned the value of spiritual prosperity.
 

Although my parents were not able to leave me an inheritance, they gave me the greatest gift of all -- a rich, Godly heritage.
 

As a woman of faith, I am committed to run the race, to stay the course and to be a beacon of light that will pierce the darkness so others may find their way. 
 

I give to get to give again.
 

Fellow Americans, please join John McCain and Sarah Palin in their quest to do the same.
 

Thank you for the honor of addressing you this evening.
 

America you are beautiful to me.
 

God bless you all.

U.S. SEN. NORM COLEMAN (Minn.)
 

Here in Minnesota we talk about the Norwegian husband who loved his wife so much he almost told her.
 

In this election and in Washington we face leaders of the Democrat party who care so much about working families that they almost do something, but don't.
 

In this presidential election, we have the chance to elect a man who does not just talk about problems and how much he cares, but who will actually do something to solve them.
 

Prosperity does not flow down from Washington; it rises up from the creativity, hard work and determination of the American people.
 

Stephen Covey wrote the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
 

And the main thing is jobs for the American people! And it's the main thing for John McCain.
 

He'd rather spend his time creating 200,000 jobs in America than speaking to 200,000 Germans in Berlin.
 

We create jobs three ways: 
 

Number One. We make government more efficient. The biggest expense of struggling families is not energy or food or transportation.
 

It's government! Yet, Barack Obama wants to expand it! He thinks he can grow the economy by raising taxes, which is like using Roundup Ready to grow your garden.
 

Taxes kill jobs! We need to keep ‘em low.
 

Number Two. We increase energy supply. The Democrats' energy plan tilts at windmills and ignores the technology and resources at our disposal that would enable us to increase domestic supply.
 

We need drilling and oil shale and nuclear and clean coal and more conservation and renewables now.
 

Our economy and our sovereignty depend on them all.
 

America needs to go all in and gain our independence from foreign oil. 
 

And Number Three. We reform health care and education to get more quality. Blank checks and bureaucratic programs don't work.
 

If we really empower patients and parents to take charge and make their own choices, they will transform health care and education by demanding the quality all Americans deserve. 
 

And I don't want the folks who run the IRS to run my healthcare. 
 

As Republicans, we have to say what Democrats are unwilling to:
 

Some of our nation's problems are too big for one political party to solve. 
 

In the spirit of John McCain's whole career in Congress we must work together - today and in the next Congress - to craft genuine reform that leads to genuine results.
 

That's the heart of Country First: it doesn't matter who gets the credit if the American people win.
 

We need to bring people together - all regions, all industries, all ages, races and parties - and get the job done for America.
 

The main thing is jobs.
 

Barack Obama will tax them away and John McCain will build them here at home.
 

It's as simple as that. God bless you all.

RENEE AMOORE
 

I am honored to have the opportunity to once again speak at a GOP Convention because as a nurse, entrepreneur, and small business owner, I know first-hand that challenges lay before us.
 

I see it in my community, with my customers and employees, and even in my own family. 
 

I see that everyone -in one way or another - is seeking the American Dream and its promise of prosperity. And I don't just mean financial prosperity. I mean prosperity as a life condition that allows all

Americans to flourish and thrive.
 

For American families, the road to prosperity is blocked by the high cost of gas, energy, food and healthcare. Difficult times call for the right leader.
 

And these times call for John McCain.
 

But maybe you are not so sure. So, let me say... If you are sick of paying high prices at the pump and want us to be able to drill here at home instead of being at the mercy of foreign suppliers, then you are a McCain voter. 
 

If you want common sense energy policies that increase use of alternative energy without increasing food prices, then you are a McCain voter. 
 

If you want healthcare to be more accessible and affordable for families and small businesses in the private market, instead of through a government-run system, you are a McCain voter. 
 

If you want experienced bipartisan leadership brought to bear on problems facing Medicare and Social Security, I know you are a McCain voter. 
 

If you want to fight childhood obesity through physical education and nutritional meals in schools, then you are a McCain voter. 
 

And, I know you are McCain voter if you want to ensure higher graduation rates through innovative technology that brings the best teachers in math, science, English and reading to schools of every size. 
 

You are a McCain voter if you know -like I do --that small businesses are the greatest source of jobs in the inner city and are demanding policies that allow small businesses to thrive there. 
 

If you want a country where high taxes, excessive regulation and bureaucratic paperwork never rob small businesses of the ability to create more jobs, then John's your man. 
 

If you are sick and tired of all the DC yak-yak-yak... and realize that every day action is delayed, problems just get worse ... If you want action, McCain's your man. 
 

If you want a President who will veto out-of-control Congressional spending bills quicker than a DC lobbyist jumps on free drinks, then I know you will go in that booth and knock the chad, all-the-way-out, for McCain. 
 

If you want a President who knows that American prosperity is more than the pursuit of pleasure... that it can only be found by serving causes greater than self-interest...
 

If you want a President who has the ideas and the courage to tackle these challenges before us instead of just talking about them, then I know you are a John McCain voter. 
 

I'm proud to be an African American woman. I'm proud to be a Republican, and I'm proud to be voting for John McCain.

CALIFORNIA STATE SEN. ABEL MALDONADO
 

Buenos noches, ladies and gentlemen. 
 

My father, the man I admire most in the world, came to America in 1966 with nothing.
 

He worked in the fields where he met my mother.
 

Today, they have a farm on which our whole family works. 
 

We do not get one penny of crop subsidies. 
 

The highest grade my father completed was fourth grade. 
 

But there's also an education, that comes from working with your hands in the dirt. 
 

My father knows more about economics than Senator Obama does with his degrees from all those fancy schools. 
 

My father would be a very good teacher for him.
 

My father knows first-hand about the basics of economics. 
 

We were sharecroppers. 
 

Growing up, that's how we lived and survived.
 

The tax increases put forth by Barack Obama would take a bigger share of people's labor than the landowner takes from the sharecropper.
 

That is not right. 
 

That's not right.
 

We must never become a nation of sharecroppers for the government.
 

Yet you've heard from Senator Obama himself all the massive amounts of new spending he plans. 
 

To get the money, he says he will tax the rich. 
 

There aren't that many rich! 
 

Watch out, America, when someone says he's going to tax the rich, you can always bet the middle class will get hit. 
 

When you try to soak the rich, the poor and the middle class get wet. 
 

My father could also teach Senator Obama about growth and prosperity. 
 

After years working for other people, my father started with one-half acre of strawberries of his own. 
 

Today, he exports strawberries and broccoli and lettuce all over the world. 
 

Yet Barack Obama wants to erect trade barriers. 
 

On top of high gas prices, on top of the rising cost-of-living, putting a tariff on foreign goods will increase the price of the products we buy at the store.
 

That is basically a tax on working people.
 

I don't think the people who shop at Wal-Mart consider themselves rich. 
 

Senator Obama, come work on our farm. 
 

Come get your hands dirty with real work. 
 

And, on your break sitting in the shade of my father's pick-up truck, he will teach you about economics. 
 

I think you will be a very fast learner.
 

Finally. 
 

When I was young, my father would put our family's bank savings book in the middle of the kitchen table and say to us,
 

"You see this little book? This is how much we have in the bank. It doesn't have much money in it today, but it will grow because we have strong values. We respect hard work. And we have good credit." 
 

An America of strong values that respects hard work and good credit is the America of my father ... and it is the America of John McCain.
 

John McCain believes in encouraging hard work, not taxing it. 
 

John McCain believes in opening markets, not closing them. 
 

You know, John McCain and my father would be good amigos. 
 

Ladies and gentlemen, viva the immigrant story. 
 

Viva the America of my father. 
 

Viva the America of the next president of the United States, El Presidente John McCain.

CAROLYN DUNN
 

Good evening.
 

I am a farm partner and community volunteer.
 

My husband, Brian, and I chose to build our lives in small-town Kansas despite the lure of professional opportunities elsewhere.
 

America's farmers take pride in the abundant, high-quality food we produce and the technology we use to operate more efficiently and as better stewards of the environment than ever before.
 

Yet, as agenda-driven activists highlight the actions of a few bad players, I am concerned about the threat of excessive regulation and the costs imposed on thoughtful, ethical producers like us.
 

Let's take a lesson from our energy industry, which now imports 65 percent of its supplies from foreign sources.
 

I don't think any of us feel good about the national security risk or the costs to consumers that have resulted. 
 

As a food producer and as a mom, I care deeply about the food supply in this country.
 

I do not want us to rely on unsafe shipments from overseas - where little oversight and none of the same standards apply.
 

John McCain will keep taxes low, regulations reasonable, reform immigration to ensure a legal labor supply, and promote free trade, all to the benefit of American farmers and consumers.
 

I am also concerned about depopulation of rural communities.
 

I want to raise my children in an environment that cultivates a strong work ethic and a sense of personal responsibility.
 

Small town America continues to be the moral grounding of this country, and it is a culture worth preserving.
 

John McCain will work to restore rural prosperity by investing in renewable energy and high-tech connectivity, and will prioritize policies that will revitalize rural America. 
 

First we must stem the tide of outmigration by doing a better job of retaining youth.
 

Let's stop perpetuating the idea that to be successful you need to move to the big city.
 

Let's provide people concrete incentives to return to small town America.
 

We have to ensure that the basic services like good health care and strong schools continue to serve those who want to return.
 

Let's promote entrepreneurship, the basis of 70 percent of job growth in rural counties.
 

Let's encourage people to leave a portion of their wealth to a local cause to continue to benefit the community even after a person passes.
 

And let's invest more in developing good leaders, the foundation of all good decision-making in business and community matters.
 

Rural America: you have the power to swing this election in key states.
 

We need a Republican who shares our conservative principles and will take action to restore our communities.
 

Please get out and vote for the one candidate who shares our values, John McCain.

DR. ELENA RIOS
 

Health is at the core of a person's well-being. 
 

But its reach extends beyond the individual to virtually every aspect of society - it determines our economic productivity; it impacts the ability of children to learn; it even affects our military readiness. 
 

At some point in our lives, we all face health care problems. But the deck is stacked against some of us. Our nation is becoming more diverse. 
 

By 2042, people of color will be the emerging majority. One out of three Americans will be Hispanic. 
 

While this is truly something to celebrate, it also poses unique challenges when it comes to ensuring a healthy population. 
 

Twice as many Hispanics have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. The incidence of HIV/AIDS among Hispanic women is five times that of whites. African Americans face higher rates of mortality for heart disease and cancer. 
 

Compounding the problem for many individuals are poverty, language and cultural barriers, and limited access to health information. 
 

Many people end up in the emergency room after their condition has gone untreated for far too long. Minority children are not receiving the immunizations they need. 
 

We have the greatest health care system in the world, with the finest doctors and cutting-edge technology. 
 

Yet, some people are falling through the cracks. 
 

Costs are rising at an unsustainable rate. And this impacts everyone's ability to secure affordable health insurance. 
 

With the right leadership, we can meet this challenge and have universal access to health care that is affordable for all Americans. 
 

John McCain's focus on prevention will go a long way toward lowering the cost and incidence of chronic diseases. People will be able to obtain care that is tailored to their individual needs. 
 

Senator McCain intends to expand the use of walk-in clinics as alternatives to emergency rooms. 
 

This too, will lower costs.
 

It will offer a more responsive and effective care setting. Under a McCain presidency, quality will be measured, providers will be held accountable for outcomes, and patients will have the tools they need to make the best health care decisions. 
 

He will encourage schools to place greater emphasis on physical education and healthier meals. This will reverse the escalation in obesity rates that threaten our children's lives. 
 

The National Hispanic Medical Association will work with John McCain to tear down barriers that create health disparities for millions of minorities. 
 

Government programs will be more efficient, and private sector health insurance will become accessible to more Americans than ever before. Whether you live in a barrio or on Main Street, U.S.A., the best of the American health care system should be available to YOU.

RUTH NOVODOR
 

Good evening. I am Ruth Lopez Novodor, entrepreneur. 
 

I am one of 23 million small business owners contributing 940 billion dollars to our national economy --- one of the millions who have learned that entrepreneurship is the Great American Freedom. 
 

Anyone can be self-employed or a small business entrepreneur. We are best defined by our spirit, our ideas and our perseverance, just like John McCain! 
 

In 1947, my mother was an American orphan of Mexican descent in East Los Angeles.
 

She was inspired by her high school nurse to also become a nurse. 
 

When she told the school counselor about her idea, she was told to get married and raise a family "like your people are supposed to." 
 

My mom was devastated, but she didn't give up. She raised five children and taught us to work hard, and prepare to go to college. She taught us to pursue our dreams and never let society tell us we "should" be anything other than what we were inspired to be.
 

When the public school system told my brother he should be an auto mechanic, he said, "No, I intend be a doctor." 
 

And he is.
 

Today my brother treats cancer patients and practices in the largest underserved communities in Southern California. 
 

I stand here as her only daughter, with a master's degree in business and as a co-founder of three health care companies that serve the working uninsured.
 

Allow me to let you in on a little secret.
 

Although I am a Republican, I supported Hillary Clinton --- because I believe the glass ceiling needs to be shattered. 
 

But once the excitement wore off, I realized this election is about choosing proven leaders with demonstrated competence in successful change. 
 

And that's why I'm choosing John McCain and Sarah Palin -- because they believe in the right kind of change and they believe in small business. 
 

Small businesses create the majority of all American jobs, increase the tax base and, best of all, provide hope and a path out of poverty. John McCain wants government to be on the side of small business, not in our way.
 

He knows we need simpler regulation, a simpler tax code and for government to control spending in order to increase our global competitiveness! 
 

How do I know? Because HE HAS A DISTINCT TRACK RECORD FOR DOING SO! 
 

Vote for John McCain -- a demonstrated leader of change!

CHRISTY SWANSON
 

Hello, my name is Christy Swanson.
 

My husband, Kip, and I own and operate a small business in Virginia. Three months ago, I was an Obama supporter, and while I am a Democrat, 
 

I am proud to say that I am voting for John McCain. 
 

Why? Because America's small business owners have no greater ally than John McCain. He understands that small businesses are the cornerstone of our nation's prosperity. 
 

But, it is not easy.
 

My family business filters vegetable oil for restaurants; we use the left-over/waste oil to produce B100 biodiesel fuel to power our small company fleet. 
 

Basically, we are using new technology to fuel cars and save the environment. And, that makes us an uncharted business in a world of high taxes and healthcare costs.
 

Three months ago, I thought I knew who I was voting for. Then I heard John McCain speak to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. His plan to help small businesses best addressed the problems we face. 
 

And, I learned quickly that John McCain is the only candidate with the leadership skills, courage, common sense, and right philosophy to keep the dreams of small business owners alive and fulfilled. 
 

And quite frankly, higher taxes scare the biodiesel out of me! 
 

Higher taxes will do more to hurt my family and other small businesses - both personally and professionally -- than almost any single promise he has made. John McCain's simpler tax system will keep businesses like mine growing and hiring more people through: 
 

A reduction in corporate taxes.
 

A phase-out of the Alternative Minimum Tax. 
 

And, a first-year deduction for the cost of business equipment and technology investments. 
 

He just gets it. He knows what needs to be done to foster growth and innovation that creates jobs. 
 

And that's true with healthcare. Of the estimated 47 million Americans without healthcare, more than 28 million are small business owners, employees and their families. Under a McCain presidency, more small-business families than ever before will be able to obtain health insurance.
 

John McCain will provide families with a $5,000 refundable tax credit to purchase health insurance in the private market and will launch comprehensive insurance-market reform to lower costs, including permitting families to purchase insurance across state lines.
 

He understands that small businesses --liberated from high taxes and healthcare costs -- will unleash a nationwide prosperity that will allow all Americans to flourish.
 

I'm a Democrat. I'm voting for John McCain. It is right for me and right for America.

TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION CHAIRMAN MICHAEL WILLIAMS
 

My friends, as a Republican who has held statewide elected office in Texas for a decade, I am proud and deeply aware of the historic significance of this election. 
 

But I am here with you in St. Paul, rather than being in Denver last week, because I believe values and ideas take precedence over the politics of demography and identity. And, because I know John

McCain is ready to lead. 
 

Change is just a slogan when the ideas are as old as McGovern, Carter ... and dare I say, here in St. Paul ... Mondale, too. This election is a choice between a siren song of change without true demonstration, and an independent maverick with a real record of reform.
 

When Mr. Obama was choosing his running mate, he said the standard should be whether that individual is ready to be president. But I have to ask: shouldn't the same standard apply to the Democrat at the top of the ticket? Americans need not risk our future and our peace on a false promise of hope.
 

John McCain is ready to lead. 
 

John McCain has always put his country first. He put America ahead of his campaign when he advocated the right surge for an unpopular war. He put his comrades and country ahead of his personal comfort during the Vietnam War.
 

That's why I'm so glad to know that when John McCain travels to foreign lands as President he will not apologize for America's strength, but assert it.
 

He knows that keeping the peace comes from projecting our strength ... that America is the greatest beacon of liberty in an uncertain world ... and that foreign leaders, whose deeds speak louder than their diplomacy, must earn the right to sit down with the President of the United States. 
 

America's hope is in a seasoned, strong leader in this dangerous world ... someone to take on the forces of mediocrity that put unions ahead of the teachers and students they teach ... a fighter to tackle the Washington culture of waste ... and a President who knows in the core of his soul that human life begins at conception. 
 

John McCain is ready to lead. 
 

For energy security, we need to explore more, conserve wisely and aggressively pursue alternatives.
 

We can responsibly drill for oil and natural gas here in America and protect God's creation.
 

These things are not mutually exclusive. America cannot say no to clean coal...no to nuclear power...and no to offshore exploration.
 

That may be good for Saudi Sheikhs, but it's bad for American families.
 

With rising electricity rates and soaring gasoline prices, Democrats say "turn down the air in your home," and, "increase the air in your tires." 
 

That's not an energy policy ... that is an Obamanation! 
 

When the Michigan factory worker builds a pickup truck... and when the Ohio farmer buys that truck... and when that steelworker in Pennsylvania takes that truck to the filling station... they will put more change in their pocket and pay less in taxes under John McCain. That's the kind of change ... John McCain is talking about. 
 

John McCain ... is ready to lead. 
 

Americans will not fall for identity politics over good ideas ... slogans over substance ... or promises and platitudes based on wrong policy prescriptions. We have a proven leader with a record of reform who is ready to lead and ready to succeed.
 

John McCain will be my President. Thank you.

RESIDENT COMMISSIONER OF PUERTO RICO LUIS FORTUNO
 

Thank you ... and buenos noches.
 

My friends, you know, as I do, the people of America are running on empty. 
 

From Alaska to Puerto Rico and from Maine to Hawaii, American families are hurting.
 

Worse yet, they're being robbed of their dream of a better future. 
 

Millions of businesses across the country -- including nearly 2 million small and mid-sized businesses owned by Hispanics -- are finding out they can't make ends meet. 
 

They're stuck in a page in the American Dream Storybook they thought would never be written.
 

That's the page where their peace, their prosperity and our nation's environment and security get high-jacked by foreign oil interests ... a page that describes a horror story, where American families of every race, color and creed, are forced to choose between putting gas in the tank or putting food on the table.
 

We have a problem in America and it is high time that we give it an American solution! 
 

That's why I support Senator John McCain for President of the United States! 
 

Our next President must be willing to make hard choices, provide bold leadership, and take action to both break our nation's dependence on foreign oil right now and to develop clean, alternative sources of energy that will ensure our economic well-being into the future. 
 

And that's exactly what John McCain will do.
 

He has proposed a plan -- the Lexington Project -- that will provide an American solution to America's generations-old energy challenge.
 

The Lexington Project is America's second declaration of independence. It's summed up in one single promise: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.
 

By expanding domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production; by changing the way we power our cars; by investing in clean, alternative sources of energy ... and under President McCain's leadership we will become a leader in the new global green economy; by protecting our environment and addressing climate change; by promoting energy efficiency; and, finally, by cracking down on the speculative pricing of oil. 
 

John McCain has called upon all Americans to accept this mission.
 

I, for one, stand proud to accept this challenge, convinced -- as he is -- that as we succeed in this mission, our children will live in a more prosperous country, and we will all have a more peaceful and safer world. 
 

Thank you.

MEG WHITMAN
 

Good evening and thank you for your kind welcome.
 

It's an enormous privilege to speak to you tonight. As a young girl growing up on Long Island, as a wife and mother who raised two boys in my beautiful home state of California, and even as President and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I never dreamed I'd have the honor of speaking to my fellow Americans at such a critical moment in our nation's history.
 

When I was growing up, opportunities for women were still limited.
 

When I went to college and graduate school, I lived in environments that had just recently admitted women, and were still getting used to having us around.
 

And when I began my business career, female executives were still a novelty.
 

Many of our male colleagues questioned whether we'd make it. But my parents, especially my mom, inspired me.
 

She'd constantly remind me that I could be anything I wanted to be, I just had to earn it.
 

Mom believed in me, as any mother does.
 

She also believed in America.
 

She knew if I worked hard and delivered the results, I would succeed in this remarkable nation.
 

And so, from an early age, I was an optimist about America.
 

America is a nation fueled by freedom, with an abiding sense of justice and fairness, guided by the spirit that we should all have the opportunity to achieve our greatest dreams.
 

And I am a Republican because our party understands that America's success - the success of her people - comes not from the size of its government, but from the character of its citizens... the strength of its communities... and the nobility and truth of its ideals.
 

Tonight delegates from this convention will choose our nominee.
 

We are proudly the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan - and today, we are proudly the party of John McCain.
 

I've known Senator McCain for several years.
 

And the more I've gotten to know John, the more my admiration for him has grown.
 

John's pride in America and his belief in its spirit are electrifying.
 

And I can say with certainty that when he's sitting in the Oval Office - in every decision he makes - President McCain will put his country first. 
 

For John, putting country first is the calling of a lifetime.
 

He lives by a code of honor unmatched by anyone in American politics.
 

And on the most important duty we place on a president - John is more prepared to lead than any person in America. 
 

America faces enormous challenges abroad - but we also face great challenges here at home.
 

It would be foolish to deny what we all know to be true.
 

Our economy is struggling and Americans are hurting. We live in a time of economic anxiety and hardships.
 

The cost of everything from gasoline to groceries to health care has gone up, while the value of our homes and our investments has gone down.
 

Mortgages once thought to be safe are now threatened, and industries that were once strong are now dying. Since John began his campaign he's heard the concern in your voices and your stories - the stories of hardworking Americans who believe that politicians are out of touch and out of ideas. That may be true of some politicians ... but it's not true of John McCain. John's a different breed.
 

He understands hardship in a way that few of us have ever known.
 

And, as he has shown this week in supporting the great people of the Gulf States, he has a unique ability to identify with those who face their own struggles.
 

Most important of all, Senator McCain and Governor Sarah Palin - the real agents of change in this campaign - have solutions for the challenges we face.
 

In its first 100 days, a McCain administration will put this nation on a path toward energy independence.
 

John is a man with extraordinary determination - and he will use that quality to push relentlessly for the right energy policies - from lifting the ban on off-shore drilling, to building more nuclear reactors, to promoting conservation and alternative forms of energy.
 

Energy independence will stop massive amounts of money from going to our enemies abroad; it will lower gas prices at home; and it will reduce the harm to our planet's climate.
 

Energy independence must be our generation's moon shot - and John McCain and Sarah Palin will lead us in that historic effort.
 

Senator McCain and Governor Palin will also lead us in another vital effort: lowering your taxes.
 

In his first 100 days in office, they will put forward proposals to double the size of the child tax exemption, putting more money in your pockets.
 

They will push Congress to reduce business taxes, so that entrepreneurs and especially small business have the money they need to expand and create jobs. 
 

They will offer tax incentives to every individual and family in America to buy health insurance. 
 

And John McCain and Sarah Palin will simplify our mind-numbing tax code, so that filling out your taxes is not a dreaded annual nightmare.
 

Our Democratic opponents view raising taxes as the measure of their compassion and fairness.
 

John understands the truth.
 

Higher taxes encourage wasteful spending, demonstrate government's inability to choose among competing priorities, and destroy your prosperity.
 

As President, John McCain will be guided by the simple beliefs that having worked long hours to earn your money, you should keep more of it; and that government shouldn't spend more than it takes in.
 

The same kind of frank, common-sense conversations every American family has - about the need to balance the check-book, living within your means, and tightening the belt during hard times - are the conversations John will have with Members of Congress.
 

Now, Republicans know that John's solutions rest on a set of principles that are true and tested and enduring.
 

Foremost among them is his belief that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome by individual freedom.
 

Government has a vital role to play in the life of our country. And it should be effective and efficient in meeting those fundamental responsibilities.
 

But Republicans understand that government does not create wealth or prosperity - individuals do.
 

America is all about the inspired individual - men and women who are free to pursue dreams and ambitions in a society that encourages creativity, industry, advancement, and risk taking.
 

John McCain doesn't want to tax success and achievement, he wants to encourage it.
 

He doesn't want to redistribute our national wealth, he wants to increase it.
 

He doesn't want more big government, he wants much more self-government.
 

John McCain understands that you know what's best for your money, your family, your community, and your life. 
 

John's principles run like a golden thread throughout our history.
 

This has made America's story the greatest and proudest and most hopeful of any in history.
 

Make no mistake - Americans today face tough challenges.
 

Sometimes there is a temptation for us, having borne freedom's burden for so long, to grow tired.
 

But when Americans have faced their greatest hardships, they have written history's greatest chapters.
 

We're going to do so again.
 

The solutions to the problems of our time are found in the ingenuity, spirit, determination, and decency of the American people.
 

All we need is a leader who recognizes this and who can, by virtue of his character and his love of country, call us to do great things. 
 

When the American people cast their vote for the candidate they believe can best protect our nation, restore our standing in the world, and expand prosperity and opportunity to every willing heart, they will do as they have done in the past - they will put country first.
 

They will choose John McCain as our next President.
 

Thank you very much!

CARLY FIORINA
 

Good evening. Ladies and gentlemen, these are times of consequence.
 

As America steers her course into the 21st century, our choices have never mattered more. 
 

Will we continue to compete and lead in the global economy? Will we create more jobs here at home? 
 

Will we educate our children for the rigors of this new century and will we prepare our workers to remain the best and most productive in the world? 
 

Will we power our economy and still protect our environment? Will we defeat our enemies and strengthen our alliances with other democracies? 
 

Will we demand that government be both more efficient and more responsive? Will we demand that citizens keep more of their money and make more of their own choices, or will we decide that government bureaucracies know better than Americans and their families? 
 

The choice America makes this November doesn't just echo for four or eight years, but will reverberate for many years to come.
 

In this historic election we have a clear choice between two very different governing philosophies. But we also have a choice between rhetoric and promises and a life-long commitment to service and reform. 
 

You have heard the stories of John McCain's life, but consider for a moment how truly remarkable his life has been.
 

His love of country has been tested in ways few among us can imagine. He has demonstrated his maverick spirit time and again, and his appetite for reform is unmatched. He has always reached his hand across the aisle to move our country forward.
 

And it is the sum total of all these experiences and all these tests of leadership that have made John McCain who he is and prepared him for the Presidency. 
 

We must elect a leader with the courage and resolve to do the tough things and the character and wisdom to do the right things.
 

That leader is John McCain.
 

I know John McCain. He understands that government's highest calling is to unlock and unleash the determination, creativity and potential of every single American. 
 

He believes that every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve the American dream.
 

He believes that people should be freed and empowered to make their own choices. 
 

John McCain believes that all institutions of power and wealth - whether they are government agencies or global corporations - must be both transparent and accountable to those they serve.
 

Today, Americans are concerned about keeping their jobs, about keeping their homes, about the rising price of food and fuel. 
 

They are concerned about whether they will be able to find or afford the right healthcare. 
 

They are concerned about whether they or their children will have the skills and education they need to compete in the twenty first century. They wonder whether government will stand by their side or get in their way. 
 

I know John McCain. And if we make the right choice, in 2013, American families will keep more of their hard-earned money. Small and large businesses alike will be creating jobs here and spurring robust economic growth, because America will once again be a great place to build a business.
 

Workers will be able to seek retraining to ensure they have the latest skills.
 

John McCain will simplify the tax code and reduce the tax burden. 
 

Innovation and entrepreneurship will be rewarded. 
 

He will empower individuals and companies to create wealth, opportunities and jobs.
 

American families will have real choices about how to ensure their children receive a quality education. They will have real choices and access to affordable healthcare.
 

I know John McCain. 
 

And in 2013, America will be more energy independent because of his determination that we must power our own country and his long-standing commitment to protecting our environment. 
 

He will create a cap and trade system that will encourage the development of alternative energy sources.
 

He will help advance clean coal technology and nuclear power. And all this will both create jobs and lower the cost of energy.
 

I know John McCain. He will demand that the federal government be transparent and accountable to the American people. 
 

In his first year in office, he will subject every government agency to a top to bottom review and post the results on the Internet for all Americans to see. 
 

He will eliminate wasteful spending, veto bills laden with pork, and achieve a balanced budget by 2013.
 

Many people talk about changing Washington.
 

John McCain has the knowledge, the guts, and now in Sarah Palin, the partner he needs to actually get it done.
 

I know John McCain. 
 

I have seen him with our wounded veterans, far away from the cameras.
 

I have seen his eyes fill with tears of gratitude for their service.
 

He knows the cost of war in a deeply personal way, and as both a son and a father of warriors. 
 

He knows that our liberties and our freedoms only come with the sacrifice of brave men and women.
 

John McCain will bring our troops home with victory and with honor. 
 

He will not negotiate with brutality and he will never shrink from calling evil and aggression by their names. 
 

John McCain has the courage of his convictions and the wisdom to act on them.
 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to say 
 

I know John McCain. I am proud to support him. 
 

As a woman, I support him because I know he values the contribution of women to our families and communities, to our economy, and to the governing and protection of our nation. 
 

As a business-person, I support him because I know his programs will strengthen small business, foster growth and create jobs.
 

As a Republican, I support him because I think he embodies both the best traditions and the bright future of our party. 
 

Most of all, I support him as an American.
 

Electing John McCain is the choice we must make. 
 

We are choosing a leader of courage and resolve, character and wisdom. He will do the tough things, and he will do the right things. 
 

He is the choice we must make for our families. He is the choice we must make for our nation.
 

And he is the choice we must make for the next generation.

GOPAC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL STEELE 
 

Good evening.
 

As we gather at this moment, many of our friends, families and neighbors have felt the devastating effects of Hurricane Gustav. 
 

Our hearts and prayers are with them at this hour. 
 

Times such as this remind us that we are each called to respond to a cause greater than our own self-interest. 
 

They speak to a truth about America: that when things are tough and the skies are filled with stormy clouds, we turn to each other for comfort, support and leadership.
 

As mothers and fathers, families and communities begin the difficult work of recovery and rebuilding, we watch with pride and humility as neighbor reaches out to neighbor.
 

Tonight, we gather not as Republicans, but as Americans. 
 

We are Americans prepared to reach out to each other for a cause greater than ourselves. We recognize that leadership is not often tested in good times, but rather during those times of uncertainty, when ones judgment, strength of character and experiences come together to reassure, to calm and to guide. 
 

For myself, such lessons in leadership were taught to me by a sharecropper's daughter who throughout her life, suffered many hardships. 
 

However, in the throes of the worst of these, she always saw the hope that her children would be better off than she was.
 

It was partly this relentless focus on the future that enabled her to overcome her circumstances, and to do so with such selfless grace. 
 

My mother Maebell was never discouraged by the trials of the moment, because she knew that they would pass. 
 

Her commitment to making her family strong and giving her children a true sense of the promise of America, stood as an early testament in my life to the ideal of putting family, community, country, above self. 
 

In moments such as this, buffeted by the winds of an uncertain time we need a leader who understands the life lessons of those who sacrifice, who demonstrate the full measure of what it means to be an American.
 

In times such as these, we need a leader who will work in the public's interest, not clamor for the public's applause, someone who will lead with the common sense of his neighbors and friends. 
 

In times such as these, we need John McCain. 
 

John McCain has never lost faith in the power and ingenuity of the individual to create the legacy of a nation through hard work, self-sacrifice and discipline. 
 

Through his service he reaffirms to the American people his core belief that government should be limited so that it never becomes powerful enough to infringe on the rights of the individual. 
 

That taxes should be kept low so that families can keep more of their hard earned money. 
 

That the ideal of a colorblind society is worth fighting for because each man, woman, and child is an individual and not a member of some hyphenated class or group. 
 

Some just talk about change, but John McCain believes the resiliency of the American people is the real source of the change America needs; and that means putting country first. 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's change the way we educate our kids. 
 

Let's empower those whose minds are shackled by a poor education with real choices in where they go to school. 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's change our tax code to confiscate less of our hard earned paychecks so more and more families may actually know what it's like to save for the future. 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home.
 

In other words, drill baby drill! And drill now! 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's make decisions about our security based on what keeps us safe and not on what's politically correct. 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's win the war on terrorism. 
 

So, do you want to put your country first? 
 

Then let's elect John McCain the next president of the United States! 
 

John McCain has the experience, judgment and character to lead America in a changing world. 
 

It's not just about John McCain's lifetime of selfless service to a nation and its people. It's about his knowing who the enemy is and what to do about them. 
 

It's about his understanding that associations do matter, and that America, though flawed, should not be damned for creating a place so many want to call home. 
 

John McCain knows that mere words about change are not enough to transform this nation or move it further along the road to prosperity and security. 
 

John McCain knows we must empower working families and stand with them against the erosion of our constitutional rights, the corruption of our school systems, the weakening of our families and the taking of human life - born and unborn.
 

We have been reminded once again of what is best about America and its people. 
 

John McCain himself reminds us that in this hour the partisan labels must fall away because the only label that really matters is "American."
 

That's appropriate.
 

That's putting country first.
 

That's John McCain. 
 

Thank you and god bless.

FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY
 

For decades, the Washington sun has been rising in the east - Washington has been looking to the eastern elites, to the editorial pages of the Times and the Post, and to the broadcasters from the coast.

If America really wants change, it's time to look for the sun in the west, cause it's about to rise and shine from Arizona and Alaska! 
 

Last week, the Democrats talked about change. But let me ask you -- what do you think Washington is right now, liberal or conservative? Is a Supreme Court liberal or conservative that awards Guantanamo terrorists with constitution rights? It's liberal! Is a government liberal or conservative that puts the interests of the teachers union ahead of the needs of our children? -- It's liberal! 
 

Is a Congress liberal or conservative that stops nuclear power plants and off-shore drilling, making us more and more dependent on Middle East tyrants? -- It's liberal! 
 

Is government spending - excluding inflation - liberal or conservative if it doubles since 1980? -- It's liberal! 
 

We need change all right - change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington -- throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain!
 

It's the same prescription for a stronger economy. I spent 25 years in the private sector. I've done business in many foreign countries. I know why jobs come and why they go away. And I know that liberals don't have a clue. 
 

They think we have the biggest and strongest economy in the world because of our government. They're wrong. America is strong because of the ingenuity and entrepreneurship and hard work of the American people.
 

The American people have always been the source of our nation's strength and they always will be! 
 

We strengthen our people and our economy when we preserve and promote opportunity. Opportunity is what lets hope become reality. 
 

Opportunity expands when there is excellence and choice in education, when taxes are lowered, when every citizen has affordable, portable health insurance, and when constitutional freedoms are preserved.
 

Opportunity rises when children are raised in homes and schools that are free from pornography, promiscuity and drugs; in homes that are blessed with family values and the presence of a father and a mother. 
 

America cannot long lead the family of nations if we fail the family here at home!
 

Liberals would replace opportunity with dependency on government largesse. They grow government and raise taxes to put more people on Medicaid, to take work requirements out of welfare, and to grow the ranks of those who pay no taxes at all. Dependency is death to initiative, risk-taking and opportunity.
 

It is time to stop the spread of government dependency to fight it like the poison it is! 
 

It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother!
 

Our economy is under attack. China is acting like Adam Smith on steroids, buying oil from the world's worst, and selling nuclear technology. Russia and the oil states are siphoning more than 500 billion dollars a year from us in what could become the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history. This is no time for timid, liberal empty gestures. 
 

Our economy has slowed down this year and a lot of people are hurting. What happened? Mortgage money was handed out like candy, speculators bought homes for free - when this mortgage mania finally broke, it slammed the economy. And stratospheric gas prices made things even worse. 
 

Democrats want to use the slowdown as an excuse to do what their special interests are always begging for: higher taxes, bigger government and less trade with other nations.
 

It's the same path Europe took a few decades ago. It leads to moribund growth and double-digit unemployment. 
 

The right course is the one championed by Ronald Reagan 30 years ago, and by John McCain today. It is to rein in government spending and to lower taxes, for taking a weed-whacker to excessive regulation and mandates, for putting a stop to tort windfalls, and to stand up to the Tyrannosaurus appetite of government unions!
 

It is to pursue every source of energy security, from new efficiencies to renewables, from clean coal to non-CO2 producing nuclear, and the immediate drilling for more oil off of our shores! And I have one more recommendation for energy conservation -- let's keep Al Gore's private jet on the ground! 
 

Did you hear any Democrats talk last week about the threat from radical, violent Jihad? Republicans believe that there is good and evil in the world. Ronald Reagan called-out the Evil Empire. George

Bush labeled the terror-sponsor states the Axis of Evil. 
 

And at Saddleback, after Barak Obama dodged and ducked every direct question, John McCain hit the nail on the head: radical violent Islam is evil, and he will defeat it! 
 

Republicans prefer straight talk to politically correct talk!
 

Republicans, led by John McCain and Sarah Palin, will fight to preserve the values that have preserved the nation. We will strengthen our economy and keep us from being held hostage by Putin, Chavez and Ahmadinejad. 
 

And we will never allow America to retreat in the face of evil extremism! 
 

Just like you, there has never been a day when I was not proud to be an American. We inherited the greatest nation in the history of the earth.
 

It is our burden and privilege to preserve it, to renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future.
 

To this we are all dedicated and I firmly believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed. 
 

President McCain and Vice President Palin will keep America as it has always been -- the hope of the world.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE
 

As much as I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight, I really was originally hoping for the slot on Thursday called the acceptance speech. But I am delighted to speak on behalf of my 2nd choice for the Republican nomination for President, John McCain -- a man with the character and stubborn kind of integrity that I want in a President.
 

I grew up at a time and in a place where the civil rights movement was fought. I witnessed first hand the shameful evil of racism. I saw how ignorance and prejudice caused people to do the unthinkable to people of color not so many years ago.
 

So, I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee -- not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country.
 

But the Presidency is not a symbolic job, and I don't believe his preparation or his plans will lift America up. 
 

Obama was right when he said this election is not about him, it's about YOU.
 

When gasoline costs $4 a gallon, it makes it tough if you're a single mom to get to your job each day in the used car you drive. You want something to change.
 

If you're a flight attendant or baggage handler and you're asked to take a pay cut to keep your job, you want something to change.
 

If you're a young couple losing your house, your credit rating, and your American dream, you want something to change.
 

John McCain offers specific ideas to respond to this need for change. But there are some things we never want to change -- freedom, security, and the opportunity to prosper.
 

Barack Obama's excellent adventure to Europe took his campaign for change to hundreds of thousands of people who don't even vote or pay taxes here.
 

It's not what he took there that concerns me. It's what he brought back. Lots of ideas from Europe he'd like to see imported here.
 

Centralized governments may care for you from cradle to grave, but they also control you. Most Americans don't want MORE government -- they want a lot less.
 

Abraham Lincoln reminded us that a government that can do everything FOR us can also take everything FROM us.
 

I really tire of hearing how the Democrats care about the working guy as if all Republicans grew up with silk stockings and silver spoons. In my little hometown of Hope, Arkansas, the 3 sacred heroes were Jesus, Elvis, and FDR, not necessarily in that order.
 

My own father held down two jobs, barely affording the little rented house I grew up in. My Dad worked hard, lifted heavy things, and got his hands dirty. The only soap we had at my house was Lava.

Heck, I was in college before I found out it wasn't supposed to hurt to take a shower.
 

I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me.
 

John McCain doesn't want the kind of change that allows the government to reach deeper into your paycheck and pick your doctor, your child's school, or even the kind of car you drive or how much you inflate the tires.
 

He doesn't want to change the very definition of marriage from what it has always meant throughout recorded human history. It is not above John McCain's pay grade to grasp the simple fact that human life begins at conception, and he is committed to protecting it.
 

Maybe the most dangerous threat of an Obama presidency is that he would continue to give madmen the benefit of the doubt. If he's wrong just once, we will pay a heavy price.
 

John McCain will follow the fanatics to their caves in Pakistan or to the gates of hell.
 

What Obama wants to do is give them a place setting at the table.
 

John McCain is by far the most prepared, experienced, and tested Presidential candidate. Thoroughly tested.
 

When John McCain received his country's call to service, he didn't hesitate, and he didn't choose the easy path. He sat alone in the cockpit, taking off from an aircraft carrier to fly in unfriendly skies, knowing he might not make it back.
 

And one day, he didn't make it back. He was shot down and captured. He was brutally tortured.
 

He could have eased his own pain and even cut short his imprisonment by uttering a few simple words renouncing his country. But he loved his country and knew that to return with honor later was better than to return without it now.
 

Most of us can lift our arms high in the air to signify that we want something. His arms can't even lift to shoulder level, a constant reminder that his life is marked not by what he wants to receive, but by what he's already given.
 

Allow me to tell you about someone who understands this type of sacrifice better than anyone.
 

On the first day of school in 2005, Martha Cothren, a teacher at Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, was determined that her students would not take their education or their privilege as

Americans for granted. With the principal's permission, she removed all the desks from her classroom. The students entered the empty room and asked, "Mrs. Cothren, where are our desks?" "You get a desk when you tell me how you earn it," she replied.
 

"Making good grades?" asked one student. 
 

"You ought to make good grades, but that won't get you a desk," Martha responded.
 

"I guess we have to behave," offered another.
 

"You WILL behave in my class," Mrs. Cothren retorted, "but that won't get you a desk either." 
 

No one in first period guessed right. Same for second period.
 

By lunch, the buzz was all over campus... Mrs. Cothren had flipped out ....wouldn't let her students have a desk. Kids had used their cell phones and called their parents.
 

By early afternoon, all 4 of the local network TV affiliates had camera crews at the school to report on the teacher who wouldn't let her students have a desk unless they could tell her how they earned it. By the final period, no one had guessed correctly.
 

As the students filed in, Martha Cothren said, "Well, I didn't think you would figure it out, so I'll have to tell you." 
 

Martha opened the door of her classroom. In walked 27 veterans, some wearing uniforms from years gone by, but each one carrying a school desk.
 

As they carefully and quietly arranged the desks in neat rows, Martha said, "You don't have to earn your desks...these guys already did.
 

They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have.
 

No one charged you for your desk. But it wasn't really free. These guys bought it for you. And I hope you never forget it. " 
 

I wish we all would remember that being American is not just about the freedom we have. It's about those who gave it to us. 
 

Ladies and Gentlemen, John McCain is one of those people who helped buy the freedom that we enjoy and the school desks we had.
 

It's my honor to do what I can to help him have a desk that he has earned one in the Oval Office.
 


FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI
 

 

Almost exactly one year ago during a Republican presidential debate in Durham, New Hampshire, I said that if I weren't running for President myself, I'd be supporting John McCain. Well, I'm not, and I do.
 

Every four years, we are told that this Presidential election is the most important election of our lifetime. This year - 2008 - IS the most important. 
 

This has already been historic. It is the longest Presidential campaign in history. And it sometimes felt even longer.
 

The American people realize this election represents a turning point. In two months they will decide the future direction of our nation. It's a decision to follow one path or another. 
 

‘We the people' - the citizens of the United States - get to decide our next president...not the media, not Hollywood celebrities, not anyone else. 
 

This is a time for choosing - and to those Americans who still feel torn in this election, I'd like to suggest one way to think about the choice you have to make in 2008: 
 

You're hiring someone to do a job - an important job that involves the safety and security of your family. Imagine that you have two job applications in your hand - with the names and party affiliations taken off the top. They're both good and patriotic men - with very different life experiences that have led them to this moment in history. 
 

You've got to make this decision right. Who would you hire? 
 

On the one hand, you've got a man who has dedicated his life to the service of his country. He's been tested time and again by crisis. He's passed every test. 
 

Even his adversaries acknowledge that he is a true American hero. He loves America as we all do - but he's sacrificed for it as few do. As a young man, he joined the military...and being a "Top Gun" kind of guy, he became a fighter pilot. He was on a mission over Hanoi when his plane was shot down. 
 

He was tortured in a POW camp, but he refused his captors' offers of early release. Because this is a man who believes in serving a cause greater than self-interest. He came home a national hero. 
 

He had earned a life of peace and quiet, but he was called to public service again, running for Congress and then the Senate as a proud foot-soldier in the Reagan Revolution. His principled independence never wavered. He stood up to special interests, fought for fiscal discipline, ethics reform and a strong national defense. 
 

That's one man.
 

On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present." 
 

As Mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote "present." And you know, when you're President of the United States, you can't just vote "present." You must make decisions.
 

A few years later, he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won and has spent most of his time as a "celebrity senator." No leadership or major legislation to speak of. His rise is remarkable in its own right - it's the kind of thing that could happen only in America. But he's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business. 
 

He's never had to lead people in crisis. 
 

This is not a personal attack....it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything. 
 

Nothing. Nada. 
 

The choice in this election comes down to substance over style. John has been tested. Barack Obama has not.
 

Tough times require strong leadership, and this is no time for on the job training. 
 

It's about who can answer that crisis call - yes, Hillary, at 3:00 in the morning. 
 

Well, no one can look at John McCain and say that he is not ready to be Commander in Chief. 
 

So, our opponents want to reframe the debate. They would have you believe that this election is about ‘change versus more of the same.' But that's really a false choice. Because "change" is not a destination ... just as "hope" is not a strategy. 
 

John McCain will bring about the change that will create jobs and prosperity. He will lower taxes so our economy can grow. He will reduce government spending to strengthen our dollar. He will expand free trade so we can be even more competitive. He will lead us toward an America that will be independent of foreign oil by an all-of-the-above approach, including nuclear power and off-shore drilling. 
 

This is the kind of change we need. 
 

And he will keep us on offense against terrorism at home and abroad. For 4 days in Denver and for the past 18 months Democrats have been afraid to use the words "Islamic Terrorism." During their convention, the Democrats rarely mentioned the attacks of September 11. 
 

They are in a state of denial about the threat that faces us now and in the future. 
 

You need to face your enemy in order to defeat them. John McCain will face this threat and lead us on to victory. 
 

Look at just one example in a lifetime of principled stands -- John McCain's support for the troop surge in Iraq. The Democratic Party had given up on Iraq. And I believe, ladies and gentlemen, that when they gave up on Iraq they were giving up on America. The Democratic leader in the Senate said so: "America has lost." 
 

Well, if America lost, who won? Al Qaida? Bin Laden? In the single biggest policy decision of this election, John McCain got it right and Barack Obama got it wrong.
 

If Barack Obama had been President, there would have been no troop surge and our troops would have been withdrawn in defeat.
 

Senator McCain was the candidate most associated with the surge. And it was unpopular. 
 

What do you think most other candidates would have done in that situation? They would have acted in their own self-interest by changing their position. 
How many times have we seen Barack Obama do that? 
 

Obama was going to take public financing for his campaign, until he didn't.
 

Obama was against wiretapping before he voted for it.
 

When speaking to a pro-Israel group, Obama favored an undivided Jerusalem. Until the very next day when he changed his mind.
 

I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing.
 

John McCain said, ‘I'd rather lose an election than a war.' Because that's John McCain. 
 

When Russia rolled over Georgia, John McCain knew exactly how to respond. 
 

Having been to that part of the world many times and having developed a clear worldview over many years, John knew where he stood. Within hours, he established a very strong, informed position that let the world know exactly how he'll respond as President. At exactly the right time, John McCain said, "We're all Georgians." 
 

Obama's first instinct was to create a moral equivalency - that "both sides" should "show restraint." The same moral equivalency that he has displayed in discussing the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel. 
 

Later, after discussing it with his 300 foreign policy advisors, he changed his position and suggested that the "the UN Security Council," could find a solution. Apparently, none of his 300 advisors told him that Russia has a veto on any UN action. Finally Obama put out a statement that looked ...well, it looked a lot like John McCain's.
 

Here's some free advice: Sen. Obama, next time just call John McCain. 
 

Like Ronald Reagan, John McCain will enlarge our party. He's the candidate with the real record of bi-partisan cooperation. He's the candidate who can credibly reach out for the votes of Independents and Democrats. 
 

In choosing Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has chosen the future. Governor Palin represents a new generation. She's already one of the most successful governors in America - and the most popular. And she already has more executive experience than the entire Democratic ticket. She's led a city and a state. She's reduced taxes and government spending. 
 

And she's actually done something about moving America toward energy independence - taking on the oil companies while encouraging more energy exploration here at home. 
 

Taxpayers have an advocate in Sarah Palin - she even sold the former governor's private plane on E-Bay. 
 

And as a former U.S. Attorney, I am impressed by her success in combating corruption - when she found unethical and illegal behavior among the power-brokers of her own party, she did not hesitate - she acted courageously and independently. That's the kind of reformer we need - she shook up Alaska. She'll shake up Washington. 
 

And we sure need that.
 

And as we look to the future never let us forget that - when we are at our best - we are the party that expands Freedom. We began as a party dedicated to freeing people from slavery... And we are still the party that is willing to fight for freedom at home and around the world. We are the party that wants to expand individual freedom and economic freedom... because we believe that the secret of America's success is not central government, it is self-government. We are the party that believes in giving workers the right to work. The party that believes parents should choose where their children go to school. 
 

And we are the party that believes unapologetically in America's essential greatness - that we are a shining city on the hill, a beacon of freedom that inspires people everywhere to reach for a better world. 
 

So my fellow Republicans and my fellow Americans - over the next 8 weeks, remember that the results of this election are in your hands. You get to determine America's future. You can decide America's direction. 
 

Thank you very much. And God Bless America.
 


HAWAII GOVERNOR LINDA LINGLE
 

 

Good evening my fellow delegates, friends, guests, and all those watching this historic convention on television and online. Aloha! 
 

It is my distinct pleasure and honor to speak with you tonight about Senator McCain's outstanding choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as our party's Vice Presidential nominee! 
 

As a fellow Republican Governor ...of a non-contiguous state ....I have had the chance to get to know Governor Sarah Palin. She is a terrific individual...and an outstanding governor. Sarah is a person with proven leadership skills, and strong moral character.
 

Because most Americans are just being introduced to Sarah Palin, I think it is important to share with you a little about her great personal story. 
 

Her family moved to Alaska -- the Last Frontier -- when Governor Palin was an infant. 
 

Sarah and her family are avid outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy long distance running as well as hunting. In high school, she led her basketball team -- as point guard and captain -- to victory in the state championship. Two years later, she was crowned Miss Wasilla and finished second in the Miss Alaska pageant. 
 

After college, she married her high school sweetheart, Todd. As early evidence of Sarah's commitment to fiscal discipline...they eloped! 
 

Todd is a commercial fisherman, an oil field worker and a union member, as well as a world-champion snowmobile racer. After 20 years of marriage, Sarah and Todd have five beautiful children and a grandchild on the way.
 

They face the same challenges that moms and dads do, every single day in our country. Difficult things happen to families, and just like yours, families pull together and get through it. 
 

More than just having a great personal story, Sarah Palin is a great person. She is genuine, and comfortable in her own skin...truly authentic. 
 

She will not be trying to reinvent herself during this campaign! She is who she is. 
 

Like others who meet Sarah, when you get to know her...you are going be very impressed...and the more you get to know her, the more impressed you're going to be. 
 

Sarah has integrity and strong values. She is smart and she is a unique combination of toughness and grace.
 

I was at a conference with Sarah and a few other governors this past April, in Dallas, when on very short notice she delivered an outstanding, strategic speech on energy issues. Let me assure you that she knows the energy issue well and she will help our soon to be President John McCain...achieve energy independence! 
 

The same day she delivered that speech, Sarah went into labor with her fifth child...made the trip back to Alaska...and delivered her son Trig the next day. 
 

"Did I mention that she is tough?" 
 

All of these qualities contribute to make Governor Palin a great leader.
 

In fact, she is a gifted leader. It comes naturally to her...and people naturally gravitate toward her. She engenders trust in people...and she lives up to that trust! 
 

She has cut excessive spending from the multi- billion-dollar state budget she oversees. 
 

She has taken on the Establishment...challenged a corrupt political system...and enacted a strong ethics reform law. 
 

She took on the sitting Republican Governor with whom she disagreed...and she won.
 

In the general election, she took on a former two-term, Democratic Governor. And she won! Put simply...Sarah is a leader and a winner! 
 

Like all governors, she is dealing with many issues that members of Congress have talked about, a lot, through the years, including health care, education, economic development, energy and the environment. But, mere words, no matter how eloquently delivered, will never replace the decisive actions of a governor that produces real results.
 

While Congress passes lots of laws, it is the governors who have to deal with their consequences. 
 

Sarah is also the Commander in Chief of the Alaska National Guard.
 

I share that same Commander in Chief role with my fellow governors. As the governor of a tightly-knit state, I know that seeing off troops before an overseas deployment is not a perfunctory exercise, but an intense, personal experience.
 

These are our friends and our neighbors, our family and colleagues...people we know. 
 

Before serving as Governor, Sarah was the mayor of Wasilla for two-terms...again, defeating the incumbent! Some have tried to diminish this experience by pointing out that Wasilla only has a population of nearly 10,000 people. This is the size of many cities all across our country. The size where everyone knows everyone, and where as mayor you are held personally accountable for your decisions. 
 

I find it reminiscent when I hear Democrat party leaders and their surrogates questioning Sarah's experience. They used the same tactic against me when I ran for governor. They said being the mayor of Maui was insufficient experience to be the governor.
 

Since becoming governor, Hawaii has moved up 10 spots in the Forbes ranking for best states to do business, is among the top five states in health insurance coverage, and was one of only 12 states last year where the number of people living in poverty went down.
 

I think being a mayor, whether in Hawaii or Alaska or anywhere else, is outstanding preparation for higher office.
 

I find it especially amusing that the other party says Governor Palin lacks experience when their own candidates for president and vice president...have NO executive experience... ZERO! Neither

Senator Obama nor Senator Biden has ever managed a multi- billion dollar budget, or been a chief executive of any city... or state, of any size... or of anything for that matter.
 

As President Lyndon Johnson said, "When the burdens of the presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself it could be worse. I could be a MAYOR." 
Mayors, like Sarah Palin, are CEOs. Governors, like Sarah Palin, are CEOs.
 

That's why I think it is so beneficial to have a Governor on the ticket...and Sarah is a great choice. Senator McCain decided to look "North to the Future" - which is Alaska's motto - to find a transformative leader.
 

The other side has made the point that Alaska is a small state, but the last time I checked, it had the same number of electoral votes as Delaware. And, you can fit more than 250 states the size of Delaware within Alaska's border. 
 

Sarah has broad appeal within our Party...because she is a strong social conservative, an adherent to free market principals, and a fiscal hawk...and because she has the ability to expand our numbers by reaching out to independents...young people...and women! 
 

His decision to choose Sarah tells us a lot about Senator John McCain. It is a clear reminder that he truly is a maverick, and that he will always do the right thing for the people of America. It underscores that Senator McCain understands what Americans have known for quite some time - Washington is broken.
 

And Senator McCain showed his commitment to ending politics as usual in Washington by picking an Outsider...a proven reformer...an experienced woman governor. 
This choice is bold, historic and courageous...just like John McCain and Sarah Palin! 
 

I am glad I have had the chance to get to know Sarah Palin. I know when you... and the rest of America gets to know her, you will agree with me...that Sarah Palin is going to be a great Vice President.
Mahalo, God Bless You and God Bless America!

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 

 

 

 

Service" Theme Highlighted in Video Narrated by Robert Duvall
Film Highlights Past American Presidents, Important Historical Documents


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - As the second hour of the second night of the 2008 Republican National Convention began, delegates were welcomed to the Xcel Energy Center with an inspirational video narrated by actor Robert Duvall. 

The video, entitled "Service," followed remarks by U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio), who called the second night of the convention to order. "Country First" is the overall theme of the 2008 Republican National Convention and a complement to the theme of today’s program, which is "service." 

"You can’t really see your country, but you can love it," Duvall said to open the video, which featured historical American documents such as the Federalist Papers and the Declaration of Independence. He continued, "America is a love story - a love all Americans share." 

The video also featured America’s presidents, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, President H.W. Bush, and President W. Bush. 

"We are here because of their belief in all of us," Duvall said. 


The video is available online here. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 
 

2008 Republican National Convention Pays Tribute to Fallen U.S. Navy SEAL
Film Honors Medal of Honor Recipient Michael A. Monsoor


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The stirring story of a fallen U.S. Navy SEAL was poignantly recounted during the second night of the 2008 Republican National Convention. A short film honoring the life and service of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor was shown to delegates and attendees at the Xcel Energy Center. The film received a standing ovation. 

Monsoor was awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for his heroic actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006, when he was mortally wounded by a grenade while saving the lives of fellow SEALs. The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest decoration for military valor. Monsoor also received Silver and Bronze Stars for his distinguished service. 

"Petty Officer Monsoor never led an army or commanded a nation, but he will never be forgotten," said the film’s narrator, actor Gary Sinise. 

Monsoor’s sister, Sara, and two of his fellow SEALs were recognized by the crowd following the video, as were five additional recipients of the Medal of Honor and all veterans in attendance. 



The film honoring Monsoor may be accessed here. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook,MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. 

 



Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (Conn.) remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)

Thank you for that warm welcome. I am honored to be here.

We meet tonight in the wake of a terrible storm that has hit the Gulf Coast but that hurts all of us, because we are all members of our larger American family.

At times like this, we set aside all that divides us, and we come together to help our fellow citizens in need.

What matters is certainly not whether we are Democrats or Republicans, but that we are all Americans.

The truth is, it shouldn’t take a hurricane to bring us together like this.

Every day, across our country, millions of our fellow citizens are facing huge problems.

They are worried about their homes, their jobs, and their businesses; they are worried about the outrageous cost of gas and of health insurance; and they are worried about the threats from our enemies abroad.

But when they look to Washington, all too often they do not see their leaders coming together to tackle these problems.

Instead they see Democrats and Republicans fighting each other, rather than fighting for the American people.

Our founding fathers foresaw the danger of this kind of senseless partisanship. George Washington himself -- in his Farewell Address to our country -- warned that the "spirit of party" is "the worst enemy" of our democracy and "enfeebles" our government’s ability to do its job.

George Washington was absolutely right. The sad truth is -- today we are living through his worst nightmare, in the capital city that bears his name.

And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?

The answer is simple.

I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.

I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward.

I’m here because John McCain’s whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important.

But it is not more important than being an American.

Both presidential candidates this year talk about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and special interests that are poisoning our politics.

But only one of them has actually done it.

Only one leader has shown the courage and the capability to rise above the smallness of our politics to get big things done for our country and our people.

And that leader is John McCain!

John understands that it shouldn’t take a natural disaster like Hurricane Gustav to get us to take off our partisan blinders and work together to get things done.

It shouldn’t take a natural disaster to teach us that the American people don’t care much if you have an "R" or a "D" after your name.

What they care about is, are we solving the problems they are up against every day?

What you can expect from John McCain as President is precisely what he has done this week: which is to put country first. That is the code by which he has lived his entire life, and that is the code he will carry with him into the White House.

I have personally seen John, over and over again, bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face --to reform our campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws, to create the 9/11 Commission and pass its critical national security reforms, and to end the partisan paralysis over judicial confirmations.

My Democratic friends know all about John’s record of independence and accomplishment.

Maybe that’s why some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince voters that John McCain is someone else.

I’m here, as a Democrat myself, to tell you: Don’t be fooled.

God only made one John McCain, and he is his own man.

If John McCain was just another go-along partisan politician, he never would have taken on corrupt Republican lobbyists, or big corporations that were cheating the American people, or powerful colleagues in Congress who were wasting taxpayer money.

But he did!

If John McCain was just another go-along partisan politician, he never would have led the fight to fix our broken immigration system or to do something about global warming.

But he did!

As a matter of fact, if John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I'm Michael Moore’s favorite Democrat.

And I'm not.

Senator Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But eloquence is no substitute for a record -- not in these tough times.

In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party.

Contrast that to John McCain’s record, or the record of the last Democratic President, Bill Clinton, who stood up to some of those same Democratic interest groups and worked with Republicans to get important things done like welfare reform, free trade agreements, and a balanced budget.

Governor Sarah Palin, like John McCain, is a reformer who has taken on the special interests and reached across party lines. She is a leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington.

That’s why the McCain-Palin ticket is the real ticket for change this year.

The Washington bureaucrats and power brokers can’t build a pen strong enough to hold these two mavericks.

And together, you can count on John McCain and Sarah Palin to fight for America and to fight for you! And that’s what our country needs most right now.

What we need most is not more party unity in America but more national unity!

Especially at a time of war, we need a President we can count on to fight for what’s right for our country -- not only when it is easy, but when it is hard.

When others were silent, John McCain had the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq. When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground,

John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge, and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor!

Before I conclude, I ask the indulgence of those in this hall tonight, as I want to speak directly to my fellow Democrats and Independents who are watching.

I know many of you are angry and frustrated by our government and our politics and for good reason.

You may be thinking of voting for John McCain but you’re not sure. Some of you have never voted for a Republican before and in an ordinary election, you probably wouldn’t.

But this is no ordinary election, because these are not ordinary times, and John McCain is no ordinary candidate. You may not agree with John McCain on every issue.

But you can always count on him to be straight with you about where he stands, and to stand for what he thinks is right regardless of politics.

As President, you can count on John McCain to be a restless reformer, who will clean up Washington and get our government working again for you!

So tonight, I ask you whether you are an Independent, a Reagan Democrat or a Clinton Democrat, or just a Democrat: This year, when you vote for President, vote for the person you believe is best for the country, not for the party you happen to belong to.

Vote for the leader who, since the age of 17, when he raised his hand and took an oath to defend and protect our Constitution, has always put our country first.

So, let's come together to make a great American patriot our next great President!

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson

 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson's (Tenn.) remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson

Tonight our thoughts are still with our friends and fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast area, and our thanks go to those who have worked so hard to keep them safe. There can be no more important work than this.

But what we are doing at this convention is also important to our country.

We are going to nominate the next President and Vice President of the United States of America.

We do so while taking a different view of our country than that of the other party.

Listening to them you'd think that we were in the middle of a great depression; that we are down, disrespected and incapable of prevailing against challenges facing us.

We know that we have challenges ... always have, always will.

But we also know that we live in the freest, strongest, most generous and prosperous nation in the history of the world and we are thankful.

Speaking of the vice presidential nominee, what a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is.

She is from a small town, with small town values, but that's not good enough for those folks who are attacking her and her family.

Some Washington pundits and media big shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit. Well, give me a tough Alaskan Governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state in the Union -- and won -- over the beltway business-as-usual crowd any day of the week.

Let's be clear ... the selection of Governor Palin has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic. She is a courageous, successful, reformer, who is not afraid to take on the establishment.

Sound like anyone else we know?

She has run a municipality and she has run a state.

And I can say without fear of contradiction that she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose ... with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt.

She and John McCain are not going to care how much the alligators get irritated when they get to Washington, they're going to drain that swamp.

But tonight, I'd like to talk to you about the remarkable story of John McCain.

It's a story about character.

John McCain's character has been tested like no other presidential candidate in the history of this nation.

He comes from a military family whose service to our country goes back to the Revolutionary War.

The tradition continues.

As I speak, John and Cindy McCain have one son who's just finished his first tour in Iraq.

Another son is putting "Country First" and is attending the Naval Academy. We have a number of McCains in the audience tonight.

Also here tonight is John's 96-year-old mother, Roberta. All I've got to say is that if Roberta McCain had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered.

Now, John's father was a bit of a rebel, too.

In his first two semesters at the Naval Academy, he managed to earn 333 demerits.

Unfortunately, John later saw that as a record to be beaten.

A rebellious mother and a rebellious father - I guess you can see where this is going.

In high school and the Naval Academy, he earned a reputation as a troublemaker.

But as John points out, he wasn't just a troublemaker. He was the leader of the troublemakers.

Although loaded with demerits like his father, John was principled even in rebellion.

He never violated the honor code.

However, in flight school in Pensacola, he did drive a Corvette and date a girl who worked in a bar as an exotic dancer under the name of Marie, the Flame of Florida.

And the reason I'm telling you these things, is that, apparently, this mixture of rebellion and honor helped John McCain survive the next chapter of his life:

John McCain was preparing to take off from the USS Forrestal for his sixth mission over Vietnam, when a missile from another plane accidentally fired and hit his plane.

The flight deck burst into a fireball of jet fuel.

John's flight suit caught fire.

He was hit by shrapnel.

It was a scene of horrible human devastation.

Men sacrificed their lives to save others that day. One kid, who John couldn't identify because he was burned beyond recognition, called out to John to ask if a certain pilot was OK.

John replied that, yes, he was.

The young sailor said, "Thank God"... and then he died.

These are the kind of men John McCain served with.

These are the men and women John McCain knows and understands and loves.

If you want to know who John McCain is, if you want to know what John McCain values, look to the men and women who wear America's uniform today.

The fire on the Forrestal burned for two days.

20 planes were destroyed.

134 sailors died.

John himself barely dodged death in the inferno and could've returned to the States with his ship.

Instead, he volunteered for combat on another carrier that was undermanned from losing so many pilots.

Stepping up.

Putting his "Country First."

Three months later John McCain was a Prisoner of War.

On October 26, 1967, on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam, a surface-to-air missile slammed into John's A-4 Skyhawk jet, blowing it out of the sky.

When John ejected, part of the plane hit him -- breaking his right knee, his left arm, his right arm in three places.

An angry mob got to him.

A rifle butt broke his shoulder.

A bayonet pierced his ankle and his groin.

They took him to the Hanoi Hilton, where he lapsed in and out of consciousness for days. He was offered medical care for his injuries if he would give up military information in return.

John McCain said "No".

After days of neglect, covered in grime, lying in his own waste in a filthy room, a doctor attempted to set John's right arm without success ... and without anesthesia.

His other broken bones and injuries were not treated. John developed a high fever, dysentery. He weighed barely a hundred pounds.

Expecting him to die, his captors placed him in a cell with two other POWs who also expected him to die.

But with their help, John McCain fought on.

He persevered.

So then they put him in solitary confinement...for over two years.

Isolation ... incredible heat beating on a tin roof. A light bulb in his cell burning 24 hours a day.

Boarded-up cell windows blocking any breath of fresh air.

The oppressive heat causing boils the size of baseballs under his arms.

The outside world limited to what he could see through a crack in a door.

We hear a lot of talk about hope.

John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had to survive on. For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home.

John McCain refused.

He refused to leave ahead of men who'd been there longer.

He refused to abandon his conscience and his honor, even for his freedom.

He refused, even though his captors warned him, "It will be very bad for you."

They were right.

It was.

The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at the gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew his shoulders back.

Over four days, every two to three hours, the beatings resumed. During one especially fierce beating, he fell, again breaking his arm.

John was beaten for communicating with other prisoners.

He was beaten for NOT communicating with so-called "peace delegations."

He was beaten for not giving information during interrogations.

When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in his squadron, John gave them the names of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers.

Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his fellow POWs, he would call out to them.

He'd smile ... and give them a thumbs-up.

For five-and-a-half years this went on.

John McCain's bones may have been broken but his spirit never was.

Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President.

But it does reveal character.

This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.

Strength.

Courage.

Humility.

Wisdom.

Duty.

Honor.

It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the Presidency?"

He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003.

He went seeking truth, not publicity.

When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives.

And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career.

This man, John McCain is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular.

At a point when the war in Iraq was going badly and the public lost confidence, John stood up and called for more troops.

And now we are winning.

Ronald Reagan was John McCain's hero.

And President Reagan admired John tremendously.

But when the President proposed putting U.S. troops in Beirut, John McCain, a freshman Congressman, stood up and cast a vote against his hero because he thought the deployment was a mistake.

My friends ... that is character you can believe in.

For years, members of Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, have gouged the taxpayer with secret earmark spending.

Well, he has never sought an earmark.

I've experienced John's character first hand.

In 1993, when I was thinking of running for the Senate, I went to John for advice. He convinced me I could help make a difference for our country.

I won that election, and with Republican control of Congress, we reformed welfare.

We balanced the budget.

And we began rebuilding our military.

What I remember most about those years is sitting next to John on the Senate floor as he led battle after battle to change the acrimonious, pork barreling, self serving ways of Washington.

The Senate has always had more than its share of smooth talkers.

And big talkers.

It still has.

But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen -- always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government.

Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place.

It didn't always set too well with some of his colleagues.

Some of those fights were losing efforts.

Some were not.

But a man who never quits is never defeated.

Because John McCain stood up our country is better off.

The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.

There has been no time in our nation's history, since we first pledged allegiance to the American flag, when the character, judgment and leadership of our President was more important.

Terrorists, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, an increasingly belligerent Russia.

Intensifying competition from China.

Spending at home that threatens to bankrupt future generations. For decades an expanding government ... increasingly wasteful and too often incompetent.

To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president.

History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history.

Together, they would take on these urgent challenges with protectionism, higher taxes and an even bigger bureaucracy.

And a Supreme Court that could be lost to liberalism for a generation.

This is not reform.

And it's certainly not change.

It is basically the same old stuff they've been peddling for years. America needs a President who understands the nature of the world we live in.

A President who feels no need to apologize for the United States of America.

We need a President who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer, and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.

Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases.

They tell you they are not going to tax your family.

No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business", like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small "business", don't worry ... it's not going to affect you.

They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the "other" side of the bucket! That's their idea of tax reform.

My friends, we need a leader who stands on principle.

We need a President, and Vice President, who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shaking.

And we need a President who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade.

The man who will be that President is John McCain.

In the days ahead at this convention, you will hear much more about what John will do as president -- what he will do on the economy, on energy, on health care, the environment... It is not my role tonight to explain that vision.

My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put "Country First" with John McCain.

Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country.

Tonight we are being called upon to stand up for a strong military ... a mature foreign policy ... a free and growing economy and for the values that bind us together and keep our nation free.

Tonight, we are being called upon to step up and stand up with John just as he has stood up for our country.

Our country is calling.

John McCain cannot raise his arms above his shoulders.

He cannot salute the flag of the country for which he sacrificed so much. Tonight, as we begin this convention week, yes, we stand with him.

And we salute him.

We salute his character and his courage.

His spirit of independence, and his drive for reform.

His vision to bring security and peace in our time, and continued prosperity for America and all her citizens.

For our own good and our children's, let us celebrate that vision, that belief, that faith so we can keep America the greatest country the world has ever seen.

God bless John McCain and God bless America.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 
 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Miles McPherson
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Pastor Miles McPherson's remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Pastor Miles McPherson

How is everyone doing tonight? All politics aside, to be here as a pastor, is a tremendous honor.

I was asked to speak about Character -- doing the right thing when no one is watching. But there has been a slight change in plans. Instead, in light of the Hurricane, I would like to use the topic as a springboard into prayer for our nation.

First, let me say God bless you and your leadership for how fast you have reorganized your convention. It has spoken volumes about your heart.

Mayor Ray Nagin said something that struck me. Referring to anyone who did not evacuate in time he said, "You are on your own." It is true, there are times when no one can help you, not the police, not the National Guard, not even your mama.

But y'know, we are never completely 'on our own.' Thank God that no matter how bad things get, He is always with us. Amen? You have heard it said that Character is doing the right thing when no one is watching; I want to propose to you that Character is doing the right thing because 'Someone' is Always watching.

You may not see God, but He is here, and He is always watching, and like a loving parent, He desperately wants us to call to Him for help.

In Jeremiah 33:3 - God says, "Cry out to me and I will tell you great and mighty things you do not know." If there was ever a time when we needed to call on God, it's now.

Let's bow our heads and pray. Dear Lord, You said in Isaiah 66:1-2 -- Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," says the Lord. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word."

Lord You do not need 'things' from us, you want a humble heart. You are not impressed with financial wealth, but love wealth. You do not move at our command, but we need to move at Yours.

So we come to You today with a humble heart to first thank You for the evacuation opportunity provided to everyone in need. We ask that You provide safe travel and loving people to receive them.

Thank You for the abundantly generous spirit of the American people who consistently reach out to those in need. Thank you for the courage of the public servants whose lives will be in harm's way. We ask that You graciously protect and strengthen them as they serve our cities.

Lord, unexpected disruptions in our lives are always trying, but so often they bring huge blessings. Thank You for the lessons we will learn through this crisis -- about ourselves, our nation's leadership and most importantly, our relationship with You. We ask that this crisis make our country stronger and bring us closer together.

Finally, thank You God for Always being there for us. Thank You for making America the greatest country in the world. We pray these things to the Lord our God. Amen.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

 
 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Ashley Gunn
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Ashley Gunn’s remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

A famous philosopher once shared some insight into the psychology of children.

He observed that, "Children today are tyrants.

They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers."

Socrates developed this idea over 2,500 years ago.

Some people might say things never change ... [said with a smile!] Now, I don’t have the credentials to contradict Socrates, but

I hope my story might disprove his statement, at least in part.

It started when I was 12 after traveling on a mission trip to Africa.

Being there opened my eyes to a different world beyond America, and beyond my home town of Brandon, Mississippi.
When I witnessed the suffering, I wondered, "Why them, and not me?"

I could not answer the question, but I pledged to try to make a positive difference.

That’s why I founded Students Aiding Indigent Families (SAIF).

SAIF is a non-profit charity committed to lending a helping hand to the less fortunate.

SAIF’s mission is to deliver hope through home ownership.

We do this by buying abandoned, dilapidated houses and having students repair and remodel them.

Then, we make these homes available at below-market prices to those struggling to make ends meet.

In doing so, we empower the urban poor to become homeowners, all without the aid of government spending.

SAIF changes lives.

SAIF helps people like Ms. Hannah.

Ms. Hannah earns fifteen-hundred dollars a month.

Before SAIF connected with Ms. Hannah, nothing was left after she paid her expenses, which included six-hundred fifty dollars a month in rent.

Her two bedroom shack housed her and her two adult daughters, both with severe mental and physical disabilities.

About 20 years earlier, Ms. Hannah’s two sons died within a month of each other. One from drowning. The other had a heart attack.

The events traumatized Ms. Hannah’s husband. He left. Ms. Hannah found herself in a financial black hole from which she couldn’t escape.

SAIF supporters were able to place Ms.

Hannah into a remodeled three-bedroom, one bath home for less than she paid in rent.

When Ms. Hannah received the keys to her home, she had a huge smile and tears of joy streaming down her face.

I hope that the service given by SAIF students provides at least some small rebuttal to Socrates’ view of children.

Senator McCain has a wonderful view of children, and he has dedicated his life to leading them, by example, to serve others.

Senator McCain has just as much passion and drive as any high school student rebuilding a house, except that he is working hard to rebuild our country.

This country needs organizations like SAIF, and this country needs President John McCain!

Thank you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Jo Ann Davidson
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Jo Ann Davidson

I am proud to welcome you to the 39thRepublican National Convention, and what promises to be an historic national event.

We are here thanks to the hard work of Convention CEO Maria Cino and the amazing convention staff and volunteers.

Also, thank you’s go to the leadership and support of Doug Leatherdale and Jeff Larson from the Host Committee.

And, none of this would have been possible without the aid of the people here in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, who showed us the true meaning of "Minnesota Nice."

A special thanks to Governor Tim Pawlenty and Senator Norm Coleman for all their work and support.

And a big thank you to local Mayors R.T. Rybak, Chris Coleman and Gene Winsted for all their efforts.

The people of this region have literally rolled out the red carpet for us.

Hopefully you noticed the banners in the airport or hanging in the hallways of the Minneapolis Convention Center and Xcel Center.

They read, "Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you since 1892."

1892 was the last year that a Republican National Convention was held in Minneapolis.

That was the first Republican Convention to officially seat two women alternates from Wyoming, which was one of the few states that allowed women to vote.

But, the 1892 Convention here was another first for Republicans.

Judith Ellen Foster, the first president of the National Women’s Republican Association and a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, became the first woman to speak at a Republican Convention with these words: "We are here to help you, and we have come to stay."

Her words were prophetic.

Ever since that convention, women have been an integral part of the Party.

And today, 116 years later, we are holding a convention that will nominate a Republican woman, Gov. Sarah Palin, our next vice presidential candidate!

How fitting that we return to the Twin Cities for her nomination.

We have so many women playing a vital role in this election: Women for McCain, the RNC’s Women’s Coalition, the "Pink Elephants" and the members of the National Federation of Republican Women’s Clubs.

Let’s not forget all the women making phone calls, hosting McCain house parties, and knocking on doors.

And today, we see Republican women serving in Congress, the Cabinet, Governors’ Offices, state offices and elected office at all levels.

Judith Ellen Foster also once wrote that the Republican Party was the Party of action and that "its ... constituencies are the thinking, moving, vital elements of American life [which] holds within its ranks the armies of all reforms."

Those words capture the spirit of the Republican Party.

From the days of Abraham Lincoln to the ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin, reform is a core value guiding this party.

Today, John McCain stands ready to reform our nation’s tax, healthcare, energy and government spending policies.

And to paraphrase a bit from 1892, let me end by saying:

We are here to stay and elect John McCain as our next President of the United States.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 
 
 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Tommy Espinoza
 


 

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Below is the text of Tommy Espinoza's remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Tommy Espinoza

Good evening, my name is Tom Espinoza ...

I'm CATHOLIC ... HISPANIC ... and a DEMOCRAT ... and I'm proud to call John McCain my friend.

My grandparents emigrated from Mexico, and my parents were both born in Arizona. SERVICE runs deep in our family and in our culture.

My father ... ROBERT ESPINOZA ... served as a Marine in the South Pacific during World War II where he was wounded in action and received a Purple Heart.

My mother, ERNESTINA, worked in the war effort building airplanes ... My parents raised a DEVOUT FAMILY ... rich in the TRADITIONS of ... church ... work ... and SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY ...

My wife ELVIRA and I have built the typical Catholic Hispanic family ... LOVING our five children ... and 13 grandchildren.

Jesus Christ and La Virgen de Guadalupe are at the center of our home ...

I first met John and Cindy McCain 25 years ago ... I was intrigued with this MAVERICK Congressman from Arizona.

I asked Him: "WHAT SUSTAINED YOU ... WHILE YOU WERE IN THAT PRISON CAMP?"

He looked intensely at me and said:

"MY Faith in GOD ... My COUNTRY ... and My FAMILY." ...

From then on we were Brothers ... "HERMANOS" ...

We've built a deep friendship, and I'm honored to be the godfather to John and Cindy's son ...JIMMIE.

You are probably asking, "WHY Does a Hispanic DEMOCRAT support JOHN McCAIN?"

First, because of FAITH ...

No man can survive a prisoner of war camp without God's Protection. HE called on his FAITH to bring him back HOME to his FAMILY and COUNTRY...

Second ... HOPE. IT IS a rare man who makes you want TO BE MORE ... TO DO MORE. I have seen John paint houses and clean yards for the POOR and ELDERLY in the Barrios of South Phoenix...

He is not just a public servant when the lights are on and the camera is running, it's his way of life.

Public service is more than his profession.

It is his passion.

And Lastly ...

LOVE ...

The GOSPEL of MATTHEW ...

Chapter 25 ...verse 35 ... says "I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU MADE ME WELCOME."

When John McCain says, "IMMIGRANTS Are Also GOD's children" ... I know his SUFFERING ...has given him COMPASSION for the weak, broken families, and the poor ...

John McCain believes in the SANCTITY of human life from conception ...

HE believes in the sanctity of MARRIAGE and FAMILY LIFE ...

John McCain is the leader America needs.

VIVA ... JOHN McCAIN ... VIVA ... AMERICA ...

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 
 
 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Orson Swindle
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Orson Swindle's remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Orson Swindle

Thank you and good evening.

We are privileged to have with us this evening Michael Monsoor's sister, Sara Monsoor.

Sara, would you please stand and remain standing? We honor your brother, and the sacrifice of you and your family.

We also have the great honor of having among us six Medal of Honor recipients.

Gentlemen, would you please stand and be recognized?

And please remain standing.

In addition, there are two dozen of John McCain's fellow POWs in the audience.

Would you please stand and be recognized?

And finally, let us recognize the many veterans among us who have served our great nation and sacrificed for us.

Would you please stand?

We owe you all so very much.

We honor your sacrifice. Thank you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 


 

 

 
 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Leslie Smith
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Leslie Smith’s remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.
Leslie Smith

I am honored to join you in nominating a great American - Senator John McCain.

When I was asked to share my story, I was humbled. You see, my tale is not as heroic as Senator McCain’s...

But, whose story is?

In 2001, I was deployed to Bosnia with the 29th Infantry Division as public affairs officer.

It was the best assignment of my career.

But two weeks before I was to return home, I developed a blood clot in my leg, cutting my tour short.

I protested and went so far as to argue with my commanding officer, but my efforts were pointless. And I left Bosnia alone. I was devastated.

All I wanted was to do my job and my body had failed me.

So, I was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder.

Soon after starting treatment, I developed a severe allergic reaction that caused spontaneous hemorrhaging in my legs.

I blacked out and was rushed to Intensive Care. I was dying.

The Army placed me on death watch with twenty-four hours or less to live.

My parents were asked if they wanted to bury me at Arlington National Cemetery or take my body home.

I was slipping away and as peaceful as it was to see images of my deceased grandmother and favorite dog, I wanted to live.

My parents faced a difficult choice: To have a medication administered to me that might kill me instantly...

Or not.

Either way, I was going to die. My parents chose the medication.

And miraculously I recovered.

But the damage to my left leg was so severe that it was amputated below the knee.

Later, I developed a blood clot that left me blind in my left eye.

For months afterwards, I thought to myself... Why me?

I was a public affairs officer just doing my job in a war zone.

I didn’t lose my leg to a roadside bomb or flying shrapnel.

Now, I’m not telling you this to gain your sympathy, or to garner your respect...

I tell you this because the most liberating day of my life came when I stopped saying...Why me?

And started saying, "Why not me?"

We live in the greatest nation in the world - a land where we are free to succeed or fail according to our own God-given abilities.

I have had the good fortune to serve my country both in and out of uniform.

And I am here tonight to testify that none of us are promised a life without difficulties.

But what we are promised is that every day we are blessed to spend on this earth, in this great country ... an opportunity to make today better than yesterday...

And tomorrow better than today.

As I woke up from my first surgery and saw that my left foot was gone, I whispered to my mother, "but I used to be a cheerleader..."

And she whispered back, "Now, you can be the coach."

Thank you.

God Bless You. And God Bless America.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: U.S. Senator Norm Coleman
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman’s (Minn.) remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman

Good evening and welcome to Pigs Eye, Minnesota.

That’s right we were called Pigs Eye until a Catholic priest built a wooden chapel a few steps from here, dedicated to Saint Paul.

Although I am a Jewish person, I often reference Saint Paul, and as former mayor of the city named for him, I proudly welcome you to my city of Saint Paul.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the families in the Gulf Region affected by Hurricane Gustav and the first responders working hard to bring aid to the region.

The fact that this convention is being held in a place where neighbors help neighbors and a place that leads the nation in volunteerism and charitable giving is significant.

I believe the Minnesota spirit of generosity will push us along as we expand the scope of this convention from politics to a gathering of folks who want to help our neighbors on the other end of the Mississippi. From all of us gathered here, to our friends and neighbors on the Gulf Coast, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Here we sit in the middle of a great Minnesota success story. 15 years ago, downtown Saint Paul was in trouble.

Our largest employer left.

Crime was rising.

And downtown, we had sex shops and the nation’s only failed McDonald's.

The old Civic Center on this site was falling apart while leaders of the city were holding gang summits and raising taxes.

The mayor at that time asked,

"I’m not indecisive... am I?"

That could be an Obama campaign slogan.

Conservative principles restored this city.

We put a lid on taxes -- never raised taxes for 8 years!

We made city government a trustworthy partner to local business.

We said Hope plus Confidence equals Investment and together we proved it. We added 18,000 new jobs.

We planted 35,000 trees and shrubs along the Mississippi.

We reduced crime.

And, through a public-private partnership, we built this magnificent arena.

In Minnesota, we know that big things start small. Behind me is our great Mississippi River.

A few hours north of here, it’s a creek you can walk across.

Yet, when it enters into the Gulf, it's miles across.

From this gathering here, we'll show America a bright future, and we'll paint the entire Mississippi watershed John McCain red... and we’ll win the White House.

A story is told of Thomas Jefferson riding on horseback with a group of companions, reaching a river without a bridge.

Standing on the bank was a man who needed to get across.

One by one, they passed him until Jefferson was alongside and the man asked, "Can you carry me across the river?" Jefferson immediately did.

One of Jefferson’s men pulled the guy aside and yelled, "How dare you ask the President of the United States for a lift! You could have asked any one of us, instead you chose to bother him?"

The man said, "I had no idea who he was, but your faces all said NO and his face said YES."

John McCain has a face that says, Yes. ... because that's what's in his soul. He's never given in to adversity. He's never said No to a challenge.

To people who demand government reform, to folks who need jobs, to families who deserve to keep more of their own money by keeping taxes low, and to those around the world who yearn for freedom

John McCain has a face that says, Yes.

We are the party of Lincoln who said, "America...is the last, best hope of earth." HE was right then, he'd be right now. From North to South. From East to West. From heartland farms to big cities.

Let’s offer Americans the genuine hope of change Republicans can actually deliver.

May God bless you all. And in the positive spirit of a place called Pigs Eye that became Saint Paul: Welcome!

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: U.S. Senator Norm Coleman
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman’s (Minn.) remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman

Good evening and welcome to Pigs Eye, Minnesota.

That’s right we were called Pigs Eye until a Catholic priest built a wooden chapel a few steps from here, dedicated to Saint Paul.

Although I am a Jewish person, I often reference Saint Paul, and as former mayor of the city named for him, I proudly welcome you to my city of Saint Paul.

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the families in the Gulf Region affected by Hurricane Gustav and the first responders working hard to bring aid to the region.

The fact that this convention is being held in a place where neighbors help neighbors and a place that leads the nation in volunteerism and charitable giving is significant.

I believe the Minnesota spirit of generosity will push us along as we expand the scope of this convention from politics to a gathering of folks who want to help our neighbors on the other end of the Mississippi. From all of us gathered here, to our friends and neighbors on the Gulf Coast, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Here we sit in the middle of a great Minnesota success story. 15 years ago, downtown Saint Paul was in trouble.

Our largest employer left.

Crime was rising.

And downtown, we had sex shops and the nation’s only failed McDonald's.

The old Civic Center on this site was falling apart while leaders of the city were holding gang summits and raising taxes.

The mayor at that time asked,

"I’m not indecisive... am I?"

That could be an Obama campaign slogan.

Conservative principles restored this city.

We put a lid on taxes -- never raised taxes for 8 years!

We made city government a trustworthy partner to local business.

We said Hope plus Confidence equals Investment and together we proved it. We added 18,000 new jobs.

We planted 35,000 trees and shrubs along the Mississippi.

We reduced crime.

And, through a public-private partnership, we built this magnificent arena.

In Minnesota, we know that big things start small. Behind me is our great Mississippi River.

A few hours north of here, it’s a creek you can walk across.

Yet, when it enters into the Gulf, it's miles across.

From this gathering here, we'll show America a bright future, and we'll paint the entire Mississippi watershed John McCain red... and we’ll win the White House.

A story is told of Thomas Jefferson riding on horseback with a group of companions, reaching a river without a bridge.

Standing on the bank was a man who needed to get across.

One by one, they passed him until Jefferson was alongside and the man asked, "Can you carry me across the river?" Jefferson immediately did.

One of Jefferson’s men pulled the guy aside and yelled, "How dare you ask the President of the United States for a lift! You could have asked any one of us, instead you chose to bother him?"

The man said, "I had no idea who he was, but your faces all said NO and his face said YES."

John McCain has a face that says, Yes. ... because that's what's in his soul. He's never given in to adversity. He's never said No to a challenge.

To people who demand government reform, to folks who need jobs, to families who deserve to keep more of their own money by keeping taxes low, and to those around the world who yearn for freedom

John McCain has a face that says, Yes.

We are the party of Lincoln who said, "America...is the last, best hope of earth." HE was right then, he'd be right now. From North to South. From East to West. From heartland farms to big cities.

Let’s offer Americans the genuine hope of change Republicans can actually deliver.

May God bless you all. And in the positive spirit of a place called Pigs Eye that became Saint Paul: Welcome!

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Lisa Keegan
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Lisa Keegan’s remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Lisa Keegan

When I decided to run for state school superintendent in Arizona, folks were pretty skeptical.

Nobody had ever run for that position before as a committed advocate for school choice. But John McCain was there for me.

He even offered to be my campaign chairman. Just as he was there for me, John McCain is there for the people of the Gulf Coast who need our help.

It took him only a matter of minutes to turn the focus of yesterday’s Convention agenda from Presidential politics to the potential devastation of Hurricane Gustav and the human suffering of the people in its path.

So, behind John McCain stood the delegates, volunteers, Convention officials, and the great community of Minneapolis-St. Paul to do what he asked to be done, without hesitation.

They turned on a dime to meet this new priority, to answer a new call.

John McCain knows what is right and he knows how to motivate people to do what is right.

Over this past weekend, we watched the evacuation of some 2 million residents of Louisiana.

Eight neighboring states took in more than 60,000 evacuees.

The Governors of the Gulf States worked together to oversee the deployment of National Guard troops, and offered donations of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid.

But I think the most heartening outcome was watching the levees hold in New Orleans.

Yesterday, our First Lady and our future First Lady told us about several charities where we can go to help.

They are listed on the screen behind me.

These charities are those the Gulf Coast Governors identified for donations - of funds, clothes, and food.

So, today - I stand before you to repeat the request made yesterday by the First Lady and Mrs. McCain: It is time for us to come together and help the people in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida.

There are many of our fellow Americans who have been hurt or displaced or deprived of food and clothing.

Our hearts and our prayers go out to them.

So must our dollars.

You can also text message, as Chairman Mike Duncan advised you yesterday.

The number for a contribution to the American Red Cross is: GIVE 2 HELP (448) 322-4357.

As you can, as you are willing – please answer John McCain’s call.

Thank you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann's (Minn.) remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening. T

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)

As Minnesota's first ever Republican Congresswoman, I am delighted to welcome my fellow Republicans to the land of Minnesota Nice.

And, it's not just a saying...we really are nice here. We're friendly, happy people.

Now, we have a lot of liberals here in Minnesota...but they're happy liberals.

Minnesota Nice may be our state's special brand, but the desire to be of service to our fellow man is part of the American DNA.

As Americans we're hard-wired for compassion, to open up our arms, our hearts, and our wallets to lend a helping hand.

For my husband, Marcus, and I, and for our five children, service took the form of opening our home to welcome 23 foster children.

Some of them came to us with all that they owned in a shopping bag.

But all of them came with a deep desire to express love and to be loved.

This was a labor of joy and love for me and our family, a service from which we gained as much -- if not more -- than what we gave.

Millions of families make a similar labor of love each year as foster or adoptive parents.

John and Cindy McCain have adopted a child, as have millions of big-hearted Americans.

Whether it's being a foster parent or being a community first responder or wearing the uniform of the United States Army, service is all-American.

Service isn't a political trait - though some Presidential nominees certainly know more about service than others.

As Republicans, we recognize that service is an innately personal characteristic.

It is best achieved by individuals and community groups, faith-based organizations and charities.

And, service thrives best in an environment of freedom.

Government fosters service best when government binds it least. That is not to say that government does not play an important role.

For instance, Senator McCain has championed national service programs... and he has fought to bolster incentives for young people to join the United States military.

But we must never forget what government is not. Government is not a philanthropic organization, it is not a family, and it is not a church.

As Republicans, we recognize that when you keep more of your hard-earned dollars, you are free to spend it as you choose on the charities that touch your heart and make a difference in your community.

There are some people, however, who believe differently.

They think service is run by Washington bureaucrats, and a growing dependency on government-issued checks.

And they think you should be footing the bill.

They just don't see how a bloated government crowds out personal freedom.

John McCain not only recognizes that personal liberty needs elbow room; he's spent a lifetime ensuring that freedom has what it needs to grow.

John McCain doesn't just speak the language of service; he's lived it.

America needs John McCain's service in the White House!

Thank you. And, come back to a really nice state that loves you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Wes Gullett
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Wes Gullett’s remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Wes Gullett

Good evening. I’m Wes Gullett and this is my daughter Nikki. We're here together because of a compassionate, remarkable woman, Cindy McCain.

And we'd like to say hello to Cindy and her daughter Bridget, and tell you our story.

For more than 20 years I have heard my friend John McCain say "Serve a cause greater than your self-interest!!"

Those words inspire me and I know that they're inspiring Americans all across our country.

John McCain knows about service.

His entire life has been about service to our country and America is a better place because of it.

But, our story starts in a far away land: Bangladesh.

This is a story about Cindy McCain, and two baby girls she rescued and brought home to me and to John McCain.

Cindy spends much of her time working throughout the world in places most of us only see on the news.

She works with the poor, bringing them medical care, food and hope.

She has done this for years and still does it today.

On one of these trips she found two infant girls in desperate need. Actually, Cindy says they found her.

The babies were in an orphanage run by Mother Teresa.

One baby had a cleft pallet so severe that she most certainly would not have survived.

The other baby was dangerously malnourished and barely hanging on to life.

These babies faced short lives, without hope.

So Cindy decided that she would bring them home, give them hope and save their lives.

I remember the day we first saw the girls --- wrapped in orphan’s swaddling cloth and t-shirts --- bought on the first airport stop in Bangkok -- so big they were like blankets on their tiny bodies.

Cindy had just flown more than half way around the world with an infant in each arm

. She was exhausted, totally spent, but she had brought home our future daughter and, to us, she looked like an angel.

I remember John’s face when he first met his daughter, Bridget.

That day he was not the tough war hero Senator.

He was like every other new father, full of love and emotion.

That day my friend John McCain and his wife answered a call for help with love. I know they will always answer the call of those in need - because they have done so time and again, throughout their lives.

Cindy McCain saved those little babies 17 years ago and those girls have grown into beautiful young women.

Let me close by reading some of Nikki’s own words from an award-winning essay she wrote a couple of years ago:

"I was born in Bangladesh a malnourished, abandoned girl child... But I was a lucky one, adopted by parents in America and naturalized as a U.S. citizen... I am so glad I am an American girl."

Nikki, we’re proud you’re our American girl.

And we’re proud of Cindy McCain who brought you and Bridget home to this great country.

I think America will be an even better place with Cindy, and her husband, John, in the White House.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Shanna Hanson
 
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Shanna Hanson's remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.

Shanna Hanson

Hello and welcome to the beautiful State of Minnesota.

Seventeen years ago, I had the good fortune to be hired by the Minneapolis Fire Department.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the city that I also call home.

I could talk for hours about the interesting characters of the fire service family, their bravery and compassion in action, and how I am a better person for having known and worked with them. This was never more apparent than last August when the 35W Interstate Bridge failed.

As a firefighter, it is always difficult to talk about what we do -- when the bell rings, calling us to work - someone somewhere is having the worst day of their lives. The privilege of being able to help others is always tempered by the knowledge that we can't un-ring that bell.

Thirteen souls perished when the bridge collapsed. Over one hundred more were injured - their lives changed forever.

The collapse left giant pieces of concrete broken along the riverbanks - the center span falling into the water below.

At various places the slabs were still moving - with the dangerous potential for further collapse. Railcars were crushed. Power lines were down. Vehicles, some on fire, were scattered precariously, often with rescuers working underneath them.

The Mississippi River flowed through the center of this destruction -- presenting another danger -- one that effectively divided the rescue efforts into two distinct arenas.

But looking back after a year, what strikes me most about that tragic day is how in-between the chunks of broken concrete we got to see the best of the human spirit in action. I have never been more proud to serve as a Minneapolis firefighter; to work as part of a team with the paramedics and police that showed up to serve our community.

But the real heroes of last August were the citizens of Minnesota.

Their first instinct was to help. Their willingness to serve was inspiring.

It made me truly appreciate the great city, state and country that I serve.

Now, as Hurricane Gustav impacts the Gulf Coast, every-day citizens are again being called upon to prepare themselves, help their neighbors, and serve their community. The people of the Gulf Coast will come together, as the people of the Twin Cities did last year, and as Americans do every day.

Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 
Remarks As Prepared for Delivery: Bill Gross
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Below is the text of Bill Gross’ remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention this evening.
Bill Gross

Good Evening, My name is Bill Gross and it is an honor to be here to speak about the importance of service and putting others first.

I was raised on a family farm in North Dakota, and learned early in life the virtue of lending a helping hand when times got tough.

I worked hard to achieve my goal of becoming a 747 Captain for UPS.

While flying across the oceans of the world, I kept thinking back to my roots - - to the people of Rural America, Small town America, and the farm families that feed our nation but need a helping hand when an unexpected crisis strikes.

I’m talking about people like Lowell Harvickson who had his arm severed in a farm accident...and Paul Henderson who fell from a grain dryer and broke his back.... and Shane Oakland, a 26 year-old beginning farmer who is receiving chemotherapy treatments for cancer.

These farmers and many others would have faced disaster had it not been for the assistance of Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization which I founded. Family farms are the foundation of agriculture.

They provide a safe and abundant food supply for everyone in America. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for family farmers to make a living and almost impossible to survive during a crisis.

Farm Rescue does not give money to farmers - - it's not a financial bailout or handout. We plant and harvest crops free of charge for farm families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster. We give them an opportunity to continue their livelihood during an unexpected crisis.

Farm Rescue is unique because it is a volunteer-run organization. Neither the board of directors nor I receive any compensation.

The success of the organization has only been possible because of the good-hearted volunteers who give their time and share their skills - from planting or harvesting fields, to designing websites and assisting with fundraising.

Farm Rescue is a success because people are eager to rally behind ideas that inspire them and leaders who motivate them.

You can be a leader or a follower...that's not important.

What is important is that you find it in your heart to make time to provide service to others.

Don’t wait until next year or next month or for a major disaster to occur.

Start doing something now to help others, whether it’s committing a month, a weekend or just a few hours.

Above all, make it a way of life!

The true heroes among us are the hundreds of thousands of volunteers throughout our nation who step forward everyday to provide service to others in a time of need.

Help your country and the cause of service by putting others first and getting involved in a volunteer effort in your hometown. Thank You.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

 

Excerpts: Remarks by Former Senator Fred Thompson
Former Senator Focuses on Themes of "Country First" and "Service"
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening former Senator Fred Thompson will address the 2008 Republican National Convention. Senator Thompson will expand on the convention's overall theme, "Country First," and the theme for today's program, which is "service," as he illustrates why John McCain is best qualified to be the next President of the United States

Excerpts are below:

On John McCain's qualifications to be president:
"This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength. Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Duty. Honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the presidency?'"

On John McCain's dedication to doing what is right – not what is popular:
"He has been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking to the troops amidst the heat and hardship of their daily lives. And the same character that marked John McCain's military career has also marked his political career. This man, John McCain, is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular."

On John McCain's commitment to taking real action to reform Washington:
"But while others were talking reform, John McCain led the effort to make reform happen – always pressing, always moving for what he believed was right and necessary to restore the people's faith in their government. Confronting when necessary, reaching across the aisle when possible, John personified why we came to Washington in the first place."

On John McCain's ability to restore integrity to our government:
"My role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision. Because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up, stand up, and put 'Country First' with John McCain. Tonight we are being called upon to do what is right for our country."

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

2008 Republican National Convention Announces
Full Program for Tuesday Night
Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman Among Featured Speakers
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the full program of events for Tuesday, Sept. 2. This announcement is an update to the speakers that were announced earlier today. Remarks will reflect the convention's overall theme, "Country First," and the theme for Tuesday's events, which is "service."

Participants are organized by hour of participation:

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

bulletMusic and Entertainment: Al Williams
bulletCall to Order: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
bulletPresentation of Colors: Red Lake VFW and American Legion Post 513
bulletNational Anthem: Philip Alongi
bulletInvocation: Rev. Dr. Robert G. Certain, Chaplain Col., U.S. Air Force (ret.)
bulletVideo Tribute: Deceased Republican Leaders and President Gerald Ford
bulletSpeaker: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

bulletVideo: "Country First" - Narrator: Robert Duvall
bulletSpeaker: Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the Republican National Convention's Committee on Arrangements
bulletSpeaker: U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (Minn.)
bulletPledge of Allegiance: Victoria Blackstone, winner of the Stars and Stripes Essay Contest
bulletSpeaker: Miles McPherson, President of Miles Ahead and Senior Pastor of the Rock Church
bulletSpeaker: Ashley Gunn
bulletSpeaker: U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
bulletSpeaker: Wes Gullett and daughter Nikki
bulletVideo Tribute: President Teddy Roosevelt
bulletMusic and Entertainment: Rachael Lampa

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

bulletSpeaker: Captain Shanna Hanson, Minneapolis Fire Department
bulletVideo Tribute: President Abraham Lincoln
bulletSpeaker: Tommy Espinoza, President and CEO of Raza Development Fund, Inc.
bulletVideo Tribute: President George H. W. Bush
bulletSpeaker: Bill Gross
bulletSpeaker: Captain Leslie Smith, U.S. Army (ret.)
bulletVideo: Medal of Honor Story: Michael Monsoor, U.S. Navy SEAL
bulletSpeaker: The Honorable Orson Swindle, former POW, Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) and former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
bulletSpeaker: First Lady Laura Bush
bulletRemote Video: President George W. Bush

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

bulletVideo Tribute: President Ronald Reagan
bulletSpeaker: Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
bulletSpeaker: U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)
bulletIntroduction of Benediction: Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan

10 p.m. to Conclusion

bulletBenediction: Rabbi Ira M. Flax, Lt. Col. U.S. Air Force (ret.)
bulletIntroduction of Delegate for Motion and Adoption of Motion to Adjourn: Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan

 

 

 

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Cindy McCain Addresses 2008 Republican National Convention  
 
credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography
 
Republican National Convention Announces Tuesday Night's Program of Events
Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman Among Featured Speakers


 

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the program of events for Tuesday, Sept. 2. The program will feature speeches by U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson. Their remarks will reflect the convention’s overall theme, "Country First," and the theme for Tuesday’s events, which is "service."

"We are excited to announce Tuesday’s featured speakers, who will share John McCain’s remarkable record of leadership and service with millions of Americans tonight. We are looking forward to showcasing John McCain’s life-long record of putting his country first," said Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan.

"From his days as a POW who refused early release to his 20-year career in the U.S. Senate, John McCain has always put country first. Tonight’s program will reflect his unmatched commitment to service and his vision for increasing Americans’ participation in service and volunteer activities," said Rick Davis, McCain 2008 campaign manager.

Among the other speakers announced today are President George W. Bush (via satellite), First Lady Laura Bush, U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio), U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.), and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.).

The program of events follows. Biographies for participants will be available on the 2008 Republican National Convention Media Portal this afternoon. To access the media portal, go to portal.gopconvention2008.com.

An announcement about additional program participants is forth-coming.

Service
"Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countrymen."
--Sen. John McCain

John McCain’s commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Tuesday’s events will highlight John McCain’s record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest.
Speakers will include:
bulletPresident George W. Bush (via satellite)
bulletFirst Lady Laura Bush
bulletU.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)
bulletFormer U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
bulletU.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
bulletU.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
bulletU.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
bulletRobert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee
bulletJo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

 

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First Lady Laura Bush
 
credit usage to the 2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography
 
 
First Lady Laura Bush, Cindy McCain Address Opening
Session of the 2008 Republican National Convention
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. Cindy McCain addressed the opening session of the 2008 Republican National Convention. The First Lady and Mrs. McCain’s remarks focused on the ongoing relief efforts aimed at assisting the people of the Gulf Coast States. Other speakers included Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Below are excerpts from today’s remarks:

First Lady Laura Bush

On putting the well-being of our fellow citizens first:

"Our first priority for today and in the coming days is to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in the Gulf Coast Region. And to all of those living in the Gulf States, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

"The effect of Hurricane Gustav is just now being measured. When such events occur, we are reminded that first, we are all Americans - and that our shared American ideals will always transcend political parties and partisanship."

Mrs. Cindy McCain

A call to help the people of the Gulf States:

"I would ask that each one of us commit to join together to aid those in need as quickly as possible. As John has been saying for the last several days, this is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats."

Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan

On the response to Hurricane Gustav:

"We are Republicans. But more importantly, we are proud Americans. And as one nation under God, we come together with prayerful hearts for our country. As we gather in Minnesota, a great storm afflicts our country. And, when one of us is threatened, we are all threatened. As Americans we rise to the challenge. We unite, we respond. We take care of our own."

About the Program

Yesterday, 2008 Republican National Convention officials announced a scaled-back schedule for the convention’s opening day as events shifted toward assisting delegates from and residents in Gulf States affected by Hurricane Gustav. Steps the convention has taken include the formation of the Affected States Working Group and the establishment of an Affected States Information Center.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

Governors of Four States Affected by Hurricane Gustav Deliver Video Messages to Opening Session of the 2008 Republican National Convention
 


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the governors of four of the states affected by Hurricane Gustav addressed the opening session of the 2008 Republican National Convention. Their remarks were delivered via a taped message to convention attendees. Below are excerpts from the video:

Texas Governor Rick Perry
"We may have a big flood event here in northeast Texas on Wednesday or Thursday of this next week, but we’re prepared for that. ... You’re seeing Republican governors ... doing a fabulous job of taking care of the citizens. That’s what we do."

Alabama Governor Bob Riley

On meeting the challenges of natural disasters:

"I’ve seen neighborhoods come together to help each other in ways that bind communities for life. I’ve seen remarkable acts of compassion and charity. And through these storms, the collective greatness of our people shines through. Now, another hurricane has impacted our coast. This storm may challenge our states but it will not shake our will."

On the efforts of the National Guard:

"As they always do in times of trouble, at home or abroad, our Guard soldiers are displaying the values that shaped our nation - character, courage, and sacrifice. ... To our Guard troops, you are making this country proud. You embody honor, duty, and dedication. ... It is those values, that strength, that will lay the foundation for our recovery."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist

On experiences during Tropical Storm Fay

"As I traveled our state in the days following Fay’s landfall, I was reminded again of the resilience and strength of our people. The kindness they extend to one another. Neighbor helping neighbor. Asking not what party you are, but instead how you can help. That's just what we can bring, in many ways, in times of great need."

On Gulf Coast Unity in Face of Storms:

"On behalf of our nearly twenty million Floridians, our dedicated first responders, and the great men and women of the Florida National Guard, we stand ready to once again help one another to assist our neighbors across the Gulf Coast. That is what we do as Americans, what we do as Floridians."

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
"I want you to know that we’ve been aware of - we’ve felt your prayers. We need those prayers and appreciate them too. ... And we want to say thanks to everybody around the country who’s helping us."

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

 

McCain 2008 and 2008 Republican National Convention Announce
Changes to Convention Program and Hurricane Response Efforts
Monday’s Convention Program Will Only Include Required Proceedings,
McCain Campaign Takes Steps to Aid Affected Delegations


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - At the recommendation of Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican National Convention announced substantial changes to the convention’s program and actions being taken to help with Hurricane Gustav relief efforts. On Monday, all program activities beyond the official business that must be conducted in accordance with party rules will be cancelled. Among the other actions announced today are the formation of the Affected States Working Group, the establishment of an Affected States Information Center, and the chartering of a DC-9 to transport affected delegates.

Rick Davis, campaign manager for McCain 2008, announced that the upcoming Republican National Nominating Convention is making serious revisions to the convention program and surrounding activities. Davis said, "We are deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the residents of the Gulf State region. Our top priority is to assist those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav. This is not a time for politics or celebration; it is a time for us to come together as Americans and assist the residents of the Gulf States."

Davis also discussed what the changes in the program will mean for the nomination process. "In order for the Republican Party to officially exist and for Senator McCain to qualify for the ballot, we are - by law - required to conduct specific official business. At this point, our program on Monday has been scaled back and will only include what party rules governing the nomination of our candidates for president and vice president require. We will perform the official business as required. In addition, we have set aside time to make delegates and Americans watching our proceedings at home aware of what they can do to assist in relief efforts designed to help those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav."

Davis concluded: "At some point between Monday and Thursday evening, we will convene once again to complete the activities needed to qualify Senator McCain and Governor Palin for the ballot in all 50 states. Beyond that, all we can say is that we will monitor what is happening and make decisions about other convention business as details become available."

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Robert M. "Mike" Duncan added, "The safety and well-being of the people of the Gulf States remains our top concern. We are doing everything we can on the ground in Minneapolis-Saint Paul to ensure that the delegations affected by this storm have the resources and information that they need. As Senator McCain said this morning, we must redirect our attention and efforts. We will act as Americans - not Republicans - to help our fellow citizens in need."

This morning, at the request of Governor Barbour (R-Miss.), Sen. McCain attended a briefing with the governor about the state’s storm preparation efforts. The briefing was held at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency offices in Pearl, Miss. Following the briefing, Sen. McCain, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and Mrs. Cindy McCain toured the emergency management center.

The convention is in continuous communication with all delegates, speakers, and program participants. All parties understand that the schedule for the convention will be dictated by the conditions on the ground in the Gulf States and are, therefore, subject to change. The campaign and the convention’s first priority is the safety and security of those living in the areas where the hurricane will make landfall.

The McCain campaign has also taken several additional steps to assist delegates from the Gulf States, including the formation of an Affected States Working Group, the chartering of a DC-9 to transport affected delegates, and the establishment of an Affected States Information Center.

The Affected States Working Group
The Affected States Working Group is comprised of a group of representatives from each of the states in Hurricane Gustav’s path. The group will ensure that all affected delegates have information and assistance in real time.

The Affected States Working Group is led by all five state party chairs from the affected area along with other delegation officials. The purpose of the group will be to regularly brief their delegates and convention planners, provide access to timely information and assistance, and give input on appropriate steps that can be taken from Minnesota.

The state party chairs released the following joint statement:

"We appreciate the thoughts and prayers of everyone around the country as we prepare for this dangerous storm. We are here in Minnesota for the necessary job of nominating our choice for president and vice president, but obviously our focus is on our families and friends back at home. We are in constant communication with our governors and elected officials and feel confident that they are taking the appropriate and necessary steps to prepare. The purpose of this group is to discuss ways that we can come together to provide information and support for our delegates here in Minneapolis."

The group is made up of nine leaders from the region and is chaired by the following individuals:

bulletRoger Villare, Louisiana State Chair
bulletTina Benkiser, Texas State Chair
bulletBrad White, Mississippi State Chair
bulletMike Hubbard, Alabama State Chair
bulletJim Greer, Florida State Chair

Air Transportation Provided to Delegates
Also announced today were transportation arrangements for delegates from states affected by Hurricane Gustav. The McCain 2008 campaign has chartered a DC-9 that will transport delegates that wish to return to home to their states. The DC-9 will leave Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport today and will fly to Jackson, Mississippi. All transportation costs will be covered by the McCain 2008 campaign.

"As we all watch and prepare for Gustav to make landfall, it is important that the convention make it as easy as possible for delegates to be where they are needed most - with their families and local agencies in their home states. We are grateful to Senator McCain for making this resource available to the delegates from the Gulf States," Maria Cino, President and CEO of the Republican National Convention 2008, said today.

Affected States Information Center
The convention has established an Affected States Information Center, which will be fully staffed and located inside the Xcel Energy Center. The center will remain open during the Xcel Energy Center’s operating hours and will serve as a central location where delegates can get news about the hurricane, weather reports, and information about rescue relief organizations; access to computers and phones; and the resources they need to address their situations back home. Delegates can go to the center and get information. There will also be contacts in the center that can contact Gulf State governors, if needed.

Republican Party Rules
The convention program has been altered in response to the situation developing in the Gulf States region. However, the convention will still take place. According to party rules, it is necessary for the convention to proceed in order to ensure that the party is able to place its candidates’ names on the ballot in November.

On November 9, 2007, pursuant to the rules adopted at the 2004 National Republican Convention, the party issued the call for its convention. The call requires that the convention meet on Sept. 1, 2008. The session must be convened no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m. Under the current party rules, this is the only method by which the party may select a candidate for President and Vice President.

 

 

Monday, September 1
3:30pm
 Monday Evening Program: ServiceMonday Evening Program: Service
 
Tuesday, September 2
6:00pm
 Tuesday Evening Program: ReformTuesday Evening Program: Reform
 
Wednesday, September 3
6:00pm
 Wednesday Evening Program: ProsperityWednesday Evening Program: Prosperity
 
Thursday, September 4
6:00pm
 Thursday Evening Program: PeaceThursday Evening Program: Peace

 

 

2008 Republican National Convention and Reflections Photography

2008 Republican National Convention’s New Web Site Goes Live
Convention Web Site Features Cutting-Edge Media Portal, Highlights "Country First" Theme


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the 2008 Republican National Convention officially launched its new Web site for the week of the convention. The site includes several cutting-edge features that will give visitors to www.GOPConvention2008.com unprecedented access to convention news and information.

"The convention’s Web site will enable Americans to log on, experience the convention as it happens, and learn about John McCain’s unparalleled record of service and sacrifice. The site will offer unprecedented access to convention proceedings and will help demonstrate why John McCain is best qualified to lead our country," said Maria Cino, President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention.


The convention Web site will also feature six live streaming video channels that will provide exclusive footage captured from within the Xcel Energy Center, including the backstage area and Radio Row. In addition, the site will feature state pages where people can connect with other Republicans from their state, links to social networking sites, and the Grand Ol’ Blog, the official convention blog.

Today’s launch of the new Web site is part of this week’s on-going efforts to welcome John McCain and more than 45,000 convention attendees to Saint Paul.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
 

Build-Out is Complete for 2008 Republican National Convention
Xcel Energy Center is Transformed for Sen. John McCain's Nomination


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today unveiled the official convention podium and released a final behind-the-scenes, time lapse video of the transformation of the Xcel Energy Center in preparation for the Republican Party's nomination of Senator John McCain. Click to WatchThis final video features the complete transformation of the Xcel Energy Center and is a compilation of all time lapse segments previously released.

Today’s unveiling of the official convention podium is the culmination of over 18 months of planning and an impressive transformation that began in late July. More than 500 workers diligently transformed what was once an ice hockey rink into what will be the setting for the 2008 Republican National Convention.

We invite you to view the transformation by clicking the video on the right.

Please stay tuned to www.GOPConvention2008.com. During the 2008 Republican National convention, we will be streaming live gavel-to-gavel coverage and behind-the-scenes content.


About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
 

What They're Saying About the Podium Design
for the 2008 Republican National Convention
Media Note Republican’s Commitment to Keeping Focus on Substance, Not Setting


About the Republican National Convention Podium Design:
 

  Headline: "A stage where speakers, audience can see eye to eye..." (Star Tribune [Minneapolis, MN], August 15, 2008)

"...On convention podium, intimacy replaces grandeur." (St Paul Pioneer Press, August 15, 2008)

"'You can feed off the crowd. It'll be more visually interesting and provide a more intimate feel,'said Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College." (St Paul Pioneer Press, August 15, 2008)

 

About the Democratic National Convention INVESCO Podium Design:
 

  Headline: "Barack Obama To Address Supporters From God-Like Setting" (Telegraph [U.K.], August 28, 2008)

Headline: "'O' My God - Dems Erect Obama Temple" (New York Post, August 28, 2008)

"Democrats will kneel before the 'Temple of Obama' tonight. As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party's nomination atop an enormous, Greek-columned stage..." (New York Post, August 28, 2008)

"Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High tonight." (The Denver Post, August 28, 2008)


About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
 

 

'Country First': 2008 Republican National Convention Announces Full Program
Convention Announces Additional Speakers and Program Details


 

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Aug. 26 -- The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the names of additional speakers for the program of events that will run Sept. 1-4. The convention's overall theme, "Country First," reflects John McCain's remarkable record of leadership and service to America. Each day of proceedings will center on a touchstone theme that has defined John McCain's life and will be central to his vision for leading our nation forward as president.

"The 2008 Convention program will bring together Americans who will speak to John McCain's vision for reforming our government, building prosperity and ensuring peace for future generations. We are excited about next week and we are looking forward to showcasing John McCain's life-long record of putting his country first," said Jill Hazelbaker, McCain 2008 communications director.

Among the new speakers announced today are Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio), U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.) and Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission Michael Williams. Their remarks will echo the themes that have been selected for each of the convention's four days: service, reform, prosperity and peace.

"We are thrilled to announce our full program of speakers and program participants. We look forward to presenting a convention program that will share Senator McCain's unparalleled record of experience and service with millions of Americans," said Maria Cino, president and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

The program of events follows. Additions to the program appear with an asterisk (*).

Monday, Sept. 1

Service

"Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countryman."

bulletSen. John McCain

John McCain's commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Monday's events will highlight John McCain's record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one's own self-interest.

Speakers will include:

bulletPresident George W. Bush
bulletVice President Richard B. Cheney
bulletFirst Lady Laura Bush
bulletGov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)*
bulletGov. Rick Perry (Texas)*
bulletGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
bulletSenate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)* 
bulletU.S. Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.)*
bulletU.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)*
bulletU.S. Sen. John Ensign (Nev.)* 
bulletU.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)
bulletHouse Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (Fla.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Thelma Drake (Va.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (Ill.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif)*  
bulletRobert M. (Mike) Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee*
bulletJo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements*
bulletMaria Cino, President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention*
bullet
Tommy Espinoza*
bullet
Maj. Gen. Rick Goddard, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)*
bullet
Bill Gross*
bullet
Ashley Gunn*
bullet
Chris Hackett*
bullet
Doug Leatherdale*
bullet
Jay Love*
bullet
Cynthia Lummis*
bullet
Erik Paulsen*
bullet
Capt. Leslie Smith, U.S. Army (Ret.)*
Program participants will include:
bulletVictoria Blackstone, Stars and Stripes Winner, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
bulletBoy Scout Troop 738 of St Louis Park, Minn. will serve as the Color Guard
Tuesday, Sept. 2
 

Reform

"If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and correct them."

bulletSen. John McCain

John McCain's life is a testament to the fundamental truth that every American can be a force for change. A restless reformer who has dedicated his career to taking on special interests and the status quo, John McCain will deliver the right kind of change and reform to meet the great challenges of our time. On Tuesday, the convention program will underscore his vision of a government that is transparent, principled and worthy of the American people it serves.

Speakers will include: --
 
bulletFormer New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
bulletGov. Jon Huntsman (Utah) 
bulletGov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
bulletGov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)
bulletFormer Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
bulletFormer Gov. Tom Ridge (Pa.)
bulletU.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.)*
bulletFormer U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
bulletHouse Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Luis Fortuno (Puerto Rico)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (Fla.)*
bulletDennis Hollingsworth (Fla.), President of the National Conference of Republican County Officials*
bulletRosario Marin, California Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency and former Treasurer of the United States
bullet
GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele 
bullet
Chris Collins*
bullet
Carolyn Dunn* 
bullet
Phil Hayes*
bullet
Lisa Keegan*
bullet
Ruth Novodor*
bullet
Dr. Elena Rios *
bullet
Shirley Sadler*
bullet
Joe Watkins*
Program participants will include:
 
bulletMary Leavitt will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
bulletThe VFW of Red Lake, Minn. and the American Legion Post 513 of New Brighton, Minn. will serve as the joint Color Guard
bullet
Rabbi Ira Flax will lead the convention in prayer --
bullet
Dr. Robert Certain will lead the convention in prayer
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Prosperity
 
"America's best days are still to come." --Sen. John McCain
 
The American story is one of perseverance. Even in the face of tough times, the ingenuity and spirit of the American people has ushered in a new era of prosperity. Wednesday's program will focus on John McCain's plans to get our economy back on track and continue our long tradition of meeting the challenges we face and using our prosperity to help others. The day will conclude with an address by the vice presidential nominee.
 
Speakers will include:
 
bulletMrs. Cindy McCain
bulletRepublican Party's Vice Presidential Nominee
bulletGov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
bulletFormer Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
bulletU.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
bulletU.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas)*
bulletU.S. Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.)*
bulletMayor Mick Cornett (Okla.)*
bulletState Sen. Abel Maldonado (Calif.)*
bulletCarly Fiorina, Victory '08 Chairman for the Republican National Committee and former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.
bulletMeg Whitman, National Co-Chair for McCain 2008 and former President and CEO of eBay
bullet
Renee Amoore*
bullet
Anne Beiler*
bullet
Jessica Colon, Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation*
bullet
Christy Swanson* 
bullet
Raul "Danny" Vargas*
Program participants will include:
 
bulletSharon Clahchischillage will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
bulletThe Law Enforcement Memorial Association of Minnesota will serve as the Color Guard
bullet
Father Edward Reese will lead the convention in prayer 
bullet
Rev. Eva Rodriguez will lead the convention in prayer
Thursday, Sept. 4
Peace

"Our next president will have a mandate to build an enduring global peace on the foundations of freedom, security, opportunity, prosperity, and hope."

bulletSen. John McCain

John McCain understands the challenges that America faces in the world and the sacrifice necessary to defend our freedom in a way that few others can fathom. Thursday's events will reflect his vision of an America in pursuit of peace and seen as a beacon of goodwill and hope throughout the world. The evening will close with John McCain accepting the Republican Party's nomination for the Presidency of the United States.

bullet
John McCain
bullet
Gov. Charlie Crist (Fla.)
bullet
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
bullet
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
bullet
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)*
bullet
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
bullet
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.)*
bullet
U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (Okla.)*
bullet
Michael Williams, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission*
bullet
David Flaum*
bullet
Christopher Fussner*
bullet
Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)*
bullet
Charlie Smith*
Program participants will include: 
bulletThe 934th Airlift Wing Air Force Reserves Joint Color Guard of Minn.
bulletPastor Dan Yeary will lead the convention in prayer
bulletArchbishop Demetrios will lead the convention in prayer

About the Republican National Convention

The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Source: 2008 Republican National Convention

 

Country First": 2008 Republican National Convention to Highlight Service, Reform, Prosperity and Peace
 


 

Convention Announces Program Themes and Speaker Lineup

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the themes and preliminary lineup of speakers for the program of events that will run Sept. 1-4. The convention’s overall theme, "Country First," reflects John McCain’s remarkable record of leadership and service to America. Each day of proceedings will center on a touchstone theme that has defined John McCain’s life and will be central to his vision for leading our nation forward as president. 

"Our convention will showcase a cross-section of leaders who will highlight John McCain’s long commitment to putting our country first -- before self-interest or politics," said McCain 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker. "The speakers will address John McCain’s unmatched record of service and sacrifice for America, and his vision for moving our nation forward to keep us safe and get our economy back on track." 

The roster of speakers announced today includes John McCain, Mrs. Cindy McCain, 10 current and former Republican governors, five current and former U.S. Senators and two well-respected businesswomen. Their remarks will echo the themes that have been selected for each of the convention’s four days: service, reform, prosperity and peace. 

"We are excited to announce this slate of speakers, each of whom shares John McCain’s love of country and commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest. Their remarks will be a testament to Senator McCain’s unparalleled record of service and sacrifice for America and his readiness to lead as commander in chief and move America forward," said Maria Cino, president and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention. 

The program of events is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 1
Service
"Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countryman."
--Sen. John McCain

John McCain’s commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Monday’s events will highlight John McCain’s record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest. 
Speakers will include:
bulletU.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)
bulletGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
bulletVice President Richard B. Cheney
bulletFirst Lady Laura Bush
bulletPresident George W. Bush

Tuesday, Sept. 2
Reform
"If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and correct them."
--Sen. John McCain

John McCain’s life is a testament to the fundamental truth that every American can be a force for change. A restless reformer who has dedicated his career to taking on special interests and the status quo, John McCain will deliver the right kind of change and reform to meet the great challenges of our time. On Tuesday, the convention program will underscore his vision of a government that is transparent, principled and worthy of the American people it serves.
Speakers will include:

bulletFormer New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
bulletFormer Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
bulletFormer Gov. Tom Ridge (Pa.)
bulletGov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)
bulletGov. Jon Huntsman (Utah)
bulletRosario Marin, California Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency and former Treasurer of the United States
bulletFormer U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
bulletGov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
bulletFormer Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (Md.)

Wednesday, Sept. 3
Prosperity
"America’s best days are still to come."
--Sen. John McCain

The American story is one of perseverance. Even in the face of tough times, the ingenuity and spirit of the American people has ushered in a new era of prosperity. Wednesday’s program will focus on John McCain’s plans to get our economy back on track and continue our long tradition of meeting the challenges we face and using our prosperity to help others. The day will conclude with an address by the vice presidential nominee.
Speakers will include:

bulletU.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
bulletMeg Whitman, National Co-Chair for McCain 2008 and former President and CEO of eBay
bulletCarly Fiorina, Victory ‘08 Chairman for the Republican National Committee and former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.
bulletFormer Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
bulletMrs. Cindy McCain
bulletGov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
bulletRepublican Party’s Vice Presidential Nominee

Thursday, Sept. 4
Peace
"Our next president will have a mandate to build an enduring global peace on the foundations of freedom, security, opportunity, prosperity, and hope."
--Sen. John McCain

John McCain understands the challenges that America faces in the world and the sacrifice necessary to defend our freedom in a way that few others can fathom. Thursday’s events will reflect his vision of an America in pursuit of peace and seen as a beacon of goodwill and hope throughout the world. The evening will close with John McCain accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for the Presidency of the United States.
Speakers will include:

bulletGov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
bulletGov. Charlie Crist (Fla.)
bulletU.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
bulletU.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
bulletJohn McCain

In the coming days, the 2008 Republican National Convention will announce additional speakers and program details. 

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace,Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

 

 

 

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