Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff
September 5, 2008
For many years, the convention 'party' came to Baltimore
Published September 5, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with the Maryland Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention at...
Power of art contributes to a community's vibrancy
Published September 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
This week's column is a bit of a travel log, but one that relates to life here in Westminster. Recently I had an opportunity to...
A town divided found purpose and prosperity as a unified Westminster
Published August 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Sunday we looked at the early history of the western end of Westminster. It was a little more than 80 years ago...
Economic development will revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue
Published August 27, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
At a recent meeting of the Westminster Common Council, it was announced that Councilman Greg Pecoraro will chair another Pennsylvania Avenue initiative, and that Councilwoman...
Years ago, folks celebrated sticking The Forks in Westminster
Published August 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The City of Westminster has recently been working to form a group to study the Pennsylvania Avenue of town. In that context, it's interesting that back...
I speak today in favor of adventures in 'behindular zone'
Published August 20, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Well, I did it. Come a little closer, and I'll tell you all about it. All right, maybe not all about it. After all, this...
And now, for this week's installment of 'La Policia'
Published August 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Carroll County's reputation for low crime and an aggressive approach to public safety is not a recent phenomenon. On July 16, 1925, the editor of the...
Future of police protection delayed, but crime doesn't rest
Published August 13, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Aug. 7, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to not move forward with a plan to form a county police department...
Turkeys, fires and failed presidents were the stuff of old newspapers
Published August 10, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
As today's newspapers race into the Internet age, many folks might be fascinated with the look and feel of newspapers from the 1800s and early...
Carroll rides tall at the Chincoteague Pony auction
Published August 6, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
With pen in hand, Carroll County author Lois Szymanski looked up from a copy of one of her latest books, "Out of the Sea: Today's...
Fire and water have been volatile mix in Sykesville
Published August 3, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
It was 85 years ago, in the late afternoon of Monday, July 30, 1923, that an historic and terrible rainstorm hit Sykesville and other areas...
Destructive behavior from those contentious combines
Published July 30, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Saturday evening, the air was hot, thick and muggy, flavored with anticipation and seasoned with a hint of petroleum fumes. More than 5,000 fans...
Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
Published July 25, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places. Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are...
Viva la bicyclette de Carroll
Published July 23, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Today, as you are reading this, the 95th Tour de France is in Stage 17. This year's race began on July 5. After 23 days,...
Memories from City Hall and e-mail from the great beyond
Published July 20, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Westminster purchased the property for its City Hall, on Emerald Hill Lane, from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September 1939 for the grand...
Appreciating Tony Snow's passion for life
Published July 16, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Saturday, July 12, former White House press secretary Tony Snow, 53, died of cancer. I certainly never knew him, yet after following his too-short career for...
Westminster's Civil War role didn't end at Corbit's Charge
Published July 13, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The last several weeks have been busy in Carroll County, and one of the busiest was during the June 27-29 events surrounding the commemoration of...
Smith & Reifsnider was too hot to handle in July 1938
Published July 9, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Seventy years ago, Carroll County was reeling from the aftermath of fireworks of an unwelcome variety -- one of the biggest fires in the county's...
What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...
The merry marry month of June
Published July 2, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...
Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
Published June 29, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE For many Carroll County residents, summertime means an opportunity to make an annual family trek to Ocean City, Md. Some of my fondest childhood memories...
Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...
Dayhoff explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/
20080905 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Pres 2008 election Rep Natl Conv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pres 2008 election Rep Natl Conv. Show all posts
Monday, September 08, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
It's Worse Than We Realized
It's Worse Than We RealizedHat Tip: JAMS
September 6, 2008
This photo evidences a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect wildlife in the U.S.
Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party as they have apparently learned to simply sit and wait for the government to provide for their care and sustenance.
Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party as they have apparently learned to simply sit and wait for the government to provide for their care and sustenance.
____
Often when folks ask... I tell them I’m a Republican because I don’t want to grow old waiting for the government to help me.
20080906 It is worse than we realized
Saturday, September 06, 2008
ABCNews - Political Radar for September 4, 2008: Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
ABCNews - Political Radar for September 4, 2008: Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
September 04, 2008 11:17 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Police arrested hundreds of anti-war protesters outside of the Republican convention hall Thursday night in St. Paul. Over 1,000 demonstrators marched from the State Capitol to the Xcel Energy Center, where tens of the thousands of Republican delegates and party elite gathered to hear Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech.
Police in riot gear swarmed the area outside the convention center, deploying tear gas and distraction devices known as "flash bangs" in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Approximately three-hundred protesters were held on the bridge for nearly an hour over Interstate 94 in St. Paul. After hours of people protesting, police instructed demonstrators to file onto the bridge and then announced everyone would be arrested, refusing to allow anyone off the overpass. Law enforcement barricading the bridge fired pepper spray, instructing protesters to put their hands behind their heads.
ABC News' Jennifer Duck was trapped with the marchers on the bridge and observed many young children scared and crying. She spoke to several marchers who said they wanted to go home, but the police refused to allow any movement. Members of the media, and many trying to follow police direction were being pepper sprayed in the face.
One policeman told ABC News that a firearm was confiscated from a protester on the bridge and that people were throwing rocks.
The RNC's Joint Information Center told ABC News that 88 arrests have been made on Thursday thus far, but more than 200 demonstrators are on their way now to Ramsey County Jail to be detained.
[…]
Since the Republican National Convention began, there have been several riots in St. Paul and Minneapolis, protesting the Iraq war and the Bush administration's policies. The most disruptive protest took place on Monday, when violence broke out at a rally organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. It was estimated that 8,000-10,000 people were present and more than 280 demonstrators were arrested.
Read the entire article here: Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
September 04, 2008 11:17 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Police arrested hundreds of anti-war protesters outside of the Republican convention hall Thursday night in St. Paul. Over 1,000 demonstrators marched from the State Capitol to the Xcel Energy Center, where tens of the thousands of Republican delegates and party elite gathered to hear Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech.
Police in riot gear swarmed the area outside the convention center, deploying tear gas and distraction devices known as "flash bangs" in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Approximately three-hundred protesters were held on the bridge for nearly an hour over Interstate 94 in St. Paul. After hours of people protesting, police instructed demonstrators to file onto the bridge and then announced everyone would be arrested, refusing to allow anyone off the overpass. Law enforcement barricading the bridge fired pepper spray, instructing protesters to put their hands behind their heads.
ABC News' Jennifer Duck was trapped with the marchers on the bridge and observed many young children scared and crying. She spoke to several marchers who said they wanted to go home, but the police refused to allow any movement. Members of the media, and many trying to follow police direction were being pepper sprayed in the face.
One policeman told ABC News that a firearm was confiscated from a protester on the bridge and that people were throwing rocks.
The RNC's Joint Information Center told ABC News that 88 arrests have been made on Thursday thus far, but more than 200 demonstrators are on their way now to Ramsey County Jail to be detained.
[…]
Since the Republican National Convention began, there have been several riots in St. Paul and Minneapolis, protesting the Iraq war and the Bush administration's policies. The most disruptive protest took place on Monday, when violence broke out at a rally organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. It was estimated that 8,000-10,000 people were present and more than 280 demonstrators were arrested.
Read the entire article here: Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
20080904 ABCNews Police Clash with Demonstrators
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/police-arrest-a.html
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Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
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Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
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Bush, George W.
Clinton, Bill
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Dodd, Chris
Giuliani, Rudy
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AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
By RYAN J. FOLEY and MARTIGA LOHN Associated Press Writer
10:49 AM EDT, September 5, 2008
Related links
2008 Republican National Convention: Thursday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Wednesday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Tuesday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Monday Photos
Sarah Palin through the years Photos
Celebrities - Republican National Convention Photos
Best and worst of the Republican National Convention Photos
Cindy McCain: The politics of fashion Photos
Hats of the Republican National Convention 2008 Photos
Wasilla, Alaska: Home of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Photos
Protesters at Republican convention Photos
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Percussion grenades, tear gas and nearly 400 arrests marked the final anti-war march during the Republican National Convention. More than 800 arrests were reported during a week of sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent dissent.
Anti-war protesters rallied Thursday at the state Capitol and then planned to march to Xcel Energy Center, where Sen. John McCain was due to accept the GOP presidential nomination. But their permit had expired, and police — in riot gear and using horses, snow plows and dump trucks — blocked their way.
For hours, police let the protesters amble from one blocked intersection to another. But then the arrests began in earnest. At least 19 journalists, including two reporters from The Associated Press, were among those held by police.
Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted McCain as he addressed delegates Thursday night. Three protesters, one with a sign that read "You can't win an occupation" on one side and "McCain votes against vets" on the other, were removed from the hall by security officers. McCain asked that supporters not be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."
[…]
Read the rest of the article here: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/sns-ap-cvn-convention-protests,0,681280.story
20080905 AP Nearly 400 arrested in final anti war march of the RNC
Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
By RYAN J. FOLEY and MARTIGA LOHN Associated Press Writer
10:49 AM EDT, September 5, 2008
Related links
2008 Republican National Convention: Thursday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Wednesday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Tuesday Photos
2008 Republican National Convention: Monday Photos
Sarah Palin through the years Photos
Celebrities - Republican National Convention Photos
Best and worst of the Republican National Convention Photos
Cindy McCain: The politics of fashion Photos
Hats of the Republican National Convention 2008 Photos
Wasilla, Alaska: Home of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Photos
Protesters at Republican convention Photos
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Percussion grenades, tear gas and nearly 400 arrests marked the final anti-war march during the Republican National Convention. More than 800 arrests were reported during a week of sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent dissent.
Anti-war protesters rallied Thursday at the state Capitol and then planned to march to Xcel Energy Center, where Sen. John McCain was due to accept the GOP presidential nomination. But their permit had expired, and police — in riot gear and using horses, snow plows and dump trucks — blocked their way.
For hours, police let the protesters amble from one blocked intersection to another. But then the arrests began in earnest. At least 19 journalists, including two reporters from The Associated Press, were among those held by police.
Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted McCain as he addressed delegates Thursday night. Three protesters, one with a sign that read "You can't win an occupation" on one side and "McCain votes against vets" on the other, were removed from the hall by security officers. McCain asked that supporters not be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."
[…]
Read the rest of the article here: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/sns-ap-cvn-convention-protests,0,681280.story
20080905 AP Nearly 400 arrested in final anti war march of the RNC
Gloves came off when column came out by Susan Reimer
Gloves came off when column came out by Susan Reimer
Susan Reimer baltimoresun.com September 5, 2008
On Monday, I wrote a column criticizing the McCain campaign for what I saw as a cynical attempt to gather in unhappy women voters by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin his vice presidential candidate and for exploiting the poignant story of her youngest child to appease the Republican Party's pro-life base.
And then the storm began.
More than 8,200 comments were posted to the column on The Baltimore Sun's Web site. I received more than 700 personal e-mails and about 50 phone calls.
The column was mentioned by Rush Limbaugh and Brit Hume. Matt Drudge's hugely popular Web site, Drudge Report, posted a link to it. Fox News and every shock jock from here to San Francisco called and asked me to appear on the air to defend myself.
[…]
Many criticized me for writing that by choosing Palin, who gave birth this spring to a child she knew to have Down syndrome, the Republican Party was exploiting her decision to keep her child - that the party was trading on her story.
In no way did I suggest that she should not have carried her child to term. Or that she did not love him and count him as a blessing to her family. Or that she made the decision out of anything but her own strong beliefs, a strength that was clearly on display during her speech Wednesday night.
[…]
Among the first to respond was my 30-year-old nephew, Bill, a Republican as conservative as his father and so politically aware that he was predicting Palin would be McCain's choice before it happened.
Bill made the excellent point that the Republican Party was not reaching out to me with the Palin pick. It was reaching out to him.
"I don't want to vote for old white guys, either," Bill said. "With this pick, a woman and young, the party is letting me know that there is a place in it for me."
Others wrote to say that if I was going to question the depth of Palin's professional resume, Obama's experience deserved the same scrutiny. That is more than a fair point.
[…]
Read her entire column here: Gloves came off when column came out
Related links
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Palin's political reputation is a work in progress
Palin transferred 5 times before '87 college graduation
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Caption Call: Write a funny caption for this delegate's "Unity" hat
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Including candid candidates, life on the campaign trail and more
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Barack Obama
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John McCain
Photos
Quiz
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20080905 Gloves came off when column came out by Susan Reimer
Susan Reimer baltimoresun.com September 5, 2008
On Monday, I wrote a column criticizing the McCain campaign for what I saw as a cynical attempt to gather in unhappy women voters by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin his vice presidential candidate and for exploiting the poignant story of her youngest child to appease the Republican Party's pro-life base.
And then the storm began.
More than 8,200 comments were posted to the column on The Baltimore Sun's Web site. I received more than 700 personal e-mails and about 50 phone calls.
The column was mentioned by Rush Limbaugh and Brit Hume. Matt Drudge's hugely popular Web site, Drudge Report, posted a link to it. Fox News and every shock jock from here to San Francisco called and asked me to appear on the air to defend myself.
[…]
Many criticized me for writing that by choosing Palin, who gave birth this spring to a child she knew to have Down syndrome, the Republican Party was exploiting her decision to keep her child - that the party was trading on her story.
In no way did I suggest that she should not have carried her child to term. Or that she did not love him and count him as a blessing to her family. Or that she made the decision out of anything but her own strong beliefs, a strength that was clearly on display during her speech Wednesday night.
[…]
Among the first to respond was my 30-year-old nephew, Bill, a Republican as conservative as his father and so politically aware that he was predicting Palin would be McCain's choice before it happened.
Bill made the excellent point that the Republican Party was not reaching out to me with the Palin pick. It was reaching out to him.
"I don't want to vote for old white guys, either," Bill said. "With this pick, a woman and young, the party is letting me know that there is a place in it for me."
Others wrote to say that if I was going to question the depth of Palin's professional resume, Obama's experience deserved the same scrutiny. That is more than a fair point.
[…]
Read her entire column here: Gloves came off when column came out
Related links
Susan Reimer: A woman — but why this woman?
Palin's political reputation is a work in progress
Palin transferred 5 times before '87 college graduation
McCain calls for change
Analysis: McCain plays to strengths as patriot, underdog
Obama campaigns in Pa., says Republicans ignore economy concerns
Riot police block anti-war protest
Day 4 at the RNC Photos
Caption Call: Write a funny caption for this delegate's "Unity" hat
Candidate McCain Photos
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Photos
Sarah Palin through the years Photos
The Palin Family Photos
Campaign photo galleries
Including candid candidates, life on the campaign trail and more
Convention Chronicle: A blog from the conventions
Video: The latest on the presidential race
Contributions: Who's giving money to whom?
Complete coverage: Race for the White House
Barack Obama
Photos
Quiz
Videos
More news
John McCain
Photos
Quiz
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20080905 Gloves came off when column came out by Susan Reimer
Friday, September 05, 2008
Fighting to get control of convention Sep 3, 2008 By DAVID BAUDER
Fighting to get control of convention Sep 3, 2008 By DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK (Map, News) - Republicans faced the same problem during the second night of their convention Tuesday as Democrats did a week earlier: trying to wrestle television networks for control of their story.
With the Democrats in Denver last Tuesday, there was so much talk about upset Hillary Clinton supporters that Barack Obama was nearly forgotten. Republicans this week dearly wanted viewers to focus on the service of John McCain instead of the qualifications of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
The impact of revelations about the Alaska governor, including the pregnancy of her unwed 17-year-old daughter, was the primary topic of pundit conversations.
"It is ironic that on a night that is supposed to be about `who is John McCain' that everyone here is asking `who is Sarah Palin?'" said MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell.
Her fellow pundit, Pat Buchanan, said the campaign had been enlivened by the entrance of a conservative Republican, earning him a sarcastic putdown from GOP critic Keith Olbermann.
"Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal' written across it won't be so happy," Olbermann said.
Several delegates interviewed by reporters used the word "excited" or "thrilled" to talk about Palin's candidacy. One woman said that "all the unwed pregnancy is doing is endearing us more to Sarah Palin."
If anyone was expressing any doubts about her, they weren't doing it publicly - certainly not First Lady Laura Bush during an interview with NBC's Brian Williams. She said she was thrilled about the choice and that it was bringing big excitement to the ticket.
"Would you tell me if you sampled any trepidation from members of the party or your own family?" Williams asked.
Yes, the first lady said. She would.
That quietly testy moment would likely provide more fuel for fighting back against a familiar foe. Republicans were becoming critical of the news media for raising critical questions about Palin's candidacy.
Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly said the "left wing press gleefully swooped in" on Palin. Fox analyst Karl Rove, on O'Reilly's show, said he believed Palin critics were using the mainstream media to help get Democrat Barack Obama elected. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that "the media has figured out that she is their greatest threat since Clarence Thomas."
CNN reported that its scheduled Larry King interview with McCain on Tuesday was canceled because an aide said the candidate was upset with Campbell Brown's questioning of McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds over Palin the night before.
Brown had repeatedly pressed Bounds to name one decision Palin had made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.
CNN U.S. President Jon Klein backed his reporter.
"Campbell Brown did what journalists do," he said. "She asked fair and important questions in a respectful way and was simply trying to get a straight answer to a straightforward question."
Read his entire article here: Fighting to get control of convention
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http://www.examiner.com/a-1567524~Fighting_to_get_control_of_convention.html
20080903 Fighting to get control of the convention by David Bauder
NEW YORK (Map, News) - Republicans faced the same problem during the second night of their convention Tuesday as Democrats did a week earlier: trying to wrestle television networks for control of their story.
With the Democrats in Denver last Tuesday, there was so much talk about upset Hillary Clinton supporters that Barack Obama was nearly forgotten. Republicans this week dearly wanted viewers to focus on the service of John McCain instead of the qualifications of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
The impact of revelations about the Alaska governor, including the pregnancy of her unwed 17-year-old daughter, was the primary topic of pundit conversations.
"It is ironic that on a night that is supposed to be about `who is John McCain' that everyone here is asking `who is Sarah Palin?'" said MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell.
Her fellow pundit, Pat Buchanan, said the campaign had been enlivened by the entrance of a conservative Republican, earning him a sarcastic putdown from GOP critic Keith Olbermann.
"Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal' written across it won't be so happy," Olbermann said.
Several delegates interviewed by reporters used the word "excited" or "thrilled" to talk about Palin's candidacy. One woman said that "all the unwed pregnancy is doing is endearing us more to Sarah Palin."
If anyone was expressing any doubts about her, they weren't doing it publicly - certainly not First Lady Laura Bush during an interview with NBC's Brian Williams. She said she was thrilled about the choice and that it was bringing big excitement to the ticket.
"Would you tell me if you sampled any trepidation from members of the party or your own family?" Williams asked.
Yes, the first lady said. She would.
That quietly testy moment would likely provide more fuel for fighting back against a familiar foe. Republicans were becoming critical of the news media for raising critical questions about Palin's candidacy.
Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly said the "left wing press gleefully swooped in" on Palin. Fox analyst Karl Rove, on O'Reilly's show, said he believed Palin critics were using the mainstream media to help get Democrat Barack Obama elected. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that "the media has figured out that she is their greatest threat since Clarence Thomas."
CNN reported that its scheduled Larry King interview with McCain on Tuesday was canceled because an aide said the candidate was upset with Campbell Brown's questioning of McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds over Palin the night before.
Brown had repeatedly pressed Bounds to name one decision Palin had made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.
CNN U.S. President Jon Klein backed his reporter.
"Campbell Brown did what journalists do," he said. "She asked fair and important questions in a respectful way and was simply trying to get a straight answer to a straightforward question."
Read his entire article here: Fighting to get control of convention
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http://www.examiner.com/a-1567524~Fighting_to_get_control_of_convention.html
20080903 Fighting to get control of the convention by David Bauder
Star Tribune: Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin rocks GOP convention with star-turning performance
Star Tribune: Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin rocks GOP convention with star-turning performance
By TOM RAUM and LIZ SIDOTI , Associated Press
Last update: September 4, 2008 - 12:06 AM
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin delivered. An embattled vice presidential candidate, a novice on the national stage, the head of a family suffering its "ups and downs," the first-term Alaska governor rocked the GOP convention with a star-turning performance.
Wielding a stiletto and a smile, Palin belittled Democrat Barack Obama and praised her new boss, John McCain, jolting the crowd of GOP partisans.
[…]
"For too many times, we've brought knives to gun fights," said Chuck Gast, a delegate from Maryland,
When asked if Palin brought a gun to the fight, Gast said: "Yes, I think she brings a big gun, like a moose gun."
[…]
Read the entire article here: Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin rocks GOP convention with star-turning performance
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http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27808619.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E7_0c:5D:aPc:iUiacyKUU
20080904 VP nominee Palin rocks GOP convention
By TOM RAUM and LIZ SIDOTI , Associated Press
Last update: September 4, 2008 - 12:06 AM
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin delivered. An embattled vice presidential candidate, a novice on the national stage, the head of a family suffering its "ups and downs," the first-term Alaska governor rocked the GOP convention with a star-turning performance.
Wielding a stiletto and a smile, Palin belittled Democrat Barack Obama and praised her new boss, John McCain, jolting the crowd of GOP partisans.
[…]
"For too many times, we've brought knives to gun fights," said Chuck Gast, a delegate from Maryland,
When asked if Palin brought a gun to the fight, Gast said: "Yes, I think she brings a big gun, like a moose gun."
[…]
Read the entire article here: Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin rocks GOP convention with star-turning performance
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Massive show of force fits the trend
RNC: So, how'd we do? Depends
Subpoenas to be issued for Palin-trooper probe
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Protest arrests: Security or repression?
St. Paul police chief: Closing off downtown was right move
Text of John McCain's speech
'Change is coming:' McCain promises no more business as usual
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27808619.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E7_0c:5D:aPc:iUiacyKUU
20080904 VP nominee Palin rocks GOP convention
Sarah Palin Speech on Sept 3 at the RNC
20080903 Sarah Palin Speech on Sept 3 at the RNC
Sarah Palin Speech on Sept 3 at the RNC
September 3, 2008 11:00 PM CST Xcel Energy Center
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKgNrb3baNM
Remarks by the Presumptive Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin to the 2008 Republican National Convention
VIDEO Sarah Palin Speech
AUDIO Sarah Palin
PEOPLE Sarah Palin
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Vice Presidential Nominee To Address the 2008 Republican National Convention
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the
I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend
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
It was just a year ago when all the experts in
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
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
My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the
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
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
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
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
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
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
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of
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
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
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.<>
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
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
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
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
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
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With
To confront the threat that
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
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 nuclear 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
Victory in
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
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
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
Our nominee doesn't run with the
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
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
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
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
Thank you all, and may God bless
Kevin and Caroline at the Alaska stand at the RNC
Kevin and Caroline at the Alaska stand on the floor of the Republican National Convention on September 4, 200820080904 Alaska stand KC Mr Moose (2)
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Carroll County Times convention blog by Larry Helminiak: Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
Carroll County Times convention blog by Larry Helminiak: Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
Talk about the issues…
Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
When you get within a mile of the Excel Center, you start to see the protesters. Police are everywhere. As we board the bus at the hotel, the front seat is occupied by a special policeman, armed to the teeth, and brought in for this event.
Newly installed fences outside the building block all access. If you don’t have a pass to get into the hall, you don’t get within a block of the Convention Center.
It is clear that many people have come to Minneapolis to protest. What is not clear is what they are protesting. Most seem to have come just to BE a protester, and don’t know what they are protesting about.
[…]
Read Mr. Helminiak’s entire post here: Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/talk/conventions/
Talk about the issues…
Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
When you get within a mile of the Excel Center, you start to see the protesters. Police are everywhere. As we board the bus at the hotel, the front seat is occupied by a special policeman, armed to the teeth, and brought in for this event.
Newly installed fences outside the building block all access. If you don’t have a pass to get into the hall, you don’t get within a block of the Convention Center.
It is clear that many people have come to Minneapolis to protest. What is not clear is what they are protesting. Most seem to have come just to BE a protester, and don’t know what they are protesting about.
[…]
Read Mr. Helminiak’s entire post here: Sept. 2: Demonstrators in Minneapolis By Larry Helminiak
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/talk/conventions/
MDGOP Chairman Jim Pelura and Maryland McCain Campaign Chair Chris Cavey React to Governor Palin’s Acceptance Speech on September 3 2008
MDGOP Chairman Jim Pelura and Maryland McCain Campaign Chair Chris Cavey React to Governor Palin’s Acceptance Speech
Maryland Republican Party
September 3, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Justin Ready 443-822-3770
MDGOP Chairman Jim Pelura and Maryland McCain Campaign Chair Chris Cavey React to Governor Palin’s Acceptance Speech
“Governor Palin flipped the script on the media and the Democrats tonight with an amazing, game changing address,” said Chairman Pelura. “The shrill, negative attacks and dirty whisper campaign did not phase her. "She not only answered the critics tonight, she served notice that she and Senator McCain have the experience, judgment, and positive vision to lead this country. The Maryland Republican Party is so proud of our McCain/Palin ticket,” Pelura concluded.
“Sarah Palin has energized this campaign and our party,” said Maryland McCain Chairman Chris Cavey. “Like Senator McCain, she has used her career to affect real, positive change rather than using the buzzword of change to advance her career. Washington D.C. had better watch out because the McCain/Palin team is going to bring real reform to our government.”
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20080903 Pelura Cavey React to Palin speech
20080903 Transcripts from the Republican National Convention
Here are the remarks of Gov. Sarah Palin as delivered Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Here are the remarks of Rudolph Giuliani as delivered Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Text of President Bush's remarks, delivered by satellite TV hookup from the White House to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, as transcribed by the White House.
Former Senator Fred Thompson delivered these remarks Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Sen. Joe Lieberman delivered these remarks Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Text of Fred Thompson's speech on September 2, 2008 at the Republican National Convention
Text of Fred Thompson's speech on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at the Republican National Convention
From Federal News Service.
September 2, 2008
Former Senator Fred Thompson delivered these remarks Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompsontranscript3-2008sep03,0,2929863.story
FRED THOMPSON: Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Cheers, applause continue.) Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers.)
Well, my friends, as has -- thank you very much. As has been mentioned, our thoughts are still with our friends and fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast and our special thanks go to those who have worked so hard to keep them safe. There can be no more important work than that. (Applause.)
But what we're doing at this convention is also important to our country, because we're going to nominate the next president and vice president of the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
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 -- (laughter) -- that we're down, disrespected, incapable of prevailing against challenges that face us. Now, 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're thankful for that. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, speaking of the vice presidential nominee, what a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is. (Cheers, applause.) She's from -- she's from a small town with small-town values. But apparently that's not good enough for some of the folks who are out there now, attacking her and her family. Some -- some Washington pundits and middy -- media big shots are at a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit. (Cheers, applause.)
I say -- I say give me a tough Alaskan governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state of the union and won, over the Beltway business-as-usual crowd any day of the week. (Cheers, applause.)
But it's pretty clear the selection of Governor Palin has got the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic -- (laughter, shouting) -- and no wonder. She's a courageous, successful reformer who's not afraid to take on the establishment. (Cheers, applause.)
Sound like anybody else we know?
AUDIENCE: Yes! (Cheers, applause.)
THOMPSON: She has run a municipality and she has run a state. And I think I can say without fear of contradiction she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field-dress a moose. (Cheers, applause, laughs.) With the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt. (Laughter, applause.) Okay.
When she and John McCain get to Washington, they're not going to care how much the alligators get irritated -- they're going to drain that swamp. (Cheers, applause.)
But tonight, my friends, 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 goes -- to our country goes back to the time of 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 and another son -- (cheers, applause) -- going back for his second one on Christmas Day, I understand. (Applause.) And another -- and another son who's putting his country first and attending the Naval Academy. (Cheers, applause.)
Now -- now, we have a number of the McCains in the audience tonight, and I just want you to -- I understand they've been introduced, but I understand -- I want you to understand how proud we are of you and how much we thank you for what you're doing for your country. (Cheers, applause.) Cindy's here with all the children. All the children are here, I believe. (Cheers, applause continue.)
John is also -- also here tonight is John's 96-year-old mother Roberta. (Cheers, applause.) All I got to say is if Miss Roberta had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered. (Laughter, applause.)
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. (Laughter.) Unfortunately, John later saw that as a record to be beaten. (Laughter.) A rebellious mother and a rebellious father. I guess you can see where this is going. (Laughter.)
In high school and the Naval Academy, John earned a reputation as a troublemaker. But as John points out, he wasn't just a troublemaker; he was the leader of the troublemakers. (Cheers, applause.)
Although -- 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 a(n) exotic dancer under the name of "Marie, the Flame of Florida." (Laugher, cheers.)
Now, the reason I'm telling you these things -- the reason I'm telling you these things is that apparently this mixture of rebellion and honor helped John McCain survive the next chapter in 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 okay. John replied, 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 at the men and women who wear America's uniform today. (Cheers, applause.)
Twenty planes were destroyed. A hundred and thirty-four 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 leg, his right knee, his left arm and right arm in three places.
An angry mob got to him when he fell to the ground. 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 and 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 the door.
We hear a lot of talk about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had.
For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home. John McCain refused. He refused to leave ahead of men who had 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 their gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew back his shoulders. 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 beating -- beaten for NOT communicating with so-called peace delegations. He was beaten for not giving information during interrogation.
When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in the squadron, John gave them the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. (Laughter, applause.)
Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his other fellow POWs, he would often call out to them.
He'd smile and give 'em 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. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president, but it does reveal character. My friends -- (cheers, applause) -- this is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of our history have sought in their leaders -- (cheers, applause) -- strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor.
It's pretty clear there are two questions we'll never have to ask ourselves: "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the presidency?" (Cheers, applause.)
He's -- he's been to Iraq -- (cheers) -- he's been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. (Scattered laughter and applause.) When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking -- (cheers, applause) -- 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 in time -- (applause) -- when the war in Iraq was going badly and the public lost confidence, John stood up and called for more troops -- and now we're winning. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
Ronald Reagan -- 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. (Cheers, applause.)
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 -- (cheers, applause) -- firsthand. 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 managed to win that election, and with Republican control of Congress, we reformed welfare, we balanced the budget, and we began rebuilding our military. (Cheers, applause.)
And what I remember -- and 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.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now the United States Senate has always had more than its share of smooth talkers and big talkers. And obviously it still has. (Laughter, applause.) But while others were talking reform, John McCain led efforts to make reform happen, always pressing, always working 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 all came to Washington in the first place.
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. (Applause.) Because John McCain stood up, his country is better off. And the respect he's given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad -- (cheers, applause) -- no, not that; it's not because of that, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
There has been a 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. (Cheers, applause.) 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's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president. (Cheers, applause.) Apparently -- 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. (Cheers, applause.)
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. (Cheers, applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: That's right!
THOMPSON: This is not reform and it's certainly not change. It's basically the same old stuff they've been peddling for years. (Cheers, applause.)
America -- 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. (Cheers, applause.) We need a president -- we need a president who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer -- (cheers, applause) -- and you don't -- and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. (Laughter.) No, they're just going to tax "businesses." So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline -- (laughter) -- or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you! (Laughter, cheers, applause.) They say they're not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the other side of the bucket! (Laughter.) That's their idea of tax reform.
My friends, we need a leader who stands on principle. We need a -- a president and vice president who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shakin'. (Cheers, applause.) And my friends, we need a president who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade. (Extended cheers and applause.) Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) The man who will be that president is John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
In the days ahead -- in the days ahead at this convention, you will hear much more about what John will do as president -- what he'll do with regard to the economy, on energy, on health care and the environment. It's not my role tonight to explain that vision. It's my role is to hopefully help remind you of the man behind the vision, because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up and to stand up, and put "country first" with John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight we're being called upon to do what is right for our country -- what is right for our country.
Tonight we're 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're being called upon to step up and stand up with John just as he has stood up for our country. (Cheers, applause.)
Our country is calling. Our country is calling.
Now, John McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders. He can't salute the flag of the country for which he sacrificed so much. Tonight, as we begin this convention, 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, our children's, let us celebrate that vision, celebrate that belief, that faith, so we can keep America the greatest country that the world has ever seen.
God bless John McCain and God bless America. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
From Federal News Service.
September 2, 2008
Former Senator Fred Thompson delivered these remarks Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompsontranscript3-2008sep03,0,2929863.story
From the Los Angeles Times
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FRED THOMPSON: Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Cheers, applause continue.) Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers.)
Well, my friends, as has -- thank you very much. As has been mentioned, our thoughts are still with our friends and fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast and our special thanks go to those who have worked so hard to keep them safe. There can be no more important work than that. (Applause.)
But what we're doing at this convention is also important to our country, because we're going to nominate the next president and vice president of the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
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 -- (laughter) -- that we're down, disrespected, incapable of prevailing against challenges that face us. Now, 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're thankful for that. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, speaking of the vice presidential nominee, what a breath of fresh air Governor Sarah Palin is. (Cheers, applause.) She's from -- she's from a small town with small-town values. But apparently that's not good enough for some of the folks who are out there now, attacking her and her family. Some -- some Washington pundits and middy -- media big shots are at a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit. (Cheers, applause.)
I say -- I say give me a tough Alaskan governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state of the union and won, over the Beltway business-as-usual crowd any day of the week. (Cheers, applause.)
But it's pretty clear the selection of Governor Palin has got the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic -- (laughter, shouting) -- and no wonder. She's a courageous, successful reformer who's not afraid to take on the establishment. (Cheers, applause.)
Sound like anybody else we know?
AUDIENCE: Yes! (Cheers, applause.)
THOMPSON: She has run a municipality and she has run a state. And I think I can say without fear of contradiction she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field-dress a moose. (Cheers, applause, laughs.) With the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt. (Laughter, applause.) Okay.
When she and John McCain get to Washington, they're not going to care how much the alligators get irritated -- they're going to drain that swamp. (Cheers, applause.)
But tonight, my friends, 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 goes -- to our country goes back to the time of 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 and another son -- (cheers, applause) -- going back for his second one on Christmas Day, I understand. (Applause.) And another -- and another son who's putting his country first and attending the Naval Academy. (Cheers, applause.)
Now -- now, we have a number of the McCains in the audience tonight, and I just want you to -- I understand they've been introduced, but I understand -- I want you to understand how proud we are of you and how much we thank you for what you're doing for your country. (Cheers, applause.) Cindy's here with all the children. All the children are here, I believe. (Cheers, applause continue.)
John is also -- also here tonight is John's 96-year-old mother Roberta. (Cheers, applause.) All I got to say is if Miss Roberta had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered. (Laughter, applause.)
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. (Laughter.) Unfortunately, John later saw that as a record to be beaten. (Laughter.) A rebellious mother and a rebellious father. I guess you can see where this is going. (Laughter.)
In high school and the Naval Academy, John earned a reputation as a troublemaker. But as John points out, he wasn't just a troublemaker; he was the leader of the troublemakers. (Cheers, applause.)
Although -- 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 a(n) exotic dancer under the name of "Marie, the Flame of Florida." (Laugher, cheers.)
Now, the reason I'm telling you these things -- the reason I'm telling you these things is that apparently this mixture of rebellion and honor helped John McCain survive the next chapter in 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 okay. John replied, 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 at the men and women who wear America's uniform today. (Cheers, applause.)
Twenty planes were destroyed. A hundred and thirty-four 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 leg, his right knee, his left arm and right arm in three places.
An angry mob got to him when he fell to the ground. 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 and 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 the door.
We hear a lot of talk about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had.
For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home. John McCain refused. He refused to leave ahead of men who had 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 their gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew back his shoulders. 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 beating -- beaten for NOT communicating with so-called peace delegations. He was beaten for not giving information during interrogation.
When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in the squadron, John gave them the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. (Laughter, applause.)
Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his other fellow POWs, he would often call out to them.
He'd smile and give 'em 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. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president, but it does reveal character. My friends -- (cheers, applause) -- this is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of our history have sought in their leaders -- (cheers, applause) -- strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor.
It's pretty clear there are two questions we'll never have to ask ourselves: "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the presidency?" (Cheers, applause.)
He's -- he's been to Iraq -- (cheers) -- he's been to Iraq eight times since 2003. He went seeking truth, not publicity. (Scattered laughter and applause.) When he travels abroad, he prefers quietly speaking -- (cheers, applause) -- 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 in time -- (applause) -- when the war in Iraq was going badly and the public lost confidence, John stood up and called for more troops -- and now we're winning. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
Ronald Reagan -- 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. (Cheers, applause.)
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 -- (cheers, applause) -- firsthand. 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 managed to win that election, and with Republican control of Congress, we reformed welfare, we balanced the budget, and we began rebuilding our military. (Cheers, applause.)
And what I remember -- and 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.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now the United States Senate has always had more than its share of smooth talkers and big talkers. And obviously it still has. (Laughter, applause.) But while others were talking reform, John McCain led efforts to make reform happen, always pressing, always working 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 all came to Washington in the first place.
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. (Applause.) Because John McCain stood up, his country is better off. And the respect he's given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad -- (cheers, applause) -- no, not that; it's not because of that, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
There has been a 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. (Cheers, applause.) 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's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president. (Cheers, applause.) Apparently -- 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. (Cheers, applause.)
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. (Cheers, applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: That's right!
THOMPSON: This is not reform and it's certainly not change. It's basically the same old stuff they've been peddling for years. (Cheers, applause.)
America -- 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. (Cheers, applause.) We need a president -- we need a president who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer -- (cheers, applause) -- and you don't -- and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.
(Cheers, applause.)
Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. (Laughter.) No, they're just going to tax "businesses." So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline -- (laughter) -- or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you! (Laughter, cheers, applause.) They say they're not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the other side of the bucket! (Laughter.) That's their idea of tax reform.
My friends, we need a leader who stands on principle. We need a -- a president and vice president who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shakin'. (Cheers, applause.) And my friends, we need a president who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade. (Extended cheers and applause.) Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) The man who will be that president is John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
In the days ahead -- in the days ahead at this convention, you will hear much more about what John will do as president -- what he'll do with regard to the economy, on energy, on health care and the environment. It's not my role tonight to explain that vision. It's my role is to hopefully help remind you of the man behind the vision, because tonight our country is calling to all of us to step up and to stand up, and put "country first" with John McCain. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight we're being called upon to do what is right for our country -- what is right for our country.
Tonight we're 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're being called upon to step up and stand up with John just as he has stood up for our country. (Cheers, applause.)
Our country is calling. Our country is calling.
Now, John McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders. He can't salute the flag of the country for which he sacrificed so much. Tonight, as we begin this convention, 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, our children's, let us celebrate that vision, celebrate that belief, that faith, so we can keep America the greatest country that the world has ever seen.
God bless John McCain and God bless America. (Cheers, applause, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!".)
20080902 Text of Fred Thompson's speech on September 2, 2008 at the Republican National Convention
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