Transcript of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Speech

He really knows how to work a crowd into a frenzy.

——

Thank you.

What a greeting! This is like winning an Oscar! … As if I would know!

Speaking of acting, one of my movies was called “True Lies.” It’s what the Democrats should have called their convention.

My fellow Americans, this is an amazing moment for me. To think that a once-scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become Governor of California and stand in Madison Square Garden to speak on behalf of the President of the United States that is an immigrant’s dream. It is the American dream.

I was born in Europe … and I’ve traveled all over the world. I can tell you that there is no place, no country, more compassionate, more generous, more accepting, and more welcoming than the United States of America.

As long as I live, I will never forget that day 21 years ago — when I raised my hand and took the oath of citizenship.

Do you know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with an American flag around my shoulders all day long.

Tonight, I want to talk about why I’m even more proud to be an American — why I’m proud to be a Republican — and why I believe this country is in good hands.

When I was a boy, the Soviets occupied part of Austria. I saw their tanks in the streets. I saw communism with my own eyes. I remember the fear we had when we had to cross into the Soviet sector. Growing up, we were told, “Don’t look the soldiers in the eye. Look straight ahead.” It was a common belief that Soviet soldiers could take a man out of his own car and ship him off to the Soviet Union as slave labor.

My family didn’t have a car — but one day we were in my uncle’s car. It was near dark as we came to a Soviet checkpoint. I was a little boy, I wasn’t an action hero back then, and I remember how scared I was that the soldiers would pull my father or my uncle out of the car, and I’d never see him again. My family and so many others lived in fear of the Soviet boot. Today, the world no longer fears the Soviet Union — and it is because of the United States of America!

As a kid I saw the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left. I love Austria and I love the Austrian people — but I always knew America was the place for me. In school, when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would sit for hours watching American movies — transfixed by my heroes like John Wayne. Everything about America seemed so big to me — so open, so possible.

I finally arrived here in 1968.I had empty pockets, but I was full of dreams. The presidential campaign was in full swing. I remember watching the Nixon and Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend who spoke German and English, translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism — which is what I had just left. But then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting government off your back, lowering taxes, and strengthening the military. Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air.

I said to my friend, “What party is he?” My friend said, “He’s a Republican.” I said, “Then I am a Republican!” And I’ve been a Republican ever since! And trust me, in my wife’s family, that’s no small achievement! I’m proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan - and the party of George W. Bush.

To my fellow immigrants listening tonight, I want you to know how welcome you are in this party. We Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your dreams. We believe in your future. One thing I learned about America is that if you work hard and play by the rules, this country is truly open to you. You can achieve anything.

Everything I have — my career — my success — my family — I owe to America. In this country, it doesn’t make any difference where you were born. It doesn’t make any difference who your parents were. It doesn’t make any difference if, like me, you couldn’t even speak English until you were in your twenties.

America gave me opportunities, and my immigrant dreams came true. I want other people to get the same chances I did, the same opportunities. And I believe they can. That’s why I believe in this country, that’s why I believe in this party — and that’s why I believe in this President.

Now, many of you out there tonight are “Republican” like me in your hearts and in your beliefs. Maybe you’re from Guatemala. Maybe you’re from the Philippines. Maybe Europe or the Ivory Coast. Maybe you live in Ohio, Pennsylvania or New Mexico. And maybe — just maybe — you don’t agree with this party on every single issue. I say to you tonight I believe that’s not only okay — that’s what’s great about this country. Here we can respectfully disagree and still be patriotic — still be American — and still be good Republicans.

My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans how do you know if you are a Republican? I’ll tell you how.

If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government … then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group … then you are a Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does … then you are a Republican! If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children … then you are a Republican! If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world … then you are a Republican! And, ladies and gentlemen … if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism … then you are a Republican!

There is another way you can tell you’re a Republican. You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people … and faith in the U.S. economy. To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don’t be economic girlie men!

The U.S. economy remains the envy of the world. We have the highest economic growth of any of the world’s major industrialized nations. Don’t you remember the pessimism of twenty years ago - when the critics said Japan and Germany were overtaking the U.S.? Ridiculous!

Now they say India and China are overtaking us. Don’t you believe it! We may hit a few BUMPS — but America always moves ahead! That’s what Americans do!

We move prosperity ahead. We move freedom ahead. We move people ahead. Under President Bush, and Vice President Cheney, America’s economy is moving ahead in spite of a recession they inherited and in spite of the attack on our homeland.

Now, the other party says there are two Americas. Don’t believe that either. I’ve visited our troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, Germany, and all over the world. I’ve visited our troops in California, where they train before they go overseas. And I’ve visited our military hospitals. And I can tell you this: Our young men and women in uniform do not believe there are two Americas!

They believe we are one America — and they are fighting for it! We are one America — and President Bush is defending it with all his heart and soul!

That’s what I admire most about the President. He’s a man of perseverance. He’s a man of inner strength. He is a leader who doesn’t flinch, doesn’t waiver, does not back down. My fellow Americans, make no mistake about it - terrorism is more insidious than communism, because it yearns to destroy not just the individual but the entire international order.

The President didn’t go into Iraq because the polls told him it was popular. As a matter of fact, the polls said just the opposite. But leadership isn’t about polls. It’s about making decisions you think are right and then standing behind those decisions. That’s why America is safer with George W. Bush as President.

He knows you don’t reason with terrorists. You defeat them. He knows you can’t reason with people blinded by hate. They hate the power of the individual. They hate the progress of women. They hate the religious freedom of others. They hate the liberating breeze of democracy. But, ladies and gentlemen, their hate is no match for America’s decency.

We’re the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children.

We’re the America that sends out missionaries and doctors to raise up the poor and the sick. We’re the America that gives more than any other country, to fight aids in Africa and the developing world. And we’re the America that fights not for imperialism but for human rights and democracy.

You know, When the Germans brought down the Berlin Wall — America’s determination helped wield the sledgehammers. When that lone, young Chinese man stood in front of those tanks in Tiananmen Square — America’s hopes stood with him. And when Nelson Mandela smiled in election victory after all those years in prison America celebrated, too.

We are still the lamp lighting the world — especially for those who struggle. No matter in what labor camp they slave — no matter in what injustice they’re trapped — they hear our call … they see our light … and they feel the pull of our freedom. They come here — as I did — because they believe. They believe in US.

They come because their hearts say to them, as mine did, “If only I can get to America.” Someone once wrote — “There are those who say that freedom is nothing but a dream.” They are right. It’s the American dream.

No matter the nationality, no matter the religion, no matter the ethnic background, America brings out the best in people. And as Governor of the great state of California — I see the best in Americans every day … our police, our firefighters — our nurses, doctors and teachers — our parents.

And what about the extraordinary men and women who have volunteered to fight — for the United States of America! I have such great respect for them and their heroic families.

Let me tell you about the sacrifice and commitment I’ve seen firsthand. In one of the military hospitals I visited, I met a young guy who was in bad shape. He’d lost a leg — had a hole in his stomach … his shoulder had been shot through.

I could tell there was no way he could ever return to combat. But when I asked him, “When do you think you’ll get out of the hospital?” He said, “Sir, in three weeks.” And do you know what he said to me then? He said he was going to get a new leg … and get some therapy … and then he was going back to Iraq to serve alongside his buddies! He grinned at me and said, “Arnold … I’ll be back!”

Ladies and gentlemen, America is back! — back from the attack on our homeland- back from the attack on our economy — back from the attack on our way of life. We’re back because of the perseverance, character and leadership of the 43rd President of the United States — George W. Bush.

My fellow Americans … I want you to know that I believe with all my heart that America remains “the great idea” that inspires the world. It’s a privilege to be born here. It’s an honor to become a citizen here. It’s a gift to raise your family here — to vote here — and to live here.

Our president George W. Bush has worked hard to protect and preserve the American dream for all of us. That’s why I say … send - him - back to Washington for four more years!

Thank you, America — and God bless you all!

—-

Remarks of George P. Bush

—-

No matter how often I visit New York, I never tire of looking at the Statue of Liberty.

I can’t help but reflect upon the impression she must have made on our weary but hopeful ancestors whose first glimpse of America was that inspiring silhouette.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Although many immigrants could not read the words, the outstretched arm that pierced the heavens was clear affirmation that they had found what they were seeking — the land of freedom and opportunity.

In return, these immigrants, and those who followed them, made this country stronger through their labor; safer through their sacrifice in defending its shores; and richer through diversity.

Our Party has always represented the interests of all people seeking opportunity.

We are the home of entrepreneurs.

—-

Text of Elizabeth Dole's Speech

————

Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your warm welcome. And folks, this time I promise to stay behind the podium! For giving me the privilege and honor of representing them in the United State Senate, let me say thank you to the folks of the great state of North Carolina. For giving America courageous leadership in times of trial, decisive leadership in times of crisis, we thank you, Mr. President. You have restored honor and dignity to the White House.

The Presidency tests all who have been there. It has tested you, sir. Your road has not been easy; your burden has not been light; yet you have displayed the peace that surpasses all understanding. We salute you.

We live in a time of stark contrasts. Four years ago America was about to tumble into recession. Today our economy is recovering. Four years ago, 911 was just an emergency phone number. Today, it is a call to arms. For Republicans, through these changes and challenges, who we are and what we believe has never wavered.

The party of Abraham Lincoln has not wandered in a desert of disbelief or uncertainty. Led now by President Bush, this Grand Old Party is still guided by a moral compass, its roots deep in the firm soil of timeless truths. We still believe that character is king. We saw that lived out in the life of Ronald … Wilson … Reagan.

Ronald Reagan, who called an empire evil and won the Cold War.

We still believe that liberty is the birthright of every soul. That’s why in Afghanistan women were freed from virtual slavery and given access to books and education and a future. That’s why in Afghanistan and Iraq the dark clouds of oppression have parted for 50 million people. And until they can clearly see the blue skies of freedom, we are standing by them!

Yet we know our true strength is not in our weapons. We are a great nation because we are a good people. And we are a good people because of what we believe.

We believe in the dignity of every life, the possibility of every mind, the divinity of every soul. This is our true north - we believe in life. The new life of a man and woman joined together under God.

Marriage is important not because it is a convenient invention or the latest reality show — marriage is important because it is the cornerstone of civilization, and the foundation of the family. Marriage between a man and a woman isn’t something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend.

We value the sacred life of every man, woman, and child. We believe in a culture that respects all human life - including the most vulnerable in our society, the frail elderly, the infirm, and those not yet born. Protecting life isn’t something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend. We believe in the treasured life of faith.

Two thousand years ago a man said, ” … I have come to give life and to give it in full.” In America I have the freedom to call that man Lord, and I do. In the United States of America we are free to worship without discrimination, without intervention and even without activist judges trying to strip the name of God from the Pledge of Allegiance; from the money in our pockets; and from the walls of our courthouses. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The right to worship God isn’t something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend.

We believe in the compassionate life of service. Our enemies in this war on terror say that America is selfish, self-centered, self-obsessed. They do not know America. As the President said, “If you want to help in the war on terror, love your neighbor. Love your neighbor.” Americans will cross town or cross the globe to help people they’ve never met and will never see again. So yes, if neighbors are hungry, we feed them; if a storm named Charley or Francis strikes, we help them. Serving others isn’t something Americans invented, but it is a calling we’ll always accept.

These are just some of the principles that guide our party. Some may call them values. Others may call them virtues. I like to think of them simply as the truths my parents and grandparents taught me. Despite what you might hear on the news, they are the shared truths of the American people. They are true from sea to shining sea - from my hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina to the South Side of Chicago, from Little Havana to Bob Dole’s Russell, Kansas, from Madison Square Garden to the Space Needle, from Crawford, Texas to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The last century was known as the “American Century.” In a single lifetime, I have seen Americans split the atom, abolish Jim Crow, eliminate the scourge of polio, win the Cold War, plant our flag on the surface of the moon, map the human genetic code and belatedly recognize the talents of women, minorities, the disabled and others once relegated to the shadows. We are now in the earliest years of a new century … writing another chapter in American history.

And if we reaffirm these timeless and unchangeable truths, if we choose life and liberty, compassion and service, character and faith, we will honor those who came before us, and inspire the children of tomorrow. It will be said of us that we lived in a time of great challenge, and great hopes. And let it also be said that we loved our country … and served her well … and chose leaders wisely. That is what brings us to this convention, ladies and gentlemen.

I am honored to stand with you in support of a great American: our nominee … our President … George W. Bush!

————

RNC: Protest Updates (UPDATED)

It’s going to be a busy night in Manhattan. The group called A31 has several “actions” lined up.

They Got started at 4pm in Union Square where, according to Indymedia:

As many as 1000 people are at Union Square. Police appear to be encircling Union Square. 100 cops are marching around perimeter, two dozen mopeds approaching.

An update says that as of right now, a few hundred people are marching up Church Street.

At 6:00, they are slated to gather at Madison Square Park and at 7:00, there is a call for a “mass convergence” on Madison Square Garden.

So far today:

Police arrested at least two dozen activists on Tuesday in an all-day wave of acts of civil disobedience and other demonstrations to protest against the Republican convention in New York.

Seventeen protesters were arrested for illegally blocking traffic on foot or on bicycles in the Wall Street financial district and six were taken into custody for illegally wearing masks at a Harlem subway station, police said.

One man was arrested by about 10 police officers after he climbed a tree to obtain a better view of a rally by fellow immigration activists outside US government offices, eyewitnesses said.

It looks like the marching protesters are ready to gather at a Hummer dealer in a few minutes. What they are going to do there is anyone’s guess, but we’ll assume that “no blood for oil” is on the agenda.

Update:

Ryan Sager is blogging the protests. He also has photos from last night’s activities.

Update:

If the protests against Bush/Republicans/America/Name Your Poison aren’t enough for you, how about this one?

WED., Sept. 1, 10:00AM - Protest Appalling Detention Conditions for RNC Arrestees At Pier 57, “Guantanamo on the Hudson” (West Side Highway @ 15th Street)

The mind boggles.

Update 2:

This in from Indymedia:

bq. 05:28 PM After several hundred war resisters left ground zero to march north, 100-200 remained within pens. They will all be arrested one by one.

That would be the same Ground Zero that those protesting have said should not be used as a political tool.

Update 3:

Give my regard to Broadway, remember me to Herald Square.

According to sources on the left, things are heating up over there with plenty of arrests and some “aggressive” police action.

Update:

Drudge is reporting that someone tried to attack MSNBC’s Chris Matthews (no, it wasn’t Michelle Malkin). And Al Franken was doing a little Kung-Fu fighting of his own.

Here’s what Franken was fighting about.

[click image for larger size. Photo courtesy RNC]

Preview of Governor Schwarzenegger's Speech

Excerpts from the speech Arnold will give tonight (made available by the GOP)

• On the Republican Party:

“I’m proud to belong to the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan - and the party of George W. Bush. To my fellow immigrants listening tonight, I want you to know how welcome you are in this party. We Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your dreams. We believe in your future.”

• On the American Dream:

“In this country, it doesn’t make any difference where you were born. It doesn’t make any difference who your parents were. It doesn’t make any difference if, like me, you couldn’t even speak English until you were in your twenties. America gave me opportunities, and my immigrant dreams came true. I want other people to get the same chances I did, the same opportunities. And I believe they can. That’s why I believe in this country, that’s why I believe in this Party - and that’s why I believe in this President.”

• On the compassion of the American people:
  
  “We’re the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach
  village children. We’re the America that sends out missionaries and
  doctors to raise up the poor and the sick. We’re the America that gives more than any other country, to fight AIDS in Africa and the developing world. And we’re the America that fights not for imperialism but for human rights and democracy.”

• On the compassion and perseverance of the American people:

“Ladies and gentlemen, America is back. Back from the attack on our
homeland - back from the attack on our economy - back from the attack on our way of life. We’re back because of the perseverance, character and leadership of Americans, I want you to know that I believe with all my heart that America remains ‘the great idea’ that inspires the world.”

Kerry Loses Edge on Issues of Security

WaPo:

President Bush holds clear advantages over John F. Kerry on national security issues and leadership in the war on terrorism, largely erasing the broad gains Kerry made at his party’s Boston convention last month, but voters continue to give the president negative marks on the economy and his handling of Iraq, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

[…]

The new poll confirms the suggestion by other recent surveys that, despite clear dissatisfaction about the direction of the country, Bush has regained ground lost to Kerry on national security issues.

You can view the poll graphics here, demographics here.

Students fight to register in college towns

AP: Students fight to register in college towns

With so much emphasis on getting young people to the polls this election, the issue of where college students can register to vote is getting more attention. And some students — who believe they should have the right to vote where they live most of the year — are getting organized.

“We plan to push this issue,” says Han, a 21-year old junior at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, who’s originally from a Seattle suburb. “Students are being disenfranchised.”

Han spent the summer interning in Washington, D.C., where he met Lowe and other students who share his cause. They formed the grass-roots Student Voting Rights Campaign.

Now the group is calling for a “day of action” on Sept. 23, urging students to register en masse — even if they meet with resistance.

What do you think?

Rounding-Up the First Night of the RNC

PoliBlog’s Bite-Sized Toast is available, it contains an evaluation of last night and links o’ plenty. Enjoy.

RNC: Zainab al-Suwaij

Zainab al-Suwaij is the executive director of the American Islamic Congress.

Text of Ms. al-Sawaij’s speech:

Thank you for your kind welcome.

From my heart, I offer you the traditional Muslim greeting: As Salam Alaikum— Peace be upon you.

I am honored to stand here tonight. When I came to the United States from Iraq 12 years ago, I would never have imagined myself speaking to a group like this.

Living under Saddam Hussein, we could not gather as we do now to discuss things like democracy and freedom. We could only dream of a day when we could speak freely, and worship God in ways of our own choosing.

Instead, we lived under a murderer who used every weapon in his arsenal against us— from tanks to torture chambers to poison gas.

When people talk about the war in Iraq — I want to remind them that there has been a war raging in Iraq for the last 3 decades.

A war waged by Saddam against his own people.

I lived through it. I saw it brutalize my friends and my family.

But today, I come to tell you that Iraq enjoys a new day.

Yes, there is still bloodshed and uncertainty — but America, under the strong, compassionate leadership of President Bush, has given Iraqis the most precious gift any nation has ever given another —- the gift of democracy and the freedom to determine its own future.

Already, the seeds of democracy are bearing fruit —- with popular elections recently held for local officials. And we know our children face a brighter future.

So as I grieve for the courageous Americans and Iraqis who were killed and injured during Iraq’s liberation, I tell you proudly that their noble sacrifice was not in vain.

As Iraqis assume full sovereignty, they embrace the American people in friendship and gratitude.

I promise you: we will never forget what your sons and daughters did for us.

Thank you.

RNC: Ron Silver Speaks

Actor Ron Silver took a little dig at his fellow entertainers with this line:

Even though I am a well-recognized liberal on many issues confronting our society today, I find it ironic that many human rights advocates and outspoken members of my own entertainment community are often on the front lines to protest repression, for which I applaud them but they are usually the first ones to oppose any use of force to take care of these horrors that they catalogue repeatedly.

Read the rest of his speech here.

RNC: Today's Schedule

Today’s theme is People of Compassion.

Speakers will include:

• Senator Elizabeth Dole (NC)

• Representative Anne Northup (KY)

• George P. Bush, Dallas, TX

• Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (TN)

• The Honorable Rod Paige

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA)

• Mrs. Laura Bush

Noonan & Pataki

Something to look for on Thursday night: A talking head on Charlie Rose just said that Peggy Noonan is writing Pataki’s speech.

The 2008 lineup gets bigger and bigger …

RNC: Giuliani's Speech

[Text of prepared statement, made available by the GOP.]

Remarks by the Honorable Rudy Giuliani Former Mayor of the City of New York

Welcome to the capital of the World.

New York was the first capital of our great nation. It was here in 1789 in lower Manhattan that George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. It was here in 2001 in lower Manhattan that President George W. Bush stood amid the fallen towers of the World Trade Center and said to the barbaric terrorists who attacked us, “They will hear from us.”

They have heard from us! They heard from us in Afghanistan and we removed the Taliban. They heard from us in Iraq and we ended Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror. They heard from us in Libya and without firing a shot Qadhafi abandoned weapons of mass destruction.
They are hearing from us in nations that are now more reluctant to sponsor terrorists. So long as George Bush is President, is there any doubt they will continue to hear from us until we defeat global terrorism.

We owe that much and more to those loved ones and heroes we lost on September 11th. The families of some of those we lost on September 11th are here with us. To them, and all those families affected by September 11th, we recognize the sacrifices your loved ones and you have made. You are in our prayers and we are in your debt.

This is the first Republican Convention ever held in New York City.
It makes a statement that New York City and America are open for business and stronger than ever. We’re not going to let the threat of terrorism stop us from leading our lives. From the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, to President George W. Bush our party’s
great contribution is to expand freedom in our own land and all over the world. And our party is at its best when it makes certain that we have a powerful national defense in a still very dangerous world.

I don’t believe we’re right about everything and Democrats are wrong about everything. Neither party has a monopoly on virtue. But I do believe that there are times in our history when our ideas are more necessary and important for what we are facing. There are times when leadership is the most important.

On September 11, this city and our nation faced the worst attack in our history. On that day, we had to confront reality. For me, standing below the north tower and looking up and seeing the flames of hell and then realizing that I was actually seeing a man – a human being –
jumping from the 101st or 102nd floor drove home to me that we were facing something beyond anything we had ever faced before. We had to concentrate all of our energy, faith and hope to get through those first hours and days. And I will always remember that moment as we escaped the building we were trapped in at 75 Barclay Street and realized that things outside might be even worse than they were inside the building.

We did the best we could to communicate a message of calm and hope, as we stood on the pavement seeing a massive cloud rushing through the cavernous streets of lower Manhattan. Our people were so brave in their response. At the time, we believed we would be attacked many more times that day and in the days that followed. Spontaneously, I grabbed the arm of then Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and said
to Bernie, “Thank God George Bush is our President.” And I say it again tonight, “Thank God George Bush is our President.”

On September 11, George W. Bush had been President less than eight months. This new President, Vice President, and new administration were faced with the worst crisis in our history. President Bush’s response in keeping us unified and in turning the ship of state around from being solely on defense against terrorism to being on offense as well and for his holding us together. For that and then his determined effort to defeat global terrorism, no matter what happens in this
election, President George W. Bush already has earned a place in our history as a great American President.

But let’s not wait for history to present the correct view of our President. Let us write our own history.

We need George Bush now more than ever.

The horror, the shock and the devastation of those attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and over the skies of Pennsylvania lifted a cloud from our eyes. We stood face to face with those people and forces who hijacked not just airplanes but a religion
and turned it into a creed of terrorism dedicated to eradicating us and our way of life. Terrorism did not start on September 11, 2001. It had been festering for many years. And the world had created a response to it that allowed it to succeed. The attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics was in 1972. And the pattern had already begun. The three surviving terrorists were arrested and within two months released by the German government. Action like this became the rule, not the exception. Terrorists came to learn they could attack and often not face consequences.

In 1985, terrorists attacked the Achille Lauro and murdered an American citizen who was in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer. They marked him for murder solely because he was Jewish. Some of those terrorist were released and some of the remaining terrorists allowed to escape by the Italian government because of fear of reprisals.
So terrorists learned they could intimidate the world community and too often the response, particularly in Europe, was “accommodation, appeasement and compromise.” And worse the terrorists also learned that their cause would be taken more seriously, almost in direct proportion to the barbarity of the attack.

Terrorist acts became a ticket to the international bargaining table.
How else to explain Yasser Arafat winning the Nobel Peace Prize when he was supporting a terrorist plague in the Middle East that undermined any chance of peace?

Before September 11, we were living with an unrealistic view of the world much like our observing Europe appease Hitler or trying to accommodate ourselves to peaceful co-existence with the Soviet
Union through mutually assured destruction.

President Bush decided that we could no longer be just on defense against global terrorism but we must also be on offense. On September 20, 2001, President Bush stood before a joint session of Congress, a still grieving and shocked nation and a confused world and he did change the direction of our ship of state. He dedicated America under his leadership to destroying global terrorism. The President announced the Bush Doctrine when he said: “Our war on terror begins with Al
Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.
“Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.” And since September 11th President Bush has remained rock solid.

It doesn’t matter how he is demonized. It doesn’t matter what the media does to ridicule him or misinterpret him or defeat him.
They ridiculed Winston Churchill. They belittled Ronald Reagan.
But like President Bush, they were optimists; leaders must be optimists. Their vision was beyond the present and set on a future of real peace and true freedom.Some call it stubbornness. I call it principled leadership. President Bush has the courage of his convictions.

In choosing a President, we really don’t choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal. We choose a leader. And in times of danger, as we are now in, Americans should put leadership at the core of their decision.

There are many qualities that make a great leader but having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader.
Winston Churchill saw the dangers of Hitler while his opponents characterized him as a war-mongering gadfly. Ronald Reagan saw and described the Soviet Union as “the evil empire” while world opinion
accepted it as inevitable and belittled Ronald Reagan’s intelligence.
President Bush sees world terrorism for the evil that it is. John Kerry has no such clear, precise and consistent vision. This is not a personal criticism of John Kerry. I respect him for his service to our nation.But it is important to see the contrast in approach between the two men; President Bush, a leader who is willing to stick with difficult decisions even as public opinion shifts, and John Kerry, whose record in elected office suggests a man who changes his position
often even on important issues.

When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, John Kerry voted against the Persian Gulf War. Later he said he actually supported the war.
Then in 2002, as he was calculating his run for President, he voted for the war in Iraq. And then just 9 months later, he voted against an $87 billion supplemental budget to fund the war and support our troops. He even, at one point, declared himself an anti-war candidate. Now, he says he’s pro-war. At this rate, with 64 days left, he still has time to change his position at least three or four more times.
My point about John Kerry being inconsistent is best described in his own words when he said, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.”

Maybe this explains John Edwards’ need for two Americas - - one where John Kerry can vote for something and another where he can vote against the same thing.

Yes, people in public office at times do change their minds, I’ve done that, or they realize they are wrong or circumstances change. But John Kerry has made it the rule to change his position, rather than the exception. In October, 2003, he told an Arab-American Institute in Detroit that a security barrier separating Israel from the
Palestinian Territories was a “barrier to peace.” A few months later, he took exactly the opposite position. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post he said, “Israel’s security fence is a legitimate act of self defense.”

The contrasts are dramatic. They involve very different views of how to deal with terrorism. President Bush will make certain that we are combatting terrorism at the source, beyond our shores, so we can reduce the risk of having to confront it in the streets of New York.
John Kerry’s record of inconsistent positions on combatting terrorism gives us no confidence he’ll pursue such a determined course.
President Bush will not allow countries that appear to have ignored the lessons of history and failed for over thirty years to stand up to terrorists, to dissuade us from what is necessary for our defense.
He will not let them set our agenda. Under President Bush, America will lead rather than follow.

John Kerry’s claim that certain foreign leaders who opposed our removal of Saddam Hussein prefer him, raises the risk that he would accommodate his position to their viewpoint. It would hardly be the first time he changed his position on matters of war and peace.
I remember the days following September 11th when we were no longer Democrats or Republicans, but Americans determined to do all we could to help the victims, to rebuild our city and nation and
to disable our enemies.

I remember President Bush coming here on September 14, 2001 and lifting the morale of our rescue workers by talking with them and embracing them and staying with them much longer than originally planned.

In fact, if you promise to keep it just between us so I don’t get in trouble it was my opinion that the Secret Service was concerned about the President remaining so long in that area. With buildings still unstable, with fires raging below ground of 2000 degrees or more, there was good reason for concern. Well the President remained there and talked to everyone, the firefighters, the police officers, the
healthcare workers, the clergy, but the people who spent the most time with him were our construction workers.

Now New York construction workers are very special people. I’m sure this is true all over but I know the ones here the best. They were real heroes along with many others that day, volunteering
immediately. And they’re big, real big. Their arms are bigger than my legs and their opinions are even bigger than their arms. Now each one of them would engage the President and I imagine like his cabinet give him advice. They were advising him in their own words on exactly what he should do with the terrorists. Of course I can’t repeat their exact language. But one of them really went into great detail and upon conclusion of his remarks President Bush said in a rather loud voice, “I agree.” At this point the guy just beamed and all his buddies turned toward him in amazement. The guy just lost it. So he reached over, embraced the President and began hugging him enthusiastically.
A Secret Service agent standing next to me looked at the President and the guy and instead of extracting the President from this bear hug, he turned toward me and put his finger in my face and said, “If this guy hurts the President, Giuliani you’re finished.” Meekly, and this is the moral of the story, I responded, “but it would be out of love.”

I also remember the heart wrenching visit President Bush made to the families of our firefighters and police officers at the Javits Center.
I remember receiving all the help, assistance and support from the President and even more than we asked. For that I will be eternally grateful to President Bush. And I remember the support being bi-partisan and actually standing hand in hand Republicans and
Democrats, here in New York and all over the nation. During a Boston Red Sox game there was a sign held up saying Boston loves New York.
I saw a Chicago police officer sent here by Mayor Daley directing traffic in Manhattan. I’m not sure where he sent the cars, they are probably still riding around the Bronx, but it was very reassuring to know how much support we had.

And as we look beyond this election – and elections do accentuate differences – let’s make sure we rekindle that spirit that we are one – one America – united to end the threat of global terrorism.
Certainly President Bush will keep us focused on that goal. When President Bush announced his commitment to ending global terrorism, he understood - - I understood, we all understood - - it was critical to remove the pillars of support for the global terrorist movement.
In any plan to destroy global terrorism, removing Saddam Hussein needed to be accomplished. Frankly, I believed then and I believe now that Saddam Hussein, who supported global terrorism, slaughtered hundreds of thousands of his own people, permitted horrific atrocities against women, and used weapons of mass destruction, was himself a weapon of mass destruction.

But the reasons for removing Saddam Hussein were based on issues even broader than just the presence of weapons of mass destruction. To liberate people, give them a chance for accountable, decent government and rid the world of a pillar of support for global terrorism is something for which all those involved from President Bush to the brave men and women of our armed forces should be proud.

President Bush has also focused on the correct long-term answer for the violence and hatred emerging from the Middle East. The hatred and anger in the Middle East arises from the lack of accountable governments. Rather than trying to grant more freedom, create more income, improve education and basic health care, these governments deflect their own failures by pointing to America and Israel and other
external scapegoats.

But blaming these scapegoats does not improve the life of a single person in the Arab world. It does not relieve the plight of even one woman in Iran. It does not give a decent living to a single soul in Syria. It certainly does not stop the slaughter of African Christians in the Sudan.The changes necessary in the Middle East involve encouraging accountable, lawful governments that can be role models.
This has also been an important part of the Bush Doctrine and the President’s vision for the future. Have faith in the power of freedom.

People who live in freedom always prevail over people who live in oppression. That’s the story of the Old Testament. That’s the story of World War II and the Cold War. That’s the story of the firefighters and police officers and rescue workers who courageously saved
thousands of lives on September 11, 2001.

President Bush is the leader we need for the next four years because he sees beyond today and tomorrow. He has a vision of a peaceful Middle East and, therefore, a safer world. We will see an end to global terrorism. I can see it. I believe it. I know it will happen.
It may seem a long way off. It may even seem idealistic. But it may not be as far away and idealistic as it seems. Look how quickly the Berlin Wall was torn down, the Iron Curtain ripped open and the Soviet
Union disintegrated because of the power of the pent-up demand for freedom. When it catches hold there is nothing more powerful than freedom. Give it some hope, and it will overwhelm dictators, and even defeat terrorists. That is what we have done and must continue to do
in Iraq. That is what the Republican Party does best – when we are at our best, we extend freedom.

It’s our mission. And it’s the long-term answer to ending global terrorism. Governments that are free and accountable.

We have won many battles at home and abroad but as President Bush told us on September 20, 2001 it will take a long-term determined effort to prevail.

The war on terrorism will not be won in a single battle. There will be no dramatic surrender. There will be no crumbling of a massive wall.

But we will know it. We’ll know it as accountable governments continue to develop in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

We’ll know it as terrorist attacks throughout the world decrease and then end.

And then, God willing, we’ll all be able on a future anniversary of September 11th.

To say to our fallen brothers and sisters. To our heroes of the worst attack in our history and to our heroes who have sacrificed their lives in the war on terror.

We will say to them we have done all that we could with our lives that were spared to make your sacrifices build a world of real peace and true freedom.

We will make certain in the words of President Bush that they have heard from us.

That they have heard from us a message of peace through free, accountable, lawful and decent governments giving people hope for a future for themselves and their children.

God bless each one we have lost, here and abroad, and their families.

God bless all those defending our freedom.

God bless America.

RNC: McCain's Speech

[Prepared text of John McCain’s speech, made available by the GOP]

Remarks by Senator John McCain (AZ)

Thank you, Lindsey, and, thank you, my fellow Republicans. I’m truly grateful for the privilege of addressing you. This week, millions of Americans, not all Republicans, weigh our claim on their support for the two men who have led our country in these challenging times with moral courage and firm resolve.

So I begin with the words of a great American from the other party, given at his party’s convention in the year I was born. My purpose is not imitation, for I can’t match his eloquence, but respect for
the relevance in our time of his rousing summons to greatness of an earlier generation of Americans.

In a time of deep distress at home, as tyranny strangled the aspirations to liberty of millions, and as war clouds gathered in the West and East, Franklin Delano Roosevelt accepted his party’s
nomination by observing:
“There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

The awful events of September 11, 2001 declared a war we were vaguely aware of, but hadn’t really comprehended how near the threat was, and how terrible were the plans of our enemies.

It’s a big thing, this war. It’s a fight between a just regard for human dignity and a malevolent force that defiles an honorable
religion by disputing God’s love for every soul on earth. It’s a fight between right and wrong, good and evil.

And should our enemies acquire for their arsenal the chemical, biological and nuclear weapons they seek, this war will become a much bigger thing. So it is, whether we wished it or not, that we have
come to the test of our generation, to our rendezvous with destiny.
And much is expected of us.

We are engaged in a hard struggle against a cruel and determined adversary. Our enemies have made clear the danger they pose to our security and to the very essence of our culture…liberty.
Only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war.

Like all wars, this one will have its ups and downs. But we must fight. We must. The sacrifices borne in our defense are not shared equally by all Americans. But all Americans must share a resolve to see this war through to a just end. We must not be complacent at moments of success, and we must not despair over setbacks. We
must learn from our mistakes, improve on our successes, and vanquish this unpardonable enemy. If we do less, we will fail the one mission no American generation has ever failed…to provide to our children a stronger, better country than the one we were blessed to inherit.

Remember how we felt when the serenity of a bright September morning was destroyed by a savage atrocity so hostile to all human virtue we could scarcely imagine any human being capable of it. We were united.
First, in sorrow and anger. Then in recognition we were attacked not for a wrong we had done, but for who we are – a people united in a kinship of ideals, committed to the notion that the people are sovereign, not governments, not armies, not a pitiless, inhumane theocracy, not kings, mullahs or tyrants, but the people.

In that moment, we were not different races. We were not poor or rich. We were not Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. We were
not two countries. We were Americans. All of us, despite the differences that enliven our politics, are united in the one big idea that freedom is our birthright and its defense is always our first responsibility. All other responsibilities come second. We must not lose sight of that as we debate who among us should bear the greatest responsibility for keeping us safe and free. We must, whatever our disagreements, stick together in this great challenge of our time.
My friends in the Democratic Party – and I’m fortunate to call many of them my friends – assure us they share the conviction that winning the war against terrorism is our government’s most important obligation.
I don’t doubt their sincerity. They emphasize that military action alone won’t protect us, that this war has many fronts: in courts,
financial institutions, in the shadowy world of intelligence, and in diplomacy. They stress that America needs the help of her friends to combat an evil that threatens us all, that our alliances are as
important to victory as are our armies.We agree. And, as we’ve been a good friend to other countries in moments of shared perils, so we have good reason to expect their solidarity with us in this struggle.
That is what the President believes. And, thanks to his efforts we have received valuable assistance from many good friends around the
globe, even if we have, at times, been disappointed with the reactions of some.

I don’t doubt the sincerity of my Democratic friends. And they should not doubt ours. Our President will work with all nations willing to help us defeat this scourge that afflicts us all.

War is an awful business. The lives of a nation’s finest patriots are sacrificed. Innocent people suffer. Commerce is disrupted, economies are damaged. Strategic interests shielded by years of statecraft are endangered as the demands of war and diplomacy conflict.

However just the cause, we should shed a tear for all that is lost when war claims its wages from us. But there is no avoiding this war. We tried that, and our reluctance cost us dearly. And while this
war has many components, we can’t make victory on the battlefield harder to achieve so that our diplomacy is easier to conduct.
That is not just an expression of our strength. It’s a measure of our wisdom.

That’s why I commend to my country the re-election of President Bush, and the steady, experienced, public-spirited man who serves as our Vice-President, Dick Cheney.

Four years ago, in Philadelphia, I spoke of my confidence that President Bush would accept the responsibilities that come with America’s distinction as the world’s only superpower. I promised he would not let America “retreat behind empty threats, false promises and uncertain diplomacy;” that he would “confidently defend our interests and values wherever they are threatened.” I knew my confidence was well placed when I watched him stand on the rubble of the World Trade Center, with his arm around a hero of September 11th, and in our moment of mourning and anger, strengthen our unity and summon our resolve by promising to right this terrible wrong, and to stand up and fight for the values we hold dear. He promised our enemies would soon hear from us. And so they did. So they did.
He ordered American forces to Afghanistan and took the fight to our enemies, and away from our shores, seriously injuring al Qaeda and destroying the regime that gave them safe haven. He worked effectively to secure the cooperation of Pakistan, a relationship that’s critical to our success against al Qaeda.

He encouraged other friends to recognize the peril that terrorism posed for them, and won their help in apprehending many of those who would attack us again, and in helping to freeze the assets they
used to fund their bloody work.

After years of failed diplomacy and limited military pressure to restrain Saddam Hussein, President Bush made the difficult decision to liberate Iraq. Those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war. But there was no status quo to be left alone. The years of keeping Saddam in a box were coming to a close. The international consensus that he be kept isolated and unarmed had eroded to the point that many critics of military action had decided the time had come again to do business with Saddam, despite his near daily attacks on our pilots, and his refusal, until his last day in power, to allow the unrestricted inspection of his arsenal. Our choice wasn’t between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war. It was between war and a graver threat. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Not our critics abroad. Not our political opponents. And certainly not a disingenuous film maker who would have us believe that Saddam’s Iraq was an
oasis of peace when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children held inside their walls.

Whether or not Saddam possessed the terrible weapons he once had and used, freed from international pressure and the threat of military action, he would have acquired them again. The central security concern of our time is to keep such devastating weapons beyond the reach of terrorists who can’t be dissuaded from using them by the threat of mutual destruction. We couldn’t afford the risk posed by an unconstrained Saddam in these dangerous times. By destroying his regime we gave hope to people long oppressed that if they have the courage to fight for it, they may live in peace and freedom.
Most importantly, our efforts may encourage the people of a region that has never known peace or freedom or lasting stability that they may someday possess these rights.

I believe as strongly today as ever, the mission was necessary, achievable and noble. For his determination to undertake it, and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration. As the President rightly reminds us, we are safer than we were on September 11th, but we’re not yet safe. We are still closer to the beginning than the end of this fight. We need a leader with the experience to make the tough decisions and the resolve to stick with them; a leader who will keep us moving forward even if it is easier to rest.And this President will not rest until America is stronger and safer still, and this hateful iniquity is vanquished. He has been tested and has risen to the most important challenge of our time, and I salute him.

I salute his determination to make this world a better, safer, freer place. He has not wavered. He has not flinched from the hard choices. He will not yield. And neither will we.

I said earlier that the sacrifices in this war will not be shared equally by all Americans. The President is the first to observe, most of the sacrifices fall, as they have before, to the brave men and
women of our Armed Forces. We may be good citizens, but make no mistake, they are the very best of us.

It’s an honor to live in a country that is so well and so bravely defended by such patriots. May God bless them, the living and the fallen, as He has blessed us with their service. For their families, for their friends, for America, for mankind they sacrifice to affirm that right makes might; that good triumphs over evil; that freedom is stronger than tyranny; that love is greater than hate. It is left to us to keep their generous benefaction alive, and our blessed, beautiful country worthy of their courage. We should be thankful — for the privilege.

Our country’s security doesn’t depend on the heroism of every citizen. But we have to be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.
We have to love our freedom, not just for the material benefits it provides, not just for the autonomy it guarantees us, but for the goodness it makes possible. We have to love it as much, if not as
heroically, as the brave Americans who defend us at the risk, and often the cost of their lives. No American alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of September 11th. That
day was the moment when the pendulum of history swung toward a new era. The opening chapter was tinged with great sadness and uncertainty. It shook us from our complacency in the belief that
the Cold War’s end had ushered in a time of global tranquility.
But an absence of complacency should not provoke an absence of confidence. What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. It cannot be taken from us. It can only be surrendered.
My friends, we are again met on the field of political competition with our fellow countrymen.

It is more than appropriate, it is necessary that even in times of crisis we have these contests, and engage in spirited disagreement over the shape and course of our government. We have nothing to fear from each other. We are arguing over the means to better secure our
freedom, and promote the general welfare. But it should remain an argument among friends who share an unshaken belief in our great cause, and in the goodness of each other.

We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always.
Let us argue our differences.

But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them. Our adversaries are weaker than us in arms and men, but weaker still in causes. They fight to express a hatred for all that is good in humanity. We fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is invincible. Keep that faith. Keep your
courage. Stick together. Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with our President and fight.

We’re Americans.

We’re Americans, and we’ll never surrender.

They will.

In Case You're Wondering ...

… why I’m not in NYC: as with the DNC, my real (and paying) job requires that I be in Minneapolis today and tomorrow. Think of it as an “undisclosed location,” except that it’s just been disclosed. But Michele’s on the scene, as are many other CP contributors, and I’ll be in the hall bright and early Wednesday morning.

Until then, keep reading.

The National Journal

National Journal Magazine, which is read by every politico in the United States and typically available only for a stiff subscription fee, is providing full access to its site during the RNC.

It’s crack for political junkies … use wisely.

EP Has Bush Gaining The EV Lead

Election Projection - 2004 Edition has crunched the latest pre-RNC data and now has Bush leading with 284 electoral votes (to Kerry’s 254). Wisconsin, Florida, and Ohio have slid to Bush, New Hampshire to Kerry. All remain more purple than red or blue.

RNC: Here and There

Well, it’s only the first day and there’s nothing all that exciting going on, but we are determined to bring you more coverage than the Big Three networks. Which won’t be hard.

[click for bigger]As in Boston, Al Jazeera is broadcasting live from the convention. Unlike in Boston, AJ gets their name in lights at MSG. Not everyone likes that idea, however:

An Al-Jazeera camera crew sidled up to South Dakota Senate candidate John Thune on Monday and tried to ask some questions after he finished a live shot on MSNBC. But Thune kept walking after his campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, realized the crew was from the Arab-language satellite TV network, which many U.S. conservatives say is biased against the United States.

“We don’t need to be talking to people who defend terrorists,” Wadhams told other campaign aides. The crew followed Thune around on the floor for a few minutes before giving up and leaving.

And what about celebrity sightings? Rumor has it that “the Repub celebrity quotient is decidedly lower than the Democrat.” Then again, the depends on what your idea of a celebrity is. For some, foreign policy adviser Tucker Eskew passes the celeb test.

Well, there’s always Don King.

[photos courtesy of Command Post roving reporter, Faith]

RNC: Delegates Officially Submit Names

Delegates officially submitted the names of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney Monday for nomination to second terms as the Republican National Convention (search) got into full swing.

An alphabetical state-by-state roll call began that will be spread out over several nights, though only some states will cast their delegate votes.

Read more..

Tancredo to fight over immigration

From The Hill:

RNC: The Day in Quotes, So Far

• Former NY Mayor and Democrat Ed Koch: “This year, I’m voting for the re-election of President George W. Bush.”

• RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie: “We are going to honor the courage of our nation, the compassion of our people and the promise of our future.”

• Hon. Marc Racicot (Former Governor of Montana and Bush-Cheney ‘04 Campaign Chairman): “In this city, America finally awoke to the reality of a world at war,” Racicot said. “In this city, vibrant and better than ever, we find confirmation that America, though bruised, can never be shattered.”

• Filmmaker Michael Moore (at a protest march): “The majority never voted for the Bush administration, and the majority are here to say, ‘It’s time to have our country back in our hands.”

• Former President Bill Clinton, speaking in New York yesterday (in reference to the Swift Boat ads): “Sometimes I think our friends on the other side have become the people of the Nine Commandments,” Mr. Clinton said. “It is wrong to bear false witness.”

RNC Convention: Text of Mayor Bloomberg's Speech

[Courtesy of GOPconvention.org]

Remarks by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to the Republican National Convention

Thank you, Mayor Koch, for serving this town so well over so many years and, especially, for helping us mobilize, not only the 8,000 volunteers you sought, but the more than 20,000 you got for this amazing event. Your success is a mark of how excited New Yorkers are to have the Convention here.

It’s also our way of saying “thank you” to the Republicans for your tremendous vote of confidence in our city. We should remember, it wasn’t so long ago that confidence in New York was in short supply. When I took the oath of office nearly three years ago, we were a city in mourning a city that had, in a few dreadful hours, lost almost 3,000 of our own husbands, wives, sons, and daughters from every part of the nation, and every corner of the globe.

There were those who doubted then whether this city could hold onto the gains made during the 90s under Mayor Giuliani. A lot of people were wondering what the future held for New York City, or whether we even had a future.

But neither America nor President Bush ever stopped believing in us. Nearly two years ago, with the city’s fate still a question mark in many minds, our President decided that this Convention would come to New York. This was a show of faith that required courage and vision one that all New Yorkers will not forget.

And today it fills me with enormous pride and gratitude to tell everyone that New York City is back! Our economy is growing, with 45,000 private sector jobs created in the last 12 months alone. Our neighborhoods are humming, with a level of public and private construction not seen since the end of World War II. Our streets are bustling, with a three-year, 15% reduction in crime that has defied the odds and made the nation’s safest city even safer. Our schools are reviving. Our streets are cleaner. Our quality of life is better. And our future is brighter than ever.

And New York City has been given the high honor of representing all America in the competition to host the world’s greatest athletic event: the 2012 Olympics.

It’s only fitting, because from our earliest days, when Peter Stuyvesant was the governor of a small, multi-lingual frontier outpost, right up to today, when 170 languages are spoken on our streets and in our homes, New York City has been, and always will be, an Olympic Village.

We’ve showed the world that New York can never be defeated, because of its dynamic and diverse population…because it embodies the spirit of enterprise and the love of liberty…and because, no matter who you are, if you believe in yourself and your dream, New York will always be the place for you.

This is the city of dreamers. And time and again, it’s the place where the greatest dream of all the American Dream has been tested and has triumphed.

It’s where, in his first major national speech in 1860, Abraham Lincoln challenged this party, and our nation, to face the moral evil of slavery with “the faith that right makes might.”

And later that year, it was New York’s delegation to the Republican National Convention that moved to make Abraham Lincoln’s nomination for the Presidency of the United States unanimous. I’m proud to say that, framed on a wall of my home, is the flag those New York Republicans carried during that convention. It’s a constant reminder to me of the proud role New York played at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history.

Four score and seven years later, New York City is where Jackie Robinson erased the color barrier in our national pastime with his bat and glove and gallant spirit. A monument to this trailblazer is under construction in Brooklyn to remind us all: America is for everyone.

And our city is also where, on Independence Day, Governor Pataki and I laid the cornerstone for the Freedom Tower at the site of the World Trade Center. The terrorists hit us there. Our knees buckled. But we stayed on our feet. And we showed that our dreams, like our liberties, will never be lost to violence or hate.

No place epitomizes the American Experience and the American Spirit more than New York City. Ironically, it is exactly because we are a city that embraces freedom that welcomes everyone and encourages their dreams that New York remains on the frontlines in the war on terror.

I want to thank President Bush for supporting New York City in changing the Homeland Security Funding formula and for leading the global war on terrorism. The President deserves our support. We are here to support him. I am here to support him.

We all must recognize that Homeland Security funds should be allocated by threat and no other reason. I will repeat this message to my fellow Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, as many times as it takes, so we can keep New York safe and secure.

New Yorkers will go forward, doing our duty for our city, our nation, and our families. And we know that you will, too. Because in our hour of greatest trial, you all our fellow Americans, from every corner of this land were there for us.

And we owe you more than we can ever say. Your Police Officers and Firefighters volunteered for duty at Ground Zero. Your houses of worship sent blankets, food, and prayers. Your school children mailed us pictures and poems. That’s another reason that this Convention is our chance to say “thank you.” It’s why we’re making our town your town for the week.

We’re the World’s Second Home the place where every religion is practiced and every culture is celebrated. It’s all there for you from Brooklyn Heights to Bayside, and from Coney Island to Chelsea. Take it all in: The world’s greatest museums; Broadway; the Yankees and the Mets; high-fashion shopping and bargain-hunting specials; and more than 18,000 restaurants in all five boroughs, eager to please any palate and fit any budget.

And let me give you an insider’s tip my own personal favorite thing to do in this city. At least one morning while you’re here, begin the day with a ride on the ferry to Staten Island. Out there in the harbor, you’ll glide past the Statue of Liberty, the beacon of freedom that America holds out to people everywhere. It’s guaranteed to bring a lump to your throat, because you’ll be looking at New York the way generations of new Americans have:

As the place to make all your dreams come true.

Thank you, and have a great convention.

McCain: Kerry's Anti-War Activities Fair Game

John McCain says Kerry’s after war activities are part of a legitimate debate:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called advertisements run against John Kerry by pro-Republican Vietnam War veterans “dishonest and dishonorable” but said Monday it’s legitimate to question the Democratic presidential candidate’s anti-war efforts following his service.

A group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, made up of men who served on the same vessels as Kerry in Vietnam, has been running harshly critical ads questioning the Massachusetts senator’s leadership qualities and claiming he embellished his record to receive military awards.

“I think these ads are dishonest and dishonorable,” McCain said.

However, he said Kerry’s prominent role in the anti-war movement after he returned from Vietnam should be questioned. Kerry led a veterans’ group opposed to the war and, during Capitol Hill testimony, said U.S. soldiers committed atrocities with heir commanders’ approval.

“What John Kerry did after the war is very legitimate political discussion,” McCain said.

RNC Convention: Today's Schedule

Highlights of today’s schedule (entire schedule can be found here).

Daytime:

• Ed Gillespie - Chairman, Republican National Committee
• The Honorable Michael Bloomberg(NY)- Mayor of the City of New York
• The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert(IL) - Permanent Convention Chairman, 2004 Republican National Convention
• Submission of President Bush as Candidate for Presidential Nomination
• Submission of Vice President Cheney as Candidate for Vice Presidential Nomination

Evening (7:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. EDT):

• Tribute to President Ford
• Senator John McCain (AZ)
• The Honorable Rudy Giuliani - Former Mayor of the City of New York

RNC Convention: Excerpts of Prepared Remarks (Monday)

[Excerpts made available by GOP]

Today’s theme: “A Nation of Courage”

Senator John McCain (AZ) Excerpts from Remarks to the 2004 Republican National Convention

On President Bush:

• “He has been tested and has risen to the most important challenge of our time, and I salute him. I salute his determination to make this world a better, safer freer place. He has not wavered. He has not flinched from the hard choices. He will not yield. And neither will we.”

On the courage of the men and women of our military:

• “[T]he sacrifices in this war will not be shared equally by all Americans. The President is the first to observe, most of the sacrifices fall, as they have before, to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. We may be good citizens, but make no mistake, they are the very best of us. It’s an honor to live in a country that is so well and so bravely defended by such patriots. May God bless them, the living and the fallen, as He has blessed us with their service.”

On September 11th:

• “No American alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of September 11th. That day was the moment when the hinge of history swung toward a new era. The opening chapter was tinged with great sadness and uncertainty. It shook us from our complacency in the belief that the Cold War’s end had ushered in a time of global tranquility. But an absence of complacency should not provoke an absence of confidence. What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. It cannot be taken from us. It can only be surrendered.”

The Honorable Rudy Giuliani Excerpts from Remarks to the 2004 Republican National Convention

“In choosing a President, we really don’t choose a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal. We choose a leader. And in times of danger, as we are now in, Americans should put leadership at the core of their decision. There are many qualities that make a great leader but having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader.

Winston Churchill saw the dangers of Hitler when his opponents and much of the press characterized him as a war-mongering gadfly.

Ronald Reagan saw and described the Soviet Union as ‘the evil empire’ when world opinion accepted it as inevitable and belittled Ronald Reagan’s intelligence.

“George W. Bush sees world terrorism for the evil that it is and he will remain consistent to the purpose of defeating it while working to make us ever safer at home.”

Protesters Hit the Streets of NYC

Getting a jump start on the convention, anti-war/Bush/capitalism/fill-in-the-blank protesters took the streets of New York yesterday. Crowd estimates range 120,000 (NYPD estimate) to upwards of 450,000 (United for Peace and Justice estimate).

The protests, for the most part, were peaceful:

While often loud in denouncing President Bush, the protesters were mostly peaceful, a fact acknowledged by Mayor Bloomberg, who said, “United for Peace and Justice has behaved responsibly, as have virtually all the marchers.”

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly also commended the protesters “for keeping their word they pledged that [they] would follow the march route.

However, there were quite a few incidents which may make a bit uneasy as to how the next four days will unfold.

Protesters threw urine-filled balloons at cops, knocked down barricades and are planning to throw eggs at delegates who venture into the theater district. And:

In addition, there are groups that are passing out baskets of wirecutters and razor blades to cut the plastic Flexicuffs the police use to handcuff suspects under arrest.

Yes, there are dozens of protesters now walking around with razor blades.

A few bloggers are live-blogging the protests:

Ryan Sager, Jason Calacanis have some photos up while Matt Margolis has been audio blogging (scroll down).

[Thanks to A.Pundit - who has extensive protest coverage - for most of the links]

Democratic Senator Zell Miller Tells Fox News Sunday Why He Supports President Bush

Georgia’s Democratic Senator Zell Miller tells “FOX News Sunday.” why he will vote for President Bush:

Because of the time that we live in, is one reason. In this dangerous time, we need a strong commander in chief, and I think that George Bush is one of the strongest that you could possibly have. I have admired and respected the way that he has grabbed terrorism by the throat. And I think he’s the commander in chief that we need these next four years.

[. . .]

We’re at war. 9/11 changed everything, as far as I’m concerned. It changed the way that we have got to look at how we do things.

[. . .]

I’m voting for George Bush. I’m voting for a commander in chief who has the strength to lead this country in a time of war.

And I cannot support Senator Kerry, because I think he’s weak on defense. And I think that his liberal voting record in the Senate is so far to the left that it’s off the charts. He’s not in the mainstream of this country. He’s way to the left of this country.

From California Yankee.