Tampa, U.S.A. — Good evening America, and hello to the fired-up delegation from the Buckeye State right in front of me.

My name is Rob Portman and they say I was on Governor Romney’s short list of vice presidential candidates.

Apparently, it wasn’t short enough.

But it’s been a great convention and I am delighted to be here tonight to talk about the fundamental differences between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama when it comes to understanding our economy.

Let’s begin by talking about something the Democrats love to demonize - Mitt Romney’s success in the private sector. He built a company from the ground up, created lots of jobs, and yes, he made money.

He made it the old fashioned way . . . He earned it.

Then you have Barack Obama, who has never started a business—never even worked in business. And he claims those who have should give credit to the government or someone else for their success.

So, you have one candidate who understands that success comes from working hard, competing and taking risks.

And you have another candidate who believes success comes from government.

Which one do you think knows how to turn this economy around?

Which one would you choose to invest your life’s savings?

Should it be any different for safeguarding our nation’s economy?

Or let’s say you don’t have any savings. Let’s say you’re worried about how to pay September’s rent or mortgage.

Let’s say you are one of the millions of Americans out of work or the millions more who have given up looking.

You’ve gotta be running out of patience – and hope. You have to be tired, looking for a new start.

Well, you don’t have to be patient any longer. Through your vote this fall you can change the leadership of this country and the opportunities for you and your family.

America, it has been nearly four years of over eight percent unemployment – and double digit unemployment for young people, Hispanics and African-Americans.

Four years. FDR and Truman won an entire world war in four years.

America is tired of waiting.

In business, if you don’t move rapidly, you are out of business. You are finished.

We want a president who operates at business speed not government speed.

President Obama says he deserves reelection because his economic policies have worked.

NOT in this universe they haven’t.

In fact, the experts tell us that if we don’t change our policies we are going back into recession next year.

Tens of millions of Americans are not out of the last recession!

Governor Romney had a plan to build his business. He now has a detailed plan to restore our economy and strengthen the middle class.

I ask you: Where is the president’s economic plan?

Blaming others does not qualify as a plan. Now the president did submit a budget. It was so bad that not a single Republican or a single Democrat in the entire United States Congress would vote for it.

He got zero votes. That is a failure of leadership.

President Obama has been right about at least one prediction he’s made about the economy. He said, “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.”

I think you are right about that, Mr. President.

It hasn’t worked, because you cannot spend your way, regulate your way, tax your way or blame your way out of the economic mess we are in.

You have to liberate the productive power of the American people through policies that encourage innovation, risk taking, investment and jobs.

And you have to compete and win in the global economy. Governor Romney understands this.

In contrast, President Obama is the first president in 75 years—Democrat or Republican—who hasn’t even sought the ability to negotiate export agreements and open markets overseas. Now why is this important?

Because 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders. And to create jobs, our workers and our farmers need to sell more of what we make to those people.

While this administration has been dragging its feet, other countries have been busy negotiating hundreds of new trade agreements to benefit their workers and their farmers, taking away our opportunities.

President Obama has been so driven to advance his big government ideology that he has abandoned the daily economic work that a government must do to open markets, restore business confidence and create the climate for job growth.

This is the work President Romney would begin on day one.

Take trade with China. China manipulates its currency giving it an unfair trade advantage. So why doesn’t the president do something about it?

I’ll tell you one reason – President Obama could not run up his record trillion dollar deficits if the Chinese did not buy our bonds to finance them.

We are as beholden to China for bonds as we are to the Middle East for oil.

This will end under Mitt Romney.

We need to knock down these trade barriers abroad, but we also need to knock down the self-imposed barriers to success right here at home.

We need to reform our outdated and complicated tax code. We need to fix our burdensome regulatory system and we need an energy policy that encourages development of our resources right here, in the ground, in America.

America has a choice between Mitt Romney, who seeks to grow the economy, and Barack Obamawho seeks to redistribute it.

Which one do you think will liberate America’s entrepreneurial spirit?

At the other party’s convention, you will hear the chant, “Four more years. Four more years.”

Folks – we can’t afford four more years. How about no more years?

Governor Romney chose a terrific partner in Paul Ryan of Wisconsin – Paul is a close friend with a great family and a reformer’s heart.

Vice President Biden has told people out of work to just, “hang in there.” So much for hope and change.

Paul Ryan is not asking America to continue to hang in there. He is proposing new policies that will give poor and middle class families opportunities and hope for the future.

Mitt Romney made his mark turning around businesses and solving problems.

Paul Ryan made his mark as a respected reformer focused on results.

Together they will do what President Obama has not done: They will lead in breaking through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C.

America, give them the chance to restore America’s economy and restore the American dream.

I have seen that dream up close. When I was a kid, my dad left his job as a salesman and started his own business selling forklift trucks. My Mom was the bookkeeper. He had to borrow money from her uncle because the bank wouldn’t give him a loan. He lost money for the first few years, but he never lost his dream.

And by the time he retired and my brother took over, the business had 200 employees – supporting 200 families in Southwest Ohio.

This is the classic American story – not of government telling us what to do – but of free men and free women willing to work hard and take a risk to build something of value for themselves, their families and their community.

About a year into the Obama Administration – I asked my dad whether he would do it again. He said, “Rob – with all the uncertainty out there today – I don’t know if I would take the risk.”

In that one sentence, he summed up what I’ve heard from hundreds of small business owners across Ohio and around this great country. They’re afraid to make the investment and jobs are the casualty.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need new leadership and new policies to bring back the dream and renew America’s promise.

No more excuses, no more blaming others, no more waiting.

We need Romney /Ryan and we need them now! And with your help, it will happen.

Thank you and God bless our great country.

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. Rand Paul, U.S. Senator, Kentucky, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

When the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare, the first words out of my mouth were: I still think it is unconstitutional!

The leftwing blogs were merciless. Even my wife said — can’t you pleeeease count to ten before you speak?

So, I’ve had time now to count to ten and, you know what? I still think it’s unconstitutional!

Do you think Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas have changed their minds?

I think if James Madison himself — the father of the Constitution — were here today he would agree with me: The whole damn thing is still unconstitutional!

This debate is not new and it’s not over. Hamilton and Madison fought from the beginning about how government would be limited by the enumerated powers.

Madison was unequivocal. The powers of the federal government are few and defined. The power to tax and spend is restricted by the enumerated powers.

So, how do we fix this travesty of justice? There’s only one option left.

We have to have a new president!

When I heard the current president say, “You didn’t build that,” I was first insulted, then I was angered, then I was saddened that anyone in our country, much less the president of the United States, believes that roads create business success and not the other way around.

Anyone who so fundamentally misunderstands American greatness is uniquely unqualified to lead this great nation.

The great and abiding lesson of American history, particularly the Cold War, is that the engine of capitalism — the individual — is mightier than any collective.

American inventiveness and desire to build developed because we were guaranteed the right to own our success. For most of our history, no one dared tell Americans: “You didn’t build that.”

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Taing family owns the Great American Donut shop. Their family fled war-torn Cambodia to come to this country. My kids and I love to eat doughnuts, so we go there frequently.

The Taings work long hours. Mrs. Taing told us that the family works through the night to make doughnuts. The Taing children have become valedictorians and National Merit Scholars.

The Taings from Cambodia are an American success story so, Mr. President, don’t you go telling the Taings: “You didn’t build that.”

When you say they didn’t build it, you insult each and every American who ever got up at the crack of dawn. You insult any American who ever put on overalls or a suit.

You insult any American who ever studied late into the night to become a doctor or a lawyer. You insult the dishwasher, the cook, the waitress.

You insult anyone who has ever dragged themselves out of bed to strive for something better for themselves or their children.

My great grandfather, like many, came to this country in search of the American Dream. No sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died.

He arrived in Pittsburgh as a teenager with nothing, not a penny. He found the American Dream: not great wealth, but a bit of property in a new land that gave him hope for his children.

In America, as opposed to the old country, success was based on merit. Probably America’s greatest asset was that for the first time success was not based on who you were, but on what you did.

My grandfather would live to see his children become doctors, ministers, accountants and professors. He would even live to see one of his sons, a certain congressman from Texas, run for president of the United States of America.

Immigrants have flocked to our shores seeking freedom. Our forbearers came full of hopes and dreams. So consistent and prevalent were these aspirations that they crystallized into a national yearning we call the American Dream.

No other country has a Dream so inextricably associated with the spirit of its people.

In 1982, an American sailor, John Mooney, wrote a letter to his parents that captures the essence of the American Dream:

“Dear Mom and Dad, today we spotted a boat in the water, and we rendered assistance. We picked up 65 Vietnamese refugees.  As they approached the ship, they were all waving and trying as best they could to say, ‘Hello America sailor! Hello Freedom man!’ It’s hard to see a boat full of people like that and not get a lump somewhere between chin and bellybutton. And it really makes one proud and glad to be an American. It reminds us all of what America has always been — a place a man or woman can come to for freedom.”

Hung and Thuan Tringh are brothers and friends of mine. They came to America on one of those leaky, overcrowded boats. They were attacked at sea by pirates. Their family’s wealth was stolen. Thuan spent a year on a South Pacific island existing on one cup of rice and water each day until he was allowed to come to America. Now both of these men and their families are proud Americans. Hung owns his own business and Thuan manages a large company. They are the American Dream.

So, Mr. President, don’t go telling the Tringh family: “You didn’t build that.”

When the president says, “You didn’t build that,” he is flat out wrong. Businessmen and women did build that. Businessmen and women did earn their success. Without the success of American business, we wouldn’t have any roads, or bridges, or schools.

Mr. President, you say the rich must pay their fair share. When you seek to punish the rich, the jobs that are lost are those of the poor and middle class.

When you seek to punish Mr. Exxon Mobil, you punish the secretary who owns Exxon Mobil stock.

When you block the Keystone Pipeline, you punish the welder who works on the pipeline.

Our nation faces a crisis. America wavers. Unfortunately, we are one of a select group of countries whose debt equals their gross domestic product.

The republic of Washington and Jefferson is now in danger of becoming the democracy of debt and despair. Our great nation is coming apart at the seams and the president seems to point fingers and blame others.

President Obama’s administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term.

This explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. Mr. President, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation!

Republicans and Democrats alike must slay their sacred cows. Republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well-spent, and Democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reformed.

Republicans and Democrats must replace fear with confidence, confidence that no terrorist, and no country, will ever conquer us if we remain steadfast to the principles of our Founding documents.

We have nothing to fear except our own unwillingness to defend what is naturally ours, our God-given rights. We have nothing to fear that should cause us to forget or relinquish our rights as free men and women.

To thrive we must believe in ourselves again, and we must never — never — trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security.

Author Paul Kengor writes of a brisk evening in small-town Illinois. Returning home from a basketball game at the YMCA, an 11 year old boy is stunned by the sight of his father sprawled out in the snow on the front porch. “He was drunk,” his son later remembered. “Dead to the world, crucified.” The dad’s hair was soaked with melted snow, matted unevenly against the side of his reddened face.

The boy stood over his father for a minute or two. He simply wanted to let himself in the door and pretend his dad wasn’t there. Instead, he grabbed a fistful of overcoat and heaved his dad to the bedroom, away from the weather’s harm and neighbors’ attention.

This young boy became the man – Ronald Reagan – whose sunny optimism and charisma shined so brightly that it cured the malaise of the late seventies, a confidence that beamed so broadly that it pulled us through a serious recession, and a faith that tugged so happily at all hearts that a generation of Democrats became Republicans.

The American Dream is that any among us could become the next Thomas Edison, the next Henry Ford, the next Ronald Reagan.

To lead us forward, away from the looming debt crisis, it will take someone who believes in America’s greatness, who believes in and can articulate the American dream, someone who has created jobs, someone who understands and appreciates what makes America great, someone who will lead our party and our nation forward.

I believe that someone is our nominee: Governor Mitt Romney.

As Reagan said, our freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. If our freedom is taken, the American Dream will wither and die.

To lead, we must transform the coldness of austerity into the warm, vibrant embrace of prosperity.

To overcome the current crisis, we must appreciate and applaud American success. We must step forward, unabashedly and proclaim: You did build that. You earned that. You worked hard. You studied. You labored. You did build that. And you deserve America’s undying gratitude. For you, the individual, are the engine of America’s greatness.

Thank you.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — While we gather here tonight for the second night of the GOP Convention in Tampa, we’d like to pause to acknowledge those along the Gulf Coast impacted by Hurricane Isaac.

While it’s now been downgraded to a tropical storm, our hearts and our prayers remain with them.

And we pledge to help them recover and rebuild.

Tonight we have a terrific line-up for you. Our theme tonight is, “We can change it.”

We have heard of the challenges America is facing; now let’s talk about the solutions.

Those of you here in the convention, and those of you watching at home, know what needs to be done:

–We need to create more jobs and get our economy moving again.

–We need to make college affordable and within the reach of every child. I was the first in my family to graduate from college, so I know how important that is to the American Dream.

–We need a government that works for us, not against us, and lives within its means (just like you and I do).

–We also need a president who shares these ideas and values.

Our current president has a different philosophy.

For every problem, he has the same solution: more taxes, more spending and more government.

We know how those policies have turned out: more unemployment, more poverty, and more debt.

Friends, we know we can do better – we can change it. And tonight’s program is filled with people who will tell us how.

Senator John Thune will talk to us about how small businesses – like the one I ran with my family inWashington state – are the fuel our economy needs.

Senator Rob Portman will talk to us about the vital role of international trade in jump-starting our economy.

Governor Tim Pawlenty will share with us why he believes Mitt Romney is the man who can get the job done.

We’re so pleased that Mike Huckabee will be with us. We look forward to hearing his candid assessments as one of America’s favorite former governors.

And former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will talk about America’s role on the world stage – and how our current economic situation impacts our ability to lead.

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez will talk about how she became the first female Hispanic governor in American history – and how she hopes to break down barriers for other young women.

And finally, our keynote speaker is a man with the courage of his convictions, who is not afraid to tackle the tough questions facing our country, the next vice president of the United States, Paul Ryan.

So let’s start by talking about one of the first things that will change under Mitt Romney – Obamacare. Join me in welcoming Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens.

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Tampa, U.S.A. – It’s an honor, as always, my fellow Republicans, to join you at our national convention, and add my voice to yours as we nominate the next president of the United States, my friend, Governor Mitt Romney.

I had hopes once of addressing you under different circumstances. But our fellow Americans had another plan four years ago, and I accept their decision.

I’ve been blessed for so long to play a role in our nation’s affairs that I’m conscious only of the debt I owe America, and I thank you for the honor.

When we nominate Mitt Romney, we do so with a greater purpose than winning an advantage for our party.

We charge him with the care of a higher cause. His election represents our best hopes for our country and the world.

It is said this election will turn on domestic and economic issues. But what Mitt Romney knows, and what we know, is that our success at home also depends on our leadership in the world.

It is our willingness to shape world events for the better that has kept us safe, increased our prosperity, preserved our liberty and transformed human history.

At our best, America has led.

We have led by our example, as a shining city on a hill. We have led at the direction of patriots from both parties.

We have led, shoulder to shoulder, with steadfast friends and allies. We have led by giving voice to the voiceless, insisting that every human life has dignity and aiding those brave souls who risk everything to secure the inalienable rights that are endowed to all by our Creator.

We have led with generous hearts, moved by an abiding love of justice, to help others eradicate disease, lift themselves from poverty, live under laws of their own making and determine their own destinies.

We have led, when necessary, with the armed might of freedom’s defenders.

And always we have led from the front, never from behind.

This is what makes America an exceptional nation: It is not just a matter of who we are, it is the record of what we have done.

It is the responsibility that generation after generation of Americans has affirmed and carried forward.

It is the cause that many Americans have sacrificed everything — absolutely everything — to defend.

And when they have gone into battle, as they do today, they have done so with the conviction that the country that sent them there is worth their sacrifice, that it stands for something more than the sum of our individual interests.

May God bless all who have served, and all who serve today, as He has blessed us with their service.

We are now being tested by an array of threats that are more complex, more numerous and just as deadly as any I can recall in my lifetime. We face a consequential choice — and make no mistake, it is a choice.

We can choose to follow a declining path, toward a future that is dimmer and more dangerous than our past.

Or we can choose to reform our failing government, revitalize our ailing economy and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world.

That is what’s at stake in this election.

Unfortunately, for four years, we’ve drifted away from our proudest traditions of global leadership — traditions that are truly bipartisan. We’ve let the challenges we face, both at home and abroad, become harder to solve.

We can’t afford to stay on that course any longer.

We can’t afford to cause our friends and allies — from Latin America to Asia, Europe to the Middle East, and especially in Israel, a nation under existential threat — to doubt America’s leadership.

We can’t afford to give governments in Russia and China a veto over how we defend our interests and the progress of our values in the world.

We can’t afford to have the security of our nation and those who bravely defend it endangered because their government leaks the secrets of their heroic operations to the media.

I believe we can’t afford to substitute a political timetable for a military strategy.

By committing to withdraw from Afghanistan before peace can be achieved and sustained, the president has discouraged our friends and emboldened our enemies, which is why our commanders did not recommend that decision and why they have said it puts our mission at greater risk.

We can’t afford another $500 billion in cuts to our defense budget — on top of the nearly $500 billionin cuts that the president is already making. His own secretary of defense has said that cutting our military by nearly $1 trillion would be “devastating.”

And yet, the president is playing no leadership role in preventing this crippling blow to our military.

A wise congressman from Wisconsin has said, “Our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a collision course.” And that man is our next vice president, Paul Ryan.

But most of all, we can’t afford to abandon the cause of human freedom. When long-suffering peoples demand liberation from their jailers and torturers and tyrants, the leader of the free world must stand with them.

Unfortunately, this is not happening.

When Iranians rose up by the millions against their oppressive rulers, when they beseeched our president, chanting in English, “Are you with us, or are you with them?”, when the entire world watched as a brave young woman named Neda was shot and bled to death in a street in Tehran.

The president missed a historic opportunity to throw America’s full moral support behind an Iranian revolution that shared one of our highest interests: ridding Iran of a brutal dictatorship that terrorizes the Middle East and threatens the world.

The situation is far worse in Syria. What began as peaceful protests has now become, 18 months later, a savage and unfair fight.

With the full backing of Iran, and Hezbollah, and Russia—with tanks, and helicopters, and fighter jets,Bashir Assad is murdering men, women and children.

More than 20,000 people have perished. Extremists are gaining ground. And the conflict is becoming more dangerous by the day for our allies, and for us.

In other times, when other courageous people fought for their freedom against sworn enemies of the United States, American presidents — both Republicans and Democrats — have acted to help them prevail.

Sadly, for the lonely voices of dissent in Syria, and Iran, and elsewhere, who feel forgotten in their darkness, and sadly for us, as well, our president is not being true to our values.

For the sake of the cause of freedom, for the sake of people who are willing to give their lives so their fellow citizens can determine their own futures and for the sake of our nation — the nation founded on the idea that all people, everywhere, have the right to freedom and justice — we must return to our best traditions of American leadership, and support those who face down the brutal tyranny of their oppressors and our enemies.

Across the world, people are seizing control of their own destinies. They are liberating themselves from oppressive rulers. And they want America’s support.

They want America’s assistance as they struggle to live in peace and security, to expand opportunity for themselves and their children, to replace the injustices of despots with the institutions of democracy and freedom.

America must be on the right side of history.

The demand for our leadership in the world has never been greater. People don’t want less of America.

They want more.

Everywhere I go in the world, people tell me they still have faith in America.

What they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves.

I trust that Mitt Romney has that faith, and I trust him to lead us.

I trust him to affirm our nation’s exceptional character and responsibilities.

I trust him to know that our security and economic interests are inextricably tied to the progress of our values.

I trust him to know that if America doesn’t lead, our adversaries will, and the world will grow darker, poorer and much more dangerous.

I trust him to know that an American president always, always, always stands up for the rights, and freedoms, and justice of all people.

I trust Mitt Romney to know that good can triumph over evil, that justice can vanquish tyranny, that love can conquer hate, that the desire for freedom is eternal and universal, and that America is still the best hope of mankind.

And now, my fellow Americans: Let’s elect our next commander-in-chief, and the next leader of the free world, my friend, Governor Mitt Romney.

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Tampa, U.S.A. – As a proud American serving the nearly 4 million American citizens of Puerto Rico, I am honored to be with you tonight.

We gather to celebrate the hopes and dreams of every American. We all believe in the greatness of this nation, and this greatness lies within each of us.

Hard-working Americans are fighting every day to provide for themselves and their families, and to leave a more prosperous country for the next generation.

That’s true here in Florida, it’s true in Puerto Rico, and it’s true throughout this great land of ours.

But, as families have tightened their budgets, Washington continues its wasteful spending.

Unless we elect leaders who take responsibility now, our children and theirs will pay for it later.

You and I know there is a better way, and like many conservative governors around the country, we are proving it.

When I took office, I inherited a $3.3 billion budget deficit, per person the largest anywhere in the nation.

We couldn’t even meet our payroll. We were on the brink of bankruptcy.

But we did not shy away from our responsibility to lead.

We cut government expenses by almost 20 percent, starting with my own salary.

We reduced our deficit 90 percent, while continuing to invest in our schools, hospitals, and highways.

At the same time, we slashed taxes 50 percent on individuals and 30 percent on businesses, the largest tax cuts in Puerto Rico’s history.

And our private sector – the real economy – began to create jobs again.

Imagine if we had national policies that support rather than prevent growth! We’d then be able to truly unleash the engine of prosperity that our country and our people deserve.

That’s what Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will do for America. They understand that each community’s challenges are unique, but the answers are the same.

Our families cannot grow their budgets if politicians keep growing Washington’s budget.

Get government out of our way, and let freedom and the spirit of the American people shine through.

We can out-think, out-dream, out-work, and out-produce anybody in the world.

I know it, you know it, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan know it.

They have a plan and a vision that places our faith in you, the American people, not in Washington.

Ask any small-business owner in America today — from the dairy farmer in Appleton, Wisconsin, to the bodega owner in Kissimmee, Florida: they want to grow, to produce and to hire.

But they’re concerned, worried that Washington will continue to punish them with more taxes, more red tape, and more government control.

Give them the freedom to grow, and you’ll see how many jobs they create!

I like to talk a lot about freedom, because freedom is the essence of who we are as Americans.

Over 200,000 Puerto Ricans have served in uniform to defend our nation and the freedom we hold so dear.
Like in your home states, we raise and salute the American flag.

Just like our fellow citizens in Florida or Virginia, we share the same undying spirit that all Americans have.
Allow me to share an example of that spirit.

I visited a soldier from Puerto Rico at Walter Reed Army Medical Center several years ago.

This young man had bravely served in combat and was given little chance to live.

Without knowing if he could hear me, in every visit, I would whisper into his ear.

I would tell him how proud and thankful we were for his dedication and sacrifice, adding, no te rindas: don’t give up.

Months later, after his miraculous recovery, I had the honor of awarding him the Purple Heart.

He never gave up.

For him, and for every American in uniform, we will never give up.

For every mother who struggles, saves, and sacrifices so her children will have greater opportunities, we will never give up.

For every small-business owner who builds it to make a better life, we will never give up.

For Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, who know what it takes to put America back to work and back on track, we will never give up.

And for the values that make America great: the justice that is our right, the freedom to unleash the greatness within each of us, and the liberty that God endowed every American.

For that, I will never give up, you will never give up, we will never give up!

God Bless you, and God bless the United States of America!

And muchas gracias, thank you, Puerto Rico – I’ll be home tomorrow!

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Tampa, U.S.A. — Thank you. Thank you very much. Good evening everyone, and welcome to Barack Obama’s retirement party!

Four years ago, we came together for this convention back in my home state of Minnesota, and a lot’s happened since then.

We’ve had four years of Barack Obama in the White House.

Ah, the Obama White House, one bad decision follows another. Hard to say exactly just what his worst mistake has been. There’s so many to choose from: The stimulus. His energy policy. Obamacare. Taxes. Joe Biden.

I hear Joe’s particularly interested in tonight’s proceedings. He even thought about coming here toTampa. And he’s taking notes because when Paul Ryan speaks, Joe will finally get to hear what a real vice president sounds like!

But you know, President Obama isn’t as bad as people say, he’s actually worse.

The president takes more vacations than that guy on the Bizarre Foods show.

And I’ll give Barack Obama credit for creating jobs these last four years for golf caddies.

Actually, Barack Obama is the first president to create more excuses than jobs! In his view, it’s George’s fault. It’s the bank’s fault. It’s Europe’s fault. It’s the weather’s fault. It’s Congress’ fault. Mr. President, if you want to find fault, I suggest you look in the mirror!

I’ve come to realize that Barack Obama is the tattoo president. Like a big tattoo, it seemed cool when you were young.

But later on, that decision doesn’t look so good, and you wonder: what was I thinking?

But the worst part is you’re still going to have to explain it to your kids.

Next week, Barack Obama will plead with America to give his failed ideas another chance. He’s asking Americans to give him more time and more money.

Well sorry, Mr. President, but you’re out of time, and we’re out of money.

Barack Obama’s failed us. But look, it’s understandable. A lot of people fail at their first job.

Now, our opponents claim to be the party of the middle class. But Democrats don’t understand this fundamental point: it’s really hard for people to be part of the middle class if they don’t have a job!

I know a bit about these things. I grew up in a meatpacking town.

For much of his life, my dad was a truck driver. My mom was a homemaker. She died when I was 16, and my dad lost his job not long after that. And I was the only one of the five kids in our family who had a chance to go to college.

When I traveled the country these past few years, I met Americans from all different walks of life.

If you ask middle-class Americans about their hopes and dreams, they’ll share their heart, but also their concerns.

Can they pay the mortgage? Will they have enough money to buy groceries, or gas for the car? Will they be able to get their kids into college or pay the tuition?

But jobs don’t come from politicians. They come from entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators and risk-takers.

America’s entrepreneurs know taxes are too high, and regulations are too costly and complex. Obamacare frightens them. And they want more American energy.

And they’re collectively making one common plea. They’re saying: I want to grow my business and employ people, but they’re also saying this: Just get the government off my back!

We need to let them know help’s on the way, and help’s name is Mitt Romney.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best candidate. This isn’t his first job, or the first time he’s been a leader who has produced results.

He made a success of failing companies. He made a success of the Olympics. He even made government in Massachusetts more effective and efficient.

And now he’s ready to help get America back on track and Americans back to work. He has a plan to strengthen and grow America’s middle class with lower taxes; a government that works for the American people instead of dashing their hopes and dreams; lower energy prices; and greater access to a quality education for all.

There’s one other thing I want to leave you with tonight. It’s important for America to know that Mitt Romney is not only a great leader, he’s also a remarkable person. He’s smart, gracious and wise. And he has this infectious good cheer about him – something I appreciate and something America needs.

Mitt Romney never quits moving. When he sees a problem, he goes after it and finds the solution.

It’s that can-do spirit, combined with a lifetime of service and success that convinced me to support him. And it’s that can-do spirit that we need in the White House, leading America now.

As a former governor, I know that leadership takes optimism, but not blind optimism.

We need a leader who understands the depth of our challenges, but who also doesn’t shy away from them.

Mitt Romney knows what our problems are, and he has the tools, the experience, the energy and the right polices to fix them.

After four years of this president, we need Mitt Romney now, more than ever.

I’m proud to be supporting him for president of the United States, and I know you are too.

And with any luck, in a few months, Barack Obama will at last get some experience in the private sector.

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. John Thune, U.S. Senator, South Dakota, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

Good evening, fellow Republicans.

It’s no secret that I’m a sports fan. In fact, I get asked all the time if I’ve ever played basketball with President Obama. The answer is “no,” I’m still waiting for that invitation.

The next question is, “Do you think you could take him one-on-one?” I say, “I really don’t know, I’ve never seen him play.”

But I can tell you this. President Obama would be easy to defend, because you know he’s always going to go to his left.

Like many Americans, I’ve been blessed by the hard work and sacrifice of those who’ve come before.

Back in 1906, two Norwegian brothers named Nicolai and Matthew Gjelsvik came to this country in search of the American Dream. When they reached the shores of America, the only English words they knew were “apple pie” and “coffee,” which evidently they had plenty of on the trip over.

The immigration officials at Ellis Island determined that their name “Gjelsvik” – G-J-E-L-S-V-I-K – was too difficult to spell and pronounce, so they asked them to change it. The two brothers picked the name of the farm where they worked in Norway, which was called the Thune Farm. And so Nicolai Gjelsvik became Nick Thune, my grandfather.

With their new country and their new name, the two brothers began their new life by working on the railroad. They learned English and saved enough money to start a small hardware store.

And yes, Mr. President, they did build it!

My grandfather raised three sons. The middle son, my father, joined the Navy when World War II broke out.

He became a naval aviator, flying combat missions off the aircraft carrier Intrepid in the Pacific theatre. On one mission, he shot down four enemy aircraft, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war, my dad quietly returned to South Dakota, his hardware store and his family.

Many versions of that story are told across this country. The details may be different – but the dream is the same.

I hate to say it, but that dream is in serious jeopardy. We have a sluggish economy, burdened by Obama administration policies that are weighing down our job creators. Middle-class Americans, in cities and on farms, are bearing the brunt.

The big-government bureaucrats of the Obama administration have set their sights on our way of life. Instead of preserving family farms and ranches, President Obama’s policies are effectively regulating them out of business.

His administration even proposed banning farm kids from doing basic chores!

Since President Obama took office, we’ve had 42 consecutive months of unemployment above 8 percent – the longest streak on record.

The cost of family health insurance premiums has risen by nearly 19 percent, college tuition has increased by 25 percent and fuel costs have doubled.

The number of people on food stamps has increased by 45 percent, and the debt we’re piling on the backs of our children and grandchildren has gone up by 50 percent. Yet for all President Obama’s talk about the middle class, middle-class incomes are down.

Folks, we won’t be in this situation with Mitt Romney in the White House. He understands what it takes for businesses large and small to thrive.

This knowledge doesn’t come from a textbook (although he’s read plenty of those). It comes from decades of rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done.

It comes from recognizing the strengths and contributions of every individual. His experience tells him that the most valuable insight can be gained – not by lecturing – but by listening.

And when he does use his presidential bully pulpit, it will be to champion the cause of small business and make it clear to all companies that it is safe to hire again.

On Day One of Mitt Romney’s presidency, the transformation of Washington will begin. Gone will be the arrogance of a president whose first instinct is to condemn achievement.

Gone will be the attitude that government knows best and solves all.

What you will see and hear is a president who will do everything in his power to make sure government is a catalyst for growth, not an obstacle to success. And, a president with a plan to strengthen the middle class.

May it never be said of us that when confronted with the economic peril before us, we averted our eyes, turned away and did nothing.

Our children’s future depends on our willingness to act and our decision to elect Mitt Romneypresident of the United States.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — I was so very honored to be asked to address one of this week’s themes, “We can do better.”

Then, I heard some folks backstage say that after hearing me speak, the delegates will say, “We sure can do better than Huckabee” and will nominate Mitt Romney to be the next President of the United States.

Tampa has been such a wonderful and hospitable city to us. The only hitch in an otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. Turns out it was justDebbie Wasserman
Schultz practicing her speech for the DNC in Charlotte next week. Bless her heart.

Four years ago, Mitt Romney and I were opponents. We still are, but we’re not opposing each other.

We are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral.

Our country was in its origin an experiment, but an experiment in recognizing God-given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another and all of us are equal.

Not equal in abilities, but in intrinsic worth and value. It is the essence of not just who we are, but what we are.

To those who question how once rivals can now be united, it’s simple – we have Barack Obama to thank.

He said, “You didn’t build it.”

Translation: “It doesn’t rightly belong to you!”

No small differences among us in our party approximate the vast differences between the liberty-limiting, radical left-wing, anti-business, reckless-spending, tax-hiking party of Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, versus an energized America who knows that we can do better.

For four years, we’ve given a chance to a man with very limited experience in governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly an interest in campaigning, blaming, and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the Republicans, and people in business, or as Republicans like to call them, employers.

We’ve stagnated into an economy that has taken all that hope “down the slope” and left millions without jobs, forced out of their homes by foreclosure, and herded into dependency upon a government that promises us candy and gives us cavities.

Barack Obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. Mitt Romney’s focus will be on generating more jobs that would make food stamps unnecessary for them.

We know full well that we can do better.

Mitt Romney turned around companies that were on the skids; turned around a scandal ridden Olympics that was deep in the red into a high point of profitable and patriotic pride; and turned around a very liberal state by erasing a deficit and replacing it with a surplus.

Barack Obama said if he couldn’t turn things around in three years, it would be a one-term proposition. It’s been almost four … let’s make him a proposition he can’t refuse.
Let’s vote him out!

The job of President is admittedly tougher than running a company, Olympic contest, or a commonwealth, but when one sees what even Bill Clinton noted was a sterling record of problem-solving that has marked the life of Mitt Romney, we are confident we WILL do better.

Mitt has been loyal to his wife, his sons, his country, his employees, and his church.

I’m sure the press will tell you he isn’t perfect.

But for the past four years, we’ve tried the one the press thought was perfect, and that hasn’t worked out so well for us.

We can do better!

The Founding Fathers of our great nation left taxation and tyranny seeking religious liberty and a society of meritocracy rather than aristocracy. They created a bold experiment in government, believing God gave us unalienable rights, and government’s role is simply to make sure they are protected.

So fearful were they that government would grow beyond their intention that even after crafting our magnificent Constitution, they said, “We can do even better.” They added amendments that we call the Bill of Rights that limit what the government can do and guarantee what “We the people” have the unimpeded right to do – whether to speak, assemble, worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes.

Many of them died to pass on that heritage. They had lived under the boot of big government and said, “We can do better.”

As a kid growing up in a household with a dad who never finished high school and a family in which no male upstream from me had ever finished high school, much less gone to college, I was taught that there was nothing I could do about what was behind me, but could change everything about what was in front of me.

My working-poor parents told me I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anyone else. It never occurred to them to tell me that I could rest comfortably and wait for Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me, and then bleed me.

They told me to get off my backside, work hard, take risks, and treat people honestly and honorably. And look what’s happened – I have become as the press label me, “a failed candidate.”

It’s true; I have fallen from the high perch of politics and now wallow in the mud of the media, but I still know that as a country, we can do better, and with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, we will.

Let me clear the air about whether guys like me would only support an evangelical. Of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is Barack Obama, and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at any time in the womb or even beyond the womb, and tells people of faith that they must bow their knees to the god of government and violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care.

Friends, I know we can do better!

The attack on my Catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me. The Democrats have brought back the old dance the “Limbo” to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice our faith.

This isn’t a battle about contraceptives and Catholics, but of conscience and the Creator.

I care far less as to where Mitt Romney takes his family to church than I do about where he takes this country. Joe Biden said, “Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” Well, in the Senate, Joe’s party hasn’t produced a budget in three years.

What does that say about their values?

Speaking of budgets, Joe Biden’s budget shows that while he wants to be generous with your money through higher taxes and government spending, for years he gave less than two-tenths of 1 percent of his money to charity.

He just wants you to give the government more so he and the Democrats can feel better about themselves. Mitt Romney has given over 16% of his income to his church and charity, and I’d feel better about having a leader who gives more of his own money instead of mine.

My concern is not Barack Obama’s past; my concern is for the future – not his future, but the future of my grandchildren.

And under this President, we burdened each of them with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks we can prosper by punishing productivity and rewarding reckless irresponsibility.

The Democrats say we ought to give Barack Obama credit for trying. That sounds like the nonsense of giving every kid a trophy for showing up.

Friends, we’re talking about leading the country, not playing on a third-grade soccer team!

I realize this is the man who got a Nobel Peace Prize for what he would potentially do, but in the real world, you get the prize for producing something, not just promising it.

Sometimes, we’re so close to the picture, we can’t really see it clearly. I’ve worked with Bono for the past few years in the ONE campaign to fight AIDS and hunger and disease around the world.

He’s an Irishman and a great humanitarian who told me of his admiration for America. He said we’re more than a country; we’re an idea.

He reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations coming after us to leave them an extraordinary legacy.

If we don’t change the direction of our nation now, our bequest will be nothing but an extraordinary shame.
But we can do better.

President Obama is out of gas; Americans are out of patience, and our great Republic is almost out of time. It’s time we no longer lead from behind, but get off our behinds and leave something lasting for those who come after us instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses.

Tonight, it’s not because we’re Republicans; it’s because we’re Americans that we proudly stand withMitt Romney and Paul Ryan to say we will do better!

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

Thank you and good evening.

On behalf of the great state of New Mexico, let me express my gratitude for being invited to speak tonight.

Growing up, I never imagined a girl from a border town could one day become a governor.

But this is America

Y, en America todo es posible.

My parents taught me to never give up and to always believe that my future could be whatever I dreamt it to be.

Success, they taught me, is built on the foundation of courage, hard-work and individual responsibility.

Despite what some would have us believe, success is not built on resentment and fears.
We grew up on the border and truly lived paycheck to paycheck.  My dad was a golden gloves boxer in the Marine Corps, then a deputy sheriff. My mom worked as an office assistant.

One day, they decided to start a security guard business. I thought they were absolutely crazy—we literally had no savings, but they always believed in the American Dream.

So, my dad worked to grow the business.

My mom did the books at night.  And at 18, I guarded the parking lot at the Catholic Church bingos.

Now, my dad made sure I could take care of myself.

I carried a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum — that gun weighed more than I did!

My parents grew that small business—from one 18-year-old guarding a bingo—to more than 125 people in three states.

And sure, there was help along the way.  But my parents took the risk. They stood up.  And you better believe that they built it.

My parents also taught me about having the courage to stand for something.  So, I went to law school and became a prosecutor.

I took on a specialty that very few choose to pursue – I prosecuted child abuse and child homicide cases.  Cases that were truly gut-wrenching.

But standing up for those kids, being their voice for justice, was the honor of a lifetime.

Sometimes you pay a price for standing up.

When I was a young prosecutor, I got called to testify against my boss. I could have backed down, but I didn’t. I stood up to him.  And he fired me for it.

So I took him on, ran against him for district attorney and beat him by a landslide!

I fear some of our leaders today have lost the courage to stand up.

What we have now are politicians.  They won’t offer real plans, and only stand up when they want to blame someone else.

And I don’t say that just because a Democrat is in the White House.  I was a Democrat for many years.  So were my parents.

Before I ran for District Attorney, two Republicans invited my husband and me to lunch.  And I knew a party-switch was exactly what they wanted.

So, I told Chuck, we’ll be polite, enjoy a free lunch and then say goodbye.

But we talked about issues—they never used the words Republican, or Democrat, conservative or liberal.

We talked about many issues, like welfare – is it a way of life, or a hand-up?

Talked about the size of government — how much should it tax families and small businesses?

And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, “I’ll be damned, we’re Republicans.”

This election should not be about political parties.  Too many Americans are out of work, and our debt is out of control.  This election needs to be about those issues.
And it is the responsibility of both parties to offer up real solutions and have an honest debate.

In New Mexico, I inherited the largest structural deficit in state history.

And our legislature is controlled by Democrats.

We don’t always agree.

But we came together – in a bi-partisan manner—and turned that deficit into a surplus, all without raising taxes.

That’s not the kind of leadership we are seeing from President Obama.

He promised to bring us all together, to cut unemployment, to pass immigration reform in his first year and even promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term.

Do you remember that?

But he hasn’t come close.

They haven’t even passed a budget in Washington, DC in three years!

If he can take credit for government building small businesses, then he can accept responsibility for breaking his promise and adding 5 trillion dollars to the national debt.

Because he did build that.

As the first Hispanic female governor in history, little girls often come up to me in the grocery store or the mall.  They look and point, and when they get the courage, they ask “Are you Susana?” and they run up and give me a hug.

And I wonder.  How do you know who I am?

But they do. And these are little girls.

It’s in moments like these when I’m reminded that we each pave a path.   And for me, it’s about paving a path for those little girls to follow.

No more barriers.

In many ways Mitt Romney and I are very different. Different starts in life. Different paths to leadership. Different cultures.

But we’ve each shared in the promise of America, and we share a core belief that the promise of America must be kept for the next generation.

El sueno Americanos es tener exito.

It’s success.

Success is the American Dream.

And that success is not something to be ashamed of, or to demonize.

There is one candidate in this election who will protect that dream, one leader who will fight hard to keep the promise of America for the next generation.

And that’s why we must stand up and make Mitt Romney the next president of the United States.

Thank you!

Image Courtesy of  Robotclaw666

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The Republican National Convention unveiled the ad “This Is Mia Love,” before she spoke at tonight’s proceedings. Currently serving as the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Love is running for Utah’s Fourth Congressional District. If elected, Love would be the first black, female Republican elected to Congress ever.

Mayor Mia Love: The first day of college my father came with me to orientation and I remember he looked at me. He looked at me very seriously and he said, “Mia, your mother and I have done everything to get you to where you are right now.” We have never taken a hand out, we have worked hard for everything we have through personal responsibility. You will not be a burden to society. You will give back.

My favorite part of running for congress, hands down: talking to people and meeting with people. I love Utah. I mean look at how beautiful this is. We live in the greatest place in the world.

My heroes are my parents, my husband, and my children. They understand that they’ve got dreams and all they want to do is fulfill those dreams.
Washington needs a little bit more of that.

Jason Love: If I were to start listing the things that she’s involved in: Her role as mayor, her participation in service in our local church, she teaches fitness classes, she makes our home a wonderful place and helps me as a partner to raise our children, she’s very talented, her mind works very quickly.

Mayor Mia Love: We’re going to do one hill. The good news is? You’ll be happy when it’s done!

I am passionate about running, I am passionate about having a healthy life. It’s not about being thin it’s you are in life. It’s about how strong you are and how much endurance you have. Because difficult things are not easy, but they’re worth it.

If I could describe freedom in one word, it would be agency: the ability to make a decision and reap the benefits of those decisions or suffer the consequences.

If I could go to Washington tomorrow and change one thing, it would be to restore the power of the decision making back to the people.
It is not government’s responsibility to save our country. It’s up to us to save our country.

What makes America great is this idea that we are free, free to work, free to live, free to choose, and free to fail, because our failures make us better.

I have to say I have no regrets being where I am, and I love my life.

I’m Mia Love and I’m running for Congress.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Good evening. I have the honor of standing before you this evening for one reason, because thousands upon thousands of grassroots activists stood united, not for a candidate, but for the sake of restoring liberty. Accountability, quite rightly, rests firmly in the hands of “We the People.”

Since 2010, something extraordinary has been happening, something that has dumbfounded the chattering class.

It began here in Florida in 2010. In Utah, Kentucky, Pennsylvania.

Was repeated this summer in Indiana. Nebraska. Wisconsin.

And this past month, in the Lone Star State, Texas.

What is happening all across America is a Great Awakening.

A response to career politicians in both parties who’ve gotten us into this mess.

This national movement is fueled by what unites us: a love of liberty, a belief in the unlimited potential of free men and women.

I want to tell you a love story. It’s the story of all of us, a love story of freedom.

It’s the story of our Founding Fathers, who fought and bled for freedom and then crafted the most miraculous political document ever conceived, our Constitution. The Framers understood that our rights come, not from monarchs, but from God—and that those rights are secure only when government power is restrained.

This love story is the story of the brave Texans in the City of Gonzales. When General Santa Annademanded that they give up their guns and the cannon that guarded the city, they responded with the immortal cry “Come and take it.”

It’s the story of the greatest generation of Americans, who rose up to confront the grotesque evil that was the Nazis, and ushered in the greatest era of peace and prosperity the world has ever seen.

It’s the story of civil-rights heroes, like Dr. Martin Luther King, who stood strong against the scourge of discrimination, and bravely championed that every man and woman should be judged, not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.

It’s the story of President Ronald Reagan, who turned back the creeping growth of government and restored Morning in America. Who spoke out against the oppressive evil of communism and demanded “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

It’s the story of my Mom. Irish and Italian, working class, the first in her family to go to college – a pioneering mathematician and computer programmer in the 1950s.

It’s the story of my Dad, who was imprisoned and tortured in Cuba, beaten nearly to death. He fled toTexas in 1957, not speaking English, with $100 sewn into his underwear. He washed dishes making50 cents an hour to pay his way through the University of Texas, and to start a small business in the oil and gas industry.

My father is here tonight. When he came to America, él no tenía nada, pero tenía corazón. He had nothing, but he had heart. A heart for freedom. Thank you, Dad.

It’s the story of each and every one of you. We are all sons and daughters of those who risked everything for freedom, and we have the duty to pass that same opportunity to the generations to follow.

And yet today, many in Washington seem content to saddle our children with a financial debt larger than our nation has ever seen.

Government is out of control, and we’re going broke.

But I’m here with a word of encouragement. Millions of Americans are standing up, saying we want our country back. Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We will not follow the path of Greece; we will not go quietly into the night.

This election presents a stark choice. Two visions: we can continue down the road of the Obama Democrats, towards more and more spending, debt and government control of the economy and our lives. Or we can return to the founding principles of our nation—free markets, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty.

Unfortunately, President Obama’s campaign is going to try to divide America. They’re going to try to separate us into little groups, and try to scare everybody. They’re going to tell seniors that Medicare will be taken away, tell Hispanics that we’re not welcome here and send the Vice President to preach a message of division.

It’s sad, how far we’ve come from hope and change.

All of this is designed to distract from the real issues that matter. Twenty-three million Americans struggling for work. Sixteen trillion dollars in national debt. Government takeovers of healthcare, of financial services and many aspects of our economy.

Imagine, for a moment, if someone surreptitiously charged hundreds of thousands of dollars on your credit cards, saddling your kids with debts they could never escape.

That’s exactly the impact of this administration’s misguided policies. Heidi and I are blessed with two little girls, Caroline and Catherine, 4 and 1. When Caroline was born, our national debt was $10 trillion. Today, as the debt clock shows, it’s $16 trillion, larger than our gross domestic product.

How do we turn things around? How do we get America back to work? President Obama thinks the answer is more and more government.

Government is not the answer. You are not doing anyone a favor by creating dependency, destroying individual responsibility.

Fifty-five years ago, when my dad was a penniless teenage immigrant, thank God some well-meaning bureaucrat didn’t put his arm around him and say let me take care of you. Let me give you a government check and make you dependent on government. And by the way, don’t bother learning English. That would have been the most destructive thing anyone could have done.

Instead, my parents worked together to start a small business, to provide for their family and to chart their own future. That’s the American dream, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan understand that.

Under President Obama, 23 million Americans are struggling for work. Hispanic unemployment has risen to over 10 percent; African-American unemployment is over 14 percent. This is tragic.

And here I want to say something especially to the Democrats who are listening tonight. You can send a wake-up message to your party—the party that was once proud to be the party of working people. Obama’s policies have failed.

Jobs don’t come from government; they come from entrepreneurs and small businesses. Two thirds of all new jobs come from small business, and 2.3 million Hispanics own small businesses and yet this Administration has imposed higher taxes and crushing regulations on small businesses across our nation.

To restore America, to get Americans back to work, we must rein in the leviathan. We must stop spending money we don’t have and turn around our crushing debt.

Each of you comprises the fabric of our nation. Together, we must revive our many-century love story with liberty and restore that shining City on a Hill that is America.

I’d like to close with asking you a few questions, with apologies to Barack Obama.

Can we restore the Constitution?

Yes we can.

Can we retake the U.S. Senate?

Can we repeal ObamaCare?

And can we defeat President Barack Obama?

That, my friends, is change we can believe in.

Thank you, and God bless America.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Live free or Die! That’s the motto of the great state of New Hampshire. But I believe tonight we all share that view – as have generations of Americans before us.

Like most Americans – our family’s life changed after 9/11.

My husband Joe – who was on track to be a commercial pilot – instead served our great country flying combat missions in Iraq.

When he returned home from the war – he found himself in the same position as so many Americans – he needed a job.

So he started a family business – a landscaping and snowplowing company.

And when I say he – I mean we – because I spent many a sleepless night shoveling snow. And I’m proud of the fact that in addition to being a United States Senator – I’m also pretty good with a snow plow!

We are no different from most families who take risks starting their own business.

We borrowed money to pursue our dreams. And believe me, there was no guarantee of success. We certainly were not too big to fail – we had to make it work.

Yet through all the hard work and sacrifice – we pulled together as a family. As the business grew so did our extended family.

And I speak to you tonight with great concern – for our employees – their families – my family – and your family.

My concern is that President Obama is making it very difficult for small businesses to get started – to create jobs – and to survive.

I hear this all the time from the small business owners I speak with.

They want to focus on their business. The Obama Administration wants to bury them with rules, regulations and red tape.

From the National Labor Relations Board – to the Department of Labor – to the EPA.

Under this Administration, the regulations are up – and the job creation is down.

President Obama’s view is clear: he actually believes that as a family business grows – the federal government should take a larger share of its earnings.

That’s punishment for expanding and creating more jobs.

I call it a “success tax.”

And the very best example is Obamacare.

Let me tell you what I hear in the real world about Obamacare.

Just a couple of months ago – a successful restaurant owner in Concord, New Hampshire, told me about his dilemma. He wanted to open up a second restaurant – and hire more employees.

But he realized that if he did – he would trigger penalties under Obamacare and he couldn’t afford it. So he never opened up that restaurant.

Is that what we want for small businesses in America – to be afraid to grow because of the government?

To face penalties when you create more jobs?

To be told “you’re earning too much”?

Isn’t it time we had a leader who believes that creating jobs ought to be celebrated not penalized?

That is why Mitt Romney is running for president.

He’ll get the federal government out of the business of small business.

He’ll fight to lower and simplify taxes.

He’ll work to eliminate job-killing red tape.

And he will roll back Obamacare starting on Day One!

In both the private sector and as Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney always asked: how can I help small businesses grow, innovate, and compete?

It’s the right question. And it’s the question that this Administration never thinks to ask.

But why should we be surprised? President Obama has never even run a lemonade stand – and it shows.

So what we need to do is clear.

For the sake of the future of small business – we need to replace Barack Obama.

We need to replace Barack Obama with Mitt Romney. A man who truly gets it.

Mitt understands the hopes and dreams of small business owners throughout our great country.

But don’t just take my word for it. I want you to hear directly from someone on the front lines of small business.

Jack Gilchrist is a small business owner from Hudson, New Hampshire.

Three generations of his family have used their own hands to build Gilchrist Metal Fabricating. It’s a true family business – founded over 30 years ago by Jack’s father – and carried on by Jack and his son.

Jack Gilchrist is the face of small business in America, and yes he did build it. Please join me in welcoming my friend Jack Gilchrist.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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We begin tonight with a fundamental question: Can we do better?

The answer, in my view, is obvious: You bet we can.

The American people are still asking “where are the jobs,” but President Obama only offers excuses instead of answers. His record is a shadow of his rhetoric. Yet he has the nerve to say that he’s moving us forward, and the audacity to hope that we’ll believe him.

Allow me to illustrate.

I’m what you’d call a regular guy with a big job. I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters. My dad and my uncles owned a bar outside of Cincinnati. I worked there growing up, mopping floors, waiting tables.

Believe me when I say I learned how to deal with every character who walked in the door.

So let’s say right now, a guy walked into our bar – full of guys looking for work, having a tough go of it – and said, “THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS DOING FINE.”

Well, do you know what we’d do?

That’s right: We’d throw him out.

If a guy walked into our bar – full of people paying more for health care, more for gas, more for everything – and said, “WE’RE BETTER OFF THAN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN.”

Do you know what we’d do? Throw him out.

If a guy walked into our bar – full of folks who couldn’t tell you the last time they got a raise or their house was above water – and said, “WE TRIED OUR ECONOMIC PLAN – AND IT WORKED.”

Do you know what we’d do? Throw him out.

Now let’s say a guy walked into our bar and before he could say anything he overheard a regular telling his story. Turns out this man runs a small business. Got involved with it while he was still working his way through school. Then, out of nowhere, his business partner died. They had just one customer at the time. So he fought like hell, through sleepless nights and close calls. They made it, thank God, paid their dues, proud of what they managed to do.

Now if a guy walked into our bar, heard all that, and said, “IF YOU’VE GOT A BUSINESS, YOU DIDN’T BUILD THAT.”

You know what we’d do. Throw him out.

By the way, that small business guy at the bar: That was my story. That was our business. We didbuild that.

It could just as easily have been the story of anyone who’s built something from nothing. No guarantees. No government there to hold your hand. Just a dream and the desire to do better. President Obama just doesn’t get this. He can’t fix the economy because he doesn’t know how it was built.

So in 70 days when the American people walk into the voting booth, what should we do? Throw him out.

Because we can do better. We can do a lot better. It starts with throwing out the politician who doesn’t get it, and electing a new president who does.

Mitt Romney comes from a family of builders. His father built houses, built businesses, built industry.George Romney was a can-do kind of guy. He was fond of the old saying that when things are at their worst, “that’s just the place and time that the tide will turn.”

Delegates, this is that time and this is that place. We’re here to preserve this country the same way we built it: by exercising our God-given right to set a new course.

Who better to turn this tide than a man who has dedicated his career to doing just that – for states, for businesses, for the Olympic Games.

President Romney – boy, I like the sound of that – President Romney will keep his word and his courage, too. He’ll keep faith with the idea that government exists to serve the people, and the people build the economy.

Mitt’s jobs plan will build a stronger middle class through energy independence; schools where our kids – not the teachers unions – come first; free trade, the path to a balanced budget; and an end to the uncertainty – and the tax hikes – that threaten small businesses.

It’s a big job, so we’re fortunate that Mitt has chosen as his running mate a leader who is second to none when it comes to rooting out and fixing Washington’s worst habits.

When I met Paul Ryan 22 years ago, he was a student at Miami of Ohio volunteering on my campaign. Soon, he will be our party’s nominee for vice president of the United States. Who says this isn’t the greatest country on Earth?

They call this “America’s comeback team.” Well, any good comeback needs some true believers.

So if you believe we can do better, if you want to leave our children a stronger, more prosperous America, then Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan need your help. Because we can turn this tide, but only if all of us are all in, all the way to the 6th of November.

It starts here with a convention that will lead to victory for our party – and more importantly, victory for our people and the great cause of freedom.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Some of you may know, the last time I spoke at a convention, it turned out I was in the wrong place.

So, Tampa, my fellow Republicans, thank you for welcoming me where I belong.

We have a country to turn around. This week you will nominate the most experienced executive to seek the presidency in 60 years in Mitt Romney.

He has no illusions about what makes America great, and he doesn’t confuse the presidency with celebrity, or loftiness with leadership.

What a difference four years makes.

The Democrats’ ads convince me that Governor Romney can’t sing, but his record convinces me he knows how to lead, and I think you know which skill we need more.

Now, America is a land of second chances, and I gather you have room for the estimated 6 million of us who know we got it wrong in 2008 and who want to fix it.

Maybe we should have known that night in Denver that things that begin with plywood Greek columns and artificial smoke typically don’t end well.

Maybe the Hollywood stars and the glamour blinded us a little: you thought it was the glare, some of us thought it was a halo.

But in all seriousness, do you know why so many of us believed? We led with our hearts and our dreams that we could be more inclusive than America had ever been, and no candidate had ever spoken so beautifully.

But dreams meet daybreak: the jobless know what I mean, so do the families who wonder how this Administration could wreck a recovery for three years and counting.

So many of those high-flown words have faded.

Remember the President saying of negative politics and untrue ads, “not this time?”

Who knew “not this time” just meant “not unless the economy is still stuck and we can’t run on our record?”

Remember, too, when he said, “this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal?”

Who knew the plain English version of it was, “middle America, get ready to shell out 60 bucks to fill up your car?”

And in terms of their crown jewel legislative achievement: who knew that when asked, “will government impose a new federal mandate requiring middle class Americans to buy health insurance whether they can afford it or not?”

The answer would be “Yes we can!”

So, this time, in the name of 23 million of our children and parents and brothers and sisters who are officially unemployed, underemployed, or who have stopped looking for work, let’s put the poetry aside, let’s suspend the hype, let’s come down to earth and start creating jobs again.

This time, instead of moving oceans and healing planets, let’s get our bills in order and pay down the debt so we control our own future.

And of course, we know that opportunity lies outside the reach of some of our people.

We don’t need flowery words about inequality to tell us that, and we don’t need a party that has led while poverty and hunger rose to record levels to give us lectures about suffering.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are Americans who are listening to this speech tonight who haven’t always been with you, and I want you to let me talk — just to them – for a moment.

I know how loaded up our politics is with anger and animosity, but I have to believe we can still make a case over the raised voices.

There are Americans who voted for the president, but who are searching right now, because they know that their votes didn’t build the country they wanted.

To those Democrats and independents whose minds are open to argument: listen closely to the Democratic Party that will gather in Charlotte and ask yourself if you ever hear your voice in the clamor.

Ask yourself if these Democrats still speak for you.

When they say we have a duty to grow government even when we can’t afford it, does it sound like compassion to you — or recklessness?

When you hear the party that glorified Occupy Wall Street blast success; when you hear them minimize the genius of the men and women who make jobs out of nothing, is that what you teach your children about work?

When they tell you America is this unequal place where the powerful trample on the powerless, does that sound like the country your children or your spouse risked their lives for in Iraq or Afghanistan?

Do you even recognize the America they are talking about?  And what can we say about a house that doesn’t honor the pictures on its walls?

John F. Kennedy asked us what we could do for America.  This Democratic Party asks what can government give you.  Don’t worry about paying the bill, it’s on your kids and grandkids.

Bill Clinton took on his base and made welfare a thing you had to work for; this current crowd guts the welfare work requirement in the dead of night.

Bill Clinton, Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson reached out across the aisle and said meet me in the middle; but their party rammed through a healthcare bill that took over one-sixth of our economy, without accepting a single Republican idea, without winning a single vote in either house from a party whose constituents make up about 50 percent of the country.

You know, the Democrats used to have a night when they presented a film of their presidential legends: if they do it in Charlotte, the theme song should be this year’s hit, “Somebody That I Used to Know.”

My fellow Americans, when great athletes falter, their coaches sometimes whisper to them “remember who you are.” It’s a call to their greatness at a moment when their bodies and spirit are too sapped to remember their strength.

This sweet, blessed, God-inspired place called America is a champion that has absorbed some blows.

But while we bend, we don’t break.

This is no dark hour; this is the dawn before we remember who we are.

May it be said of this time in our history: 2008 to 2011: lesson learned.

2012: mistake corrected.

God bless you, God bless America. Thank you

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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On June 5, voters in Wisconsin were asked to choose between going backwards to the days of double-digit tax increases, billion dollar budget deficits and record job losses.

OR moving forward with reforms that lowered the tax burden, balanced the budget and helped small businesses create more jobs.

On June 5th, voters in my swing state were asked to decide if they wanted elected officials who measure success by how many people are dependent on the government.

OR if they wanted leaders who believe success is measured by how many people are not dependent on the government, because they control their own destiny in the private sector.

On June 5th, voters in Wisconsin got to determine who was in charge – was it the big government special interests in Washington… or the hard-working tax payers of our state.

The good news is that – on June 5th – the hard-working taxpayers won.

Just ask Sandy Breth why that’s important.

When the economy took a dive a few years ago, she took a pay cut. Not long after that, she lost her job. Today, however, she’s working at G3 Industries in Mosinee, Wisconsin. In fact, she just received a promotion.

G3 is one of those companies that added jobs during the past year, and now has plans to add even more. The owner told me that he’s creating additional jobs in Wisconsin because he likes the way we are moving our state forward – and he’s even more committed since the election.

Without our positive changes, he told me he would not have had the confidence to grow his business in Wisconsin.

Improving the business climate is not only good for small business owners; it’s good for people like Sandy and her family.

We need more stories like hers in America because the past couple of years have been well, pretty tough.

Like many places across the country, Wisconsin lost more than 100,000 jobs from 2008 to 2010. Unemployment during that time topped out at over 9%.

But because of our reforms, Wisconsin has added thousands of new jobs and our unemployment rate is down from when I first took office.

Equally as important, we improved the economic climate for job creators.

Today, 94% of our employers believe Wisconsin is headed in the right direction. That compares to just 10% who thought the same thing two years ago.

Elections have consequences!

As was the case in Wisconsin two years ago, too many Americans think our country is headed in the wrong direction.

But Mitt Romney understands, like I understand, that people – not governments – create jobs.

With that in mind, my Administration is making it easier for people to create jobs in Wisconsin.

Our reforms put the hard working taxpayers back in charge – people like Sandy Breth.

Sadly, the federal government seems to be going in the opposite direction.

Nationally, we’ve experienced 42 consecutive months of unemployment above 8%. Last month, 44 of the 50 states saw an increase in the unemployment rate. And more than 12 million of our fellow citizens are unemployed.

We need someone to turn things around in America.

That leader is Governor Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney turned businesses around in the private sector. He saved the Winter Olympics.

And he balanced state budgets without raising taxes, and in a way that helped the private sector create more jobs.

Then, with the announcement of Paul Ryan as his running mate, Governor Romney not only showed that he has the experience and the skill needed to become president, he showed he has the courage and the passion to be an exceptional president.

With this pick he showed us that the “R” next to his name doesn’t just stand for Republican, it stands for Reformer.

Now, more than ever, we need reformers: leaders who think more about the next generation than just the next election.

That’s what you get from Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

In a few weeks, we will celebrate the 225th anniversary of our federal Constitution. Moments like that remind us that what makes America so great, what makes us exceptional, is that throughout our history, in moments of crisis, be they economic or fiscal, military or spiritual.

What makes America amazing is that there have always been men and women of courage who were willing to think more about the future of their children and grandchildren than they did about their own political careers.

Let this be one of those moments. Let this be our time in history so that someday we can tell our children and grandchildren that we were there, that we changed the course of history for the better.

Let us tell them that we helped elect Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to save America.

Thank you.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Tampa, U.S.A. — On August 20, Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of Liberty Institute, and Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, officially released The Survey on Religious Hostility in America at a press conference during Platform Week at the Republican National Convention.

Simultaneously, they launched an interactive website at www.religioushostility.org, where more than 600 cases of religious hostility, most occurring during the past decade, are documented and available for public download.

Whether a federal judge threatens a high school valedictorian with incarceration for referring to Jesus in her graduation speech; a city official prohibits senior citizens from praying over their meals; or the U.S. Department of Justice tells churches and synagogues which pastors and rabbis they can hire and fire, attacks on Americans’ religious freedoms have dramatically increased, both in frequency and in the types of incidents.

On the site, the public can view a U.S. map that contains a sampling of the 25 most egregious incidents of religious hostility. There is also a place to share personal stories of religious discrimination, and a photo gallery representing more than a dozen groundbreaking cases.

“There is really no place you can go in America to avoid these chilling attacks—every community and every age group is affected,” Shackelford said. “We have hundreds of examples. It’s more prolific than we’ve ever seen in the history of our country.”

Perkins added, “As our country enters one of the most critical elections of our time, it’s vital that people of all faiths continue the important work of defending our most precious liberty.”

In 2004, The Survey of Religious Hostility in America was born when Shackelford, along with a number of Liberty Institute’s clients, testified before the U.S. Senate about the growing religious hostility in America. Because the opposition insisted these select testimonies were simply isolated incidents, Senators Kennedy and Cornyn asked Liberty Institute to provide additional information, which led to the development of the first hostilities document.

Led by President and CEO Kelly Shackelford, Liberty Institute is a nonprofit law firm, dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches and throughout the public arena. Liberty Institute’s vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our nation’s Founders. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

Since 1983, Family Research Council (FRC) has advanced faith, family and freedom in public policy and public opinion. President Tony Perkins and his team of seasoned experts promote these core values through policy research, public education on Capitol Hill and in the media, and grassroots mobilization.

Through outreach to pastors, FRC equips churches to transform the culture. Strategically located inWashington, D.C., FRC is the leading voice for the family in our nation’s halls of power. For information, visit, www.frc.org.

Image Courtesy of   Bocman1973 / Shutterstock.com

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As the race for the White House enters its final months and both the candidates look to make their case directly to the American people, ABC News will provide comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the Republican National Convention in Tampa (August 27-30) and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte (September 4-6).

Coverage, led by Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos along with ABC’s powerhouse team of political correspondents and contributors, will span ABC News’ broadcasts and platforms — including more than 14 hours of coverage on the ABC Television Network, 30-plus hours of live-streamed coverage on ABC News Digital platforms and Yahoo!, and extensive reporting and analysis on ABC News Radio. In addition, ABC News will be co-hosting a total of four newsmaker events with its partners at the conventions.

During the back-to-back conventions Sawyer and Stephanopoulos will be joined by ABC News’ powerhouse political team including:

• Senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl reporting from the convention floor
• Senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper covering the President’s re-election campaign
• “World News” weekend anchor David Muir covering the Romney campaign
• ABC News correspondent Cecilia Vega reporting from both conventions cities
• Senior political analyst Matthew Dowd, George Will, Cokie Roberts and Donna Brazile will be among ABC’s contributors providing analysis
• ABC News political director Amy Walter and Yahoo! News Washington bureau chief David Chalian anchoring special live-streamed coverage every night
• Senior Washington editor Rick Klein contributing reporting and analysis

The booming U.S. Hispanic population is challenging the conventional political wisdom in new and unexpected ways. ABC News will tap into the expertise and insights of Univision News as it explores the impact the Latino vote will have on November’s elections and beyond. Jorge Ramos will contribute to ABC News coverage in Tampa, and Maria Elena Salinas will contribute in Charlotte. In May ABC News and Univision News announced a joint venture that will launch a 24/7 news, information and lifestyle network primarily in English to serve the youngest and fastest-growing demographic in the country: U.S. Hispanics.

ABC News will be partnering with Univision and the National Journal for “Next America” events in each city focused on the Hispanic community and American politics. The events will be live streamed on the digital platforms of ABC News.

Convention coverage kicks off with a special edition of “World News with Diane Sawyer” originating from Tampa on Monday, August 27. Coverage will continue throughout the following weeks with all of ABC’s daily newscasts – “Good Morning America,” “World News with Diane Sawyer” and “Nightline” – broadcasting from the convention sites. George Stephanopoulos, who also serves as chief political correspondent and anchor of “This Week,” will co-anchor “GMA” from the conventions.

Terry Moran will anchor special editions of “Nightline” from throughout the conventions in Tampa and Charlotte, making ABC the only broadcast network providing viewers with convention coverage in late-night. “Nightline,” the most-watched broadcast in late-night, will dedicate the entire newscast to coverage of all the key moments of the day with analysis from ABC’s powerhouse political team.

Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will anchor live primetime coverage of the Republican National Convention (#abcRNC) in Tampa for the ABC Television Network on:

• Tuesday, August 28 from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET
• Wednesday, August 29 from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET
• Thursday, August 30 from 10:00 -11:00 p.m., ET

Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will anchor live primetime coverage of the Democratic National Convention (#abcDNC) in Charlotte for the ABC Television Network on:

• Tuesday, September 4, from 10:00 -11:00 p.m., ET
• Wednesday, September 5, from 10:00 -11:00 p.m., ET
• Thursday, September 6, from 10:00 -11:00 p.m., ET

Note: Outlined above are the confirmed primetime hours set to be broadcast on the ABC Television Network. ABC will finalize its coverage plans once the final convention schedules are announced.

ABC News Digital platforms will provide live coverage on each night of the conventions from 7:00-11:30 p.m., ET on ABCNews.com, Yahoo!, Yahoo! News, GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo!, ABC News’ iPad & iPhone apps, as well as on ABC affiliate websites.

Live-streamed coverage will be anchored by ABC News political director Amy Walter and Yahoo! News Washington bureau chief David Chalian. They will be joined throughout the night by Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, “World News” weekend anchor David Muir, senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper, senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl, senior Washington editor Rick Klein, political contributor Matthew Dowd, and Yahoo! News’ White House correspondent Olivier Knox, senior political reporter Holly Bailey, and political reporter Chris Moody.

In addition, ABC News and Yahoo! News will host “Newsmakers Live” events in each city. ABC News and Yahoo! News will host a discussion with the architects of the Romney and Obama campaigns before a live audience of political influencers. The events will be live-streamed on the platforms of ABC News Digital and Yahoo!. Details to be announced.

ABC NewsOne, the network’s affiliate news service, will have correspondents Karen Travers and Brandi Hitt reporting live from the RNC in Tampa starting on Sunday, August 26, continuing through Friday, August 31. Travers and Hitt will also report live from the DNC in Charlotte starting on Sunday, September 2 and continuing through Friday, September 7.

ABC’s Cokie Roberts will provide analysis for ABC’s station, affiliates and clients throughout the convention weeks. ABC NewsOne will provide production support for over 50 stations and clients, including the ABC Owned Television Stations, ABC affiliates, BBC, NHK Japan, Univision, Al Jazeera, and Nine Network Australia.

ABC News Radio will provide extensive coverage of the Republican National Convention beginning Monday, August 27 through Thursday, August 30, and the Democratic National Convention from Tuesday, September 4 through Thursday, September 6. ABC News Radio correspondent Aaron Katersky will anchor live coverage each evening from 8:00-11:00pm, ET from both Tampa and Charlotte.

ABC News Radio’s team of correspondents – Vic Ratner, Ann Compton, Steven Portnoy and Alex Stone – will contribute reporting and analysis, as will Sam Donaldson and political analysts Steve Roberts and Trey Hardin. ABC News Radio will also provide digital coverage to over 400 affiliated radio station websites.

In addition, ABC News Radio also will provide coverage of both conventions to its digital partners at Slacker Radio and AOL Radio. Specially designed studio facilities will host ABC Talk Radio Row for more than 25 ABC News Radio affiliates from across the country.

Image Courtesy of  kellydelay

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Minneapolis, U.S.A. — EPG Security Group has announced it will be heading to Tampa later this month to provide protective services for senior elected officials and special events surrounding the Republican National Convention. The firm has been retained by two different national political clients to provide security for areas inside the convention forum itself, parties for state delegations and the elected officials attending those events.

Both contracts are the result of relationships initially forged with EPG Security Group when the RNC was held in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2008. The work performed by EPG in St. Paul led to the firm being brought to Washington, DC, to provide security for events around President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, and again for the Speaker of the House’s election party in 2010.

“I am proud of the relationships we’ve established with our political clients and extremely proud of the hard work of my team,” said Erik Bergling, CEO of EPG Security Group. “Together they are the foundation of our continued growth.”

“I was impressed by EPG’s Midwest work ethic when they worked for us at the RNC in St. Paul,” said Julie Wadler, founder and president of Epiphany Productions, Inc., a premier, full-service event management and fundraising firm based just outside of Washington, DC, that has hired EPG to provide RNC-related security in Tampa.

“Our reputation as event planners is based on exceptional service, know-how, and attention to detail. We need to work with vendors that provide us with those same qualities, so we can give our clients the best, customized services they need to be successful. Erik Bergling and his firm do just that. They are flexible, easy to work with, detail-oriented, and – yes, nice.”

EPG Security Group is an independently owned full-service security and investigative agency providing executive protection, uniformed officers, and investigative programs. Clients include numerous national political organizations and think tanks. EPG has been honored with working the Obama Inauguration in DC, and the Republican National Convention. Based in Minnesota, EPG Security has networks extending worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.epgsecuritygroup.com/.

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Tampa, U.S.A. – To welcome guests for the 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC), local artists will apply their own style and creativity, painting 50 identical life-sized dolphin sculptures that will be displayed at Pier 60 Park from August 6 to September 4.  Sponsored by the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, one of the 50 bottlenose dolphins will be painted by two young artists,Emily Harris, age 16, and Alyssa Neuman, age 18.

The art project is sponsored by the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce. The idea was rooted in the worldwide attention inspired by Winter, the dolphin, a local hero who starred in the Warner Brothers picture, ‘Dolphin Tale’.

“We are excited to be part of this project and I still can’t believe we were chosen to paint one of the dolphins,” said Emily Harris. “Our vision is to portray Winter, the dolphin as an artist with a knack for painting.” Complete with a palate, an artistic brush and a classic beret, Harris and Neuman have created a beautifully painted dolphin that captures the lasting memory of the Clearwater Dolphin pod for prosperity.

The young artists were invited to participate on behalf of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort and when the show ends, the dolphin will be relocated to the resort. “We’re in the hospitality business and we all know that our guests are excited to arrive at our beautiful beach. But to be greeted by 50 Dolphins, each with a special personality makes a statement that this beautiful area is all about fun!” says Russ Kimball, Manager of the resort.

While many of the dolphins will be painted by local professional artists, Sheraton Sand Key felt that sharing the experience with young people would set a positive tone consistent with the objectives of the Chamber of Commerce effort.

Image Courtesy of  Frontpage / Shutterstock.com

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