Category — Bill Frist

Senator Kerry refuses to apologize for his slander against American troops even as Democratic candidates try and distance themselves from him.

If he had just apologized yesterday, this story would be old news already. Instead he foolishly released a statement that looked like it was written by the moonbats at Daily Kos.

Meanwhile, the number of people demanding an apology from Kerry continues to grow. Here is President Bush on the campaign trail yesterday:

In the mist of a heated campaign season, there are somethings we should all be able to agree on, and one of the most important is that every one of our troops deserves our respect and our gratitude.

Yesterday, my opponent in 2004 presidential race, Senator Kerry, was speaking to a group of young people in California. I want you to listen to what he said. He said, “You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

The senator’s suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and it is shameful. The members of the United States military are plenty smart and they are plenty brave and the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology.

More statements from Governor Romney, Senator Frist, and the head of the American Legion can be found in the extended section.

[Read more →]

It looks like one Congressional Republican is reading the Rep. William Jefferson “controversy” correctly:

In a break with his counterparts in the House, the Senate’s leader said Sunday the FBI was within its right to search the office of a congressman accused of bribery.

“No House member, no senator, nobody in government should be above the law of the land, period,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said.

Senator Frist read this situation correctly. There was absolutely no reason for Speaker Hastert and House Republicans to back a Democratic Congressman accused of bribery. Even if the Constitution contained the prohibition against search they claim, the second the Justice Department went public with the vast array of evidence against Jefferson, it was a lost cause. The Feds have chapter and verse on Rep. Jefferson and protests only make Rep. Hastert look more like the leader of Cosa Nostra than the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Let’s hope his colleagues emulate Senator Frist and move on from this silly episode.

On a side note, Bill Frist has presidential ambitions. Initially, he seemed like an outside shot at best, but his stock might be rising. He certainly seems to have less of a tin ear than his counterparts, and John McCain continues to distance himself from conservatives in the party. Maybe we’ll have to reevaluate him.

Democratic Representative William Jefferson is feeling the heat:

Jefferson called the search of his office “an outrageous intrusion into separation of powers” between the executive branch and Congress. Asked about the raids Monday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he and some of his colleagues had concerns about the search of a congressional office and would discuss the matter in the coming days.

Any port in a storm I guess, but does this seem like a separation of powers issue to you? It looks like a crooked politician trying to hide behind the legitimate concern of balancing power between the branches of government to me. It surprises me that Senator Frist is implying that Congressional offices are somehow above the law if a legitimate search warrant is obtained and the government’s case looks pretty good at the moment.

I can hardly wait to hear the explanation that Rep. Jefferson is going to provide that explains all of this away.

Update: Now even Speaker Hastert is upset about the search of Rep. Jefferson’s office.

Hastert said the search was the first time a lawmaker’s office had been searched in U.S. history.

“Nothing I have learned in the last 48 hours leads me to believe that there was any necessity to change the precedent established over those 219 years,” Hastert said on Monday.

They found the money in Rep. Jefferson’s freezer, but the Speaker sees no reason why they’d search his office?  I guess Rep. Jefferson’s biggest mistake was not hiding the cash in his Capitol office.  I am obviously missing something here since I doubt “tradition” would forestall a search of my house if the government had a warrant.

One of the biggest non-starters in my adult lifetime is the Line-Item Veto. Every President since I have been voting has asked for it. President Clinton got it, and it was promptly ruled unconstitutional. In today’s Boston Globe, Senator Bill Frist writes a letter to the editor explaining his support for the line item veto and naming Senator Kerry a cosponsor (before he was against it).

I was pleased to see that the Globe has come out in support of the legislative line-item veto proposal (”Hand Bush the veto pen,” editorial, March 8th).

Right now, 43 state governors, including Massachusetts’, have similar powers to ask legislators to reconsider spending provisions. As you note, ”it is only common sense” that Congress should give the president the same type of power.

I introduced the legislative line-item veto and Senator Kerry has cosponsored. In all, more than one-quarter of the Senate has expressed public support for the legislative line-item veto. This tool will help our nation bring spending under control.

WILLIAM H. FRIST
Washington

The easy way out for the Congress is to pass the Line Item Veto legislatively and then hope it slips through judicial review. This is probably what happened here in Clinton v City of New York (this is a legal brief provided by Oyez.org which is quick and easy to read, and in my case, that comes in handy). However, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled the Line Item Veto was unconstitutional on the grounds that the President is effectively amending legislation by using the Line Item Veto. Only Congress can amend legislation.

I don’t see how this interpretation of the constitution could change in 8 years. Unless the Congress comes up with some very creative language, this is a fruitless effort. And besides, with the democrats in Congress having such heart trouble with what they feel is a runaway executive branch, does anyone really believe a bill giving the executive branch more power will get through.

A little late with my annual predictions, but better late than never:

Supreme Shocker: After Samuel Alito is seated on the Court later this month, a liberal justice will announce his (or her) retirement. My guess: Ruth Bader Ginsburg will not be on the Court at year’s end.

Dem Stars Rising: While Hillary is busy winning re-election and patching up ties with the base, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner will emerge as a very formidable primary opponent. Congressman Harold Ford will make headlines in the Tennessee senate race, win or lose.

GOP Stars Rising: MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele will make waves this fall; Mass Gov. Mitt Romney will earn brownie points with the right-wing base; GOP senators will seek the spotlight whether they should or not. (At some point, Bill Frist will realize his ticket his up.)

The Economy: The left will have to develop new talking points to trash an economy where unemployment is less than 5% and the Dow is at 11k+. Gas prices will continue to dog the GOP, but it will be a wash come November.

The Scandals: Democrats won’t effectively tie the GOP to corruption in 2006. Republican attempts to change leadership will keep the base in line and at some point, appeal the vital center.

The Agenda: Both parties will pursue efforts to unite and animate their bases. Republicans will be talking immigration and taxes while Democrats consider articles of impeachment.

The Second Mid-Term: The GOP will lose one senate seat and five house seats. The MSM will claim an era of change; the GOP will continue to lead. Chafee will win his primary, lose the general. Santorum will hold onto his seat.

The Polls: Do they even matter?

Other Events: Trent Lott will retire from the senate… The Patriots will lose their first playoff game… Natural disaster won’t be a headline… NSA hearings will sink Democrats… Tom Keane jr. will be the first Republican in 34 years to win a senate seat in NJ… Elliot Spitzer won’t be New York’s next governor… Katie will flop at CBS.

Considering what I predicted last year, I am least half-right!

Finally, Senate Majority Leader Frist layed down the marker:

Setting the stage for a politically charged showdown, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced Friday he will press beginning next week for the first of President Bush’s conservative court nominees long blocked by Democrats. “It is time for 100 senators to decide the issue of fair up-or-down votes for judicial nominees after over two years of unprecedented obstructionism,” Frist’s office said in a statement.

It is time. To be honest, I’m nervous we don’t have the votes. Losing this vote would be a PR disaster for the Republican Party and the MSM will have gotten what they have wanted all along - piss off the right-wing base. I don’t see how the GOP could ever explain losing six defections while the Democrats didn’t have any. That being said, I have hope and a little pre-analysis of what I think the vote will be.

THE DEFECTORS

Sen. John Warner (R-VA) - chairs the Armed Services committee. Whatever reservations Warner has will be overwhelmed by the fear of intra-party targeting. I think he is a safe yes.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) - As judiciary chair, Frist probably made Specter promise to vote with the party on the nuclear option. Also, Santorum needs Specter’s vote because he helped him get re-elected. Specter couldn’t handle the heat from blowhards like me. I think he is a safe yes.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) - The fact that Murkowski even has doubts shows how third base she is on politics. Bush carried her to victory last year in what should have already been in the bag. However, Murkowski has five years to re-election and she is probably thinking about what a senate halt would do to ANWR’s chances. A good payback if she breaks against the GOP would be for conservatives to derail ANWR. I think she is a true toss-up.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) - Snowe has all the political wiggle room she needs to vote for this and still win re-election. But, Snowe has a long history of bucking the party on partisan issues like impeachment and judges. She will likely vote against the change.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) - It’s rumored that Collins wants a leadership position within the GOP. The best way to secure that would be to vote in favor of the change. Collins has been more supportive of the President in the past and won’t have to face voters until 2008. I actually think she’ll vote with Republicans.

Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) - I haven’t heard Sununu’s name mentioned in a while, but it has been thrown around. I think he will go with the party.

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - Hagel has to know that he doesn’t have a prayer in the primary if he votes against it. But since he doesn’t have a prayer in the primary anyway, he worries me. I think he will vote with the party, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it.

THE FLIP SIDE
Howard “Lenin” Dean’s party certainly knows how to keep them on the plantation. Red state Democrats up in the next few years like Kent Conrad (ND), Mary Landrieu (LA), Tim Johnson (SD), and Mark Pryor (AR) have everything to lose by towing the party line on judges, but will do it anyway. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska could vote with the GOP if his vote is necessary. If the vote fails at 49, he’s screwed next year.

THE PREDICTION
I’m an optimist and I have to believe that Republicans will come through on this. The GOP will be so badly cracked if this fails - it is the issue of 2005 for me. That being said, I think it will pass 51-49 with Snowe and Murkowski joining McCain and Chafee. Then, I believe Rogers Brown and Owen will both be confirmed 58-42 with Nelson, Salazar and Pryor joining the GOP. That’s my bet, I’m sticking to it!!

The new liberal talking point is that Republicans, led by conservatives, seek to blur the lines between separation of church and state. Liberal Democrats like Howard Dean and Al Gore have given us a primer on what is ahead in the next election cycle - those who oppose abortion, gay marriage or euthanasia are religious zealots. Liberals cite the Schiavo affair and the judicial filibuster as evidence the GOP is hell bent on making America a theocracy.

The most conservative Republicans have responded by calling liberals “anti-Christian.” GOP Majority Leader Bill Frist was attacked for his appearance on Justice Sunday because of the religious association. Republican leaders have cautioned to attack the Democrats on religion, most likely because they fear a backlash in the MSM.

However, throughout this entire debate, Democrats have never had to explain the origin of their positions on “values” issue. On the other hand, it is widely accepted that the GOP’s positions, for the most part, are rooted in Judeo-Christian values. No one has ever really looked at the origin of the left’s positions on the most divisive issues facing this country. So I will.

Liberal values gained traction in the late 1960’s after the Civil Rights movement. Liberals successfully coupled civil rights for minorities and women with social policy such as abortion and the death penalty. And, who advanced most of these ideas? - the Supreme Court. Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision to legalize abortion, was the birth of the culture war in America. Overnight, the Court became the final arbiter of all things controversial and more importantly, unsettled.

Liberals then formed a counter-culture based on humanistic values purposely disassociated from anything remotely religious. The value system was based on a morally relative view of values and was used to advance some of the most controversial Supreme Court rulings in this country’s history such as Roe. The movement suffered serious setbacks in national elections soon after because Ronald Reagan’s 1980 platform created a home for socially conservative (and active) voters.

The culture war has seesawed back and forth throughout the years with conservatives having most of their success in the 1980’s and liberals in the 1990’s. President Clinton’s impeachment was probably when the fight reached fever pitch and the liberal movement has suffered electorally ever since. Last fall, President Bush successfully used Reagan’s formula to become the first President since his father to win a national mandate.

As a conservative who does value the separation of church and state, I ask Republican leaders to start questioning the origin of liberal philosophy. The GOP has to expose the roots of modern day liberalism for what it is - a cult formed in the post-War, post- Civil Rights period designed to remove everything remotely religious from the public sphere.

True conservatives seek to give the states the right to choose what religion they want to follow - a humanistic counter-culture that was founded on moral relativism or the Judeo-Christian values this country was founded on. I am willing to let the people decide. Are liberals?

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist:

“Only in the United States Senate could it be considered a devastating option to allow a vote.”

HT: Libertarian Leanings

President Bush has kept on his promise to re-appoint judges unconstitutionally blocked by Senate Democrats in his first term. Senate GOP Leader Bill Frist, looking to 2008, is asking Democrats for an up-or-down vote and Judiciary Chair Arlen Specter is already scheduling hearings for some of the nominees. Democrats, hell bent on obstruction, have signaled they intend to fight to the finish:

“The president looks like he is still more interested in picking fights than picking judges,” Kennedy said. “The last thing the federal courts need is reactionary judges bent on rolling back basic constitutional rights.”

As I’ve already mentioned, the GOP has plans to go “nuclear” next month with the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown. If the GOP was smart, they would change the rules for all judges except Supreme Court nominees and dare the Democrats to filibuster when a vacancy opens on the High Court. A high profile filibuster will further damage Democrats by exposing what they’ve become: the pathetic opposition.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has announced his intentions to run for re-election in 2006. Republicans have signaled that they plan to blundgeon the Senator over his vote against AG Alberto Gonzales in a state where 40% of the electorate is Hispanic.

A new poll out today shows that Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) could have a helluva time getting re-elected if he has to face State Treasurer Robert Casey, Jr. The good news for Santorum is that he is popular otherwise in competitive PA and that Casey’s pro-life position is unsettling the rabid pro-abortionists that fund the Democratic Party.

Congressman Harold Ford (D-TN) has announced his intentions to seek Senate GOP Leader Bill Frist’s seat in 2006. While this is likely to be an uphill battle for Ford because of the state’s conservative bent and Ford’s extended family problems, Ford’s moderate positions and national ambitions could make the race competitive.

New York Republicans have yet to field any challenger to Sen. Hillary Clinton, dashing GOP hopes of damaging the 2008 Democratic frontrunner.

Supreme Swinger: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will publicly declare in summer 2005 who she would prefer to appoint her successor. A GOP senate majority enusres a more conservative replacement so if O’Connor does not step down this summer, Bush will only have an opportunity if she passes during his term… AND Ronald Reagan will have made his first mistake.

Dem Star Rising: Barack Obama will be overshadowed by Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado. Young, Hispanic and moderate, Salazar could be the missing piece to the left’s western puzzle.

GOP 2008: Despite MSM nonsense, Rudy will still be the star of the GOP by year’s end, but speculation about Jeb’s future begins with his tsunami trip. I can’t wait to read MoDo after Jeb gets a few billions from big brother for the recovery.

Dem 2008: The Democrats’ choice for new Dem chair may help decide who takes her on in the 2008 primary. Here’s a hint: He’s not named John!

Divided, We Stand: The MSM will be shocked yet again at just how much Congress can accomplish. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid immediately becomes chief obstructionist and Senator Frist will have his hands full with GOP infighting. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) will bury the hatchet with the President and become a key Democrat in the Senate to aid her re-election effort.

The Economy - Full Throttle: We won’t be talking about the economy at year’s end. The debate is over, while not without challenges, it’s good.

Fight War, Not Each Other: The Democrats will have one last brawl over the necessity of the Iraq War. No one will be paying attention which will probably help them.

The Left’s Hit List: Conservative Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) new found seat on the judiciary committee will make Bill Frist wish he picked leader slaying Senator John Thune to serve on the committee as a symbol of what happens to red state liberals rather than defend Coburn against the anti-Christian left.

Poll Position: Bush’s overall approval rating will have much less to do with Iraq in 2005. It will be higher than his 50% average in 2004, but lower than his total average which stands at 63%.

In Other News: We won’t be attacked on American soil; It will be cold in March; the New Jersey GOP will fight back in November and Bloomberg will stay NYC mayor; AND the Philadelphia Eagles will make history - either they go to the Super Bowl and break the curse or they replace the Buffalo Bills and Al Gore as biggest losers!

Last night built off of the momentum of the first night. I thought it would be hard to top McCain and Giuliani but Schwarzenegger easily did just that. He has such a powerful story to tell as an immigrant that has lived the American dream to its fullest. Of course the sheer star power doesn’t hurt, I’ll take him over empty suits like Martin Sheen or Ben Affleck any day. First Lady Laura Bush also gave a great speech. Here is a recap of yesterday’s speeches.

Stand Up and Holla contest winner, Princella Smith spoke about “Generation X-ample”:

Over a decade ago, a fellow Arkansan at a National Convention talked about a place called Hope.

Now I would like to talk about another small town in Arkansas a place called Wynne. Growing up in Wynne I learned to value service and community.

However, as I grew older some residents began to lose faith in my generation, labeling us “turbulent teens,” “troubled children” and the one I like least - - “Generation X.”

Unlike those who fought in the World Wars and battled for civil rights, we seem to be perceived as a generation without direction.

President George Bush calls us to a higher purpose.

The President inspires us to be what I call Generation X-ample. President Bush calls on us to change the world.

Our generation of 18-year-old soldiers has taken a stand against the horrors of terrorism in order to bring peace and democracy to those without hope.

The President also asks us to fight important battles at home:

AGAINST drugs;

AGAINST poverty;

AGAINST forces that want to degrade our generation and call us Generation X.

We reject that label.

We are Generation X-ample.

Tonight I call on not only Generation X, but members of every generation to be “the greatest generation,” and urge everyone to adhere to a universal message that transcends ideology: serve your fellow man and you win every time.

My parents instilled in me the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said:

“Everyone can be great because anybody can serve.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve…You only need a heart full of grace.

A soul generated by love.”

President Bush personifies that principle.

He has called on our generation to move into the world and adhere to the charge of service: to volunteer in tutoring programs, after-school programs, and faith-based events that assist those in need.

We listen because he has set the example.

Let us join our President.

Let us be an army. Let us become Generation X-ample.

Senator Elizabeth Dole (NC) spoke paid tribute to the President’s leadership then talked mostly about social issues (emphasis added):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two thousand years ago a man said, ” I have come to give life and to give it in full.” In America I have the freedom to call that man Lord, and I do. In the United States of America we are free to worship without discrimination, without intervention and even without activist judges trying to strip the name of God from the Pledge of Allegiance;

from the money in our pockets; and from the walls of our courthouses. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The right to worship God isn’t something Republicans invented, but it is something Republicans will defend.

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

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

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

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

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

Senator Sam Brownback (KS) spoke next about compassionate conservatism:

My friends, it is a privilege to be with you.

A fundamental principle of our democracy and our Republican Party is respect for the inherent dignity, equality, and sanctity of every human life. We do not measure the value of a life by wealth or social status. We believe that every person is beautiful, unique, and has great purpose. Every life must be honored and protected.

At our party’s convention in 1860, we affirmed that America is a land of liberty and equality for all. We nominated Abraham Lincoln, and we denounced, and ultimately defeated, the scourge of slavery. Our nation is again called to the defense of human life and dignity.

HIV/AIDS is one of the greatest moral and humanitarian crises of our time.

Over 20 million people have died of the disease since the start of the pandemic. Without our commitment, AIDS could take the lives of 60 million by 2020. Millions of African children have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

Here at home, President Bush has committed record levels of support to fighting the disease. He has called for a new focus on abstinence education and has established a new effort to develop an AIDS vaccine.

Internationally, President Bush has marshaled an army of compassion to combat this disease. His Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB authorized a record $15 billion, which will treat 2 million people, prevent 7 million new infections, and care for 10 million orphans and others affected by AIDS.

Under President Bush’s leadership, we will work to protect every human life. From the HIV/AIDS patient in Uganda to the 14-year-old girl trafficked and sold into prostitution, this nation and this president will fight for you!

From the Down’s Syndrome child seeking an education to the prisoner working to turn away from a life of crime, this nation and this president will fight for you!

From the man held in a foreign prison for practicing his faith to the Sudanese refugee attacked for the color of her skin, this nation and this president will fight for you! From the child in the womb to the mother carrying her, this nation and this president will fight for you!

Why? Because each is wonderfully made, and what we do for the so-called “least of these,” we do for our Creator. We are leading the world in a heroic rescue of human life.

This is the essence of compassionate conservatism. It is the mettle of George Bush.

God bless you, and God bless America!

Senator Bill Frist (TN) continued on the compassionate conservatism theme with a speech on health care. Democrats like to say Republicans don’t like to talk about health care because we have nothing to offer. This speech blew that argument away and showed what the President has already accomplished in this area (emphasis added):

Ten years ago, on my first day as a Senator, my dad, a family doctor in Tennessee for 50 years, paid me a visit.

As we sat in my new office, he said: “Son, the nameplate on your door reads William Frist.

Always remember you’re a doctor. You’re committed to healing and helping people.

It really should read, William Frist M.D.”

Well, today the nameplate on the door of my Capitol office reads just that William Frist M.D. It’s a constant reminder of my dad’s advice: to work each day to better the life of every individual American.

And that, my friends, is what President George W. Bush has done — particularly when it comes to health care.

He has won some huge victories to make health care cost less and be there when you need it.

So, let’s talk about what that means for Americans, and what health care in America can become.

Health care is the lifeblood of our future, and it touches every life — our grandparents, our parents, our children, you.

And when you need it, you want it to be reliable.

You want it to be affordable and lifelong.

You want it to reflect the dignity and the value of those you love. And you want it to be the best.

Let me remind you: in 2000 before someone borrowed his line George Bush promised that “help is on the way.”

Tonight, America can take comfort that help is here.

Today, unlike when my dad practiced, the most powerful tools in American medicine are prescription drugs.

These medicines help so many get out of bed, pick up their grandchild, walk to the store, and find joy in each day.

Yet these miracle medicines were denied by Medicare.

Well, George Bush has righted that wrong!

Thanks to his leadership, over 40 million seniors and individuals with disabilities will soon have access to prescription drugs.

What’s more, prescription drug coverage is the centerpiece of something bigger: the first real reform of Medicare since its creation.

Among the improvements we made are new screenings for heart disease, diabetes and cancer — a first ever “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam.

And right now, thanks to the President’s action, this Medicare prescription drug discount card is providing 4 million seniors with immediate relief from the high cost of their medicines.

Now some of our opponents don’t want seniors to get this card.

They don’t want seniors to know that our Party cut the cost of their medicines.

They’d rather play politics than help patients.

Don’t listen to them! You can get your card today. And it’s simple. Just call 1-800-MEDICARE. Tell ‘em you want your card. Tell ‘em Dr. Frist prescribed it.

And let me point out that our opponents talked about doing this for eight years.

While seniors suffered they talked and talked and talked.

George Bush and the Republican Congress delivered. We acted.

Not just talk action.

This victory for our Party — and above all for seniors — is part of a larger battle we’re fighting on behalf of every American.

How we do so is crucial.

Our opponents have a way of confusing compassion with dependency.

We believe true compassion encourages and empowers Americans to be responsible and take control of their own lives.

That’s what President Bush and the Republican Congress did when we made Health Savings Accounts HSAs — the law of the land.

With an HSA you can invest tax-free in a personal savings account.

You can roll it over year to year or withdraw funds if you get sick without paying a penny of tax.

YOU own it. YOU invest it.

YOU grow it. YOU control it.

It is YOURS.

So here’s the choice: do we grow the bureaucracy and gouge you with higher taxes, as Mr. Kerry will do?

Or, do we let the American people grow their own HSAs and own their health care, as George Bush wants to do?

We’ve made our choice.

But I’ll tell you what Senator Kerry’s prescription will be: take a handful of tax increases and don’t call me in the morning.

President Bush wouldn’t stop with HSAs. Health insurance costs too much. People need help.

President Bush is working for tax credits of up to $1,000 for individuals, and $3,000 for families, to help the uninsured purchase their own health insurance.

And as for small businesses, they’re burdened, often crushed, by health care costs.

So, we want to help them band together to provide affordable health care for their employees and their families.

Another reason health care costs too much is our abused medical liability system.

The culprits are personal injury trial lawyers.

We oppose these predators.

We must stop them from twisting American medicine into a litigation lottery where they hit the jackpot and every patient ends up paying.

Let me share with you a story.

Two years ago, on a family vacation in Florida, I came across a horrendous car accident as my sons and I drove along Alligator Alley.

The accident had just happened.

I rushed forward as any doctor would do — to help four people thrown from their car and two people trapped inside. Tragically, three children died.

But their parents who were critically injured and another relative — did survive.

The next morning, I went to the hospital to check on the family.The two trauma surgeons who had cared for them pulled me aside. They said, “Dr. Frist, we may have to leave this hospital, maybe the state, maybe even what we love to do. We just can’t afford our liability insurance. And it keeps going up.”

Today I checked in with the hospital’s Chief of Staff Dr. Callari. He said the situation has worsened. Though he has never been sued, his liability insurance has doubled.

He couldn’t afford it and had to drop it.

Dr. Callari’s father and grandfather were both physicians.

But he doesn’t want his 11 and 12 year old boys to go into medicine. Because everything he has worked for — his savings, his family, his livelihood — is now at risk.

And so are the people of southern Florida. That hospital has the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the region. What if it closes?

This is unacceptable.

Because in medicine, seconds often mean the difference between life and death.

Let’s be clear: you can no longer be both pro-patient and pro-trial lawyer.

John Kerry has made his choice.

He put a trial lawyer on his ticket.

By his votes and by his actions, he is the “Dr. No” of tort reform in America.

President Bush is fighting this good fight.

And in the Senate, where reform has been blocked, we will fight too. We will come back again and again and again until doctors, patients, and the American people win.

Before I close, I’d like to touch briefly on stem cell research.

Scientists work on two basic types of stem cell research.

One is adult — with cells taken, for example, from bone marrow or cartilage. Another uses cells taken from human embryos.

Adult stem cell research has already led to cures. And both fields hold promise.

But, contrary to the claims of some, embryonic stem cell research is still at a very early stage.

John Kerry claims that the President has put a “sweeping ban” on stem cell research.
I challenge Mr. Kerry tonight: what ban? Shame on you, Mr. Kerry.

Under the President’s policy, the federal government is funding both types of stem cell research at record levels. And the private sector remains free to fund and pursue any type of stem cell research.

The President has also said that we should conduct this research with the highest moral and ethical standards.

An embryo is biologically human. It deserves moral respect.

This President will not use your taxpayer dollars to destroy human life or create human embryos solely for the purpose of experimentation.

My friends, I’m so proud of our President’s record. He’s making health care more affordable, more accessible.

He’s uniting ownership and opportunity for millions. And he is looking to the future.

He has a vision to harness America’s awesome potential: through the power of our technologies, the strength of our sciences, the efficiency of our enterprises, and the highest aspirations of our people.

Prescription drugs in Medicare, tax-free Health Savings Accounts, an ethical framework for scientific discovery: these will be part of our future.

Tax credits for the uninsured, electronic medical records, a just, fair and fast medical liability system: these could be part of our future. But, only one candidate will lead us there President George W. Bush.

We have a choice. John Kerry’s trillion dollar government-run plan will place your health in the hands of others faraway.

President Bush’s plan is patient-centered which is the only, sure prescription for superior care.

Mr. Kerry will empower those who tax you. President Bush will empower those who cure you.

John Kerry remains the personal injury lawyers’ best friend. George Bush will put the interests of patients, doctors and nurses first.

Fellow citizens, on November 2nd, there is only one choice for a stronger, healthier and freer America — George W. Bush.

TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck continued on the Health Care topic specifically talking about Breast Cancer. She was followed by Secretary of Education Rod Paige who touted the No Child Left Behind Act (emphasis added):

Good evening Fellow Americans.

We live in a great country.

A nation of good people in pursuit of great ideals defined by our Founders, defended by citizen-soldiers, and delivered to us.

We inherited a great nation.

So must our children! No nation whatever the size of its armed forces or economy can sustain greatness unless it educates all, not just some, of its citizens. No one understands that better than President Bush.

He’s always had a compassionate vision for education: Students challenged by high standards; teachers armed with proper resources; parents empowered with information and choices.

Young adults with meaningful diplomas in their hands not despair in their hearts. He saw that many schools shared his vision. They have dedicated teachers, outstanding administrators, involved parents.

They are in cities, suburbs and rural communities. But there were also schools where young minds were left unengaged; good teachers left unsupported; standards left unused.

Kids who passed through these schools were robbed of their life’s potential.

And so were we.

Other Presidents tried to fix this problem. But even as education spending skyrocketed, the “achievement gap” persisted.

On a personal note: In my youth I attended segregated schools. I was in college when the Supreme Court announced Brown versus Board of Education. I felt liberated that day.

I thought true equality would soon follow. It did not.

While Brown opened the schoolhouse door to all it did not guarantee quality education for all. President Bush saw this two-tiered system as unacceptable! He proposed a plan High standards; measurable goals; real consequences and resources to get the job done.

He promised results.

He delivered results.

The President’s first legislative proposal was the No Child Left Behind Act.

This bipartisan law raises the bar for all students no matter their race or income level.

It challenges what the President calls the “soft bigotry of low expectations.” Its goal is simple: all students read and do math at grade level.

States, not Washington, set the standards. Schools that need assistance get assistance.

Support for education under President Bush has gone up 36 percent with more funds requested for disadvantaged students than during the entire Clinton administration.

Casey Stengel would say: “You can look it up!”

Now schools are held accountable for making real progress. If they don’t, parents have real choices such as after-school homework help, or the choice of another school.

No Child Left Behind is working.

All across America test scores are rising; students are learning; the achievement gap is closing; teachers and principals are beaming with pride! President Bush also increased Pell Grants funding so one million more young adults can afford college.

Although much work remains, our choice is simple: We can either build on these achievements — or return to the days of excuses and indifference.

Our opponents voted for No Child Left Behind. They praised it then. Now they attack it.

They say No Child Left Behind should be watered down, schools can’t handle change, some children just can’t learn. We say, do not underestimate our public schools do not underestimate our teachers and never underestimate our children!

We say high standards, accountability and achievement are on the right track and we’re not going back!

This election may be multiple choices, but there’s only one correct choice. To go forward, not back. To choose compassion, not cynicism. To set high standards, not settle for second-best.

To elect a true “reformer with results” not a “Johnny Come Lately” with mere promises! Only one candidate has worked to create an education system worthy of a great nation.

President George W. Bush.

Lt. Gov. Michael Steele of Maryland was up next. He made an appeal to Black Americans and talked about the Republicans role in the fight for Civil Rights. He also talked about some of the President’s domestic successes and how they fit into the Republican philosophy. He then listed some John Kerry’s history in the Senate (emphasis added):

Good evening. Is this a great party or what?

I had planned to give a moving defense of the conservative principles of the Republican Party tonight.

But there was only one problem; Barak Obama gave it last month at the Democratic Convention.

I am the first African-American ever elected to a statewide office in Maryland.

Even more amazingly, on a ticket with Governor Bob Ehrlich, the first Republican Governor in Maryland in 40 years, I became the first Republican lieutenant governor in my state.

Together, we made history.

I am proof that the blessings of liberty are within reach of every American.

We have come an incredibly long way since the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

We have come a long way since another Republican President, Dwight Eisenhower, sent the National Guard into Little Rock to open the school doors to black and white children alike.

And we have come even further since a majority of Republicans in the United States Senate fought off the segregationist Democrats to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

My journey to this moment has been inspired by men and women who remained forever vigilant in their pursuit of equality and opportunity.

Individuals like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan and Maebell Turner, refused to accept the poisonous path of complacency.

They each had dreams, but more important, they all had plans for turning those dreams into an American reality. The promise of America is the promise of endless possibilities.

America remains that place President Reagan called “a shining city on a hill.”

But while the promise of America is real, the challenges we face to secure that promise for every American are no less real.

We must continue to be vigilant in our fight against the blight of poverty, poor education and lost opportunity.

What truly defines the civil rights challenge today isn’t whether you can get a seat at the lunch counter.

It’s whether you can own that lunch counter in order to create legacy wealth for your children. We heard one word over and over again at the Democratic Convention: Hope.

But there is a problem, my friends: Hope is not a strategy. Hope doesn’t protect you from terrorists, hope doesn’t lower your taxes, hope doesn’t help you buy a home, and hope doesn’t ensure quality education for your kids.

As the book of James reminds us “it is not enough just to have faith. Faith that does not show itself by good deeds is no faith at all.” You see, it’s results that matter; and President Bush does not just talk about hope, he stands on a record of putting hope into action for America.

President Bush knows that a competitive marketplace will require providing our children with a first-rate education.

He knows that too many of our children are headed for the state pen instead of Penn State. He knows that the “soft bigotry of low expectations” is today’s version of blocking the entrance to the schoolhouse door. President Bush didn’t just hope for dramatic education reform, he turned that hope into No Child Left Behind, and our children are learning again. He didn’t just hope for economic recovery, he turned that hope into action by returning money to the people who earned it — American families.

Today, over 111 million taxpayers are keeping more of their own money. And the President is committed to making that tax relief permanent.

President Bush didn’t just hope for increased home ownership in America, he put his hope into action.

Today, more Americans own homes than ever before and for the first time ever, more than half of all minority families are homeowners. This is a powerful and transforming time in our nation’s history. I am, like many of you, a 20th century parent trying to raise 21st century kids.

I realize that my responsibility for them doesn’t end when I bundle them up, kiss their foreheads and send them off into the world.

If we expect to succeed, if we expect our children to succeed, we must look to ourselves and not to government to raise our kids, start our business, or provide care to our aging parent.

What government can do is give us the tools we need and then get out of the way and let us put our hopes into action!

Yet, this requires strong leadership. Senator Kerry’s leadership is illustrated best by the Senator himself when he said, “I actually voted for the 87 billion dollars before I voted against it.”

He also recently said that he doesn’t want to use the word “war” to describe our efforts to fight terrorism.

Well, I don’t want to use the words “Commander-in-Chief” to describe John Kerry.

Just a year after the first attack on the World Trade Center, most Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats rejected an amendment to slash our intelligence budget by $6 billion. But not John Kerry.

It was his amendment. Most Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats voted to give our combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan the funding necessary for things like body armor. But not John Kerry.

When Vice President Gore urged the Senate to “Reinvent Government” and reduce the federal workforce, most Republicans and Democrats voted for it. But not John Kerry.

Republicans and Democrats in the Senate voted to reform the product liability system that was making trial lawyers rich while causing playgrounds and small businesses to close. But not John Kerry.

Most Senators in both parties voted to protect the institution of marriage with the Defense of Marriage Act signed into law by President Clinton. But not John Kerry.

Enough about him.

Now you may remember I mentioned Maebell Turner as one of the great inspirations in my life. Maebell is just one of many faces in America who struggled to raise a family and believed that she could offer something more for her children.

She grew up the daughter of sharecroppers and had to quit school in the fifth grade to work a farm. She married a man who died from alcoholism.

She worked forty-five years in a Laundromat, making minimum wage and still managed to send her kids to parochial school.

She never took public assistance, because as she put it, she didn’t want the government raising her kids.

Maebell always saw the hope that her kids would be better off than she was, and she channeled her hope for that legacy into action.

Today, Maebell Turner has a daughter who is an accomplished pediatrician and a son who is Lieutenant Governor of Maryland.

A lifelong Democrat, she once asked me how I could become such a strong Republican; I simply replied “Mom, you raised me well.”

You see, she raised me to understand and appreciate the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said: “You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and incentive. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they should do for themselves.”

These are the beliefs of our Republican Party. These are the principles that drew me to this Party 28 years ago.

And today, the standard-bearer of these convictions is George W. Bush.

So, let’s continue to work to re-elect a compassionate man who understands people’s yearning for freedom, a man who knows that families make better decisions than government, a man who turns hope into action, and moves us all toward that Shining City on a Hill: PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH!

This led into Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech (CA). He was excellent, the best so far. He will be hard to top. He spoke about his rise from being an immigrant who couldn’t speak English to becoming a successful movie star then Governor of California. He is the perfect example of the American Dream. He also spoke about the principled leadership of the President and managed to work in some of the lines associated with his movies along with a reference to “Girlie Men”. Here is the speech in full (emphasis added):

Thank you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As a kid I saw the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left. I love Austria and I love the Austrian people - but I always knew America was the place for me.

In school, when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would sit for hours watching American movies transfixed by my heroes like John Wayne. Everything about America seemed so big to me so open, so possible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s what I admire most about the President. He’s a man of perseverance.

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

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

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

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

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

You know, When the Germans brought down the Berlin Wall America’s determination helped wield the sledgehammers. When that lone, young Chinese man stood in front of those tanks in Tiananmen Square America’s hopes stood with him. And when

Nelson Mandela smiled in election victory after all those years in prison America celebrated, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, America — and God bless you all!

Arnold was followed by the Bush daughters who introduced the President so that he could then introduce First Lady Laura Bush. She gave a good speech that spoke about the personal side of the President that you won’t read about in the media. She also talked about the need to stay the course in the War on Terror (emphasis added):

Thank you, George. I like being introduced by the President of the United States. And Barbara and Jenna, you were great. We are so proud of you both. I want to recognize the best father and Mother-in-law anyone could ever ask for: President Bush and Barbara Bush. And my husbands brothers and sister who have become my brothers and sister too. Watching tonight from her home in Midland, Texas, my mother, Jenna Welch. Thank you for the wonderful privilege you have given my husband and me of serving this great country.

Our lives have been enriched by meeting so many of our fellow Americans. As we’ve visited your communities, we have witnessed your decency, kindness and character. I am enjoying this campaign. It has reminded me of our very first one, 26 years ago. George and I were newlyweds and he was running for Congress. Our transportation wasn’t quite as fancy back then - an Oldsmobile Cutlass, and George was behind the wheel. Even then, he was always on time and he knew exactly where he wanted to go. You learn a lot about your husband when you spend that much time in a car with him. By the end of the campaign, he had even convinced me to vote for him.

This time I don’t need any convincing.

I am so proud of the way George has led our country with strength and conviction. Tonight, I want to try to answer the question that I believe many people would ask me if we sat down for a cup of coffee or ran into each other at the store: You know him better than anyone - you’ve seen things no one else has seen - why do you think we should re-elect your husband as President.

As you might imagine, I have a lot to say about that.

I could talk about my passion, education. At every school we visit, the students are so eager. Last fall the President and I walked into an elementary school in Hawaii, and a little 2nd-grader came out to welcome us and bellowed, “George Washington!” Close, just the wrong George W.”

When my husband took office, too many schools were leaving too many children behind, so he worked with Congress to pass sweeping education reform. The No Child Left Behind Act provides historic levels of funding with an unprecedented commitment to higher standards, strong accountability and proven methods of instruction. We are determined to provide a quality education for every child in America.

I could talk about the small business owners and entrepreneurs who are now creating most of the new jobs in our country… women like Carmella Chaifos - the only woman to own a tow truck company in all of Iowa. The President’s tax relief helped Carmella to buy the business, and modernize her fleet, and expand her operations. Carmela is living proof of what she told me. She said: “If you’re determined and you want to work hard, you can do anything you want to. That’s the beautiful thing about America.”

I could talk about health care. For years, leaders in both parties said we should provide prescription drug coverage in Medicare. George was able to bring Republicans and Democrats together to get it done.

I could talk about the fact that my husband is the first President to provide federal funding for stem cell research. - He did so in a principled way, allowing science to explore its potential while respecting the dignity of human life.

I could talk about the record increase in home ownership. Home ownership in America, especially minority home ownership is at an all time high.

All of these issues are important. But we are living in the midst of the most historic struggle my generation has ever known. The stakes are so high. So I want to talk about the issue that I believe is most important for my own daughters, for all our families, and for our future: George’s work to protect our country and defeat terror so that all children can grow up in a more peaceful world.

As we gather in this hall and around our television sets tonight, Joshua Crane stands watch aboard the USS John C. Stennis. His brothers Matthew and Nicholas stand watch near Fallujah. At home in Colorado, their mother Cindy stands watch too - with worry, and prayer. She told me all three of her sons enlisted after September 11, because they recognized the threat to our country. Our nation is grateful to all the men and women of our armed forces who are standing guard on the front lines of freedom.

A Dad whose wife is deployed in Iraq recently wrote about what he is learning as he struggles to rear his three children alone. “I have ruined at least three loads of laundry,” he said, “Once you turn everything pink, it stays pink.” He goes on: “I have learned what our soldiers’ wives have known for generations: hope and grief and perseverance.”

This time of war has been a time of great hardship for our military families. The President and I want all our men and women in uniform and their wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters to know we appreciate their sacrifice. We know it will mean a more peaceful future for our children and grandchildren.

No American President ever wants to go to war. Abraham Lincoln didn’t want to go to war, but he knew saving the union required it. Franklin Roosevelt didn’t want to go to war - but he knew defeating tyranny demanded it. And my husband didn’t want to go to war, but he knew the safety and security of America and the world depended on it.

I remember some very quiet nights at the dinner table. George was weighing grim scenarios and ominous intelligence about potentially even more devastating attacks. I listened many nights as George talked with foreign leaders on the phone, or in our living room, or at our ranch in Crawford. I remember an intense weekend at Camp David. George and Prime Minister Tony Blair were discussing the threat from Saddam Hussein. And I remember sitting in the window of the White House, watching as my husband walked on the lawn below. I knew he was wrestling with these agonizing decisions that would have such profound consequence for so many lives and for the future of our world.

And I was there when my husband had to decide. Once again, as in our parents’ generation, America had to make the tough choices, the hard decisions, and lead the world toward greater security and freedom.

I wasn’t born when my father went to World War II. Like so many of our greatest generation he is gone now, lost to Alzheimer’s nine years ago. He served in the US Army in Europe for almost three years, and helped liberate Nordhausen, one of the concentration camps. You can imagine his horror at what he found there. The methods of the terrorists we face today are different - but my father would know this struggle.

Our parents’ generation confronted tyranny and liberated millions. As we do the hard work of confronting today’s threat - we can also be proud that 50 million more men, women and children live in freedom thanks to the United States of America and our allies.

After years of being treated as virtual prisoners in their own homes by the Taliban, the women of Afghanistan are going back to work. After being denied an education, even the chance to learn to read, — the little girls in Afghanistan are now in school. Almost every eligible voter - over ten million Afghan citizens - have registered to vote in this fall’s presidential election. More than 40 percent of them women. And wasn’t it wonderful to watch the Olympics and see that beautiful Afghan sprinter race in long pants and a t-shirt, exercising her new freedom while respecting the traditions of her country.

I recently met a young Iraqi woman. She is one of the new Iraqi Fulbright scholars. She survived horrific ordeals, including the gassing of her village by Saddam Hussein. She told me that when people look at Iraq, what they don’t see is that Iraq is a country of 25 million people, each with their own hope.

As we watch the people of Iraq and Afghanistan take the first steps to build free countries, I am reminded of what Vaclav Havel told me. Vaclav Havel — playwright, intellectual, freedom fighter, political prisoner, then President of the Czech Republic — said “Laura, you know, democracy is hard: it requires the participation of everybody.” I think of how long it took us in our country, even though we were given such a perfect document by our founders. It took almost 100 years after the founders declared that all men are created equal for America to abolish slavery– and not until 84 years ago this month did American women get the right to vote. Our nation has not always lived up to its ideals — yet those ideals have never ceased to guide us. They expose our flaws, and lead us to mend them. We are the beneficiaries of the work of the generations before us and it is each generation’s responsibility to continue that work.

These last three years since September 11, have been difficult years in our country’s history, years that have demanded the hope, grief and perseverance that our soldier’s husband wrote about. We’ve learned some lessons we didn’t want to know - that our country is more vulnerable than we thought, that some people hate us because we stand for liberty, religious freedom and tolerance. But we have been heartened to discover that we are also braver than we thought, stronger and more generous.

These have been years of change for our family as well. Our girls went off to college and graduated, and now they are back home. We are so happy they are campaigning with us this fall and so proud they will be pursuing their own careers soon. My mother moved out of my childhood home and into a retirement community. We lost our beloved dog Spotty, and had our hearts warmed by the antics of Barney.

People ask me all the time whether George has changed. He’s a little grayer - and of course, he has learned and grown as we all have. But he’s still the same person I met at a backyard barbecue in Midland, Texas and married three months later. And you’ve come to know many of the same things that I know about him. He’ll always tell you what he really thinks. You can count on him, especially in a crisis. His friends don’t change - and neither do his values. He has boundless energy and enthusiasm for his job, and for life itself. He treats every person he meets with dignity and respect; the same dignity and respect he has for the office he holds. And he’s a loving man, with a big heart. I’ve seen tears as he has hugged families who’ve lost loved ones. I’ve seen him return the salute of soldiers wounded in battle. And then, being George, he’s invites them to come visit us at the White House. And they’ve come, bringing an infectious spirit of uniquely American confidence that we are doing the right thing and that our future will be better because of our actions today.

Many of my generation remember growing up at the height of the Cold War, hiding under desks during civil defense drills in case the communists attacked us. And now, when parents ask me, what should we tell our children - I think about those desks. We need to reassure our children that our police and firemen, and military and intelligence workers are doing everything possible to keep them safe. We need to remind them that most people in the world are good. And we need to explain that because of strong American leadership in the past we don’t hide under our desks anymore. Because of President Bush’s leadership and the bravery of our men and women in uniform, I believe our children will grow up in a world where today’s terror alerts have also become a thing of the past.

These are also years of hope for our country and our people. We have great confidence in our ability to overcome challenges. We have gained a new appreciation for the many blessings of America, and been reminded of our responsibilities to the country that we love.

George and I grew up in West Texas, where the sky seems endless and so do the possibilities. He brings that optimism, that sense of promise, that certainty that a better day is before us to his job every day - and with your help, he’ll do so for four more years. These are times that require an especially strong and determined leader. And I’m proud that my husband is that kind of leader.

Thank you, God bless you and God bless America.

Overall it was another great night to be a Republican. The speakers talked about domestic issues but they also continued to discuss the War on Terror, an issue Democrats tried to avoid. This convention will appeal to the security moms and 9/11 Democrats who see the threat of terrorism as the only issue that matters in this election.

Headline on Boston.com: Republicans seek to declassify earlier Clarke testimony

Top Republicans in Congress sought Friday to declassify two-year-old testimony by former White House aide Richard Clarke, suggesting he may have lied this week when he faulted President Bush’s handling of the war on terror.

”Mr. Clarke has told two entirely different stories under oath,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said in a speech on the Senate floor.

The Tennessee Republican said he hopes Clarke’s testimony in July 2002 before the House and Senate intelligence committees can be declassified. Then, he said, it can be compared with the account the former aide provided in his nationally televised appearance Wednesday before the bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said he supports the move. ”We need to lean forward in making as much information available to the public as possible, without compromising the national security interests of the nation,” he said in a statement. Hastert said the initial request had been made by Rep. Porter Goss, the Florida Republican who heads the House intelligence committee.

The developments marked the latest turn in a Republican counterattack against Clarke, who has leveled his criticism against Bush in a new book as well as in interviews and his sworn testimony before the commission.

In his testimony, Clarke said that while the Clinton administration had ”no higher priority” than combatting terrorists, Bush made it ”an important issue but not an urgent issue” in the eight months between the time he took office and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Clarke also testified that the invasion of Iraq had undermined the war on terror.

In a sharply worded speech, Frist said that Clarke himself was ”the only common denominator” across 10 years of terrorist attacks that began with the first attack on the World Trade Center.

Additionally, he accused Clarke of ”an appalling act of profiteering” by publishing a book that relied on access to insider information relating to the worst terrorist attacks in the nation’s history.

He also accused him of making a ”theatrical apology” to the families of the terrorist victims at the outset of his appearance on Wednesday, saying it was not ”his right, his privilege or his responsibility” to do so.

”Mr. Clarke can and will answer for his own conduct but that is all,” he said.

Frist, without elaborating, said Clarke’s testimony in 2002 was ”effusive in his praise for the actions of the Bush administration.”

Frist also noted that Clarke, appearing as an anonymous official, had praised the administration’s actions in an appearance before White House reporters in 2002.

Clarke on Wednesday dismissed that appearance as the fulfillment of the type of request that presidential appointees frequently receive.

But, Frist said, ”Loyalty to any administration will be no defense if it is found that he has lied to Congress.”

As the great Marvin the Martian would say: You have made me very angry, very angry indeed!