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Thunder Pig
Saturday, January 28, 2012
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The Democratic Party of North Carolina held their annual Sanford-Hunt-Frye Fundraiser in Greensboro, NC this year. Thanks to a timely tip via Zan Bunn on Facebook, I was able to watch part of the event. I also recorded the audio and have posted it below. If you do use it on your website or blog, I have released it under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution Requested license...which is a fancy way of saying, if you use it, please credit Bobby Coggins and link back here where you found it.
Here is the video of the event as well. It is three plus hours long and the audio above is just of the meat of the event.
Previously
In 2007, I joined The Carolina Stompers and Space Mountain Productions and infiltrated the 2007 Vance Aycock Dinner and filmed that Democratic Fundraiser. Here is my coverage of that event:
Also the source of the names of the list of fallen astronauts I have used below.
Exploring a new frontier is a risky, but rewarding endeavor. The men and women who sign up to be astronauts are signing a blank check payable any amount, up to the life of the signer, during the course of their duty.
The following is a tribute to the astronauts who have given their lives in the performance of their duty.
Each January, we honor the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, as well as other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA’s mission of exploration. We thank them and their families for their extraordinary sacrifices in the service of our nation.
On this Day of Remembrance, as we remember our fallen heroes with tributes and public ceremonies, I will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-mast in their memory.
Space exploration is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. We recognize these pioneers’ sacrifices each day with our ongoing commitment to safety. As an agency, we know the risks inherent in each mission. Ensuring the safety of our employees is our highest priority.
The legacy of those we have lost is our ongoing work and the inspiration of generations of new space explorers. Every day, with each new challenge we overcome and every discovery we make, we honor these remarkable men and women. Please join me in working to fulfill their dreams for the future.
Charles F. Bolden, Jr. NASA Administrator
A tribute to the heroes of Apollo 1
January 27, 1967.
That date doesn't mean anything significant to most Americans. On that day, three men died in the service of our nation as they conducted a routine test on their command capsule. Much has been written about that day and these men. I cannot add anything substantial to what has gone before, so I will just point to what I think were the best attempts to explain what happened, and to remember these men who died on our journey to the Moon.
A video tribute to the crew of Apollo 1.
On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first space flight, died in this tragic accident.
A seven-member board, under the direction of the NASA Langley Research Center Director, Dr. Floyd L. Thompson, conducted a comprehensive investigation to pinpoint the cause of the fire. The final report, completed in April 1967 was subsequently submitted to the NASA Administrator. The report presented the results of the investigation and made specific recommendations that led to major design and engineering modifications, and revisions to test planning, test discipline, manufacturing processes and procedures, and quality control. With these changes, the overall safety of the command and service module and the lunar module was increased substantially. The AS-204 mission was redesignated Apollo I in honor of the crew.
This is an audio recording of the actual last moments of the crew of Apollo 1, with commentary and a play by play of the initial accident investigation.
This is a dramatization of the tragic event, as presented during the "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries on HBO.
For more information on this accident, please visit the following webpages:
The Challenger Accident was different from the Apollo 1 Accident because it happened during the launch, and many people witnessed the explosion. I had stayed home from school in order to watch the launch because they had become so routine, there was no effort made by the school to allow students who were interested to watch them or integrate them into lesson plans.
Apparently, network television had the same idea about spaceflight becoming routine, because they did not cover the launch, and I did not have satellite TV so I couldn't watch it on the NASA Channel or even CNN, which was the only network to carry it live. (This was in the days before broadband Internet). So I was digging through the shortwave radio stations, trying to find one that was covering it when my dad called from work. He told me the shuttle had blown up. I didn't believe him at first because I thought he was teasing me, and he told me to cut the TV on and see. I did, and I saw.
Video courtesy: NASA
NASA documnetary detailing the events surrounding the loss of OV-099, Space Shuttle Challenger, shortly after the launch of the 25th flight of the Space Transportation System, Mission STS-51L, on 28 January, 1986, and the subsequent investigation into the loss of the vehicle and its crew of seven. The investigation shows that the Solid Rocket Booster field joints were of an insufficiently fault-tolerant design and when the vehicle was launched at below-normal temperatures, hot exhaust gasses leaked on ignition, damaging the integrity of the field joint, leading to a breach in the external tank and destruction of the orbiter.
This is a video of the live CNN broadcast of the launch, the only network to carry it live.
This is a live television feed of the accident that was involved in gathering B-Roll from the viewing stand for guests of NASA during the launch, including families of the crew.
Here are the unforgettable words of President Ronald Reagan memorializing the Challenger crew.
Transcript:
We come together today to mourn the loss of seven brave Americans, to share the grief we all feel and, perhaps in that sharing, to find the strength to bear our sorrow and the courage to look for the seeds of hope. Our nation's loss is first a profound personal loss to the family and the friends and loved ones of our shuttle astronauts. To those they have left behind - the mothers, the fathers, the husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, and yes, especially the children - all of America stands beside you in your time of sorrow.
What we say today is only an inadequate expression of what we carry in our hearts. Words pale in the shadow of grief; they seem insufficient even to measure the brave sacrifice of those you loved and we so admired. Their truest testimony will not be in the words we speak, but in the way they led their lives and in the way they lost those lives - with dedication, honor and an unquenchable desire to explore this mysterious and beautiful universe.
The best we can do is remember our seven astronauts - our ChallengerSeven - remember them as they lived, bringing life and love and joy to those who knew them and pride to a nation. They came from all parts of this great country - from South Carolina to Washington State; Ohio to Mohawk, New York; Hawaii to North Carolina to Concord, New Hampshire. They were so different, yet in their mission, their quest, they held so much in common.
We remember Dick Scobee, the commander who spoke the last words we heard from the space shuttle Challenger. He served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, earning many medals for bravery, and later as a test pilot of advanced aircraft before joining the space program. Danger was a familiar companion to Commander Scobee.
We remember Michael Smith, who earned enough medals as a combat pilot to cover his chest, including the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals - and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, in gratitude from a nation that he fought to keep free. We remember Judith Resnik, known as J.R. to her friends, always smiling, always eager to make a contribution, finding beauty in the music she played on her piano in her off-hours. We remember Ellison Onizuka, who, as a child running barefoot through the coffee fields and macadamia groves of Hawaii, dreamed of someday traveling to the Moon. Being an Eagle Scout, he said, had helped him soar to the impressive achievement of his career.
We remember Ronald McNair, who said that he learned perseverance in the cotton fields of South Carolina. His dream was to live aboard the space station, performing experiments and playing his saxophone in the weightlessness of space; Ron, we will miss your saxophone and we will build your space station. We remember Gregory Jarvis. On that ill-fated flight he was carrying with him a flag of his university in Buffalo, New York - a small token he said, to the people who unlocked his future.
We remember Christa McAuliffe, who captured the imagination of the entire nation, inspiring us with her pluck, her restless spirit of discovery; a teacher, not just to her students, but to an entire people, instilling us all with the excitement of this journey we ride into the future.
We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and family men and women, and we will cherish each of their stories - stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true American heroes.
On the day of the disaster, our nation held a vigil by our television sets. In one cruel moment, our exhilaration turned to horror; we waited and watched and tried to make sense of what we had seen. That night, I listened to a call-in program on the radio: people of every age spoke of their sadness and the pride they felt in `our astronauts.' Across America, we are reaching out, holding hands, finding comfort in one another.
The sacrifice of your loved ones has stirred the soul of our nation and, through the pain, our hearts have been opened to a profound truth - the future is not free, the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required, and who gave it with little thought to worldly reward.
We think back to the pioneers of an earlier century, and the sturdy souls who took their families and the belongings and set out into the frontier of the American West. Often, they met with terrible hardship. Along the Oregon Trail you can still see the grave markers of those who fell on the way. But grief only steeled them to the journey ahead.
Today, the frontier is space and the boundaries of human knowledge. Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Our nation is indeed fortunate that we can still draw on immense reservoirs of courage, character and fortitude - that we are still blessed with heroes like those of the space shuttle Challenger.
Dick Scobee knew that every launching of a space shuttle is a technological miracle. And he said, if something ever does go wrong, I hope that doesn't mean the end to the space shuttle program. Every family member I talked to asked specifically that we continue the program, that that is what their departed loved one would want above all else. We will not disappoint them.
Today, we promise Dick Scobee and his crew that their dream lives on; that the future they worked so hard to build will become reality. The dedicated men and women of NASA have lost seven members of their family. Still, they too, must forge ahead, with a space program that is effective, safe and efficient, but bold and committed.
Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater achievements - that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes.
Dick, Mike, Judy, El, Ron, Greg and Christa - your families and your country mourn your passing. We bid you goodbye. We will never forget you. For those who knew you well and loved you, the pain will be deep and enduring. A nation, too, will long feel the loss of her seven sons and daughters, her seven good friends. We can find consolation only in faith, for we know in our hearts that you who flew so high and so proud now make your home beyond the stars, safe in God's promise of eternal life.
May God bless you all and give you comfort in this difficult time.
A performance of the song written by John Denver in tribute to the crew of the Challenger. He was originally considered for the flight and underwent training before a teacher was selected.
I still think it is a good idea to send gifted artists into space so that they might use their talents to share with the rest of humanity what it is like.
Here is a discussion on the findings of the Presidential Commision that was broadcast on satellite TV Worldnet.
For more information on the Challenger accident, please visit the following websites:
TV Coverage of the Challenger Accident (54 videos encompassing several hours of archived live video)
A tribute to the heroes of STS-107 Columbia
The Columbia breakup happened on Saturday, February 1, 2003. It disintegrated over Texas stretching from Trophy Club to Tyler and into parts of Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107. The loss of Columbia was a result of damage sustained during launch when a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase broke off the Space Shuttle external tank (the main propellant tank) under the aerodynamic forces of launch. The debris struck the leading edge of the left wing, damaging the Shuttle's thermal protection system (TPS), which protects it from heat generated with the atmosphere during re-entry. While Columbia was still in orbit, some engineers suspected damage, but NASA managers limited the investigation, on the grounds that little could be done even if problems were found.
NASA's original Shuttle design specifications stated that the external tank was not to shed foam or other debris; as such, strikes upon the Shuttle itself were safety issues that needed to be resolved before a launch was cleared. Launches were often given the go-ahead as engineers came to see the foam shedding and debris strikes as inevitable and unresolvable, with the rationale that they were either not a threat to safety, or an acceptable risk. The majority of Shuttle launches recorded such foam strikes and thermal tile scarring. During re-entry of STS-107, the damaged area allowed the hot gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure, rapidly causing the in-flight breakup of the vehicle. An extensive ground search in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas recovered crew remains and many vehicle fragments.
Initial NASA TV Coverage of Columbia Accident
Amateur video shot of the final moments of the Columbia
Cockpit video of the momets leading up to the destruction of the Columbia.
US Apache Helicopter crews were on a training mission with foreign pilots on the morning of February 1, 2003. Gun-camera footage picks up the shuttle as it enters the atmosphere over Central Texas. The footage was released a couple of days after the crash. Video is courtesy of Fort Hood and DOD.
An audio podcast discussion accompanied by photos of the Cloumbia breakup and recovery.
Here is a video playlist of live coverage of the accident and immediately thereafter by NASA, CNN and other TV Networks.
For more information regarding the Columbia accident, please visit these websites:
January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), an annual day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi era. Every member nation of the U.N. has an obligation to honor the memory of Holocaust victims and develop educational programs as part of an international resolve to help prevent future acts of genocide. The U.N. resolution that created IHRD rejects denial of the Holocaust, and condemns discrimination and violence based on religion or ethnicity.
Here is my own feeble attempt to memorialize those who died during the Holocaust:
From the video description:
Compositions by Leonard Bernstein "Kaddish Symphony" during the Extraordinary Kaddish Concert in All Saints Church, dedicated to the memory of six million murdered Jews and the Righteous Among the Nations. It was the most important and momentous event VII Festival of Jewish Culture Center.
Starring: John Axelrod - conductor, Kelley Nassief-soprano, Samuel Pisar-narrator, the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Opera and Philharmonic Choir Choir Podlaskiej. Preparation: Violetta Bielecka and Krzysztof Kusiel-Moroz, Maciej Tworek - co-conductor.
The following film is in the FDR Presidential Library.
WARNING: Graphic and disturbing evidence of the Nazi genocide is presented in this video.
As the Allies reached Germany, General Eisenhower ordered George Stevens to film the concentration camps. The camps are filmed and survivors interviewed. This film was evidence at the Nuremburg Trials.
Contacted by Sol's son for help, staff at the Holocaust Museum discovered the date and place of Sol's father's death. They also discovered that, unlike most Holocaust victims, Sol's father had received a proper burial.
The story doesn't end there. After learning that Sol had no photos of his father, our staff searched further and found an identification card bearing his picture. Watch this video to see Sol's reaction to the discovery of the photo.
By participating in the World Memory Project, you can help make information from documents about the Holocaust searchable online so more families can discover what happened to loved ones during World War II.
Holocaust survivors from Plonsk, Poland, describe the liquidation of the Plonsk Ghetto; the selection, and the transport to Auschwitz.
Posted by
Thunder Pig
Thursday, January 26, 2012
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Matt Drudge has finally picked up on the stuff that has been swirling around the Internet the past few weeks regarding Newt Gingrich and his somewhat less than faithful recall of his personal history.
Here is a list of links posted on Drudge and a list of links to other stuff that has yet to be posted on Drudge regarding Caligula Gingrich:
After the outrageous lie Newt told at the Tampa Bay debate, I posted a video of Newt saying the opposite thing in 1989, that he supported Rockefeller over Goldwater and served as a chairman for Rockefeller. Folks, you can't be more of a Rockefeller Republican than by serving as a committee chairman to get the man elected.
I realize that many of you have a lot invested in Newt. So, might I add, does a certain casino-owning billionaire in Las Vegas. Many people in the Tea Party see Newt as a fighter, as someone who will fight for them. What they don't realize is that the only person Newt ever fights for is himself and his over-sized ego.
Here are some links I posted on Facebook during a conversation about Newt with several people:
These are just what I found in less than an hour of digging. Don't take my word for it, read the links and do some investigating for yourself.
Now, I am by no means a master Internet researcher. If I can come up with these links in the span of an hour, what can a real Opposition Researcher come up with over the course of a few weeks of digging around?
I have a lot more links, but I have yet to vet those, and will post them later. Some of them are even more damning than what has already been posted. I've sent some of those to Drudge, hoping that he'll give them the wider exposure they need.
Please, Republican primary voters, reject Newt Gingrich. If you cannot bring yourself to vote for Romney, then vote for Rick Santorum or (gag) Ron Paul.
It is my opinion that Mitt Romeny will prove to be more Reaganesque than you believe. I'm sure that, if you're like Newt, you'll be telling your grandchildren in a few years how you supported Romney from the very beginning.
Posted by
Thunder Pig
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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Newt Gingrich has released his response to the state of the Union. There is no video available. The transcript of his remarks is below:
Coral Gables, FL – Newt Gingrich released the following statement responding to President Obama’s State of the Union address:
We have a crisis of work in this country and tonight President Obama proposed nothing in the way of policy changes that will get us to robust job creation and dramatic economic growth.
Instead, the president described his conviction that his big government is built to last and should be paid for with higher taxes.
But bigger government and higher taxes will not lead to jobs and growth. Bigger government and higher taxes will instead lead to more people on food stamps, a situation which the President and his party defend as a fair outcome.
Here we have to confront the truth about President Obama. Economic growth and prosperity is not really at the top of his agenda. He will always prefer a food stamp economy to a paycheck economy and call it fair.
For the president and a large part of the political class, it’s about their power, their right to rule. They just want to take money from Joe the Plumber – the small business people who makes over 90 per cent of the new jobs -- and redistribute it to the government bureaucracy and their political friends and allies. That’s why so much of that nearly trillion-dollar stimulus didn’t create jobs but just went into the pockets of special interests who support President Obama and the leadership of the Democratic Party.
No better example of this exists than in the crisis of American energy. President Obama and his political allies – not of few of whom love living in energy inefficient houses or driving gas-guzzling luxury vehicles – openly admit they want gas prices to remain high so that the rest of America will learn to live more modestly. They think it’s good for rest of us. Only recently, the president canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline that would have created countless new jobs and helped America on the way to energy independence because he wanted to appease the far left of his party. And yet not a single word on the Keystone XL pipeline tonight.
To create jobs and growth in this country, we must start with dramatic tax reform that lowers taxes and maximizes capital investment and job creation. We must return to a dollar as good as gold whose purchasing power is the same in thirty years as it is today. We must dramatically expand American energy production. We must have smarter regulation at the same time we abolish destructive and costly regulatory systems beginning with Obamacare,Dodd-Franks, and Sarbanes-Oxley. And finally, unlike the current administration, we must have faith in job creators.
With these policies the state of the union will be much better. They will create an explosion in job creation and lead to robust economic growth and a return to prosperity. Furthermore, a paycheck economy will put us on a path to balanced budgets and paying down our national debt.
Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney delivered prebuttal remarks to the President's State of the union address. The transcript is below. There is no video of the delivery.
Mitt Romney today delivered prebuttal remarks to President Obama’s State of the Union Address in Tampa, Florida. The following remarks were prepared for delivery:
Thank you. It’s good to be in the Sunshine State. It breaks my heart to visit plants like this one.
In 2008, this plant closed because of the economic downturn. In a normal recovery under strong leadership, it could now be full of workers.
Here in Florida, people used to wake up and look forward to a hard day’s work and a good, honest wage. The money they earned helped support families and build communities. Today too many factory floors are silent, warehouses are deserted, corporate offices are empty, and real estate endeavors are abandoned. Floridians are struggling to find a job, keep a home, and raise a family.
As I’ve traveled across America, I’ve heard similar stories in virtually every corner of this country. High unemployment and record home foreclosures. Debt that’s too high and opportunities that are too few. This is the real state of our union. But you won’t hear stories like these in President Obama’s address tonight. The unemployed don’t get invitations to sit with the First Lady.
Instead, tonight, the President will do what he does best. He will give a nice speech with a lot of memorable phrases. But he won’t give you the hard numbers.
Like 9.9 – that’s the unemployment rate in this state.
Or 25 percent – that’s the percentage of foreclosed homes in America that are right here in Florida.
Or $15 trillion – that’s the size of our national debt.
Instead, tonight, President Obama will make the opening argument in his campaign against a “Do Nothing Congress.” But, we shouldn’t forget that for two years, this President had a Congress that could do everything he wanted.
With huge Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, President Obama was free to pursue any policy he pleased.
Did he fix the economy?
Did he tackle the housing crisis?
Did he get Americans back to work?
No.
He spent $787 billion on a stimulus bill and put us on track to borrow and spend $5 trillion in just his first term.
He forced through Obamacare – a trillion-dollar entitlement we don’t want and can’t afford.
He took over auto companies and student loans.
He stacked the National Labor Relations Board with union yes-men who, in turn, did favors for his campaign contributors and favorite friends.
When we needed stability and solvency, he gave us Solyndra.
When we needed a climate for private investment, he gave us Cash for Clunkers.
When we needed more domestic energy to keep prices low and create jobs, he imposed bans on oil drilling and turned his EPA regulators loose to slow our development of natural gas.
He’s spearheaded one of the largest expansions of government in American history. And he’s paying for it with money borrowed from China.
Three years ago, we measured Candidate Obama by his hopeful promises and slogans.
Today, President Obama has amassed an actual record of debt, decline, and disappointment.
This President’s agenda made these troubled times last longer. He and his allies made it harder for the economy to recover.
Instead of solving the housing crisis and getting Americans back to work, President Obama has been building a European-style welfare state. He has pushed for a second stimulus and deep cuts to our national defense. He’s asking the American people for another trillion dollars – and another term in office.
He keeps telling people, “We can’t wait.” To which I say, “Yes, we can.”
Tonight, the President will deliver his State of the Union. But make no mistake: What he’s really offering are partisan planks for his re-election campaign.
The President has been telling people that his agenda will create an economy that's “built to last.”
Well, let’s talk about what has lasted.
What has lasted is unemployment above 8% for 35 straight months. What will last is almost as much debt in four years as all the prior presidents combined. What will last are home values that are too low and foreclosure rates that are too high. And a legacy of debt that will imperil future generations.
What is critical is that we make today Barack Obama’s last State of the Union.
The President’s agenda sounds less like “built to last” and more like doomed to fail. What he’s proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation. And all of his proposals involve “big” government and “big” price tags.
Tonight, we’ll also be treated to more divisive rhetoric from a desperate campaigner-in-chief. It’s shameful for a President to use the State of the Union to divide our nation. And someone ought to tell him: In order for the economy to truly “work for everyone,” everyone needs to be working.
But more than anything, I expect the President will take this opportunity to take another victory lap. In big speeches, he tends to tell tall tales about an America that’s thriving on his watch.
In 2010, he announced that “the worst of this economic storm has passed.” I know the people of Tampa don’t believe that. Today, 24 million Americans are struggling for work. 2.8 million Americans have lost their homes. But President Obama believes he ranks among the four best presidents in history.
Here in Florida, you know better. You know that this President has run out of ideas. He’s run out of excuses. And, with your help, 2012 will be the year he runs out of time.
If tonight were the first message to Congress in a Romney administration, I’d have the courage to tell the American people how it is and tell Congress what we really need to do. I wouldn’t spend my time blaming others for how we got in this mess; I’d explain how we’re going to get out of it. I’d use the State of the Union to lay out an agenda that will get our country back on track and get our fiscal house in order.
My agenda would make government simpler, smaller, and smarter.
As President, I will repeal unnecessary regulations and restore our good credit rating.
I will reduce tax rates and simplify the tax code, especially for middle-income Americans.
I will streamline regulation, ensure the prompt review of projects, and order agencies to focus on economic growth. The Keystone Pipeline is a real “shovel-ready” project that would put 20,000 Americans back to work. Three years of review is long enough. The President was wrong to reject it. I will approve it.
I will open up new markets for American goods, and open up our lands so that we can finally develop our energy resources. A revolution in drilling for natural gas has opened up new supplies that will create American jobs, provide affordable energy, and offer our manufacturers a competitive edge. My administration will support the development of these resources, not find excuses to stand in the way.
If I were speaking to Congress tonight, I’d note that it’s now been one thousand days since the Senate last passed a budget. That’s irresponsible. It’s unacceptable. And, as President, I will cut spending, cap spending, and finally balance the budget.
I would pledge to do all that a President can to get America working again. When it comes to the economy, my highest priority would be worrying about your job, not saving my own.
As President, I will reverse the Obama-era defense cuts. I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future. I will insist on a military so powerful that no one would ever think of challenging it.
That is the State of the Union I would deliver tonight. My plans protect our freedom and preserve opportunity. They reflect common-sense solutions and conservative values. And, over the past seven months, that agenda has rallied millions of Americans to our cause.
Our campaign is about more than replacing a President; it is about saving the soul of America. This election is a choice between two very different destinies.
President Obama wants to “fundamentally transform” America. We want to restore America to the founding principles that made this country great.
This President puts his faith in government. We put our faith in the American people.
Ours is the party of free enterprise, free markets, and consumer choice. The Republican Party stands for personal responsibility and equal opportunity. We don’t demonize prosperity. We celebrate success.
That’s the difference between our party and this President. He leads the party of big government. He believes in ever-expanding entitlement.
He’s wrong. We’re right. And this is a battle we cannot lose.
During my 25 years in business, I helped companies like Staples and the Sports Authority grow from start-ups to international enterprises. I turned around companies, a state government, and an Olympics. And I am passionate about our economic liberty because I have seen it reward the hard work of many – and create prosperity for all.
I have the experience to get America back to work. I have the judgment we need in the White House. And I will offer a real choice in the coming campaign.
Tonight will mark another chapter in the misguided policies of the last three years – and the failed leadership of one man. But Americans know that our future is brighter and better than these troubled times.
We still believe in the hope, the promise, and the dream of America. We still believe in that shining city on a hill.
A year from now a President will be giving another State of the Union address. The choice before us is clear.
Do we want a president who will try to explain again why his policies haven’t worked?
Do we want a president who will keep promising that this time he will get it right?
Do we want a president who keep telling us why he’s right and why we’re wrong?
Or do we want the sense of excitement that comes with a new beginning?
We are Americans and Americans don’t have to settle for a president who argues that things could be worse. We know that things can – and must – be better.
If you want to make this election about restoring American greatness, then I hope you will join us.
If you believe the disappointments of the last few years are a detour, not our destiny, then I am asking for your support.
If you share my belief that we need to scale back government so that we can expand prosperity, then I need your vote.
Thank you. And God bless the United States of America.
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