tonight our thought ar still with our friend and fellow citizen in the gulf coast area __PUNCT__ and our thank go to those who have work so hard to keep them safe __PUNCT__
there can be no more import work than thi __PUNCT__
but what we ar do at thi convent is also import to our countri __PUNCT__
we ar go to nomin the next presid and vice presid of the unit state of america __PUNCT__
we do so while take a differ view of our countri than that of the other parti __PUNCT__
listen to them you think that we were in the middl of a great depress __PUNCT__ that we ar down __PUNCT__ disrespect and incap of prevail against challeng face us __PUNCT__
we know that we have challeng __PUNCT__
alwai have __PUNCT__ alwai will __PUNCT__
but we also know that we live in the freest __PUNCT__ strongest __PUNCT__ most gener and prosper nation in the histori of the world and we ar thank __PUNCT__
speak of the vice presidenti nomine __PUNCT__ what a breath of fresh air governor sarah palin is __PUNCT__
she is from a small town __PUNCT__ with small town valu __PUNCT__ but that not good enough for those folk who ar attack her and her famili __PUNCT__
some washington pundit and media big shot ar in a frenzi over the select of a woman who ha actual govern rather than just talk a good game on the sundai talk show and hit the washington cocktail circuit __PUNCT__
well __PUNCT__ give me a tough alaskan governor who ha taken on the polit establish in the largest state in the union __PUNCT__ and won __PUNCT__ over the beltwai busi __PUNCT__ as __PUNCT__ usual crowd ani dai of the week __PUNCT__
let be clear __PUNCT__ the select of governor palin ha the other side and their friend in the media in a state of panic __PUNCT__
she is a courag __PUNCT__ success __PUNCT__ reform __PUNCT__ who is not afraid to take on the establish __PUNCT__
sound like anyon els we know __PUNCT__ she ha run a municip and she ha run a state __PUNCT__
and i can sai without fear of contradict that she is the onli nomine in the histori of either parti who know how to properli field dress a moos __PUNCT__ with the possibl except of teddi roosevelt __PUNCT__
she and john mccain ar not go to care how much the allig get irrit when thei get to washington __PUNCT__ thei go to drain that swamp __PUNCT__
but tonight __PUNCT__ i like to talk to you about the remark stori of john mccain __PUNCT__
it a stori about charact __PUNCT__
john mccain charact ha been test like no other presidenti candid in the histori of thi nation __PUNCT__
he come from a militari famili whose servic to our countri goe back to the revolutionari war __PUNCT__
the tradit continu __PUNCT__
as i speak __PUNCT__ john and cindi mccain have on son who just finish hi first tour in iraq __PUNCT__
anoth son is put __PUNCT__ countri first __PUNCT__ and is attend the naval academi __PUNCT__
we have a number of mccain in the audienc tonight __PUNCT__
also here tonight is john __NUM__ __PUNCT__ year __PUNCT__ old mother __PUNCT__ roberta __PUNCT__
all i got to sai is that if roberta mccain had been the mccain captur by the north vietnames __PUNCT__ thei would have surrend __PUNCT__
now __PUNCT__ john father wa a bit of a rebel __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__
in hi first two semest at the naval academi __PUNCT__ he manag to earn __NUM__ demerit __PUNCT__
unfortun __PUNCT__ john later saw that as a record to be beaten __PUNCT__
a rebelli mother and a rebelli father __PUNCT__ i guess you can see where thi is go __PUNCT__
in high school and the naval academi __PUNCT__ he earn a reput as a troublemak __PUNCT__
but as john point out __PUNCT__ he wasn't just a troublemak __PUNCT__
he wa the leader of the troublemak __PUNCT__
although load with demerit like hi father __PUNCT__ john wa principl even in rebellion __PUNCT__
he never violat the honor code __PUNCT__
howev __PUNCT__ in flight school in pensacola __PUNCT__ he did drive a corvett and date a girl who work in a bar as an exot dancer under the name of mari __PUNCT__ the flame of florida __PUNCT__
and the reason i tell you these thing __PUNCT__ is that __PUNCT__ appar __PUNCT__ thi mixtur of rebellion and honor help john mccain surviv the next chapter of hi life __PUNCT__ john mccain wa prepar to take off from the uss forrest for hi sixth mission over vietnam __PUNCT__ when a missil from anoth plane accident fire and hit hi plane __PUNCT__
the flight deck burst into a firebal of jet fuel __PUNCT__
john flight suit caught fire __PUNCT__
he wa hit by shrapnel __PUNCT__
it wa a scene of horribl human devast __PUNCT__
men sacrif their live to save other that dai __PUNCT__
on kid __PUNCT__ who john couldn't identifi becaus he wa burn beyond recognit __PUNCT__ call out to john to ask if a certain pilot wa ok __PUNCT__
john repli that __PUNCT__ ye __PUNCT__ he wa __PUNCT__
the young sailor said __PUNCT__ thank god __PUNCT__ and then he di __PUNCT__
these ar the kind of men john mccain serv with __PUNCT__
these ar the men and women john mccain know and understand and love __PUNCT__
if you want to know who john mccain is __PUNCT__ if you want to know what john mccain valu __PUNCT__ look to the men and women who wear america uniform todai __PUNCT__
the fire on the forrest burn for two dai __PUNCT__
__NUM__ plane were destroi __PUNCT__
__NUM__ sailor di __PUNCT__
john himself bare dodg death in the inferno and could return to the state with hi ship __PUNCT__
instead __PUNCT__ he volunt for combat on anoth carrier that wa underman from lose so mani pilot __PUNCT__
step up __PUNCT__
put hi __PUNCT__ countri first __PUNCT__
three month later john mccain wa a prison of war __PUNCT__
on __DATE__ on hi __NUM__ mission over north vietnam __PUNCT__ a surfac __PUNCT__ to __PUNCT__ air missil slam into john a __PUNCT__ __NUM__ skyhawk jet __PUNCT__ blow it out of the sky __PUNCT__
when john eject __PUNCT__ part of the plane hit him __PUNCT__ break hi right knee __PUNCT__ hi left arm __PUNCT__ hi right arm in three place __PUNCT__
an angri mob got to him __PUNCT__
a rifl butt broke hi shoulder __PUNCT__
a bayonet pierc hi ankl and hi groin __PUNCT__
thei took him to the hanoi hilton __PUNCT__ where he laps in and out of conscious for dai __PUNCT__
he wa offer medic care for hi injuri if he would give up militari inform in return __PUNCT__
john mccain said __PUNCT__ no __PUNCT__
after dai of neglect __PUNCT__ cover in grime __PUNCT__ ly in hi own wast in a filthi room __PUNCT__ a doctor attempt to set john right arm without success __PUNCT__ and without anesthesia __PUNCT__
hi other broken bone and injuri were not treat __PUNCT__
john develop a high fever __PUNCT__ dysenteri __PUNCT__
he weigh bare a hundr pound __PUNCT__
expect him to die __PUNCT__ hi captor place him in a cell with two other pow who also expect him to die __PUNCT__
but with their help __PUNCT__ john mccain fought on __PUNCT__
he persev __PUNCT__
so then thei put him in solitari __URL__ over two year __PUNCT__
isol __PUNCT__
incred heat beat on a tin roof __PUNCT__
a light bulb in hi cell burn __NUM__ hour a dai __PUNCT__
board __PUNCT__ up cell window block ani breath of fresh air __PUNCT__
the oppress heat caus boil the size of basebal under hi arm __PUNCT__
the outsid world limit to what he could see through a crack in a door __PUNCT__
we hear a lot of talk about hope __PUNCT__
john mccain know about hope __PUNCT__
that all he had to surviv on __PUNCT__
for propaganda purpos __PUNCT__ hi captor offer to let him go home __PUNCT__
john mccain refus __PUNCT__
he refus to leav ahead of men who been there longer __PUNCT__
he refus to abandon hi conscienc and hi honor __PUNCT__ even for hi freedom __PUNCT__
he refus __PUNCT__ even though hi captor warn him __PUNCT__ it will be veri bad for you __PUNCT__
thei were right __PUNCT__
it wa __PUNCT__
the guard crack rib __PUNCT__ broke teeth off at the gum __PUNCT__
thei cinch a rope around hi arm and painfulli drew hi shoulder back __PUNCT__
over four dai __PUNCT__ everi two to three hour __PUNCT__ the beat resum __PUNCT__
dure on especi fierc beat __PUNCT__ he fell __PUNCT__ again break hi arm __PUNCT__
john wa beaten for commun with other prison __PUNCT__
he wa beaten for not commun with so __PUNCT__ call __PUNCT__ peac deleg __PUNCT__
he wa beaten for not give inform dure interrog __PUNCT__
when hi captor want the name of other pilot in hi squadron __PUNCT__ john gave them the name of the offens line of the green bai packer __PUNCT__
whenev john wa return to hi cell __PUNCT__ walk if he could __PUNCT__ drag if he couldn't __PUNCT__ as he pass hi fellow pow __PUNCT__ he would call out to them __PUNCT__
he smile __PUNCT__ and give them a thumb __PUNCT__ up __PUNCT__
for five __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ a __PUNCT__ half year thi went on __PUNCT__
john mccain bone mai have been broken but hi spirit never wa __PUNCT__
now __PUNCT__ be a pow certainli doesn't qualifi anyon to be presid __PUNCT__
but it doe reveal charact __PUNCT__
thi is the kind of charact that civil from the begin of histori have sought in their leader __PUNCT__
strength __PUNCT__
courag __PUNCT__
humil __PUNCT__
wisdom __PUNCT__
duti __PUNCT__
honor __PUNCT__
it pretti clear there ar two question we will never have to ask ourselv __PUNCT__ who is thi man __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ can we trust thi man with the presid __PUNCT__ he ha been to iraq eight time sinc __NUM__ __PUNCT__
he went seek truth __PUNCT__ not public __PUNCT__
when he travel abroad __PUNCT__ he prefer quietli speak to the troop amidst the heat and hardship of their daili live __PUNCT__
and the same charact that mark john mccain militari career ha also mark hi polit career __PUNCT__
thi man __PUNCT__ john mccain is not intimid by what the poll sai or by what is polit safe or popular __PUNCT__
at a point when the war in iraq wa go badli and the public lost confid __PUNCT__ john stood up and call for more troop __PUNCT__
and now we ar win __PUNCT__
ronald reagan wa john mccain hero __PUNCT__
and presid reagan admir john tremend __PUNCT__
but when the presid propos put u. __PUNCT__ troop in beirut __PUNCT__ john mccain __PUNCT__ a freshman congressman __PUNCT__ stood up and cast a vote against hi hero becaus he thought the deploy wa a mistak __PUNCT__
my friend __PUNCT__ that is charact you can believ in __PUNCT__
for year __PUNCT__ member of congress __PUNCT__ republican and democrat alik __PUNCT__ have goug the taxpay with secret earmark spend __PUNCT__
well __PUNCT__ he ha never sought an earmark __PUNCT__
i experienc john charact first hand __PUNCT__
in __NUM__ when i wa think of run for the senat __PUNCT__ i went to john for advic __PUNCT__
he convinc me i could help make a differ for our countri __PUNCT__
i won that elect __PUNCT__ and with republican control of congress __PUNCT__ we reform welfar __PUNCT__
we balanc the budget __PUNCT__
and we began rebuild our militari __PUNCT__
what i rememb most about those year is sit next to john on the senat floor as he led battl after battl to chang the acrimoni __PUNCT__ pork barrel __PUNCT__ self serv wai of washington __PUNCT__
the senat ha alwai had more than it share of smooth talker __PUNCT__
and big talker __PUNCT__
it still ha __PUNCT__
but while other were talk reform __PUNCT__ john mccain led the effort to make reform happen __PUNCT__ alwai press __PUNCT__ alwai move for what he believ wa right and necessari to restor the peopl faith in their govern __PUNCT__
confront when necessari __PUNCT__ reach across the aisl when possibl __PUNCT__ john personifi why we came to washington in the first place __PUNCT__
it didn't alwai set too well with some of hi colleagu __PUNCT__
some of those fight were lose effort __PUNCT__
some were not __PUNCT__
but a man who never quit is never defeat __PUNCT__
becaus john mccain stood up our countri is better off __PUNCT__
the respect he is given around the world is not becaus of a teleprompt speech design to appeal to american critic abroad __PUNCT__ but becaus of decad of clearli demonstr charact and statesmanship __PUNCT__
there ha been no time in our nation histori __PUNCT__ sinc we first pledg allegi to the american flag __PUNCT__ when the charact __PUNCT__ judgment and leadership of our presid wa more import __PUNCT__
terrorist __PUNCT__ rogu nation develop nuclear weapon __PUNCT__ an increasingli belliger russia __PUNCT__
intensifi competit from china __PUNCT__
spend at home that threaten to bankrupt futur gener __PUNCT__
for decad an expand govern __PUNCT__
increasingli wast and too often incompet __PUNCT__
to deal with these challeng the democrat present a histori make nomine for presid __PUNCT__
histori make in that he is the most liber __PUNCT__ most inexperienc nomine to ever run for presid __PUNCT__
appar thei believ that he would match up well with the histori make __PUNCT__ democrat control congress __PUNCT__
histori make becaus it the least accomplish and most unpopular congress in our nation histori __PUNCT__
togeth __PUNCT__ thei would take on these urgent challeng with protection __PUNCT__ higher tax and an even bigger bureaucraci __PUNCT__
and a suprem court that could be lost to liber for a gener __PUNCT__
thi is not reform __PUNCT__
and it certainli not chang __PUNCT__
it is basic the same old stuff thei been peddl for year __PUNCT__
america need a presid who understand the natur of the world we live in __PUNCT__
a presid who feel no need to apolog for the unit state of america __PUNCT__
we need a presid who understand that you don't make citizen prosper by make washington richer __PUNCT__ and you don't lift an econom downturn by impos on of the largest tax increas in american histori __PUNCT__
now our oppon tell you not to worri about their tax increas __PUNCT__
thei tell you thei ar not go to tax your famili __PUNCT__
no __PUNCT__ thei just go to tax __PUNCT__ busi __PUNCT__ so unless you bui someth from a __PUNCT__ busi __PUNCT__ like groceri or cloth or gasolin __PUNCT__ or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small __PUNCT__ busi __PUNCT__ don't worri __PUNCT__
it not go to affect you __PUNCT__
thei sai thei ar not go to take ani water out of your side of the bucket __PUNCT__ just the __PUNCT__ other __PUNCT__ side of the bucket __PUNCT__ that their idea of tax reform __PUNCT__
my friend __PUNCT__ we need a leader who stand on principl __PUNCT__
we need a presid __PUNCT__ and vice presid __PUNCT__ who will take the feder bureaucraci by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shake __PUNCT__
and we need a presid who doesn't think that the protect of the unborn or a newli born babi is abov hi pai grade __PUNCT__
the man who will be that presid is john mccain __PUNCT__
in the dai ahead at thi convent __PUNCT__ you will hear much more about what john will do as presid __PUNCT__ what he will do on the economi __PUNCT__ on energi __PUNCT__ on health care __PUNCT__ the environ __PUNCT__
it is not my role tonight to explain that vision __PUNCT__
my role is to help remind you of the man behind the vision __PUNCT__
becaus tonight our countri is call to all of us to step up __PUNCT__ stand up __PUNCT__ and put __PUNCT__ countri first __PUNCT__ with john mccain __PUNCT__
tonight we ar be call upon to do what is right for our countri __PUNCT__
tonight we ar be call upon to stand up for a strong militari __PUNCT__
a matur foreign polici __PUNCT__
a free and grow economi and for the valu that bind us togeth and keep our nation free __PUNCT__
tonight __PUNCT__ we ar be call upon to step up and stand up with john just as he ha stood up for our countri __PUNCT__
our countri is call __PUNCT__
john mccain cannot rais hi arm abov hi shoulder __PUNCT__
he cannot salut the flag of the countri for which he sacrif so much __PUNCT__
tonight __PUNCT__ as we begin thi convent week __PUNCT__ ye __PUNCT__ we stand with him __PUNCT__
and we salut him __PUNCT__
we salut hi charact and hi courag __PUNCT__
hi spirit of independ __PUNCT__ and hi drive for reform __PUNCT__
hi vision to bring secur and peac in our time __PUNCT__ and continu prosper for america and all her citizen __PUNCT__
for our own good and our children __PUNCT__ let us celebr that vision __PUNCT__ that belief __PUNCT__ that faith so we can keep america the greatest countri the world ha ever seen __PUNCT__
god bless john mccain and god bless america __PUNCT__
