I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what’s right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children’s future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight.

Nothing is inevitable here.

We’re Americans, and we never give up.We never quit. We never hide from history.

We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you.

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening U.S. Sen. John McCain will accept the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. The full text of Sen. McCain’s acceptance speech, as prepared for delivery, is below.

U.S. Sen. John McCain

Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans — the privilege of accepting our party’s nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence.

In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn’t any different. That’s a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They’re leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won’t forget.

I’m grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

As always, I’m indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children. The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation’s business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can’t imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she’s more my inspiration than I am hers. Her concern for those less blessed than we are - victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects - shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady.

When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn’t be here tonight but for the strength of her character.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you, who helped me win this nomination, and stood by me when the odds were long. I won’t let you down. To Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for, thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to win your trust. I intend to earn it.

Finally, a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We’ll go at it over the next two months. That’s the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We’re dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn’t be an American worthy of the name if I didn’t honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement.

But let there be no doubt, my friends, we’re going to win this election. And after we’ve won, we’re going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace.

These are tough times for many of you. You’re worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home. All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way. And that’s just what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future.

And I’ve found just the right partner to help me shake up Washington, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. She has executive experience and a real record of accomplishment. She’s tackled tough problems like energy independence and corruption. She’s balanced a budget, cut taxes, and taken on the special interests. She’s reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and Independents to serve in her administration. She’s the mother of five children. She’s helped run a small business, worked with her hands and knows what it’s like to worry about mortgage payments and health care and the cost of gasoline and groceries.

She knows where she comes from and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what’s right, and she doesn’t let anyone tell her to sit down. I’m very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can’t wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

I’m not in the habit of breaking promises to my country and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we’re going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. We’ve got a record of doing just that, and the strength, experience, judgment and backbone to keep our word to you.

You know, I’ve been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it’s meant as a compliment and sometimes it’s not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don’t work for a party. I don’t work for a special interest. I don’t work for myself. I work for you.

I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I’ve fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment. I’ve fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I’ve fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses.

I fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq, when it wasn’t a popular thing to do. And when the pundits said my campaign was finished, I said I’d rather lose an election than see my country lose a war.

Thanks to the leadership of a brilliant general, David Petraeus, and the brave men and women he has the honor to command, that strategy succeeded and rescued us from a defeat that would have demoralized our military, risked a wider war and threatened the security of all Americans.

I don’t mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I’ve had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way. In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.

I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills.

I fight for Jake and Toni Wimmer of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Jake works on a loading dock; coaches Little League, and raises money for the mentally and physically disabled. Toni is a schoolteacher, working toward her Master’s Degree. They have two sons, the youngest, Luke, has been diagnosed with autism. Their lives should matter to the people they elect to office. They matter to me.

I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfboro, New Hampshire, who died serving our country in Iraq. I wear his bracelet and think of him every day. I intend to honor their sacrifice by making sure the country their son loved so well and never returned to, remains safe from its enemies.

I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles.

We’re going to change that. We’re going to recover the people’s trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics.

We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential from the boy whose descendents arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We’re all God’s children and we’re all Americans.

We believe in low taxes; spending discipline, and open markets. We believe in rewarding hard work and risk takers and letting people keep the fruits of their labor.

We believe in a strong defense, work, faith, service, a culture of life, personal responsibility, the rule of law, and judges who dispense justice impartially and don’t legislate from the bench. We believe in the values of families, neighborhoods and communities.

We believe in a government that unleashes the creativity and initiative of Americans. Government that doesn’t make your choices for you, but works to make sure you have more choices to make for yourself.

I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it.

My tax cuts will create jobs. His tax increases will eliminate them. My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government run health care system where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.

Keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs. Cutting the second highest business tax rate in the world will help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas. Doubling the child tax exemption from $3500 to $7000 will improve the lives of millions of American families. Reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs will let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit. Opening new markets and preparing workers to compete in the world economy is essential to our future prosperity.

I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn’t even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That’s going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We’re going to help workers who’ve lost a job that won’t come back, find a new one that won’t go away.

We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we’ll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage.

Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.

When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity.

Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I’m President, they will.

My fellow Americans, when I’m President, we’re going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we’ll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.

Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and to restore the health of our planet. It’s an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we have faced greater challenges. It’s time for us to show the world again how Americans lead.

This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce.

Today, the prospect of a better world remains within our reach. But we must see the threats to peace and liberty in our time clearly and face them, as Americans before us did, with confidence, wisdom and resolve.

We have dealt a serious blow to al Qaeda in recent years. But they are not defeated, and they’ll strike us again if they can. Iran remains the chief state sponsor of terrorism and on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons. Russia’s leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world’s oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and prayers. As President, I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War. But we can’t turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people.

We face many threats in this dangerous world, but I’m not afraid of them. I’m prepared for them. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don’t. I know how to secure the peace.

When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house. A Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I rarely saw my father again for four years. My grandfather came home from that same war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home with me. I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination.

I’m running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal - diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals - to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace.

In America, we change things that need to be changed. Each generation makes its contribution to our greatness. The work that is ours to do is plainly before us. We don’t need to search for it.

We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. All these functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington.

The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom. It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you.

Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That’s how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.

Instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn’t think of them first, let’s use the best ideas from both sides. Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let’s try sharing it. This amazing country can do anything we put our minds to. I will ask Democrats and Independents to serve with me. And my administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability.

We’re going to finally start getting things done for the people who are counting on us, and I won’t care who gets the credit.

I’ve been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I’ve never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn’t thank God for the privilege.

Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. I was blessed by misfortune. I mean that sincerely. I was blessed because I served in the company of heroes, and I witnessed a thousand acts of courage, compassion and love.

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I hadn’t any worry I wouldn’t come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn’t think there was a cause more important than me.

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn’t feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn’t set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn’t get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life.

I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn’t in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down.

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I’d been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I’d been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn’t know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me.

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.

I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you’re disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what’s right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children’s future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you.

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul’s Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The final speaking schedule came out this morning, and Governor Huntsman was not on it, leaving many of us in deep despair.  The Governor had originally been scheduled to speak on Tuesday night, but Hurricane Gustav had blown up the schedule.

But in the early afternoon today our Governor was asked to give a prime time speech to nominate Governor Palin for Vice President.  The Governor’s voice was hoarse because he had been working so hard all week - giving multiple speeches for McCain- Palin.  We were a little afraid because the Governor’s voice seemed to be getting worse in the middle of his speech, but he just BELTED out the last half of the speech and brought the crowd to its feet.  Great job Governor!

Joel D. Wright

Well this is grasping at straws….desperate, desperate, desperate. I applaud their rebuttal but the fact that it came out is bad enough.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4176501

Check out this website for New York public radio with an interview i did. Scroll down halfway and there is video with it…. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2008/09/04.

Someway, somehow…sean reyes got his laptop computer into the convention center and onto the floor. Laptops are one of the prohibited items not allowed in the secure area unless you are media. Apparently, security is not as tight as thought.

We are awaiting some of the major speeches of the evening and they are playing loud music to get us pumped up. Some crazy ladies from Hawaii (in front of us) are gonna break their 90 year old hips and some weird young guy is dirty dancing with and old lady in the Puerto Rico delegation behind us. Needless to say, some scary dance moves all around.

Let me give a shout out to all the folks who texted or emailed me since last night after my interview on KSL. I am just glad someone is reading since I was up til 4am writing it last night. Which has led to a really subdued morning and afternoon. A bunch of us headed over to the Mall of America and hung out. We definately needed the rest after a late late night. In the National Journal daily convention news, we saw that our delegation has the last party of the entire convention….a pizza party! LOL, not what some would consider a party.

Todd and Ivan are busy smuggling our alternates down to the floor before it gets harder later with security. Palin gave a strong speech last night and it will be interesting to see how McCain does with the change in podium and stage, geared towards his speaking strengths. Speaking of Palin (she’s a babe), remember her great comment on the obama stage…gotta get those styrofoam pillars off to the next event…a wedding over in colorado springs! What a riot.

Becky Lockhart and I have been telling silly jokes ever since Governor Huntsman gave his VP Nomination speech an hour or so ago and croaked out, “Raise some Hell!” Once again, I am always smitten by folks who laugh at my dumb jokes. Not to rail to heavily on Huntsman, some of the other speakers have cussed as well….oh, i mean about his voice. From what it sounds like, he has had a busy media schedule which i am sure has had a toll on his voice.

Speaking of tolls, someone who hates them as much as I…Don Guymon is sitting next to me here on the floor while I type. He is blogging for the standard examiner and has had several “nice,” comments posted to his blog including one complimenting me…then right after a nasty one calling Todd Weiler and I RINO’s. Don tells me he rebutted that comment in my defense…after all, i didn’t vote for RAP or the REC center in South Davis and I am vehemently opposed to Bountiful City Councils recent mandate for recycling. Not that I am opposed to recycling since my wife and I have been doing it for free for 5 years or so. Government mandates…i don’t think so. So call me a RINO if you want…I dont really care. WHEW…glad i got that off my chest. My compliments to Don…go check out his blog at www.standard.net and find the link at the top.

Back to the convention, Tom Ridge is speaking right now which means we are getting closer to McCain! The floor seems more crowded than usual as I am sure other delegations have been smuggling like us. Being tuckered out like I am, i haven’t been working the floor like the other nights. I am content to sit here and blog just for you. I heard that the protests had been stepped up for today….who knows, we never see them…working hard for nothing.

They just passed around the “we love cindy” signs so we are getting close since she will introduce John. Everyone else is cheering but our delegation is totally out of control (thats a lie)! We are rather subdued since we partied so late. Gotta party while we can.

Elizabeth Weiler/Sarah Palin is getting approached by everyone to get pictures with her….don’t forget your humble roots Elizabeth!

I will post some more later….great comments. BTW, had a bacon cheeseburger for lunch which makes 10 straight meals (everyone one ive had in minnesota) with bacon. TTYL

Davis GOP Chair out!

Ben Horsley

Today has been great.  I finally had a chance to sleep in, but was still able to enjoy a great breakfast and hear Rob Bishop speak (who I always enjoy).  Most of the Utah delegation visited the Mall of America today.  My son and Stan’s son spent most of the day riding carnival rides inside the mall.  In fact, I wrode a few rides myself, including the log ride and a roller coaster. 

I just heard it reported that some 37 million people tuned in to hear Sarah Palin speak last night.  (Only 24 million tuned in to hear Joe Biden speak last week.)  About 38 million people watched Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver.  It will be interesting to see if McCain breaks that count tonight.

We are getting ready to go back to the convention center for the last night of festivities.  This has been such a fun week — even better than the Convention in New York four years ago.

It has been fun to hear from people who have seen Elizabeth and/or me in news reports.  FoxNews showed side by side pictures of Elizabeth and Palin this morning, which was neat.  It has been a wonderful privilege to represent Utah at this historic event.

My son and Stan’s son got their faces painted at the mall.  Here are some pictures:

News Release
September 4, 2008

Governor Jon Huntsman Nominates Governor Sarah Palin as Republican Vice-presidential Candidate

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has been asked to nominate fellow
Governor Sarah Palin to be the Republican Vice-presidential Candidate as part of the Republican
National Convention program tonight. He is expected to speak at 5:30 PM MST.

“My friend Sarah Palin has shown her strength and tenacity to stand up for what she believes in,
stand up for taxpayers, stand up for real energy independence and stand up for America,”
Governor Huntsman said.

# # #

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the full program of events for Thursday, Sept. 4. The evening’s program will feature John McCain’s speech accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency. Among the other speakers participating in this evening’s program are Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.), former Gov. Tom Ridge (Penn.), U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Mrs. Cindy McCain. The speakers’ remarks will reflect the convention’s overall theme, “Country First,” and the theme for Thursday’s events, which is “peace.”

This release serves as an update to the schedule that was announced earlier today. Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah), Joe Gibbs and Brian Clay have been added to the schedule below.

Participants are listed below and organized by hour of participation:

5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Entertainment (Music): Al Williams
• Entertainment (Monologue): James McEachin
• Call to Order, Introduction of Colors: Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan
• Presentation of Colors: Fort Snelling Joint Services Color Guards
• Pledge of Allegiance: Olympians Ryan Berube, Mitch Gaylord, Brittany Hayes, Barbra Higgins, Larsen Jensen, Elle Logan, Marcus McElhenney and John Naber
• Singing of the National Anthem: Trace Adkins
• Invocation: His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Speaker: U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.)
• Speaker: Erik Paulsen
• Speaker: Jay Love
• Speaker: Charlie Summers
• Speaker: Aaron Schock
• Speaker: David Cappiello
• Speaker: U.S. Sen. John Ensign (Nev.)
• Video: “Country First: Peace,” with narration by Robert Duvall
• Speaker: Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah)
• Statement of Rule Regarding Vice Presidential Nomination; Recognition of Delegates Making Motions; and Adoption and Announcement of Nominee: U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
• Speaker: Maria Cino, President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention
• Speaker: U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.)
• Speaker: The Honorable Rosario Marin

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Speaker: Joe Watkins
• Speaker: U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
• Speaker: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
• Speaker with Video: Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.)
• Speaker: Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, USMC (Ret.)
• Speaker: U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
• Speaker: U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (Okla.)
• Video: “World Stood Still”
• Speaker: Joe Gibbs
• Speaker: Brian Clay

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Speaker: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
• Video: “Vice Presidential Nominee Governor Sarah Palin”
• Speaker: Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Penn.)
• Video: “America’s Place in the World”
• Speaker: Mrs. Cindy McCain

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Video: “Senator John McCain”
• Speaker: Presidential Nominee John McCain

10 p.m. to Conclusion

• Floor Demonstration, Balloon Drop, McCain and Palin Families on Stage
• Introduction of Presiding Officer: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
• Benediction: Pastor Dan Yeary
• Introduction of Delegate for Motion, Adoption and Adjournment: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)

About the Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention will be held at Saint Paul’s Xcel Energy Center from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Approximately 45,000 delegates, alternate delegates, volunteers, members of the media and other guests are expected to attend the convention. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is expected to receive an estimated $150-$160 million positive economic boost from the four-day event. For more information about the 2008 Republican National Convention, please visit our website at www.GOPConvention2008.com and join our social network sites on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

From the Reading Eagle:

Scott McCoy said he also was taken by the attractive and affable 44-year-old governor.

“My first impression was ‘Wow!’ ” he said. “She’s good looking but she’s also really got her stuff together.”

. . . Scott said he had a few minutes to talk privately with Palin and he was impressed by her sincerity and demeanor.

“She told me she had a son in the Army,” Scott said. “She was very personable and respectful and even got a little emotional with the guys.”

Scott said Nick called him as soon as he heard Palin had been chosen as McCain’s running mate in the November general election.

Both . . .  said Palin didn’t have to win them over.

“I was going to vote for McCain anyway,” Scott said.

Dick Morris:

With sass and wit, sarcasm and sincerity, courage and strength, Sarah Palin last night showed us a new model of female politician.

Her family stories were genuine and real. Her commitment to special-needs children was moving. Her contempt for special interests was obvious.

And her putdowns of Barack Obama’s rhetoric and her praise of John McCain’s character and achievements were welcome and well delivered.

Many women look bad when they attack their opponents, too often seeming strident and shrill. But Palin was funny and irreverant, with a biting wit and a joy of combat that was exhilarating to watch.

. . . Now the Democrats are stuck in a trap. They’ve demeaned, patronized and smeared a woman who’s well on her way to becoming very, very popular. Her speech will create legions of fans; the Democratic smears of the last few days will create, for Obama, legions of enemies.

This man who dedicated two years to stopping a woman from being president now has to answer for spending two months stopping one from becoming vice president - a task he hopes to accomplish using women’s votes.

Read the rest.

And what a stark difference between the two parties.  Here’s Hot Blava on 8/28/08:

But my impression of the DNC? America is a terrible place to live! Everyone is worried about putting food on their tables. Stressed about paying for health care. Frightened and horrified by climate change. Concerned they can’t pay the mortgage next month, or college for their kids. No one is happy, content, relaxed.

How completely, utterly depressing. And not my experience at all–I might live in Happy Valley, but I live in a lower-middle-class neighborhood where many of my friends do not own the houses in which they live. And most of us are pretty happy with life most of the time.

The Democratic view I’m getting doesn’t jive with my reality at all (thank goodness!) I’m telling you, the Republicans better have a more uplifting message next week, or else I’m writing in my father-in-law for president.

The Utah Delegation votes for John McCain, 9/3/8.

Here is a photo of me, Ben, and Herb Brooks.  Herb is the coach that lead our Olympic Hockey team to Gold in 1980.  Ben and I are clelbrating Palin’s pick for VP.

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin introduced herself to the world Wednesday by calling herself a “hockey mom” and then asking what the difference was between a hockey mom and a pit bull.

“Lipstick,” the Republican vice presidential nominee said.

Full article here.

From Green Jello:

Obama has actually contended that he has more executive experience than Sarah Palin because of running his presidential campaign.

“Well, my understanding is that Governor Palin’s town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign . . . . “

Here’s the story on Fox.

From Steve Urquhart’s blog:

Liberals are speculating whether there will be a VP change, in light of revelations that Sarah Palin’s 17-year old daughter is pregnant.

I just saw Gov. Palin’s convention speech. It is clear that there has to be a VP change.

Biden will be gone by Friday.

I’ve been trying to figure out why the Tribune only sent Tommy out to the convention to compete with Lisa, Josh and Lee from the Deseret News.  Three to one seems hardly fair for those with convention interest.  Only Tommy is writing a lot.  And he’s getting some good stories.  Here are the ones for the day:

First up, the roll call vote last night.  An exercise in following the rules, except for two people who only wanted to follow the rules when they wanted to and disregard them when they didn’t.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10375879

Then there is a story about the Utah Democrats attacking Sarah Palin.  No surprise there.  This is the Party that attacked Mitt Romney so badly two weeks ago, that one of their County Party’s released a rebuttal.  Now they are in attack mode again.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10372954

As a public service, the Tribune prints the written speech given by Sarah Palin and by the other convention.  For the first time at the the convention, tears came to my eyes during parts of her speech because I could relate to what her family is like because they seem to be a lot like my own.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374989

A Guiliani speech story.  He basically made the case by contrasting what McCain offers and what Obama offers.  The contrast was stark.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374506

Prepared remarks by Rudy.  Its worth reading particularly if you are still on the fence.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374500

Then a short article on Mike Huckabee.  He displayed such bigotry towards Mormons during the campaign that even though he gave a good speech, I wasn’t all that impressed.  His talk doesn’t match his walk.  So the story is short compared to the other stories in the paper.  Its as it should be.  And funny how I can’t seem to find the link to his written remarks either.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374297

Mitt Romney did great last night.  Tommy writes a Utah centric article.  Much of the other convention reporting is through the eyes of the AP, but the Mitt article adds a Utah flavor.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374170

Mitt Romney is viewed by many as the defender of traditional values.  He kept that mantle last night and I anticipate we’ll hear a lot from Mitt into the future.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10374010

Off the AP wire, a general story about Sarah Palin’s speech last night.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10374672

And to make sure they keep their liberal newspaper credentials, the prefunctory bash the Republican Party article.  Allow me to opine on their opinion.  Fundamental to Republican philosophy is a belief in personal responsibility.  We understand that everybody makes mistakes and its not the mistake that makes a story.  Its how a person responds to the mistake.  Its how they try to make it right.  That is what defines a persons character and that is what we do as Republicans.  If this were Hollywood, the girl would be a victim in some way, justify her actions and then get an abortion.  That is not what will happen with Sarah Palin’s daughter.  If only she would have known the consequences of her actions, I think she would have chosen differently.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10375002

Be sure to read the opinion section for lots of commentary on the Republican convention.

Last but not least, go to Tommy’s blog.

http://blogs.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/

Question of the day:  Why are Rebecca Walsh’s articles so condescending and mean spirited?

Stan

Josh and Lisa get it right this morning.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700256215,00.html?pg=1

Lisa writes about Mitt Romney’s speech.  It was a great speech and a call to Republicans to rally around conservative values.  I stand by my thesis that Mitt will continue to be a participant on the national stage defending traditional values.  Family values.  Utah values.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700256113,00.html

Lee Benson writes a great article on our keynote breakfast speaker yesterday, a fellow prisoner of war with John McCain.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700256134,00.html

The Deseret News prints an AP wire story about the attacks of the media on Sarah Palin and the perception that its sexism.  Hang in there Sarah.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700256171,00.html

Then there is Sarah Palin commentary in the opinion section of today’s Dnews from Thomas Sowell:

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700256060,00.html

Several letters to the editor comment as well.  Add to that their convention blog and you’ll get more than your share of reading material today from the Dnews.

http://deseretnews.com/blogs/1,5322,5000031,00.html

Stan

Its 230 am and i cant get my laptop wifi to logon with the dumb hotel internet even though i should be paid for through Thursday. I ditched Rob who was still up watching convention coverage so I could come blog since I have neglected my duties all Wednesday. So here i am in the business center in the basement of the hotel all by myself….that’s commitment to my loyal readers (all 4 of you). By the way, for you bacon lovers…i am on 8 consecutive meals with some form of bacon (i didn’t have lunch today).

Today started out great with a breakfast with Gov Huntsman and some war heros. One Colonel talked about being in the Hanoi Hilton with John McCain and the circumstances that dictated their stay. While I have not always agreed with John McCain on every issue…every time I see him raise his arms to wave, I am again reminded that he has sacrificed so much along with so many others in service to his nation. He is a true American hero.

After breakfast there was a small break and then a bus took most of the delegation to tour St. Paul. I had the option of going to a congressional luncheon with Rob but I missed where he disappeared to after doing an interview with channel 5. Its hilarious because the other day i posted that youtube video of our service project and in the video called Todd Weilers wife Elizabeth “Palin Hot,” as in attractive. In doing so i coined a phrase as she looks eerily similar to Sarah Palin, specifically when she has her glasses on. As such, ksl did an interview with her right after mine and then they asked us to mingle together as a group for some casual footage. I am straight up silly and started hugging on her trying to make her laugh. It was the news this evening and i got a sharp rebuttal from one of my bro in laws.

DOUG WRIGHT

After the interview, i couldn’t find Rob and Scott Parker so I wandered out in the parking lot to see where everyone was. Most of the delegation had left on the bus so i saw Gary Herbert, John Valentine, Todd Weiler and Marco Diaz getting in a van. I went and asked what they were up to. Turns out, they were headed downtown to go be on the Doug Wright broadcast and invited me along. Todd is a crazy driver but I went along anyway. By the way, State Senate President John Valentine is a whiz on directions and maps…he knew exactly where we were when i didn’t know where up was? We got downtown and walked 3 blocks to the convention hall where radio row was but Todd totally forgot his delegate pass to get into the hall. Anyway, Gary and John go over to a secret service agent (as explained below in todds post) and work some magic. Despite all the security, on these two gentleman’s word alone…todd totally got in. Once we got over to Dougs show, he borrowed HIS media credential so we wouldn’t get busted. Anyway, John and Gary sit down and do a segment with Doug and then Doug invites Todd to do the next segment and talk about our blogging efforts. Well, let me tell you…im a nobody and who cares who i am? But Todd is a stud and has my back all the way. He would have been fine to sit down and do the interview but he explains to Doug who I am and how i am helping out with the blogging and asks if i can sit in on the segment as well. Doug was gracious and that was my first crack at radio. I was a little nervous at first and all i could say when Doug asked what I was blogging about was, “my bacon intake since I got to Minnesota.” But I calmed down quickly and hopefully we got some more traffic for the blog (hey, your here!). After we are done, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum comes up and does a segment as well. Very Cool Conservative Hero of mine…who stood up for principle despite losing his seat in 2006. Then Marco does a segment. While he is doing his thing, I walk down to a restroom and while i am washing my hands I was talking to a cook who was asking about the convention. I don’t remember what we were talking about but I mentioned something about how hot Sarah Palin was and a photographer for a NY public radio station asked me if i would come do an interview for their show. I dried my hands and said sure. The link is www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/. Obviously a totally liberal station and Brian the host kept asking me leading questions trying to get me to bash on Bush or anyone. The audio should be up by tomorrow afternoon so tell me how i did fending off the MSM and their agenda driven attacks. Anyways, I make my way back and Doug Wright is wrapping up his show. We tell him we are headed over to the Union Pacific event and that is totally his ball of wax….you know….old stuff. He and Randall Jeppesen jump in the van with us and we go tailing back to hotel to catch the bus to the event. Eventful discussion ensued but we did pass some protesters and I will get some photos up tomorrow once i get off the public computer in the business center.

UNION PACIFIC

…was cool…old trains, lots of food and lots of fun. They gave these cool wooden trail whistles i know my boys are going to love to drive my wife insane with.

CONVENTION

So, after a brief respite back at the hotel Rob and I got on the bus to the convention hall with the Weiler Fam and Sean Reyes. Elizabeth Weiler/Sarah Palin look alike got approached by a ron paul supporter who asked her to pass out some “top secret” packets to our delegation members…he was cooky enough she decided to do it just for fun. Obviously the packets contained ron paul propaganda. We got to the convention hall and were walking in the xcel center and Rob and I run into Doug Wright. He is just hanging out by himself so I ask him…”do you wanna come down to the floor?” For some background (and you can’t tell anyone…i mean it dangit!), Todd and I have been borrowing other delegates credentials and taking them up to our guests and alternates so they can then get on the floor, because once you are down there…nobody is checking. So I offer my services up to Doug who was way pumped. I ditch rob and doug, run down to borrow a credential and bring down doug. Now, I don’t know doug that well but he is one of those guys who is really easy to get along with (obviously) and easy to like…and as i found out, easily impressed. By the time I got Doug down to the floor, Todd had already been busy for quite some time and had almost our entire delegation down there in front of the CNN booth hanging out. So Doug was quite excited to see so many familiar faces and quickly got engaged. He is full of gratitude and very humble and came up to me several times stating that he didn’t want to overstay his welcome…i rebuffed him in return telling him we were glad to host him. In the end, he stayed through Romney’s speech. He was great and a lot of fun. But I am sucker for people who will laugh at my lame jokes…ask my wife.

SPEECHES

Great speakers tonight. I am sure you were watching to some extent but I will say that RUDY rocked the house as did ROMNEY. When Romney spoke, Todd and I walked up the aisle to the front and kneeled down behind the photographers so we were only 40 or so feet away…man i love that guy! However, Palin brought the house down. There was definitive sass and spitfire that makes me giddy….she had a few one liners that absolutely killed. Of course, I can’t remember any of them anymore and need to reread her speech (which by the way is posted below). However, at the end, I was particularly touched when her family came out and that is when the extended applause was deafening. Thinking that was the pinnacle experience…John McCain then steps out and waves to the crowd. For those of you that know me…im totally a sensi and I was tearing up for the magic that was in that arena at that point. I am bewildered and speechless to describe the patriotic emotions that i felt tonight. I hope that it was half as good as it was in person on tv so you can understand those feelings that stirred inside me.

In the end, they finished the roll call and Rob and Gary did a great job. Apparently, a bunch of you saw the two ksl interviews (watch here… ksl.com) that i did as i started getting a bunch of text messages commenting on my 20lbs gained on camera at this point which was right around the 10 oclock newstime back in SL.

Back to Elizabeth Weiler…aka Sarah Palin look alike…everytime i came over to our delegation I would yell….GOVERNOR PALIN and everyone would freak out….it was hilarious.

We had funny bus ride home talking about anderson cooper…a discussion i will only further in person (so ask me later). When we got back to the hotel around midnight, another group was waiting for us to head over to TGI Fridays for the afterparty. Really, we would go somewhere else but there are no other restaurants around us cept the DQ and they aren’t open until 2 am. Stan bugged out first with his family…he’s kind of a late night featherweight. Don Guymon even joined us and we all had a blast. But right now at 315am…i can’t remember what was so funny. It was obviously that punch drunk late night everythings funny kind of party….good times.

Another stellar day in Minnesota with the best delegation in the nation…UTAH! One last thing, and I haven’t said this to Stan yet but he is outstanding as our chair. While this is my first national convention…i have heard from other past delegates who are here this time who have indicated how much comradery (the non-obama/communist kind….this is a glenn beck joke) exists with our delegation this convention. I would second that entirely. Where else would little ole me hang out extensively with John Valentine and Gary Herbert to the point where we are all laughing and joking around. We have great down to earth elected officials and a great delegation along with our great leader (stan) who has made extra efforts to ensure that everyone…including George Zinn, is having a good time. That caring attitude along with all the service projects we have done along the way has built up quite the team.

Ok…i lied….one more thing. Our delegation breakfasts have all been sponsored by our statewide and congressional elected officials (Bennett on Monday, etc). Anyways, Rob Bishop is sponsoring tomorrows breakfast where the start time has been pushed back to 9 am (compared to 8 am the rest of the week). Needless to say…as his roomate, I will not be suprised if we don’t make it down on time since he and I have been late to all the rest. WE NEED A SNOOZE BUTTON ON THE WAKE UP CALL!

Davis GOP Chair out!

Ben Horsley

Letter From Maria Cino, President and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention

Those attending the 2008 Republican National Convention tonight - and those watching from home - witnessed a historic moment for our party and our country. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gave a powerful and eloquent speech - and became the first woman to address a Republican convention as the party’s presumptive vice presidential nominee. Her remarks concluded with a surprise visit from John McCain, who asked the crowd, “Don’t you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States?” The response was resounding as the crowd cheered in approval.

Palin’s remarks - and McCain’s visit - were part of an exciting program of events, which featured speeches by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The evening closed with the Roll Call of the States, during which the Arizona delegation put John McCain “over the top,” allowing him to secure his position as our party’s official candidate for the presidency of the United States.

Much of today’s program was focused on the theme of reform. Remarks from each of the participants underscored John McCain’s vision for a government that is transparent, principled, and worthy of the American people it serves. In his nearly three decades of service in the U.S. House and Senate, John McCain has fought special interests and opposed wasteful spending. When the challenges in Iraq were mounting, he had the vision and experience to call for the changes in strategy that now have America winning. And his decision to add Governor Palin, a strong leader and a proven reformer, to the Republican ticket is yet another example of his commitment to the right kind of change.

We look forward to hearing from John McCain tomorrow when he joins us again to accept our party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States. We look forward to hearing his remarks - and capping off a week of events that will help launch him to the White House.

Maria Cino, President and CEO

Highlights from Wednesday Night’s Speeches

In her speech to the convention tonight that was both powerful and eloquent, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced her intention to accept the party’s nomination for vice president tomorrow. She talked with the audience about her experiences as a public servant:

“I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani shared why he believes John McCain’s leadership and vision for America make him the best candidate to lead our nation forward. In particular, he emphasized the importance of this election:

“This is a time for choosing - and to those Americans who still feel torn in this election, I’d like to suggest one way to think about the choice you have to make in 2008: You’re hiring someone to do a job - an important job that involves the safety and security of your family.”

Former Arkansas Governor Huckabee expanded on the convention’s overall theme, “Country First,” as he discussed John McCain’s love of America, vision for the future, and long record of service and sacrifice on our behalf. Of the type of change John McCain will bring to Washington, he said:

“John McCain doesn’t want the kind of change that allows the government to reach deeper into your paycheck and pick your doctor, your child’s school, or even the kind of car you drive or how much you inflate the tires.”

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney expanded upon the theme for the day’s program, which was “reform,” as he discussed John McCain’s ability to repair Washington’s partisan environment and restrain the unchecked growth of the federal government. Near the end of his remarks, he explained why he believes the McCain-Palin ticket is the right choice for the future of America:

“Just like you, there has never been a day when I was not proud to be an American. We inherited the greatest nation in the history of the earth. It is our burden and privilege to preserve it, to renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future. To this we are all dedicated and I firmly believe by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed. President McCain and Vice President Palin will keep America as it has always been - the hope of the world.”

To view or read the text of these remarks, please visit the convention’s media portal by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Reflections Photo Inc. 631 Pennsylvania Ave, SE Washington DC 20003 202-204-6700
www.reflections-photoinc.com

Great introduction to our soon-to-be-VP and her family.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

And the spit shine. We’ve all been there.

Here’s the text. It’s pretty complete except for the joke about Hockey Moms.

“There are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.”

- Sarah Palin

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - This evening Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, will address the 2008 Republican National Convention. The governor’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the United States…

I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.

I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election… against confident opponents … at a crucial hour for our country.

And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions … and met far graver challenges … and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.

It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.

With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.

But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.

They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.

And maybe that’s because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership … a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.

Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.

He’s a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.

And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I’m just one of many moms who’ll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm’s way.

Our son Track is 19.

And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he’ll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.

My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.

My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.

In our family, it’s two boys and three girls in between - my strong and kind-hearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper.

And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.

That’s how it is with us.

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other … the same challenges and the same joys.

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love.

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.

He’s a lifelong commercial fisherman … a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska’s North Slope … a proud member of the United Steel Workers’ Union … and world champion snow machine racer.

Throw in his Yup’ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.

We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he’s still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.

And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.

My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and habber-dasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.

A writer observed: “We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity.” I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

I grew up with those people.

They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America … who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.

They love their country, in good times and bad, and they’re always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.

I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better.

When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.

And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don’t quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren’t listening.

We tend to prefer candidates who don’t talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment.< br>
And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.

But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.

Politics isn’t just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.

The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.

No one expects us to agree on everything.

But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and … a servant’s heart.

I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor’s office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau … when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol’ boys network.

Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That’s why true reform is so hard to achieve.

But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.

And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.

I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor’s office that I didn’t believe our citizens should have to pay for.

That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.

I also drive myself to work.

And I thought we could muddle through without the governor’s personal chef - although I’ve got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.

Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.

Our state budget is under control.

We have a surplus.

And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.

I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.

I told the Congress “thanks, but no thanks,” for that Bridge to Nowhere.

If our state wanted a bridge, we’d build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska.

And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.

As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.

I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.

And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.

The stakes for our nation could not be higher.

When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.

With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.

To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies … or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia … or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries … we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.

And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we’ve got lots of both.

Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already.

But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.

Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines … build more new-clear plants … create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.

We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I’ve noticed a pattern with our opponent.

Maybe you have, too.

We’ve all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word “victory” except when he’s talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed … when the roar of the crowd fades away … when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent’s plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he’s done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger … take more of your money … give you more orders from Washington … and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy … our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight … he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay … he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America … he’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights? Government is too big … he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much … he promises more.

Taxes are too high … he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes … raise payroll taxes … raise investment income taxes … raise the death tax … raise business taxes … and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that’s now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you’re trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio … or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia … or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.

And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

They’re the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.

Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.

And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They’re the ones who are good for more than talk … the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain’s record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.

Our nominee doesn’t run with the Washington herd.

He’s a man who’s there to serve his country, and not just his party.

A leader who’s not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.

He said, quote, “I can’t stand John McCain.” Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we’ve chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can’t stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of “personal discovery.” This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn’t just need an organizer.

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, “fighting for you,” let us face the matter squarely.

There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you … in places where winning means survival and defeat means death … and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.

It’s a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.

But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.

It’s the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.

To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless … the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God … the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.

As the story is told, “When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe’s door and flash a grin and thumbs up” - as if to say, “We’re going to pull through this.” My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.

For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

If character is the measure in this election … and hope the theme … and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.

Thank you all, and may God bless America.

Union Pacific put on a nice event and invited us to visit some antique passenger cars and served some nice hor’douvers.  UP used to be incorporated in Utah, and still has its annual meeting in Salt Lake every year.  They put on a nice event for our delegation.

On Wednesday, we enjoyed another fabulous breakfast.  Gov. Huntsman did a nice job on his remarks, and brought four other guests with him: Tom Kirk, a POW who was held captive with McCain; Drew Dicks, a ricipient of the Medal of Honor; Rep. Heather Wilson; and one other congresswoman.  It was an excellent program. 

I borrowed a car and drove John Valentine, Gary Herbert, Marco Diaz and Ben Horsley to the convention center so we could be on the air with Doug Wright.  We had a really nice time.  I forgot my credentials, so I got turned away at the security check.

Herbert and Valentine sprung into action.  They found the secret service and convinced them that I should be allowed to enter with them.  It just goes to show that when travelling, it is never a bad idea to take a Senate President and a Lt. Governor with you. 

By Todd

In this picture, I am standing on the field of the Metrodome in Minneapolis as it is being converted from football to baseball.  It was a really fun tour. 

Heidi loves Ben.  Apparently.  Here’s the Horsley Family Blog.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Even as the Obama camp ponders how best to handle John McCain’s veep pick of Sarah Palin, the high priests and priestesses of the media have marked her as an apostate. The Beltway class is in full-throated rebellion against a nondomesticated conservative who might pose a threat to their coronation of Barack Obama and the return of Camelot-on-the-Potomac. …

They want a VP to be a kind of parliamentary choice, someone they have already vetted, someone who’s made them laugh with insider jokes at the Gridiron dinner. The Beltway class whines constantly about how it wants fresh voices in politics, but we guess this means a first-term Democratic Senator rather than a first-term Republican Governor from some godforsaken U.S. state few of them have ever been to.

We are instructed that Mrs. Palin isn’t qualified, because she lacks Washington experience. But until recently that was said to be a virtue in Mr. Obama, who is at the top of his ticket. Meanwhile, there’s hardly a peep of media notice that the Obama campaign is preposterously trying to remake Joe Biden into a poor scrapper from Scranton when he’s been in the Senate for 36 years. They all know Joe. But when Mr. McCain picks an authentic middle-class mother who is also a Governor, we are told she’s not up to the job.

So far, my two favorite slogans on pins and bumper stickers of this convention are:

“Nobama”

and

“Say no to B.O.”

Todd

It’s a real honor and privilege to be the Chairman of the Republican Party. Its an important position. Leadership matters. Values and principles matter as well.

Look at the job description: raise $1 million over two years, recruit first class candidates and help get them elected and organize a Party staff that can be a trusted resource for candidates and delegates. Oh and be the spokesman for the Party with the media and in debates. Its not easy. Its basically just a lot of hard work. You hire a competent staff like we have today and its marginally easier. You find fellow Republicans who are willing to contribute to the cause and the job becomes much easier. You have strong, thoughtful committees and work well with them and now the job actually becomes enjoyable.

You run for Chair when elected officials ask you to do it because you truly believe in the Republican cause. It’s a volunteer position. There is no compensation. You become a member of the RNC, but have to pay your way to the meetings (about $2,500 per meeting three times a year). You get delegate status. You get invited to fundraisers for national figures in town running for President for free. Its pretty neat to be recognized as the Party Chair at those events representing hundreds of thousands of Utahns who affiliate with the Party. You also get your share of arrows, spears and bullets cast your way in the Party, outside the Party and in the media. There can be some pain involved. I’m not complaining. Remember I began by saying that it’s a privilege to represent Republicans and the traditional values and principles we believe in.

Then I got to the national convention. I’ve been to two previous conventions, so I know what I’m getting into. It’s a pretty expensive proposition. My guess is that the Lockharts will spend over $5,000 for the privilege of being here with the family. It essentially is our family’s summer vacation. I arrived five days early to make sure everything was arranged well at the national level and for the state delegation. Nothing went wrong, but I tend to fret (and I did). Then Saturday arrived and I went with other Utah leaders to an appointment with the RNC where we received credentials for the entire Utah delegation. They guard these credentials/passes like gold in Fort Knox. I’m not sure what the penalty is for losing these credentials, but its got to be on par with felony crimes. The penalty might even be death, but I’d never want to be in that situation to find out. All of that went like a charm. Then we were ushered to another room (it reminded me of an airplane hangar) where I was given the keys to a brand new car. I was asked whether I wanted the hybrid SUV or the Cadillac (I chose the caddy). I was asked what color. My choices were crème, red or black (I chose black). I felt like I had just won something on a game show. And away I went. When you are driving a black caddy, you (I) get tempted to put on top gun type sunglasses so you (I) can feel the coolness of being a law enforcement/secret service agent. So I have found my first tangible, real perk to the job. Most of the time I’m riding the bus with our Utah delegation from one event to another, so the car remains in the hotel parking lot. Still the convenience of a car is really nice. Since we are on perks, the Chairman of the Party gets a variety of passes to visit various suites and lounges in the convention hall that other delegates don’t have access to. Most are just temporary, so I’ll get a pass for one session to visit the RNC Chairman’s suite. But all the same its VIP treatment and we all enjoy stuff like that.

So there you have it. The life of a Party Chair.

Stan

This convention will be unique in the memory of those who attend. With a Hurricane bearing down on the gulf coast, the first day was all about figuring out how we could help those in harms way. From our thoughts and prayers to hygiene kits for people displaced from their homes, we worked together as the Utah delegation and as a National Convention.

Gustav claimed 9 lives in the gulf coast region, 5 fewer than Hurricane Fay the week before. Still, it made me appreciate that Republicans believe in puttin