strong. we have suffered massive job losses. washington is hiring. but the question is they're hiring for what? they don't manufacture. they don't mine, they don't drill. they don't harvest. they produce nothing, and the services that they provide, they increase dependency, not freedom. they don't create wealth, they take it. this is obama's washington. it's not the washington of our founders, but the washington of the permanent political class. it is something that our forefathers never envisioned, and they would have sworn their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor to change. this washington, it borders seven of the ten wealthiest counties in america. it's now home to the highest per capita income. here millionaires are minted overnight. heck, they even have a

lamborghini dealership here. not that there's anything wrong with hot wheels. but this is the playground for the government rich, and they're hoping that you all work really, really hard to keep her going. so though the people, the people need and demand urgent reform from this growing out of touch government, and it's for freedom's sake and it's to grow our small businesses and hire more people. though we know that things must change rapidly in order to let the private sector grow, friends, there is no such sense of urgency here in obama's washington. because life around here is really good. materially. our permanent political class is content. they're immune to the realities that the rest of us face.

see, they exempt themselves. they play by a different set of rules. look at say their epa. epa, it's imperialing our private industry, the steps that we need to take to be secure and it's enslaving us really to these foreign dangerous supplies of energy instead of tapping into our own god-given sources of energy here under foot. that's what the epa is all about right now and you have to ask yourself though, when was the last time you saw the epa prevent constructing say a new government building? maybe instead of calling washington a swamp, we should call it a wetland. maybe that will slow down the growth of government. now, the old washington of our founders, it was place where you

came to serve your government, not prosper over it and on it and off of it. no, you left your home, you left your farm. you left your industry behind to serve, to serve the common good. but this washington is a place where politicians they arrive as men and women of modest means and they become plutocrats. the money making opportunities are really endless, but they don't just enrich themselves of off you for themselves, but they spread the wealth around to their pals. it has a name -- it's called crony capitalism. i said in a speech in america's bread braasket over the summer,

this isn't the capitalism of free men, but the capitalism of connections and of government bailouts and handouts and waste. and corporate welfare and corruption. this is the capitalism of barack obama, and the permanent political class. it's why i say to the occupy protesters, you're occupying the wrong place. you're protesting the wrong thing. this crony capitalism is a root of our economic problems. it has spurred the expansion of government. which diminishes of course freedom and opportunity for all to rise and to succeed. you see, some politicians get elected by promising more programs and new freebies and new favors and then government

grows to accommodate their promises. it never shrinks and that crowds out the liberating, individual initiative and the equal opportunity that america was built upon. it swallows up the work ethic that we try to teach our children, and it extinguishes that pioneering spirit. now often, they come to d.c. denouncing the place as, you know, the cesspool of corruption. but after a year or two, they decide, not a cesspool. more like a hot tub. and they're hopping in and joining the jacuzzi. well, america, it is time that we drain the jacuzzi and we throw the bums out with the bath water.

we took a good first step in 20 ten. as much as the media wants you to forget that election, tea party patriots won a historic victory. we the people rose up and we spoke up and our message was we don't want the left's big government agenda and we can't afford it and we won't pay for it. now the points i make about congress i want to be clear. i toast the tea party members there in congress. many of them -- many of them oh who have fought so bravely against the status quo. and they have agreed with us that you can't get out of debt by digging deeper into debt. some even voted against giving the president another plastic credit card that we expect our

kids and our grandkids to have to pay off for us. barack obama has fought these folks every step of the way. he has dismissed them. he has lied about them. they have held their ground. they have kept their promises to the people who hired them, and now they need reinforcements. will you help them? [ applause ] this november, we're going to take back the senate and we're going to fortify the house. be aware, washington, tea party patriots are alive and well and we'll elect more and this time, establishment, we expect them to get leadership posts in congress.

but to fix obama's washington, to return power to the people, we must replace obama at the ballot box. he is sinking our ship of state. when a ship is going down, the last thing you need is a community organizer just reorganizing the deck chairs while singing let's stay together. we should not forget that for all of his lofty rhetoric and all of his song, now president obama is a chicago politician. where graft cronyism, quid pro quo that's the chicago way. i came from a state with a corruption problem too. the difference is, though you

don't make many friends in the establishment doing it, i fought the corrupt political machine. barack obama though, he used it. he used it to advance. he never challenged it. he never changed it. he brought it here with him. and now in the campaign, oh, he'll try to reinvent himself now as the champion of the working man. like carhartts and steel toed boots are us. well, sorry, but no. he's the champion of the power players who will bank roll his billion dollars campaign. lord only knows how many more solyndras that are out there that he had promised to repay their investment in him. we can't afford to find out. now, friends, we don't know who our nominee will be. to come up against barack obama and his failed policies in the fall. we don't know who our nominee

will be, but we know that this election will be hard-fought. our nominee must be ready, strong, fortified, passionate, a fighter for american ideals. our candidate must be someone who can instinctively turn right to constitutional conservatism principles. it's too late in the game to teach it or to spin it at this point. it's either there or it isn't. so listen, all of these challenges facing america, all these questions and our candidates, you know, they're trying to articulate the right answer through often times a

foggy filter of a biassed media and through maybe bullies campaign expert advisers who they themselves, you know, they're not willing or able to run for dog catcher, but they'll tell these candidates what they should say. well, you've got to remember a candidate's true intentions, their real answers, they can be found in that candidate's view of government itself. my view comes directly from the most brilliant blue prints crafted for us it seems providentially that they were crafted back then for us today. our charters of liberty. they assert that all political power is inherent in the people. government originates with the people's ideas. it's founded on their will only and its institute is solely for the good of the people. who he inherently believes that, that's who i'm looking for. that's who we're looking for in our nominee.

and we're hearing now, we have all heard from these experts that oh, we've got to name our nominee right now. got to wrap it up. no debate for you. we'll cut it off. we're throw. as if competition weakens our nominee. yet, in america, we believe that competition strengthens us. competition elevates our game. competition will lead us to victory in 2012. we must stay true to our principles. i believe the competition has to keep going, but let's make this competition brings out the best in our party. we know -- we know that the far left and their media allies can't beat us on the issues. so instead, they'll distort our records. they'll smear our reputations.

they'll even attack our families. let's not do the job for them. okay, republicans? okay, independents? in 2008, man, we saw that opponents will stop at nothing to destroy our party's ticket even after the race. we can't let the next ticket go through that. we can't let them divide us. together, we must stand as conservatives with common sense, with the servant's heart for the good of our party. but more importantly, for the sake of our country, we must stand united. whoever our nominee is, whoever our nominee is, we must work together to get him over the finish line so he can start tackling this defense of our republic.

and then next year, at this time, this time next year we will have a true conservative in the oval office and next year may he be here, one of us speaking to us at cpac. we will have a president who defends our american way of life instead of apologizing for it. we will have a commander in chief worthy of our troops. our troops, those in uniform, who are serving something greater than self, sacrificing much around a dangerous world so that we here at home can enjoy

the blessings of liberty. they represent the best of america. in their honor, please know that we are so blessed to live in the greatest nation ever known. don't squander this. remember ronald reagan's inaugural address. he acknowledged in that that we've been set aside in a very special way. so we mustn't stray from our noble beginning. he reminded us we be a free people, living under the law with our faith and our maker and out fuhr chur. he implored us not to stray from our conviction. the standards of right and wrong do exist and they must be lived up to. friends, we are the heirs of patriots who cast off the chains of tyranny. of immigrants who braved the seas. of pioneers who pushed into the great unknown, of soldiers who stormed foreign shores.

of farmers and workers, laboring in fields and in factories from dusk to dawn. they toiled so that their children would have a better life. that is america. and that is freedom and that is why we are exceptional. as president obama lacks the vision to lead, we will lead. the door is open. our vision is as bold and strong and free as the country that we love. it's a vision of government that works for us, not against us. it's a vision that is rooted in the old washington of our founders, not the washington of today's permanent political class.

it is a vision of reward for hard work and personal responsibility. of liberty and of empowerment. it's a vision that our heroes throughout history proved through liberating strife, their selfless love of country. it is the enduring vision of this land which god has shed his grace upon. we will preserve it and we will fight for it. the door is open. god bless you, patriots, and god bless the united states of america. ♪ ♪ she's a geologist, she's a

mother of three ♪ ♪ she is a soldier, she is a wife ♪ ♪ she is a surgeon, she'll save your life ♪ ♪ she's not just a pretty face she's got everything it takes ♪ ♪ she's a mother of the human race ♪ ♪ she's not just a pretty face ♪

♪ she is your waitress, she is your judge ♪ ♪ she is your teacher, she's every woman in love ♪ ♪ she can fly an airplane she's a counselor, she's on the board ♪ ♪ she's a politician, she makes the law ♪ ♪ she's not just a pretty face she's got everything it takes ♪ ♪ she's a mother of the human race ♪

♪ she's not just -- no, she's not ♪ ♪ just a pretty face not just she's got everything it takes ♪ ♪ she's not just a pretty face ♪ she's got everything it takes, she's not just a pretty face ♪ >> sarah, sarah, sarah! >> sarah, sarah, sarah! >> next, three freshmen republican members share experiences from their first year. they also gave perspectives on the ongoing debates on federal spending and reducing the deficit. >> ladies and gentlemen, cleta mitchell, chairman of the american conservative foundation and partner.

>> hi. i have a good day. i guess it's already noon. i have a brief announcement. laura ingraham's book signing will begin at 1:15. we'll go from 1:15 to 2:00 p.m. so if you're planning to get a book bind laura ingraham, 1:15 to 2:00 p.m. this is a great opportunity to introduce to you three great members of congress who came to congress last year as part of the wave that swept america. and so we have a program with three house freshmen about mr. and ms. smith come to washington. tell us about your first year as a member of congress. and i'd like to introduce them to you now. congressman mike pompeo from the fourth district of kansas. [ applause ]

congresswoman ann marie buerkle of the fifth district of new york. [ applause ] and congressman tim huelskamp from the first district of kansas. welcome all of them. so you've all been in congress for a year, and we want to hear about that. but first we want you to tell us a little bit about yourselves, about your district, and the moment or the issue that made you decide that you wanted to run for the house of representatives. so congressman pompeo, i'll start you. >> great, thank you, cleta. it's great to be here this afternoon. i'm mike pompeo. i represent south central kansas. it's a district centered on wichita, where we grow most of this country's great airplanes.

the thing you should know about me is i'm a deep believer in small government and freedom. it's why i decided to run for congress. i went to west point. i served on active duty for a little over five years. [ applause ] >> thank you. i then went to harvard law school, although i don't talk about that as much in kansas. and then had a real opportunity to start two small businesses in kansas. so i spent the 16 years before i came to congress now 14 months ago running two manufacturing companies that employed hundreds of folks here in the united states of america. i decided to give up my day job because like you've heard from so many speakers here, ebecame deeply concerned about the direction our country is headed. there is not enough room for freedom and individualism. i have a son, nick, 21. he is probably not out of bed yet. but i care deeply about the next generation is why i decided to do this. >> congresswoman? >> thank you.

i'm annmarie buerkle, and my district is the 25th district of new york. and i decided i am a registered nurse. i'm the mother of six children. when i was 40 years old, i went to law school, and for many years represented a hospital in upstate new york. so i watched the progression of what was going on in the last congress, and i watched dodd-frank and the stimulus. and it was for me the health care law, the terrible assault on our freedom with the health care law that really propelled me into running for congress. and i am the first -- my parents are the first generation italian americans. and i knew deep in my father's soul that he understood. he was the hardest working man i know. and he knew deep in his soul that this country offered opportunities that no other place on this earth offered. and so in an effort to preserve

those freedoms for my kids and my grandkids, have i soon to be 13 grandchildren, i ran for congress. so it is about just as my colleague said, it is about preserving and protecting the united states of america. >> congressman? >> thank you. tim huelskp from kansas. we want to apologize at the beginning of this that kathleen sebelius was our governor. no disrespect. the reason i ran is i have four very young children, four adopted children. and for decades now, this country, our people have been under attack. our liberty is under attack. whether it's coming after our families, coming after the culture, coming after issue of life, coming after our businesses. it's not just the current administration. it has been decades of folks in this town that have attacked our way of life. which is why when i go out and do town halls, i ask the question, do you think the

american dream is still alive. this is in western kansas. i'm a farmer. we're optimistic. two-thirds of folks in my district say you know what, tim? the american dream is in jeopardy. this is the first generation in america where people wonder whether the next generation is going to be better off. that's why i ran. that's why we're here today. and i appreciate the time to be here. >> thank you. okay. okay. so let's get to some of the questions that americans are wondering about the tea party freshmen who came to congress a year ago. you've been in congress a year. what do you wish you had known a year ago that you know now? what is the one thing that you would tell us you have learned the most about this first year and the challenge of being a member of the house of representatives? so let's start with you, congresswoman. >> well, you know, we came down

here as freshmen. and many of us, as you just heard here, were not crwe came mission. so you come down here just because you're all fired up, we have got to change things. so you get down here and it's like you hit a wall. i mean, that's the reality of what the feeling is sometimes because we in the house recognize what we need to do in terms of regulations and getting the government out of the way of our economy and making the changes. and we pass these bills with the house majority, and then they go to the senate to die. the same situation with the budget. same situation with so many initiatives we've taken. and that's the frustration for me. the surprise that i had, i thought we could do more. but illustrates for me and for us the importance of taking back the senate and taking back the white house in 2012. [ applause ] >> i get asked the question was washington everything you thought mucworse.

and you look around this town. and oftentimes i'll say. it's not a partisan issue. it's an establishment issue. there are folks under this administration another $5 trillion of debt in about four years. not much more than the last administration over the last eight years. the problem in this town is folks that don't understand the american dream. it's like you come to washington, d.c. and you can see it. it doesn't take long where suddenly you're a really smart person. and you hire folks that tell you you're a smart person. and you start to believe that the american dream starts here. today it's ending here. and just to see the extent of that is really concerning to me, which is why elections are so important. that's why we should require folks running for office tell us what your solutions are. tell us what your vision are, it's not what the other guy is for or against. that's important as well, because we need to hold folks accountable in both parties. because when we're riding a $16.4 trillion debt, that's going to be what our children

and grandchildren owe. that's concerning to me to see how folks are noto about solve tag problem. >> congressman pompeo, what do you wish you had known a year ago when you first were sworn in so that you could have known that all this first year? what is it? >> i wish i had listened to my friends who say keep running that business. that's a lot of fun. look, this is hard work. these issues are difficult. so in our first four weeks, you hear these folks in our first four weeks, we voted to repeal obamacare, just like we said we would. and this class of freshmen has truly kept -- has truly kept -- we are all talking about the very things we campaigned in. in the same week we did that, i was at hearing. i sit on the energy and commerce committee. and lisa jackson, the head of the epa came to testify. i knew we were in trouble, but i had no idea the extent of the disconnectedness of that agency from the real world.