when you go to the shoe store, you do not buy two right shoes. you don't have a ticket that only runs on policy. you need passion to go with your policy. lee wrights is that passion. [applause] i want to say something. something i heard today from governor gary johnson. gary johnson won the nomination of our party, but lee wrights won the debate. we need that kind of debater on this ticket. we need that passion, we need that full prada defense of liberty, like all of you we need

defense oforrodethroated liberty. lee wrights is the original libertarian from the libertarian wing of the libertarian party. [applause] in 2008, when nominated a ticket that did not have balance, that was not strategically designed to appeal to all voters. and we suffer from that. we lost activists, we lost donors, and at some level, we lost some credibility. 2012 is our opportunity to get that credibility back, by nominating a balanced ticket of jarret johnson and lee wrights -- of gary johnson and lee wrights.

i had the honor of serving you on the judicial committee of this party, and i served with judge jim gray on that committee, and i have nothing but praise for him. he is articulate, he is intelligent, he is a good person. but in politics, you have a president who is a nice guy, and you have a vice presidential candidate who is a hammer. lee wrights is a hammer. so i asked you to nominate lee wrights to be that hammer for gary johnson, so liberty will win. [applause] >> i find myself in a position where i have to thank my about family once again.

we have already won today, we have shown america how different libertarians can be, that we are not crazy boogeyman that we are painted to be. i am proud of each and everyone of you and i thank you for your support. i want to tell you what i bring to this race. it is not just about me, it is about the libertarian party committee with gary johnson and lee wrights leading the way. you do not just get me. you have all seen my body of work by now, the videos, the press releases. i am proud to say, i am humbled, that my whole staff, to a man and a woman, have pledged to work six more months for free to make this happen. they are not doing it for lee wrights car gary johnson, they are doing it for the libertarian party and for america. i am proud of everyone of them. [applause]

i bring to this race a libertarian answer to every question. i plan to be a helpmate to governor johnson. i want to be there for him when he needs me and get out of the way when he doesn't need me. i know how to do that already, i am a libertarian. thank you for coming. thank you for spending the precious time and money it takes to come and do the business of this party. i think you for this honor of considering me for rice president of the united states. i hope you will give me your votes. thank you so much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> your third and final nominee for vice-president, mr. jim burns. [applause]

>> i am retired now, but i used to work, and after work we would get together and have some libations and so forth, and bring up several different subjects and in general, have a good time. this reminds me of a story that i heard about three doctors that were all surgeons. they were having drinks and they got an idea about who would design the best body for a surgeon to operate upon. the first one said, an electrician. because they would have everything color-coded and everything would have a place and everything would go in its place. the next said no, it would be an

architect. form and function. the third one said such a body already exists. you see, it is politician. a politician has no heart, no guts, and no backbone. his head and his ass are interchangeable. [applause] i ran across a couple of quotes from a dr. edward hale, who was a minister. one of them was that they asked him, do you pray for senators? he lived in the d.c. area. he said, i have seen the senators. i pray for the people. [applause] i have paraphrased a quote of dr. hale 's. i am only one libertarian, but i

am one libertarian. i cannot do everything, but i can do something. and i will not let what i cannot do interfere with what i can do. [applause] ipad to akaka something i can do. it is to turn on the light -- i add to that something i can do. it is to turn on the light of libertarianism read something i can do is to use the best of what is in me to share the like are received. something i can do is to work with others to share the light when i can, and to work alone when i must. something i can do is to ask you for your friendship and your

help. i don't like my chances for winning, but i already have on won, because i am associated with you find people. the reason i am writing this, i have several messages i would like to convey. one of them this, and i am not going to take a lot of your time today, but one of them is that i believe it is self-evident that libertarianism can improve the human condition, to the extent that libertarianism is adopted, we will see peace, prosperity, and progress. the libertarian party offers a vehicle to oppose oppression and to implement libertarianism -- i mean implement liberty. i believe this is self-evident, but modern science makes it easy for us to see.

if you photographed the earth from a satellite and you look down at the korean peninsula at night, what you will see is darkness in the north and light in the south. the reason for that is simple. you have totalitarianism in the north, and you have a sprinkling of libertarianism in the south. what we need to do is to convey that information and to understand that we are doing the most important work that a person can do if he wishes to improve the human condition. [applause] thank you. i wish to say thank you, and i am not going to take a lot more of your time. i am going to say thank you and get the hell off the stage. thank you.

>> that is the end of nominating speeches. we will now move to the calculations. delegates, please pass your votes to your delegations share. when the accounts from the delegation chairs start, we will start with indiana. second would be alabama, connecticut, north carolina, district of columbia, washington, and michigan. jake, can you turn on the microphones in the audience? >> i am from virginia. a move to suspend the rules of the rest of the convention, including vice-president to not hear the state-by-state announcement of the votes, and just to the secretary read the results reflected has been moved to suspend the rules and dispense with reading of the vote totals for the vice-

presidential candidate from the state delegates. requires a two-thirds vote to suspend the rules. is there a second? it has been moved and seconded. all those in favor of doing this, signify by saying aye. all those opposed? i think that got the two-thirds. the motion carries.

[crowd murmurs] >> this is the beginning of an ongoing program to showcase our libertarian ideas and how they make life better for everyday americans agreed to answer the question, why vote libertarian? separate from this contest, you will see more of these libertarian videos on display

here at the convention and also at our website, lp.org. we invited our party members to participate. after you watch the finalist in the videos, please visit our website and vote for the best video. you can watch them again at the website. voting in sunday at 9:00 a.m. will award of $500 cash prize to the winner. we will have on choosing a winner, but they are all winners, because every idea that advances liberty is a win. as soon as we fire this up, please enjoy.

>> thank you very much. congratulations. >> our delegation is going 9 to 1 for gray. >> i think we really, honestly have a chance. >> what do you think about judge gray? >> i support him.

>> 90% of why i supported lee wrights is the principles.

[unintelligible] >> thank you very much. >> i have been supporting you for a long time.

>> i am following my heart right now. >> i appreciate it. thank you. >> what do you think about the v.p. chart?

>> congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> congratulations. [unintelligible]

>> what do you think about judge gray? [unintelligible]

>> thank you very much. >> i would like to give you a campaign contribution. >> holy cow.

>> i am one of your top supporters. >> i think the world of lee wrights, i really do. >> i will see when you get back to texas. >> i thought i was off, and then i had to go back to work.

>> if i can help out in any way, i would like to do that. i will be contacting north texas state representative and sending in a check. >> i am looking forward to the 3:00. >> blog, you were really fired up today. -- good luck.

>> good luck. >> thank you.

>[indistinct conversations] >> thank you.

>> congratulations. [laughter] >> thank you.

>> thank you. good luck. >> long time no see. nominee. >> can i have a quick picture with the? >> of course. >>1, 2, 3. >> thank you so much. >> you are welcome. >> a perfect. >> thank you.

>> can i get a picture? >> of course. >> web button do i hit? -- what button do a hit? that was blurry. let me do another one. >> thank you very much. >> very nice to meet you all.

>> congratulations. >> thank you, sir.

[indistinct conversations]

[indistinct conversations]

[indistinct conversations]

>> congratulations. >> thank you very much.

[unintelligible] [unintelligible]

[indistinct conversations]

>> i guess come to order was the magic word. so based on the motion that was

passed, we will post the results on the screen for everybody to see. [cheers and applause] and >> thank you. you will never regret this. i have never been so excited about anything i can think of. the work is now beginning. we have the very best candidate i can think of to lead this

ticket, and i will do my part as well. let me tell you my strategy. we need everybody in this room to take this election personally. we need you to get our information to pass it around to your circle of friends. tell them to take it personally as well. when that happens, we will start polling. we are now about 7% with gov. johnson. we will start calling around 18%. you know what happens then? he will be in the presidential debates with mitt romney and obama. you know what else will happen? it will make them talk about issues they do not want to talk about. it would change the dynamics completely and will have to talk about liberty, prosperity, and

equal opportunity. if he is in those debates -- i cannot wait. i would be involved in one of them with joe biden. i cannot wait. if we are in those debates, all bets are off some. this will be the revolution we all crave a. thank you. yes, i appreciate it. now, let's go to work. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> c-span has covered our debate last night and the presidential and vice-presidential selection this morning and now into this afternoon. the poor guys need a lunch break

so they can get some food. they will be breaking down while we conduct -- >> i do not want to let this opportunity to go by without setting my thanks for the professionalism, the integrity, the philosophy of -- what a man. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> jim gray winning the nomination here at the libertarian convention. we will take it to richmond, virginia where president obama began his speech a few minutes ago. >> over a hundred thousand more

were lost in the months i took office. it was tough. it was taught here in virginia and all across the country. the american people are tougher. all across america, people like you dog and. folks like you fought back. some of the retrained and went back to school. small-business owners cut back on expenses and did everything they could to keep their employees. sure, there were setbacks. there have been disappointments. we did not quit. we do not quit. together, we are fighting our way back. together we are fighting our way back. [cheers and applause]

we made a bet on american workers. on the ingenuity of american companies. today our auto industry is back on top of the world. [cheers and applause] manufacturers have started investing in america again. adding jobs for the first time since the 1990's. businesses got back to basics. exports surged. over 4 million jobs were created in the last three years. more than 1 million in the last six months alone. now, does this make us satisfied? of course not. to many of our friends and family are still looking for work. the market is still weak. deficits are still too high.

states are laying off teachers and first responders. this crisis took years to develop. the economy is still facing a bunch of head winds. it will take sustained persistent efforts, yours and mine, for a miracle to fully recover. for us to be where we need to be. that is the truth. we all know it. [applause] i am here to tell you, we are making progress. now we face a choice. for the last few years, republicans who run this congress have insisted that we go right back to the policies that created this miss in the first place. it gets worse because to borrow

a line from bill clinton, now their agenda is on steroids. this time the one bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. and this time they want even deeper cuts to things like education, medicare, research, and technology. and this time the want to give banks and insurance companies even more power to do what they want to. and it now after a long and spirited primary, republicans in congress have found a champion. they have found a nominee for president that promised to rubber-stamp this agenda if he gets a chance. virginia, i tell you what. we cannot give them the chance. not now. not with so much at stake. this is not just another election, this is a make or

break a moment for america's middle-class. it we have been through too much to turn back now. we have come too far to abandon the change we've fought through these past few years. virginia, we have to move forward to the future we demanded in 2008. [cheers and applause] we have to move it forward to a future where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody does their fair share. everybody plays through the same rules. that is the choice in this election. that is why i am running for a second term as president of the united states. [cheers and applause]

>> gov. romney is a patriotic american. he has raised a wonderful family and has much to be proud of it. he has run a large financial firm and he has run a state. i think he has learned the wrong lessons from these experiences. he sincerely believes that the

ceos and will the investors liked him make money, the rest of us will automatically prosper as well. when a woman in iowa shares a story about her financial struggles, he responded with the economic theory. he told her our productivity equals our income. let me tell the virginia, the problem with our economy is not that the american people are not productive enough. you have never been working harder in your lives. you are working harder than ever. the challenge we face right now, the challenge we have faced for over a decade is that harder work has not led to higher incomes. bigger profits of not lead to better jobs. gov. romney does not seem to get

that. he does not seem to understand maximizing profits by whatever means necessary, whether layoffs are outsourcing or tax avoidance or union busting, might not always be good for the average american or for our economy. why else would he want to spend trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthiest americans? why else would he propose cutting his own taxes while raising them on 18 million working families? why else would he want to slash the investments that have always helped the economy grow while at the same time stopping regulations of the reckless behavior on wall street that helps make the economy crash. somehow he and his friends in congress think the same bad ideas will lead to a different

result. or they are just hoping you will not remember what happened the last time we tried to do it. va., i am here to say that we were there. we remember. we are not going back. we are moving this country forward. [applause] we remember -- look. we want businesses to succeed. we want entrepreneurialism rewarded when they take risks, when the create jobs and brower economy. but the true measure of our economy is more than a running

tally of every balance sheet and quarterly profit report. i did not care how many ways to try to explain it, corporations are people. people are people. -- corporations are not people. people are people. [cheers and applause] we measure prosperity not just by our total gdp, not just by how many billionaires' we produce, but how well is the typical family doing? we understand that in this country people succeed when they have the chance to get a decent education and learn more skills. by the way, so do the businesses that hire those people for the companies to these people start. we know that our economy grows

we support research and medical breakthroughs and new technologies that lead to the next internet or life-saving drug. we know our country is stronger when we can count on affordable health care and the medicare and social security, when we protect our kids from toxic dumping and the mercury pollution. when there are rules to make sure we are not taken advantage of a by credit-card companies, or mortgage lenders. this is good for business. it is good for the market place. they are good for america. [cheers and applause]

look, we do not expect government to solve all of our problems. it should not try. i learned from my mom that no education policy can take the place of a parent's love and attention and sometimes getting into your face and telling you what you need to do. as a young man i worked with a group of catholic churches that taught me know programs can make as much difference as the kindness and commitment of a caring soul. not every regulation is smart. not every tax dollar is spent wisely. not every person can be helped to refuses to help himself. that is what we believe. people have to make an effort to. people have to try hard.

that is not an excuse to tell the vast majority of responsible, hard-working americans, you are on your own. unless you are lucky enough to have parents who can lend you money, you may not be able to go to college. even if you pay your premiums every month, you are out of luck if your insurance company decides to drop coverage when you need it the most. that is not how we built america. that is not who we are. we built this country together. we built railroads and highways, the hoover dam, the golden gate bridge together. we sat my grandfather's generation to college on the gi bill together. together we touched the surface

of the moon, unlock the mysteries of the atom, connected the world through our own science and imagination. we did these things not because they benefited any particular group or individual, but because they made us all richer. they gave us all opportunities. they move us forward together as one nation, as one people. that is the lesson of our past. that is the right vision for our future. that is why i am running for president of the united states of america. [cheers and applause]

[chanting "4 more years"] i am running to make sure by the end of this decade more of our citizens held college degrees than any other nation on earth. i want to help our schools or reward the best teachers, especially in math and science. i want to give 2 million more americans the chance to go to community college and learned the skills businesses are looking for right now. a higher education can be a luxury. it is an economic imperative that every american should be able to afford. that is why i am running for president. [cheers and applause]

i am running to make sure the next generation of high-tech manufacturing takes place and places like richmond, columbus, cleveland, pittsburgh. i want to stop rewarding companies that some jobs and profits overseas. that is the choice in this election. [cheers and applause] i am running so that we keep moving toward a future where we control our own energy. our dependence on foreign oil is at its lowest point in that 16 years. by the middle of the next decade, our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon. that will save you money. thousands of americans have jobs

because the production of renewable energy in this country, it has nearly doubled in just three years. now is not the time to cut these investments to pay for another $4 billion giveaway to the oil companies, now is the time to end subsidies for an industry that has rarely been more profitable. let's double down on a clean energy future that has never been more promising and for the safety of our planet. that is why i am running, virginia. that is the choice. [cheers and applause] for the first time in nine years, there are no americans fighting in the iraq. [cheers and applause] osama bin laden is no longer a

threat to this country. al qaeda is on the path to defeat. by 2014, the war in afghanistan will be over. [cheers and applause] america is safer and more respected because the courage and selflessness of the united states armed forces. a lot of people right here in virginia, putting on that uniform, serving on our behalf. as long as i am commander in chief, this country will serve our veterans, will care for our veterans. nobody who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come back home.

[cheers and applause] my opponent has different ideas. my opponent has a different view. he said it was tragic to end the war and iraq. he said he will not set a time line for ending the war in afghanistan. well, i have it. i have been -- i intend to keep that timeline. [applause] after a decade of war, that has costed thousands of lives and over one trillion dollars, the nation we need to build is right here at home. [applause]

so we are going to use half of what we are no longer spending on were to pay down deductible. we will use the other half to repair our bridges and our airports and our wireless networks. that is the choice in this election. that is why i am running for president. [cheers and applause] i am running to pay down our debt in a way that is balanced and responsible. we inherited a one trillion dollar deficit. the other side does not like to be reminded of this. that is okay. i signed 2 trillion dollars of spending cuts into law. and now i want to finish the job.

i want to streamline government and cut more waste and reform our tax code so it is simpler, fairer, and it asks the wealthiest americans to pay a little bit more. [applause] now, my opponent has a different view. he will not tell us how he pay for his new five trillion dollar tax cuts. five trillion dollars. a tax cut that gives an average $250,000 to every millionaire in the country. even if he will not disclose the details of how he will pay for it, we know the bill will either be passed on to our children or

a it will be paid for by a whole lot of you, a whole lot of ordinary americans. virginia, i refuse to let that happen again. [cheers and applause] i refuse to let that happen again. i refuse to pay for another millionaires' tax cut by eliminating medical research projects on things like cancer and alzheimer's. i refuse to pay for another tax cut by kicking kids off of the headstart program or eliminating health insurance for millions of poor and elderly and disabled americans on medicaid. we are not going to do that. as long as i am president of the united states, i will never allow medicare to be turned into a voucher that would end the program as we know it.

[applause] we are not going to go back to the days when our citizens spent their golden years at the mercy of private insurance companies. we will reform medicare not shifting the cost to seniors but by reducing the spending that is not making people healthier. that is the right way to do it. that is what is at stake. on issue after issue, we just cannot afford to spend the next four years going backwards. if america does not need to read fight the battles we just had over wall street reform, health care reform. here is what i know on health care reform. allowing 2.5 million young people to stay on their parent'' health insurance, that was the right thing to do. [cheers and applause]

cutting prescription drug costs for seniors, that was the right thing to do. we are not going back to the days when insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy or deny you coverage surcharge women differently than men. we're not going back to that. we certainly do not need in other political fight about ending a woman's right to choose. taking away access to affordable birth control. [cheers and applause] i want women to control their own health choices. [cheers and applause] just like the one my daughters

to have the same opportunities as your son. we are not turning back the clock. we are not returning to the days when you can be kicked out of the united states military because of you you are and who you love. we are not going back to that. that would be wrong for our national security. it would be a betrayal of our values. it will not happen on my watch. [cheers and applause] this should be the last election where multimillion- dollar donations speak louder than the voices of ordinary citizens. we need more checks on special interests and lobbyists, not fewer checks on them.

we are not going to eliminate the epa. we are not going to roll back the bargaining rights of generations of workers. it is time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they are the children of undocumented workers. [cheers and applause] this country is at its best when we harness the god-given talents of every individual. when we hear every voice. and when we come together as one american family striving for the same dream. that is what we are fighting for. a bold america. a competitive america. a forward looking america where everybody has the chance to make of their life what they will.

that is what made us the envy of the world. that is what makes us great. that is why i am running again for president of the united states. [cheers and applause] virginia, that is why i need your help. you know, this election will be even closer than the last. to many of our friends and neighbors are still hurting because of this crisis. i have heard from too many people who have been wondering why they have not been able to get one of the jobs that have been created. while a family has not yet been touched by the recovery.

the other side will not be offering these americans any real answers to those questions. they will not be offering a better vision. they will not be offering new ideas. what they will do is spend more money than we have ever seen before. all on negative ads on tv and radio, in the mail, on the internet. as they exploit people pose a frustration for my opponent's political gain. they will tell you america is down and out. they will tell you who to blame. they will ask if you were better off than you were before the worst crisis of our lifetime. we have seen the play before.

we know what they expect. but you know what, the question that will actually make a difference in your life in the lives of your children is not just about how we are doing today. it is how we will be doing tomorrow. will we be better off if more americans get a better education? will we be better off if we depend less on foreign oil and more on our own ingenuity? will we be better off if we start doing some nation-building at home? will we be doing -- will we be better off if we bring down our deficits and responsible way without gutting the very things we need to grow? when we look back 10 years from now or 20 years from now, will be be better off if we have the courage to keep moving forward?

[applause] and that is the question in this election. that outcome is entirely up to you. you know, we are going to have to contend with even more negative ads, more cynicism, more nastiness, and sometimes plain foolishness. it will be worse than we saw in the last campaign. we know because we have seen some of the foolishness over the last three and a half years. but if there is one thing we learned in 2008, it is that nothing is more powerful than the millions of voices calling for change. [cheers and applause] when enough of you knock on doors and enough of you pick up

the phone when enough of you are talking to your friends and your co-workers, when you decide it is time for change to happen, guess what? change happens. change comes to america. va., that is the spirit we need again. when people ask you, what is this campaign about? you tell them that it is still about hope. it is still about change. you tell them it is still about ordinary people who believe in the face of great odds we can make a great difference in the country. [cheers and applause]

because i still believe -- i still believe that we are not as divided as our politics suggest. i think we have more in common than the pundits tell us. we are not democrats or republicans first, but we are americans first. [cheers and applause] i still believe that interview. -- i still believe in you. i am asking you to keep believing in me. i told you in 2008 i was not a perfect man and i would never be a perfect president, i promised you that i would always tell you what i thought.

i will always tell you where i stood. i would wake up every single day fighting for you as hard as i know how. i have kept that promise. i have kept that promise. i will keep it so long as i have the honor to be your president. if you are willing to stick with me and a fight with me and press on with me, if you are willing to work even harder and and this election than in the last election, i guarantee you we will move this country forward. we will finish what we started. we are still fired up. we are still ready to go. we will reminded the world once more what it is the united states of america is the greatest nation on earth. thank you. god bless you. [cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause]

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[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] ♪

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>> if you missed any of the president's remarks from richmond, you can watch them again tonight at 8:00. next, the weekly address is, one by president obama, followed by bob corker of tennessee. their remarks are about 10 minutes. >> this week, i travel to afghanistan to thank our troops serving far from home and to sign an historic agreement that will help us complete our mission and end the war.

as commander in chief, nothing is more humbling them the chance to spend some time with our troops. i visited with some of our outstanding men and women in uniform. i thank them for their extraordinary service. and let them know that america honors their sacrifice. because of their bravery and dedication, the tide of war has turned in afghanistan. we have broken the taliban's momentum. we have built strong afghan security forces. we have devastated al qaeda leadership. when year ago, our troops launched the operation that killed osama bin laden. because of the progress we work -- we have made, i was able to sign an historic agreement between the united states and afghanistan to define a new relationship between our countries. a future in which afghans are responsible for the security of their nation.

a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins. the enormous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform are not over. many of our troops are already coming home. last year, we removed 10,000 u.s. troops to afghanistan. another 23,000 will leave by the end of the summer. as a college and agreed, by the end of 2014, the afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country. after more than a decade of war, it is time to focus on nation- building here at home. we must ask ourselves, what kind of country will they come back to? will it be a country where a shrinking number of americans do really well while a growing number barely get by? or will it be a country that everybody gets a fair shot and everyone plays by the same set of rules? a country with opportunity worthy of the troops to protect

us. america has answered this question before. my grandfather got the chance to go to college on the gi bill. my grandmother was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on earth. they contributed to a -- a story of success that every american had the chance to share in. if you work hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement. keeping that promise alive is the defining issue overtime. it means making responsible choices. i do not think we should prioritize things like more tax cuts for millionaires. that is why i have called on congress to take the money we are no longer spending at war, use half of the to pay down our debt, and use the other have to rebuild america. we have more jobs to create, at more students to educate, more

clean energy to generate. we have to invest in things like education, medical research, we have to build faster transportation and communications networks. we have to secure the care and benefits for veterans have burned so that we serve them as well like they have served us -- are veterans have earned so that we serve them as well as they have served us. they have something to teach us. recovering from the worst economic crisis since the great depression is a work in progress. if we follow their example, i've no doubt we will preserve the promise of this country, protect the freedoms we chairs, and leave for our children and america that is built to last. god bless you and have a great weekend. >> i am bob corker and i'm proud to represent tennessee in the united states senate. when i was 25 years old, i

saved $8,000 and started my own construction company. i worked hard and my business expanded. free enterprise system gave me the opportunity to live the american dream. i became involved in public service to help provide my neighbors with the opportunity to experience the american dream themselves. i came to washington with the same goals. i fear our country is moving to a place for politicians have lost sight of the value of current success. politicians are bankrupting our country by passing legislation without paying for it and abandoning the free market principles that gives people the opportunities to succeed. it is disappointing and i can assure you highly frustrating to see what happens in washington. more spending and picked -- kicking tough decisions down the

road while robbing the next generation the opportunity to pursue success and live their own american dream. last sunday, it marked three years since the senate passed a budget. three years, think about that. the federal government spends more than $3.50 trillion a year, has no guidelines for how that money is spent. the democratic leaders of the senate said it would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage. he has even refused to hold the vote. when the democratic chairman of the senate budget committee attempted to hold a markup on a budget, he was stopped at the last minute and pulled the boat from consideration. what about our presidential leadership? president obama is a budget failed to receive a single yes vote in either house of congress last year. according to the nonpartisan

congressional budget office, this year's presidential budget would decrease economic growth over the next decade. this kind of washington mismanagement has put us in a place where over the last three years, our debt has increased by more than $4 trillion. failing to accomplish even the most basic responsibility of government is a total failure of leadership. represent everything the american people hate about washington. just last month, the trustees for medicare and social security reiterated that the programs are on a path towards insolvency. an urgent need of reform -- an urgent need of reform. despite every warning sign imaginable, we have no solutions from this administration or democratic leadership in the senate. the president punts on almost every tough decision. as he appeals to college

students, his administration is robbing those same young people of their american inheritance, spending their money on my generation and engaging in nothing short of generational theft. families in state governments are making tough decisions every day in order to make ends meet. businesses are crying out for clarity on tax rates and regulations. this uncertainty is what is weighing down the recovery and preventing the investment needed to create jobs in tennessee and throughout the country. washington's lack of courage to deal with out-of-control spending is only adding to the sense of uncertainty among investors and potential small- business owners. at present, our inability to deal with these issues is our greatest enemy. we are our greatest enemy. i also believe it can be our

greatest opportunity. we need pro-growth tax reform. this means simplifying the tax code and doing away with most, if not all, of the $1.20 trillion in loopholes and tax expenditures that congress has created to try to drive your behavior. this would allow us to broaden the tax base and lower rates for everyone. this kind of tax reform combined with a long-term plan to reduce our debt and strengthen social security and medicare so they are solvent for the long haul would really cause the economy to take off. growing the private sector, not government, will ensure that we remain the strongest country in the world. preserving the principles that made this country great is the struggle of this generation. free enterprise, personal liberty, and a society where everyone has the tools and the opportunity to earn it success.

nothing makes people happier than earnings success. our founding fathers understood this and considered the pursuit of happiness to be a god-given right. let's put in place policies that will enable future generations to earn success. it is the american dream. >> this past week, the congressional executive commission on china held an emergency hearing on the ongoing human rights abuses there. >> i fear for my family member'' lives. we have installed several video cameras. even an electric fence. the security officers in my

house, we want to see what else he can do. " watch the entire hearing on line at the c-span video library. you can clip portions of the event to e-mail. earlier today in las vegas, the libertarian party nominated cory johnson as the party's presidential nominee. next come in his speech prior to the vote. -- next, his speech prior to the vote.

and then you have to have a resume to go along with that. i think i have the resume. i have been an entrepreneur my entire life. i have been an athlete my entire life. i got to be governor of new mexico for two terms. i said no to bigger government. how did that work out in a state that was two-one democrat? they did a poll on the favorability of all the presidential candidate running and there was only one presidential candidate running that was viewed favorably. how did it work out in new mexico? i am telling you, people in new mexico waived out -- wave at me with all five fingers, not just wind. -- just one. good government was easy, it was not hard. it was easy to look at issues,

first, second, third, last. i really do think i have a resume when it comes to civil liberties, i really think i have got it in spades when it comes to fiscal responsibility. i base that on the fact that i may have vetoed more legislation than the other 49 governors in the country combined. [applause] all governments, all government needs to -- the government's needs to occur under strict adherence to the united states constitution. as governor of new mexico, i made very few promises. i promised to veto any tax increases. i vetoed every single tax increase, not one single penny of tax was increased over in eight-year period in mexico.

that has never happened before. [applause] i promised that there would be fewer state employees when i left office than when i got there. there were 1200 fewer state employees when i left office. a 10% reduction in state government employees when i left office. that never happened in the history of the state. i promise to increase as a percentage of the budget the amount of money we spent on education every year. i did that for eight straight years. it gave me the liberty to talk about real school reform, which was bringing competition to public education. [applause] if i would have promised everything i delivered as governor of new mexico, i would have never been elected because i would have been in another

blowhard politicians. as president, i am promising to submit a balanced budget to congress. as president, i am promising to veto legislation more expenses exceed revenue. i am promising to advocate on the part of the fair tax. look, i am listening. i promised to advocate on the part of the left unfair tax. [applause] i promise to end the military wars. i promise to end -- [applause] i promise to end the war in afghanistan. i promise to bring the troops,. -- troops home.

i promise to end the costly and ineffective war on drugs. [applause] look, most americans are fiscally responsible and socially tolerant. i fall in that group. i think this is a broad brush stroke for the libertarian party. government needs to exist to protect us against force and fraud. government needs to exist to protect us against individuals, groups, corporations, countries that would do less harm. imagine a libertarian president challenging congress to bring about marriage equality. can imagine a libertarian president challenging congress to reduce impediments to free market. free-market means no terrace. -- tarriffs.

imagine a libertarian candidate for president challenging congress to repeal the patriot act. abolish the department of homeland security. imagine a libertarian president challenging congress for meaningful immigration reform. the libertarian candidate for president is going to be the only candidate talking about gun rights and gay rights in the same sentence. [applause] the libertarian candidate for president is the only candidate that will be talking about slashing welfare spending and slashing warfare spending in the same sentence. [applause]

the change to meet to be a libertarian is not a change. i have always been a libertarian. i pledge to be active in the libertarian party and beyond the 2012 election. [applause] make no bones about it, the goal here is troopswin -- the goal here is to win the election. [applause] it is always about the message. i think the message i am delivering is the same message of that of ron paul. ron paul is a messenger. a week ago, he said, i am not dropping out of this race because the crowds are growing. this is a growing movement in america today. when ron paul's candidacy comes

to an end, and i hope it does not. i think is going to come to an end, where does this message go? it continues and there is an absolute viable alternative to voting for ron paul. it will be the libertarian nominee. [applause] this is not 2008. i debated -- at the republican national convention in philadelphia on drug policy. somewhere between that debate and 2008, he felt out of bed and hit his head and became a libertarian. i am glad it happened. this is not about 2008. i do not have any of that baggage.

a didn npr interview yesterday. -- i did an npr interview yesterday. the question was, who are you going to vote for? barack obama or mitt romney? i have climbed mount everest. take to the bank. i would die. [applause] selectively. the country does not need to die. there is only one choice and it is going to be the libertarian nominee for president. i respectfully ask you for that nomination. thank you very much. [applause]

>> gary johnson won the nomination on the first round of voting. and then he addressed the delegates. [applause] >> i humbly accept the nomination, thank you very much. [applause] i am going to make a pledge to all of you. none of you are going to regret what happened here today. i really want to thank my parents, they're both here. earl and lorraine. my mom is the reason we ended up in mexico -- in new mexico.

she is the one who had me doing tap dancing lessons in the third grade. she had been playing the piano, i was the best fit great piano player that -- i love my parents and i want to thank them both. i want to thank my fiancee. i am in love vendible be a white house wedding. -- i am in love and it will be a white house wedding. [applause] i want to thank my sister and my brother in law. my son is here. where are you?

eric, where is eric? eric quit his welcoming job in denver 2.5 years ago to do this with me for two years, on page. -- unpaid. [applause] my daughter gave me a call and she said, dad, i am the worst daughter in the world. i will not be at the convention, i will be in brazil. my daughter was valedictorian from the university of colorado's out of 9000 students.

my daughter's car broke down outside of -- she happen to have for tools with her. she knew that it was the alternator. she installed it herself. [applause] my brother called me up and said i watched the debate on c-span. you did great. you got your ass kicked. [applause] where is lee rice? [applause] what a gentlemen.

what a pleasure, what a delight to debate him. >> let's get this guy elected. [applause] >> we made each other better candidates. i cannot thank him enough. no one could have been more cordial, no one could have been more gracious, no one could have been more articulate involving libertarian ideals and beliefs. where do we go from here? this is about winning. this is about winning.

this is your decision, but i want to ask the following. please consider jim gray as my running mate. [applause] i believe he is the best -- and force the best opportunity to wedding. in this -- of ford's the best opportunity to lending. we interviewed a lot of potential candidates. he does a better job when it comes to articulating libertarian ideals and beliefs than anyone else. i go back to the year 2001 imad jim gray for the first time. -- when imad jim gray for the first time. -- i met jim gray for the first time. he was very outspoken on the war on drugs. he was more outspoken and he brought