what i just heard. we tend, and especially people in this city, to talk about everything in terms of republicans versus democrats. the people who are undecided do not. the way i describe it, and please forgive me for this -- i am a new york giants football fan. >> i want them both to lose. i know it cannot happen, but that is what i am rooting for. when the the republicans play the democrats, they want them both to lose. they are fed up with both parties and are not sure what to do about it. it becomes a challenge for the campaigns to the ground out how to reach them. >> thank you. this is a question that ships a

bit for us. the health-care decision from the supreme court is imminent. what does the voting populace have to say about it and what is the trend or projection you can share with us about it? >> once the supreme court rules, the political antics could shift. it is a question of how much and to what extent. is it a question of the two year debate that led up to the lot? -- law? independent voters particularly want health care reform. they do not want the cost of health care. they feel that the law that was passed makes the situation worse. it raises taxes and premiums, and will add to the deficit. it will decrease the quality of care.

it is not that swing voters in particular for women voters -- a disproportionate number of women voters make the health-care decisions in their family, they want to address the concern of cost. that is the tight rope that both sides will have to walk. in policy and in town over the supreme court decision. >> the range of decisions we could have have a huge impact. people are not talking about the effect on the market. before, the economic barometer we used to use was about the employment rate, the unemployment rate, growth and economic predictors. in the stock market crash of

1929, fewer than one out of 10 americans were in the market. now that number is 6 out of 10. if we had a simultaneous cut in taxes and a massive cut in spending, the market would go over 13,000 points instantly. the fact is, the president should get the credit for that. >> it is impossible to know what the response will be because we do not know what the ruling will be. we do not know how the president and governor will respond. if the lot is overturned, president obama could take the high road and said we had some technical issues before the court, and you need to reelect me to finish the job. that would be a compelling argument to some of the people in the middle.

especially if there is no alternative vision presented. on the other hand, if they overrule or even just a significant portion of the law, it would be very negative for his campaign to rid sometimes, we get too wrapped up in these things. the number that is to meet the most significant in this election is how people write their own personal finances. are you better off than you were five years ago? in the fall of 2000 and eight, just before the collapse, 43% of americans said they were in good shape. it collapsed during the financial meltdown. it is at 32% today. if that number does not improve, the president will lose. if the stock market skyrockets, perceptions of personal finances will improve and the president will keep his job >> very

interesting. we will start with you, scott. this is a fun question. what is the most volatile question or poll issue that you have ever administered in terms of responses? >> volatile is a tough word. the question that we got the most comments out of early on -- we pull on every topic. whewe asked if you could name oe person besides yourself, who would you clone?

mother teresa came out on top. michelle pfeiffer came in second among men. [applause] [laughter] >> we did a lot of work in wisconsin and indiana on the right to work issues, and i never saw an issue where there was 2% undecided. we are seeing these types of numbers where people were so polarized and there was no volatility. whether it was the recall elections of last summer or the most recent, it was the same defect. it was love and hate and nothing in between. >> on the interesting side of focus groups we conducted recently in the denver,

president obama were a car, what kind would he be and why? it really gave us a sense of the open ended this of that question. people who view him as a family man or as reliable would say something like a mini van or a sedan. the answers could also skew the other way, like a broken down sports car. there was a wide range of answers in between. will his likability dropped his job performance? you get a look behind the curtain of what is motivating these voters at what they perceive. whether they like him or not.

>> talking about the least volatility, the health care law. in the year and a half leading up to the passage, we pulled every single week. in all those polls, under voters like it, and senior voters did not. we started pulling about repeal of the day after. the majority of seniors were supportive of it. the deep 4% the day after, 55 percent now. this is a bill that is firmly established in the public mind. people know if they like it or not. >> one point on the health care law. in the debate in the law that was put in place, it probably

did the most to damage his image. when the stimulus bill was passed, there was little support from republicans in congress. that shifted as people began to see the results of what was in the bill. the way that the health-care bill came together, and the general sense of focus groups at the time, they were following the legislative process. it really tarnished his most partisan friend. >> there is another part of this debate that you will not like to hear. in it 2006, when we asked who

you trusted more, it was democrats. it was a great issue for them to campaign on. from the moment the health care law began its path to passage, support for the democrat issue fell. it was a strong issue in 2010, and in january of 2011, republicans had a 14. advantage on health care. actor paul ryan introduced his plan it has been a toss up ever since. >> he mentioned -- what is the future of polling? is it an app, what is it?

what would it be? >> fusion. my last year's will be doing a polling. mbined fal we have done this in the third world countries and baby we will bring it back to america. we will be doing it a lot of different ways. not just one method. >> i don't know if i can do better than him. what you can do online -- to get a sense of focus groups across the country.

getting a broader sample and quicker turnaround will be invaluable. >> i was going to say mixed. the other thing would be mining. we will look on twitter and facebook. people do not care about the polls. >> this is the last question. we are the day before the election -- what are teh spreads and why? >> i don't know. you have to look at a couple of things -- the weekend before

voting day, the most recent jobs report that will come out. if you look at anything from the most recent jobs numbers, it really shifted. that will be the number-one issue. his job performance is a referendum on his record. >they need to come to an understanding about this. it will be the ultimate thing.

so many things can change. >> it depends on the economy. we have a nation where only 49% of homeowners and their home is worth more than they paid for it. there is a level of frustration about the economy out there. if people are feeling better about their personal finances in october than they are today, president obama will win by a narrow victory. the people are not feeling better about their finances, governor romney will wind. . >> mitt romney will win. he will win virginia by a close margin.

he will wind new mexico, nevada, or i what, and that will put him in the 280 range. >> let's give these gentlemen a big round of applause. >> one of the speakers at the faith and freedom coalition conference was glenn beck. this is just over 30 minutes. >> this group in toronoto was truly amazing. they're excited attitudes. not to combine or lose our faith. to stand with people, the

country and the world has been divided over and over again. i truly believe what you are about to see in the next election and the coming years is something that will be truly historic. this will be about people uniting on the things they have in common. we are letting the things we disagree on a separate us. the people they are uniting with, should they win, will end up killing each other. they disagree so much they will kill each other over it.

it is insane. i have to tell you, one of the leaders on this, the reasons why this happened, is ralph reid. i went to him three years ago, and i told him i did not know and evangelical. i just know what i am supposed to do. they called a meeting and people came. i sat in a room with 30 pastors, the biggest names were invited. one that did not come because he could not change his schedule. he said they were all in one room.

give my testimony of the saving power of jesus christ, and i will tell you now, it can bring us together. it has brought us together. people from all over the world are standing together. what do we have to stand together on it? not losing ourselves. we cannot be against something. i am not against president obama, i m for something bigger. we have to learn from history. the jewish people are always

the canary in the coalmine. it did not start with the jews. the first line is, "first they came for the communists. " before they went for the communists -- the reason the nazi flag is red is because they tried to make a case. they got as many as they could, then they came for the communists. we have to learn from history and see that man's inhumanity

to man is a natural state. if we are not based and a natural society that looks the odd man, -- beyond man, we will never make it. we never progressed from that. evil comes back. we are all individuals. there is no such thing as collective salvation. ur is the way we live or life that makes a difference. if we are collectively cogood,

we will be collectively great. if we are collectively lazy, spiritually, morally, ethically, we will not be great. it will compound and be a disaster. i loved that people say all the time, i am crazy for something every year. last year i was crazy because i said the thing in egypt would not work out. we are at a point of another

revolution in egypt. that will not work out. you could know that from american history. this was a repeat of of this. this is an original copy of -- an original copy of thomas paine's "common sense." he eventually said there was no god. he took all of the benefits of a religious society and then moved on from it. he said he was not sure if god existed. what did that lead to? it led to his blindness of the french revolution. he could not see that that was not the same.

thomas paine went to george washington and said we had to help france. he said it was not a good revolution. the people are not the same as the american citizens. it will and horribly. thomas paine rejected george washington. without him we would not have had the declaration of independence. he then says that george washington does not know what he is talking about. he says a go at your own risk and apparel. in the paine and up and th bastile.

george washington that new about divine providence. spiritually and morally god- fearing people were missing. he is scheduled to be executed, and through divine providence he is saved. they thought they would take him to the infirmary. he was too sick to be executed. [laughter] they left his door opened to his cell, and that was a sign that the person had died. then, he wrote this. this is a copy of his letter that he published after words. it says to george washington, i

never thought you would be the one to be dreamy. -- betray me. what you are seeing in egypt is a repeat of history. we had ngos in jail. americans on the ground there. the president and mrs. clinton had to go save them. anyone who knows history knows how that will add. -- end. when we first came to the continent, what is blamed on religious people, misguided religious people who were not reading their scriptures.

this is an original warrant for had a rest for a lady who was a witch. they executed her in the sale of. salem. she was pregnant and did not have a husband. what stopped that nightmare was a religious people. the ministers came and said you are misreading the scriptures. this happened in europe for a long time. it was stopped dead in its tracks because the ministers were a week. -- awake. this book basically describes

the situation we are in today. there is a war coming because there is a real problem. this book details of american slavery at its worst. these things have happened twice in america. with which is, with african americans. it does not end there. this is at the end of the civil war. this book looks awfully darn the familiar. does this look familiar? this is a picture of a man who is malnourished. he is in prison. does it look like anything we might have seen in the 20th century?

this was a concentration camp in the south. for northern soldiers. that it cannot happen again. it does. it has in america. this is an extraordinarily rare book. it is rare because no one wanted to read it. it is what we did to the native american. manifest destiny. god is not on the men's side. we must be on his side. [applause] let me show you two more things. actually, for.

-- four. this is from 1771. the in efficacy of preaching. what is the message? it is the churches. because the churches had become about the government, were an arm of the government, they could make the case that it was the churches. this is an awful, evil book. let me read the last couple of pages. enjoy the moment of that have been and grants you, drink deep the cuts that poisons yourself.

in salt and despoil them and their posessions, until they fall under the weight of every vice. break asunder concord. it is riddled with this. rise up. be who you really are. get up. it is this book. this is becoming insurrection. this is a new book, printed first in 2006. i have been talking about this for a while. this is occupy wall street. this is what is happening in greece. if you do not read this book, which i was crazy for in 2007 -- if you do not know what this is, if you do not know the seeds

that have been planted long before the french revolution, 1771, long before the french revolution, long before what is happening in france, is happening in greece, is happening in egypt. it is "get them." what is it we are hearing now from so many people? get them. it is the rich. it is those guys. whoever those guys are. it does not matter. i have just shown you. it does not matter. we can make those guys into anybody. that is not the answer. this is from 1836. this is after andrew jackson, six years into manifest destiny.

there is a big market crash. the whole country is starting to starve. it talks about it was not possible, although six months ago, the despondency was nearly hopeless, that a business should die entirely, unless the nation had died also, a nation as large as our own, consuming continually. we have become consumers. this is 1836. all we are doing now is consuming. have we forgotten everything? have forgotten about god? god is just going to correct this, because he needs to be corrected, because we are a special place, no matter what anybody says. 1836, we are a special place.

we have problems, and god needs to correct us. that is one party is blaming it on the banks. the other is saying the government can fix it. wow. we should listen to his three. -- history. [applause] people are not asleep as some of the culprits are, but our churches are asleep. i will leave a church that tells me who to vote for. but a church that speaks on

values, we stand for decency and compassion. the best way to lift people up is not to take it from someone else, but to help them and encouraging them and teach a man to fish and not to give them fish. [applause] when i hear that, there is no, uh, there is no argument there. 30% of our conservative population is unregistered. 30%.

we have to get registered. i am getting a message that my microphone is not on? thank you. can you hear me? 30% of our nation is not registered in the conservative groups. massive, active groups. that is crazy. in one state, 41,000 people gave checks to the gop. 41,000. 19,000 of them were not registered. you care enough to give your hard earned money, but not to vote? your vote is much more about able currency than there ever

rapidly diminished the currency. we have to register to vote. we have to be politically involved. we have to connect with one another. we have to reach out beyond our comfort zone. we have to look for light-minded people and say, i will not agree with you on about 30% of what you have said. i think it is not. but you are a decent guy. we agree on core issues. your fight is my fight and my fight is your fight. first they came after the catholics. declaring yourself a catholic today. i did an interview and asked me, how do you think the mormons will play a role? that is not play a role.

you look at the content of the character. you do not look at the party. [applause] how many of us have voted for someone in a party? that label means nothing. how does a man live his life? that is what plays a role. our character. we need to look at our character first. take the been out of our own eyes and look at our character first. someone always wants to point the finger. why the think public likes to point fingers a lot? -- why do you think president

obama likes to point fingers a lot? [applause] when he was looking to do that, he had to have a letter that would say he would blame it on someone else if something went wrong. he is always looking to place the blame. no one wants to be with a group that is always against something. we have a god-given opportunity. miracles. let me tell you something, i have seen the finger of god. i have seen miracles happen over and over again. i have seen it. what ever you want to call it -- a coincidence or a blessing --

we will all have a good laugh. you can call it whatever you want. but i have seen the finger of god. he is not neutral in the affairs of man. is not neutral in the freedom of mankind. i am telling you, if we do what we are supposed to do, miracles are coming. at the same time, he is going to withdraw his protection. some will say he is smashing us. but the lord's arm is extended. he is our father. please, comment to me. me.ome to let's come to him.

let's be better. we are doing another event not in washington -- i really do not like this city. i have learned in the last 24 hours it does not really like me. [laughter] in dallas, the scariest thing i have ever did was write a check and sign my name to a lease for the dallas cowboys stadium. i did and didn't know if anyone would come. this july, we are doing three nights in dallas. we are doing the first night with freedom works. i met with world freedom leaders, people who are fighting in georgia and

australia and all around the world. they are begging for america to help them. we do not have a tea party. help us. 1000 are coming to dallas on july 26. please come. tell all of your friends. please. the second night, he has worked tirelessly to put some of the biggest leaders together. the public is invited to come. preachers, priests, and rirabbis are trying to find ways back to

our basic principles. on saturday is a celebration at the dallas cowboys stadium to take our culture back. we have given enough. we have given an aphid. a year ago i was watching the show "glee" with my wife. it is a horrible what they are teaching in high school. but it is done brilliantly. the cinematography and acting is brilliant. there is no way to beat that. yes, there is. we have spent about a year trying to put together a push back with artists and music. not the stereotypical music.

they will never see it coming. some will say, do you not know who produce that music? i like it. it is a great. we have to take a stand. we need to draw a line in the stand. we're not going any farther than this. this is the end of the line. we are moving this way now. that happens on july 28. we're also doing the day before a service project. we have about 30,000 people signed up to stand together and going to community after community to serve and help clean and paint. in the first week since i have announced this, just the audience of a certain tv audience has raised 1 million

meals for the homeless. that is in one week. what can we do together? what can we do if we all stand together? it is not enough to be against big government programs. we have to be for charity and actively engaged. let people see it. [applause] i will leave you with this -- my life has taken such a turn in the last 10 years. in 1999, no one would cross the street and shake my hand. i did not deserve it. i have spent my life on the wrong side. i changed my life. i sobered up. i found faith and the redeeming power of the savior. i changed my life. i promise that if he would raise

the things i had done, at least in my head, take the burden from me, i would do when he would ask me to do. i have been blessed. with some of the wealth we have found, we have tried to begin to collect the documents that tell the story of america, both good and bad. we need both the good and bad. we have to be able to make that case. for christmas, my wife gave me the favorite thing that i own now. i own some amazing things that we will be sharing in the coming months and years. but for christmas, i opened this gift. there was a man in hungrayary wo

was sent as a consulate to the swedish embassy. he was allowed to give people their dignity back. he would write official letters declaring people, swedes, and giving them letters of protection. letters that said, "this individual does not have to wear the yellow star. they are now under our protection." this is one of the last letters he wrote. this is for a woman who went on to do amazing things in literature and later, you're to america. one of the last letters saying

she does not have to wear your yellow star, she is with us. when it was issued, the people around him said, it you have to leave. the russians are coming. they will kill you. that he would not because there were still people to save. he remained. he was taken by the russians shortly after this letter. he saved thousands of people. it only takes one person. it only takes one person to do the right thing to change the world. the world is going to go either

incredibly dark or incredibly light. it cannot remain in this grave longer.much we will chart its course. we, as individuals, will decide. give your children the opportunity to say, my father stood. my mother was a force for good despite all of the odds. perhaps even after own peril, they stood because they believe in something far greater than themselves. thank you for that invitation.

thank you. god bless you. ♪ >> next, president obama announces a new policy on immigration. then mitt romney campaigning in new hampshire. after that, senator mitch mcconnell talking about threats to political free-speech. >> tomorrow or "washington journal" greg examines the world of tax and super pacs in election year. he talks about the fifth annual conference been held in the last vegas this weekend. they will discuss the sea treaty. "washington journal" is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span.

>> president obama announced a new immigration policy, stopping the deportation of some illegal immigrants who came to the u.s. as children. undocumented emigrants brought to the country before the age of 16 and younger than 30 may qualify for deeper action on deportation. speaking from the rose garden, president obama said the failure of congress to pass the dream act was the main reason for the executive action. his statement was interrupted twice from a reporter from "at the daily caller." this is about 10 minutes. >> good afternoon, everyone. this morning the secretary announce new actions my

administration will take to mend our nation's immigration policy. we want to make it more fair, efficient, and more just. specifically for certain young people called the dreamers. these are the young people who have steadied in our schools, play in our neighborhoods, they are friends with our kids, the pledge allegiance to our flag. theirare americans in ou hearts and minds, not in every single way but one -- on paper. they were brought to this country by their parents. sometimes even as infants. they often have no idea that they are undocumented until they apply for a job or a driver's license or a college scholarship. put yourself in their issues. imagine you have done everything

right your entire life. used to be hard. you worked hard. maybe even graduated at the top of your class only to suddenly faced the threat of deportation to a country that you know nothing about. it may be in which you do not even speak. that is what gave rise to the dream act. it says that if your parents brought you here as a child, you have been here for five years and you are willing to go to college or serve in our military, you can one day earn your citizenship. i have said time and time again to compress that -- congress, send me the dream act. put it on my desk and i will send it right away. a year and a half ago, the past the dream act in the house but republicans walked away from it.

it got 55 votes in the senate, but republicans blocked it. the bill has not changed. that need has not changed. it is still the right thing to do. the only thing that has changed was the politics. as i said on my speech in the economy yesterday, it makes no sense to expel talented young people who for all intents and purposes are americans, have been raised as americans, understand themselves to be part of this country, to expel these because of they actions of their parents because of the inaction of politicians, actionabsence of an any from congress, we have tried to

focus in a lot of places. we have prioritize border security. but more boots on the southern border than in any time in our history. we have focused and use the discussion about who to prosecute, focusing on criminals who endanger our communities rather than students earning their education. today, deportation of criminals is up 80%. we have improved on that discretion carefully and thoughtfully. today, we are improving it again. affected immediately, the department of homeland security is taking steps to lift the shadow of a deportation from these young people. for the next few months, eligible individuals who did not present a risk to national security or public safety will be able to request temporary

relief from deportation and apply for a work authorization. let's be clear. this is not an amnesty or immunity. this is not a path to citizenship. it is not a permanent fix. this is a temporary measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people. it is the right thing to do. excuse me, sir. it is not time for questions, sir. not while i am speaking. precisely because this is temporary, congress needs to act. there is still time for congress to pass the dream act this year. these kids deserve to plan their lives in more than two-year increments. we need comprehensive

immigration reform that addresses the 21st century economic needs. we want to give our farmers and ranchers certainty about the workers that they will have. reform that gives our science and technology sector certainty that the young people who come here to earn their degrees will not be forced to leave and start new businesses in other countries. reform that continues to improve our border security and lives up to our heritage as a nation of immigrants. six years ago, the unlikely trio of john mccain, ted kennedy, and president bush came together to champion this kind of reform. i was proud to join to republicans in joining -- but in for it. there is no reason we cannot come together on this. this is the right thing to do for our economy.

ceo's agree with me. it is the right thing to do period. essentially, republicans in congress will come to that view as well. i believe it is the right thing to do because i have been with young groups of people who have worked hard. they speak with so much heart about what is best for america. i know some of them must have lived in fear of deportation. some have come forward at great risk of themselves and their features in the hopes that it would spur the rest of us to live up to our most cherished values. i have seen the stories of americans across the country who have stood up for them and rally behind them. it pushed us to give them a better path and freedom from fear. we are a better nation than one

that expels innocent young kids. the answer to your question, sir, next time i prefer you let me finish my statements before you ask this question -- is is the right thing to do for our people? i am not asking for an argument. i am answering your question. it is the right thing to do for the american people and here is why -- these young people will make extraordinary contributions to our society. i have a young person who is serving in our military and protected us and our freedom. it is a notion that in some ways that we will treat them as expendable makes no sense. there is a young person in here who has grown up here and wants to contribute to society.

wants to maybe start a business that will create jobs for other folks who are looking for work. that is the right thing to do. giving certainty to our farmers and ranchers. making sure the border security -- these are all the right things to do. we have always drawn strength from being a nation of immigrants. that will continue. my hope is that congress recognizes that and get behind this. thank you, everyone. >> what about american workers who are unemployed will you employ foreigners? >> speaking to reporters after the announcement, mitt romney says president obama's decision to stop deporting some younger,

illegal immigrants will make it harder to solve the country's larger immigration problem. >> i believe the status of young people who come here through no fault of their own is an important matter to consider. it should be solved in a long- term basis so they know what the pitch will be like in this country. the reaction the president of today makes it more difficult to reach a long-term decision because an executive decision is a short-term matter. it can be >> he said this was an important matter and we have to find a long-term solution. the president's solution makes it met -- more difficult. if i am president, we will do our best to find that sort of long-term solution that provides clarity to the people who come into this country.

they do. -- thank you. >> of the former governor made those remarks as he kicked off his tour and six battleground states. his first stop is in new hampshire are at a farm where he announced his presidential candidacy in one year ago. ♪ ["i was born free" playing]

>> wow. what a wonderful greeting. what a beautiful day to be back here. just over a year ago, we started this and what a journey it has been. an extraordinary experience for us to be able to go across the country and see everyone across this nation. you come away from that experience thinking that america is a great country. [cheers and applause] the heart of the american people is good.

the thing that we have learned as well is there is a sense that something has gone wrong. that shining city on the hill that we all learned and heard about from ronald reagan, that light is dimming. people feel as if the american dream is sifting through their fingers. something is wrong. i have heard a lot that americans believe that our children it will be better off than us. they do not think that anymore. they think something is wrong. what is amazing to me is how wonderful it has been to have had this experience to have seen the heart of the american people, but at the same time to have seen the fear and concern and the worry. it is unbelievable how many people out there are so frustrated with the economic outlook of their lives.

the job losses they are suffering through. they are feeling pinched in every single way. i am hearing it from everyone. this is what i hear women talking about. they are talking about jobs. they are talking about the economy and deficit spending. for me, it is an amazing thing to know that many women are out there that are looking and watching and hoping that hope is on the way. i will tell you that hope is on the way. [cheers and applause] we will see what mitt will do to let the fire and bring that shining city back on to the hilt and give us hope for the next generation i know that we will have a better future for our children again. thank you so much.

[cheers and applause] >> thank you, sweetheart. she is the best. it is a good thing she is not running for president. thank you to senator kelly. what a champion she is. doug and stella, thank you for opening your farm one more time. maybe we can come back here on november 7. this is so exciting. i understand a few people's not in from massachusetts. good to see you as well. -- i understand a few people snuck in from massachusetts. good to see you as well. it was a gorgeous day. it was windy. but it was the best.

over the past year, it has been clear that good things begin here. we are backed today with a few good friends and closer to our goal. every day the campaign grows stronger. america has realized we do not have to settle for years of disappointment and decline. i think america knows we can do better. with your help, we will do better in this country. together we will take our campaign to the white house. [cheers and applause] since last june, we have been to towns big and small. some businesses were generations old. others were quite new. every one of them are trying to do their best in a difficult economy. across the country people have welcomed us into their homes.

we have had conversations everywhere. everywhere i go i meet people who represent the best of america. they are hopeful, hard-working, determined, and proud. but they are also anxious and worried. they are tired of being tired. they are tired of a detached president who does that seem to hear their voices. i hear you. i will make sure i will continue to hear the american people when i am president of the united states. [cheers and applause] when americans rose up and demanded, stop borrowing money and stick in our kids with the bill, the president was not listening. he was busy getting another loan from china. when we said at town halls, we do not want obamacare, he ignored us. he spent the next month jamming

the bill down congress's throw. -- throat. he continued to say that the economy is doing fine. [laughter] the federal establishment has never seen such a hostile and remote, disconnected from economic reality. commissions and czars direct our daily lives. that lack of faith in our teacher is a bridge we cannot cross. our campaign will carry a simple message -- america's greatest days are yet ahead. [applause] washington's big government agenda should not smother small town of dreams. in the america we love, every town accounts.

every job counts. every american accounts. we are here to launch a campaign tour. -- every american counts. we will visit michigan. in the days ahead, we will be traveling in the back roads of america. our tour will take us along the backbone of america. [applause] this is the america known for prosperous towns and cities and great colleges and universities.

we have solid communities and churches. all of them born out of american optimism and nourished by hard work. america has opportunity. it is an american birthright. we will travel through the industrial heartland of america. many of the greatest commercial enterprises in the history of the world were born here in those cities. they gave birth to an extraordinary middle class which never questioned their ability to build a better life for their children. in the past few years, too many americans have been struggling and are in distress. jobs are too few. the spirit of enterprise, the spirit that powered america's economic engines for growth and prosperity, that spirit still

lives strong. it is a goal of this campaign and will be the mission of my presidency to nurture that spirit and see it flourish again in this great land. [cheers and applause] the world knows the great names of those cities. places like the tory, chicago, cleveland. -- detroit, chicago, cleveland. the melting pot of america. the resilience is a cornerstone of our future. we should never forget that some of america's biggest dreams were also born in our smallest communities, small towns have given us great writers, thinkers, and leaders. before they were literary giants like mark twain were kids playing in open spaces.

dreaming of the stories they would someday tell us. before they were pioneers, thomas edison but out into the dark nights and into the skies and imagine great inventions that would change the world. no, mr. president, there are not dreaming of government loans. [laughter] [applause] small towns did as lincoln and truman, eisenhower and reagan. and many sons and daughters to sacrifice to defend our freedom on battlefields far away. the vision, the values, the characters, and the can-do spirit that is in our small towns have made america great. in these places, you'll find a special sense of community and

a deep commitment to our country. these americans are quiet heroes. they raised strong families and run our countries and grow our food. the coach little league and soccer. they serve on the pta. they dream big dreams. every town accounts. the families who have lost their jobs, these for closure, -- or face foreclosure, they are not statistics. they are fellow americans. it is time we recognize them as such. in recent years, they have shown great determination and real bravery. these men and women do the hard things that others say are not

worth trying. they keep pressing on, even when government bureaucrats and regulations keep getting in the way. the have talent and creativity. they are not about to let our country down by letting their dreams go. they are the backbone of america. is today, president obama gave a speech, a very long speech. [laughter] you might have thought it would be a moment when he would acknowledge his policy mistakes and suggest a recourse. but no, he promised four more years of the same. four more very long years. [boos] the president thinks we are on the right track and that his policies are working. and i, i believe with all my heart that we can and must do better.

we will do better. [cheers and applause] let me ask you where you stand. do you think america can do better? do you believe we can take up the white house and reclaim the great is in america? >> yes! >> i agree with you. summer in his speech yesterday, the president spoke about giving people -- somewhere in his speech yesterday, the president spoke about giving people a fair shot. students graduate and only half of them are able to get a job. that is not giving them a fair shot. wages are going down and prices are going up. more americans are living in

poverty than under any other president in history. he did not give the children of washington, d.c. a fair shot when the end of their scholarships. he is not giving a fair shot two kids all across america. he is not giving a fair shot to entrepreneurs when he picks winners or losers like solyndra. [laughter] barack obama is not giving a fair shot to our children and grandchildren when he saddles, trillions of dollars of debt. if there has ever been a president who has built to give the american people -- failed to give the american people a fair shot, it is obama. [applause] i have a very different vision of america. i know what we will have to do

to give our americans a better shot and a better chance at their future. i see an america where free enterprise is nurtured and celebrated and not attack. read am and free enterprise is jobs -- freedom and free enterprise creates jobs and not government. i see an america with a growing middle class with raising standards of living. i see children more successful than their parents. some successful more than their wildest dreams. others congratulating them for their achievements and not attacking them. [cheers and applause] we must not allow the desperation of a failing presidency to divide our great country.

i will not let that happen. [applause] i see an america that is fundamentally fair and cares for those who cannot care for themselves and never wavers from our commitment to seniors and gives veterans the respect and care they richly deserve. [applause] the america i see, character and choices matter. education and hard work and living within our means are valued and respected. poverty will be defeated with respect an achievement that is practiced in the workplace and in school. >> we need you, mitt! >> this is the america that was dreamed up by the nation's founders. it is the america that has

produced the most innovative, productive, and most powerful economy in the history of the earth. i look around at the millions of americans without work, the graduates who cannot get a job, the soldiers who returned home to unemployment, it breaks my heart. it is the result of failed leadership and his vision. i am running for president because i have that experience and the vision to get us out of this mess. i am offering a new choice and a new beginning for the american people. [cheers and applause] >> mitt, mitt, mitt! >> we simply cannot afford as the more years of policy like we have seen over the last three and a half years and weak leadership. we need to have real change and

get this country back on the right track again. [cheers and applause] starting on day one, i will do what it takes to get america back to work. obamacare will end. [applause] we will open new markets around the world and make sure that countries like china finally play by their rules. [applause] i will make sure we get that keystone pipeline built. [applause] we will send a message to the world that a new era of energy independence has begun right here on our continent. we will have sweeping tax reform to jump-start a job creation. [applause] by the way, the government regulators who strangles small- business are finally going to learn that their job is to help job creators and recognize them as our friends and not our enemies.

[applause] once again, the era of big government will really be over. [applause] no wonder bill clinton and many other mainstream democrats are revolting against a backwards direction president obama is taking his party and our country. let's make today the beginning of the end of the obama years. [cheers and applause] at's make today the start of new and better chapter that we will write together and for every single mom who feels heartbroken that she has to explain to her kid that he has to take a second job. to every grandparent who cannot afford the gas to visit their grandkids. for the mom and dad who thought they would never be on food stamps.

for the small-business owner desperately cutting back to keep the doors open for one more month. for the thousands and hundreds of thousands of decent, good americans i have met with nothing more in their hearts that a chance to have a fighting chance. to all of you, i have a simple message -- holon a little longer. a better america begins right here today. [cheers and applause] >> we need you, mitt! >> mitt, mitt, mitt! >> today the hill before us is deep, but we have been a nation of big steppers. many americans have given up on this president, but they have not given up on themselves or on each other and definitely not on america. in the days ahead, i need you in

these next steps in november. the promise of america has been kept. the dreamers can dream bigger. we can start again. this time, we will get it right. we will stop the days of apologizing for success at home and never again apologize for america abroad. [cheers and applause] there was a time not so long ago when each of us could walk a little taller and stand a little straighter because we had a gift that no one else in the world shared -- we are americans. that meant something different to each of us, but it meant something special to all of us. we know without question that those days are coming back. that is our destiny.

joined me. let's walk together every day until november 6 because we believe in america. we believe in our future. we believe the greatest days of america are ahead. we are after all americans. god bless this great country. god bless you. thank you very much. thank you. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> mitt romney's bus will continue touring through tuesday. he will be in pennsylvania on saturday. on sunday, he will be in ohio. on monday and tuesday, he'll make stops in iowa, wisconsin, and michigan. "road to the white house" on c- span. next is senator mitch mcconnell

talking about threats to free speech. after that, the consumer financial protection bureau. >> one of the quotes i thought was inspiring was that once you recognize the magnitude you can make in public life, everything else will pale in comparison. >> someone from the white house and said the ones who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who are crazy enough to do. >> choose carefully and execute relentlessly. that meant a lot to me. we find that we are taking on too many things and not focusing on the one thing that is a top priority. >> every year, they bring youth to washington. brian kamoie is a white house senior director. >> now that i am in this role, what can i share with them that either i wish i had known all along the way or that they will be remember when they leave

>> good morning. peter wallison, a fellow here at aei. this'll be a powerful presentation by senator mitch mcconnell. most cases they go to the supreme court for statutory interpretation. but this administration costs rather cavalier attitude toward the constitution has produced an unusual number of constitutional challenges. the obamacare case has three days at the supreme court and have captured the attention of the american people. the american people have now seen the importance of the constitution and how seriously it is taken. but there are troubling part about it. the administration does not seem to be giving a lot of weight to constitutional issues. three recent cases regarded freedom, civil liberties, and property rights. other cases are also on their way to the court and look like sure losses for the administration. the recess appointments of richard cordray as director of the consumer financial protection bureau and three

members of the national labor board are almost certain to be struck down. the appointments made simply cannot be squared with the language of the constitution on recess appointments. the dodd-frank act, another obama administration initiative, gives the secretary of treasury the power to seize any financial firm, bank, hedge fund, insurance companies if he thinks it will fail and turn it over to the fdic for liquidation. if the company disagrees, the secretary can go to court. but the court has one day to make that decision. one day. if it does not decide in that time, the company is turned over for liquidation to the fdic by operation of the law.

and the options are not allowed under the law. and it is a felony for anyone to disclose that the secretary asked for the court's order. all of these elements seem to violate the fifth amendment of taking property without due process and free-speech guarantee. senator mitch mcconnell, republican of kentucky, and senate minority leader. for most of his time in the senate, mcconnell has been notably chiefly for maintaining staunch opposition to campaign finance reform. he has and why not -- the constitution said that congress should make no law abridging freedom of speech.

of course they were thinking about politics, specifically elections were the freedom to speak and communicate is a very underpinning of democracy in. it is especially ironic that the gravest threat to freedom of speech have come in election in the guise of campaign reform. throughout his career in public life and before the position he holds today, mitch mcconnell has been true to the founders' intentions. this is not earned him the gratitude. in fact, it has earned him a great deal of opposition. so much so that a fellow senator was moved to the senate floor in 2002 on a historic vote. "it is difficult to defend ideas that are unpopular.

to be attacked every day in to be attacked every day in the media because of the position you take. there are not many people who are tough enough to do that. there are maybe three, four, or five people in the senate. that is being generous. i have watched and read editorials vilifying the senator from kentucky. i will never forget the fight he has made on this bill. i thank him. the constitution does not work by itself. it requires a few good men. the senator from kentucky is one of those good men." it is my great honor to introduce this good man, senator mitch mcconnell. [applause] >> thank you. i understand president spoke for 55 minutes yesterday.

i will try to do better than that. i have a lot to say this morning. it will be hard to say that briefly. one of the things that has always distinguished americans as a people is the eagerness with which they have organized around issues and causes they believe in. more than a century and a half ago, no country in the world has a principal of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objects than in america. yet today, the principal faces a grave external threat. the danger comes from a political movement that is uncomfortable with the idea of

groups it does not like speaking freely. from an administration that showed an alarming willingness itself to use the powers of government to silence these groups. this dangerous alliance that is not the character of america. that is why it is critically important for all conservatives and indeed all americans to stand up and unite in defense of the freedom to organize around the causes we believe in. against any effort that would constrain our ability to do so, the bulk work of this freedom is, of course, the first amendment. defending it is what i would like to talk about today. it is hard to imagine a more broadly accepted proposition than the fact that americans are free above all else to speak their minds openly and freely without fear of punishment or reprisal from government authorities.

human nature being what it is, i think we all have to admit that there will be a temptation, particularly those in power, to muzzle one's critics. the preamble to the constitution makes clear, for the framers, the highest form of speech and most needed of absolute protection is political speech. particularly at moments of national events we called the elections. the government simply does not have the authority. this point was obvious to the founders that the primary author of the federalist papers suggested the bill of rights was not only unnecessary, but

dangerous. they identified the things that government cannot do. it might lead some to believe that whatever was not listed was fair game. of course, hamilton was dead on to fear that future governments would attempt to assume powers that were never intended to have, and it is precisely for this reason he lost this particular debate and that the bill of rights survived. without it, we would have far

less to point to in the defending the principles of our founding. over the past few years, americans have needed all the help they can get. for many of us in this room, the constitutional debates we have been engaged in the past few years have been deeply encouraging. they have revealed a broader appreciation for our founding principles and our capacity for single engagement that some have feared was actually in decline. for me personally, they have also provided strong delegation for those in government and micromanage political speech. at times this fight has compelled me to take positions that were not exactly popular. for example, opposing a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning was not particularly a popular position in kentucky. i suspect it would not have been anywhere else either. my views -- with exceptions, the media has been merciless. as the years have gone by, many of the early critics have common ground.

it is my firm conviction that in the years ahead we will prevail. i have filed court battles, with a seventh in the works now. what i need to win is the 45 words of the first amendment and the determination to see the true meaning vindicated. it is the same approach that millions of citizens have taken in battling this administration's attempt to assume power it does not have under the constitution. i am confident that they will be vindicated as well.

every one of these fights are winnable as long as we keep at it. precisely because we have been fighting on many fronts, it is easy to overlook the growing severity of certain individual threats, including the threat to speech. we see instances here and there, but engaged as we are in other battles, we risk losing sight of the size and scope of this one. if you will allow me, i will spend a few moments running through some of what we have seen. then i will lay out the stakes as i see them. the attacks on speech are legion. perhaps the most prominent is the so-called disclose act. this is the democrats' legislative response to citizens united and which the supreme court correctly ruled that congress may not ban political speech based on the identity of the speaker. the disclosure act aims to get around this by ruling and

compelling certain groups to disclose the names of their donors while excluding others, such as unions, from doing the same. the idea of disclosure sounds perfectly reasonable. throughout my career, i have been called for disclosure of all contributions to candidates and to parties. what we are talking about is entirely different here. what this bill calls for is government compelled disclosure of contributions and to all grassroots groups, which is far more dangerous than its proponents are willing to admit. because of disclosure, it is forced upon some and not all. it is a political weapon. that is precisely what those who are pushing this legislation have in mind.

this is nothing less than an effort by the government itself to expose its critics to harassment and intimidation either by government authorities or through third party allies. that should concern every one of us. those pushing the disclose act have a simple view -- if the supreme court is not willing to limit free speech, they will find other ways to do it. shortly after being publicly singled out by the president's campaign, people were digging through his divorce records, cable tv hosts were going after him on the air, and bloggers were going after his kids. the koch brothers were recognized for their defense of capitalism.

in return for their work, one of the president's top aides insinuated that they had done something shady on their taxes. earlier this year, the president pushed his own campaigns and mass e-mails to campaign supporters and notified them of a koch-backed event to have a mob show up. the koch employees have had their lives threatened, have been sent hate messages, and have been harassed by left-wing groups. one message read, "choose your expiration date." president obama has accused them of being part of a

corporate takeover of our democracy, whatever that means. not only did his campaign publish a list of citizens they regard as enemies, an old school enemies list, it recently doubled down on the efforts when some began to call these tactics into question. none of it should be surprising to a former community organizer who told a radio audience that latino voters should vote with the idea of punishing their enemies and rewarding their friends. that is the president of the united states. this extends deep into the administration itself. this report suggests that top white house officials have long participated in a weekly call with a left wing organization in washington.

their purpose is to attract conservative media voices, seize any potentially offensive content, and use it to mount campaigns to drive these voices out of the public square. earlier this year, dozens of tea party affiliate groups learned what it was like to draw the attention of the speech police when they received a lengthy questionnaire from the irs demanding attendance list, immediate transcripts, and other info. groups like ours either drown in unnecessary paperwork, or survive and give them everything they want, only to be hung. the head of one advocacy group said that his group's

confidential irs info found itself in the hands of a staunch critic on the left who happens to be a co-chairman of the president's re-election campaign. the only way this info could have been made public is if it was leaked from inside the irs. last week, we learned of the irs revoking the tax-exempt on groups on the right that the administration regards as a threat to its campaign. those who have the resources and the will to fight these things should be commended. those who do not should be able to count on our support. let's be very clear. no individual or group should have to face harassment or intimidation or incur crippling expenses defending themselves

against their own government simply because that government does not like the message that they are advocating. one person who grasps this issue better is justice thomas. his opinion reminds us that the courts have found the chilling effect of harassment of free speech can run afoul of the first amendment. this is why the fcc has exempted the socialist workers party from any public disclosure since 1979. they have been exempt. as long as they are able to show that disclosure has lead to harassment, the fcc has been happy to exempt them on the first amendment grounds. as the court put it in buckley, the evidence offered needs to show only a reasonable probability that the disclosure of the party's contributions will subject them to threats,

harassment, or reprisals from either government officials or private parties. the court used similar reasoning when it told the state of alabama back in 1958 that it could not compel them to reveal the names and addresses of its members. in this case, the court found that compelling affiliation of groups that are engaged in advocacy infringed upon the freedom of people to a session with whatever group daylight had violated their first amendment rights. all this explains why justice thomas thought the majority opinion in citizens united did not go far enough. citing reason accounts of people will have been blackmailed for speaking out on various political issues are the past couple of years, he said the

court failed to acknowledge their constitutional significance. among other examples, justice thomas cites the case of a los angeles woman who was forced to resign from a job she held for 26 years managing a family- owned restaurant because protesters kept showing up at the restaurant and kept yelling, "shame on you" at customers. it was a mob. the woman's crime was writing a check for california's prop 8. justice thomas goes on to note that the internet has made these tactics easier to pull off and increases the likelihood that the public will be discouraged from participating in the

political process. it is a point that is underscored. it is called swatting. it is something that he raised the alarm about in his final interviews. here is how it works. someone who knows how to hack into phones caused 9/11. suppose it's from your phone and they tell the police they killed someone. within minutes, the swat team can show up at your house with helicopters flying overhead. this tactic is criminal and should be prosecuted aggressively, the goal is equally reprehensible, namely to scare people who dare to speak right or otherwise support a cause that they do not like. he's on this up in the closing paragraph of his opinion of citizens united. here is what justice thomas had to say, "i cannot endorse this. it subjects citizens in this nation to death threats, ruined

careers, are preemptively threat letters as a price for engaging in core political speech. this is a primary object of first amendment protection." what justice thomas is describing here, perhaps in a private citizens could choose to participate in the political process is of course deplorable. i think we all have to admit that based on a different order of magnitude from the government itself, the government itself facilitating or encouraging these things or the government using its own powers to harass or intimidate those who participate in the political process, and that is precisely what we have seen.

fortunately, republicans have been alert to these dangers. one of the most important things we have done is block passage of disclose. but the assaults keep coming. democrats in the house and senate recently proposed the so- called people's rights amendments. which basically repeals the first amendment. the president's top political advisers, david axelrod, told an audience in manhattan, "when we win, we will use whatever tools are out there, including a constitutional amendment to turn it back." this is all you need to know about this administration's view of this free-speech. the president will seek to go

around congress by attempting to change the first amendment. amending the first amendment for the first time in history is an act of radicalism. it is an act of a radicalism. yet these are not the only ways the administration is aiming to do. they are attempting to achieve this through regulation. over at the fcc, the democratics want third-party groups to reveal their donors. the are deadlocked at the moment with all three republican commissioners standing strong, but this effort is not limited to the fcc. the sec just finalized a rule requiring broadcasters who want to post ads online.

the association of broadcasters are fighting back right now in court. last year, the sec required shareholder approval or disclosure of political activities. under pressure from left wing groups, many companies have started including the question on the property statements. during the health care debate, i remember this one very well, the department of health and human services issued a gag order on a health insurance company in my hometown and other private health insurers. it said they could not informed seniors about the impact of obamacare on their health care. the order them not to inform

their own customers of the impact of impending piece of legislation. however, work recently ahc is spending $20 million of our tax money to promote obamacare. they are stifling speech that is critical of the bill even as they say we need to promote it. it is not just the agencies. over at the white house, the president's lawyers recently circulated a draft of executive order that would require anyone bidding for a government contract to disclose political donations, including those of the affiliate's and subsidiaries. and their officers and directors.

the message of the order was clear. you do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. if you have a government contract, you better support our cause or at least keep your mouth shut when it comes to causes we oppose. it is the same message the administration's official said last week. here is what they said of him, "he is dead to us." my own view has always been that if you cannot convince people of the wisdom of your policies, then you better come up with better arguments. you cannot convince people the wisdom of your policies, you

better come up with better arguments. but for all of the tolerance, the political left has demonstrated a militant in tolerance for dissent. sadly, a growing number of people on the left appear to have concluded that they cannot win on the merits. so they have resorted to bullying and intimidation instead. the potential consequences are grave. that brings me to another point. it should go without saying that the political left has always faced a political uphill climb. america is not western europe. in order to succeed in this environment, liberals have

resorted to one of three types. obscuring, pursuing in the courts what they cannot through legislation, or muzzling their critics. but there is another element to these efforts that is less understood. it involves the greatest behind their campaign efforts. the collision of private interest with politics is somehow inherently corrupting. that is the core of their view.

this is the great untested premise behind all of these efforts to regulate political speech. a few people think of how radical that is. what all of these efforts have in common is a deep, deep suspicion of the private sphere. all of these efforts are for the purpose of limiting the ability of those engaged in private enterprises, are certain disfavored the associations. the goal is to seal off congress from anyone engaged in the private economy. the assumption behind these are the same assumption to underline this president's economic and regulatory

policies. anyone who makes a profit is cheating our customers or mistreating their employees. or they could be doing both. their motives are impure. those to interact with them are somehow duped, and there for the are not entitled to the protections of the first amendment. for those who hold this view, it has always been a tax payer funded campaign. if the advocates of this approach have their way, government would control how much is spent on elections, courtesy of the taxpayers. but the question is, who would check on the politicians that? the only voice is expected to

respond to would be the public interest. private interest would end up with minimal influence on the direction of public policy. of the people running for the public-sector solutions would decrease dramatically. if you write the rules of the games, it is a lot easier to win. especially for incumbent politicians. that is what the so-called reform, has always had in mind. it is important to remember that one of the things that makes affected the harassment and intimidation tactics i have described is the various selectivity. there are many folks running to the ramparts to defend all company executives and hedge

fund managers. the minute we allow ourselves to be convinced that some people stand outside the perfections of politics, we are in trouble. these rights to not exist to protect is popular, but to protect what is not. that is why it is a mistake to view this as merely a catholic issue. it is a mistake to view the taxes of millionaires and billionaires outside of our concern. it always starts somewhere. it always starts somewhere. the moment we stop caring about who is being targeted is a moment we are all at risk. if we do not protect unpopular speech, then no speech is safe. if we do not protect popular beliefs, the no belief is safe. let people support whomever they want as much as they want to and let the best man or woman

win. the government can get out of the business of divvying up speech rights. it has no authority to confer. that is what the founders obviously intended. in my view, no one who values our freedoms should expect anything less than that. as a court put it in buckley, the concept that government may restrict a speech of some elements of our society in order to enhance the relative voice of others is a wholly foreign to the first amendment, which was designed to secure the widest possible dissemination of info from diverse and antagonistic sources and to ensure unfettered interchange of ideas

for the bring about a political and social changes desired by the people. it has never been stated better. campaign contributions are speech. in case anyone thinks unlimited contributions are a bad idea or somehow far fetched, but does look at virginia. they impose no limits on contributions whatsoever. right across the river. last i checked, elected officials in virginia are no more prone to scandal that officials in the state. corporations are no more taking over politics than they are anywhere else. for all of this talk after citizens united talk about corporate takeover of politics,

not a single fortune 100 company contributed a penny to the 8 super pacs the supported the republican candidate. not a single fortune 100 company and she did a penny to any of the super pacs supporting the republican presidential candidate. that includes oil, wall street banks, health insurers, the three big corporate bogeyman the president always warns us about in the wake of a decision. here is my point. we do not always agree on everything.

but my message to you today is that there are certain principles that should always unite us. one of them it is the ability of the first amendment. that is why we have to unite against these tactics wherever we see them. if you see these things, speak up. call out the offenders. get ready for the criticism. fight back. for me, that has been a long battle against efforts to constrain political speech. it may not be the most glamorous issue out there, and it did not make me any friends on any editorial boards. but a great freedom is at stake. having been in this fight for a long time, i can tell you this

-- when you have an administration that is willing to throw court amendments right out the window for the sake of an election, we are in dangerous territory indeed. this may not be the fight that brought you to washington, but it may very well be the one that keeps you from achieving your goals, especially if you are a conservative. your ability to speak out on behalf of that clause is very much at stake right now. as i said at the outset, this affects all of us. everyone in this room, liberal or conservative, is engaged in what they call the very important battle of ideas. the first amendment makes all of that possible.

if we lose the rights of speech, we have lost these battles before they start. as november draws near, some of those running for office will fill the need to choose their battles. temptation a strong among conservatives to take this issue off the table and to make concessions. my advice is to resist the temptation. everything we are fighting for is contingent on our ability to actually speak our minds. nothing is more important than that. my plea to you is this -- send a message to the next generation of leaders that the first amendment is something about which there could be no compromise, none whatsoever. we may not win every fight, but we can at least to guarantee we will have a place in a debate. in the end, i am confident the

best ideas will always win out. after all, that is how free markets work. whether it is a market of goods or a market of ideas, the best product will win in the end. no american should ever be afraid of that. as holmes put it nearly a century ago, "the best test of truth is the power of the thought itself. the power of the thought itself to get accepted in the competition of the market. the best defense we have is still found in the sweeping command, congress should make no law of bridging the freedom of speech."

thank you very much. [applause] i will take a few questions. i will indicate in advance that we have some people in the press here. the questions relating to the speech that i made, i will not respond to any other types of questions. i will be happy to take your questions. >> thank you.

senator, organizations use the liberal judicial system to harass and intimidate americans speaking up. they threaten people to sue them or even take them to court. even in indication, people can be financially destroyed. this could have a chilling effect on all others. what do you think our progress should do to remedy this situation? >> a good place to start would be the president himself and indicate this is unacceptable behavior to his own campaign and his own government. we are trying to shut up the people who do not agree with you. compete in the market ideas. that is the whole point of my speech.

we do not need the government micromanaging who can speak and who cannot. we do not need the government targeting people. this is not the first administration. many of us remember the nixon administration making any lists and going after people to shut them up. let, let's compete. the president is not an able to compete. he won the last election. many people think he will win this one. not in my view. he should not pick winners are losers in the political discourse of this country. >> senator, i am from examiner.com. what is wrong for $1 per voter and $1 for one corporation? >> what do you mean? >> what i mean is what is wrong

with having an equal vote with a $1 per person? >> it is impermissible under the first amendment for the president to decide -- for the government to decide who can speak. the government cannot level the playing field. it is impermissible under the first amendment. i think what you are suggesting is that someone decree that you have equal contributions? it would not survive the first federal district court in this country. >> peter with mpr news. a justice has said the marketplace of ideas should be open to people who are willing to have the courage to be identified with what they are saying.

>> good to put the microphone closer to your mouth. there you go. >> justice scalia talks about people in the political square having civic courage to be identified with their ideas. can you talk about that in the context please? >> that is an important point. i disagree with them. i did nothing regular citizens should have to expend any political courage at all in this national debate. candidates and parties, whose donors are used to the battles and criticisms -- i do not think it should be required for a regular citizen to be terribly courageous. i disagree with them. justice thomas concurred with the decision, but dissented on that very point that you read out as to whether or not one must open up its membership list

let the state of alabama was try to do in 1958 as a condition for being involved in the public discussion. i generally appluad his views, but i do not agree with that one. >> hi. kurt with committee for justice. given the limited time, i am concerned about the threats come from partnerships between government and outside groups, particularly on the left. whether we are talking about executive agencies or reports. there have been losses against

conservative bloggers. there have been attempts by the left to revoke fcc licenses. the folks and a government agency can get rid of documents readily because they do not like what the documents are about. various things such as that. the sec challenges to what we would consider free-speech and saying it falls into the campaign finance laws. can you briefly address that sort of abuse that comes from that outside group of government partnership? >> i sort of did. at the risk of repeating myself, i mentioned four agencies are involved in those

kinds of activities. i think the government ought to but out of of trying to punish people with whom it disagrees. it is going on inside the administration, but at independent agencies and within the obama campaign. it is happening because the president is setting a bad example. setting a better example on important issue like this is something i expect out of the president. if we do not get it out of this one, we will get it out of the next one. >> two more questions. you said those of us who care about freedom should spend some time on the issue of the first amendment rights of everyone. what went wrong with the bush

administration when they decided to sign the campaign laws rather than veto it? there was enough strength to sustain a veto, but that did not happen. >> it was a great disappointment. i was a strong supporter of president bush. i think he made a mistake. i went to the court house the very next morning. the ink was hardly dry on his signature. regretfully, we lost that. the court has gotten more sensitive and better on political speech issues sent at that time. there has been a movement in the court into a better place in this whole array of issues. it was a low point for me because we try to defeat the

bill in the senate. we were unsuccessful. it ended up being signed by the obama party. it was not a happy day. i think we are making progress. the court is allowing us to begin to move in the direction of taking the shackles off. citizens united was extremely important. citizens united was about corporate speech only. basically what it said it was, corporations that own newspapers and tv stations no longer have a permit. they no longer have first amendment rights, but no other corporations does. it leveled the playing field. it led to the president saying that corporate america will own government. none of that has happened. corporations, all corporations

should be free to express themselves. who is afraid here? let's have a big conversation about the future of the country. you make your best arguments and i will make my best arguments. the voters will decide on who they favor. it was not exactly my favorite day the day after. we are still in the fight. we have won a lot of battles in the last 10 years. >> i was going to ask, in this room is probably the most well informed voters. what about voters who do not really know that corporations are people too? >> i would be the first to admit that this issue is on the

minds of voters. it ought to be on the minds of folks like all of you who are interested on the details. i thought it was healthy in america that not everyone is watching cable tv every night. for most americans, politics is a marginal thing in their lives. they're not spending as much time thinking about this. it is our obligation as those who are involved in the political process and write about the political process and lobby the government, it is our obligation to the rest of the americans to make sure that the conditions continue to exist so they can hear all points of view. for those of us who have spent a lot of time on this issue, it is our obligation to fight this

fight. a regular citizen in this country, i am sure this is the last thing they are thinking about. that is a normal reaction where you have had 40 months of unemployment above 8%. the government has a debt the size of its economy. boy, those are big issues on the minds of americans. it is our obligation, the people in this room who work on this type of stuff all the time, to make sure that even the most casual voter hears all the arguments. i assure you, having taught the subject as a part-time professor -- i taught and talked about and studied and was a political participant myself -- i am telling you, the government needs to get out of

this area and stop trying to pick winners and losers. let the people exposed to all points of view. i would like to be able to make all of these arguments unfettered by government intervention in every election. mostly outside groups i have had experience with, it has been a real bad experience. when i ran for re-election in 2008, we had demonstrators in my front yard. i was never tempted once to get rid of them. they had a right to come after me. it was particularly sweet when i picked their you know what.

but we should not be afraid of competition. that is my view. the longer i am around this issue, the more i am convinced that minimal government a political speech, i am ok with parties and candidates having contribution limits. although i just cited virginia's example where they do not. it has not created any corruption over there. i am comfortable with that. i do not think everyone else in the country ought to pay that price as a condition. for speaking out and being involved in causes they feel strongly about. i think we have made some real headway the last few years. it has been a long the fight since watergate. watergate is what produced this overreaction and it has taken 40

years to work our way through to try to minimize the government micromanagement. i will take one more and then i have to run to the airport. i will take brad here. >> brad smith. i just want to thank you for the effort and time you have devoted to this fight over many years. [applause] i think all of us would echo what senator gramm said a decade ago and is still true. a simple question for you. toch senator mccain said there will be another scandal, and i thought there will be because there is always a scandal after the federal election has passed. i am sure there will be. i think my question is simple.

have you seen in the two years since citizen united any market shift in the way in which members of the upper chamber act as pertains to interest groups and whether or not money is corrupting operations -- >> the laws have not changed that all. there is no difference whatsoever. a corporation cannot contribute to a candidate for federal office or to a party. there are limits and disclosure. what our friends on the other side are trying to do is regulate all the outside speech. it has not changed the senate at all. we raise money because we want to run our campaign that we try to help our political parties. everybody knows who is contributing and how much and

all of that. what has changed i think as a practical matter from say 2008 until now is that you have a very concerned and alarmed group -- some of them quite wealthy, many of them not -- people on right of center who do not like what this administration has done. they are getting organized and they are involved. i think there is more balance out there. my prediction is that the end of this year if you add up the total a bunch of money spent on both sides, president obama's campaign, the democratic national committee, and outside campaign,v. romney's the republican national committee and outside groups to think it will be roughly equal. it sure was not equal in 2008. i did not recall anybody on the left decrying the influence of outside groups in 2008.

did i miss something? maybe i just was not paying attention. i did not recall there being a sense of outrage about all the millionaires and billionaires on the left who were fuelling enormous outside efforts on behalf of the president. i just do not recall the expressions of alarm. so i think the only thing that has changed is not so much the law but the condition of the country and a lot of people right of center who are dispirited and discouraged in 2008 are no longer. they are active, involved, fired up, trying to make a difference, trying to influence the course of public discussion. that is the only thing that has changed. people are reacting to four years of this administration. there are getting involved. they're trying to make a difference. when you do not micromanage speech, as some people do not do

a very good job of it, candidates do not get the control campaigns really. we cannot control what the newspaper said about us. we cannot even control what our friends my want to do to help us. i could remember one well- meaning groups that came in and try to help me and they advertise on a subject nobody do what they were talking about. i can tell from reading the at they were trying to be helpful. it made absolutely no difference. i do not know how much money they spent, but it made a difference at all. sometimes your friends will come in and actually do you harm. i can remember when campaign in the 2006 cycle where some well- meaning outside group darn near cost us a senate speech. free-speech is uncontrollable. you know? people are going to say and do what they will. that is the price of having a free society. that is the best way to operate

in this country. i appreciate you all indulgence through a lengthy speech. as i said i had a lot on my mind. i.t. or for the opportunity to come here. i wish you all -- i thank you for the opportunity to come here. i wish you all well. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> next a discussion about the consumer a national protection bureau. a session from the faith and freedom conference. president obama's announcement on immigration enforcement. >> the story behind the star spangled banner, and the invasion and birding of washington, d.c. this weekend on american history tv. the bicentennial of the war of 1812. historians, authors, and your calls on this little known war. also this weekend, the series on

key political figures who ran for president and a loss but change political history. "the contenders" this week with william jennings bryant. american history to be this weekend on c-span 3. >> now a discussion about the objections of the consumer national protection bureau and the assistance provided tohost:n looking at federal agencies and their final look, the financial protection europe is being represented by humphrey the third from the office of older americans. welcome. for those who do not know, the consumer financial protection bureau, in a sentence, what is it?

guest: it is a new agency under the laws that have been passed. as a mission to see that the financial markets are open, that they are fair, and that their competitive and that they are open enough so that you and i, as consumers, understand all of the products and services that are out there so that we can make good decisions. that is really with the consumer finance protection bureau is all about. host: how does that stand different from the other agencies that have consumer division's attached to them? guest: they also have another focus and other missions as well. the fcc has a regulatory function that looks at the entire securities -- the sec has a regulatory function the looks of the entire securities sector.

but congress decided that, under dodd-frank, a lot of the regulations of large and should be placed under this new agency. that is where it is housed now paire. there is also the consumer education and impeachment. that is where the office of older americans is housed. host: what is your purpose? guest: we're trying to enable seniors to be able, through counseling and financial education and training, first of all, to prevent the unfair practices and abuse that is out there. that is a fancy term for stopping the scams that are going on. and we want to make sure that seniors have the ability, the training and the counseling and the financial education to make good sound decisions as they

age. i think that is the important part of this, to understand that, all of us were seniors, we're living in a bit longer. as we age, there are changes that take place, both physically and mentally, and we have an expanding financial marketplace that is forever more complex. so the challenge is very great. think about this for a moment. this is the largest transfer of wealth from one generation to the next to the this country has experienced. we want to make sure that that transfer wealth goes to the right places, first to help seniors as they would like to have it happen and, to the extent that there is something that goes to those they love and care and they are directing it for. we don't need it going to other people, other cammers. host: we're talking about

protecting older americans. if you want to call in and ask questions, the numbers are on the screen. but there is a term that is used today when looking at the white house and other offices within the federal government called elder abuse. what is that? guest: it is a very broad area. it can be physical. it can be mental. it can also be financial. our role in the consumer finance protection bureau is to look at it through the lenses of the financial decision making that takes place. i can tell you that it is a very serious problem. this is truly the crime of the 21st century. it is under reported. there have been studies that show that only one out of 40 cases are actually reported to law enforcement to those who can

help. about, in 2010, almost $30 billion that was stolen, misappropriated funds. if you will apply that comes 40, you can figure out how large this problem is. from a financial standpoint, the boulder financial abuses a huge problem. yesterday, we just celebrated and held a conference here at the white house about elder financial abuse. today is elder abuse awareness day. host: some facts from your agency saying older americans lost $2.9 billion in 2010 from financial exploitation.

5% of those were victims of financial mistreatment by family. one in 43 cases are addressed by agencies. guest: this is unfortunate. all too often the money is being stolen. it is being taken in wrong directions by family members. what happens when you're older is you need some help. mom or dad need help to pay the bills, write the checks, things like that. who do they turn to? an informal caregiver. their sons or daughters or relatives. unfortunately, sometimes that individual will misappropriate it. sometimes it is because they do not understand what is the responsibility they are taking on. many times, it is very purposely misdirected. what we want to do is put a stop to that. one of the things we are developing is a guide so that when somebody does take on the responsibility to help mom or dad, they understand they are taking on some pretty important responsibilities. there are things they need to do and consequences if they do not follow rules. host: from twitter -- guest: internet scams, home

scams, telemarketing scams, we have the responsibility to bring together the very best practices around the country. i can tell you that there are wonderful people working all throughout this country and they are doing a good job. all too often they are isolated. for the first time in the federal government's history, we have an office of older americans that is singularly focused on these issues of consumer protection for seniors. host: is this just investigative or can you convict? guest: part of this is education and training in financial literacy and all of that. the other part that i learned when i was attorney general in minnesota was that you have to have enforcement. you need both. our director was the former attorney general of ohio.

he understands that. we need strong enforcement. that enforcement can come both federally and it can come locally. what i ask people to do is to not be afraid to speak up and speak out. part of the problem here is that people get very embarrassed by the fact that they have been scanned. they want to keep it quiet. if this dam it is from someone in their family, they are fearful of what happens. they know that there has been wrong done. we need to be able to speak out because for every one that speaks out, there are so many more that happened to have that courage to do that. to reach out to police, adult protective services, to those who can help you stop this kind of fraud and deception. this crime. this is truly elder violence. host: california. you are on. caller: the worst thing that has happened was when the supreme court ruled that we cannot sue our lawyers any more for age discrimination when they

fire us and hire a 20-year-old. i just saw on tv that senior citizens are having to collect social security early because their unemployment ran out and they cannot find jobs because no one will hire you if you are in your 60's. you cannot even get a job that you are in your 50's anymore. guest: you raise some very interesting points. one of the challenges here and we have to think about this -- it is tragic when anyone gets scammed. seniors have worked hard all their lives. they have saved to the extent that they can. now, they are at an age which when they get ripped off, they cannot get it back. they do not have time to build it back.

you are talking about something very important. this is social security. it is the foundation of most financial money that most seniors have. we need to be able to make sure that all of that is properly available, not stolen. we need to make sure obviously that seniors are not discriminated against. i appreciate the comments you have but the biggest thing that bothers me is to understand that once this money is gone, it is gone. there is very little opportunity to recover out of it when you are an older person. host: new york. melinda. independent line. caller: i have a question for you. i am not in my 60's yet. i am on social security

disability. i have seizures. i have been on it for about 8 years. i have no choice. i cannot get a job because everything is computerized. computers make my seizures go bad. everyone is saying, oh, you should not be on social security. social security is bad. what am i supposed to do? my husband and i only make about $27,000 per year between the both of us. guest: i appreciate your point. social security is not bad. is very good. while social security is there for those who are able to reach the age of retirement, it is also there for those who are disabled. you are very right in being able to take advantage of that. that is what this is all about.

frankly, i do not think he should think twice or feel embarrassed at all about the fact that you are accessing a program that has been in place for many, many years and has helped people with a good life with their disabilities. host: off of twitter -- frankly, non-banking institutions. pay lenders. credit agencies. indeed, we are looking at what has happened in those areas. your caller indicated, when it happens to a senior, when you lose your home, the home is the foundation of most people's savings.

in my case, i can tell you that our savings is pretty much in our home. i think that is where it is in most folks' homes. most people who have been able to save it have put it into their home. that is part of the american dream. when it is a senior that has lost their home because of the situation that occurred between 2008 and 2010, once again, we are in that real deep trouble area of how are we going to help people live and where are they going to live and under what circumstances? how can they afford some kind of housing? we are definitely looking into all of that. host: our guest is the assistant director for the office of older americans at consumer financial protection bureau. he goes by "skip." >> where did you get your name? >> hubert h. humphrey, jr. was the vice president of the u.s. i am the third.

my son is the fourth. we discovered there was actually a fifth person with the name of hubert h. humphrey, a civil war veteran. host: you served as attorney general of minnesota. guest: yes. host: a lot of these situations ended up in your office? guest: yes. for those of you listening and watching, if you have a problem and you need to have some help, first of all, give a call to the police. call the adult protection services. call the social workers. they will be of help to you. do not be embarrassed. part of the problem is we have some pretty good con artists out there. they lean on your trust. seniors are very trusting. they grew up in a time when they had to depend on one another.

unfortunately, these guys really know how to work it. before you know it, your money is gone. the other day, i was at a meeting out in one of the state's that i have been to and a woman came up. she had told part of for stores. -- parto f -- part of her stories. she said that she was so embarrassed. over three years, she lived alone. many times, older women are living alone. they are isolated. this gentleman became a very close friend, took two years to work into being her close friend. next thing you know, she is sending money to him. she lost more than $30,000. now, she is having a very hard time. you have got to ask the hard questions. another individual that i had a chance to visit with kind of put it right. we were talking about, who should do trust? she said, i have to tell you, i have seven children. i love them all. but i only trust three of them. that is kind of funny in a sense but when you think about it, who do you trust?

who will you trust with those decisions? those important decisions that have to be made. when you are 85, 90, and people are living to 100. this is a whole other life. now, we have to find a new way of living through it successfully, independently. host: george. -- georgia. barbara. good morning. caller: good morning. my father is 97. my husband is 82. i am 74. guest: congratulations. caller: my poor father gets two bushels of mail a week. they use every gimmick. more letters from the same place. scare tactics. the worst is judicial watch. what can we do to get off the mailing?

guest: that is a great question. unfortunately situations like that are happening all over. i am going to be going back to minnesota this weekend to see my family. i can tell you that when i get back, i guarantee you there will be at least 5 to 10 invitations to go to a free lunch that someone will try to sell me something. they will be calling themselves experts. senior advisers. that why you to know that one of -- i want you to know that one of the things that our office is doing and we are charged by congress to do is to look into decertifications. these so-called experts that are trying to sell you something. we are doing a study on that. we will be able to look and see how standards are being set. many states have already established some standards. they're different in different places. we want to see what can be done.

we will report back to congress on that and to the securities exchange commission. first of all, make sure that you are on that do not call list. the number-one rule in this is if is too good to be true, it probably is. it does not matter how they sell it to you. if it is so good that you think you have to look at it, take a deep breath and stepped back and they will say you have to buy it now. by now. do it now. you do not have to. talk to someone who you trust. who can help you work through this. do not buy into this stuff. that is the key. you are the number 1 defense. the well-informed consumers can stop this. you have to be able to be willing to say, no more. if you keep getting all of these messages after you have told the company you do not want anymore, send it to the

attorney general's office. call them. call the local police. see whether or not they cannot help you. i can tell you when i was attorney general, we were able to shut down a lot of these. if they call on the telephone, say thank you, i will check with the attorney general's office. they will hang up. -- guest: think about this for a minute. step back. it sounds so good. these folks are professional salespeople. they know how to get into your address. do not let them. if it is really sounding good, take a breath. stop. by the way, call the police. call adult protective services. work with your financial institutions on this.

i was very impressed yesterday at our conference that many banks were there. they know it was a problem. they want to help their customers do the right thing with the resources they are entrusted with. host: twitter -- guest: that is another area that we are looking into. congress has asked us to look at the planning. the whole situation in that area. we will be getting to that. check out who you will see as your trusted riser. -- trusted adviser. do not be a free to ask questions. if it is a securities person, ask them why they are selling it and what they get from the sale that they are offering. if they are a reputable person, they will be happy to tell you what their take on it is. frankly, you know, they are providing a good service.

if there quality people, you can measure that. do not be afraid to ask hard questions. host: good morning. deborah. democrat. caller: i have three problems that i feel are very important. i work for the government. when i went to see my doctor, he told me i was disabled. they said they do not even consider you disabled until social security figures out you are disabled. that does not help me at all. it does not take social security years to figure out whether or not you are disabled. what did you do not have a doctor? that is ridiculous. how much money are you making in the illegal prescription drugs that you are giving? especially those old people in the old homes.

you all are just getting rich on people getting sick. guest: you have raised some very good points. first of all, medicaid fraud is out there. i know that many attorney generals are working hard to put a stop to that kind of fraudulent activity. i would suggest that you check with your attorney general's office with regard to the laws about disability in your state and find out what those standards are. i would hope that social security will be able to give you an answer with regard to disability that might relate to your particular situation. let me just mention that we are working with the social security administration and we will be meeting more with them with regard to financial decisions that have to be made. as you know, social security is very soon going to be changing so that social security money will be directly deposited into

your bank or you'll be given a credit card. one tha ti -- one that is approved by social security. that will be coming next year, i believe. there will be a transition here. social security is going digital. for seniors, this can be very disconcerting sometimes. we have to learn about how we're going to take care of this. we need to make absolutely certain, do not give out your social security number, your medicare number. do not give them to anyone other than the very particular people that absolutely need them. your doctor. your bank. raise a question anytime anybody asks for your social security number. host: two tweets -- guest: that is a real concern.

we are working with states. the states regulate many of these areas. obviously, so does the department of health and human services. we will be working very closely with them. the financial part of that is crucial. all too often, we see situations where someone has been appointed a guardian and they end up taking the money rather than using it for mom or dad in nursing homes, if it used to buy a car or a fancy house or something else. we're looking to see how we can more closely work with our colleagues in the states and federal government. that is one of the things. we are trying to make sure we collaborate with our colleagues here in washington, d.c. and with some very fine programs that are in the state's. states. and to help foster the financial

protection networks that are springing across the conuntry -- the country. host: in terms of programs, do you have our reach two schools? this would help avoid these problems in the future. guest: we are working with fdic. they have money programs. we have others that we are working with. we will be moving forward with that as we move ahead in this area. host: virginia. thank you for waiting. independent line. caller: hello. it seems to me that the biggest problem we face in this country are the money handlers. you talk about not having access to our money, but given the bankers, we can touch it for five years. -- where you can't touch it for five years.

the federal reserve can change the value of your money any time. the poker game should only be played amongst themselves. it should not affect rest of the country. host: your question? caller: is there a regulation that is worth something that will be worth the same next week -- guest: let me just say this. i have been impressed with the people who are working at the consumer financial protection bureau. they have great experience in the financial markets. with financial institutions, they also understand the responsibility of regulating and looking at it from a perspective of the consumer. this is the most important thing you have. are they financial resources and assets that you are able to accumulate for your retirement and health of your family? i can assure you that is the highest priority of the people that i work with. i am very impressed with their

ability to do that. host: what is your staff like when it comes to older americans? guest: we have a wonderful, small group. five of us. we deal with 30 million -- 5 in our total office. that is fight here. -- that is five here. when you take in all of the people who are working all across the country and in other agencies, we have thousands of very, very good people that are working. our effort is to help coordinate and bring that together. to be able to allow each of those who are doing good work in one part of the country to share those best practices with others. that is really the center of what we are trying to accomplish. we will be able to do that with our staff. host: this is chapel hill, n.c. our republican line for mr. humphrey. caller: i think we have a great country.

i think we have solved a whole lot of problems that other en't.rises hav what i want to say about children and their older parents, sometimes our children cannot understand the the amount of sacrifice is the average american makes. it is not that our children don't care. they do not have the time. it is difficult for them to balance the job and finish raising their children and then have to deal with an older parent. if you can find an somthing that will bring that back together, understanding without underwhelming, you can solve a lot of that. guest: you have raised a very, very important reality that we all face.

our children really are the sandwich generation. we have four beautiful, wonderful grandchildren. we have fun with them. parents have to take care of those children. they also need to be looking after grandparents. and other elders and the family and friends. so, they are squeezed in between this. i will tell you, it is a great challenge to be able to balance that, to do it positively. that is a great challenge. what we have learned is that while we want to help those 62 and older, the thought is that we need to help those who are younger. we have to help them understand

what their responsibilities are. you have framed it beautifully in your description of the question and concern. this is an ongoing effort. hopefully, we will all live longer. hopefully, your grandchildren will live longer. we have to look at how people are able to stay independent as they tend to make those -- as they age and to make those decisions that need to be made in a free society, a free market place like ours. it is a great challenge. it is also a great opportunity. host: florida. democrat. caller: good morning. my question for you, mr. humphrey, you guys are supposed to go after medicare fraud. how come rick scott embezzled $14.2 billion from medicare and paid a $375 million fine and got put into office?

guest: from minnesota, we were trying to stay up on some of the fraud that was taking place. the reality is, we need to all work together at this. there is a lot of money that is going in the wrong direction. i know that the federal government and the state governments are working as hard as they can. this is an ongoing effort. i can assure you that we are doing everything we possibly can. some people are willing to take advantage of others' resources. it is a great tragedy. these are vital resources for

people's health. it is an outrageous kind of violence that takes place when it comes to medicare fraud and elder fraud. host: what is the forefront? guest: key to us is we are going to get this certification study completed early next year. the consumer financial protection bureau will issue a reverse mortgage study, a key financial product that is advertised on tv. it may be appropriate in some places. there are big risks and costs with regard to reverse mortgages. there could be many other alternatives that are better suited for seniors. that is another area we are looking at. we're going to bring forth this guide that will help the caregiver to understand their responsibilities.

we are looking into this whole question of the planning and their retirement counseling with a focus on elder women. they outlive us. livingey do, they're alone. sometimes, they outlive the resources that are left them. host: california. this is harry. independent line. caller: the one thing i remember is the cookie jar affect. at a seminar that i attended, that is. when you get a lump sum from your lender, all of your children and your friends

realize that you are sitting on a bundle of cash and before you know it, it is gone. i just wondered what your reaction to that was. guest: thank you. that is why congress has asked the bureau to do a study on this very area. we work all of our lives to buy our homes. there it sits with whatever equity is in. a you need to find a way to see that over time as you retire. it is one of the key assets that seniors told. -- that seniors hold. it you are right. you have to look at how your going to take that money. how you are going to use it. for what purposes?

do you take it in lump-sum. do you take it over time? how do you properly invest it? there is a question as to whether reverse mortgages are the best form or product to use. it can be appropriate in some situations. if you are living in a home where you raise a lot of kids, maybe you do not need a big home. buy a smaller home for a lower price. realize the equity that way. there are any number of other options. we are going to be looking into that and i just appreciate your point because there are a whole lot of people out there that would like to take advantage of that lump-sum that shows up if that is the way you are taking your money out of a reverse mortgage. host: from twitter -- guest: absolutely. if you see something that does not seem right, do not be afraid to raise that question and reported to the proper

authorities. you do not have to be the one that is the expert to decide whether there is something wrong. you probably are the very first person that can literally save lives. people become so embarrassed and impoverished that it affects their lives to the point of death. host: this is the republican line. you have about 2.5 minutes before the end of the show. caller: if congress is able to cut social security and medicare, will those of us who are on social security and medicare and have been for several years be protected or grandfathered in some way? guest: i do not know. we will have to look at what needs to be done. i can tell you in my own experience and looking a social security, obviously there are some changes that need to take place so that social security is there for our children and our grandchildren.

we also have some time to make those fixes. whatever congress does, i think that they will find a way where the changes will be moderate and affordable. social security will be there for you. it has been a great program. a huge success. it is really something we have put in. now, in our older age, we are taking out. that is appropriate. we need to make sure that it is there not only for us but for our children and grandchildren. host: how do you gauge success for your division? guest: we have done very well. i just appreciate all of the people who have come forward and visited directly with me and with our staff. secondly, we are working very

closely with so many other organizations all throughout this country. it has been a great success. host: hubert humphrey iii, the assistant director for the office of older americans out of consumer financial protection bureau. thank you for your time. >> tomorrow, greg coleman from public citizen examines the role of pacs and super pacs. the sea treaty. washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> next, today's session of the faith and freedom congress. then president obama on immigration enforcement. then mitt romney campaigning in new hampshire. the faith and freedom coalition conference continued today in washington, d.c. speakers included hollenbeck, mitch mcconnell, and -- speakers len beck and mitchg;em mcconnell. >> we have an amazing day yesterday, the first day of our conference. we had senators white men, demint, and marco rubio. we sent a message to the united states senate when hundreds of new flooded those halls. today, i think it is time that we send a different kind of

message. i think, today, we send a message to the white house that we're here to speak up for our values of faith and freedom. we have an amazing schedule for you. great speakers across the board. tomorrow, i think we will have an opportunity to celebrate our victories. we close the conference tomorrow night with a gala dinner where we will award our courage in leadership awards to some great leaders from wisconsin, celebrate a great victory in wisconsin. i hope all of you will join us. there are a fork -- a few more daylight tickets that are available so please join us for that great celebration as we build upon victories and zero or two future victories for our conservative values in november of 2012. today's program, we will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

you don't want to miss a single bit of what we've got. we have a full action program. it will conclude today with speaker of the house newt gingrich and glen beck. so please stay all day today. we look forward to being part of our break out sections. we will cap of the day with their state's caucuses. please join your leaders from your state at the state caucus meetings. we will have a break and then be back for the evening program. last but not least, i want to point out that we have some great speakers and a lot of them have some amazing books that they have written and shared. we will hear from senator rand paul. this is his book. we have a number of speakers. looking your conference program for a full schedule could you do not want to miss meeting the speakers in prison and having a chance to have them signed their

book personally to you. with the that, we have the full program to launch into now. i would like to allow the program to continue to won wide as we pay tribute to our country. please welcome back to the stage the sounds of liberty. [applause] ♪ 0, say can you see ♪ by the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hail ♪ as the twilight's last gleaming ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars

♪ through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched ♪ were so gallantly streaming ♪ and the rockets' red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in air ♪ gave proof through the night ♪ that our flag was still there oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave the land of the free bravethe home of the

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen. please welcome to the stage to the chairman of the faith and freedom coalition. [applause] >> good morning. what a day. what a great place to celebrate. i will ask you all to stand and join me in our national anthem -- or pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible with liberty and

justice for all. thank you. >> please welcome to the stage wryness some -- rabbi nisem. [applause] >> shalom. in the last few weeks, and our synagogue, we have begun reading the book of numbers. the first chapters refer to the income of the 12 tribes of israel around the tabernacle. the rabbis asked why the division? don't we aspire to be a united people? to stand as a nation together?

the jewish sages teach us they brought a special gift to the nation of israel, teachers, farmers, priest, entrepreneurs. each had specialty. which combined together and made the nation's stronger. still, where does their unity come from. their unity came from the tabernacle at the center, the holy of holies. when they turned their eyes toward the center of their camp and they see the holy of holies and the divinities in their midst, the tribes and their strength will become one. and what is inside the holy of holies?

the 10 commandments, the constitution of god's people. through his law, his moral truth, the infinite love of god is bestowed upon the people and it is that love and that truth that keeps them together. today, as i look at this coalition of people, dedicated to faith and freedom, but cannot help but reminded of those beginning chapters of the book of numbers and the tribes of israel. we have come together so many americans from many parts of our great nation. we have so many different backgrounds, so many strengths. but when i look at you, i see above all the shining truth of what unites us -- commitment to this country.

fidelity to our constitution. and love of god. we pray to you, master of the universe, that this the last assembly will unite us, will unite our individual strength to strive for your faith and in your love and that our great country and the entire world will know you through our work together. the jewish nation leads. may god bless the faith and freedom coalition and may god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the editor at ladder to of national review and author and commentator, mr. jonah goldberg. [applause]

>> hi, i regret it, good morning. it is great to be -- hi, everyone, good morning. it is great to be here. i am happier than joe biden at lime jello day at the halome. the theme of this coalition is the freedom of america at a crossroads. we would havet not just a new deal, but a new 40-year progressive era. it didn't happen. but, at that time, i remember coming in 2009, i might as well have been speaking at a clingon wedding or a civil war reenactment society.

everyone was so convinced that the war -- but the world had gone the other way and we were in store for a long new progressive era and that is not what happened. they came in with the matter where they openly in said the most cynical thing ever said in america -- a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. exploited it. they moved the country in a strong direction to the left under the principle that there is nothing wrong with america, that being more like europe wouldn't fit. and now we're looking at europe and that idea doesn't look so hot. i think they will remain "the seascape from new york" as " escape from athens." according to the establishment, according to liberal academics, when america has hard times, when there is an economic crisis, people espouse to rally

round the government for more help, increasing the government and creating a welfare state. instead, we got the tea party. [applause] one of the things i love about the tea party is that they were sort of like a stem cell therapy for the republican party. not the embryonic stem cells. [laughter] but they helped the republican party regrow a spine. now we have a republican party that is actually recognizing the fact that they lost their way, too, a little bit under george bush. george brush was an honorable and decent man appeared he had wars to fight. he had the war on terror to deal with it it knocked him off of his game. but it made the government speel an awful lot of money. i said that george bush spent money like a pimp with a week to live. now george bush looks like a

flinty teetotaling christian adventists. i come to you today in the 17 seconds i have left or whatever it is to talk to you about something that is not as a particularly religious person, but someone about in service. america came at a crossroads during the progressive era as well. we were told or america was told during the progressive era that everything had changed, that the old assumptions were gone, the old ideologies were part of old american society were no longer a relative and there were new expanded role for government. the progressives made the argument that our permit -- the government could take the place of god. that government, in fact, essentially, was god. they committed the heresy of

theology. that the state could do all of the things that got to do if god actually existed. it empowered to left to play god. if you read liberal or leftist philosophy, it is always about putting man in the place of god. it is about -- the bolsheviks were the progressives -- it is about creating a heaven on earth. what one philosopher called trying to make the here and now like the hereafter. the problem is you cannot do that. you cannot create a heaven on earth. a perfect society is reserved for the next life, not the next one. [applause] -- not this one. [applause] this is what all conservatives fundamentally understand. the state cannot straighten it

out. if you read liberal philosophy, the way to imagine a society a decent society is imagine you were creating it from scratch and you did not know where you would be born into that society. he calls it the veil of ignorance. first of all it explicitly puts man in the place of god because it does not man's place to design based aside from scratch the whole philosophy goes out the window because the one grippy does not acknowledge our the unborn. -- the only group he does not acknowledge is the unborn. the one hitch you want in there is to be allowed to be born into it in the first place. [applause]

so when we hear president obama speak these days, he is constantly in booking these same sort of age-old liberal cliches, these left-wing formulations about how to design society. when he speaks about social justice, he is talking about how to design society, how to run society from the state as if the state were got. i -- were god. i do not know if you have seen the light of julia that website that has been created. julia is a young woman who benefit enormously from having president obama in office. her whole life is basically about her relationship to the state and, at the end of working hard her whole life, she gets to

work in the community garden. she doesn't even get her own garden. one of the previous things i have read in many years is a sentence on that website about julia where it says "under president obama, julia decides to have a child." i don't know about the women in this audience who have kids, but i don't think any of you said come under jimmy carter, i decided to have a child. but this idea of defining your relationship to the state. when you have politicians on both sides of the aisle -- john mccain set for a long time that we had to dedicate ourselves to a cause larger than ourselves i cannot stand this formulation paren. when you hear politicians in washington talking about it, it does about your relationship with the government. unless you're hannibal lector, we are all dedicated to causes larger than ourselves -- our

family, our jobs, our churches, the synagogue -- these zero causes larger than ourselves. -- these are all causes larger than ourselves. this organization is a cause larger than yourself. but it does not mean that a cause larger than yourself has to be in relationship to the government. many like to say that government is another word for all those things we do together. no it's not. if that's the case, then watching the super bowl is called government because we all do it together, right? president obama love to say that, if one american has a problem, we all have a problem. if that's true, i want him to come to my house and fix my toilet. [laughter] the problem with this is this idea that there is nothing wrong with being in it together. but we don't have to call it government. we don't have to have this idea,

when everything is going wrong, unless we design our lives in relationship to the government. politics is a small part of our lives. the important thing in our lives, the most important work and are lives is done elsewhere -- how you raise your kids, how you take care of your businesses and communities, have you help your neighbors, how you deal with other people. politics is supposed to be this little thing that we do for some important task -- government is important, but it does not supposed to be involved in everything that we do. we should not be talking about how, under this president or that president, i decide to have a kid, right? here lay clinton, in it takes a village, i am one of the six conservatives who has actually read it. she says, we as a society need to move beyond the idea that it

is somebody else's child. no, we don't that is why we have the second amendment. my kid is mine. my kid is not your kid. and if your kid is doing terrible things in the playground, i might tell you about it, but it is not my responsibility. it is your responsibility. and it is certainly not the state's responsibility. [applause] so one of the wonderful things about groups like the fate and freedom coalition is that it understands where the priorities are, that you cannot create a heaven on earth and you certainly cannot do it through the government because the government cannot love you. the government is simply government. one of the things that is vital for conservatives to keep in mind is that our job to the extent that we are involved in politics is not to make government do more things pick it is to make government do the things supposed to do and nothing else. [applause]

thank you all very much for having me. have a great time keep hope alive. thank you. ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please will come one of america's leading critics -- >> good morning. thanks to faith and freedom. i'm here to attack the liberal media. many of you are asking why me?

it is true. you have heard the rumors. i am a nonbeliever. you are right to be confused. i am an atheist with a master's in religious studies the judge wrote a book defending christianity against the attacks of the secular left. by roman catholic grandmother is devastated on two counts, one that i don't worship christ and the other that i don't worship obama. same thing as far as she's concerned. by the way, mike huckabee is coming, i heard. there is a chalkboard backstage. i know that is for him. mike huckabee used to try to baptize me by the water cooler on the sly when i passed him at fox news.

he is the best spirit and my high school christianity teacher at catholic school is probably wondering where in the lessons she lost me. and my mom is in use and proud, which is very nice. but the point is that you don't have to be a christian to want a more responsible and respectable press. and you don't have to be a christian to want the majority of the country, 80%, to be treated with some dignity and honesty. and i don't think you need to be a christian too readily acknowledge that christianity is the bedrock of american history. [applause] so don't think that you have to be a christian to espouse judeo- christian values. i also don't like murder. i also don't like -- don't think we should be molesting our children. see, we have a lot in common if

we get down to it. so the thrust of losing our religion -- the subtitle is our attack on christianity. that sound hysterical, well, i may pundit. but i will tell you that coming in this case, the outrage is entirely sincere and dessert. a plan is unfolding in every american small-town and on every american big city. it is everywhere. now, with careful covert -- a secular revolution that began decades ago has gained unprecedented momentum. the goal of this secular revolution is to overthrow god and science christian america for good. not a modest goal.

if you think that has nothing to do with you, you are wrong. whether you join the 90% of the country that believes or stand with the 10% of the country that does not is incidental. the matter what you believe and how fervently you believe it, this particular war on god, just the latest of a string of them since the enlightenment, is the war against all americans, religious, a courteous, secular, not just because of whom it target, but because home is doing the targeting. they are the people you see and hear every day. they are people you trust. they are people you rely on to tell you what to wear, what to buy, what to drive, what to watch, what to listen to, what to read, with -- where to live, where to visit, who to like, who to hate, who to help, when to go out that, when to stay indoors, where to shop, when to save,

what to think. so the people that you trust to be fair, accurate, objective, insightful, the so-called watchdog of the state, protectors of truth, gatekeepers and guardians of freedom, this, believe it or not, is how the media started out. these are the very people out to shane and mocked, subvert, pervert, the base and extinguish your beliefs, the beliefs of the vast majority of americans and the values upon which this country was founded and they are doing one thing they are never supposed to do -- taking sides. for the great majority, this is problematic enough. but this means that their guardians of truth are being dishonest. they are being wholly subjective. frankly, pretty and american. targeting faith is nothing --

pretty and amerunamerica. they are targeting faith. that is an american. freedom of the press was born out of an urgency to protect these important watchdogs from the wrath of the controlling colonial government, giving it the power to criticize authority without retribution to tell the truth without fear of imprisonment. now, however, the press has become a political and ideological tool of oppression itself. instead of watching the state, it is watching you. the press has become so politicized, so self aware, so self motivated, so power hungry that a careful application of objectivity and even a careful location of opinion is no longer the rule, but the very rare exception.

and why does this matter? because it puts itself in the cross hairs in very important ways. in targeting christians, the media started in the majority, which makes it all the more difficult to see and contain. majorities make the mistake of feeling invisible by sheer volume. and then, one day, the majority wakes up and realizes that their entire way of life has changed while it was busy doing other things. no. 2, in unfairly targeting christians, propagating untruths about them, the media has broken its promise to be fair and objective. lastly, by spewing of the invective against christians have forsaken the dignity, decency and tolerance that once held their communities together. instead, it is driving them apart. all this means that the mainstream press no longer deserves the privilege of controlling the conversation. in the past decade, --

[applause] in the past decade, we haven't become any less christian despite the media's routine insistence that we have nor have we become any less democratic. so did media's decision to target christian america is not a response to changing social mores spirit it is a deliberate effort to change them and the media now has a willing accomplice in the white house. i want to give you a few examples of how this is happening. it is covert at times, ignoring the story, covering the story, and it is also incredibly overt and obvious. in short, what i put in this book, i had a lot of material. every day, something would happen. one example, katy couric

interviewed the father of the columbine victim. he said that he thought the increase in school shootings was because abortion had cheapen the value of life. she took that as an opportunity to warn viewers that some might find that opinion repugnant. never mind that half of the country would probably agree with him. it is not her job to hand out warnings or editorialize. [applause] "newsweek" lisa miller as a column called "belief watch," as if she were in top of a building every day with a rifle and a scope watching your belief.

she has used a column to characterize students as a fanatical, a fundamentalist, cultural crusaders. she has criticized pope benedict for being ugly, not in character, in visage, his face, ugly. she has claimed that the bible supports gay marriage if you read it right. and she plans an annual hottest rabbis list. this is the newsweek resident scholar. joy behar -- she is a friend, but she is misguided -- suggested one morning that parents who teach their kids the creation story should be charged with child abuse. when it comes to politics, forget it. during a 2008 campaign, the liberal media wanted us to believe that mike huckabee was

some sort of conspiracy as who is putting subliminal messages in political ads. subliminal neeta dispatched dozens of reporters to alaska to invested the -- to investigate sarah palin pentecostal practice. meanwhile, anderson cooper told us that barack obama's black liberation theology of reverend wright had nothing to do with actual issues. "the new york times" told us that obama's fayed was none of voters business. -- obama's faith was none of voters business. it was not that long ago that "the new york times" was asking us to pray for the astronauts of apollo.

it really was not that long ago. but the situation is dire and a lot has changed in very little time. when newsweek devotes its issue to the fallen decline of christian america on easter, and no one is outraged, you know it has gone bad. i think it would be one thing if the attack on american faith was a liberal political agenda. but when it is coming from the media, i think it is pretty clear that christian values are in jeopardy, as is freedom of speech and freedom of religion. and because they are attacking the values of 80% of the country, they really are not mainstream anymore. so i thank you for your time and i know that you will see to be cultural crusaders in this fight. but keep in mind, as you go forward in all of your causes and all of the great things that you do, it is not just a secular liberal political

agenda. it is a secular [applause] -- it is a secular [no audio] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the chairman of the delaware faith and freedom coalition. >> good morning. senator rand paul and his family live in bowling green where he owns his own ophthalmology practice and perform eye surgery for three years. he is the third of five children born to carol and ron paul. he grew up in lake jackson, texas and attended bail university. he graduated from duke medical

school in 1988. he is no longer dedicating his life to madison. but he is standing firm for the constitution of the united states and for healing our nation. america does not need leaders this election to compromise their principles and their values. america needs leaders with a strong, still backbone and the courage to always do what is right. please join me in welcoming me such a man, rand paul. >> thank you. thank you. thank you for that nice introduction, john. you may have heard about the story. there is the story of a little girl and she said she wanted $100. she thought she would write a note and say, dear god, i would like $100. i will do nice things with it. the postmaster got it and he

didn't know what to do with it. so he sent it to the president. the president said that you. so he said to the secretary, let's center $5 and she will think that's nice. but her parents said always write a thank you. she said, dear god, thank you for $5. but next time, don't send it through washington. they stole 95% of it. [laughter] [applause] we have been hearing all this talk about compromise. everybody wants to compromise. in the media, the narrative is why cannot you guys just hold hands, kumbaya, and all of the nation's problems will be worked out i have an announcement. we have made a tentative agreement. republicans and democrats have agreed that we will hold hands and no longer send checks to dead people picked it is a tentative agreement because, while we have agreed in

principle, they have no clue how to stop sending checks to dead people. you might want to know how big a problem this is. in the last five years alone, we sent over $600 million to dead people. one guy got his dad's check from 1971 to 90 predicted 2008, 37 years. -- 19712008, 37 years. you know how we caught him? he died. how we govern and as people of faith -- the study as the road, i did not ridarrive to my hosana through a fiery transfer of fate, but -- i came to my adult could through science, staying science and

then through medicine. by faith has not always been easy for me. i don't wear it on my sleeve. i cannot say that i am not always free of doubt. the tragedy is of medicine have always stuck with me and they are not always easy to overcome. i want to see and believe in a grand design, but it is hard when i see 2-year-olds died of cancer or have brain tumors. in the hit the credit both, it talks about not revealing things that we see probably to the public. we all kind of understand that. but there is one step beyond that in the sense that we really have to see some kind of tragedies that we don't reveal raid it is not always easy for me when i see man's inhumanity with man, to believe in a grand design when i see the

terrific things that man does to man. the wars and the tragedy of war, to see that, and to wonder why we do this? why does it continue to go on millennium after millennium? man's inhumanity to man. when i was a medical student, one of my first patient was a young woman who was in college and she had melanoma that was metastatic to grover rees. i knew she would not survive long. but it is hard for me to place that. it is hard for me to look and to know what to say. sometimes, i find myself carrying too much. sometimes, i find myself blocking it off and caring too little. it is a difficult situation. to look at mrs. jones and nose with the diagnosis means and i don't always know what to say. i don't always know how to comfort her. when i was an intern, i was asked -- dallas 25 years old and i was asked to give someone the news -- i was 25 years old and i

was asked to give someone the news that their loved one had died. i had never had anyone in my family died and i had to go into a room until 25 members of a family that their loved one had died. someone had come man who had a crushing injury to their chest. a ventilator can keep someone alive. their lungs keep filling up with fluid and we struggled all night. it was hard for me to tell them that their loved one had died. it was hard for me to understand why do some people live and other people die. some things are just difficult to understand. i am a christian. i am not always a good one because i struggle still. i struggle with my fate and that -- with my faith that i struggle with doubt. when i read "all quiet on the western front," above love the song went on for 17 days and over 1 million men died. sometimes, senseless charges

from one trench to the other. when i read about the christmas armistice, it is an amazing story. on christmas eve, the trenches between the french and the germans, they began singing christmas carols. they came out of the trenches, played soccer, exchanged guess, had christmas trees up. they quit fighting. after christmas was over, they went back to their trenches and manned their guns again, but they were not interested in war. they were two or zero cousins who had dispute over land, but it was hard for normal -- for an ordinary citizen to get too excited. but they wouldn't fight anymore they had to send them back away from alliance because they quit fighting. i am not naive enough to say that we will land war appeared i'm not a pacifist. i think we should defend our

country. but i think that we need to have and a point leaders who really shown a reluctance for war, people who have glee at the face of war. i think we need to let people who are not rash, people know that, if there is war, it is the last resort, not the first resort appeared we need people who have a healthy respect for human life. not only in the beginning, but the lives of 19-year-olds as well. i think that a civilization cannot endure not respecting life, from the unborn, those with the first breath of life to the last breath of life. as libertarian conservatives, we're concerned about your rits to do this and that. you will hear me talk about that you have the right to buy an incandescent light pole. that is an ancillary right. your primary right-to-life,

without it, all those things are very superficial. [applause] on the issue of life, i was greatly influenced by my father. he is an ob/gyn, so is my sister, both pro-life. he wrote a book called "abortion and liberty." he stumbles into an operating room to observe things. he observed a baby that was aborted but born alive and was left to die. meanwhile, just a few rooms down, there were doctors saving a baby. the hypocrisy, the injustice of saving a baby and letting another diet of the same gestation. i gave my first speech in my church when i was 17. my point was that we need to be

active. it is not enough to say that we are for defending life if we don't go out to fight for it appeared i thought -- for it. i thought my church was passive, not concerned about things that were going on in this world that needed to be changed. i think we will ultimately be judged on whether we participate and whether we try to defend life. [applause] in the senate, i have tried to participate and do that. i have introduced several pieces of legislation and have co- sponsored more. i will try to get a vote on at piece of legislation this time around. [applause]

i will continue to fight, not just passively, but we will fight and hopefully get a vote on one of these pieces of legislation this time around. and i think our nation is at a crossroads. i think we are wavering. and there are many moral issues that confront us, not only issues of life, but i think it is immoral to pass on debt to another generation. [applause] i think christianity has a message of hope and that hope needs to be something that we can inculcate our friends, their use, the future of our nation. but we also need to find leadership that can transform the austerity, the coldness of austerity into the warm embrace of prosperity. it does not have to be all doom and gloom. there is a bright future. we have had a great country and we can restore that. we have to believe in ourselves again and believe in our foundational documents and the condition of our religion. we have to believe that our

rights ultimately come from our creator. [applause] i think our problems are worse than deeper and more profound than just political leaders can correct. i think we're in a crisis in our country and we need a reawakening. we need a revival. [applause] in my state in kentucky, in a team , pastor barton stone started the second great awakening. it was a tent revival. people by the tens of thousands came. this is something a politician will do. we need other leaders. we need in search of them, not just dancers from washington. we need answers from a spiritual leaders. [applause] we need someone like a billy someone that can bring

hundreds of thousands of people together and tell them what is going on. this has nothing to do with our government, but who we are as a people. there are two instances that struck me in the past six months or so. one was images from a mcdonald's where a person is on the ground being kicked in to the point of convulsions and someone is filming it and just watching it and standing by. finally, a group tried to stop this brutal beating. there is something sick about a society that would let that happen. we have got to find out what that sicknesses. that is a sickness within us. someone has to get out there -- [applause] 1 other terrific example -- this came from my own town and you have read of other examples like this -- but a woman was killed in my home town and her baby was cut from her womb and she was

left to die. i thought, my god, for something like that in my little town to happen, there is a sickness out there and we have to do something about it. as i see the way forward, i have a hope that we will wake up, that we can come together as a people, that we can figure out our way forward. what we have is incredibly precious. the republic created by our founders -- it is a republic, we have to understand it, down by our constitution -- it was a great country and it still is. but our country started and created more prosperity than any other nation has ever known. but as a consequence, more humanitarian charity has come from our country than any other country. it will look to cuba to help those in haiti, but you do see great welcoming from our country and given to other countries and given to the poor. we are returnable nation, but we're losing it. we have a society where

everybody wants to divide up a shrinking pie. you have too much and we will take it from the government and give it to something else. i want everybody to have more, but i don't want to punish anyone. i want there to be more for everyone. but that only comes if we -- [applause] we owe it to our children and our grandchildren to do everything we can. in that cause, i will continue to do as much as i can for that cause. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back the executive director of the faith and freedom coalition. >> a constitutional conservative, she will be doing a book signing outside in front of rooms 18 and 19 back here. if you'd like to get a copy of

youator rand paul's book, can get that sign. i will leave a copy right over here. the first person who wants it gets it appeared and we have a copy of this as well. now you know how some of these free books work. i will not throw books at you. [laughter] [applause] now we have another great panel for you.

>> ladies and gentlemen, a special discussion on the future of obamacare. please welcome to stage the moderator around the president of -- [applause] >> good morning. i am delighted to be with you good folks this morning because we need to spend a little time thinking about this remarkable rendezvous with destiny we will have now in the next week and a half. it could be as early as next monday, the 18th. most likely, monday the 25th,

possibly wednesday the 27th. but in one of those three days, the supreme court will almost assuredly rule on the matter of obamacare. the program highlight refers to this as the future of obamacare. i think i can probably speak with the fairest amount of assurance that we hope that the future of obamacare is limited. is that right? [applause] so the real question before us is what should we do after obamacare? what should we do after the supreme court ruling? unless the supreme court ruling is a virtual 100% affirmation of the law as constitutional, there are a whole host of things that we can do. we, the public, we, the fate that freedom coalition, but all so we, the conservatives in the

legislature. i am just delighted to have on [no audio] one of the true leaders in the religious leader -- in the legislature. [applause] [no audio] and one of the great leaders of organizations working on this. [applause] these two gentlemen have made it their life's work, at least in these last few years, to propose a more common sense approach and less government as a solution to what a number of people think our problems within our health care system. i think the number one chore,

unless there is 100% affirmation by the supreme court, our number one chore is to repeal obamacare. [applause] the congressman will address that in just a moment. but i think that it is important that we understand that there is a difference between a supreme court's finding of unconstitutionality and the actual repeal. there is a need to remove from the statute books any portion of the bill that is not the this raided by the supreme court. so we absolutely must do that. we have got to do that first and foremost, get that off the books so that we can in fact start over. [applause] then the next question is -- what happens if there is a partial but more less substantial finding of unconstitutionality, particularly with regards of the

individual mandate? should we try to do full repeal in both houses knowing full well that it will stall somewhat over in the senate? i think the congressman will address this in a moment. but i think there is a reasonably good chance that repeal will only succeed in the house, but may be been picked up some democrat votes. i think there will be a certain political reality setting in about that time. and that political reality is that they are on the wrong side of history and they are coming up for an election. i think we will pick up a truly bipartisan majority in the house. so what happens over the senate? the conventional wisdom is that the senate, led by harry reid, will do their best not to take up the repeal bill. but i think that could actually prove to be little more difficult to sustain than they might think. i think a few senators who are up for reelection might want to be on the right rather than the

wrong side of history so that their own history can continue for a little bit. so it wouldn't surprise me at all if it were to get through. big about the vote. think about a senator who was up for reelection whose political party wants him to vote against repealing a bill that the supreme court has just found unconstitutional. that is in effect being in favor of a bill that the supreme court judge found unconstitutional. who wants to do that? i would suspect that a number of those who are in vulnerable senate races might not want to do that. it is even possible that it will get through the senate and just, for the moment, allow your mind to be loved it ethical and think about a bill that arrives on the president's desk to repeal obamacare with bipartisan support in both houses. what does the president do? i think it is obvious that the president vetoes it, but he

doesn't at substantial political cost. so let's make sure that we encourage our friends in the senate not to consider a house passed repealed bill automatically dead. let's show them that the grass roots support full repeal in both houses this year before the election. that is something we can all get behind. now it is easy for me in my position to let freedom ring suggest full repeal. but to actually do that are those in the house and the senate. our next speaker is one of the true leaders of the conservative forces in the house. tom price is not merely a congressman from georgia. he is himself a doctor. he knows the health care system. he is an orthopedist. he has come to washington in part because he understands how easily this town can screw up what is still the best medical system in the world.

he has also shown themselves to be a leader. he is a former head of the republican study committee. that is the group of those in the house were the most conservative who reflect and enact our values. he is now the chairman of the policy committee in the house. he is truly one of our current and future leaders. please welcome congressman and dr. tom price from georgia. [applause] >> thank you so much. good morning to you. what a great a to repeal obamacare. [applause] colin has been taking some happy pills, i think. i am not so sanguine about the activities that united states senate. i think that harry reid has a drawer at his desk for bills that come from the republican house spin it has a lock on it and i do not think he is interested in opening that door.

remember that the house has already repealed obama no space care. -- obamacare. the reason that we did so is because we believe it to be unconstitutional. but also violative of all of the principles that you and i hold dear as it relates to health care. every single one of them, whether it is accessibility or affordability or quality, responsiveness, innovation, choices, all of the things that we want in health care and the bill destroys all of them. so what do you say to your friends when you say what are you going to do? you don't have any solutions. nonsense. the fact of the matter is that you can solve all of the challenges we face in health care without putting washington in charge. number one, you have to get folks covered. you cannot have 30 million people to 50 million people without coverage. i am a third-generation physician.

what my father and grandfather did was cost shifting, have been a guy who made a little more pay little more for the guy who couldn't pay a little more now it is impossible. it is illegal. it is a felony. right now, the federal government, it is a felony if one person is charged more than another. so how do you get folks covered without putting washington in charge? you make it so it is financially attractive and feasible and pool is for anybody not to be covered. and you make it so every single person, when they do their budget, which people do -- the senate doesn't do budget, but people do -- when they do their budget, they say, oh, look, it makes more sense for us to have health coverage than not financiall but whatever it takes to make everybody understands that having health coverage makes them better off financially.

member to come of their purchasing the coverage that they want, not the the government wants for that -- no. 2, they are purchasing the coverage that they want, not that the government wants for them. there is a bygone era when you work for one company and you were there forever and ever. now you make it so that everybody wants their health care coverage no matter who is paying for. lightyear 401k -- like your 401k plan. you take it with you. you have the insurance work the way it is supposed to work, which is to spread the risk. who is priced out of the market? people who is the individual. you let the individual and the small group market to pull together. you get millions of people. you could purchase insurance with millions of other people so

that your health status or anybody else's does not make a worth of difference on the premium being charged appeared that his way in church works. it spreads the risk. -- that is the way insurance works. it spreads the risk. there are all sorts of ways that it is being wasted. but the biggest is the practice of defensive medicine. as a physician, it is what i did. it is what every doctor in this country does. it doesn't hurt you, but it makes it so that, if he or she, the doctor, finds themselves in a court of law and they can look at the judge and the jury in the i honestly and say i don't know what to expected me to do because i did everything and then show them everything that they did. in fact, everything isn't necessary. so how do solve that one? you make it so that individual physicians to practice specifically guidelines will be

an affirmative defense in a court of law. that ought to make it so they cannot be sued. [applause] the estimate is $600 billion that we waste on the practice of defensive medicine. and you can do away with it with irresponsible policies as it relates to lawsuit abuse. so we've got folks covered, solve the interest challenges, portability and pre-existing, and we have saved hundreds of billions of dollars and done it without putting washington in charge of a thing. how does that sound? [applause] a lot of folks have drafted a lot of pieces of legislation. this one is called the empower patients first back. we look forward to passing that once you, me and everybody across this great country give us a november 6 that will be historic. thank you. god bless you. [applause]

>> jim martin came to washington as a newspaper reporter. he then hooked up with then congressman ed gurney and then senator ed gurney and then he began to begin the marketing of conservative ideas in association with richard a. gary. then he started the conservative movement's answer to a r p, the 60 + association. then he did an absolutely brilliant move to bring non pat boone as the national spokesperson. please welcome at martin of 60 +. >> i will go to the podium. i have a couple of things that i want to show folks. just so there's no confusion between the 60 + association and the aarp which i call the association against retired persons -- [applause] thank you again.

it is always great to be here with the chairman of let freedom ring and with dr. price. i say that with great pride. congressman price, he led the fight in the house of representatives to repeal obamacare. for that, he deserves another round. [applause] we have touched all the bases on obamacare, the affordable care act -- i call it the an affordable care act. this is a fortune 500 conglomerate been somebody asked me once, jim, does this bill makes sense to you and the seniors of 60 plus? i said, it does make sense, dollars and cents for the aarp's bottom line. i am out to stop it. [applause] last year, they made $600 million in profits. how does a nonprofit make $600

million in profits? i haven't figured out that one yet and i have been this town 50 years. we're not selling anything at 60 + except for a philosophy in government, less taxes and a document called the constitution. i want to thank faith and freedom for putting on this conference. the aarp pouts another entertainer, harry belafonte. he is so far to the left that he makes the president look pretty bomb at -- pretty moderate. our spokesman at 60 + is singer pat boone. [applause] pat likes to tout his friendship with ronald reagan, his old friend. let me just point out one thing. if dr. prius had been allowed and senator rand paul, another

great senator and doctor, do what barack obama said, sitting around a table and put it on c- span and get this thing solved -- we will have doctors and nurses and others there -- well, guess what. the ugly truth is now coming out. i refer to "the wall street journal" article a few days ago. these e-mails are coming out. it is about all of the bills that were cut between pharma and aarp with the white house. obama said we will not do that. we will not deal with lobbyists. we will be out front and be transparent if lying were re criminal offense, the president of the united states and half of his senior staff would right now be behind bars. [applause] it is that simple. we have been running ads around the country, the 60 + senior

citizens get the fact that this 2700-page and read bill was bad medicine for seniors, quite frankly. i have been accused of falsely saying $500 billion was cut out of medicare. well, nancy pelosi said that recently. we have got it on tape. week at $500 billion out of medicare. -- week cut $500 billion out of medicare. if we are wrong, so is nancy pelosi. the fact is, that cut has been made and we are out to rectify that by taking on certain senators around the country -- montana, missouri, michigan, ohio, and florida, my home state, where the senators voted to support obamacare.

right now, there is a big one on the semantic or thing going on about the deciding vote, the 60th vote. bill nelson in my home state of florida -- i will show an ad in a second -- bill nelson said that 60 + has got it all wrong. this front prepared zero, yes, we are a front group. we got all of this money that is undeclared. we agree with their philosophy and they agree with my. the fact of the matter is, if george soros gave me money, one of two things has happened. i have either sold out or george soros has seen the light to come over to our side. [applause] it is that simple. but the fact is, they began running these ads saying that we are destroying his record. he said this will bring a of -- this will bring down the

deficit. i do want to refer you to a couple of quotes were he said i was not the 60th vote. that was senator ben nelson of nebraska. actually, senator nelson ought to check with his colleague in montana, senator john custer appear. we ran an ad out there. he actually pulled out a c-span clip that showed that he was vote no. 52, i believe it was. [laughter] how dumb can you be? someone said to me, well, let me give you a direct quote.

senator nelson says, "they have got it all wrong. if you're not the deciding vote for obamacare, what number were you? but we do apologize to senator nelson if we're making him uncomfortable. but the fact is we should all say what no. we were, i guess, the senator should. but had he not voted for the bill, it would not have passed. it is that simple. many been in my state of florida, you did say you need 60 votes to pass, "any of the 59 other supporters could have been turned the deciding vote." with that, i would like to show a 30-second ad that we're running down in florida. this is what has got him a little exercise. if you will run that at --

>> * have been tough in florida appeared almost 1 million out of work. businesses are shutting down. thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure. but in washington, bill nelson supports president obama's policies that hurt taxpayers. he voted for the failed stimulus and unemployment went up. he was the deciding vote for the health care law to pay for new government programs. tell bill nelson to protect hard-working taxpayers. stop the wasteful spending. >> thank you very much. we do have a national bus tour kicking off in florida next week, the 60 + association. we will talk about these issues. >> thank you. [applause] let's wrap up this session with a little audience participation. what is the name of the organization that is our

conservative answer to aarp? >> 60 +. >> what is the number for dr. prius's bill to fix health care? all right. straight days for everybody -- straight a's for everybody. thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please

welcome to the state dr. ralph reed. ♪ >> good morning. how're you all doing? are you having fun so far? good. i am really privileged and honored to welcome our next speaker appeared senator mitch mcconnell receive his bachelor of arts degree from the university of louisville. he has all of his bases covered. he began his political career by working for a legendary john sherman cooper appeared in 1978, he was elected as the judge can and executive of jefferson county kentucky which encompasses the city of move will -- of louis middle -- of

louisville. he is currently serving his fifth term and he is the longest serving united states senator in the history of the state of kentucky. in the u.s. senate, in the federal courts, and in the court of public opinion, he has fought liberal campaign finance reform, including mccain-time goal, and it and the right of organizations like ffc 2 for lead -- to fully participate in our election and we're very grateful for his leadership on that. [applause] his pro-life, pro-family, pro marriage, a full spectrum conservative who has led the fight in the senate against the failed obama's stimulus package, against obamacare, and against obama's liberal judicial nominees. he has a perfect 100% voting

record with the faith and freedom coalition. he is married to the brilliant and lovely former director of the peace corps, former president of united way, and former secretary of labor elaine chao. he definitely married but himself. [laughter] he is the proud father of three daughters. he is the 15th republican leader in the history of the u.s. senate. and come december, after the republican caucus in the senate organizes after the 2012 elections, he will replace harry reid as the next senate majority leader. [applause] please welcome a great friend of our organization and of faith and freedom, senator mitch mcconnell of kentucky. ♪ [applause]

>> thank you very much. good morning everyone. happy to be here. i want to think -- i want to start by thanking ralph reed. he is one of those guys who does not seem to age. he has been looking like he is 18 for 20 years. thank you for your hard work, for your vision and thank you for your commitment to the causes of faith and freedom that a moment when we needed. and thank you, all of you, for coming. it is because of your participation in the process, not just now, but throughout the past few years that we have been able to keep the pressure on a president who has said he wants to fundamentally change this country.

because of the numbers in congress, we have not been able to win every battle. but the energetic participation of so many americans in the political process or the past few years helped spark a great national debate about the constitution and about the direction of our country. and i am confident that, in the end, the principles that we believe in as a movement will prevail. we just need to stay united, be confident in the rightness of our cause, and keep at it. you'll know me as the republican leader of the senate. but before i got that title, i was probably best known for a rather long and lonely fight i waged in defense of the first amendment. for most of my career, most of my work focused on political campaigns. it was not always the most popular fight. i did not win a lot of popularity contests. but in my view, an important constitutional principle was at stake. so i kept at it and i am still

at it today. the government has long overstepped its bounds when it comes to the billy of individuals and groups to express themselves freely in these moments of national decisions which called elections. but recent events give us reason to believe that it is broader than that. that is what i wish to talk to you about this morning. for constitutional conservatives especially, but for all americans, the right of free speech is the right for which all of our causes depend. if we don't have the right to organize and to speak freely, then we have lost the fight before it has even been waged. and what we have seen on the political left today is a concerted effort to live tralee undermine that right -- to literally undermine that right. the current administration has adopted the tactics of the political left as its own. they are doing the same thing. i think you'll agree that it is one thing for a left-wing activist to harass and

intimidate people for political views. it is really quite another for an administration to use the power of government to do so. that is what we are seeing. and it is something that should concern every single one of us. because these things are not only unbecoming of a sitting president, they threaten the very character of our nation. it is time for the american people to recognize this threat for what it is, unite around the first amendment and buy back. [applause] you know, there are some principles in american life better something non-negotiable. the inviolability of americans' right to free speech is one of them. a bill that grew out of the president's very public and

unseemly rebuke of the u.s. supreme court in early 2010, you may recall, with the court sitting right there in front of him. this proposed law would propelled grass-roots groups to disclose the names of their supporters. this administration claims the goal of this bill is transparency. [laughter] but the enthusiasm with which it has embraced the thuggish tactics of the left suggest that the true goal is to silence its critics not only has the obama campaign publicize the names of prominent conservatives leading to intimidation and harassment, they have doubled down on these tactics when criticized for doing it. but it's not just a campaign. as i said, these tactics extend well beyond the campaign

headquarters and the been to the government itself. news reports suggest that top white house officials have long participated in a weekly conference call with a left wing organization in washington who stated purpose is to track conservative media voices, sees on potentially offensive content, and then use it to mount corporate intimidation campaigns aimed at driving these voices clear out of the public square.

. .

we know the private sector is not doing fine. not with unemployment, the most

discouraging, around 19%. young people graduate from college and moved back, because they cannot find a job. or those that have a job but not utilizing their talents and education. the message from virginia is we envision a better future. we want to rein in deep regulators. there was a businessman from patriotic bedford county who said to me i want the government see to get off my back. that is the message we're sending to washington. it is a message from our coast that we are able to provide america with the energy to power our economy. is is the message we do not consider the government takeover of health care to be a teacup great achievement." we want obamacare repealed. [applause]

we want more affordable health savings accounts where people own their own policies and can take it to jobs and job and not have to worry about pre- existing conditions. we have set a lot of other things about obamacare. families are concerned about the cost of insurance. health-care providers and hospitals are worried as to what that is going to do to their professions. there are limits under the flux savings accounts. they are imposing new taxes on medical device manufacturers. it is such a major impediment for small businesses. as the previous panel discussed, this health care law

is trampling on religious freedom. the overreach of this has catholic organizations and other individuals saying, wait a second. this is contrary to my religious belief. this is another reason to be against this. i mentioned thomas jefferson. freedom has meant more to meet than in the summer of 2006, my mother shared with me something she had kept hidden for over 50 years. my grandfather, my middle name is a phoenix honoring my grandfather, he was ousted out of bed in the middle of the night. he was rousted by the nazis and incarcerated. i found that he was jewish and my mother had had this all of these years. it was a fear of religious print

-- persecution she was trying to protect her babies by hiding this heritage. i asked her, why did you do that? she was worried he would be treated differently and daddy would not get a job. it has brought our family closer to get there. more important, the concept of religious freedom is no longer just an light in philosophy. it is very personal when the person who raised you has the same scars and fears. that is why it is important for all of us as leaders, regardless -- if somebody else's religion is being trampled on where somebody is being persecuted, it is important for us to stand up for religious liberty. if you do not, it will be condoned in what they are doing. ladies and gentlemen, this

election and about protecting religious freedom and all of the religion will -- religious freedoms that are enshrined in our constitution. from freedom of expression, the natural right of self-defense in the second amendment, property rights, and the other part of the bill and rights, the 10th amendment or the rights and prerogatives of the states, they are the laboratories of innovation. we should trust government closer to the people rather than coke's in washington. it is about free people making decisions. it is about unleashing the free enterprise system with more competitive tax laws and reasonable regulations without having businesses stifled by the heavy hand of government. it is about the freedom to use our energy resources for more jobs and national security and keeping our money here in the

united states. it is about the freedom to choose our doctors and get the best quality health care rather than have bureaucracy ration net. it is about protecting the right to work without paying union dues as a condition of having a job. folks and my fellow patriots, 2012 is our rendezvous with destiny. it is our time for choosing. freedom and opportunity for all hangs in the balance. thank you for caring about your family, your country, and the beacon of liberty, the world is better off. thank you for blessing our country with people of your character and integrity. with you standing strong for freedom, we will win in virginia and america will begin to stand once again. thank you very much.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the national coordinator of the patriots. ♪ >> you know when a country is in trouble, you can see it in the headlines in italy, spain, and greece today. they are in trouble and they are facing bankruptcy. there are two economists who have studied government and economy is over the last 800 years and they have found that when a country's debt hits 90% or higher of the gross domestic product, that country begins to

have severe economic consequences. 800 years. let me make sure you understand come at 800 years of history. last week, the budget office released a numbeis sang our debt was around 75%. they failed to mention here were not including the inter- department government debt. when you include that, in december of last year we hit 100%. 100%, 800 years of history. you do not see the headlines or listen to economist to understand this because you see it when a friend loses their job or a neighbor has a foreclosure sign. or a family member files bankruptcy.

you are seeing it and experiencing it every day and personally. it is happening in big cities like detroit. give me a second while i look at these numbers. in detroit, the unemployment rate, 16.9%. in atlanta, ga., a 10.8%. las vegas, 12.4%. it is not just in big cities, it is also in smaller cities like fresno, california, 16.4%. anderson, indiana and, at 10.8%. right here in washington, the unemployment rate is 5.5%. the people in washington, d.c.

are out of touch with the suffering we see when our families and friends. they are either out of touch or they are incompetent or unable to provide solutions to the problems our country is facing. but there is good news. the values of tea party patriots and the values of so many of you who have actually been to or support of the tea party movement, they are for constitutionally limited government and free markets. our values can solve the problem that america is facing. we need to make sure between now and november that we are creating a mandate with our fellow voters that when they go to vote to they are not just voting for people but they are

voting for principle. we need to create a mandate for what we expect the politicians to do when they get into office. the first thing is balance or pass a budget. [applause] it has been over three years since the budget was passed. we need to start with passing a budget but not just any budget. we need a budget that balances, in five years or less, without raising taxes. [applause] we have to repeal, we have to get to constitutionally limited government and roll back this ever reach government we have all over the country.

we are going to do that by repealing obamacare in full. [applause] the supreme court will be making a decision in the coming weeks about the constitutionality of the legislation. regardless of what they do, we must repeal that law. if parts of its stay in place, in 20 years we will be fighting the same battles again. we cannot do that. it is strangling our country. we have to get rid of the regulations that are preventing businesses from competing. free-market and competition makes you so much stronger. we have to begin rolling back regulations that are preventing businesses from investing in preventing them from growing. we are going to do these things. i know we are going to do them

because of people like you. people like you all over this country. i just met linda from pittsburgh who is a coordinator in pittsburgh. we have a coordinator from washington state here today. in wisconsin, last week, we had 150 volunteers from around the country go into wisconsin. volunteers who went to door to door knocking on doors to get out the vote in wisconsin. it was not even their state but they took the time to do this. thousands more made phone calls. it is that kind of commitment that brings you here to a weekend like this to learn about how you can go back and implement these things in your community. gives me faith, and not hope, faith in the american people. we have a tough decision to make.

we have to decide if we are going to go the way of 800 years of history and let our country go bankrupt and give up and say it is hopeless. or, against all odds, we can fight and we can win. our country has a proven history of taking on battles that seem insurmountable. from the formation of our country, we took on the largest empire of the world. many said it could not be done but we did. we created a government, most linda to the governed, hours limit to the government. we are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. we went from a small country to one that could defeat communism in the cold war.

we defeated nazism in world war ii. our markets have created the modern world that we live in, from light bulbs to telephones, iphones to ipads, the personal- computer, google, products we use every day, are free markets created those and the competition. are what -- our values can solve these problems. i am here to say that if you stand with me and with others like your around the country, we have the determination and the boldness. we can and we will return america to a more productive, prolific, and prosperous country once again. [applause]

god bless america. thank you so much. [applause] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the coalition. >> hello, how are you? nobody is hungry here. he does not put lunch in there. did you notice that? we are going to have to do something about that. this is an honor for me to stand before you. i want to take a moment of privilege and i want to tell you something, i know what it takes to get this many people to come this far from all across america to spend time on a weekend to do something like this.

i thank you for that because it sends a message to our fellow citizens and our leaders in washington that the people of faith are not leaving the political process. amen? i am here today to introduce you to someone that i have tremendous respect for. he is from my home state of georgia and represented the sixth district in georgia. his name is newt gingrich. i am sure he does not need much of an introduction. [applause] he holds a ph.d. in european history. he is without a doubt the leading authority on the civil war, if you has read his book. you can get them on emma's on.com, by the way. i have read 19 of his books. i am not sure if there are more

but i have read 19 of them. newt is also a former college professor. he is an expert on world history he is an international expert on military issues and international affairs. and something most people do not know, newt is the longest serving teacher on the were fighting course for major generals. that is a big deal. sounds like somebody we need helping run the country. more important than any of that is that he co-off for the contract with america. remember that? that led the republican party to a victory when it captured the majority in the u.s. house for the first time in 40 years. newt gingrich, the thing i like

about him the most, and i tell my employees this all the time, you have to know how to make a plan and then most important, you have to know how to execute a plan. newt gingrich can execute a plan. contract with america. i am personally hoping then when mitt romney is sworn in as president, and newt may not want the job, but i hope he is going to be offered secretary of state. [applause] i cannot imagine a better american traveling the world, that that knows the world, can you imagine what knowing european history would do for us? having somebody who understood it? i cannot imagine a better person

to do that. please welcome a true american patriot, speaker newt gingrich. ♪ [applause] >> thank you very much. i am delighted to be back with you and have a chance to talk about where we are and where we need to go. i worry a little bit when folks like tom introduce you because halfway through, i start getting excited about hearing from the person he is describing. then i realize it is me and it is more dangerous. colistin and i are glad to be here. come because i

wanted to communicate our involvement was more than personal ambition. it was about being a citizen. the purpose of talking about faith in freedom. everything that led to ralph reed to get to engaged in building what is an important national organization. i want to commend you for the work you did in wisconsin where you played a major role. imagine if scott walker had been defeated, how much the media would have spent explaining it was the beginning of the end of the run the campaign, the beginning of the end of the right-wing republicans. we have not seen it the same exploration of what it means that all of that energy went 10. it was a fascinating day.

i knew -- i do a newsletter you can get for free at my website. the week that occurred i pointed out, you really had to wonder how out of touch the president was with reality. the president came out and talked about how the private sector was doing just fine. what we really had to do was focused on getting more money to state and local governments. the reason i thought it was fascinating was not only had the people of wisconsin come at a moderate pro-union state historical, not only have they said no, we do not more money to prop up unions, because it is taking money away from our children and our future and our economy. in addition, the very same day,

and this was not given the coverage is should have come at the same day, the eighth and 10th largest cities of the united states voted to change their union contracts. san diego and san jose. these are in california. san jose has a democratic mayor. he led the effort. in san diego, the margin was 66%. but for people who knew the -- the margin there was 70%. the president of the united states within three days of two- thirds of at san diego and seven out of 10 people in san jose, a

decisive majority in wisconsin, all of them saying, we want less government at lower-cost and barack obama gave us the obama world view, which is we americans are stupid. the lucky for us he is available. [laughter] what made it doubly fascinating for me, he went on to say that the state of local governments do not have that "flexibility" at the federal government has when faced with a decline in revenue. that means they have constitutions that require a balanced budget. therefore they are not flexible. we all know what flexible means to barack obama. it means borrowing more money.

his policy as articulated in two paragraphs the friday after the vote, it is very straightforward. nobody should be confused if he got reelected. he is for a smaller private sector, a bigger government sector, paying off the unions whatever it takes and borrowing the money from our children and grandchildren. that is obama's vision of a successful economy and he does this with obamacare. he did not care that they lost to teddy kennedy's seat in massachusetts. if you ever thought of getting sent a signal, there is an old story about the man who was down a long the bayou and began to flood.

the local police can buy and said, you know, this is going to be bad. you should come with us. he said i trust in god. the flood kept building and he was driven up to the second floor. the coast guard came by in a boat and said, i trust in god. he ended up standing on the roof. a helicopter came by. they yelled, we are here to take you. no, i trust in god. finally he was standing on the chimney. the water was up to his neck. he looked up to the sky, he said god, i trusted inou. a voice said, i sent you a car, a boat, the helicopter, what more can i do to get your attention? [laughter] [applause]

i thought of the story because i thought when the people of massachusetts took teddy kennedy's seat to elect scott brown, in a race in which obamacare was the issue, that any reasonably rational person would have said oh, all but there is a signal. there was a signal. it was not the republicans winning the house the was amazing. they won 680 state legislative seats and had 25 democrats have more now republican leaders led -- legislatures. i would have thought that might have been the signal. he would have thought wisconsin, a san jose, and san diego would

be a signal. this is a man who is sufficiently confident of the uniqueness of his gift to the that he is impervious to incoming information. [laughter] you know, he campaigned in 2008 on the slogan yes, we can. that he is running this fall on the slogan why we couldn't. [laughter] [applause] so, i think there are profound historic reasons to believe this may be the most important election since 1860.

i said that the other night in georgia. we had a great rally for mitt romney. i was very grateful to the county's carried. we decided we're still going to visit the other counties. we do not hold a grudge. but to make wittman =-- meg whitman and i were together. if you think of that nightmare of an obama second term, romney's first term would be a dream by comparison. i really mean this. take the question of federal judges. the gap between a mitt romney choice resembling somebody like the current chief justice, scalia or thomas, and an obama

choice is the difference between somebody who believes in the american constitution and as one left-wing justice said south africa is a better model. talk about being out of touch with reality. you know how far you have to go to save the american constitution is inferior to the south african constitution. that was a direct quote. i start with this idea this is a big deal. it is a big deal of more than just the presidency. one of the lessons is if you do not have the house than you do not have the senate under our constitution, it is very hard to get things done. it is important, those of you who live in states that have senate races this year or friends in states with senate races, those senate races are very important.