disagreements, stick together in this great challenge of our time. my friends in the democratic party, and i'm fortunate to call many of them my friends, assure us they share the conviction that winning the war against terrorism is our government's most important obligation. i don'tt doubt their sincerity they emphasize that military action alone won't protect us, that this war has many fronts, in courts, financial institutions, in the shadowy world of intelligence, and in diplomacy. they stress that america needs the help of our friends, to combat the evil that threatens us all. that our alliances are as important to victory as is our armies. we agree. and as we've been a good friend to other countries in moments of shared perils, so we have good reason to expect their solidarity with us in this struggle. >> [applause] >> that is what the president

believes, that is what the president believes, and thanks to his efforts, we have received valuable assistance from many good friends around the globe, even if we have at times been disappointed with the reactions of some. i don't doubt the sincerity of my democratic friends and they should not doubt ours. >> [applause] our president will work with all nations willing to help us feed this scourge that afflicts us all.

war isn an awful business. the lives of a nation's finest patriots are sacrifice d. innocent people suffer. commerce is disrupted. economies are damaged. strategic interests, fueled by years of state craft are endangered. however just the cause, we should mourn for all that is lost when war claims its wages from us. but there is no avoiding this war. we tried that. and our reluctance cost us dearly. >>s [applause] >> and while this war has many components, we can't make victory on the battlefield harder to achieve so that our diplomacy is

easier to conduct. this is not just an expression of strength. it is a measure of our wisdom. that's why i come into my country -- the reelection of president bush -- >> [applause] >> and the steady, experience, public spirited man who serves as our vice president, dick cheney. >> four years ago in

philadelphia, i spoke of my confidence that president bush would accept the responsibilities that come with america's distinction as the world's only superpower. i promised he would not let america retreat behind empty threats, false promises and union certain diplomacy. that he would competently defend our interests and values wherever they are threatened. i knew, i knew my confidence was well placed when i watched him stand on the rubble of the world trade center with his arm around a herof of september 11th, and in our moment of mourning and anger, strengthened our unity and our resolve by promising to right this terrible wrong and to stand up and fight for the values we hold dear. >> [applause]

>> we promised our enemies would soon hear from us and so they did. so they did. he ordered american forces to afghanistan and took the fight to our enemies and away from our shores, seriously injuring al-qaeda and destroying the regime that gave them safe haven. he worked effectively to secure the cooperation of pakistan, a relationship that's critical to our success against al-qaeda. he encouraged other friends to recognize the peril that terrorism posed for them, and won their help in apprehending many of those whhoo would attack us again,

and in helping to freeze the assets they used to fund their bloody work. after years of failed diplomacy and limited military pressure to restrain saddam hussein, president bush made the difficult decision to liberate iraq. >> [applause] >> those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war, but there was no status quo to be left alone. the years of keeping saddam in a box were coming to a close, the international consensus that he be kept isolated and unarmed had eroded to the point thated many

critics of military action had decided the time had come again to do business with saddam, despite his near daily attacks on our pilots, and his refusal until his last day in power to allow the unrestricted inspection of his arsenal. choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war, it was between waras and a graver threat. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. >> [applause] >> not our political components, not -- and certainly not a disingenuous

filmmaker who would have us believe -- >> [chanting four more years] >>

>> [applause] >> chanting four more years] >> that line was so good, i'll use it again! certainly a disenagain uous filmmaker who would have us believe -- my friends, who would have us believe that saddam's iraq was an oasis of peace, when, in fact, it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves, and prisons that destroy the lives of the small children inside their walls. >> [applause] >> whether or not saddam

possessed the terrible weapons he once had and used, free from international pressure and the threat of military action, he would have acquired them again. my friends, the central security concern of our time is to keep such devastating weapons beyond the reach of terrorists who can't be dissuaded from using them by the threat of mutual destruction. we couldn't afford the risk posed by an unconstrained saddam in these dangerous times. by destroying his regime, we gave hope to a people long oppressed, that if they had the courage to fight for it, they may live in peace and freedom. >> [applause] . most iortantour efforts may affect a region that has

ver known peace or freedom or lasting stability that they may some day possess these rights. i believe as strongly today as ever, the mission was ssary, achievable and noble. [applause] for his determination to undertake it and unflagging resolve to see it to a just end, president bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration. as the president rightly

than we were on september 11, but we are not yet safe. we aot yet safe. we are still closer to the beginning than the end of this fight. we need a leader with the experience to make the tough decisiand the resolve to stick with him, a leader who will keep us moving forward, even if it's easier to rest a this president will not rest until america is stronger and fer still. and this hateful inequity is vanquished. heas been tested and risen to the st important challengef outime and i salute him. i salute his determination to make this world a better, safer, freer place. he has not wafered. he has not clinched from the

hard choices. he will not yield and neither will we. i i said earlier that the sacrifices in this war will not be shared equally by all americans. the president is the first to observe, most of the sacrifices fall, as they have before, to the brave men and women of our armed forces. we may be good citizens, but make no mistake, they are the very best of us. [applause] it's an honor to live in a

country that is so well and so bravely defended by such patriots. may god bless them, the living and the fallen, as he has blessed us with their service. for their families, for their friends, for america, for mankind they sacrifice to affirm that right makes might; that good triumphs over evil; that freedom is stronger than tyranny; that love is greater than hate. [applause] it is left to us to keep their generous benefaction alive, and our blessed, beautiful country worthy of their courage.

we should be thankful -- for the privilege. our country's security doesn't depend on the heroism of every citizen. but we have to be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf. we have to love our freedom, not just for the material benefits it provides, not just for the autonomy it guarantees us, but for the goodness it makes possible. we have to love it as much, if not as heroically, as the brave americans who defend us at the risk, and often the cost of their lives. [applause] no american alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of september 11. that day was the moment when the pendulum of history swung toward a new era.

the opening chapter was tinged with great sadness and uncertainty. it shook us from our complacency in the belief that the cold war's end had ushered in a time of global tranquility. but an absence of complacency should not provoke an absence of confidence. what our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. it cannot be taken from us. it can only be surrendered. [applause] my friends, we are again met on the field of political competition with our fellow countrymen. it is more than appropriate, it is necessary that even in times of crisis we have these contests, and engage in spirited disagreement over the shape and course of our government. we have nothing to fear from each other. we are arguing over the means to better secure our freedom, and promote the general welfare.

but it should remain an argument among friends who share an unshaken belief in our great cause, and in the goodness of each other. we are americans first, americans last, americans always. [applause] let us argue our differences. but remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them. our adversaries are weaker than us in arms and men, but weaker

still in causes. they fight to express a hatred for all that is good in humanity. we fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is invincible. keep that faith. keep your courage. stick together. stay strong. do not yield. do not flinch. stand up. stand up with our president and fight. we're americans. we're americans, and we'll never surrender. they will. [applause]

>> in florida, a hurricane warning has been issued and governor rick scott has declared a state of emergency. republican officials have announced they are canceling monday's convention events in tampa. they will resume on tuesday. vacationers are being urged to leave the florida keys after -- as tropical storm isaac and stairway after haiti and cuba. watch gavel-to-gavel coverage of the republican and democratic conventions live on c-span, your front row seat to the conventions. next, neil armstrong testifying before a senate committee on the future of space flight. after that, the weekly addresses by president obama and kentucky

senator rand paul. >> what i like to watch on c- span is the live coverage of the debates on the floor. news shows tend to be a lot of talking heads, not what is actually going on in the process, and that is what i like about it. the fact that it is stripped of that later, telling us what is happening on the floor of the house in that moment and giving us that insight into how the process actually works. >> c-span, created by america's cable companies in 1979, brought to you as a public service by your television provider. this weekend on the book tv, beginning sunday at 4:00 p.m. eastern, "afterwords" interview

with juan williams. >> if they thought the president was not going to be a strong defender of human rights, free trade. i think those statements have emboldened those who find us all weekend enemy. >> later in the book "the real romney," a reporter explores his early years in charge of the winter olympics and his early years at bain capital. >> tomorrow, 2012 republican presidential candidate ron paul holds a campaign rally at the university of southwest florida. our tv coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> i think our job is not to

ask questions. >> julia goldman first covered in 2007. obama >> it is trying to get answers out of him. that is how i approach my job. i am not looking to catch when it jay carney does the press briefing, i am not looking to catch jim. it is really just trying to get information. >> more sunday it 8:00 on q&a. >> the first man to walk on the moon, neil armstrong, has died. a family member says the former astronaut's died after complications from cardiovascular procedure. they landed on the moon july 20,

1969. as he stepped onto the lunar surface, he said "that is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." he was 82 years old. he and jean cernan testified in 2010 before the senate on the future of space flight. this is about an hour and 10 minutes. >> all right. the panel will be seated, please. and the press will finish with their obligations. [laughter] a want to welcome -- i want to

welcome -- i want order in this hearing room. and jake, you will enforce it. somebody turn the lights back on. or maybe not. maybe we can keep them off. i want to welcome mr. neil armstrong, the commander of apollo 11. capt. eugene cernan, the commander of apollo 17, and norman augustine, who i have known for many years, and the chairman of the human space flight committee. we will start with you mr. armstrong -- we will start with you, mr. armstrong. and pulled up and turn the button on. no. >> turn it on. how about that? >> that's good. >> that's good.