political battles. the house has only four republican defectors. they have retained a united front. one of the things so far, is you don't see a lot of republicans that will lose this election with the ryan budget. >> we will be working with both of you -- we will be reading both of you on hotline and "politico." thank you for being with us. >> thank you. >> next speeches from past elections. >> today republican national convention chairman joins us for a preview of the republican convention in tampa, florida. it contains a look ahead at the

daily schedule as well as the process and rules of the convention. we will also to chief correspondent dan ball. that's at 5:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> i think our job is not to ask -- >> julianna goldman became a white house correspondent in 2009. >> it is trying to get fair answers out of him. that's how i approach my job. i'm not looking to -- when jake harding had a press briefing, i was not really trying to catch him, it is really more trying to ask the questions. >> more with julianna goldman on

tonight's "q & a." >> the nominee was former actor ronald reagan. his running mathe was -- running mate was george herbert walker bush. the joe lewis arena, 1980.

>> thank you. thank you very much. thank you. ♪ thank you. thank you very much.

[crowd chanting] thank you. thank you. >> you are singing our song. well, the first thrill tonight was to find myself for the first time in a long time in a movie on prime time. [cheers and applause]

this, as you can imagine, is the second big thrill. mr. chairman, mr. vice president to be, this convention by fellow citizens of this great nation with a deep awareness of the responsibility conferred by your fruft, i ack -- your trust, i accept your nomination for the presidency of the united states. [cheers and applause] i do so with deep gratitude.

and i think i might interject on behalf of all of us, our thanks to detroit for the warm welcome and hospitality. [cheers and applause] i thank you for your whole hearted recommendations with regard to george bush as a candidate for vice president. [cheers and applause] i have been proud of our party tonight. this convention has shown to all america a party united with positive programs for solving a nation's problems. a party ready to build a new consensus with all those across the land that share a community of values embodied in these

words -- family, work, neighborhood, peace, and freedom. [cheers and applause] there was no argument here about the goal. as president i will accomplish a layson with the -- liason with the 50 governors to encourage wherever it exists, discrimination against women. [cheers and applause] >> i will monitor laws to ensure

their implementation. more than anything else, i want my candidacy to unite our country. to renew the american dream and sense of purpose. i want to carry our message to every person who is a member of this community of shared val use. values. regardless of religious affiliation. we face a disintegrating economy, a weakened defense, and an energy policy based on the sharing. the major influence of this campaign is the direct moral responsibilities of democratic party leadership in the white house and in the congress for this unprecedented calamity which has bee fallen us. [cheers and applause]

they tell us we have done the most that can be done. they say our nation is passed its zenith. they will tell you that the american people can no longer cope with their problems and the future will be of few opportunities. my fellow citizens, i utterly reject that view. [cheers and applause] the american people are the most generous on earth. we have created the highest standard of living. we are not going to accept the notion that we can only make a better world for others by moving backward ourselves. and those who believe we can

have no business leading this nation. [cheers and applause] will not this great country destroy itself under mediocre leadership that drifts from one crisis to the next eroding our national will. we have come together here because the american people deserve better from those to whom they have entrusted our highest office. we stand united. we stand united in our resolve to do something about it. we need a rebirth of the american tradition of leadership at every level of government and in private life as well. the united states of america is unique in world history because it has a genius for leaders.

many leaders on many levels. back in 1976 mr. carter said "trust me" and many people did. now many of those people are out of work. many have seen their savings eaten away by inflation. many on fixed incomes, especially the elderly, have watched their purchasing power go away. and today a great many that trusted mr. carter wonder if we can survive the carter policies of national defense. "trust me government" asks we concentrate our hopes and dreams on one man. that we trust him to do what's best for us. well, my view of government places trust not in one person or one party, but in those values that transcend persons and parties. [cheers and applause]

the trust is where it belongs. in the people. a responsibility to live up to that trust is where we belong, in their elected leaders. that kind of trip between the people and their elected leaders is a special kind of compact. 300 years ago in 1620 a group of families dared to cross a mighty ocean to build a future for themselves in a new world. when they arrived at plymouth, massachusetts, they formed what they called a compact. an agreement among themselves to build a community and abide by its laws. this single act, the voluntary binding of free peemed to live under the law set the pattern of what was to come later. later the descendents pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to found this

nation. some for fitted their fortunes and their lives. none sacrificed honor. [cheers and applause] fore score and seven years later, abe lincoln called upon the people of america to renew their dedication and their commitment to a government of, for, and by the people. isn't it time to renew our con pact of freedom? to pledge to each other all that is best in our lives? all that gives meaning to them for the sake of our beloved land? together, let us make this a new beginning. let us make a commitment to care for the needy, to teach our children the virtues handed down to us by our families. to have the courage to defend

their values and the willingness to sacrificfor them. let us pledge to restore in our time, point american spirit of voluntary service, of cooperation, of private and community service, and a history that flows through our nation. as your nominee, i pledge to you to restore to the federal government the capacity to do the people's work without dominating their lives. i pledge to you a government that will not only work well but wisely. my duty will be to impose an immediate freeze on federal

policies. [cheers and applause] then we are going to enlist the very best minds from business, labor, whatever, to conduct a detailed review of iffer department, bureau, and agency that lives on federal appropriations. [cheers and applause] we will enlist the help of every politician that wants this as much as the rest of us go. -- dofment -- do. i know many of them are demoralized as a result of failed policies.

we will remind them that government programs exist by the american taxpayers and are paid for with money earned by working men and women and programs that represent a waste of their money out of their pocketbooks. they must have that waste eliminated or that program must go. [cheers and applause] it must go by congressional order where possible. everything that can be run by state and local government we will turn over to state and local government, along with the

funding sources to pay for it. we are going to put an end to the money merry-go-round where our money becomes washington's money to be sent by states and cities exactly the way the federal bureaucrats tell us it has to be spent. [cheers and applause] i will not accept the excuse that the federal government has grown so big and powerful that it is yooned the control of any president, any administration or congress. we are going to put an end tot notion -- to the notion that the american taxpayer exists to fund the federal government. the federal government exists to serve the american people. [cheers and applause]

on january 2020, we are going to reestablish that truth. also on that date we are going to initiate action to get substantial relief for our tax paying citizens and actions to put people back to work. none of this will be based on any form of monetary tinkering. we will simply apply what we use in our daily lives.

work and are at the center of our lives. the foundation of our freedom. we can't support families unless they have jobs. we can't have jobs unless the people have both money to invest and the faith to invest it. americans are bearing the biggest tax burden in our nation's history. we are taxing ourselves into economic exhaustion and stagnation. this must stop. we must restore sanity to our economic system.

i have long abdicated a 30% reduction in income tax rate over a period of three years. [cheers and applause] this tax reduction would begin with a cut which the congress and i have already proposed. it would go a long way toward easing the heavy berd on bsh burden on the american people. but we should not stop there. with appropriate priorities, during each fiscal year for my presidency, i would strive to go further. this would include improvement in taxes so we could stimulate investment in order to get plants and equipment replaced. [cheers and applause]

put more americans back to work and put our nation back on the road to being competitive in world commerce. we would also work to reduce the cost of gross national product. [cheers and applause] the first task of national leadership is to set realistic and honest priorities in our policies and our budgets. i pledge that my administration will do that. i am reminded that every major tax cut in this century has strengthened the economy, generated renewed productivity and ended up energies of the government by creating more jobs and commerce among our people. the present administration -- [applause]

the present administration has been forced to play follow-the-leader with regard to a tax cut. in this election year we must take with a proverbial grain of thought any advice from those that have already given us the greatest tax increase in our nation's history. let those in leadership give us tax increases and tell us we must also do with less, have they thought about those who have always had less, especially the minority? this is like telling them that just as they step on that first wrung of the ladder of opportunity, the ladder southbounding pulled out. that may be the democrats' message to the minority, but it won't be our message. [cheers and applause]

ours will be, we have too move + it is time to put america back to work. to make our cities and towns -- make our cities and towns resound with the confident voices of men and women of all races, nalt nationalities, and faith and bringing home a pay check they can cash.

[cheers and applause] so for those without skills, we will find them a way to get new skills. for those without economic opportunities, we will stimulate new opportunities, particularly in the inner cities where they live. for those who have abandoned hope, we will restore hope and we will welcome them to an international crusade to mep help make america great again. [cheers and applause] when we move from domestic affairs and cast our ease abroad, we see an equally sorry chapter in the present administration. the soviet combat brigade trained in cuba just 30 miles from our shores. a soviet army invadse afghanistan. america's defense strength is at its lowest in a generation and

the soviet union is quickly out-pacing us in arms. our allies turn to us for leadership and fail to find it. more than 50 of our fellow americans have been held captive for over eight years, eight months by a dictatorial foreign policy to hold us up for ridicule to the world. they seek to confound our resolve. but we are given weakness when we need strength. vascillation when we need certainty. the carter administration -- regardless of what happened yesterday and tomorrow. you and i live in a real world where disasters are overtaking

our nation without a response from washington. this is make believe, self-defeat, and above all, transparent hipocracy. [cheers and applause] for example, mr. carter says he supports the volunteer army, but he let military pay slip so low that many of our enlisted personnel are eligible for food stamps. and just recently, after he fought all week against a proposed pay increase for our men and women in the military, he then helicoptered out to the carrier of the u.s.s. nimitz and told the crew of that ship that he advocated better pay for them and their comrades. where does he really stand now that he's back on shore? [cheers and applause]

i'll tell you where i stand. i do not favor a peace time draft. [cheers and applause] but i do favor pay and benefit levels that will keep men and women in our vunti tearorces. [cheers and applause] that with an active reserve trained in case of emergencies. you know, there may be a sailor at the helm of the ship of states, but the ship has no

rudder. who is not embittered when the administration handed a major prop gand why vid -- major propaganda video to israel's -- and then claim -- who does not feel a growing sense of unhe's as our allies, facing repeated inquiries by a confused as mrgs reluctantly feel america is unwilling to fulfill its obligations as the leader of the free world? who does not feel alarmed that the question is no longer should we do something, but do we have the capacity to do anything?

[cheers and applause] the administration is seeking your endorsement for four more years of weakness, indecision, mediocrity and inspence. no american should vote until he or she has asked is the united states stronger than it was 3 1/2 years ago? is the world a safer place in which to live? it is the responsibility of the president of the united states in working for peace to ensure that the safety of our people cannot successfully be threatened by a hostile foreign power. as president, fulfilling that responsibility will be my number one priority. [cheers and applause]

we are not a war-like people. quite the opposite. we always seek to live in peace. we resort to force with great reluctance and only after we have determine it is absolutely necessary. we are awed and rightly force -- rightly so by the forces of destruction. neither can we be naive. four times in my lifetime america has gone to war bringing its young men to the beachheads, the fields of europe, and the jungles and rice paddies of asia. we know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, it is when they are weak.

we simply cannot learn these lessons the hard way again without risking our destruction. [cheers and applause] . we must always stand ready to negotiate in good faith, ready to pursue any reasonable avenue that holds forth the promise of lessening tensions and furthering the prospects of peace. but let our friends and those

who may wish us ill take note, the united states has an obligation to its citizens and to the people of the world never to let those who would destroy freedom dictate the future course of human life on this planet. i would regard my election as proof that we have renewed our resolve to preserve world peace and freedom. this nation will once again be strong enough to do that. this evening marks the last step--save one--of a campaign that has taken nancy and me from one end of this great land to the other, over many months and thousands of miles. there are those who question the way we choose a president,

who say that our process imposes difficult and exhausting burdens on those who seek the office. i have not found it so. it is impossible to capture in words the splendor of this vast continent which god has granted as our portion of this creation. there are no words to express the extraordinary strength and character of this breed of people we call americans. everywhere we have met thousands of democrats, independents, and republicans from all economic conditions and walks of life bound together in that community of shared values of family, work, neighborhood, peace and freedom. they are concerned, yes, but they are not frightened. they are disturbed, but not dismayed. they are the kind of men and women tom paine had in mind when he wrote--during the darkest days of the american

revolution--"we have it in our power to begin the world over again." nearly 150 years after tom paine wrote those words, an american president told the generation of the great depression that it had a "rendezvous with destiny." i believe that this generation of americans today has a rendezvous with destiny. tonight, let us dedica ourselves to renewing the american compact. i ask you not simply to "trust me," but to trust your values-- our values--and to hold me responsible for living up to

them. i ask you to trust that american spirit which knows no ethnic, religious, social, political, regional, or economic boundaries, the spirit that burned with zeal in the hearts of millions of immigrants from every corner of the earth who came here in search of freedom. some say that spirit no longer exists. but i have seen it -- i have felt it -- all across the land, in the big cities, the small towns and in rural america. the american spirit is still there, ready to blaze into life if you and i are willing to do what has to be done, the practical, down-to-earth things that will stimulate our economy, increase productivity and put america back to work. the time is now to resolve that

the basis of a firm and principled foreign policy is one that takes the world as it is and seeks to change it by leadership and example, not by harangue, harassment or wishful thinking. the time is now to say that while we shall seek new friendships and expand and improve others, we shall not do so by breaking our word or casting aside old friends and allies. and, the time is now to redeem

promises once made to the american people by another candidate, in another time and another place. he said, "for three long years i have been going up and down this country preaching that government--federal, state, and local--costs too much. i shall not stop that preaching. as an immediate program of action, we must abolish useless offices. we must eliminate unnecessary functions of government. we must consolidate subdivisions of government and, like the private citizen, give up luxuries which we can no longer afford." "i propose to you, my friends, and through you that government of all kinds, big and little be made solvent and that the

example be set by the president of the united state and his cabinet." so said franklin delano roosevelt in his acceptance speech to the democratic national convention in july 1932. the time is now, my fellow americans, to recapture our destiny, to take it into our own hands. but, to do this will take many of us, working together. i ask you tonight to volunteer your help in this cause so we can carry our message throughout the land. yes, isn't now the time that we, the people, carried out these unkempt promises? let us pledge to each other and to all america on this july day

48 years later, we intend to do just that. i have thought of something that is not part of my speech and i'm worried over whether i should do it. can we doubt that only a divine providence placed this land, this island of freedom, here as a refuge for all those people in the world who yearn to breathe freely, jews and christians enduring persecution behind the iron curtain, the boat people of southeast asia, of cuba and haiti, the victims of drought and famine in africa, the freedom fighters of afghanistan

and our own countrymen held in savage captivity. i'll confess that i've been a little afraid to suggest what i'm going to suggest -- i'm more afraid not to -- that we begin our crusade joined together in a moment of silent prayer. god bless america. host: [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

van >> we will take you inside the tampa international airport as people arrive to attend the gop convention. we will be checking into day throughout the day until about 5:00 eastern time. you can also check that out on our home page and on their convention page, c- span.org/campaign2012. we'll just take a short look here.

you can see some of the creatures waiting to help some of the people that will be attending the people attending. we are trying to bigger what will happen as the republican convention. the convention is being shortened because of tropical storm is it. officials are trying to rework this to manage four days of events in 23. they have decided to gavel this into session. they will put off all of the events until tuesday. they're making some plans to move delegates out.

isa beac has -- gained --isaac has gained some strength. if some believe it could grow into a category two hurricane as it nears the northern gulf coast. we have been taking a look back at some of the past nominating conventions. the 2004 convention was held in new york city. one of the speakers was john mccain who talked about supporting the reelection of george w. bush. aboutld take abouat that for 20 minutes. >> please welcome my friend, senator john mccain.

>> thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. i into the grateful for the privilege of addressing you. this week millions of americans will weigh our claim on their support for the two men that have led our country in these challenging times with the moral courage and firm resolve. and i began with the words of a

great american from the other party, given that his party's convention in year i was born. my purpose is not imitation. i cannot match his eloquent. but the respect for our time of his rousing gradus. an earlier generation of americans. at a time of deep distress at aspirations of liberty t millions and war clouds gathered in the east and west, franklin dele roosevelt accepted his party's nomination by observing, there is a mysterious cycle to human events. to some generations, much is given. of other general rages, much is expected. this generation of americans has a rendezvous with destiny.

the awful events of september 11, 2001, declared a war we were vaguely aware of, but hadn't really comprended how te wer tns o o emie it b tng thir. e regar of h sputg ge f e so on it'sig betig a onoodnd e >> it is a fight between right and wrong, good and evil. maybemy friends, should our enemy acquire the chemical, biological and nuclear weapons they seek this war will become a much bigger thing. so, we have come to the test of

our generation to our rendezvous with destiny and much is expected of us. we are engaged in a hard struggle against a cruel and determined adversary. our enemies have made clear the danger they pose to our security and the very essence of our culture, liberty. only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war. it will have its ups and downs, but we must fight, we must. the sacrifices born in our defense are not shared equally by all americans but all americans must share a resolve to see this war through to a

just end. we must not be complacent at moments of success and we must not despair over setbacks. we must learn from our mistakes, improve on our successes and vanquish this unpardonable enemy. [applause] >> if we do less, we will fail the one mission no american generation has ever failed, to provide to our children a stronger, better country than the one we were blessed to inherit. you remember how we felt when the serenity of a bright september morning was destroyed by a savage atrocity so hostile we could scarcely imagine any

human being capable of it. we were united first in sorrow and anger, then in recognition. we were attacked not for a wrong we had done but for who we are, a nation united in a kinship not armies, not a bureaucracy, not kings, mullahs or tyrants but the people. [applause] >> in that moment we were not different races, we were not poor or rich, we were not democrat or republican, liberal or conservative. we were not two countries. we were americans. [applause] >> all of us, despite the differences that enliven our politics are united in the one

idea that freedom is our birth right and its defense is our first responsibility. all other responsibilities come second. we must not lose sight of that as we debate who should bear the greatest responsibility for keeping us safe and free. whatever our disagreements, we must 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 trends -- assure us they share the conviction that winning the war against terrorism is our government's most important obligation. i don't doubt their sincerity. they emphasize that military action alone won't protect us, that this war has many fronts. in courts, financial

institutions and the shadowy world of intelligence and diplomacy. they stress that america needs the help of her friends to combat an evil that threatens us all. that our alliances are as important to victory as our armies. we agree. and as we have been a good friend to other countries in moments of shared peril, so we expect their solidarity with us in this struggle. [applause] >> 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 defeat this scourge that afflicts us all. war is an awful business. the lives of a nation's finest patriots are sacrificed. innocent people suffer. commerce is disrupted. economies are damaged. strategic interests shield by years of statecraft are endangered as the demands of war and diplomacy conflict. 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. >> 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 is why i commend to my country the re-election of president bush and -- [applause]

>> and the steady experience public spirited man who serves as our vice president, dick cheney. [applause] >> 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 un certain diplomacy. that he would confidently defend our interests and values wherever they are threatened.

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 hero of september 11 and in our moment of mourning and anger strengthen 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] >> he promised our enemies would soon hear from us and so they did. so they did. [applause]

>> 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 is 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 who 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 criticized 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 that 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. our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war. it was between war and a graver threat.

don't let anyone tell you otherwise. [applause] >> not our political opponents. not -- and certainly not a disingenuous film maker who would have us believe -- [cheers and applause]

>> who would have us believe -- [crowd booing] >> that would -- >> four more years. four more years. four more years. >> please, my friends. >> that line was so good i will use it again. certainly not a disingenuous film maker. [cheers and applause] >> who would have us believe, my friends, that saddam's iraq was

an oasis of peace when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty,orture chambers, mass graves and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children inside their walls. [applause] destroyed 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 threat of military action, he would have acquired them again. 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 from 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. [cheers and applause] >> most importantly, our efforts may encourage the people of a region that has never 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 necessary, achievable and noble. [cheers and applause]

>> for his determination to undertake it and his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, president bush deserves not only our support but our admiration. [cheers and applause] >> as the president rightly reminds us, we are safer now than we were on september 11. but we are not yet safe. we are not 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 decisions and resolve to stick with them, a leader who will keep us moving forward even if

it is easier to rest, and this president will not rest until america is stronger and safer still. [cheers and applause] >> and this hateful iniquity is vanquished. he has risen to the most important challenge of our time and i salute him. i salute his determination to make this world a better, safer, freer place. he has not wavered, he has not flinched from the hard choices. he will not yield and neither will we. [cheers and applause] >> 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. [cheers and applause] >> it is 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 each, that freedom is stronger than tyranny and that love is greater than hate.

>> it is left to us to keep their generous benefaction alive and our country worthy of their courage. we should be thankful for the privilege. our nation'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 or 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 sadness. it shook us from the belief that the end of the cold war ushered in a time of tranquillity. but that shouldn't provoke an absence of confidence. what our enemy sought to destroy is beyond their reach.

it can't be taken from us. it can only be surrendered. [applause] >> my friends, we are on the field of political competition with our countrymen. it is necessary even in times of crisis we have these contest he is 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 support the general welfare. but it should remain an argument among friends who share an unshaken belief that in our great cause and in the goodness of each other we are americans first, americans last and americans always. >> 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 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 are americans, we are americans and we will never surrender. they will. [cheers and applause] >> today ron paul holds a campaign rally at the university of south florida. our live coverage starts at noon eastern and television coverage begins at 3:00 p.m.. >> what i like watching on c- span is the live coverage of the debate going on on the floor. when i am flipping through the major news channels there tend to be a lot of talking heads.

i like the fact that it is basically stripped of that by showing us what is going on the house of representatives and giving us that insights into how the process works. >> he watches this. brought to you as a public service by your television providers. >> c-span cameras are stationed throughout tampa today. we are five blocks away from the tampa bay times forum. they postponed this do to is sick. people began to arrive for the convention. take a look around here. both republican and democratic conventions and getting $50

million. that money is going toward hiring armored trucks, upgrading digital software for and about 50 people were expected to arrive that could change. local police in each city get a $50 million graf from congress. they have declared the national security events.

>> this is about five blocks away from the tampa bay forum, and the site of the republican national convention. officials are trying to rearrange the events, not three days instead of four. chris christie is scheduled to give the keynote address. tropical storm i submit -- isaac is supposed to reach hurricane should drink. we're going to be continued but are preview of the convention.

we will have of date live today at 2:00est. -- and update at 2:00est. >> the debt is 49 trillion dollars. the estimate by 2020 the entire federal budget will essentially be interest on the debt. the reason we have these huge ones is because no party is able to address these problems. what mechanism is going to be played to try to address these long-term budget issues? >> i think you are right.

this has been very testing. if republicans have to fix it, both parties use tactics for trying to tackle these big issues. we should not be afraid of that. get a dialogue going in this country so we can figure out how to fix these problems. one of the things we ought to do is change the way our federal budget process works. in the last segment, you were talking about accounting. john and i agree on a lot of things. this federal budget process does not reward tackling these big issues. the to make this more enforceable, more transparent, and more accountable. there are accounting changes we

can do to bring on the books these liabilities. the way we do the accounting, if you are in american corp., you would be in jail. we do not fully recognize the liabilities we have to the taxpayers. it would make it easier for us to tackle these goals. we need to have budget enforcement. that is why i am a fan of spending caps. if congress expands the spending caps -- there is a lot more we can do to fix this. we need to fix this process. >> one of more than 400 -- his first appearance on c-span back in 1995.

we have gone back through the archives to take a look at some of the major issues in this campaign. medicare, social security, and the overall budget. has there been a consistency in his statement over the years? >> paul ryan has been very consistent. he has taken criticism for that. the only inconsistency democrats would point out is that he voted against the stimulus plan. but then sought money from that program for businesses in his district. >> he is a key committee chair. >> he has been in congress for seven terms. he has been a budget committee

chairman comment he has been any the in these big issues on medicare. he was a former staffer for the senator brown back. he knows these issues. he is only 42. he can talk at length about some of these issues. >> we will learn more about the paul ryan budget. summarize what is in the budget package and why this has become such a big part of the republican campaign. >> the big piece of it is medicare reform. he wants to make it more privatization, a private companies are competing with traditional medicare. the budget plan also has caps on social service programs. on the medicare plan, he took a lot of heat in 2011 for that medicare reform. he went to a democrat from

oregon, and change the plan, it so that the traditional medicare would not be taken out of the option that seniors would have. that is what you were going to hear paul ryan talk a lot about. he has worked with john spratt on a line item veto. at the same time, he did not support the goals and senate budget reform. member say he was not bipartisan. >> if you look at the budget and made into a pie chart, how much is defense spending? discretionary spending? more than half goes to these medicare, medicaid, social security supplement. >> they say there is no way you

can fix the budget problem because the entitlements is such a large portion. defense is well over a quarter of the budget. there is also not discretionary spending. if you look at the charge the cbo puts out, the bulk of the spending problem is dealing with entitlement programs, specifically in medicare. in the 1990's, medicare was also a problem and congress passed a balanced budget. that helped the situation. >> he was a staffer on capitol hill and he made his first appearance on this network on may 27, 1995, as a legislative aide. he talked about the budget process. >> i would like to go back to the first caller statement read this budget debate, what is this about?

this is evolving into a fundamental difference between the two parties. the republicans, we say we have to budget the -- balance the budget. it is interesting to note that the clinton's administration's budget proposal projects building more deficits. adding on top of the debt. we think we have to balance the budget as soon as possible. during a seven-year budget plan is a credible responsible to balance the budget. it increases spending at a slower rate. when the republicans were in the minority, we also offer the alternative budget plans, which did balance the budget. >> that was paul ryan in 1995. >> it shows should that even at that young age, he knows what he is talking about, he is a budget guru. attacking the sitting president as a staffer. you do not see that very often. a lot of people know paul ryan

knew he was going to send up the ranks of the gop. >> first elected in 1998. thank you for being with us. paul ryan is a policy wonk, a smart politician and highly ideological. hussy of bald or has there been -- has see involved -- has he evolved? >> in terms of his rhetoric and in terms of the thrust of his policy positions, i do not think there has been a whole lot of movement. he has always stressed the same set of issues. he has always talked in the same rhetorical terms about party thinks the republican party should go and what he thinks of the role and size of the federal government should be.

>> what shapes his views? >> he gravitated -- he is an earnest young man who gravitated towards -- as he got into college, he did not come from a super political family. his father was a fan of ronald reagan, but not really political. he gravitated towards a conservative way of looking at the world. by the time he got to college, by most accounts, he brought some of that with him. after college, when he hooked up the senate republican from

wisconsin, who was a strong supply sidejguy and jack kemp and bill bennett, everything crystallized for him in terms of his economic world view and limited government and pro- market orientation. >> he mentioned that paul ryan likes to talk about policy. there is no doubt about that. how have you seen him talking about politics. he does not like to apple length about political issues as much as a policy wonk issues. he has just been picked as vice president. how do you think he is going to handle that? >> he likes to talk about how disinterested he is in politics

and how he is a policy guide. in fact, i think he is a very good politician who does have some political acumen. i have had conversations with him over the years where the conversation will drift over politics. he has opinions about the presidential race. he will offer tactical and strategic opinions. people should not miss the political dimensions. there is paul ryan the policy guy, there is the very ideological conservative. you see reflected in his relationship with the media. he is a good communicator, good and at ease with reporters. those are some of his political skills that work. >> why the budget? what led him to propel himself to be the chairman of the budget committee?

it is a political document as well as a policy document. >> he has a certain economic orientation. he wanted to become an economist, never getting there. when he got to washington, that was his policy interests. he saw the potential to turn the leadership on the budget committee, whether it was ranking member or budget chairmen into this platform comment into this role of influence in terms of -- even though we all know the budget chair is not the person with the power. he made something of this position, which was unconventional. he made it into a forum for

projecting his view of for the republican party should be on government. >> thank you very much for being with us. the day after the president's very first step of the union address in february of 2009, paul ryan was the ranking republican on the house budget committee. he joined us to talk about the budget process. >> we're going to pass the rest of the current fiscal year. last congress did not finish the job. then we call the budget resolution. thursday, the president sent his abbreviated version of the budget. our timeline is to get this done in the first week of april. we get that done, we send instructions on their funding targets they have to hit. that occurs over the course over the spring and summer. by end of the fiscal year, these 11 appropriations bills will be passed into law. thursday starts the ball rolling.

by the beginning of april, congress should have passed the budget resolution. and then we bring all those bills back together and these things ought to be passed by the end of the fiscal year. lately, that has not worked that way. we have gone past the deadlines, past the fiscal year deadlines. today is an example. we are passing an appropriations bill today. 8.8% increase in discretionary spending. these are bills that were supposed to be passed last september 30. we are really increasing spending dramatically and that is going to hurt our ability to reduce our deficit. that is a big concern. >> let me ask you about how he is viewed by his colleagues,

republicans and democrats. >> he is respected on both sides of the aisle. chris van hollen has worked with them and gets along with him very well. he is willing to take on medicare reform, social security reform, and he will take the heat. there has been talk about him making a leadership bid. he never did that, but they have to look over their shoulder because there was a respected up and comers who was urged to run, but opted not to do it. >> how will this play out? what are republicans going to be doing? >> we have seen some of it already. what i think we will see down the stretch is social security reform. you go back to 2005, that the bill did not go anywhere.

that bill, the main sponsor was paul ryan. he was taking on a big entitlement program, it was not popular with seniors. on social security and medicare, paul ryan is going to be attacked. mitt romney knew that. the chances of major reform along the lines of what they want are not going to happen. >> thank you for being with us as we talk about congressman paul ryan and many of the evidence we have covered over the years from the "washington journal" to his policy speeches, all part of c-span's a video library. one of those events came in chicago at the economic club in which he talked about medicare. this is paul ryan may 16 of last year on the issue of medicare.

>> our budget also gets health care spending under control by an powering americans to fight back against skyrocketing costs. our budget makes no changes to those in or near retirement. it offers future generations is strengthened medicare program that they can count on would guaranteed coverage options, less help for the wealthy, and more for the poor and sick. there is widespread bipartisan agreement that the open-ended fee-for-service structure of medicare is a key driver of health care cost inflation. ask any hospital executives and it will tell you the same thing. medicare is not the train being pulled along by the engine of rising costs. medicare is the engine and the rest of us are getting taken for a ride. this disagreement is not about the problem.

it is about the solution to controlling costs in medicare. if i could sum up the disagreement in a couple sentences, i would say this. our plan is to give seniors the power to deny business to an efficient providers. [applause] their plan is to give the government the power to deny care to seniors. what our budget does, given that medicare and medicaid -- those two programs alone are the biggest contributors to it. you have to restructure how these programs work. the trustees gave us a new warning last week that medicare is going bankrupt a lot faster than we thought it was.

if we did this now, we can do it on our own terms as the country. we do not have to pull the rug under from people look already retired. people who are 10 years away from retiring are preparing for it. do not change their benefits, but in order to do that, you have to reform this program for the next generation. you have to make a solvent system so that you can cash flow the current generation. the way he did that, we believe, is not by given a panel of 15 bureaucrats the authority to micromanage medic kit -- medicare. we say, let's younger people

select among the list of medicare guaranteed coverage options. it works like this system federal employees have. you subsidize insurance. give support to the people that needed the most and less support to the people who needed the least. it helps solve our debt crisis. can this be done? i hardly think this is some radical idea. this is the same kind of recommendation that president clinton's bipartisan commission recommended in the late 1990's. it worked just like current medicare benefits for today. medicare advantage works like this. by near the supplemental insurance works like this. -- buying supplemental insurance works like this. we believe the best way to get at this issue is by giving the patient the power. a consumer directed system. hospitals, insurers, doctors compete against each other for

our business as consumers. we spend a lot of money on health care, but we do not spend it very intelligently. we need a system, where we have transparency in price, transparency in quality, so we can have apples to apples metrics comparison. i do believe you need to do it -- we subsidize people and the higher income brackets allot more. that is upside down. we want a system where the individual is in the driver's seat, not some bureaucrats. i would argue for subsidizing those with pre-existing conditions of they do not go bankrupt.

we bring more competition, more choice to the health-care sector. if we did this, i think we will be fine. we will grow the economy. we can have insurance for everybody who does not have it and we can do without breaking the bank. [applause] >> as the newly elected chair of the house budget committee, he delivered his remarks and to questions at the chicago economic club focusing on medicare, one of the key issues in this election. we're looking back at the video library. all this is available to you at any time on c-span.org. this is a significant budget issue, social security. >> what i propose is a system of voluntary personal retirement accounts. raise taxes, cut benefits, or in less and borrow more money.

there are two ways to grow the rate of return. have the government invest the money, or have personal retirement accounts for individuals. what we're talking about is not privatizing social security. we are not talking but giving people the ability to take a chunk of their payroll taxes and taking it outside the system. people are not buying this choosing stocks and bonds. under that system, people under the age of 55 will be able to take half of their payroll taxes and a personal retirement account. the rest would go to fund the current system. survivors' benefits, and disability benefits.

transition financing is a big debate, how you get from here to there. i will not go into how i propose to do that, but i have a very sophisticated plan. >> people are very interested in this topic. what happens if you are an investor who takes advantage of the option to invest separately and you get a street for the market goes down? >> under my plan, i have a safety net. we should have and maintain the social security safety net. >> no risk plan. >> if you are under 55, you'll

get what you would have otherwise gone from social security. how you guard against -- that is why we proposed a life cycle account. it changes your portfolio as you grow older. when you are younger, you will have a mix of heavy stock index funds, light on bond index funds. you are completely out of the stock market so that you do not fall prey to a down market by the time you retire. another thing that is very important, there is no 20-year time or we did not do better in social security than we're doing right now. social security is a long-term investment. part of the reason why we are

saying 55 and under it is said they have time to plan and grow their investment. at the age of 35, all i have to do is get that 1% rate of return for me to do better than i would other ways -- otherwise do. all we have to do is get a little bit better than that to do better for ourselves. i want to get to people's calls. the president says it is not about privacy but it is about ownership. >> personal retirement accounts help us choose solvency -- achieve solvency. if susan, you take a portion of your payroll taxes. that portion you are diverting over to your personal retirement account, the government is not going to get

that money. the system is off the hook to pay you that part of your benefits for those dollars because you'll get that benefit out of your personal retirement account. the system reduces the expenditures by that amount. that helps bring the system and to solvency. we are about the same age, as you would have to do a little bit better than that to break even. >> the safety net, which would guarantee me, won't that draw? >> as workers grow that fund, the safety nets is completely paid for. we can go into the financing part of all these things, but right now, over the long term,

we face a $12 trillion debt on social security. >> from march 9, 2005, paul ryan talking about social security. some of the key issues in this budget plan. earlier, we heard his comments about medicare. it was last year when he became a chair of the house budget committee. he outlined details of what is now known as the ryan plan. >> look at our historic sites of our government, right around 20% of gdp. here is the path to your on right now. this is the path the president's budget is complicity with. the size of our government is double by the time my kids are

my age. here is the spending path that this prosperity plan presents. we bring the size of government back down to 20% of gdp. we have budget enforcement mechanisms, multiple spending caps. this is how we get $6.20 trillion at spending cuts the first 10 years. let's take a look at deficit. take a look at where we are headed. we had deficits and the past. look at where we are headed with our deficits. this is where the president's budget plan is completed with. this is the path of the status quo. these are the kinds of deficits will be racking up if we do not do something to fix this problem.

here is the path we are proposing with respect to our path for prosperity. very different choice of two different features. let's talk about debt. we have had debt in this country before. people get a mortgage to buy a house. typically, you measure your debt as relative to your income. take a look at our debt. over -- we if that had been before. that was temporary. then went back down. it would down to reasonable levels but look at what the congressional budget office is telling us is our future of debt. this red ink is gone to destroy our economy. we know we are giving the next generation a lower standard of living. we asked the cbo to tell us what the future of the economy looked like. they ran a computer model stimulating the economy forward. the models break in 2037.

they cannot conceive of the time in which the economy can continue past that moment because of this burden of debt. this is our debt path. we get this paid off. that is the future we want for our children. we believe we have been more responsibility to put the kinds of controls and reforms in place to keep this country growing. we need job growth. we need economic growth. we ask the heritage center for data analysis to review this

budget. they use the global inside model. here is what the results show. this plan result in faster economic growth. $1.50 trillion in additional economic growth over a decade. 1 million jobs next year to be created under this plan. the unemployment rate goes down to 4% in the year 2015. in the last year of this budget, we're kicking greeted creating 2.5 million new jobs in the private sector in that year alone. it also predicts higher wages. it also predicts higher family income, nearly $1,000 per family per year result from the better economic growth this plan for prosperity presents. this is a plan for prosperity. when you take a look at the choice of the two futures we have, we can either choose the red line, a sea of debt and deficits, or we can choose that green line, or we face up to

the challenges confronting this generation now to give our country a better future. we've always had a legacy or each generation -- where each generation cakes on challenges of the next generation is better off. we are not going to be giving our children a better standard of living. we know we will not make them better off. that is a fact that is not daunted by any independent fiscal expert. we owe it to our country in kids to fix this problem. what of the worst experiences i've ever had was in the 2008 financial crash. that cottas by surprise. -- that caught us by surprise. added that resulted ugly legislation. and then we witnessed trillions of wealth of being lost. then we witnessed millions of seniors lose their savings.

and then we witnessed millions of people lose their jobs. we're still trying to recover. what if your congressmen, your president saw it coming? what if they knew was going to happen? what if they knew what could be done to prevent it from happening? but they decided not to because it was not the politics. what would you think of your president? you're a member of congress? that is where be our right now. this is the most predictable economic crisis in our history. what are we doing, playing politics? we do not need politicians, we need leadership? we believe we have a moral imperative, we got together on

the budget committee and we decided it is time to stand up and do what is necessary to fix this country. we to be honest with the american people about the problems and face. with the fact base budget. no more accounting tricks, no more accounting gimmicks. i will be happy to take your questions. >> [inaudible] >> this shows you how deep of a hole this country is then.

-- is in. what matters the most is we get this contained. this shows you the sooner you act to fix this problem, the better everybody is. the kinds of reforms we are proposing did not affect senior citizens. they did not take benefits away from people who are 55 and above. we can achieve that. what happens of the keep kicking the can down the road, we go about $10 billion into the hole. that means cuts to seniors, tax increases. we want to preempt that kind of austerity. it is gone to take awhile to dig their way out of this problem. [inaudible] >> we do not proposed increasing taxes.

if you raise taxes, can you move the numbers are there? you lose jobs, you lose economic growth. we need spending cuts and economic growth. raise taxes on the economy, you do not get the growth. we are now in the 21st century. we are in a global economic environment. in wisconsin, we're competing with people from india and china. the only tax our businesses and at the highest tax rates, we lose and they win. >> april 5 of last year, congressman paul ryan outlines details of what is now known as

the ryan plan. from the "washington journal," his speeches in washington and elsewhere in the country, now on the campaign trail. he made his first appearance in 1995 as a staff member. three years later, he returned as a newly elected member of congress. this is from november 17, 1998. it is all part of c-span's video library as the track his career in washington and wisconsin. you can check it out anytime at c-span.org/videolibrary. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> sees spans coverage of the republican national convention continues live from tampa. -- c-span's coverage continues. this is where the convention will be held beginning tuesday. its seats about 20,000 people and about $40 million in upgrades went in prior to the convention being held. just down the street, the

building just coming on your screen, that is the marriott hotel. that is where mitt romney will be staying when he arrives in town. paul ryan is expected to revive on monday, tomorrow. hopefully is it does not intrude on his arrival. just to the right of the marriott is where the convention center is. that is worth 15,000 members of the media has set up workstations. we also have a little studio about six blocks away so we're able to bring you these programs easily. i want to show you the front page of the "tampa tribune" this morning. "isaac intrudes." there is an op-ed by former gov. charlie crist among republican,

and moving too independent. i'd think everybody discovered this this morning. but there are detours of plenty. here is a map of downtown tampa. on the road you see in red are closed. we discovered that quite a bit as we try to get through security. finally, this welcoming picture from the airport. you can see the big c-span sign at the tampa international airport as you come in the baggage claim. we will be bringing you live coverage of delegate arrivals later today in our programming. we also want to show you some of the security. they have set up a perimeter around a lot of the city, several city blocks including

the convention center, the tampa bay times forum, and other buildings. you have to have credentials. there are several different layers of security with fences all around downtown. it is quite a process to get through. the roads are closed their as well. this is where the media enters. you have to have credentials to drive into the parking grosz a couple blocks away. then you have to have credentials to get inside the parameter and credentials to get in the convention center. it is really quite a process. there are a lot of road closures and essentially a lot of confusion about everything going on. this is a live picture of some of the security around town but as we speak. we want to let you know some of

the ends we are covering as our coverage continues from tampa bay. at 2:00 p.m. eastern, we will be bringing you a live politico convention with kay bailey hutchison and reince priebus. that will be at 2:00 p.m. and is sponsored by politico. they are holding morning breakfasts with republican officials and news makers. tomorrow went 8:30 am, we will bring in the breakfast. karl rove is deep keynote speaker for that event. at 3:00 p.m., the ron paul rally at the university of southern florida begins. we will be covering that live as well.

that is that the university of south florida. we will be taking calls following ron paul's talk. the chance to react to what he has to say. that event is sold out from what we understand downfall media credentials have been given now. it is going to be a packed house at the university of south florida, 20 minutes from downtown tampa. this morning on "washington journal," david bossie as citizens united was our guest talking about money in the election and the supreme court decision. we want to show that you now. host: remind us of what your intent was with the case that when all the way to the supreme court.

guest: is a fundamental first amendment case. we were told back in 2004 and 2008 that we did not have the rights under the federal alexian wall to make and advertise documentary films about a candid it when michael moore was doing the same thing. we decided to challenge them on first amendment grounds in the victory was much more profound, but nonetheless when we took it to the court, i wanted to be able to make films and really participate in the discussion, what the first amendment is all about. the most important protection of speeches political speech. i felt it was important to be able to participate and i was not going to let the federal

government tell me that we could not do it. we were actually in the offensive position in this case. i think the federal elections commission underestimated us a little bit. ted olson, who argued my case, is a brilliant lawyer and argued my case. we have been blessed with this big victory. this week, we will have "hope and change" premiering at the republican convention this week. we are excited to roll it out over the next few months. host: if you would like to join in the conversation, here are the numbers.

how much has citizens united change the political game? does that concern you at all? guest: in has always been like that. we did not create that. i do not like the negativity that a lot of campaigns get into. i enjoy the public policy debates. when you disagree with the speech, more speeches the answer, not less. having big brother, having the government's censoring speech is not the answer. we do not necessarily agree with

everybody in america but we agree they have the right to say it. that is what our case was about. we wanted them to have the same rights that michael moorer did. host: let's go to the funds. jim in north carolina. are you with us? the go-ahead. caller: a lot of your callers call in and complain that the republicans are deceptive than they are not clear, yet so many of your democratic calls in on the republican line and pretend to be republican or ex- republican and against the the point where you cannot even listen to the beginning segment because it is so obvious. yet they claim everything else is on fair. i really applaud this fellow for the work he does. free speech is everything. if people complain about the ads

being run and the pomp and circumstance of the big conventions, then do not watch. the do not have to watch. to say they have no hope is ridiculous. thank you for doing your work. thank you for free speech. the democrats claim they want to be fair, but they want to shut down the other side. it is ridiculous it cannot get all of them stopping to call on the wrong line. host: i'm sorry you feel like that. let's get a response from david bossie. guest: is a fundamental point, and i appreciate the kind words, is that the left has always been that way.

look at hollywood. i use this as an example. will ferrell and zach galifinakis, in the "hangover," came out with this film, "the campaign." they became instant expert on campaign finance because they were attacking citizens united in the film by name. we found it interesting that you cross over into the lexicon of hollywood. aaron sorkin writes us into his hbo show "the newsroom." if will ferrell add someone telling me could not make a movie, he would be standing on a soapbox up screaming at the top of his lungs about it.

hollywood is a protected class. it is not that they do not live in reality political your personally, they did not live in reality because hollywood is protected under the media exception, just like c-span and "the new york times." they do not ever consider that the average american actually is a separate class and the federal election rules. will ferrell can do anything he wants and the editors that "the new york times" do anything they want. that is what our case was about. host: he mentions "the campaign" about -- with will ferrell and zach galifinakis. guest: i apologize for not being able to pronounced zach's last name.

we want to be able to participate in the public process. that is all we want. when the government can actually tell you that you're going to create a willful violation of the law, which is what they told us in 2008, punishable by five years in prison by account, that gets your full attention. when you are just trying to make money in advertising, it does not matter if it's political which side you are wrong. i was making a movie about hillary clinton because we knew without a doubt that she was going to be the nominee so i spent one year making a movie about hillary clinton. it looks like i've wasted my time on that, by august the ticket to the supreme court and i just felt that it was headed

wrong. host: david, independent. hellow. you were on the program. caller: we are not talking about making movies here. we're talking about free speech. we're talking about unmitigated campaign contributions by major corporations and it is destroying this country. guest: i appreciate the thought, but name one contribution by one major company. name one specific contribution by one specific company to a candidate. caller: we are not privileged to that information. guest: people think that is the case because the left is out there saying it so it becomes fact. before the citizens united case, corporate contributions

were illegal. guess what? they still are. corporations can now give to the party and c4 organizations like the chamber of commerce, but what is wrong with that? host: they can also give to super pac's. this is looking at the biggest donors, the biggest payees. we're looking at $89 million. this is one that supports mitt romney. usa action supporting obama, $34 million. we can go to the list and see you are supporting them. individuals guest:. i'm interested because i do not have that list.

most of those are rich people who may run a company but they give under their own name, not corporate. number two, these people, we know about it because they come and the companies are organizations they give to actually disclose those gifts. look. i want barack obama's organization that supports him, his super pac, that raises money from all of the left wing people in hollywood to give to him. that's terrific. american crossroads is doing the exact opposite. that is not a bad thing. the american people are very smart. they make fundamentally good decisions.

i think it is a slippery slope. host: citizens united snuffed out for voices and we're back to buying the politicians. guest: i don't even know what that means. our case was about a fellowman its advertising. obviously, the supreme court felts that mccain-fine gold was unconstitutional on even more funds than does the one we were challenging. we feel very good about the decision. look. part of the problem is congress does not change the limits. right now, the fec makes every $230 donor file. her really cares about a $250 donor? it to set the bar at $1,000, it may be a little easier because

the over burdensome nature of the regulatory scheme they set up really drowns out people from participating. that is the big issue. host: in north carolina, good morning. you were on the air. caller: thank you for c-span and also to mr. bossie for his contribution this morning. i like to the way you handled the last caller for the caller before last talking about the contributions. who could he name? that was very good. no one could name them. i do believe it is a first amendment right. bravo to you and your organization for standing up and

someone standing up for our constitution. everybody talks about it but you never see anybody doing it. one thing i would like to reiterate -- and i do not mean to get back to the last guy, but he was talking about how they will back the spending to 2008 limits on the campaigns, which wasbruptly $50 million for campaign, something along that line. of course, we know there will be more spent. the fact is, they have talked about how all of the money is frozen and no one is getting the money, but when the campaign comes along, it seems to come out of the cracks in the floor, the walls come in falls from the sky. that's all i really wanted to say. god bless america and the constitution.

guest: it's interesting. in 2008, the only person who was only adversely affected was john mccain. barack obama chose to not participate in the process and therefore he was able to spend and raise more than john mccain. if i remember correctly, john mccain was outspent almost two to one. the rnc and pro-republican groups and the democratic groups said john mccain was the only one adversely affected by it. in 2010, you had the reverse. conservatives came forward and really outspent the liberals. you know, it was definitely a -- we beat them. i just don't remember by how much. but this year, i think you're going to have a very close race, and it's going to be close from a monetary standpoint as

well. host: let's look at the numbers, campaign 2012, the types of spending that are happening, superpacs, nearly $200 million. the parties, democratic and republican parties, about $32 million. and then other includes corporations, unions, individuals and other groups, spending about $62 million. we're getting those numbers from the center for responsive politics. this guy, citizens united is not simply about making a movie.

the supreme court overreached on this decision big time. what do you think when people like -- go ahead. guest: but that's -- that's his opinion, and i appreciate his opinion. it's an opinion on the result. not on what we started with. we started with a -- what i considered a very simple approach in a first amendment case, which was about a film, about a documentary film, political film, and its advertisements. that's where we started. it was pretty -- i thought it was fairly narrow. what we ended up with was a lot broader and it pweupl a landmark decision. people can have their opinions on both sides but those are the decisions of the supreme court, not of citizens united. and so we -- i applaud their decision. but that's -- i just need people to understand it's not why we went. it's a result of what we did. but i think it's a much better situation. host: david bossie, president of citizens united. what do you think when you hear mitt romney say corporations are people too? guest: you know, he has not actually spoken a lot about the citizens united case, but i've heard -- look, you know, the supreme court has said that money is speech. you know, years and years and years ago, long before the citizens united case. and so what the supreme court did in our case was say that

corporations, a group of people who were working together, which is what a corporation is, have the same rights. and so i think that as long as corporations are held accountable -- and by the way, it is funny, and i go back to i think our first caller -- corporations are not giving. you know why corporations are not giving? corporations are not giving because they're worried about the fallout in the marketplace. you know, you don't want a sneaker company giving some politician you disagree with, then you don't go buy their sneakers anymore or a cereal company or anyone else that you might be doing business with. and fundamentally, worker's compensations are hated by people who are very conservative. not politically conservative, conservative in the way they want to retain their jobs. they don't want to be ousted over some political gift. and so you're not seeing it. and that's what i try to say to folks is, you know, some of the more or or -- or individually owned companies, like you see

donald trump, for instance, he can participate in the process, people can either stay at his hotels or go golf at his resorts if they so choose. he clearly participates and believes in his first amendment right. other than people like that, you don't see a lot of people giving corporately. you see people who are successful businessmen, giving individually, on both sides. and that's a perfectly fine way to do it. >> derek in minneapolis, joining us on our independent line. hi there. caller: good morning cspan, good morning america. host: good morning. caller: typically, i don't like more money in politics, only because what's not regulated -- you know, we get bombarded with a bunch of different advertisements from all parties and typically i don't like it just because nobody is holding

them to are they actually telling the truth about somebody else and a lot of it is personal, but what i like about this is -- and i respect you, david, and i congratulate you on your victory at the supreme court -- >> guest: thank you. caller: i like your honesty about one thing, you went for one thing and it opened up the pan dora's box for the other. what i don't agree with is i do not believe that a corporation is a person. however, they do pay taxes. so there is some speech there that they should be entitled to, and really, a lot of this, which really gets to the heart of it. is that the rebels, the democrats, have been getting this unbelievable support from the unions for years. >> that's right. >> i think the last presidential election, now, they spent like $200 million of their -- the dues they get from their workers, they spent for this political activity. now, these are people in the unions that a lot of them don't even want to contribute to these parties or to the democratic party, but they're due, so you've been very successful and

probably bugging a lot of liberals and democrats for many, many years to come. so congratulations. guest: thank you. and to be candid, that is -- that is in my opinion one of the big upsides of our victory, is that it leveled the playing field against the unions, which is why the left, why the liberals in congress, go so haywire. they had, when they controlled the house of representatives, what they considered an incumbent protection operation, which was union membership money, and an unfettered access to it. so you know, what this did is really level the playing field, by creating an opportunity for american action at work, for american crossroads, for all of these independent organizations that now are created and follow the regulatory requirements of the federal government and do things exactly as necessary. i will say to the caller, i appreciate it, i will say one thing about the tv ads.

when we make a tv commercial, we have to submit that to the television station or network that we're doing, and they have their own approval process, and if you notice on ads these days, especially independent ads, they're sourced right on screen, so it's hard sometimes to read the sourcing, but it might say roll call or it might say some vote they gave, they may say that a bill number that they voted on, but television stations have, over the last many years, several years, gotten much better at regulating their own on air tv spots and making -- and they'll send you back a tv commercial, even if you didn't do it on purpose, they'll say hey, we don't have a source on this vote, or on what you say in this statement. please source it on screen, and

so that happens. and i think people don't realize that when you see tv commercials, look for those -- look for that sourcing because it's on a lot of advertising now. host: democratic caller in oklahoma city, steve, joining us now. good morning. caller: hi, good morning, thank you for having me on. i had a question for you. this whole idea between speech being money and on top of that, corporations being people, is that what the founding fathers really had in mind? and i think about the billions that are spent on this campaign, this session, probably over a billion dollars, couldn't you make a lot of jobs with that? and i think you're just a swift vote filmmaker. -- swift boat filmmaker. guest: i have three films coming out this week, so you know, i hope any one of them is as successful as that. you know, look, this isn't the founding fathers, this is five members of the united states supreme court. that's who decided. you know, the founding fathers aren't around. i do believe that the founding fathers who believed in anonymous speech, who wrote the federalist papers, anonymously,

you know, i think that these men who are our founding fathers believed in giving their lives, their liberty, their sacred honor. and you know, it really is -- those are big ideas in this day and age where you have the hustle and bustle of today. but i will tell you, they believed in anonymous speech, they believed that political speech was the singly most important thing. they didn't say corporations are individuals, but political speech. so i think that the united states supreme court is who you're kind of directing your question at. i don't know because we don't know what they were thinking or deliberating. i do know we won, and i know we had five members of the supreme court, which by the way, the left, the liberals in congress, chris von hallens and chuck schumer who blab about our case on a daily basis who fundamentally want to limit

peoples' free speech and want to take it away, you know, they don't understand what the supreme court was doing. so i think that they are -- we should be having a conversation with them about what they want. host: he's one of the efforts by congress to fight back, their campaign, finance reform endorsed by nancy pelosi and other house recommends, earlier this month, when the house is still in session, the agenda disclose amend reform elect, it calls for legislation to overturn the citizens united case by amending the constitution to provide for public finance campaign -- campaign financing through a small donor matching program to restricting ballot access, including voter i.d. laws and disclosing nonpolitical groups, those organized as social welfare nonprofits and trade associations, to disclose their donors when they run political ads. so not elements of that relate

to citizens united, supreme court case. but what do you think about the legislation? guest: i find it absolutely ridiculous on its face, and be careful what you wish for. this is what the american people should be afraid of, and i'll be candid, because the second this became law, the very organization and organizations -- and people behind it, would then be criminally held accountable if they wanted to do again. what these people are doing is

dangerous in my opinion. they want to outlaw speech. they want to outlaw being politically active in this country. as i was talking about earlier, the class system between hollywood, the media exemption, and people without it, this is even more dangerous. this is -- in my opinion, insidious in its nature. what it's saying is a political class has more rights than the american people. and the american people shouldn't be able to participate. so these things have wide ranging -- just like our case, had a wide ranging effect. these types of things would have a wide ranging effect. so do you want to take on your local school board, your pta, do you want to take on your local county councilman, do you want to take on a federal official, do you feel you've been put upon and want to stand you and say i'm going to participate in the political process? these things would not only outlaw it, it would be criminally punishable by prison time. that's what the american people have to understand. these people want to put new jail for political speech. i find that outrageous. host: a, an independent, in louisiana, good morning. caller: good morning and thank you for c-span. i believe this gentleman does have the right to make a film, you know, if he wants to

counter something with that. i think the results of that have been very unfortunate. the idea that money is speech and corporations are people is ludicrous. and it's changed it from one person, one vote, to 1 dollar, one vote. and when you have people that have the resources to contribute a million dollars or $10 million, it's like me contributing $10, it skews the whole election, and i will point out something you said about the union contributions. i was in the union during my time as a federal employee, and we were specifically prohibited from using union dues for campaign-related things. there was a specific political action committee that i had to voluntarily contribute to for that to be used for political purposes, so i wanted to clear that up. as far as citizens united, like i say, i applaud your right for making a movie and having the

free speech and everything, but it has turned into quite a disaster for the political system. and thank you. host: connecting to what al says, mike tweets in and says money is speech, yes. the amount of money is the volume. nothing in the constitution says you get to be -- put a 1 gram limit on it or have some kind of a cap. guest: look, we have a $2500 limit right now. i think that's too low. i think if you allow people to have greater -- i have no problem with the disclosure aspect of you individually give $2500, your name shows up on a federal election report. you know, the candidate that you give it to, the organization

you give it to, if they're involved in campaigning, electioneering, have to disclose that. i have no problem with that. i think our limits are way too low. so you know, we want -- i just get back to we're about film making. that's what we were trying to do. that's why we have three films coming out this week at the convention, the hope and the change -- >> host: tom is asking on twitter about it. guest: we have the hope and change, a film on barack obama, 40 democrats and independents in the film who all voted for barack obama talking about their lives over the past four years and why they're not going to be supporting him this year. we have a film on the occupy wall street crowd, the anarchist, the people who want to destroy the very fabric of this country. we have a call, docupi on mast, and mark cuban, his firm magna is putting that out in september and then a film with rick santorum, our sacred honor, premiering at the convention as well. wee just made that with him -- we just made that with him since he's been out of the race, three different films on three completely different topics. we went to the supreme court to be able to do that. that's what we're about. making films and advertising

those films. they may be political, but that's what makes tkpwrerbg great. host: david bossie, president of citizens united and citizens united production, thank you for coming in this morning. >> we're back live in tampa where the republican you can see if this kind of a grade day. the winds are not too high yet. the rain has not yet started. there is the forum. the convention is delayed until tuesday. there is still work being done. that is a live picture from inside the tampa bay forum. our road to the white house program will originate from inside there this evening.

at the top 5:00 p.m., live from the convention floor. the chairman of the republican national committee will be two of the best. we have live cameras all over tampa for all the events of the thing continues. we want to show you a security checkpoint. much of downtown is shut down. you have to have access to shut down. you can see the security a checkpoint. there is quite a bit of activity going on. there seems to be a protest outside. it looks like a 99%ers are outside at a protest.

we also have a live cameras out at tampa international airport where the delegates are now arriving. there is a welcome desk there. there are different people greeting. you can see some of the arrivals at the airport. slow at the moment. it was more fun to watch the protests, i think. these are live pictures from the airport. i just want to assure you this picture. this is from the tampa bay times this morning. this is what going down into baggage claim looks like. this is a picture taken. c-span has put up some signs. all afternoon we have other light of events. currently going on is the ron paul rally. that is out at the university of south florida. that is 10 miles north of downtown tampa.

we want to show you a little bit of the rally and ron paul will be going live at 3:00 p.m. eastern time. then ron paul is due to speak at 4:00 p.m. eastern time. after that we will be taking your calls, getting your reaction to the ron paul rally and wrote to the white house life. -- and routed to the white house live appeared coming up, at another life of the end. this is a political forum. politico is holding a series of breakfasts with newsmakers. he will be the main speaker at the breakfast.

,verything that we're covering obie will be talking with delegates here as well. everything that we are doing here you can see all online at c-span.org. it is our convention hall. it will pop up. everything that we are covering, archival footage a cigarette is all available. we're also following tweets from other officials. you can see them right there. one thing available as past convention speeches. we want to assure you from 2000, dick cheney's vice presidential acceptance speech. [applause]

[applause]

>> thank you so much. thank you so much. mr. chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens, i am honored to be considered for the nomination and i accept it. bam bam want to say special word to president ford. i would not be here tonight if i was not for him and the trust and confidence he placed in me

25 years ago. i know all of you want to join me in wishing him a very quick and speedy recovery. i want to thank you for giving such a warm family. welcome. for our friends and wyoming, i especially want to thank you. we were privileged to make this. we graduated from high school there some 41 years ago. the love and support and enthusiasm, the people of our home state strengthens our resolve.

we are going to win this election. we will prevail. i never expected to be in this position, eight years ago when i completed my service, island loaded a u-haul truck and drove come to wyoming. i did not plan to return to public office. we settled into a private life.

but now i am glad to be back in the arena, and let me tell you why. i have been given an opportunity to serve beside a man who has the courage, and the vision, and the goodness, to be a great president: governor george w. bush. i have been in the company of leaders. i was there on august 9, 1974, when gerald ford assumed the presidency during our gravest constitutional crisis since the civil war. i saw how character and decency can dignify a great office and unite a great nation.

i was a congressman when another man of integrity lived in the white house. i saw a president restore america's confidence, and prepare the foundation for victory in the cold war. i saw how one man's will can set the nation on a new course. i learned the meaning of leadership from president ronald reagan. i left congress to join the cabinet of president reagan's successor. and i'm proud to say that i'm not the only man on this ticket who has learned from the example of president george bush. i saw resolve in times of

crisis, the steady hand that shaped an alliance and threw back a tyrant. he earned the respect and confidence of the men and women of america's armed forces. i have been in the company of leaders. i know what it takes. and i see in our nominee the qualities of mind and spirit our nation needs, and our history demands. big changes are coming to washington.

to serve with this man, in this cause, is a chance i would not miss. this country has given me so much opportunity. when lynne and i were growing up, we had so many blessings. we went to good public schools, where we had fine, dedicated teachers. our mothers, like our fathers, worked outside the home so that we could go to college. we lived in a caring community, where parents were confident that their children's lives could be even better than their own. and that is as it should be, and as it can be again.

we can make our public schools better. we can reform the tax code, so that families can keep more of what they earn, more dollars that they can spend on what they value, rather than on what the government thinks is important. we can restore the ideals of honesty and honor that must be a part of our national life, if our children are to thrive. when i look at the administration now in washington, i am dismayed by opportunities squandered. saddened by what might have been, but never was. these have been years of prosperity in our land, but little purpose in the white

house. bill clinton vowed not long ago to hold onto power "until the last hour of the last day." that is his right. but, my friends, that last hour is coming. [applause]

that last day is near. the wheel has turned, and it is time. it is time for them to go. [cheers and applause]

go! go! go! go! go! go!

[cheers and applause] george w. bush will repair what has been damaged. he is a man without pretense, without cynicism, a man of principle, and man of honor. on the first hour of the first day, he will restore decency and integrity to the oval office.

[cheers and applause] he will show us that national leaders can be true to the word and that they can get things done by reaching across the aisle and working with political opponents in good faith and common purpose. i know we will do these things because for the last five years i have watched him do them in taxes. [cheers and applause] george w. bush came to the governor's office with a clear view of what he wanted to achieve. he said he would bring higher standards to public schools, and he has. walk into those schools today, and you will see children with better scores, classrooms with better discipline, teachers with better pay. he pledged to reduce taxes, and

he has. [applause] he did it twice with the biggest tax reduction in state history. and not only is the budget in balance, it is running a surplus of more than $1 billion. [cheers and applause] he promised to reform the legal system, to get rid of journal lawsuits, and he has -- to get rid of junk lawsuits, and he has. [cheers and applause] today, the legal system serves all the people, not just the trial lawyers. [cheers and applause]

none of these reforms came easily. when he took office, both houses of the legislature were controlled by democrats, and the house of representatives still is. but governor bush does not accept all lines of argument and division. he brings people together, reaching across party lines to do the people's business. he leads by conviction, not calculation. [cheers and applause] you will never see him pointing the finger of blame for failure and you'll only see him sharing the credit for success. [cheers and applause] that is exactly the spirit that is missing from washington today. in the last eight years, that

city has often become a scene of bitterness and ill will and partisan strife. american politics has always been a tough business. even in 1787 here in philadelphia when george washington himself wondered if delegates could ever agree on the constitution. dade -- they did agree, as americans always have, when it matters most. in washington today, politics has become war by other means -- and in less onslaught of accusation. this is what bill bradley was up against and those who were before him. the gore campaign, senator bradley said, is 1000 promises, 1000 attacks. we are all a little weary of the clinton/gore routine. [cheers and applause]

but the wheel has turned, and it is time. it is time for them to go. [cheers and applause]

in this election, they will speak endlessly of rest. we will speak of progress. they will make accusations. we will make proposals. they will seek fear. we will enable whole. they will offer more lectures and legalism and carefully worded denial. [cheers and applause] we offer another way -- a better way and a stiff dose of truth. [cheers and applause] for eight years, the achievement gap in our schools has grown worse.

disadvantaged children are falling further and further behind. for all their sentimental talk about children, clinton and gore have done nothing to help children oppressed by bureaucracy, monopoly, and mediocrity. [applause] but those days are ending. when george w. bush is president and i am vice-president, tests will be taken, results will be in majored, and no child will be left behind. [cheers and applause] for eight years, clinton and gore have talked about social

reform -- social security reform, never acting, never gore have talked about social reform -- social security reform, never acting, never once offering a serious plan to

save gore have talked about social reform -- social security reform, never acting, never once offering a serious plan to save

george w. bush and i are going to change that, too. i have seen our military at its finest with the best equipment, the best training, and the best leadership. i am proud of them. i have had the responsibility for their well-being, and i can promise them now -- help is on the way. [cheers and applause]

soon our men and women in uniform will once again have a commander in chief they can respect.

[cheers and applause] the commander-in-chief who understands their mission and restores their morale. and now, as the man from hope goes home to new york -- [laughter]

mr. gore will try to separate himself from his leader's shadow. but somehow, we will never see one without thinking of the other. [cheers and applause] does anyone -- republican or democrat -- seriously believe that under mr. gore, the next four years will be any different from the last eight? if the goals tonight our country, make a fresh start in washington, change town in washington, can anyone say with conviction that the man for that job is al gore?

>> no! >> they came in together. now let us see them off together. [cheers and applause]

ladies and gentlemen, the wheel has turned, and it is time. it is time for them to go. [cheers and applause] this campaign will not be easy. governor bush and i face a real

fight. we are ready for it. we know the territory. we know the opposition, and we know what is at stake.

we will give all we have for this cause. and in the end -- in the and, with your help, george w. bush will defeat this vice- president, and i will replace him. [cheers and applause]

ladies and gentlemen, we are so privileged to be citizens of this great republic. [cheers and applause] i was reminded of that time and again when i was in my former job as secretary of defense. i traveled a lot, and when i came home, my plane would land at andrews air force base, and i would return to the pentagon by helicopter. when you make that trip from andrews to the pentagon, and you look down on the city of washington, one of the first things you see is the capital -- capitol, where all the great debates that have shaped the last 200 years of american history have taken place. you fly down the mall in see the monument to washington, a

structure as grand as the man himself, to the white house where john adams once praised that none but honest and wise men may ever rule under this roof. [applause] next, you see the memorial to thomas jefferson, our third president and the author of our declaration of independence. you fly over the memorial to abraham lincoln, this greatest of presidents, the man who saved the union, and then you cross the potomac on approach to the pentagon, but just before you settle down on the landing pad,

you look out upon arlington national cemetery. it's gentle slopes and crosses row on row. i never once made that trip without being reminded how enormously fortunate we all are to be americans and what a -- [cheers and applause] i never made that trip without being reminded of how enormously fortunate we are to be americans and what a terrible price thousands have paid so that all of us and millions more around the world might live in freedom. [cheers and applause] this is a great country, ladies and gentlemen, and it deserves great leadership. let us go forth from this hall in confidence and courage, committed to restoring decency and honor to our republic. let us go fourth, knowing that our cause is just, and elect george w. bush the 43rd president of the united states.

[cheers and applause] >> that was dick cheney in 2000 philadelphia. there is a protest going on in tampa about six blocks from the forum where the convention will be held.

>> [crowd chanting and inaudibly]tl >> outside the perimeter, this process is going on. it'll probably be happening

regularly in the week. we want to bring you our live coverage of the republican national convention. this is the 40th convention being held at the tampa bay's forum. there is the building on your screen. inside they are still getting ready. it is due to start tomorrow but that has been cancelled. now we will be starting on tuesday. a lot of live coverage coming up. we are going to be bringing you the political forum. did that will be life. ve.that will be life that will be at 2:00 p.m. eastern. at 3:00 p.m. eastern we will bring you live coverage of the rally that is held at the

university of south florida. the rally started earlier. at 3:00 p.m. we will join its. then represented paul is due to speak. we will take the causing get your reaction. this is live coverage of the rally happening. hour be live in about one and 20 minutes after the event. at 5:00 p.m. or so, road to the white house kicks off. this will be done on the floor of the tampa bay times forum. steve will be hosting the chairman of the rnc to get a preview of the convention and to talk about the upcoming campaign. that will be following the ron paul rally. that is some of our live coverage. two other conventions have been held in the state of florida.

they were both in miami beach in 1972. that was the year that spiro agnew accepted the nomination appeared here is a speech. ♪ ♪

>> mr. chairman, ladies and gentlemen, before i make these few remarks i would like to introduce my wife judy and half of my children, my oldest daughter and my middle daughter, pamela and sue agnew.

mr. chairman and my fellow republicans and my fellow

americans, i stand here with a deep improbability of this moment. last night when i faced these microphones to place the nomination, one of the truly great americans of our time, richard nixon, i honestly had no idea whatsoever that i would be back on this platform to accept this nomination tonight. obviously, i have had no time to prepare a profound message. i do want to emphasize my awareness that i have with this high office, accepting a tremendous responsibility to the party and all americans.

what can i bring to this moment on behalf of our party in the presidential nominee? perhaps a few objectives born of deep conviction. the objective to analyze and to help solve the problem of this nation without dependence on the philosophies of liberalism or conservatism. the objective to avoid the currently popular concept that the only purpose of government is to spend money. and that all spending in a good

cause is or the whether or not it will get -- is were the whether or not it would get results. that ratio discrimination and equal job opportunities must be eliminated no matter whom that displeases. [cheers and applause] i believe quite compatibly the observation that anarchy or even civil disobedience has no constructive purpose in a constitutional republic. i look forward to sharing an administration in which a president will entrust his vice

president with vital responsibilities for the great problems of this state and city. i have a strong belief that changes must be made and that the nixon administration will make those changes. i am positive that there is a better way to balance the complex relationships between federal, state, and local government that is presently being exercised. i know the federal government must work more constructively, more creatively, and more simply in meeting the problems of prejudice and poverty in our cities.

i know that there is a bright world of ideas for cities such as cultural, commercial, industrial centers and satellite cities that we're only beginning to explore. i know that america is reaching for the frontiers of space and i am for it. i know we must also treat generously be old, the sick, and the port. we must help build pride in the black community and make black americans partners in our system. i also note that more important than words in this campaign and the next administration will be the kind of action that follows

from involvement in the problems and from the closest kind of relationship with the people who are involved in the problems. i will be speaking with those who are dealing with these great problems every day with the mayors like my good friend john. the governors, the county executives. i will be searching out their views and priorities. one last word about the campaign we are about to begin. i am dedicated to a hard campaign, one that reaches into every area of the country and set of circumstances, a campaign that brings a message of change to all the people of america. that will lead from the top of

the ticket to the bottom to a great decision for change in november. [cheers and applause] i feel that the vice-president must represent more than a region. or special interests. where lot to people live is where a lot of people think. i feel more important on a national ticket in a partnership of political expediency is an alliance of ideals, more important in contrast of view is not a single focus. the american people are a great people, proud of their individuality and diversity. our strength is in unity. a unity of leadership is

imperative to restore the unity of america. unity in our relationships depends on unity of leadership. richard nixon offers that kind of leadership. i am honored to share in it. i want to assure you of one thing. as a political animal and a relatively sensitive individual who hopes he will never lose his sensitivity, i am not unaware of what took place in this great convention hall at night. i am aware that the reasons that motivated were not directed at

me in any personal sense and were merely responsive of the opinions of those that took part in nomination of that great governor of michigan in whom i consider my personal friend, governor romney. those motives or simply to provide the strongest tickets on the republican party in november. i recognize also that a vice presidential nominee does not come to be successful fruition of is domination by virtue of his personality or his attractiveness or his ability to generate a wave of enthusiasm on his own.

he comes here because he is the selection of the man who does all of those things on his own, the presidential nominee. i am privileged that the great future president of the united states, richard nixon, has seen fit to invest in me his confidence to do the job. i will not be satisfied under any circumstances until i prove to you that i am capable of doing the job for the republican party and the american people in november. [cheers and applause]

i am an unknown quantity to many of you. i can only tell you of my dedication to work with republican ticket and principles for a balance of the election. it is my hope that when i visit your state you will allow me to contribute in the way you consider most of official to that purpose we all endorse, that we all aspire to, total change to a completely republican dominated political family, county, state, city, and federal in november. >> during this weekend, we are taking a look back at past rnc

joined gerald ford joa spiro agnew. you can see it is great here. no rain yet from isaac or any related storms. not much wind appeared the convention will not start until tuesday. inside there are still some -- is still some work going on.

we will be live from inside the forum at 5:00 pm. the chairman of the rnc will be joining on our program live at 5:00 p.m. here it outside the security perimeter, there are still protesters. about 5 miles from downtown is the tampa bay international airport. that is where the delegates are a right thing. you can see they are being

welcomed. 2286 actual delegates. they are at the airport and also ron paul is holding a rally. this began quite a while ago. we will go live to that at 3:00 p.m.. we're going to take some calls after that. you can watch allf