>> she transformed the way we've looked at these bugaboos and made possible for countless people to survive and to flourish as a result. i do not know how many presidents have that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. >> at just walking around the white house>> just walking aroue house grounds, i am aware of all the women. >> "first ladies," a new series on c-span, coming in february, 2013.

>> good afternoon. a view from outside the tampa bay times forum, at the convention getting under way in one hour. the hard sell by chris christie and a soft sell by an romney -- ann romney. here is what you can expect from our coverage this afternoon, which will include a series of votes on the platform, the nomination, followed by the roll call of states, and tonight the speakers, john boehner, rick santorum, ann romney, and the keynote address by new jersey governor chris christie. the man who will be nominated at this convention departing boston this morning, writing in

camp a few hours ago. part of the strategy tonight to unveil a new side to mitt romney. he will make an appearance at the conclusion of ann romney's remarks. joining us from the floor of the forum is the national deputy political editor from "the washington post." what is the headline? duke the republicans want to take away today? >> the most important headline is that mitt romney is the nominee. they will have the vote a little bit later today. the convention will began. they officially began it yesterday, but nothing happened, and set the date will be the day when they get the attention back from the hurricane, back on to governor romney as their

nominee. there will be some other speakers tonight, the two important will be ann romney and chris christie. the focus is going to be made out here is our nominee, this connection is starting, and the rest of the week we will hear who he is as a person, business leader, father, and from their perspective, get to know him better. >> we will be talking about the things we're hearing tonight, but susan is on the floor with a familiar face. >> we are on the floor with bill harris, the ceo of the republican national convention. this has got to be the most stressful, most complicated, which a schedule that was completely up ended. what has it been like? >> we have been blessed with a

lot of people who are experienced in this convention planning, and also in production, so we have been able to pivot pretty quickly. >> the first session begins in an hour. will you tell the viewers what to expect today. >> we will make sure we are proud of the american people, we will have a thing that we built it. you will see a lot of people who will talk about why they switched parties, and nikki haley will be here, and you will hear from ann romney and governor chris christie, who will excite the crowd. >> one of the big decisions is where delegations said. how does that process work? >> it is a consensus process.

a lot of the times, the nominee or the chairman gets a preference. it is a consensus process, best kept behind closed doors. >> we hear there are a few pockets here and there of people who want to make their voice heard during the rules process today. how will the convention manage people who want to express an opinion other than the consensus opinion? >> we have people elected trying to come together to support a ticket, and that will happen. many of them come from different states and different factions in their state. what will happen today is they will come together to say we need to support mitt romney and paul ryan and defeat the incumbent. it will come together and will all work together for the greater good. >> this stage behind us, you have seen a lot of these. this year is a big year of

social media. how are you incorporating these changes? >> i think we are calling this the convention without walls. we are working with the social networks, to facebook, google, all those things, working with their partners to make sure people have the ability to communicate in meaningful ways. you will see that not only on the internet and activities in various groups, but you will see that part of the program here. >> even the speaker of the house was raising the question whether these have become too complicated. will there be a session afterward when the question is asked by party members? >> i have been in this for a long time. i would say i believe in the

convention process as an important part of the electoral process, of the party process, and if you look at the numbers, you will find more people during these two weeks will make up their mind on hui table support for president than before. it is a part of the process. it should be properly debated, but people in the final analysis will agree it needs to be continued. >> take you for talking to us. >> thank you for having me. san swain on the floor. two remarks people will pay attention to, not only governor chris christie, who will speak to -- also rick santorum. >> you have to bear in mind each of the speakers as they lined

them up and figure out what time they will talk is aimed at a particular constituency, both inside the party, outside the party, and with the actual characters involved, because there are a lot of egos involved. in the case of rick santorum, he does a lot for the party possible base. he did quite well. it looks like rick santorum could pull it off in a surprise finish. that did not happen. he has a way of speaking to the party's base that has at times been looted mitt romney. it is expected rick santorum will be somebody who can rev up the base. chris christie is in a different role. there are a lot of tea party

conservatives who like him. there are a lot of moderates and suburbanites who will be hearing him. he speaks plainly, bluntly. there have been times in new jersey when that has not played so well. when he speaks honestly addressing government spending, republicans have found that works well. i would not leave ann romney out of this mix. the campaign has gone to great lengths to the shore there are minorities speaking, to make sure there are women speaking. in recent days, trying to show within the party is talking to them and not just two comments like that of congressman taught achan -- todd akin. this will be about showing women they have a voice here at this convention. >> in a couple minutes we will highlight what ann romney and

chris christie will talk about. the overall theme tonight is you did not build that, based on comments the president made in roanoke, virginia. we will show you a portion of what he said. >> there are a lot of wealthy, successful americans who agree with me, because they want to give something back. they know if you have been successful, you did not get there on your own. you did not get there on your own. i'm struck by people who think it must be because i was just so smart. there are a lot of smart people out there. it must be because i worked harder. there are a whole bunch of hard- working people out there. if you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. there was a great teacher

somewhere in your life somebody, helped to create this unbelievable american system we have that allow you to to ride. somebody invested in roads and bridges. if you have a businees, you did not build that. somebody else did that. >> we are reminded back in 2004 when john kerry said i was before it before i was against it. will this be one of those moments? >> it is dangerous when there is one sentence that could be boiled down, and many would argue take it out of context. it is good to play the whole clip, because it could be interpreted that the president was referring to in the previous sentence. that is the context the republicans have taken it to me. if you listen to the entire quotation, and it from has said this, there are fundamental

differences between these parties between individual and collective responsibilities, and the case the president was make is there is a role in government in building roads and infrastructure. the fundamentals of having a business is something that individuals are responsible for, according to mitt romney. that is a big divide, a debate both sides are eager to have, and you will see republicans having it here tonight. whether that becomes the sentence, whether there will be a similar sentence by mitt romney, when he has said he enjoys firing people, each side has done this, and whether it will take off and be the theme of this campaign, and we have a couple more months to the. >> the tampa bay times for a beacon in to fill up. - tampa bay times for rurum

beginning to fill up. let me show you how the democrats in anticipation responded to the you did not build that theme. they are seeing to it romney, you destroy it. >> i like being able to fire people. >> under romney's watch, thousands of americans were laid off. , south carolina workers tell us what happened when bain capital took over their businesses. those firms are not there anymore. >> they brought in security guards, and said if you want a job with us, you have to fill in an application. once we did, they brought us back at reduced wages and no benefits. our retirement was gone. >> you do not just take everybody, everybody is gone, and destroy the business. that is what they did. >> i stood with hundreds of steel workers, retirees,

spouses and i was the one that to tell them the company was in bankruptcy, that their health insurance, $100 million of it was gone, their pensions were being reduced. >> what is left? >> not much of anything. speaking in and destroyed. >> we field mitt romney as a job destroyer perry, under mitt romney, a paint company -- bain capital invested in companies that sent jobs overseas. >> they took advantages of companies that were setting up call centers overseas. >> view mitt romney as a job destroyer. >> your reaction to that latest ad, the latest in a flurry of ads by both democrats and republicans using media stories

as their message. >> they love to hate the media. we get a lot of complaints, and at the same time they like they used us as the independent arbiters of the tree, including "the washington post" reporting on outsourcing. then there were did you just heard from today is not a new one for democrats. they have been saying mitt romney was a job destroyer at bain, jobs were shipped overseas, so they will continue doing that. they have done a decent job in setting that framework up for romney so far. that is something his campaign is going to try to undercut this week at the convention. they will continue on it, that that one line, i enjoy firing people, that is one -- he was not talking about his work at bain capital. he was talking about health care providers and why he does not want to be locked into a certain

system. that and his association with donald trump, whose famous line fired,."firyou are >> we want to introduce you to ann romney. in a 2006 interview with mitt romney, he talked about his wife and her illness. >> my wife comes first in our life. i love her more than anything in life. she was diagnosed with ms after our last sun was just leaving the nest. she had a bigger she needed to raise five rambunctious sons, and then she was diagnosed with ms in 1998. we went to the olympics and found a doctor there that have

done wonderful things for her. she is in great health. part of her regimen is riding horses every day. she loves to ride. she started writing. she is now one of the nation's manager dressage competitors, ranked 15th in her class in the nation. she is in great health, and her support is critical to anything i do. 2006 interview. how would you describe her? >> she flew down on the airplane today, as the romney campaign made its way to tampa. her husband is coming in to the moral support as she gets her speech tonight. by all accounts, she is very likable, very warm up.

the campaign is try to bring her out to bring a more human story for mitt romney, who's like ability rating is much less than president obama's. she tells a different story. she describes him as a human, as a husband, a father, not as a businessman, and in recent interviews she has talked about trips to costco. discussion about her elm this is what you have seen as a recurring theme in. and number of profiles have been done over the last few days. romney is portrayed as somebody who has never known hardship. extremely wealthy. her illness is something he and all five boys have talked about as being difficult on then. she is in very good shape now, but it was not always so to hear them talk about it. they are private people.

i would expect to hear more about that, not directly from their lips, but as people talk about them over the next few days. >> we have covered many events with her, including one in connecticut in which she talked about raising five boys and being the wife of mitt romney. >> and as a woman, you actually end up having done this things for so many years, taking care of the children, doing laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, all of those things, which i did, by the way. i did not have help for many years. i did not have any help at all until the fifth baby was born and i had emerged to surgery when he was four months of o ld, i realized i cannot take care of five small boys when it was working so hard. i know what it is like to finish the laundry, look in the basket,

and five minutes later and is full again. i know what it is like to get up early and get them off to school, and i know what it is like to get up in the middle of the night when they are sick, and i know what it is like to struggle at to have those concerns that all mother's hat. that all mothers have. we are appreciative in recognizing that women have choices in life, and some choices are not all the same, but we got you everyone's choice make in their profession. my hat is off to the man in this room who are raising kids. i love the fact that there are women who do not have a choice and it must go to work and have

to raise the kids. thank goodness we've valued as people, too. sometimes life is not easy for any of us. getting back to how mitt treated me, and i will tell you again, making the choice i did, which was to stay at home and be a mother, he would remind me all the time that my job is more important than his. his job was temporary. mine was gone to be for every happiness, and he believed it. he valued the, treated me as an equal partner, and we are equal partners today in everything we do. we care for each other, we love each other, and we are there for each other. that is what i am willing to go out and do these crazy things. >> ann make in april of this year, and one of the traditions of their family is the july 4 get together, the family reunion, and there is a photograph of the romney family,

the five sons, spouses, as well as all the grandchildren, a thing that will come tonight with her remarks. susan swain on the floor. , let me introduce you to a person who joined the bush said ministration and who served as the chief of staff for the first lady. also, the white house historical association board. as far as we can tell, the first time a first lady was asked to make a major address was barbara bush in 1988. you helped her with getting ready for this. how important have these speeches by the potential first lady's bid to the process? >> more and more they are becoming important. it is a unique opportunity for the purchase of this bust of the candidate to tell the story of the character of the man running for president.

to talk about them as a person of character. a family man, has been, and it helps the humanize them. that is an important role. >> some of them are political, some of them worked reticent. ann romney seems like they might be that in the latter category . >> one of the interesting things to know about her is she ran for office before mitt from the ever did. in 1967 she ran -- in at 1977 she ran for a position in massachusetts. there is a warmth to her, a natural part of her personality, that she loves people, and it makes it easier for her to do this. she has not had the steps --

missteps. >> in american politics, what is the fascination with the first family? this is the leader of the free world, but we seem to be so concerned about the temperament and character of the family. why? >> there are a couple of reasons. it is mysterious, a family in public life. do they have the same concerns we may have. what is their life really like. i know for first families in the white house, there is that mystery to what goes on behind the white house walls. this helps but it's just getting out, the purse was closest to you, getting out there and talking and defining who the individual is, where the family life has been like. it helps people connect with them, and that is important in this campaign. >> in the years you have observed the white house up

close, how is the role of first lady changing? >> we know first ladies have some reluctantly engaged in the important work of the country and been a partner to the president. more and more we have a greater expectation of how a modern first lady uses that time that she has to serve the american people. it is an unofficial position, giving you a lot of freedom. in your best, when you are sincere about things you care about, you try to bring those issues to the national stage. no longer can a first lady not have a public role, although it is important for americans to remember it is extremely important for the president for the first lady to protect the family life. >> it sounds will be impossible

for a first spouse to hold down their own job. >> it is a job serving the american people. it is probably the hardest job in the world, to have something outside of the role that you are given, as you have the privilege temporary custodianship of, it is difficult to do. if that is a choice a first lady or first spouse needs to make, the american people are good at transition and they will manage that well. it takes some getting used to, because we like having the first spouse out there helping to elevate issues, because every problem in the world comes to the desk of the american president, and the president's spouse can pick and choose on issues and shine a light on them. >> we are announcing today with a video we have posted on our website our series on first and it starts in

february, runs for twa to zero years -- for two years. i will say thank you for talking to us about the speech tonight, and to our audience. we will show you this video that will introduce you to our first ladies project. >> a thank you. >> thank you for talking to us. ♪ >> if we turn away from the needs of others, we align ourselves with those forces which are bringing about this suffering. >> the white house is a bully pulpit, and you ought to take advantage of it.

>> obesity is nothing short of a public health crisis. >> i think i had little antennas that went up and told me when somebody had their own agenda. >> there is so much influence in that office, it would be a shame to waste it. >> i think they serve as a window on the past, to what was going on with american women. >> she becomes the chief confidante. she is the only one in the world he can trust. >> many women who work first laterdies, they were writers. >> error in many cases more interesting as human beings than their husbands, because they are not first most defined by political ambitions. >> dolly both socially adept at politically savvy. >> dolly loved it.

mrs. monroe he did it. >> during the statement, you were a little breathless and it was too much looking down, and i think it was a little too fast. not enough change of pace. >> yes, ma'am. mosthe was probably the tragic of our first ladies. , she later wrote in her memoir that said i myself never made any decisions. i only decided what was important and when to present it to my husband. you stop and think about how much power that is. it is a lot of power. >> part of the battle against cancer is to fight the fear that accompanies the disease. >> she transformed the way we look at these bugaboos and made

it possible for countless people to survive and to flourish as a result. i do not know how many presidents realistically have that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. >> walking around the white house grounds, i am constantly reminded about all of the people who have lived there before and particularly all of the women. >> "first ladies: influence an image," a new series on c-span, coming in february 2013. >> like our series on american presidents, we hope you tune in starting in february for our series on the first ladies. ann kornblut, a question on

whether we will have a first spouse in the near future. >> i would have thought after two dozen 8 that it would be on the horizon. -- after 2008 that it would be on the horizon. sarah palin would not be its. a lot of people think hillary clinton could be a safe bet to run in 2016. although i cannot believe that we would talk about that right now. i think i would not be surprised if there are other women who start to think about running, a younger generation, that might run. it is possible, but i thought it was possible this time and did not happen. when not put any money on it yet. >> the morning began with the president coming before cameras discussing the situation along the gulf coast, a presidential statement, alerting local officials say in fema and

other resources will be available. republicans are not -- >> it is interesting, the sitting president does not always campaign when the other party is having its convention, and they have chosen to do so. it will be interesting to see how they use the levers of power. he has to continue to be president. political blackad moment issue that he is taking care of the store. he will also be campaigning. both sides will have to at least keep in mind what is happening to residents in the gulf coast if and when the storm hits. no one wants to look like they are partnering -- partying while

people are suffering. >> what could happen tomorrow if this storm -- if there is damage, if there is destruction -- how will the rnc change course? >> they have reserved their options, but apart from canceling the first day yesterday, and shifting some stuff around, they are seeing it will proceed as planned. they will wait and see what happens. this storm has been a moving target. they will wait and see what happens. i would expect here a lot of prayers and thoughts for the residents of the gulf coast in people's remarks as they talk. there have been some cancellations, florida governor , the governor of louisiana, and it will be that kind of adjustments, and until we see what happens with the storm, i will be surprised to see a lot of major changes.

they have to have the show go on. >> that chairs we have been hearing, as congressman ron paul entering the 4 haforum. >> there are a lot of young voters, ones you love him, taking pictures of him, and he came in with his same smile he had, and he has become a cult hero in the party. there is some talk of his followers being disruptive today, during the roll-call vote. they may have reached a compromise. >> what we can expect with the governor chris christie. we covered him at the reagan library where he talked about his own background. let's watch a little bit from the floor.

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] a sense of what is happening about 25 minutes before the gavel comes down. governor chris christie is the keynote address, and we covered him at the reagan library. here is a sampling of his style. >> in new jersey, you have seen divided government that is working. to be clear, it does not mean we do not have arguments or acrimony. you have semite youtube videos. there are at serious gimmickry you have seen my youtube videos. here is what we did. we identified the problems. we proposed specific means to

fix them. we educated the public on the dire consequences of the inaction. then we compromised on a bipartisan basis to get results. in other words did what government is supposed to do. we took action. that is what people expect. how did we do this? through leadership and compromise. the ship and compromise is the only way you can balance the two budgets without raising taxes, while protecting core services. leadership and compromise is the only way you perform in new jersey's penchant that was collectively $121 billion underfunded. leadership and compromise is the only way you can cap the highest

property taxes in the nation and cap the arbitration award for public employees of some of the most powerful public sector unions in america at no greater than 82% increase. we have done this because the executive branch has not sat by and waited for others to go first to suggest solutions to our state's most difficult problems. being a mayor, governor, being a president means leading by taking risks on the most important issues of the day. that has happened in trenton. we have done this with a legislative branch held by the opposite party because it is led by two people who have held the interest of the state higher

than the interests of their caucus, and that is why i call them my friends. we have helped to set a tone that has taken hold across other states. a powerful message -- lead on the tough issues by telling your citizens the truth about the depth of our challenges. tell them the truth about the difficulty of the solutions. this is the only effective way to lead america during these troubled times. >> the comments of governor chris christie, the keynote address tonight, which will be available on our website, c- span.org. ann, let me wrap up with you. a point made today, no one can mess with that new jersey attitude. what can we expect? >> we will see some of the humor you just heard in the remarks he just played. he is obviously very candid. he is not your typical

politician. he has got a great sense of humor. i would expect him talk about what it is to be a governor. but romney has been a governor. what it is to try to work in a bipartisan factioshion. he was somebody who was considered for the vice presidency. he is somebody who has been close to the romney campaign at times, not as close as paul ryan, and in some ways you will hear him as a stand in for some of the leadership qualities that the campaign would like to argue that but from a book project if he were elected. >> ann kornblut, thanks for taking off our coverage here on day two. security is tight inside and outside that tampa bay times for rum. -- forum.

susan swain is on the floor. >> i am with matthew katz, and he has done 8 christie chronicles blog for the newspaper there. >> were you surprised with his selection as the keynote speaker? >> not at all. in my mind it is either vice- president or keynote, likely keynote. he is -- he knows how to handle and microphone better than anybody in the republican party right now, and that is what republicans tell you. the guy knows how to fire up an audience. he can talk hilariously. he has a wide range of abilities. >> you were telling me about a poll your newspaper ran. >> christie not only has 50%

populated, but far higher than the governor of pennsylvania and more people know him. there is better familiar herrity -- familiarity in pennsylvania than there and governor. that is an indication of his national prominence. competing with another popular figure with the ron paul folks behind us. you have chronicled how effectively governor christie's team has used social media. >> of course, twitter. it is not common for the governor do for start firing back on critics on his own at home, just because that is the way he is. this week they launched a blog

page. they started a special twitter account for the keynote, said there is a number of ways they are doing this, and also youtube. he has over 5 million the views and a is known for his encounters with constituents and reporters, and some of them are gruff encounters. that is a huge reason why he is so well done. >> he has been making speeches in town to different delegations. how do you expect him to use the speech tonight? >> he has a few things he will want to do. he has to introduce himself. he has a political future. we believe he has designs on the presidency and self, and this is a big moment to do that.

-- himself, and this is a big moment to do that. he is telling obama is a chicago-style politician. he will say obama is a failed leader and he is not bipartisan. christie talks about this. he has a democratic legislature, and he has been able to work with them on major initiatives. hebl say -- and that will give him an opportunity to talk about himself again. >> how do you expect him to handle the fall campaign? >> he has been to about 15 states raising money. hebl continue to do that through november. that helps round, but it also helps him because it increases his profile. >> i have been reading some left

of center analysis about the so- called new jersey merkel. with these kinds of publications suggesting it is a fiction of his creation, that in fact there's no economic miracle happening in new jersey. what is the real status of the near jersey -- of the new jersey economic state right now? >> the credit rating has been downgraded. the governor will tell you he has added jobs. there is some economic development projects that he is giving tax breaks to, i get a casino in atlantic city that is now possibly going bankrupt. he has been in for less than three years. the story is still -- has not been completely told. to say there is a comeback would not be correct. the governor has clarified this week. he has clarified that, saying we are on our way to a comeback.

he knows how to catch these things. >> people want to follow him on their blog. how do they do that? thank you for talking to us. >> as the delegates arrived, a tradition at these conventions, including hats. and we will be seeing many of those. this is a hockey arena that has been turned into a political stage. there are a number of checkpoints for people to get through in order to get inside the arena. we went to the c-span3 archives to get a sense of past keynote addresses, including a former governor of new jersey, also a former democratic senator from georgia, and the former mayor of new york city. here's a sampling. >> liberal democrats believe

washington should manage dreams for all americans, and republicans believe americans should have the freedom to achieve our dreams ourselves. republicans believe that if liberty is threatened anywhere, it is threatened everywhere. and we as republicans will never turn our backs on the "refus nik" in the soviet union, on the black student in south africa, or in the brave tatum fryers in -- the brave freedom fighter

in nicaragua rot. when it comes to defending america, a george bush knows best. and dan quayle is not so bad either. all i can add is one warning -- democrats will try to talk tough, but do not be fooled. they may try to talk tough like harry, they will still talk like pee-wee herman. >> he is not a slick talker, but he is a straight shooter, and where i come from, deeds me not to a lot more than words. -- deeds mean a lot more than

words. i have found a god-fearing man with a good heart and a spine of tempered steel. the man i trust to protect my most precious possession, my family. this election will change forever the course of history, and that is not any history. it is our family's history. the only question is how, and the answer lies with each of us, and like many generations before us, we have got some hard choosing to do. right now the world just cannot afford an indecisive america. selfs indulgence will put at risk all we care about in this world. in this hour of danger, our

president has had the courage to stand up, and this democrat is proud to stand up with him. thank you. god bless this country, and god bless george w. bush. >> his rice is remarkable in its own right. it is that -- his rise is remarkable in its own right. it is the kind of thing that can happen only in america. but he has never run a sitter, never run a state, has never run a business, have never run a military unit, he has never had to lead people in crisis. he is the least experienced

candidate for president of the united states in at least the last 100 years. not a personal attack, a statement of fact. barack obama has. -- barack obama has never led in the thing -- lead to anything -- led anything. >> rudy giuliani and former new jersey governor tom kean. tonight the focus will be on ann romney and chris christie. >> i want to introduce you to a massachusetts delegate. this is your very first dimension. what is your impression >?

>> it has been exciting. it is great to be here. >> how did you become a delegate? >> i was attracted to the republicans because of ron paul. he motivated me to get more involved. one thing led to another, and i decided to run in my home district to represent the people in my town as a delegate. hopefully affect some of the platform discussions and that sort of thing at the convention. >> how has that process than from the inside out? >> i opening. we had some struggles with our delegates. the ron paul supporters were not the cherry pick candidates for delegates that mitt romney would have liked to have come here. a lot of the delegates were kicked out for some bogus reasons, and there were provisional ballots that got thrown out. we had our issue is.

in the end we ended up working out a compromise where they gave back some of our delegates. it was eye opening to see how the establishment controls things, and if he did not -- and if you do not toe the party line, it can be tough. >> will you vote with the party line with an open heart? >> my responsibility is to help nominate romney today, but come november i am not convinced. at the end of the day there are three candidates that will be on the ballot in all 50 states. the other guy is gary johnson, a libertarian. and i am considering voting for him. there is some time to do more thinking. >> they did work in a lot of the

police i have in the platform. i do not think they have to follow that part form -- that platform once they are and actions. , and would like to see some actions. maine had all their governors it out, and their governor is boycotting their convention. i wish they could be more inclusive of this growing libertarian group within the party. i would like to see some more inclusive nature, and a big item for me would be our wars overseas. >> we are out of time, and what is starting soon, the whole discussion of delegates on the party platform and the rules, so we will see what happens. thank you for talking to us, and enjoy your first to match. >> we will have live coverage getting under way at the top of the hour. omneys are arriving

tonight. >> i have loved george bush almost since the day i laid eyes on him. i realize that one not get him a lot of votes, so let me explain why i respect him. first of all, george was there when the children needed him. by now, you may be getting tired of hearing all the important job stores has held, and he has. all those jobs as demand a tremendous energy and commitment from him. do you know what i respect about

george? in spite of all those jobs, our family has always felt an enormous part of his life. the children and i have always felt as important as the work he is doing, and this has given our children confidence. i remember i called george one day when the boys were small and i said, i am desperate, i do not know what to do. in trouble again. he just hit a ball to the neighbor's upstairs window. george said, wow, what a hit. >> speakers at the convention remain at this in post the best at this imposing podium. tonight i would like to break tradition. i will be speaking to friends, and set me, i will be speaking

about the man i love, and it is just a lot more comfortable for me to do that down here with you. thank you. for the last several days, a number of men and women have been painting a remarkable -- >> as the spouses of the nominees speaking on behalf of their husbands. live inside the tampa bay times forum. will watch the scene inside the forum as c-span's gavel-to-gavel coverage gets under way.

>> delegates and alternates, please give a warm welcome to the chairman of the national freemintz ofyan agreemen wisconsin. >> this convention will come to order. [cheers and applause] >> delegates and alternates, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the 2012 republican

national convention. would everyone please rise for the presentation of the colors. the colors will be presented by the color core of the knights of columbus, headquartered in new haven, connecticut. let's give them a warm welcome. [applause] forward march. calller dollar -- color guard help. left base. -- left face.

>> please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem, and the invocation. >> thank you. it is my privilege to introduce him babcock, a former club owner of montana and world war ii vetran and tom hogan to leave it in the pledge of allegiance. please give both of these american heroes of warm welcome.

-- a warm welcome. [applause] >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. into the republic, for which it stands, one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> a nationally recognized singer, please welcome bu phililp alange to perform the

national anthem. ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hail at the twilight's last gleaming. who is a broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, for the were so we walk whiclost gallantly streaming. , thehe rockets' red glare

bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. o say does that star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of thethree, and the homfree, andf brave ♪ [cheers and applause]

>> offering today's invocation, please welcome rabbi mayer sulavechi. [applause] >> please remain standing and join me in prayer. -- meir soloveichik. proclaim liberty throughout the land until all the inhabitants thereof. today this biblical verse is emblazoned on the liberty bell, which embodies american independence. we americans unite faith and freedom in asserting that your

liberties are your gift, not that of the government, and that we are in doubt with these rights by you, our creator. not by mortal man. [applause] you have called us to be a beacon of freedom to the world, and an ally from three countries from the state of israel, an island from would restore -- liberty, democracy, and hope.

so america can remain a begin of in freedom for generations to come. amen. [applause] >> please remain standing while the coloreds as are retired. >> forward march.

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the chair has an important announcement to make so we may proceed under the current schedule. to enable the chair to be certain any offer or roll call

the man has met the necessary requirements, the chair would like to put the delegates under notice that under house rules the chair must be provided in advance with satisfactory with a majority of each of the necessary numbers required by the rules. this written confirmation is consistent with the practice and precedents during the previous conventions with similar announcements as well as the written use of certificates for the presentation of the names for nomination. forms have been provided for the use of delegates to assist and facilitate meeting the necessary requirements of the rules. also, the chair would like to know the recommended roles from the convention committee on rules and order of business require that notification of evidence of written support necessary to present the name of the candidates with the nomination of office of president vice president of the united states must now be submitted to the secretary of

the convention no later than one hour prior to the placing of names for the candidates for nomination. the chair now recognizes the lieutenant governor of iowa, tim reynolds for the purpose of reading the call for the convention. please give her a warm welcome. [applause] >> to the republican voters of the united states of america, in accordance with their roles of the republican party, adopted by the 2008 republican national convention, on september 1, 2008, in minneapolis, st. paul minnesota, and amended by the

republican national committee on august 6, 2010 that. the republican national committee here by iraq's that the national convention of delegated house of representatives of the republican party be convened in tampa, fla., no earlier than 9:00 and no later than 7:00 p.m. eastern daylight savings time on monday august 27, 2012, and to continue their after from day to day for so long as baby necessary for the purpose of nominating the candidates for president and vice-president to be voted for at the presidential election on tuesday, november

6, 2012, and for transaction of such other business as may properly come before it. fed convention membership and procedures will be governed by the rules of the republicans -- republican party as set forth herein. think you. -- thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. the chair now recognizes the delegate from georgia. >> my name is vivian child from the state of georgia. i move that further reading of the call be dismissed with and the secretary be instructed to incorporate the call at this point in the convention

proceedings with the same force and effect as read in fall. to go without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on agreeing to the motion to distance of the reading of the call for the convention and that the call be made part of the permanent record of the convention. all those in favor will signify by saying aye. those opposed will signify by saying no. the ayes have it in the motion is agreed to. the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair states pursuant to rule 42 of the rules of the republican party is adopted by the 2008 republican national convention and incorporated in the called rule #25-42 shall be the temporary rules of the convention. and team reynolds, secretary of the national republican convention has presented the chair the temporary role of the delegates. the temporary role will be

referred to in the committee on the credentials. ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the convention to elect its temporary chairman. this is pursuant to the authority granted to me by the republican national committee, i nominate as temporary chairman of the convention, but hon. mitch mcconnell of kentucky, senate republican leader. [applause] all those in favor of electing a leader mcconnell as temporary -- temporary chairman signify by saying aye. the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair announces that the following individuals have been named as the escort committee for the temporary chairman. the hon. wayne chow of kentucky. the hon. rand paul of

kentucky. [applause] the hon. john corning of texas. and robert duncan of kentucky. the chair has been presented for the september offers of the convention as prepared and recommended by the republican national committee. the chair now recognizes the delegates from idaho. >> mr. chairman, tom luna representing the great state of idaho and ask for immediate consideration. resolve that officers recommended be approved and elected as temporary officers of the republican national convention. >> without objection, the previous question is order. >> the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor will signify by saying aye.

in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair now recognizes the delegates from california. and >> i offer the following resolution and asked for immediate consideration. and resolve that the following committees are hereby appointed, a committee on credentials, a committee on permanent organization, a committee on rules and order of business, and a committee on resolutions. each committee consists of one man and one woman delegate from each state, american, samoa, the district of columbia, guam, the uerto ricoreland, p

and the caribbean islands. the persons represented from the various publications whose names are filed with the secretary pursuant to rule 41 shall constitute said committees in the readings of such person shall be dispensed with and published in the proceedings of the convention. mr. chairman, this is an important resolution, and i urge adoption. >> thank you. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor signify by saying aye. the ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

guides with blue signs will be there to direct you to your meeting room. you will gather on the floor between the connecticut and california delegations located to my far right. fights with green signs will be there to direct you to your meeting room. -- guides with green signs will be there to direct you to your meeting room. there will be there on the floor between arkansas and missouri delegation is located to my direct left. guides with yellow signs will direct you to your meeting room. the chair instructs the meeting of the platform committee, the meeting of the resolutions, to gather between north dakota and georgia delegation is directed to your -- to my right.

guides with red signs will be there. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back our chairmen. >> ladies and gentlemen, fellow republicans, it is my distinct honor to welcome you to the 2012 republican national convention. here we will nominate mitt romney and paul ryan to be the next president and vice president of the united states of america. [cheers and applause] but first, i would like to offer our thoughts and prayers for the safety in the pathway of the hurricane.

on behalf of our party, let me extend our sincere gratitude to the people of tampa. we're just thrilled to be here and humbled by your hospitality. thank you. [applause] think you to the tireless work of our convention staff and volunteers, this will be an inspiring three days, a convention truly worthy of the next president of the united states. from this stage, we will hear from some of our party's most inspiring leaders. with us and the entire country, they will share their stories and our vision for a better future. we have a message for america, a left mitt romney and paul ryan, and able to get this country working again. -- elect mitt romney and paul ryan and they will get this

country working again. restore the idea that every person in america can restore the american dream. we embrace success, and we want everyone to be successful. as we gather here, the nation we love is a country in turmoil. 23 million of our fellow americans are struggling for work. families are hurting, wages are shrinking. the debt is rising. just to make sure no one forgets, we have installed two big debt clocks to remind america of obama's fiscal recklessness. [applause] we have seen what obama and biden offer. it looks nothing like hope for change. give them another term, and we will just get four more years of

failure. with mitt romney is experience and paul ryan's expertise, we can expect great things. and we must send america's comeback team to washington, so the middle class can thrive, wages can rise, and our children can succeed once again. and [applause] republicans believe america's greatness comes from the american people, not the federal government. [applause] but barack obama thinks the government is that the center of the economic universe-- is at the center of the economic universe. he thinks if you build the

business, you did not build that. how would he know? president obama has never run a company. he has not even run a garage sale or seen the inside of a lemonade stand. [applause] so it is time, it is time for our president real experience in the real economy. mitt romney will be that president. [cheers and applause] barack obama and his party may be satisfied with attacking the american dream, but republicans will not be satisfied until we have rebuilt the american dream. [applause] we will fight for a future where government spends tax dollars wisely. where every american has the education needed to succeed.

where energy is a portable because america is energy independent, and where the middle class is growing because incomes are rising. and we invite all americans who believe our children deserve a better future to join us. a victory for the mitt romney/ paul ryan ticket is a victory for america. i want to welcome you to our convention and to the beginning of a better future. thank you. god bless you, and we will have a great week. [applause] ♪ \ >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the distinguished code- share of the republican national

committee sharon day. >> absolutely. think you. welcome everyone to my home state of florida, and we're so honored to host you. i am honored to serve as your republican national committee co-chair. [applause] every election we hear this is the most important election of our lifetime. this election is more than that. this election is the most important election in our nation's life time. [applause] absolutely. in 1775, our founding fathers rose up to establish our liberty. today we need to defeat of president whose actions threaten

our liberty. in [applause] in this way, we are in a similar position as our founding fathers, just as there were called upon, we are being called upon. what they started, what they believed in, we must now defend. [applause] the danger for america is already here. it is in the form of the democrat leaders in washington. we have a democrat senate leader who refuses to meet his moral obligation to pass a budget for our government. we have a democrat house leader that would not allow a major piece of legislation, obama care, to be read it before it was passed. she stated, and i quote "we have

to pass the bill, so that you can find out what is in it." we have a president that has bypassed the senate confirmation process in order to appoint toccountable bazaaczars enforce laws on american citizens. a president that has changed immigration laws, imposed unconstitutional burden on our state, and issued over-reaching regulation. we know the problem, america. their names are obama, biden, pelosi, and holder. what they have done and will continue to do runs contrary to the values we believe in and the principles we stand for.

it is our duty as citizen activists of this great republican party to fight to restore the values of our founding fathers. my fellow members, this fight is not just about an election. it is not about our party. our fight is about our country, and we cannot lose this battle. [applause] our founding fathers made huge personal sacrifices for what they believed in. the time is now before us to do the same. -- for us to do the same. i am a proud, a grass-roots activist. today we need as many grass- roots activists from all walks of life and throughout this

great nation to stand with us. the sacrifices we make and will make are nothing compared to the sacrifices our children and our grandchildren will face if we do not take back this country on november 6 by electing mitt romney and paul ryan. [applause] we must take this election house by house, precinct by precinct, city by city and state by state to bring our proud conservative message of mitt romney and paul ryan to every voter in america . cheers and applause]

let's commit all that we can to help this ticket. together let's make history. together let's defeat barack obama, and together let's save our country for the next generation. [nothank you. god bless each of you. god bless our proud military and their families, and may god continue to bless the united states of america. godspeed. ♪

♪ ♪ what 10 that make me feel this way? my girl, my girl, talking about my girl. my girl ♪ yearning ♪ much ♪

["my girl" playing] ♪ ♪

["my girl" playing] ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> delegates and alternates,

please give a warm welcome to bob buckhorn, mayor of the great city of tampa. [applause] >> to the chairman and my fellow americans who have traveled from every corner of this great country to be here today, and thank you for the honor of hosting the 2012 republican national convention. your faith and trust in us is much appreciated. and now, today, and thank let me tell you just a little bit about my city. we were built by people who worked hard and dreamed of big. immigrant families who came here from germany, spain, italy and cuba. there were cigar rollers, port workers, cattle rustlers.

today we are in a city that represents all that is good about america. we are leading florida out of the recession. unemployment is hard and decline faster than anywhere else. we are one of the fastest cities -- fastest-growing cities in the country. we have been called one of the best cities in america to do business. we are attracting some of the best and brightest young people who want to be a part of the technology industry. we're curing diseases on the cutting edge of science and health care. and tampa remains proud to be home and the ki the hitheadquarf central command and central operations command. [applause] i can tell you with certainty that we are open for business and ready to embrace all that the future holds.

as my year, i stand here today-- as mayor, i stand here representing an extraordinary group of law-enforcement personnel, fire and police, and thousands of local volunteers who have worked hard to make this a good convention for you. each of them proud americans excited to be part of the democratic process, and eager to tell tampa's story to the world. i trust you will fall in love with our city, just as i do every day. have a great week in tampa. god bless, and god bless america. and [applause] applause]d ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, sharon day. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, i have a great honor today to let the

convention officials of know how very much we appreciate all the tireless work they have done to make this event a reality. any convention is a massive undertaking, requiring management and direction of hundreds, if not thousands of people. i would like to give special thanks to all of the volunteers, security and staff who have braved the elements in the past few days. let's all please express our gratitude with a round of applause. [applause] i am very pleased to be able to introduce our convention ceo, bill harris. he has been involved in countless republican conventions, and without his expertise and energetic commitment, this convention would not be what it is today. so on behalf of all of us, bill,

thank you. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the convention ceo, bill harris. [laughter] [applause] [applause] >> thank you, and welcome to the 2012 republican national convention. we are pleased to be in the great state of florida, especially right here in tampa bay. i have had the privilege of living and working here for over a year now, and i am confident you will all enjoy your visit here this week. there are quite a few people that of an instrumental in getting us to this point. first of all, gov. scott, thank you for welcoming us into your states. thank you fororn, welcoming us into your community. the people have been gracious, and we appreciate your hospitality. i would like to acknowledge the

hard work and dedication of the .nc team while there are far too many people to thank everyone individually, i would like to think of 106 members of this that, the thousands of volunteers and acknowledge the chief operating officer, mike miller, who has been the foundation of our efforts. [applause] this is the third convention of ofve had the privilege running. i believe the convention is an important part of the important institution, not just for the candidates or party but for our democracy. right now our men and women in uniform are around the world stand in defense of our freedom. our right to select a leader of our own choosing is one of the most important freedoms their work to uphold. this convention is a critical step in that convention process.

convention will enable governor mitt romney and rep brian paul to communicate their vision for the country with the people. l ryan to communicate a vision for the country with the people. and i trust you will not only enjoy the next three days, but you will appreciate the important role you are playing in our democratic process. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chairman of the tampa bay host committee, al austin. [applause] >> good afternoon. it has been my pleasure to serve as the chairman of the 2012

tampa bay host committee. on behalf of the community, we welcome you here, and we're really glad you are here. and you may know that we were finalists for the last two conventions, which ultimately went to new york city and then to minneapolis and st. paul. apparently the third term is a charm. with more than 15,000 members of the media here from around the globe, i am pleased that tampa bay will no longer be the best kept secret in the world. for me to stand on this stage in this city is a realization of a longtime dream. there has not been a convention for either party in the state of florida since 1972.

that same year i was a delegate for the convention in miami beach, and i have been a delegate or alternate of every convention since then. [applause] i have been working hard at building my community and creating jobs and opportunity for the tampa bay area. having you all here in this forum will have a significant impact on the future of our region. because you chose us, thousands of people have it the opportunity to get to know our people, our businesses, our attractions and food. you are creating jobs for caterers, waiters, taxi drivers, and so many more floridians, and you are filling up hotel rooms that often sit empty after the

summer tourist season ends and families head back with their children to start school. so thank you for stimulating our economy. hundreds of volunteers have spent countless hours to prepare for the next few days. we trust that you will enjoy our city and hospitality, and that most important, that you come back often. thank you for interesting us with a great honor of hosting the 2012 republican national convention. [applause] >> the chair now recognizes the delegate from the state of north carolina for the purpose of

offering a resolution. madam chairman, i offer the following resolution and ask for immediate consideration, resolve and that we the delegates and alternates to the 2012 republican national convention and knowledge up with this expression of gratitude and appreciation, the excellent performance of the officers of the 40th republican national convention, the work of the members and the staff of the committee on arrangements, and those in the greater tampa/st. petersburg area who welcomed and peopleed us, the and officials of the people of tampa and state of florida. the tampa host committee 2012, thousands of volunteers and the members of the news media, all

of whom contributed to making this convention of great success. madam chair, at this is an important resolution, and i urge its adoption. >> thank you. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question on the adoption of the resolution, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. all those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the resolution is adopted. the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. since our last meeting four years ago in minneapolis st. paul, the republican party has lost a number of friends and leaders who have left their mark on the history of our party, our

nation, and the world. we would like to take a moment to remember them. while we were not able to include everyone we of lost on the list that is growing on the video, we still remember them, and we still thank them. i would like to take a minute to read for you the names of several of those who have served us all so well, and ask for silence in the hall as we pay tribute to the memory of some of our lost leaders. dave bitmore,a andrew biepart, edward dirwinsky, kenneth gen, alexander haig it jr., mark t, field, harold guy hunt

william jacksolowe, jack kemp, robert mossbacker sr., charles percy, william bart fasagsbee, ted jr, malcom walub. ladies and gentlemen,

ladies and gentlemen, the distinguished chairman of the national republican congressional committee, congressman pete sessions of texas. [cheers and applause] >> good afternoon. i am piece sessions, a congressman from texas and chairman of the national republican congressional committee. i am delighted to be here with our team. our delegates to every day help fill the gap in every community across this country as we stand up to make barack obama a one- term president. [cheers and applause]

in 2008 i declare we would retire nancy pelosi, and abundance of laughed. i travelled the country commuting -- recruiting community leaders who were concerned about the future of america under the nancy pelosi /barack obama regime. together we did retire nancy pelosi, and we brought common sense to the house by placing the gavel firmly in speaker boehner's hands, however, the fight did not stop there. the republican message that one as the majority in 2010 of implementing free inner sides -- free enterprise policies that create jobs and repealing obama care will continue to allow each of us to grow our house majority, take back the senate and make mitt romney the next president of the united states. [applause] we have a diverse group of

competitive candidates this cycle also. our lead salesman that will boost the mitt romney/paul ryan ticket. these candidates, many of whom you will hear from shortly, have the will to win. they are here to beat the big government democrats. thank youthank you for all you p us fight for the american dream. thank you, and god bless america. >> running to represent the ninth congressional district of california, please welcome ricky gill. >> good afternoon. my name is ricky gill, and i am

humbled to stand before you as a proud son of california's san joaquin malik. my parents emigrated from india and africa, with a strong desire to pursue their american dream. we work hard in the valley, and we are proud to live there. today, we face crippling unemployment and foreclosures. even the bankruptcy of stockton, our largest city. none people leave or drop out of school to help their families make ends meet. our friends and neighbors are suffering. but the valley is a cautionary tale of failed policies, not

lost ambitions. no one in this country dreams of dependency. no one hopes for mediocrity. we are ready again to seize the nature of our ambitions, not because the government says we can, but because we believe we can. we need a new generation of leadership to chart a path, the fight for policies that create jobs, rather than red tape. and to help small businesses succeed, rather than helping green energy companies fail. like you, we valley folks are tough, independent, and faithful, and we are ready to rebuild our american dream. thank you, and got us america. -- and god bless america. 23rd district,

please welcome congressman canseco. >> the afternoon. -- good afternoon. i represent the 23rd district of texas. mitt romney and i share a very simple belief, we owe our children a much better future. we owed them a future without high employment, without higher taxes, and without a crash during -- crushing burden of debt. along the border that i serve, farmers, small businesses, and families are striving to live the american dream. whether you are a seventh- generation of american or a first-generation immigrants,

coming to seek a better life like my parents were, we all want the opportunity to succeed. unfortunately, barack obama is burdening us with destructive debt and punishing taxes and robbing us of the opportunity to succeed. we can and ensure our children have a better future . [speaking in spanish] the answer is simple. lower taxes, less government, means more opportunities and better job creation for a brighter future for generations to come.

we can do better. with mitt romney, we can do better as our president. thank you. >> running to represent kentucky's sixth congressional district, please welcome andy barr. >> beyond the rolling hills of the bluegrass, within the depths of steep mountainsides, kent uckians built a coal industry that hours america. but barack obama does not care. coal provide us with some of the lowest electricity costs in

america, enabling companies like toyota to create over 7000 jobs in georgetown, ky. barack obama does not care. this year alone, 2000 kentucky miners lost their jobs because of overregulation and obama's war on cold. for every mining jobs lost, 3 additional jobs are threatened, including those at toyota. but president obama does not care. rarely in history has a single industry been so recklessly attack, with so little regard for the people it hurts. people like chris woods, a young coal miner who took the underground to show me his work. crist considers himself lucky. he still has a job, driving an

hour each way for a 10-hour shift. his paycheck supports his wife, two kids, and both sets of parents. chris looked me in the eyes, and i will never forget his words. he said, "i do not know much about politics, and i do not care about politics. but if you can save my job, i am for you." chris, i care about your job. mitt romney cares about your job. and together, we are going to fight to save your job. thank you very much. >> get a warm welcome to david

rouser. >> hello, north carolina. hello, america. you can feel it. our country is at a crossroads. this election will determine whether we continue on the path of war spending, or debt, and economic disasters, or whether we choose real solutions and returned to the basic principles of free enterprise and limited government. i just -- at this critical hour, we cannot afford to re-elect barack obama, a man who believes america is the problem. we cannot afford it in re-elect a man that understands it was hard work and achievement of the

american people that makes this country great. we cannot afford to re-elect someone who believes our dismal economy is doing just fine. in north carolina's seventh congressional district, which cannot afford to re-elect mike mcintyre, a man who voted for times to make nancy pelosi the speaker. we cannot afford to re-elect a man like nec -- mike mcintyre who said in our part of the country, it is worse. ladies and gentlemen, let's send barack obama, nancy pelosi, and her lieutenants mike mcintyre home and the restore america to greatness. elect romney, ryan, and rouzer on november 6, and gospel -- and

god bless you, god bless america. >> give us a a warm welcome for richard hudson. >> i am richard hudson, and i am running for congress from north carolina. we tell the truth in north carolina. the truth is you cannot support open-ended bailouts and giveaways if you want to create jobs. you cannot support "obamacare" and say you want to save medicare, and you cannot support obama if you want to stop the spending, waste, stop the assault on our values. this election is about real

people, people who are suffering under the policies of president barack obama and his friends like congressman larry kissel. it is like a woman in north carolina he says she has to support two men at home, her husband and her son who just graduated from college and cannot find a job. it is about a home builder in monroe, who will take any kind of work to avoid having to lay off any more of his employees. by the way, mr. president, he did build that job. people of north carolina are suffering under obama, and is not this time for a change. it is time for the great american comeback. i give you my word, that i will fight every single day for what is right, because it is not

about politics. it is about people. it is about our future. mitt romney and paul ryan are right for america. barack obama and joe biden are just wrong. thank you. god bless you, god bless north carolina's delegation, and god bless america. >> from north carolina's 11th district, please welcome house candidate mark meadows. >> you are here and i am here because we in deed believed in america. we are at a crossroads and we have a choice to make. we have a president who wants his party to make us all dependent on government. we need leaders who believe in prosperity that the free market

brings. we have a president who tramples on our first-amendment rights to religious liberty by requiring all taxpayers to fund abortions. we need public servants who respect life and our religious freedom. we have a president who is all too willing to lead from behind. we need a white house that will unflinchingly support our strongest ally, israel. we need a president who believes in america. we have a nation that is too precious to give on. we have a history that is too glorious to be forgotten. we have a constitution that is

too noble to be rewritten, and we still have a god who reigns over the affairs of nations. and we have a people who once again are ready to stand up as we the people and the themselves the direction of their beloved country. i am mark meadows, i am running for congress, with ms. bromley, we are ready to take back our country -- with mixed romney, we are ready to take back our country. god bless you and god bless america. >> please give the congressman firstmichigan's congressional district a warm welcome. >> thank you.

thank you. wow. thank you. thank you. wow. my story is like many from northern michigan. i grew up in a little town. my family did not have much growing up, and we lost my dad when i was young. but i worked hard, and was able to become a doctor and raise my family in northern michigan. that was my american dream. along the way, it never occurred to me to get into politics, let alone run for congress. but i did two years ago, because

like many of you, i was disgusted by what was going on in washington. they are spending a way our children's and grandchildren's future. today the american dream is being threatened. i know our nation is facing enormous challenges. unemployment is far too high. we have nearly $16 trillion in debt. it is hard for michigan families to make ends meet. but i believe we can fix these problems by staying true to what has always made this country great -- individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. dan, go! >> thank you.

people from northern michigan are tough. we do not give up. we did not give up when times are hard. we will keep working to protect the american dream and to ensure that our best days are yet to come. so we need you to keep the american dream alive and deliver this election for america. thank you. may god bless you all. >> running for iowa lost second congressional district, give a warm welcome to john archer. >> greetings. the readings to the iowa delegation, and greetings to all the great people in the state of iowa.

hope and change were elected four years ago, and where has that got us? we have almost $16 trillion of debt, and this white house believes in a tax and spend philosophy. we have more doubt. families do not know how much "obamacare" will cost them, and businesses do not know what new regulations will burden them. and we have more to spare. for 42 months, unemployment has been above 8%. we keep waiting for it to improve, and waiting and waiting and waiting. we do not have to wait any more.

we can do better. and we will do better by honestly talking about the issues. as i have in iowa this year, we will continue to talk about big issues this week. we will talk about a balanced budget. we can do better. we will talk about tax relief for working families. we can do better. we will talk about stopping the regulatory attacks farmers and small businesses. we can do better. we will talk about protecting medicare and social security for this generation of seniors and the next. avis and gentlemen, we can do --

ladies and gentlemen, we can do better. and finally, we will talk about getting government out from in between patients and their doctors by repealing "obamacare." we can do better. and we will do better in iowa and across this great nation by electing mitt romney and paul ryan as the next president and vice president of the united states this november. thank you, class -- god bless each and every one of you, god bless the great state of iowa, and god bless the united states. thank you so much. >> our house candidate for indiana's second district, please welcome jackie walorski.

>> good afternoon. i am proud to represent the great state of indiana, which we refer to as the hoosiers state. hoosier's cherished values, like common sense, hard work, and problem solving. and there is a lot that washington can learn from the hoosier state. when indiana faced a massive budget shortfall, we did not play a partisan game. we came together. we rolled up our sleeves. and we turned $8 billion-deficit into a surplus. we understood that when you have a deficit, spending more money is not the solution. in the face of record unemployment, we understood that

more government spending will not create jobs. that is why we passed common- sense reforms that made it easier to do business and create jobs in our great state. i can tell you as a result, indiana has been rated as the best midwest state to do business in, and we are along the nation's leaders and job growth. in the hoosier state, we proved a very simple lesson -- working together is the best way to solve our problems. and washington can do the same. by cutting spending, reducing the red tape, we can unleash a our small businesses create jobs, and with hoosier common sense, we can balance the budget. we can get our nation paused

economy working again. american workers and american entrepreneurs are the best in the world. i am ready. i am ready to carry the torch to washington and to prove there will never be a mountain to high for us to climb. the american spirit will always purse of their. fellow hoosiers, it is it your time to take back this country. thank you, god bless you, and got less this great nation of america. >> please give a warm welcome to steve, our candidate to represent thank you, in 1984, as

a young delegate from the great state of montana, i cast my vote for president ronald reagan in dallas, texas. for the past 28 years, i built businesses and created hundreds of jobs. my wife cindy and i have been married for 25 years, and we are the parents of four great kids. now out of control spending, crushing debt, jobs different regulations that threaten our children's future. we have more governments than ever before. our economy is stagnant. families are struggling, and the america we love is threatened. washington does not create jobs. the american people do. i am grateful that six generations of my family have called montana home.

my great-great-grandmother left norway and came to montana in search of a better future. as a widow, with seven children, she hosted the on the plains of northern montana. on her tombstone are three simple words. "saved by grace." the words "saved by government" would never cross her mind. she put her faith in government -- in god, not government. in 70 days, our nation faces a pivotal election, and our choice is absolutely clear. we can do better, and we will do better when we elect mitt romney and paul ryan. that is so much, and got less.

-- thank you so much, and god bless. >> please welcome congressman chaffitz.hat' >> thank you. america is in trouble. if you spent a million dollars a day, it would take the 3000 d -- three dozen years to get to $1 trillion. we're now $16 trillion in debt. we pay more than $600 million a day in interest on that debt. and we deficit spend $3 billion per day. excessive regulations choke businesses. our tax code punishes success, discourages entrepreneurs, and

stifles growth. the president's solution -- more government, more taxes. this is not the american dream. as a nation is not just one good tax increase away from prosperity. american success has not come from cash for clunkers, and this bailouts, a limitless government credit card, or more taxes or more government. the american dream was built on the sweat and blood of americans, who took pride in personal ownership in themselves and their country. when times were tough, generations before quietly rolled up their sleeves and build a stronger, more prosperous nation. the government did not build it. they built it. america was built with hard work, dedication to principals, and the police -- belief that success was predicated on liberty and ownership. restoring the american dream will require fiscal discipline, that the government,

accountability, and a strong national defense. we need to make tough choices. we need leadership. we need to elect mitt romney and paul ryan, because we need to believe in america again. i thank you, and may god bless the united states of america. >> please give a very hearty welcome to congressman tim scott of south carolina's first congressional district. >> thank you. thank you very much. the past four years of hope and change have led me to one simple conclusion -- our only hope is to change the current president of the white house. amen, and i am so proud to support the next president of the united states, governor mitt romney.

you see, as a poor kid growing up in a single best parents household, i felt like i did not have much growinfor me. but i did have a couple of things. a mom who believed in tough love and that love comes at the end of a switch. and my mama love to be a lot. at a small business owner, who was my mentor, taught me i could think my way out of poverty. he taught me having a job as a good thing, but creating jobs was even better. mitt romney embodies the same vision for america that my mentor had for me. he believes that the past -- path forward is more important than the place where we began, and let me close by giving president obama a heartfelt message from the good people of south carolina.

hit the road, jack, and don't you come back no war, no more, no more. thank you. >> representing the seventh district of the great state of wisconsin, please welcome the former world champion lumberjack, congressman shawn duffy. >> hello, tampa. hello, wisconsin. i am a proud member of the party of reagan, romney, and ryan. as a father of six, my biggest worry is that our children are losing their shot at the

american dream. today, record unemployment is dashing the dreams of our college graduates. instead of moving on to their dream jobs, they are moving into their parents' bed. the debt we are passing off to our kids is a shameful legacy, and obama's big-government policies have made this the worst recovery since the great depression. this is not a liberal problem. this is not a conservative problem. this economy is america up's problem. but is america's problem. he has only managed to spread the misery. we have a better idea.

mets spread the economic growth, and we will spread it from the breweries of wisconsin to the marbarrios california. if you voted for obama and you have buyer's remorse, that we tell you, but mitt romney is the hope and paul rye and is the change. a vote for romney-ryan is a vote for a dream ticket, a dream ticket that will and the obama economic nightmare. it is a vote for fiscal sanity and responsibility in washington, and it is a a vote to put america back to work. let's get it done. the got less. -- god bless. >> for pennsylvania's 12th

congressional district, please welcome keith rothfus. >> we continue to hear a great deal about medicare in this election, and that is a good thing. as a cancer survivor, no issue is more personal to me than health care and the strength of our doctor-patient relationship. having developed and survived a very rare for a map of cancer, that kills 75% of its victims within five years, i know all too well the importance of a health care system that and our the doctor-patient relationship and respect the decisions of the family. there is no greater threat to

the health care of our nation and the health care of our seniors than "obamacare." and no matter what path we take to save medicare, the very first step is to repeal "obamacare." light districts as one of the largest -- my district has one of the largest populations of medicare populations in the country. my opponent voted over 20 times to support "obamacare,"including voting against the repeal of an advisory board, which empowers not doctors and patients, but bureaucrats in washington, d.c. . there is only one ticket that will defend patients, defend doctors, and defend families in this health care battle. there's only one ticket that will save medicare from bankruptcy, will preserve

medicare for today's seniors, and strengthen medicare for the future. to repeal, to replace , to restore, vote romney, wind, and in western pennsylvania, rothfus. thank you, and may god bless america. >> give a very warm welcome to congressman tim griffin, representing the second district of arkansas. >> thank you. thank you. i am proud to represent our -- arkansas's second congressional district. i am fighting to change washington at its core, because i know we can do better. record unemployment, record that, $716 billion raided for

medicare to pay for "obamacare." we can do better. and little rock, we have a company over 500 miles of pipe ready for the keystone pipeline. but that pike is sitting in a stack because president obama says you cannot build that. we can do better. we cannot afford to rehire someone with a bankrupt vision and a failed plan. this moment of history is too big. the security of our children and grandchildren is too important. you know, like a man who has lost, but will not ask for directions, president obama has no earthly idea how to solve this country's problems.

yet the beans with confidence in his uncertainty. and who ihis navigator? joe biden. folks, we know we can do better. when i look at my daughter mary katharine and my son, baby john, i have no choice but to be optimistic about the future of our great country. but i do not want us to waste this opportunity. we have an opportunity to replace small rudderless confusion with bold, purposeful leadership. let's do better. romney and paul ryan and send barack obama and joe biden on a permanent vacation. god bless you, and they got continue to bless the united

states of america. thank you. >> now we will hear from our candidates for the united states senate. please give a warm welcome to our senate candidate for the great state of nebraska, deb fi sher. >> hello, thank you. i am a wife, the mother of three grown sons. i'm a rancher and a small business owner, and the citizen legislator. becoming a u.s. senator was never an addition of mine. but over the last four years, i have become very dismayed with the record spending, the record debt, and the record unemployment. the obama administration has been out of touch with the

american people, and they had given our country -- driven our country toward the end of a fiscal cliff. we are on track to become the first generation that passes on fewer opportunities to the next. and that is unacceptable. but it does not have to be this way. i am running for the u.s. senate because i know that we can do better. i have been a senator in nebraska's legislature these past a years, and in nebraska, we have an unemployment rate of only 4%. how did we get there? hey, we cut spending. we balance our budget every year. and we passed largest tax-relief package in the history of our state. most importantly, we got government out of the way, and we let the private sector do

what it does best -- grow our economy and create jobs. we have done is in nebraska, and i know that we can do the same thing in washington, because we only have two options left. we can either continue the same failed policies of the past, or we can begin to make the tough decisions and lead our country responsibly. we have a tremendous opportunity to set our country and a new, more prosperous direction, and it begins in november. thank you. thank you very much. and god bless. >> running to represent the great state of north dakota in the u.s. senate, please welcome congressman rick bird.

>> thank you, moore the code. thank you. it is a privilege to share with you more to cut costs success story and voice my support for our next president, mitt romney. president obama has put america on the wrong track. my home state shows a different way forward. we have less than 3% unemployment, rising salaries, and a budget surplus. mr. president, if you are still looking for an example, where the private sector is actually doing fine, you can look to north dakota. that is because we do not burn

our job creators with red tape. we understand just like mitt romney and paul ryan that small businesses are the engines of our economy. we get government out of the way and let entrepreneurs built their businesses. we trust the individual, not big government, to make decisions about their money, families, and opportunities. this is the north dakota way, and it works. mitt romney shares and understanding -- mitt romney shares and understanding of the solutions north dakota has developed and is prepared to leave where president obama has left broken promises. with mitt romney and paul ryan in the white house, and a republican majority in the

senate, our north dakota way can be the american way. thank you, and god bless. >> from the virginia state house of delegates, please give a warm welcome to barbara comstock. >> greetings from the commonwealth of virginia, where the american story began. what started with entrepreneurs 07ding in jamestown in 16 and crew with the wisdom of washington, jefferson, and madison cannot shake the nation and the world.

lovers of freedom and religion live and prosper in virginia. it is one of the best places to live, work, start a business, and raise a family. over the past four years, we in virginia have kept the american dream alive by observing the president's policies and doing the opposite. now, if reelected, president obama would double down on his job-destroying policies. he promises to raise our taxes and hurt working families and businesses. he mocks our right to work laws. as budget failures threatens to slash 200,000 national security and high-tech jobs in virginia. his war on success undermines individual initiative and in

addition -- and innovation. obama is not working. president mick romney and vice president paul ryan will. they have a common-since plan to reward and unleash our entrepreneurs and innovators and put america back to work. they will be unapologetic in championing the american dream. in its 70 days, that's renew our founding fathers' tree for freedom. that's guarantee that our children and their children continue this american story of freedom, opportunity, and prosperity for all. thank you so much, and, virginia, let's keep winning. >> please welcome rae lynne

chorneky, the president of the national federation of republican women. >> thank you. i bring you greetings from the national federation of republican women. an organization of more than 75,000 republican women across the nation. as in every recent election victory, in november, success will depend on our ability to energize and mobilize women voters. recently, our national federation of republican women conducted a survey of more than 8500 republican women. it asked them what they want from their government. number one, they want less

interference and fewer regulations controlling businesses. number 2, they want the kind of strong fiscal conservative leadership that only mitt romney and paul ryan can deliver. we hear a lot from the media about the republicans' so-called war on women. well, which war? which women who is it the 850,000 women who have lost their jobs under president obama, or the women whose family household income has dropped by $4,300 since this president took office? according to the bureau of labor statistics, women lost 92% of all the jobs lost under the

obama administration. if there is a war against women, it is president obama who has waged it. join us in restoring sanity in our government by electing governor mitt romney and congressman paul rye and. thank you. -- congressman paul ryan. >> we are honored to present alex shriver, chairman of the republican national committee. >> as the election leader of 250,000 college republicans, on more than 1800 campuses, i have got one of the best jobs in the country. i get to push back against the bastion of liberalism, america

plus colleges and universities. everyday i am thankful to be employed. yet unfortunately, many of my peers are not as lucky. half of my generation did not get up and go to a job this morning. many of them in fact credit this year and moved back with their parents. the fact is we are young, we are focused, we are driven, and we need to be out making our mark on the world instead, our generation is having a mark made on us. our country is nearly $16 trillion in debt, a burden placed on our generation's back. we are tired of that, and we are tired of a president and his cronies in congress been all too willing to kick the nation's

fiscal crisis down to our road. governor mitt romney has a plan to get america back to work, to rein in our out-of-control spending and to get our great country back on a sustainable path. that plan is just what we need. at the end of the day, barack obama has failed young americans. we are out of jobs, we are out of hope, and we are out of change. our generation can do better. my generation deserves better. thank you, and god bless. >> delegates, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm city's ma oklahoma' yor.

>> this is quite a place. i am taking a moment to take this in. where is the oklahoma delegation? good afternoon, everyone. i am pleased to be here, representing my fellow republican mayors. oklahoma, we think we have made a very real and substantial contribution to this presidential ticket. the smart and charming wife of the next vice-president of the united states is from oklahoma. she and paul were married in oklahoma city, and while it is becoming more and more unusual for our best and brightest to leave the state, in this case, we're glad it has worked out the way it has. we are enjoying a renaissance in

oklahoma city. it is a renaissance field by sound, fiscally conservative leadership. and also a belief that local investment in infrastructure is vital to economic development. 20 years ago, we decided we can do better. and we have. today, we have the nation's lowest unemployment rate among large u.s. metropolitan cities. and while there is certainly a role in washington in helping to address our infrastructure needs, we in no comment -- we in the oklahoma city have chosen to invest ourselves. we have transformed our city into a home for smart young people an enterprising businesses. oklahoma city was recently named as the most entrepreneurial city

in the country with the most start-ups per capita, and interestingly, we have not done this by creating large amounts of debt. we did something unique for many of our infrastructure packages. we paid cash today we are building a community that is more walkable, more sustainable, more affordable, and more business friendly. and we are building it with the kind of common sense economic policies that we can meet in washington, policies that mitt romney will deliver as the next president of the united states. thank you. >> representing the republicans abroad as global chairman, please welcome chris fussner.

>> thank you. i am honored to be here today with you. in these few months, leading up to the election, all eyes are on republicans here at home. republicans living and working abroad also play a critical role in electing and supporting candidates through voting and fund-raising. as global share of republicans abroad, i lead in singapore and work with 50 chapters overseas. my job is to encourage citizens to register and vote republican. with over 4 million americans

living overseas, it is often a challenge to in its overseas voters that their vote matters. consider 2000 election. in its overseas voters in florida that determined the outcome of that election. and connie mack often credits the success of his first election to robins and abroad remind your family and friends living abroad that their civic duty does not end at the water's edge. their vote matters and every vote cast matters here and abroad. republicans, let us come together to elect mitt romney and paul ryan. thank you, and got less.

-- and god bless. >> the chair of the young republicans, lisa stickan. >> as chairman of the young republicans, i hear from many, especially those back in ohio. the labor force participation is at its lowest level in 30 years. 23 million americans are unemployed, underemployed, or have stopped looking for work. quite simply, the job is just

are not there. incomes have fallen and that has risen. we are paying more for health care and getting less choice. there is a war on young people, a bore on paychecks and a war on our ability to succeed. we are working to build our own businesses, struggling to pay the our own way, only to learn that according to this president, we did not build it. but there is hope for the change of a new day. governor mitt romney has a plan to get this country back on track, the young republicans are excited. we are ready for government to get out of the way so our job creators can actually create jobs. we are ready for leadership that

leads from the front. we are ready for change. we are ready to elect governor mitt romney. thank you. ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] ♪

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♪ >> please welcome back chairman priebus. >> ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin a very important part of our program. i would like asked that the idols be cleared -- the aisles be cleared, and with the delegates take their seats. thank you. first we will need to take reported the credentials committee, and to do so, i am pleased to introduce mike

duncan, the chairman of the credentials committee, who comes from the great state of kentucky, and will present the committee's report. [applause] >> blanda ackerman of california, march folsom of nebraska, janet hayes of new jersey, freddie sense of washington, laird staple of delaware. the republican national committee on content met to consider contest to originate from eight states, hawaii, louisiana, maine, massachusetts,

michigan, oklahoma, oregon, and washington state. the committee issued recommendations which were submitted to the republican national committee on august 23, 2012. the republican national committee adopted the committee's contest recommendations, which were incorporated into the temporary rolle and forwarded to the temporary convention committee on credentials. three appeals from the states of maine, oklahoma, and oregon were taken before this committee. in the oregon and oklahoma contest, the republican national committee because the recommendations received the consent of delegates and was adopted. in the third contest for may, the credentials committee adopted the republican national committee's recommendation to receive an alternative delegation.

on behalf of all of us who have had the privilege of serving as members of the convention committee on credentials, and has been my honor to certify the delegates to this convention who will serve to nominate the next president of the united states, governor mitt romney, and the vice-president, congressman paul ryan. mr. chairman, is my privilege at this time to move that the temporary role of delegates is offered as delegates and present to this convention on august 28, 2012, become a permanent role of the convention and that the role be considered as read. this is reported the credentials committee and i urge support of the motion. mr. chairman, thank you. >> thank you, chairman of an.

-- chairman duncan. the question on the motion offered by the delegate from kentucky, all those in favor will signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the motion is agreed to. without objection, the vote -- a motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the next committee to report is the committee on permanent organization. our chairman of the committee on permanent organization is from puerto rico, to present the

report. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. [chanting "use"] -- [chanting "usa"] >> we have to proceed with the

order of business. thank you, delegates. thank you. now, the gentle lady from puerto rico has our report. please give her the respect to give her report, please. all right? give her the respect. >> ladies and gentlemen, as chair of the committee on permanent organization, i have the distinct honor to present to you the report of the committee on permanent organization. on behalf of the committee and

chair and vice chairman ann bo dollis of ohio, and damon watkins of ohio, the committee unanimously recommends that the permanent chairman of the convention be john boehner of ohio. [cheers and applause] we also recommend that the permanent co-chair be guam, harryof bom

barber of mississippi, barbara comstock of virginia, john davidson of ohio, becky hill of montana, governor bob lee of nevada. we further recommend that the temporary chairman, a temporary secretary, and temporary officers whose names have been

injured into the records of the convention be made the permanent officers of this convention. mr. chairman, i move the adoption of the report of the committee on permanent organization. >> thank you. without objection, the previous question is ordered. all those in favor, signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, they ayes haven't and the motion is agreed to. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair of points the following individuals who have been named as the escort committee to the permanent

chairman. tom coughlin of arkansas, maggie brooks of new york, ricky deal of california, ted yoho of florida, united states representative shelley capito of west virginia, and the illinois representative. everybody please give a very warm welcome to the speaker of the house of representatives and permanent chairman of the convention, john boehner of ohio. [cheers and applause]

>> the chair now recognizes our friend, the governor of new hampshire, john sununu, for the report on the committee of rules and the order of business. governor sununu. [applause] >> thank you very much. mr. chairman, fellow delegates, i offer the following resolution, and i ask for its immediate consideration. mr. chairman, i offer this resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. resolved that the rules as printed and distributed the adopted as the rules for the election and the governing of the republican national committee. the rules under which delegates

and alternate delegates shall be elected, selected, and allocated, and the rules would serve as the rules of the republican national convention. these rules incorporate the changes adopted by the convention committee on rules and order of business at our meeting today. substitute language for rule 16a2 that has been adopted by the committee has been separately distributed and is part of this report. before i move for adoption, i would like to thank my co- chairman, edith nicholson from new taught and vice chairman lewis spoke from maryland, for their service on the committee. i certainly have been honored to have served as chairman of this committee and to present these rules for adoption. mr. chairman, i move adoption of the rules of the republican party and the resolution.

these rules will provide a strong but governing framework for our convention and for our party. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor, signify by saying aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the eayes at. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. [cheering]

i now have the honor to present the the chairman of arkla platform committee, governor bob mcdonnell of west virginia to present the report of the committee. >> thank you. good afternoon fellow delegates, mr. chairman. it has been caught honor to chair the deliberations of your committee on resolutions of the republican platform committee. i appreciate the diligent work of the 112 men and women from 50 states, territories, and the district of columbia that serve on that committee. they discussed and debated and delivered. it was a very good team picks i want to thank my co-chair, senator john hoeven, and congresswoman marsha blackburn of tennessee. they did a great job. i am very grateful for the staff

of the republican national committee who conducted countless meetings and conference calls to compose this document. my friends, we have outlined a conservative vision of government, a document that is many things. it is an indictment, a blueprint, and the declaration of bodies. it is an invitation and a pledge. first, it is an indictment of the failed policies of the current administration of the record of debt, job losses, and government overreach. more importantly, our platform is a blueprint for rebuilding the cherished american dream. it is an overview of our conservative principles and detailed policies of how we jump-start economic growth and job creation. this ambitious blueprints projects a sea change in the way the government works. of a solution for workers without jobs, families without savings, a neighborhood without

hope. this platform addresses the elderly who are worried about medicare and it tells the truth about obamacare and the need to repeal and replaced it. this blueprint lays out a bold agenda for government reform. a government that operates to serve the people better at less cost spirit states are going to be taking center stage in the long overdue renewal of our american society. by reclaiming the management of education, reforming medicaid and welfare programs, by managing environmental programs locally, and by enacting a comprehensive energy policy. this platform affirms the traditional meaning of marriage and the sanctity of innocent human life and defends religious and second amendment rights, and calls for a balanced budget amended to the united states constitution.

this platform is an invitation. it invites every american to consider what kind of country we want to be. an america where every person matters, every worker has an opportunity to work, and every family can aspire to a better future. so we invite americans to consider this platform, a call for dramatic change in government, from stagnation to prosperity, from an entitlement society to an opportunity society. this platform is finally at pledge. we will restore american leadership in the world and honor our courageous men and women in uniform. we will stand by our friends and stand against those who dare to do us harm. ladies and gentlemen of the republican platform committee and republican national committee, this is your platform, and i urge its adoption. so now it is, a great pleasure

to introduce one of our great cochairs of the platform committee, the outstanding senator and former governor from the state of north dakota, please welcome governor john hoeven. [applause] >> fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen, we republicans believe in this great country and we believe in the american people. we know that our people are our greatest natural resources. our plan to build a brighter future for our country is built on the strength of the american people, on their vision, their work ethic, and their deep desire for a brighter future. at the heart of it is job creation. job creation must be job number

one for this great country at this important time in our critical history. what americans want is what america has always offered in abundance, opportunity. an opportunity begins with a good job. a decade ago, we in north dakota worked for a pro-business agenda that encourage private- sector investment and innovation in all our key industries, including energy. we built a strong, competitive environment where business could grow and higher without red tape or higher taxes. the result was jobs and a thriving economy. today, north dakota has the lowest unemployment rate and the fastest-growing economy in the nation. instead of discouraging business and bureaucracy, we help them to do things right,

with good environmental stewardship, but the obama administration doesn't see it that way and the xl pipeline is a good example. this $7 billion high-tech project would not only reduce our dependence on middle eastern oil but help hold down the cost of fuel at the pump and create thousands of american jobs. after four years of internal review, the administration says no. note to jobs, no to economic growth, note to lower fuel prices for consumers. that is not what the american people want. what they want is reliable and affordable energy to power their homes, run their businesses, and fuel their cars. they want jobs and real opportunities to build a good life and plea that same legacy to their children. we can provide that opportunity. we can get our nation's economy

back on track again, if we focus on the things that actually encourage job growth and economic opportunities for the american people. they know that our country is at the crossroads of history. they also know that we offer a broader alternative for our country's future. thank you, and may god bless the united states of america. [cheers and applause] it is my great pleasure to introduce my fellow co-chair, representative marsha blackburn, of the great state of tennessee. [applause] >> thank you so much. cochairing your platform committee has been a great honor. has also been a lot of work, and

i will have to tell you, a whole lot of fun. it can be so proud of the members of your state delegations. they were smart, conscientious, and in the very best way, they were opinionated. they knew what they and you believe and they were not afraid to tell us so. neither were the thousands of american people who responded to our call for social media. they went to the website, facebook, twitter.com that offered solutions to the challenges that face our country. i have to tell you, this has been a remarkable exercise in grass-roots democracy, and from this day forward, the gop will be known as the great opportunity party. [applause]

now, if you want to know how our economy can create the millions of jobs that we need in order to get america back to work, if you want to know how we are going to get the unlimited energy we need to power this economy, so that indeed, this is truly an american century, if you are alarmed by our country's declining position in the world and wondering, what are going to do to reverse it, then read this platform. read it and learn how to gather, we can assure a quality education for every child, regardless of where they live or what their family income might be. read it to discover how the american people can replace obamacare with a patient-

centered, quality health care. read it to learn about the republican party -- you are republican party's commitment to true federalism, where the states take the lead in providing smaller, smarter, and more efficient government. if you want to know how republicans and yes, those republicans like mitt romney and paul ryan, are going to get america back on track and back into the black, go online and read this platform, and you will find that where we stand is right there with you, with every american who wants a better future for their children and a more secure future for the elderly. read it and learn about our renewed promise to the american dream. thank you, and i yield back to the governor.

[applause] >> thank you, congresswoman blackburn. ladies and gentlemen, before i make the motion, i want to thank our great committee cochairs and all the members for their great efforts and hard work that produced an exceptionally fine document in record time. would you please give them around of applause for their hard work of last week. [applause] >> so now, mr. chairman, it is my privilege to move adoption of the report of the convention committee on the platform. america deserves a better future. we can do better. thank you, mr. chairman. [applause] >> thank you. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the motion offered by the delegate from virginia. all those in favor, indicate by

saying aye. all those opposed domino. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the motion is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. please welcome back chairman ebus. >> the chair recognizes the delegate from wisconsin. >> mr. chairman, i offer the following resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. resolved that those elected as members of the republican national committee, under the procedures of each state, american samoa, the district of columbia, guam, puerto rico, the northern mariana islands, and the virginian islands, whose name has been submitted to the secretary of the convention, are

hereby declared ratified to serve as members of the republican national committee from the adjournment of this republican national convention until the successor committee has been ratified by the next republican national convention. mr. chairman, this is an important resolution, and i urge its adoption. >> without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution offered by the delegate from wisconsin. all those in favor of the resolution signify by saying aye. those opposed domino. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes at and the resolution is adopted. the chair now recognizes the delegate from florida. from florida. ascardenas

>> resolve that the secretary of the convention is hereby directed to prepare and publish for the convention at full and complete report of its official proceedings under the direction of the republican national committee and is authorized to make all necessary clerical and grammatical corrections and to make technical and conforming amendments as are necessary in reports promotions, and resolutions considered by the convention to reflect its actions. mr. chairman, this is an important resolution. i urge its adoption and move the previous question. >> without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the adoption of the resolution. all those in favor signify by saying aye. those opposed domino. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have and the resolution is adopted. without adoption -- without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the

table. it is now the time to take the official convention photograph except. if all the delegates will please stand and turn to the center camera stand directly opposite of the stage. it is in the back of the hall, you have to turn around and face the camera, and remain still while the photo is being taken. the process will take about one to two minutes as the panoramic camera takes a picture in a solid way. so you need to stand completely still. the photograph may be ordered online through the official convention website. so i would ask you one more time, let's stand up, let's stand very still, and it will take one to two minutes.

yes, we are ready to shoot. >> the people behind pennsylvania, if you could move further away. the camera will start over on my left, the podium's right hand side. ok, we are ready to roll, and we are rolling. hold still. hold still, hold still where you are. stop moving. give us a big smile. we are getting to the california delegation, about guam, south carolina, virgin islands, mississippi -- no, that was massachusetts, i cannot read. going through the ohio delegation. wisconsin, at new york, we are getting to new york. that looks good.

looks good. the camera was built in rochester, new york, in 1920. good old kodak. long may they waved, although they are not waiting real well right now. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you all very much. ♪ [playing "papa's got a brand new

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>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back our speaker of the house of representatives, john boehner of ohio. [applause] >> the chair again requests the attention of the delegates for another important statement, to remind the delegates of the provisions of the rules, which

specified in part that each candidate for nomination for president of the united states demonstrates sufficient support prior to the presentation of the name of that candidates for nomination. the chair wishes to inform the delegates that at this time, and has been furnished in a timely manner, without evidence of some -- of sufficient support the candidates who will be presented for president and vice president of the united states, in compliance with the rules of the convention. also as prescribed under the rules, the total time for nominating speeches in seconding speeches are intended it for president or vice president shall not exceed 15 minutes. it is also been the custom at past conventions to permit the chair to recognize non delegates for the purpose of making nominations and seconding speeches. without objection, the reading of the role of the states for presenting the names for

candidates for nomination shall be permitted to make nominating and seconding speeches. without objection, so ordered. the chair now recognizes the distinguished american and the leader of the republican party, john sununu of new hampshire. please give him a warm welcome. [applause] >> good evening. in these critical times, america needs a leader. our confidence is down. we are saddled with a failed presidency, with an incumbent president who has not led.

america needs real change. now we are here to affirm the leader that will produce that change. there are many reasons america needs mitt romney at the helm. we have 23 million americans unemployed or underemployed, because barack obama cannot figure out what makes free enterprise work. mitt romney will get our private sector moving again and will respect the successes of our larger brewers who deserve credit because -- of our water entrepreneurs because they really did build it. in these critical times, our nation still depends on others

for our energy resources, even though we share the largest supply of energy in the world. we have an administration now that shuns those assets and keeps us dependent on fragile for and supplies. mitt romney will on shackle our assets and leave us to real energy independence. [applause] we are also a nation that has seen erosion of our respect around the world because we now have a president who prefers to lead from behind. mitt romney will restore our strength, support our friends, face up to our foes, and regain honest respect for an america willing to lead.

[applause] my wife, nancy, and i have gotten to know mitt and ann romney well. we have developed a sincere appreciation for their family and their friends. we like them and we respect them. tonight, we are all gathered here to put in motion the final phase of our campaign to help american know them better and to appreciate why our nation needs them as our president and first lady. mitt romney is a good man. mitt romney is a smart man. he is compassionate and generous. he is a great father, a supporter, and friend. he has been a successful businessman and an extremely effective governor. mitt romney knows how to fix