we need to do better. we need to do better because america deserves better. they deserve a group, a party a movement that is for policies that provide opportunity for everyone to reach that american dream and a message that unifies us. you're going to hear a lot of folks come in here today and you'll be privileged to a lot of people coming through iowa. that's the blessing of iowa. you will. but look for that message. mike lee is right. look for that message that could bring us together. because as good as it feels to hear the bad stuff, as good as it feels to beat up on the other side for the damage they've done to this country and it's been substantial, i know through my own personal relationships that

pointing the finger and condemning somebody doesn't win you a whole lot of arguments. and more importantly it doesn't bring us together. so today i want to share with you. i want to share with you a vision forward, a vision forward that can unite us that i deeply believe in. it's a vision that says that we can restore the american dream and it's not a different thing from what republicans have stood for before. in fact it's added. we have been and must be the party of growth and opportunity. paeurpb we must be the party that says we want lower taxes limited and responsible government, less regulation. we need to be the party that goes out and says that we're for fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. all those things are right but they're not enough.

they're not enough. we need to be pro growth but also need to be pro worker. we need to be on the side of the american worker. [applause] >> why? one of our favorite sayings i know that you hear republicans say, a rising tide lifts all boats and that is true unless your boat has a hole in it. ladies and gentlemen, look at america today. look at those who of the 70% of americans don't have a college degree and many of them don't have a high school degree. substance abuse, family breakdown, there's a lot of americans who are out there who are seeking employment who want the american dream. but they have holes in their boats. and so when you go out and talk

about how we're going to raise the tide, how we're going to grow this economy and they see stagnant wages declining income and the lack of a ladder of advancement, they don't feel better, they feel like they're sinking deeper underneath the water. we have to be the party that says we understand what you're feeling. we understand what you're thinking. we understand the problems and put forth the message that targets specifically not how we can help the economy but how we can help you and you and you. and we do it in a way that isn't divisive but unifying. how do we do? it's actually pretty easy. it's actually pretty easy. first it starts with education.

if you look at the 70% of americans who don't have a college education have limited skills, we need to make sure that we have opportunities for people to get those skills. we also need to look at why people are failing in schools and not getting those basic skills to be able to survive. why? because we have a top down government education system that is failing our children. [applause] >> we needless common core and more common sense if we want to make america a great and educated country. we -- what's the common sense? talk to any future -- they'll tell you that the biggest key in determining the success of a child in school is the parents involvement with that child in school. [applause]

so what does common core say? stay out parents. we got this. the federal and state, whatever it is, the folks the elites, we'll determine what's best for your child. when the schools and the elite should be saying we're failing and we need you parents to come in because we know by having you here your child's going to do better the elites are doing just the opposite. we can fix -- look we home schooled our children. [applause] >> thank her. not me. was it harder? sure. it's harder. what a blessing. to be intimately involved in your children's education. that's the challenge. the path won't be easy. but it's going to be one that makes sense. it makes sense. that we need to restore and rebuild the american family. i don't know if you saw the

statistic just this past week, america hit a milestone. for the first time in the history of our country more children are growing up without two parents that are growing up with two parents. first time. now 54% and the number keeps dropping and keeps dropping and keeps dropping. and if you look at all the studies, what do they say it's about income and equality and the reason people are suffering. the obama administration wanted to make this a real big deal. this was going to be the mantra for 2014. but it turned out that the biggest reason for income and equality is the breakdown of the family. what are we aoug? where do you hear us? you say you want to appeal to minorities and hispanics. where do you hear us talking about the importance of strengtheking the family doing things from stopping government from people getting married and encouraging and supporting

parents who have children stay together and raise to her children. not to be critical but to say government shouldn't be an obstacle. when i was in wisconsin i was told if were you unmarried and had two children and making $15,000 a year as a single mom, you got $38,000 in welfare benefits. if you got married, you'd lose them all. government is a barrier. we need to get government out of the way and help families be restored in america so children and they can have a better life and a better future. [applause] >> if we're going to reform welfare then we need to reform all welfare and that means corporate welfare. we can't be the ones who were for bailouts and can't be the ones who are for sweet deals for corporations if we're going to ask people if we're going to ask

people to sacrifice and struggle. we have to eliminate both those types of welfare. that's fair. you want to show that you're relating to the folks who are working in america then we have to go out and prove it. we have to go out and show that we are for manufacturing jobs coming back to this country. in july 2011 i went to burlington and i launched my manufacturing initiative. that's what we talked about. all over this country. president obama waived red flag saying they're gone. no they're not. they're gone because washington manufactures uncompetitive in the world market. [applause] if we can restore the manufacturing center of this country, if we can create the opportunity to make things so people with skills can learn not the skills to work to make to

make things and to have quality jobs that pay good benefits, we've now created hope again. we've created a path forward for those who feel there is no path. we need to do that through energy reducing energy prices and keeping them stable as well as construction. we need to be the party of the worker why? well, it's good politics. what percentage of american workers own their own business? less than ten. so when we go out as we have for many years and talk about entrepreneurs and businesses we're talking about 10% of the public and then we wonder why we don't win. we don't win because too many people don't think we care about them. we got to show them not just by saying we do but having policies and message where at the can see it and they can feel it in us.

there is another issue and this is one that steve king has been impaled upon many times, but it's so important for american workers. i have a little quiz for you. since 2,000 there have been 6 million net new jobs created in america. 6 million i net new jobs since 2,000. how many of those are held by people who were not born in this country? all of them. all of them. there are fewer americans working today who were born in this country than there were in the year 2,000 in spite of 17 million more in the workforce. and so when people say we have to do something about the border and we have to do something about illegal immigration, they are right. we do. we have to secure the border. i was just down in arizona talking to folks and it's horrendous the things that are going on down at the border from

national security perspective as well as what the president is doing. we also have a problem with legal immigration. legal immigration is at an all time high. there have been more people legally coming into this country than any 20 year period in american history. we are approaching percentage wise the highest level of immigrants we've ever had in america. almost 14% now. it was 14.2 at the end of the great waive in 1920. there are more people not born in this country than have ever been in the history of this country. and it's effecting american workers. why? because the vast majority of the people come in under immigration and unskilled. we all know there's not a huge growing number of jobs for unskilled laborers and as a result wages stagnate and income comes down. we need to stand for an

immigration policy that puts americans first and american workers first. >> one vote against the senate and the nine on the second. it was a bipartisan issue because even during the pro progressive era, republicans and democrats put you first. because for america to be a great country, a country that people want to come to we have to be a strong country.

and that means for everybody, skill and unskilled worker alike. and so steve is right. we need to step forward with an immigration policy but we need to do so in the context of standing strong with american workers. finally, there's an issue that in the 22 or 23 debates that were held in the last election cycle i think there was one debate on this subject and maybe 1 or 2 questions at most during the debate. and that was national security. remember the war was over. bin laden was dead and al-qaida was gone -- excuse me extremism was gone. and what's happened since? we have seen the impact of isolationism. we have seen the impact of

weakness on the part -- indecision on the part of the american president. inexperienced, raw, american president who had ideologies that didn't face reality. ladies and gentlemen, in this election cycle we need to be looking for someone who has that experience who has been tested and understands. i spent 16 years in the house and senate. eight of those on the senate armed services committee. i heard mike lee said to be able to have someone who can stand up when they're wrong. twice i at authored bills once on syria to put sanctions on syria and president bush opposed me for a year and a half. fought me for bringing the bill up. but eventually not only did he not fight me, he signed the

bill. because he saw eventually what i saw. which was assad was a world regime which had to be restrained. iran was next. we had an iranian nuclear sanctions bill back in 2005 when most they didn't have a nuclear weapon and it wasn't trying. and the president, not this president, but the last one, wanted to negotiate with iran. i said don't negotiate. you can't negotiate with people who don't keep promises. you can't negotiate with folks who have a theological end to their public policy. again, the administration opposed me. in fact, there was a vote on the floor of the united states senate and condy rice sent a letter said vote against iranian sanctions. i went forward with the vote of which hillary clinton, barack obama and joe biden voted no and six months later it passed

unanimously. leadership matters andnding the threat and being willing to have the courage to identify the threat. there is a lot of talk about radical islam. let me tell you what it is. and i'll quote from a speech i gave in 2006 which i handed to president bush saying he had to stop using the term terrorist. because terrorism is a tactic and it is an ideology. and toof we're going-- if we're going to be honest with the american public and the world and have confront it, then we have to name it what it is. [applause] >> that was 2006. and i laid that speech and i said, mr. president, we're not going to win this war no matter

how many guns we have and how much we fight if islam does not confront the cancer within and we don't identify it and fight against it. experience, knowledge, courage, a national security, the area where the president has the most purview, those are the things that are necessary. how do i know that? i was in israel just a few months ago. in fact i took some iowaians. we met with senior israeli officials. i had one of them pull me aside and say this to me senator he said, please, please understand. you need to elect a president that is ready for war. that means a president who understands, understands all of the capabilities we have and

understands the most important capability is the strength of america, our military and our diplomacy and, yes, the president of the united states. ladies and gentlemen, i don't envy your charge. i've been here many times as you know and you got a tough time last time around. you made a very good decision by the way. [applause] >> albeit somewhat delayed. [laughter] >> you made a good decision and you'll have to do that again. i just want to encourage you, you do a great job. iowaians, as you see here from this crowd, the media notices. you take your job seriously and you should. the last time around everyone

told you no, no, don't pick this person. this person has no chance and you said i think we'll vote for the best person we believe has the best chance, not who washington and new york think has the best chance. [applause] >> you are serious people when this comes to this and this is a serious time. i gist would say i agree with chuck grassly and all the others who say that it is well worth the mileage and the sleep to go to all 99 countries in iowa. [applause] >> if any one of these other guys who want a travel log i'll be happy to share it with them. thank you very much and god bless you. [applause]

♪ >> all right. for the main event, is everybody still having a good time? all right! you guys are warriors out there. we appreciate this. we know it's a long day. i's been a long day for us. but it's a wonderful day. so i want to introduce our next speaker he is truly one of my favorite political leaders in america today. in just two short years he's

become one of the senate's most influential members, shaping policy and strategy despite not being a member of leadership. ted cruz came -- (crowd cheers) >> ted cruz came from humble beginnings. has lived the american dream. his father, as you all know, fell the totalitarian regime and came into america with $100 sewn into his clothes and he became an american citizen and raised ted to be able to go to princeton studying public policy and becoming a national champion debater. he did so well in the debates that he competed in a world competition and even was awarded -- had an award named

after him at princeton, which i don't know if he wants to claim that anymore. but after graduating from princeton, senator cruise went to harvard law school and became editor of the prestigious "harvard law review" and "latino law review" and served as a clerk for the chief justice clerking for conservative chief justice william rehnquist. he was a legal voice that he was -- that texas attorney general greg abbott the man who just defeated wendy davis hired him giving him a platform to take his message of strict faithful interpretation of the constitution nationwide. ted cruz then took on the entire

g.o.p. establishment. [applause] >> in kind of a little known race that only attracted national attention for a primary. two years ago when he was able to defeat lieutenant governor it rocked the entire national establishment. it is still being felt today. his primary victory was no incredible even the ultra liberal ""washington post"" called it the biggest upset of 2012. in the united states senate he's had an impact from day one fighting both the obama administration and the republican establishment at every turn forcing the g.o.p. to stand and fight and forcing obama to bend to the will of the

american people. ladies and gentlemen, please stand and give a warm welcome for my friend and america's change agent senator ted cruz. (cheers and applause) >> wow! god bless the great state of iowa! i want to thank each and every one of you for being here. i want to thank citizens united, my good friend steve king for putting this on. [applause] >> you know, steve and i spent

all week in washington, d.c. so it is great to be back in america. [applause] >> we're living in remarkable times, just a couple of weeks ago walking down the hall of the capital i ran into a janitor carrying a screwdriver who was coming to change the sign on harry reid's door. [applause] >> and iowa played a big part in that by sending use them and i'm

glad we have a judiciary committee. today is the 50th anniversary of winston churchill's passing. churchill stood as a lion in winter, a voice against the darkness that was sweeping the globe. and i'll tell you 50 years later we are facing threats every bit as ominous and today like then we need the clarity of thought and voice and action that churchill provided. [applause] >> one of the very first acts president obama did upon being elected was sending churchill's bust back to the u.k. (crowd boos) >> and i think that foreshadowed

everything that was to come the next six years. i'm happy that here with me today is my wife heidi. [applause] >> heidi is an incredible mom. she's a fantastic businesswoman and she is my very best friend in the entire world. [applause] >> and you know, we're blessed to have two little girls at home, caroline who is six and katherine who is four. and i'll tell you heidi and i are here today for the same reason that all y'all are here. because we look at what's happening in this country and we fear for our children. we fear for our grandchildren. so what i want to talk to you about today is reigniting the

miracle of america. this country was built on an extraordinary miracle. the miracle of america began with a revolutionary idea which is our rights, they don't come from government, they come from god almighty. [applause] >> and the constitution serves as jefferson says are chains to bind the mischief of government. this country was built on incredible opportunity that if you're a single mom waiting tables, you can do anything. if you're a teenage immigrant washing dishes you can do anything. there is no country in the history of the world that has allowed so many millions with nothing to come and seek the

unlimited dreams of their potential. the miracle of america has been american exceptionalism. [applause] that we are the indispensable nation, the voice for freedom. and we will back down to no face of tyranny. now how do we bring that back? how do we reignite the miracle of america? it is the most important cause that unifies us together and iowa believes in the miracle of america. [applause] >> number one, we champion jobs

of economic growth and opportunity and bring back an environment where small businesses are growing and creating opportunity. we get the senseless obstacles from washington out of the way. [applause] >>that means tax reform and regulatory reform. that means sending the locusts of the epa back to washington. [applause] i was once out in west texas and i said -- you know the thing about the folks of the epa is, unlike locusts, you cannot use pesticide against them. an old farmer looked at me and said, want to bet? [laughter] and the most important regulatory reform we can do is,

we need to repeal every word of obamacare. [applause] we need tax reforms. and the most important tax reform we can do is, we need to abolish the irs. [applause] we need a simple tax that is fair, that every american can fill out his or her taxes on a postcard. [applause] there are 110,000 employees of the irs. we need to padlock that building. and put every one of those 110,000 on host: [indiscernible]

i say that's somewhat tongue in cheek. but imagine you traveled thousands of miles through central america, in the heat. you are swimming across the rio grande, and the first thing you see is 110,000 irs agents. you would turn around and go home too. [applause] the second key to reigniting the miracle of america is, we need to defend our constitutional rights. [applause] every single one. the first amendment, the fifth the 10th amendment. you know no liberty has been more under assault in recent years than religious liberty.

whether it is the federal government going after hobby lobby, a christian company, or going after the little sisters of the poor -- and by the way here is a real good rule of thumb. if you are litigating against nuns -- [laughter] as the obama administration is you have probably done something wrong. [applause] you know, i am sorry to say, one of the most graphic examples of the threat to religious liberty occurred in my hometown of houston, where the city of houston subpoenaed five pastors and demanded of those pastors hand over your service. hand over your sermon notes. let me tell you a story that ought to lift up your hearts. when that happened that

wednesday, i decided we were going to try to bring together a group of pastors to have a rally in defense of religious liberty. heidi and i were members of first baptist in houston. we called the pastor and said, you have seen what happened with the subpoenas. he said, yes, i have been praying about it all morning. i said, we want to hold a rally. we want to bring pastors together. we want to do it tomorrow, thursday, at 11:00 a.m. would you be willing to host it at the church? and pastor greg begins laughing. he said, you know, ted god sometimes moves in ways we cannot understand, long before we have any awareness of it. he said, a month ago, god put it on my heart to begin praying for our city. he said, a month ago, i reached out to pastors across the city of houston, and invited them to come to my office to pray for our city.

he said, we have 50 pastors from around the city coming to my office tomorrow. [laughter] at 10:00 a.m. [applause] i will tell you, it took both our breath away. the next morning, i joined those pastors at 10:00 a.m. we spent an hour on our knees in prayer for the city. we then went down to a rally with over 50 pastors, across racial lines, across ethnic lines, across denominational lines. we even had first baptist and second baptist. that is not easy. and we stood in that rally together, and we said, caesar has no jurisdiction over the pulpit. [applause]

and when you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor. i will tell you believers all over texas, all over the country, lifted up the situation. conservatives spoke out. the heat and pressure was so great, the city folded under withdrew the subpoena. we have got to defend our constitutional liberties. and third, we need to restore america's leadership in the world. over the past six years, we have seen the fruits of the obama-clinton foreign policy, of receding from leadership in the world, leading from behind does not work. just a couple weeks ago, we were

horrified at the terrorist attacks on the streets of paris. and then horrified again when over 40 world leaders came in solidarity, and yet missing from that rally graphically was the united states of america. you cannot fight and win a war on radical islamic terrorism if you are unwilling to utter the words "radical islamic terrorism." [applause] i would note that the depraved man who threw the planes into the twin towers and the pentagon and the yield in pennsylvania -- they were not a bunch of ticked off presbyterians. [laughter] i think some of the presbyterians like that. [laughter]

and, you know, paris also illustrates that a big ocean does not mean we are protected from radical islamic terrorism. it is one of the reasons i have joined, with steve king and chuck grassley, to introduce the expatriate terrorist act, which says if an american citizen takes up arms with isis, he forfeits his or her citizenship. [applause] now, iowa -- iowa plays a unique and special role in the political process. the men and women gathered here

today and across the state, you have a responsibility that you take very seriously to scrutinize any candidate for national office, to look them in the eyes and to hold them to account. i have got to say, a lot of people had the reaction, i don't trust politicians. and that is worth applauding because i agree with it. you know, in a republican primary, every candidate is going to come in front of you and say, i am the most conservative guy to ever live. well you know what? talk is cheap. the word tells us, you shall know them by their fruits. and one of the most important roles of the men and women in this room, the men and women of iowa will play is to look each candidate in the eye and say, do

not talk. shown me. if you say you support liberty show me where you stood. if you say you support religious liberty, show me where you stood and fought for it. if you say you oppose obamacare show me where you stood up and fought against it. [applause] if you say you oppose the president's unconstitutional executive amnesty, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say you support life, and you support marriage, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say you will stand up to

the washington establishment the career politicians of both parties that have gotten us in this mess, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say you oppose common core, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] and if you say you stand with our friend and ally, the nation of israel, show me where you stood up and walked. -- fought. [applause] together, we need to reassemble the reagan coalition. we need to unify. we need to bring together conservatives and evangelicals

and libertarians and republican women, and reagan democrats, and young people. we need to bring together a coalition of americans who want to believe again in the miracle of america. [applause] some might say, this is hard. this is really hard. the media tells us it cannot be done. the media says give up, abandon hope, go on home. [laughter] but, you know, each of us has seen miracles every day. we have seen miracles in our own lives, in our own families. many of you know my father pastor ron cruz.

[applause] my dad has been my hero my entire life. when he fled cuba with nothing as a teenager, after being imprisoned and tortured, he was full of hope and opportunity. let me tell you a different aspect of his story you may not have heard, which is, he and my mother moved to canada, the oil and gas business. [laughter] the connects -- canucks in the room are giving some love. i will tell you, when i was a little boy, neither of my parents knew christ. both of them were living fast lives. both of them were drinking too much. when i was three years old, my dad decided he did not want to be married anymore. he did not want to be a dad to his three-year-old son.

so my father got on a plane and he flew back to houston. back in houston, he was working in the oil and gas business when a friend and colleague invited him to a bible study, and invited him to clay roads baptist church. and he gave his life to jesus. [applause] and it transformed his heart and he went to the airport, and he bought a plane ticket, and he flew back to calgary, and he flew back to my mother, and he flew back to me. [applause] some people ask if they israel. i can tell you firsthand, in my family and my life, if it were not for the redeeming love -- were it not for faith in jesus

christ, i would have been raised by a single mom without the love of my father in the household. [applause] men and women all throughout here have experienced miracles just like that in our lives transforming the amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. compared to that the challenges facing this country. they are nothing. from the beginning of this country, god's providential blessing has been on the united states of america. [applause] when we stood up against the mightiest army on the face of the earth, and won a revolution as a ragtag bunch of colonists, it was only with god's blessing that we did so. when we survived the horrible

civil war that ripped us apart to expunge the original sin of slavery, it was only with god's blessing that we came back and were stitched together again as a nation. when we stood with winston churchill, to stand up against the nazis and defeat the scourge of evil, it was only with god's blessing that we saved freedom on this planet. and when president reagan stood before the brandenburg gate and said, mr. gorbachev, tear down this wall, it was only with god's grace and blessing. [applause] that we won the cold war -- we have done it before over and over again, and we can do it again. we can come together.

and the answer, the reason i am hopeful, the reason i am optimistic is because of each and every one of you. the answer is the grassroots, the american people. we are working to build the grassroots of our nation all across this country. the answer will not come from washington. it will only come from the american people. i would ask everyone of you that has your cell phone -- i would ask you on your cell phone to text the word "constitution and quote to the number 33733. the word "constitution" to the number 33733. what we are working to do is to bring together that same coalition of men and women across iowa, across this country, to say, we do not accept losing this country. we will together reignite the miracle of america. we will together bring back that signing -- shining city on a

hill that is the united states of america. thank you, and god bless you. [applause] >> awesome job. >> ♪ only in america where we dream as big as we all want to we all get a chance everybody gets to dance only in america yeah, only in america ♪

>> ♪ only in america ♪ >> was that great or what? i am having such a good time introducing these folks and then listening to them. i don't know. i don't want the data and. i am very excited about introducing this next speaker. i am somebody who has gotten to know a lot of these speakers over the years, and this is -- our next speaker is somebody i am meeting for the first time today. and so it is a real privilege to be introducing to you carly furey now -- firoorino, someone

who has had conservative principles and she was a little girl. her father was a federal judge who taught her about the constitution and its role as our country's legal weapon against the forces of government tyranny. he also taught her that the principles enshrined in the constitution were worth fighting for. she would take those conservative principles and apply them to the marketplace becoming the first woman in history to lead a fortune 20 company, and became one of the 10 most powerful women in the world, according to forbes magazine. she has had one of the most successful business careers of any woman in american history proving to the world that conservative leadership and conservative principles are the key to success in business as well as government. she is a champion of american competitiveness, arguing that if america is to be the world's

leading economy in the 21st century, we must build an economy that innovates and out competes the rest of the world. she is also a champion of free trade and economic freedom saying america must engage in the global economy if it is ever to have any hope against rising economic adversaries like china. in addition to being a business leader, she is also a political activist and has supported conservative causes over the years, including being involved at the american conservative union. in 2010, she stood tall and took on altra left-wing liberal barbara boxer in california. and that was one of the most courageous things to do, was to be able to stand up in the state of california, and go head-to-head with barbara boxer. and so she brought conservative principles to that liberal

state, standing proudly for conservative ideals like limited government, lower taxes, and freedom. in a time when american politics is sorely lacking leaders with real-world experience -- leaders who know what it takes to be successful in the real world -- our next speaker is a much-needed breath of fresh air. ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to carly furey now -- fiorino. [applause] >> thank you so much. thank you. thank you. so great to be with you here. when i was a little girl, my mother who was my sunday school teacher that year, gave me and the rest of her sunday school class a little plaque. as it said, what you are is

god's gift to you. what you make of yourself is your gift to god. i did not feel very gifted as a child. but i went on to college, and i graduated with a degree in medieval history and philosophy. that is right. all dressed up, and nowhere to go. [laughter] so with apologies to every lawyer here, i went off to law school. i hated it. i quit after a single semester. and so to earn a living, i went back to doing full-time what i had done part time to put myself through school. i was a secretary. and i was hired by a little nine person real estate firm to type and file and answer the phones. i have traveled and lived all over the world, and i know that it is still true in 2015 that it

is only in the united states of america that a young woman can start as a secretary and become the chief executive officer of the largest technology company in the world. [applause] that is only possible in the united states of america because our founders knew what my mother taught me. all of us have god-given gifts. everyone has potential. and our founders believed that here, everyone has the right to fulfill their potential. i know how proud all of you were the other night to see your senator, joni ernst, stand up and deliver the response to president obama's state of the union. immediately after her response, emily's list, the pro-abortion women's group -- emily's list describes senator ernst, a

mother a soldier, a sitting senator, as window dressing. let us talk please, about who is waging a war on women. [applause] the next morning, the very next morning, valerie jarrett was on tv talking about equal pay for equal work. i was on the same program, and i asked her why there was a wage gap between men and women in president obama's white house as measured by the very numbers that he has used to politicize the issue. and i asked her further why, if she was so concerned about equal pay for equal work -- why the white house was not tackling the seniority system which is in place in every federal government bureaucracy and every union shop. the seniority system which does not reward performance, merit, or hard work, but rewards

instead time in grade. the seniority system, which is manages women. it is this hypocrisy, the hypocrisy of liberals, that enrages me most. [applause] while president obama urges us in his state of the union to invest in infrastructure, he is unwilling still to support the keystone xl pipeline. [applause] and while the administration cheers when 7 million people sign up for obamacare they ignore completely that more than that have lost their coverage or no longer have as good coverage as they once had. liberals will decry crony capitalism but then they pile on the rules and regulations in dodd-frank, and the result, as

we know, is that 10 banks too big to fail have become five banks too big to fail. meanwhile, community banks the places were family-owned businesses families, and small business owners get their credit -- community banks are struggling. they are struggling because community banks, like small and family-owned businesses, are not big enough, are not powerful enough, to hire all the accountants, the lawyers and the lobbyists to understand all these rules and rates, or to influence them. liberals call is the party of big business. but then they continue to increase the burden and the complexity of taxes and regulations until only the wealthy and the well-connected can survive. i ran a big business. i did not like the regulations, but i could handle them. i could hire accountants and lawyers.

the nine person firm i started out in -- they cannot handle it. now, for the first time in u.s. history, we are destroying more small businesses that we are forming. -- than we are forming. small business is being crushed all across this country by big government. small business is the engine of economic growth in this country. it creates two thirds of the new jobs and employs half of our people. small business is being crushed because only big business can handle big government. [applause] i once lived in the state of california. my husband and i moved back to virginia three years ago. but in the state of california -- that state, as you well know where liberals have been in charge for a very long time.

the result? the highest poverty rates in the country. income inequality is soaring. the devastation and exodus of the middle class. the worst business climate in the nation. and in california, liberals expend enormous energy to protect frogs and fish. and yes, even flies. and it is on the issue of life that the hypocrisy of liberals is at its most risk-taking. [applause] ---- most breathtaking. [applause] liberals believe that flies are worth protecting, but the life of an unborn child is not. the platform of the democratic party -- the platform of the democratic party asserts the right to an abortion at any point in a pregnancy, for any reason. and there are now people in the

democratic party pushing to allow these abortions to be performed by non-doctors. vertro boxer once commented that a life is only a life when it leaves the hospital. we know that science >> we know science supports us who believe in the sanctity of life. when i married my husband, i learned his mother had been told to abort town because her life was in danger. she was a woman of deep faith and great courage. she bore him. she spent a year in the hospital after his birth. her son, my husband, was the joy of her life and he is the rock

of mine. i have thought very often how different my life would have been if my mother-in-law had made a different choice. a woman, anti-woman, who faces a difficult choice, or a prenatal diagnosis, this woman deserves our empathy and support, never our judgment or condemnation. she knows she will face difficulty and struggle. none of us can predict the future. none of us can predict the struggles we are going to face. i know this. i know this, having watched our younger daughter consumed by the demons of addiction, which ultimately took her life. i know from my own battle with cancer that sometimes the greatest blessings in life come from times of struggle.

that the quality of a life is measured in love, in moments of grace, and positive contribution. i know that everyone has god-given gifts, and every life has potential. [applause] >> we know what separates liberals from conservatives. we know as conservatives that no one of us is better than any one of us. liberals don't believe that. liberals think that some are better than others. some are smarter than others. so, some are going to have to take care of others, or decide for others. we know, we know that work, work

brings dignity. family brings purpose. faith brings meaning to our lives. we know. [applause] we know that every person has the capacity, has the desire to live a life of dignity and purpose and meaning. yet, despite these clear differences, we get frustrated when these clear differences don't seem to translate into a different direction. government has gotten bigger under obama. government has grown year after year, after year under both republicans and democrats for 50 years. i serve as the chairman of a christian-based organization called opportunity international.

we have lent $6 billion to people in desperate poverty so that they could build better lives for themselves and their families, starting with $150 loans. today i can deliver a loan to a woman in mullally over a cell phone. a veteran returning from battlefields with grievous ones, a veteran must spend months filling out paperwork, then spend maybe more months waiting for a bureaucrat to check that paperwork and determine that this veteran has deserves the benefits they already have earned. and then, they have to wait months more to be treated. we cannot tinker around the edges of this problem anymore. knowing that the problem has existed for decades, that is

just one of the problems of our government. the v.a. has been a problem for decades, knowing that these problems have existed for this time, the sad truth is that legislators from both parties declared victory, not when they were able to guarantee a veteran the care that they have earned, they declared victory when they did something they should have done a long time ago, they passed a bill allowing senior executives to be fired if they were not doing their jobs. [applause] really? really? is this the best we can do. the majority of americans, and the majority of women agree that abortion after five months for any reason is extreme. yet, politics, apparently

intervened to prevent the pain capable and brown -- paintable unborn child from being brought to a vote. it says once again politics has triumphed over principles and expediency has triumphed over courage. [applause] this is not leadership of the house. i am reminded, i am reminded of the difference between management and leadership, between managers and leadership. managers do the best they can. within the system. leaders change constraints and conditions. [applause] leaders see possibilities leaders mobilize others to seize possibilities. leaders do not accept what is broken simply because it has

always been that way. [applause] you know, and every profession there is a hazard that you are so consumed by your profession that you do not see anything else. so you start to lose perspective. your judgment is clouded. you cannot see the forest through the trees. you cannot see the principles through the politics. you cannot recognize the dysfunctional around you. in business people become obsessed with making quarterly numbers. they fail in that environment to see the long-term investments that need to be made. or they violate ethics, or the law to make the numbers. in politics, people can become obsessed with the back-and-forth , with the tactical advantage with the vote in front of them

with the press coverage about them. they fail to see the principle at stake, or what is truly broken in our system. people who loved been in and around government and politics for their entire lives may no longer be able to see the truth. our government must be fundamentally reformed. [applause] the system has to be changed. our politics can no longer tinker on the edges. and you know this, the bureaucratic monster that our government has become is not simply inefficient or ineffective. or corrupt. the truth now is that our government spies its complexity, it's cost, and its power over our lives now work against the

interest of the people. the potential of america is being crushed by the weight of government of america. [applause] only citizens, only citizens like you and me can see what must be done. this will take courage and common sense. it will take character and commitment. ours was always intended to be a citizen government. our founders never envisioned a professional political class. they envisioned that people leaders would emerge from agriculture commerce, and would serve their nation when she called them to do so.

to accomplish fundamental reform , we will take an understanding of the technology driving this century and changing our world. it will require an understanding of how the economy actually works. it will require an understanding, a knowledge of how bureaucracy functions, how real change can be accomplished. fundamental reform will take a return to the values that have always been the bedrock of this nation. [applause] we must understand our role in the world. to lead. the nature of our allies, and especially the nature of adversaries, like hillary clinton, i have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles around the globe. unlike her i have accomplished

something. [applause] you see, mrs. clinton, flying is not an accomplishment. it is an activity. [laughter] i have met vladimir putin. i know that it takes far more than a gimmick reset button to halt his ambition. having done business in 80 countries, having served as the chairman of the experimental advisory board for several years, i know china and north korea and russia are state sponsors of cyber warfare. i know china has a strategy to steal our intellectual property. i know netanyahu. i know when he warns us that iran is a threat to our nation

and to his own, we must listen. [applause] unlike hillary clinton, i know what difference it makes that our american ambassador in three other brave americans were killed in a deliberate terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11 in libya. apparently, unlike hillary clinton and barack obama, i know our response must be more forceful than the arrest of a single individual one year later. [applause]

i am a conservative. after a lifetime of experience, in all kinds of places, and all kinds of environments, i still know that our principles work better to unlock potential and others. i also know that this is the highest calling of leadership. [applause] i have had the great privilege to travel all across the nation, all across the state of iowa. i sense a deep disquiet. americans fear we are losing something, and they know we are missing something. we fear we are losing the essence of who we are. we fear we are losing that uniquely american sense of limitless possibilities, for ourselves, for our children, for

our grandchildren. but, all of our nations' wounds are self-inflicted. all of our problems can be solved. every american can live a life of dignity and purpose, and meaning. we have everything we need to make this time the greatest in america's history. [applause] what is required now is citizenship and leadership. so, let us together rise to meet the challenges that confront us let us together truly reform our government and our politics. let us together restore the

promise of this, the greatest nation world has ever known. may god bless you all, may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] thank you so much. thank you. >> i am glad that you got a chance to know carly. [applause] and, i think sometimes about how

when a person enters on the stage and carly has been on the national stage for the senate race, that she fought three california in 2010, i think of this day that back in 2008, i was in a hotel in kuwait i went into that little room on the upper floor you get dates and figs and a cup of coffee, and there were three businessmen sitting in the corner, one in the back of the room. i didn't want to let anyone know i was a member of congress. [laughter] it was a safe thing to do in a part of the world like that. i am not talking to the people that are there is my point. three in this cluster, and they are watching television. i don't know what language they speak. i'm getting my dates and figs, and on came the news. on came the announcement that john mccain had selected his

nominee for vice president. those three businessmen cheered and clapped in kuwait city because of what they had heard over the news, sarah palin will be the nominee for vice president of the united states. that tells you how exhilarating it was across america to see that little vignette in that part of the world. i will always remember that. i will take you to the history of sarah palin. she was on her high school basketball team. she earned a reputation and a neck pain as sarah barracuda for her tenacity. [laughter] a town favorite, elected as the young lady to be the mayor of wasilla. she served two terms. she was appointed and became president of the alaska conference of mayors.

she cut taxes by 75%. [applause] she fired useless bureaucrats. because of the notice that was brought on wasilla she was nominated and appointed to the state oil and gas commission which there is a lot of in alaska. she recognized there was corruption and took it on. it didn't matter if they were democrats or republicans. she took it on. she pushed so hard in the end it forced the attorney general of the state of alaska to resign. then she ran for governor and took on a republic that republican primary candidate and one -- won. she became the youngest and first woman governor of alaska. the nation started up a attention to sarah palin. the governor of alaska. what did she do?

she put the state jet up on ebay and sold it and took the cash. [applause] that is how we should have distributed tickets to this event today. she killed the bridge to nowhere. then she was nominated as vice president of the united states. the rest is history. it was exhilarating to us to see sarah palin come to the national convention in minneapolis and see her give that speech. i had the privilege of standing below this the stage. it was delivered with a tenacity. you knew you had someone who was going to be a player for a long time. that is sarah palin. [applause] that was her mama grizzly speech. this mother of five, and i see what is happening on twitter some people objected that their labrador was being used for a

footstool. we raise labs all my life. they get tired of that from the kids. they get up and move somewhere else. [laughter] sarah palin knows that. she is the academy of common sense. she can shoot the moose, dress the most, and she has the best recipe of moose do for anybody i know. she has been moving the political center to the right ever since she stepped on the stage freight i want to welcome back to iowa sarah palin. [applause] >> thank you so much, iowa. thank you. thank you. i'm so happy to get to be here. thank you.

i thank you so much. it is so great to be back in iowa. we have great memories here. many trips that we have been blessed to take here. the 2008 campaign. then even more fun, the tea party rally we had. that was fun. we have had fried everything your state fair. of course, one year thinking that after the say are, i was going to work some of it off we drive up to storm lake. i think there is a half marathon going on. i can go incognito and go see this race. incognito. it means for me no makeup. [laughter] i'm going to scare little children. i am running the race and jump in there. i'm incognito i'm thinking.

i'm running in peace. no one is talking politics. i can't talk anyway. but no press there with suspicious thinking of their signals, she is in iowa, what is she doing? they are good at sensing who is coming, who is going and the significance of your state. i'm running, but no press bugging me if i want to run for president or not. that was the year of that question. jumping into the race, i'm running across the finish line. boom, their im accused of running the race for political purposes. i find out that ok, i'm in iowa, the race happened to be called the jump right in and run race. i got a medal.

the press is like you orchestrated that. i'm like oh yeah, asked todd. anyway. my best memories are of the wonderful friends we have made here, good people, hard workers with love for this great country. they show your work athletic -- work ethic. even driving by your homes with flags waving on the front porches, on any given night i think a lot of you may be found out there on your porches clinging to your guns, your god, your constitution. it is because of that, because of you the rest of the country knows this part of america as the heartland. last time i was here to campaign , it was for one of those friends whom we have made, and you know her, the soldier, the

farmer, a good neighbor, and back then i called her a pistol packing harley riding mama grizzly. now i am thrilled to call her your senator, joni ernst. >> other friends, it was here in iowa that i first met a big burly, but kind of sheepdog humble type of guy who wanted to help us out with security. so happy to get to bring them to iowa and get to know him well. he was a veteran. my heart for the military. he was humbled. we became friends with them over the years, todd and him especially becoming friends. we learn more about his amazing story. it is the story of so many of our veterans.

incredible sacrifice to protect our freedom. while we missed that particular friend now, we are so happy the rest of america is getting to know more and more the story of american sniper, chris kyle. it was here that we were introduced to chris. you know why that movie is breaking records all over the great nation? america needs a hero again. chris kyle has been that man. screw the left in hollywood who can't understand what it is that we see in someone like chris kyle and our veterans. [applause] so the last couple of days my daughter and i have been at a run show in las vegas. at the gun show, getting to link up with t\hea, chris's

wife. she was honoring veterans now that chris is gone. carrying on her husband's legacy, visiting with the veterans. like those military families having that sincere appreciation for what other military families go through. spending so much time with these other veterans. at this party, it seems that we are always going rogue something always happens. we're at the priority -- we are signing books. in the back this young, very energetic very bold young veteran holds up a sign and it was a four letter message to michael moore. i call him up front. he is holding the poster. i am looking at it. he shows it to me.

pictures started snapping. i'm giving the poster the old thumbs up. it was my thumb, not any other finger. [laughter] that poster though, you have heard the term swear like a sailor. i think this guy was a soldier. same thing. someone snaps that photo and we have taken a lot of heat over the last two days for being sing with it. it is a message he deserves. [applause] i was thinking -- i was thinking we will take that heat. that is ok. what the poster said is what the rest of us are thinking. what really came down to was our message to those who don't understand again the opportunity they have to do whatever the heck they want to do even if they are jerks. it is our veterans, are are

active service members who are protecting their right to be jerks. if you love freedom you think of veterans. i'm glad to be in iowa because i'm amongst friends who understand that foundational aspect of america. [applause] we appreciate our veterans. ok. one other connection to iowa. someone else who else from the state, speaking of bristol maybe you have seen her in the news recently. photos of herbert posted. they were candid photos of her just nothing on but leather. beautiful leather. [indiscernible]

she was trained here in iowa. another scandal with the palin's . these pictures were posted because she has been trained as a companion for my youngest child, trig, the less special needs. this healthy labrador, she was trained by the same talents at the copy jake foundation that train service dogs for our veterans. [applause] so we have an honor to be a part of that organization and that charity, and our dog. we are happy she is from puppy jake. these pictures, it was just scandalous that i would show our big, strapping, healthy lab letting my little boy use her as a stepping stool to get to reach the kitchen sink. i took a picture and said this is what turning a stumbling

block until a stepping stone is about. who would have thought it would have become a scandal. they just let logo. they went absolutely crazy. this rest of the tinderbox of the world, everything that is going on in it, this was the most outrageous thing that had happened. barking their tired old death threats against us. get in line, weasels. [laughter] [applause] yeah. they are howling to the press. cruelty to animals, sarah palin. which surprised me, considering what it does. what joni ernst does to those iowa hogs. [laughter]

not to mention, but the president admitted to doing to those innocent indonesian puppies. jill adapted. she is another connection to iowa. her motto is better a stepping stone than a snack. [laughter] better stepped on been scarfed up. the media crucified us. we are getting used to that. thank you some much, citizens united, awesome group. thank you for the invitation, and steve king, there he strong. he is going rogue in d.c. for being one of the brave to pull the lever for change in congressional leadership to have new energy and conservative movement, the policies that will get the country on the right track.

mostly, i thank you for being here. thank you. you are hearing words for many different people. one thing is in common. we believe what ronald reagan believes that we are a people who have a government, not a government that has a people. it was jefferson's warning, when the people fear their government, that is tyranny. when government fear the people, there is freedom. [applause] we are here on the name of freedom. we are here in that name of freedom and you, even you get to decide who will fight for it. you will caucus to help choose our next resident a year from now. -- our next president a year from now. it can't come soon enough. candidates will come here to

earn your vote. the rest of america watching and trusting iowa to put them through the test, to ensure they are ready for war. it is war. it is war for the future of our country, for the sovereignty and solvency of the united states of america. the other side, the far left, they see a need for change. it is by offering real change, again. coronation rinse replay. clinton rinse repeat. these leftist promoting these ready for campaigns, ready for hillary. well, these hope changey d.c. businesses disguised as

grassroots, don't you wonder what the white house things of them out there prancing around squealing they are ready for someone else? they have to admit it even. [laughter] because they know that he who was the one, now with teatime on the mind, he is so over it. america, he is just not that into you. [laughter] the $18 trillion question though is, do the candidates think they are ready for represent any hope or change? or is it more of the same old state-ism that we suffer from? what can we do differently to put an economy on the side of the middle class, instead of the

side of their crony capitalists? will they worry more about securing our borders and less about securing a primo teatime? how will they protect our standing across the world when they cannot protect an ambassador? when will they listen to concerns of we the people instead of listening in on our phone calls? how will they [indiscernible] when will they let us control our own care? what will they do to stop causing our pain and stop stealing it again. [applause] well, in other words, is hillary a new democrat or an old one? the press asks, can anyone stop

hillary? this is different go a conclusion. it is to scare us. a pantsuit can crush patriots. that is what this is all about. hey iowa, can anyone stop hillary? yes we can. it starts here. it starts now. from back comes good. that has been my mantra. from very backing come very good. as we look back on history, the last time that we suffered under such an out of touch presidency, we were lifted out of by a charismatic solution oriented conservative who so loved this country and put his faith in her people. we can't have him back. but we can offer that study,

smart, stiff spined leadership that reagan did. to give the people real hope, now is the time for conservative colors, not establishment hail pastels -- pale pastels. [applause] we need to ask who carries on reagan's legacy? who will lead our freedom movement to begin the restoration of america? you answer that by making the gop primary a competition, not foreign nation. our party is at a crossroads. many voters -- some in my family even -- they have lost faith in the gop machine. they are registering as independence. so many voters, independence.

they are looking for principal and patriotism over political party. the good news is, in our party [indiscernible] that's a good thing. it is primary competition that will surface the candidate who is up to the task and can unify. this person has to. knowing what the media will do all throughout 2016 to all of us , it is 20 the take more than a village to be hillary. [applause] here is how we do it. we go on offense. we go on offense now. we expect gop leaders in d.c. to

get on offense. we the people, we realize this is more, it is war for the sovereignty of the united states america. we don't sit on our thumbs this next time when one of our own is being crucified, and falsely accused of whatever the hit accusation of the day happens to be, racism, sexism whatever. it is orwellian observing how that works that rule that the left employees. disgusting charges from the left , reverse them. it is they who point a finger, not really -- they have tripled the amount of fingers pointed back at them. revealing they are the ones who really discriminate and divides on color in class, and sex.

[applause] we call them out and we don't let them get away with it. on gender, this one, it is they who deceive women. they shackle them to the good old boys running washington, and this promise that they have to provide for the little ladies every need because they are there, a woman is just not capable. it is the left that does that. it isn't the right. it isn't conservatives. we go on offense, and we reveal the real war on women, with truth. because we can handle the truth. [applause] we give back, and we give hope. we give a real choice. we don't talk it, we walk it. by proving to voters what works.

we do that by supporting those who have actually done the job who cut government and incentivize the private sector, and never compromise on freedom. look at the conservative governor. they are accountable. they administer. they have these results all across the united states and conservative governor's offices that results can be argued. we don't underestimate the wisdom of the people when we on offense give them the truth, and the true state of the union especially saying young people what is actually going on, and teaching young people there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. [applause] there is no free college. there is no free birth control. there is no free phone. someone pays. someone always pays.

so we undo that leftist thinking and teaching the enabling. we encounter it with empowering young kids again and bring them on our side, and make them know to get a buck, you get off your butts. we teach that again. [applause] we get honest on national security. we give hope to the people that we need not, we will not succumb to evil. as we call it as it is. we address it. that must be, that 800 pound elephant in the room of the white house, the radical left won't even name, won't even name the threat to our way of life today. we will hit it and name it. it is any muslim who would choose evil, whose loyalty to a

death cult perversion is so darkened and has deceive their soul that they actually think they are welcome here, to transform here. no. what we do, we strengthen our military. we respect our troops. we let them, our troops and gatekeepers, we let them tell jihadists, this is our house get the hell out. [applause] amnesty. we have to be candid. people deserve the candidates. amnesty, no. the left and rhinos, they would report those whose first action is to break the law? we win with the wonderful immigrants who have built the

country legally, and we secure their rights and their hearts and opportunities. together we show the deserving middle class that we will be decimated under this unconstitutional executive amnesty. we also have to school our president i guess on the rules. he doesn't just get to trample our constitution and ignore congress just because he doesn't get exactly what he wants every time he wants it. with all due respect to the office of the presidency, it is like an overgrown little boy who is just acting kind of spoiled and mom, we don't put up with that, do we? or -- either. it reminds me of bristol. she can testify to this. she came home from preschool and her cruel teacher, a sharp woman, whose family had gone

from that come from mexico bristol said her mother and dad are so happy they got to come to america, and the daughter she became a teacher. they are so happy. they love this country so much. they named her after our country. my teachers first name is land. i thought land? maybe a palin kid would have to suffer through that name the rest of their life. [laughter] but bristol hasn't got it right. the teacher's real name was america. the teachers had named her america. i was explaining that to bristol. it is not land or globe. she taught bristol, so many kids, a lesson that our president must admit, when students would whine about something not getting their way

exactly as they wanted in that class, she would sing this little mantra, america said you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit. that is what our president must have missed growing up. this insistence, this lawlessness of trying to get his way and trample our constitution . i won't even get into the details of everything. but from debt, when you are in a hole you don't want to be in the first thing they stop digging. i don't know what is wrong with the leaders in this country who understand we are in a hole we don't want to be in and they keep digging. from debt to energy, proving the inherent links between american-made energy and prosperity, and energy insecurity to solutions like the tax that we need, to stop this

unhealthy obsession that we are hearing about, even on our side of the aisle subjective income gap we are supposed to be so obsessed with, we don't have to be obsessed with it. not when everything rises together. with conservative, proven free market principles that incentivize pursuing capital and investment for innovation. it resultsg prosperity for everyone. and to stop this overreaching bureaucracy which we get on offense. we drive in solutions and we be bold. it was here in iowa that i put forward in a speech some years ago, i guess they didn't listen because they didn't do anything about it, i said why don't we decentralize the federal government? we have to be bold. move what is remaining across the country to the people. is there is the -- with the end

pack up the u-haul. what better place for the department of agriculture than in agricultural countries so they see how policies affect the farmers and ranchers who feed our country? things like that. it must change. things must change for this government. look at it. it is not too big to fail. it is too big to succeed. so we can afford no retreads, or nothing will change. the same policies that got us into this status quo. another word. status quo. the middle class, everyday americans are really getting taken for a ride. that is status quo. gop leaders, by the way, the man can only write you when your

back is bent. strengthen it. then america will be taken for a ride. -- then america won't be taken for a ride. maybe just the next standing of theirs and the next election. we are not in the mood to get policies to pass because they have a party initial next to their name. evidence of this that it is not just us thinking this, across the country. look at the governor's elected without a majority of the vote. that is the result about independent and strong third-party candidates. it is at its highest level in the last hundred years. alaska elected a very strong conservative who formed an independent ticket to prove that he be beholden to the people, not to parties, politics that

result in the titles and hierarchies, and problems that come with that. be beholden to the people. it is their record then, not their standing in the party, but their record that needs to be considered. we tell them if we want a fired up, unified base to get the gop over the line, to thwart the lines of the left, and their politics of destruction, we have to cut candidates who don't fit the bill of being beholden to the people. [applause] you see, we will vote for those who have a record to prove it. voters of all stripes are desiring something to vote for this time. for their american dream, not just against tired failed policies. they will vote for the american

dream for their kids and grandkids. we have to be careful going through the primary process not to marginalize any commonsense conservative. let's take the sign up the door to the oval office, the one that said no girls allowed. take that off the wall. and, we remember what margaret thatcher would always remind her constituents, if you want something said, you ask a man. if you want something done, you ask a woman. america is ready to get stuff done. we take the ball, and we drive to victory. we get real hope with real solutions grounded in time-tested truths. these solutions that will be brought to you by competitor with a record to prove it. then, we are ready for hillary. now, i'm ready for hillary.

are you? are you coming? [applause] it was a few summers ago my final thoughts here, a few summers ago, after a great day with friends, and farmers, and farm animals through iowa state fairs, we loaded up the motor home and drove some hours over the border to illinois and stopped along the way the because my daughter had never got to run through mas in a cornfield. -- maze in a cornfield. that shows you how exciting my life is. hyper and her little cousin get to run through this maze for the first time. it is like this all americana thrill for our family. driving through the small towns around here that glorify our nation, with those homes proudly

waving the flag from the porch. we pulled into dixon as we crossed the state line, and we turned on a street. we stopped at a modest home, and it had a pair of rocking chairs on the front arch, and a neighbor came over and told us about the house. they told us about the little boy who used to live in that house. his family could not afford the house. they rented it. the little boy had a little tiny vegan off the front of the house. that is where he would listen to the radio. he would learn from that. he played football in the front yard and ride his bike up and down the sidewalk. just real life. as a teen he would work as a lifeguard on rock river where he staged [indiscernible] and he grew up to save a world

from communism. he inspired a nation to once again believe in itself. this little boy from humble beginnings that wasn't that far from here, was of course ronald reagan. he never forgot where he came from, those roots in the heartland, and his story is our story. it embodies the american dream. it is a dream that we all must be willing to sacrifice, and to fight for, now more than ever. dreaming that, living it. working for it. we can make sure the dream lives , and that we know that our best days are still ahead. i have every confidence that when we, when conservatives rise to that challenge, and offer a real choice, we will have a reverse of successful conservative leadership like

reagan gave us. the american people want to be inspired and be united as proud secure citizens of the greatest nation in the history of the world. i think you -- i thank you iowa for being a center of that. god bless you iowa, god bless the united states of america. thank you. [inaudible] thank you guys. [applause] ♪ >> wow.

it is an amazing day. this is really the definition of a marathon, isn't it? we're on the 25th mile. we have a couple more to go. we are saving the best for last. we are really excited about being able to bring this program to you. i am just honored that you are here. i am honored to have stayed for the day and made this a huge event. our next speaker is someone who you know well. rick perry was the longest-serving governor in texas is three and one of the most conservative leaders in america today. he is a fifth-generation texan the son of a tenant farmer, he learned the values of hard work and perseverance in the rolling plains of west texas. in the texas state, rick perry fought for lower spending, earning himself the affectionate

moniker of pitbull from the media for his fierce commitment to fiscal conservatism. rick perry served as lieutenant governor of george w. bush to become the first republican lieutenant governor since reconstruction. he became governor of texas when george bush was sworn in as president of the united states. as governor, he carved out a texas sized legend in his own right, making his state the beacon of job creation and prosperity in spite of obama's recession and nonexisting recovery. he used his line-item veto to cut 3 billion in way still -- $3 billion in wasteful spending. he makes sure frivolous lawsuits and greedy trial lawyers don't pervert justice and harm good businessman and women.

these reforms have helped keep the free market free in texas. business owners to do business and bringing a wave of new doctors to texas. one of the most memorable initiatives he has ever undertaken, in my opinion, is one of his best. he went on to air ads in california and maryland to tell the taxes success story of business. thus inviting businesses to come to texas, and leave liberal anti-business environments behind for business friendly texas. that drove the left crazy. most importantly, he has done with the federal government won't. spend his own state's money to secure the southern border. [applause] governor perry spent over $230

million to implement the strategy the liberals and the moderates in washington are afraid of, putting law enforcement on the border to stop criminals and illegal aliens from breaking the law. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, give a texas sized welcome to governor rick perry. [applause] >> let's finish today up. yes. woo! thank you for being here today. i tell you, it is great to be back in the state of iowa. [applause] that happens to be the state that elected the first female combat veteran to the united states senate, miss joni ernst. [applause]

i was pretty proud to campaign over here through the fall for 2 fabulous people, governor terry branstad and terry reynolds. you have great people in those two. and a guy that they used to call coach. they call him congressman now. he is a good one. i want to say a special thanks to another member of congress, one who's no whole bar is passionate conservatism, he is the reason i'm here today. brother steve king. most of all, i want to say thank you to the minute women here today who represent a grassroots movement to restore america to its central idea of why