issues instead china has made him their door mat. here is portman. >> thank you, guys, that's it for the factor. senator rob portman of ohio take it away. >> thank you. good evening, america! [cheers and applause] hello to the fired-up delegation from the buckeye state, right there in front of me. [cheering] >> my name is rob portman. and they say i was on governor romney's short list of vice-presidential candidates. apparently, it wasn't short enough. what a great convention. i amdrited to be here tonight to talk about the fundamental differences between mitt romney and barack obama, when it comes to understanding our economy. let's begin by talking about some things the democrats love to demonize -- mitt romney's success in the private sector.

he built a company from the ground up, created lots of jobs and, yes, he made money. [cheering] >> he made it the old-fashioned way, folks. he earned it! [cheers and applause] then you have barack obama, who never started a business, never even worked in business and yet he claims those who have should give credit to the government, or someone else for their success. [boos from crowd]. >> so have you one candidate who understands that success comes from working hard, competing and taking risks. and you have another candidate who believes that success comes from government. let me ask you this -- which one do you think knows how to turn around this economy? [cheering]

>> right answer. let me ask you this -- which one would you choose to invest your life savings? [crowd cheering "romney"] >> should it be any different for safeguarding our nation's economy? or let's say you don't have any savings, let's say you are worried about how to pay september's rent or mortgage. let's say you are one of the millions of americans out of work, or millions more who have given up looking for work. you have to be running out of patience and hope. have you to be tired. looking for a new start. well, you don't have to be patient any longer. through your vote, this fall, you can change the leadership of this country and the opportunities for you and your family. [cheers and applause] america's been nearly four years

of 8% unemployment, double-digit unemployment for young people, hispanics, african-americans. four years. fdr and truman, who won an entire world war in four years. america is tired of waiting. [cheers and applause] listen, in business, if you don't move rapidly, what happens? you are out of business. you are finished. we want a president who operates at business speed, not government speed. [cheering] president obama says he deserves re-election because his economic policies have worked. not in this universe, they haven't! in fact, the experts tell us that if we don't change our policies, we are going back into

recession next year. folks, tens of millions of americans are not out of the last recession. governor romney had a plan to build his business. he now has a detailed plan to restore our economy and strengthen the middle class. i ask you, where's the president's economic plan? blaming others does not qualify as a plan. now, the president did submit a budget. it was so bad, folks, that not a single republican or a single democrat in the entire united states congress would vote for it. he got zero votes. that is a failure of leadership. [cheers and applause] president obama has been right about at least one prediction

he's made about the economy. he said, if i don't have this done in 3 years, then there is going to be a one-term proposition. [cheering] i think you are right about that, mr. president. it hasn't worked because you cannot spend your way, regulate your way, tax your way or blame your way out of the economic mess that we are in. you have to liberate the productive power of the american people, through policies that encourage innovation, risk-take, investment and jobs. and you have to compete and win in the global economy. governor romney understands this. in contrast, president obama is

the first president in 75 years -- democrat or republican -- who hasn't even sought the ability to negotiate export agreements and open markets overseas. now, why is this important? because 95% of the world's consumers live outside of our borders. and to create jobs, our workers and our farmers need to sell more what have we make to those people. [cheers and applause] >> while this administration has been draking its feet, other countries have been busy, negotiating hundreds of new trade agreements to benefit their workers, their farmers, taking away our opportunities. president obama has been so driven to advance his big government ideology that he has abandoned the daily work that a government must do to open markets, restore business confidence and create the climate for job growth. this is the work president romney would begin on day 1.

take trade with china. china manipulators its currency, giving it an unfair trade advantage. why doesn't the president do something about it? i will tell you one reason, he could not run up his record trillion-dollar deficit if the chinese didn't buy our bonds to finance them. folks, we are as beholden to china to bonds as we are to the middle-east for oil. this will end under mitt romney! [cheers and applause] we need to knock down these barriers to trade abroad. but we also need to knock down self-imposed barriers to success right here at home. we need to reform our outdated

and complicated tax code. we need to fix our regulatory system and we need an energy policy that encourages the development of our resources, right here in the ground, in america. [cheers and applause] america has a choice between mitt romney, who seeks to grow the economy and barack obama, who seeks to redistribute it. which one do you think will liberate america's entrepreneurial spirit? at the other party's convention, you are going to hear another chant. their chant will be four more years, four more years. folks, we cannot afford four more years! [cheers and applause] >> how about no more years?!

[cheers and applause] [crowd chanting "no more years"] >> governor romney -- governor romney chose a terrific partner in paul ryan of wisconsin. [cheers and applause] paul's a close friend, a great family man and he's got a reformer's heart. contrast this to joe biden. vice-president biden has toll people out of work to, quote, just hang in there. so much for hope and change. paul ryan is not asking america to continue to hang in there. he is proposing new policies that will give poor and middle-class families opportunities and hope for the future.

mitt romney made his mark turning around businesses, solving problems. paul ryan made his mark as a respected reformer, focused on results. together, they will do what president obama has not done. they will lead and breaking through the partisan gridlock in washington, d.c. [cheers and applause] america, give them the chance to restore america's economy and restore the american dream. i have seen that dream up close. when i was a kid, my dad left his job as a salesman for a big company. he started his own business, taking a risk. he sold forklift trucks. my mom was a bookkeeper. she had to borrow money -- they had to borrow money from her uncle because the bank wouldn't give him a loan. he lost money the first few years. but he never lost his dream.

by the time he retired and my brother took over, the business had 200 employees. 200 families in southwest ohio were supported by that business. this is the classic american story, not of government telling us what to do, but of free men and free women, willing to work hard and to take a risk to build something of value for themselves, their families and their community. [cheering] about a year into the obama administration, i asked my dad whether he would do it again. he said, rob, with all the uncertainty out there today, i don't know if i would take the risk. in that one sentence, folks, he summed up what i have heard from hundreds of small business owners, all across ohio and around this great country. they're afraid to make the investment and jobs are the

casualty. ladies and gentlemen, we need new leadership and new policies to bring back the dream and renew america's promise. no more excuses. no more blaming others. no more waiting. we need romney/ryan and we need them now. and with your help, it is going to happen. thank you. and god bless our great country. [cheers and applause] >> and welcome to "hannity" and day 3 of the rnc. we are live from tamp aflorida. you just heard from senator rob portman. tonight promises to be another powerful night for republicans as vice-presidential hopeful paul ryan and former secretary of state condoleezza rice are among the many speakers.

before we head back to the floor, i am joined in our sky box by last night's keynovelty speaker, new jersey chris christie. how are you? >> great, sean. >> sean: descru fun last night? >> had a great time last night. really did. very exciting. got to lay out our party and the independents that we need to reach out to win this election. what republican governance looks like, what we believe and what they believe. that's the key to winning this. the key to wing this election is the power of our ideas and that's what we tried to lay out. >> sean: in many ways, before you gave the speech, i suspected you would be counter-intutive, they see nut town halls and you are combative, but maybe that's what the left wanted you to do, to be negative against barack obama. and you said, wait a minute, it's working in new jersey and south carolina, louisiana, ohio and wisconsin, the governors -- republican governors are doing well. >> there is no question about that. that's what they want it us to

do. i mean, how are -- what independent voter's going to be fooled to hear republicans criticize the democratic president? listen, the president of the united states has createdded record for us that he has failed. it's our job to get the rindependents and right-thinking democrats to say, here are our ideas and here's why you should vote for us. >> sean: it was almost like republican governors last night. scott walker, he had a $3 billion deficit. he turned it around into a surplus. $8 billion for john kasich in ohio. you turned things around had in new jersey. >> we had an $11 billion deficit and now we have a $650 million surplus going into this year. the fact that you make the hard decisions and tell the people the truth. that's the other point i was trying to get across last night. we can't be timid and guided by polls. we have to change polls. the president is more concerned about being loved than being respected. >> sean: a lesson you learned

from your mother. >> exactly right. >> sean: let me ask you -- we have a preview of paul ryan. let me get your reaction to the choice of paul ryan as v.p., your name was mentioned quite a bit. >> i thoughta thought it was a t choice for this reason. paul ryan stands for something. it's so great to have a ticket that stands for something. his whole career is about standing for fiscal responsibility and growth. it's so great that maze the guy. i thought it was a great choice by governor romney. >> sean: paul ryan, we got some excerpts. he said obamacare is 2,000 pages of riewcialtion mandate, taxes, fees and fines that have no place in a free country. the president's declared the debate is over. this will come as news to millions of americans who want to repale peel it. how important is that? >> really important. to put an end to the federal bureaucrat for a health care system, putting people between their doctors. our party has to be articulate

and firm about it. when we win, we have to do it. >> sean: back to the concept that you discussed last night in your speech, that is that we have to tell people the truth. these are tough times. a line from paul ryan's speech, before the mad, the momentum overwhelm us all, we are going to solve the nation's economic problems. do you think we learned something in wisconsin that people, in spite of maybe prior conventional wisdom thought the best way to get the voters was to offer them more government, maybe they realized we can't borrow 40 cents of every dollar. is there a shift in the mind-set? >> there is no question. the republican governors are leading the way on this. walkener wisconsin. kasich in ohio. martin nez new mexico, nikki haley in south carolina. bobby jindal in louisiana. they are making tough choices. they are not only surviving politicalally, they are thriving. the conventional wisdom folks, the defenders of the status quo, we are starting to turn them

around. it's going to take awhile because they believe they are right. >> sean: let me ask you this -- when we look at the electoral map, governor romney's got to win ohio. he has to win florida. the democrats start out with california, washington, oregon, new york, new jersey, illinois, that's a lotted of electoral votes. how tough is the electoral map? >> it's a real challenge. you laid it out well. you know, we have to win florida. i think we are taking the right approach to winning florida. we can't avoid the medicare issue, we should embrace it. we have a better plan. here's the reason to vote for us. we have to stop playing defense. when we are playing defense, we are losing. we have great ideas. let's go on offense. in ohio, i will tell you this, it depend who is gets credit for what's going on. if they give the president credit, it's tougher. but if they give john kasich the credit he deserves tshows that republican governors can turn it

around. >> sean: how do you deal with -- i have characterized this as the sleaziest, dirtiest campaign in history. romney's accused of causing a woman's cancer -- you know the accusations, being a felon. >> sure. >> sean: how do you deal with that distraction, which is almost on a daily basis? and you know, get your message out? >> i think that there comes a point now, 60-plus days left to go, you have to ignore it. you have to ignore it, sean. >> sean: made a fine speech last night. congratulations. >> thank you. >> sean: by the way, we are looking ahead at the floor right now, where governor fortuno of puerto rico is speaking. we'll dip into this as we continue and senator marco rubio's coming up... >> budget deficit. the largest anywhere in the nation. we could not even peat our payroll. we were on the brink of bankruptcy. but we did not shy away from our responsibility to lead.

we cut government expenses by almost 20%, starting with my own salary. we reduced our deficit 90% while continuing to invest in our schools, hospitals, and highways. at the same time, we slashed taxes 50 percent on individuals and 30 percent on businesses. the largest tax cut in puerto rico history! >> sean: that was the governor of puerto rico. and coming up tonight, more from tampa, florida, as we await speeches from tim pawlenty, mike huckabee and condoleezza rice and vice-presidential nominee, paul ryan. but first, florida senator marco rubio will be here next in our sky box, as our live coverage of the republican national convention continues. we are glad you are with us. this country was built by working people.

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dentyne split to fit. practice safe breath. >> sean: welcome back to "hannity" live at the republican national convention in tampa, florida. our next guest was once thought to be at the top of mitt romney's vice-presidential short list and has given the honor of introducing the governor before his acceptance speech, tomorrow night. we are joined by marco rubio here. how are you? >> good to see you again. >> sean: welcome to flor day. i know you have been here a lot. >> sean: this is my second time. i want to live here because there are no state taxes. >> we want you here. we have to figure that out. >> sean: you were up to the last day on that short list. were you ready to go? >> as i said, during the time, i wouldn't discuss the protionz. but i was honored that i was mention in the conversation and governor romney was gracious enough to callly and inform me that he would be making an

announcement. he made a great choice. we'll she tonight. the american people are going to get to know the paul ryan that some of us that work with him in washington know, a serious policy thinking, an exciting young guy, involved in american politics and a fantastic leaders. >> sean: one of the things he's talking about, he said plook, here's our pledge. we are not going to duck the tough choices. we are going to lead. we are not going to blame others. we'll take responsibility. we will not try to replace the founding principles, we are going to re-apply them. >> that started last night with chris criftdie. he had a great line when he said, mr. president, leaders don't follow polls, they change them. that means go to the american people, explain them what the stakes and are bringing them along with you. we are not getting that. >> sean: paul ryan is also going to say that -- that we have to do it now. there is a sense of urgency. one of the things, as i have gotten to know you, you have a sense of urgency, if we don't

get this done now, we may not be able to recover. >> we have a clock on the wall, $15,988 trillion in this convention. that's outrammingous. that's larger than our economy. medicare's going bankrupt. anyone in favor of leaving medicare the way it is is in favor of bankrupting it. these are not -- these are not difficult issues to solve if we solve them. if we don't solve them, they get harder and uglier. >> sean: what happened to candidate obama in 2008 that called george bush irresponsible and unpatriotic for $4 trillion in debt in 8 years and now over $5 trillion. what happened? >> barack obama 2.0 was a very different candidate than the one that run four years ago. i know some people who never voted for a democrat who voted for him because he was new, he was going to elevate politics and be high minded. that's long gone. have you seen in the speaker tonight, this is a president

that deliberately pits americans against each other for political gain. that barack obama's long gone. >> sean: what do you make about that? the class warfare -- >> right. >> sean: there is a war on women, old people, rich versus poor, old versus young and other comments of joe biden and the mayor of los angeles. he said, you just can't trot out a brown face or a spanish surname and expect people to say they are going to vote for your party or your canned day. he said that yesterday -- >> first of all, i don't know who is expecting that. republicans, like everything else, we have to earn things, including votes and support. we have an economic message that i think, especially appeals to minorities and especially to americans of hispanic descent. i would remind the mayor and others that the folks who are featured are not manufactured, they are real. we have a governor, suzanna martinez, republican hispanigic.

brian sandival, the governor of puerto rico. ted cruz in texas. myself, obviously in florida. we are excited about this. allen west in florida. so here's the bottom line, i think that -- that these are folks that represent our party because what it shows is that our message appeals to a broad spectrum of americans. we have to do a better job of communicating that and we are. >> sean: what about the president, though, running that campaign? >> because he can't ran his record. what are you going to say -- can the president go to the american people and say, you are better off than you were four years ago? when all is said and done, doesn't the election come down to that -- are you better off than you were four years ago and $5 trillion in debt ago? >> it comes down to that. but it's even deeper. it is such a different view of government's role in our economy. the president believes that the government is more involved in our economy, we will be more prosperous. that has never worked anywhere it's been tried.

we here in the republican party believes that the economy grow when is people take their own money and invest it in starting a new business. >> sean: let me ask you this, assuming that governor romney wins, paul ryan is the vice-president, that the republicans take over the senate, they maintain control in the house. how hard is it to get to what we all think we need, which is a balanced think budget? that seems like a very difficult pass. do you think the american people are ready for the serious, tough choices that it would take to get there? >> hence, the purpose of the chris christie speech last night -- that's what leaders do. leaders come to the american people and explain to them, this is what's going on. here's the options that we have. this is the one we think is the best one. will you follow us? that's what leadership is about. that's what it was in every era of our country. >> sean: i watch you in the convention hall. you are a bit of a rock star i. the republican, of course. >> sean: not just the republicans. it is you. >> we near florida.

there are a lot of folks that were very nice to me. it's great it see the folks. >> sean: what do you think about governor christ? >> my initial response is -- i told you so. this is i didn't ran 2 years ago. i knew he wasn't going to stand up for the principles of our party. but at the end of the day, he is running out of parties to run on. >> sean: we have to go. senator, great to see you. thank you for being here. we go back to the floor of the convention, where tim pawlenty is addressing the delegates. >> thank you. thank you very much. good evening, everyone. and welcome to barack obama's retirement party. [cheering] four years ago, we came together for this convention back in my home state of minnesota. and a lot has happened since then. we have had four years of barack

obama in the white house. ah, the obama white house... one bad decision follows another. it's hard to say exactly just what his worst mistake has been. there are so many to choose from, the stimulus, his energy policy, obamacare, taxes, joe biden. [laughter] now, here, i hear that joe's particularly interested in tonight's proceedings. he even thought about coming here to tampa. and he is taking notes because when paul ryan speaks, joe will finally get to hear what a real vice-president sounds like. [cheering]

but you know, president obama isn't as bad as people say. he's actually worse. [laughter] the president takes more vacations than that guy on the bizarre food show. i'll give barack obama credit for creating jobs these last four years. for golf caddies. actually, barack obama is the first president to create more excuses than jobs. >> in his view, it's george's fault. it's the bank's fault. it's europe's fault. it's the weather's fault.

it's congress's fault. mr. president... if you want to find fault, i suggest you look in the mirror. [cheers and applause] i have come to realize that barack obama is the tattoo president like a big tattoo, it seemed cool when we were young. but later on, that decision doesn't look so good. and you wonder what was i thinking?! but the worst part is, you are going to have to plain it to your kids. next week, barack obama will plead with america to give his

failed policies and ideas another chance. he's asking americans to give him more time and more money. well, sorry, mr. president, but you're out of time and we are out of money. [cheering] barack obama's failed us. but, look, it's understandable. a lot of people fail at their first job. now our oppons claim to be the party of the middle class, but democrats don't understand this

fundamental point. it is really hard for people to be part of the middle class if they don't have a job. now, i know a bit about these things. i grew up in a meat-packing town. for much of his life, my dad was a truck driver. my mom was a home maker. she died when i was 16 years old. and my dad lost his job know long after that. i was the only one of five kids in our family who had a chance to go to college. when i traveled the country these past few years, i met americans from all different walks of life. if you ask middle-class americans about their hopes and their dreams, they will share their heart. but also their concerns. can they pay the mortgage? will they have enough money to buy groceries or put gas in the car?

will they be able to get their kids into college or pay their tuition? but jobs don't come from politicians, they come from the entrepreneurs, the inventer, the innovators and the risk-takers. [cheers and applause] [cheers and america's entrepreneurs know taxes are too high and regulations are too costly and complex, obamacare frighteps them and they want more american energy. and they're collectively making one common plea. they are saying, i want to grow my business and employ people but they are also saying this, just get the government off my back! [cheers and applause] >> we need to let them know that

help's on the way and help's name is mitt romney! [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, we have the best candidate. this isn't his first job or the first time he's been a leader who has produced results. he's made a success of failing companies. he made a success of the olympics. he even made government in massachusetts more effective and efficient. and now he's ready to help get america back on track and americans back to work. he has a plan to strengthen and grow america's middle class with lower taxes, a government that works for the american people instead of dashing their hopes and dreams, lowering energy prices and greater access to quality education for all.

but there is one other thing that i want to leave with you tonight. it's important for america to know that mitt romney is not only a great leader, he's also a remarkable person. he's smart, gracious and wise and he has an infectious good cheer, something i appreciate and something that america needs. mitt romney never quits moving. when he sees a problem, he goes after it and finds the solution. it's that can-do spirit, combined with a lifetime of service and success that convinced me to support him. and it's that can-do spirit that we need in the white house, leading america now. as a former governor, i know that leadership takes optimism.

but not blind optimism. we need a leader who understands the depth of our challenges, but who also doesn't shy away from them. mitt romney knows when our problems are and he has the tools and the experience and the energy and the right policies to fix them. [cheers and applause] after four years of this president, we need mitt romney now more than ever. i am proud to be supporting him for president of the united states and i know you are too. and with any luck, in a few months, barack obama the at last get some experience in the private sector. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. good night n.

[cheering] >> sean: that was governor tim pawlenty with a lot of big aplews lines, among them, obama failed us, but a lot of people fail at their first jobs. and now taking the stage, former arkansas governor, mike huckabee. >> thank you. thank you very much. i was so very honored to be asked to address one of this week's themes -- we can do better. then i was back stage and i heard some folks say that after hearing me speak, the delegates are going to say, we sure can do better than huckabee. that's when they will unanimously nominate mitt romney to be the next president of the united states of america. [cheering] >> i want to say to tampa, has been a wonderful and hospitable city. i am grateful for all of that they are done for us. but the only hitch in an

otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. turns out it was just debbie wasserman-schultz practicing her speech for the democratic national convention in charlotte next week -- bless her heart. four years ago, mitt romney and i were opponents. we still are. but we are not opposing each other. no, we are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral. the united states of america was originally an experiment. but it was an experiment in recognizing god's given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another. and in this ch all of us are -- in which all of us are equal. not equal in abilities, but equal in intrinsic worth and

value. it is the essence, not just of who we are, but what we are. now, let me just say to those who question how once rivals can be now united is quite simple. we have barack obama to thank. [laughter] >> it was barack obama who said, you didn't build it. translation -- it doesn't belong to you. well, no small difference amonginous our party approximate the vast differences between the radical left-wing business, dax-raising party of nancy pelosi and harry reid and versus an energized america who knows, we can do better.

for four years, we have given a chaps to a man with very limited experience in governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly interested in campaigning, blaming and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the republicans and people in business. or as republicans like to call them -- employers. we have stagnated into an economy that has taken all that hope right down the slope and has left millions withoutions, force -- without jobs, forced out of their homes, herded into dependency on a government that promises us candy, but gives us cavities. barack obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. mitt romney's focus is going to be on generating more jobs that will make food stamps unnecessary for them.

[cheering] >> we know full well -- we can do better. mitt romney turned around companies that were on the skids. he turned around a scandal-ridden olympics from the red into a high point of profit and patriotic pride and he turned around a liberal state when he erased a deficit and replaced it with a surplus. do you remember when barack obama said he couldn't turn things around in 3 years, it would be a one-term proposition? well, it's been almost 4 years. i say, let's make him a proposition he can't refuse. let's vote him out. [cheering] i understand that the job of president is admittedly tougher

than running a company, an olympic contest or a commonwealth. but when one sees what even bill clinton noted was a sterling record of problem solving that marked the life of mitt romney, we are confident that we will do better. i am thrilled to say mitt romney has been loyal to his lovely wife, who knocked it out of the park last night in this arena. he has been loyal to his sons, to his country, to his employees and to his church. i'm sure now that the press is going to tell you, he isn't perfect. but my friends, for the past 4 years, we tried the one that the press thought was perfect, and that haunt -- hasn't worked out all that well for us. that's why tonight, i tell you,

we can do better. our founding fathers left taxation and tyranny, seeking religious liberty. and a so the of meritocracy, rather than aristocracy. they created a bold experiment in government believing that god gave us unalienable rights and that the role of government is simply to make sure that those rights are protected. so sure were they that the government would grow beyond their intention that even after crafting our magnificent constitution, they said, we can do even better. they added ma'ams, we call them the bill of rights. those bill of rights limit what the government can do. and they guarantee what we can, the people, have the unimpeded right to do.

whether to speak, assemble, worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes many of those founders died to pass on that heritage. they had lived under the boot of big government. and what they said was "we can do better." as a kid growing up in a household, my dad never finished high school. i grew up in a family in which no male upstream from me had ever finished high school, much less gone to college. but i was taught that even though there was nothing i could do about what was behind me, i could change everything about what was in front of me. my working poor parents told me that i could do better. they tolt me i was as good as anybody else. and it never occurred to them to tell me that i could just rest

comfortably and wait for good old uncle sugar to feed me, lead me and then bleed me. they toll me to get off my back side, work hard, take risks and treat people honestly and honorably. look at me today. i have become as the press like to label me, a failed candidate. oh, it's true, vifallen from the high perch of politics and now i wallow in the mud of the media. but i still know that as a country, we can do better. and with mitt romney and paul ryan, we will do better! [cheers and applause] i want to clear the air about something that has been said. people wonder whether guys like

me, an evangelical, would only support a fellow evangelical. i want to tell you something, of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is barack obama. and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at any time in the womb, even beyond the womb. he tells people of faith that they have to bow their knees to the god of government and violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care. friends, i know we can do better! let me say it as clearly as possible. that the attack on my catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on on me. the democrats --

[cheering] >> the democrats have brought back that old dance, the limbo, to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice our faith. but this isn't a battle about contraceptives and catholics, but about conscience and the creator. let me say to you tonight, i care far less as to where mitt romney takes his family to church than i do about where he takes this country. [cheers and applause] joe biden -- joe biden said, show me your budget. and i'll tell you what you value. well, in the senate, joe's party hasn't produced a budget in 3 years. what does that say about their values? and by the way, speaking of budgets, joe biden's budget shows that while he wants to be

very generous with your money through higher taxes and government spending, for years, he gave less than 2/10 of 1% of his own money to charity. he just wants you to give the government more so he and the democrats can feel better about themselves. mitt romney has given over 16% of his income to church and charity. and, my friends, i feel a lot better about having a president who will give generously of his own money instead of mine or yours. my concern is not bam bottom's past. but my concern is for the future. not his future. but for the future of my grandchildren, little chandler and scarlett.

and under this president, we have burdened each of them with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks that we can prosper by punishing productivity and rebarred warding reckless, irresponsibility. the democrats say we ought to give barack obama credit for trying. folks, that sounds like the nonsense of giving every kid a trophy for showing up. [applause] >> let's be clear, we are talking about leading the country, not playing on a third-grade soccer team. look, i realize, this is a man who got a nobel peace prize for who he wouldfo tentialy do. but -- potentially do. but in the real world, you get a prize for producing something, not just promising something.

sometimes, sometimes we get so close to the picture, we really can't see it clearly. i have had the privilege of working with bono the past few years in the one campaign to fight aids and hunger and disease around the world. bono is an irishman and a great humanitarian. and i remember him telling me of his admiration for america. he said, america's more than just a country. we are an idea. high reminded me that -- he reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations who are coming after us to lead them with an extraordinary legacy. but if we don't change the direction of our nation now, our

bequest lk will be nothing but an extraordinary shame. but, dear friends, we can do better. [cheers and applause] >> president obama is out of gas. and americans are out of patience. and our great republic is almost out of time. it is time that we no longer lead from behind. but we get off our behinds and leave something lasting for those who came after us, instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses. tonight, not because we are republicans, it's because we are americans that we proudly stand with mitt romney and paul ryan and we say, we will do better! god bless you. thank you. god bless.

>> former governor of arkansas, mike huckabee delivering a speech on the floor. he says, now he wallows in the mud of the media. he happens to be our colleague here at fox newschannel. >> he meant you. >> is that right. >> well, you are watching live coverage of the republican national convention. here at the tampa bay times forum. i'm bret baier. >> i'm megyn kelley. coming up, former secretary of state, condoleezza rice, also new mexico governor, suzanna martinez and the headliner of the night, vice-presidential candidate, paul ryan. >> let's get the perspective from the floor, chris wallace is at the podium position, near the floor with more. hi, chris. >> reporter: interesting night. let me give you a preview of the two big speakers. condoleezza rice, as you mentioned, secretary of state under president george w. bush. we will go after obama's foreign policy, saying that this country

can't lead from behind. beyond foreign policy, she will try to put a friendlier face on the g.mented p., saying there is room for women and for minorities -- we are going to get condoleezza rice. the secretary of state, condoleezza rice. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you, thank you, thank you.

thank you so much. good evening. good evening. good evening. distinguished delegates, good evening, fellow republicans, good evening, my fellow americans. we gagger here at a time of significance and challenge. this young century has been a difficult one. i can remember as if it were yesterday when my young assistant came into my office at the white house to say that a plane had hit the world trade center. and then a second plane. and then a third plane, the pentagon. and later, we would learn this a plane had crashed interest a field in pennsylvania, driven into the ground by brave souls,

who died so that others might live. [applause] from that day on, from that day on, our sense of vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same again. then in 2008, the global financial and economic crisis would stun us. and it still reverberates as we deal with unemployment and economic uncertainty and bad policies that cast the pall over an american scme recovery that is desperately needed at home and abroad. and we have seen, we have seen that the desire for liberty and freedom is indeed universal, as men and women in the middle-east rise up to seize it. yet the promise of the arab spring is engulfed in uncertainty, intecial strive and

hostile neighbors are challenging the young fragile democrac dictators in iran and syria butcher their people and threaten regional security. russia and china prevent a response. and everyone asks, where does america stand? indeed. that is the question of the hour. where does america stand? you see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place. since world war ii, the united states has had an answer to that question. we stand for free people and free markets. we will defend and support them -- [applause] we will sustain a balance of

power that favors freedom. now, to be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy. i know as you do, the sacrifice that americans, especially the sacrifice of many of our bravest in the ultimate sacrifice. but our armed forces are the surer shield and foundation of liberty. and we are so fortunate that we have men and women in uniform who volunteer, they volunteer to defend us at the front lines of freedom. we owe them our eternal gratitude. [cheers and applause] >> i know that it is not always easy, though it