role in the coming american resurgence. >> as the american experiment unfolds. >> our country will be further enriched. >> by the leadership of the hispanic men examine women who today form our party. >> and the new leadership to come. >> together. >> together (speaking spanish). >> (speaking spanish). >> we can revive the american dream. [ cheers and applause ] >> i am honored and humbled to speak to you tonight. i'm incredibly proud of my father and i love him dearly. it is my privilege to say a few words in spanish, so please bear with me for a moment. (speaking spanish)

(speaking spanish) (speaking spanish) (speaking spanish). >> it's easy to forget -- thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you. it's easy to forget that the story of my father's success

begins with the story of two immigrants. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] my grandfathers who came to this country with little more than hope and the opportunity of america, through their hard work and perseverance, they lived the american dream. they gave opportunities to their children they wouldn't have had anywhere else. the republican party is dedicated to preserving that opportunity for all americans. [ cheers and applause ] we've had the privilege of hearing about different chapters of the same inspiring story, from governor sandoval and martinez and

on the path to prosperity. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> our. >> i'm bill o'reilly reporting tonight from tampa, florida on the final evening of the republican convention. thank you for watching tonight. big news here is clint eastwood going to make an appearance telling the world he's a mitt romney supporter. he's the mystery guest everybody has been talking about this week. the 82-year-old actor is not a rabid conservative. he's a practical guy. it will be interesting to see how the left wing media treats mr. eastwood after his exposition tonight. we are awaiting a speech by former florida governor jeb bush

and here to fill some air time, fox news political analyst karl rove. you've been on air since 6:00 o'clock in the morning. eastwood, pretty interesting. glamourous guy, 82 years old, self made man. >> right. >> and it will be interesting to have -- how the media treats him, right? >> yeah. and remember, do you remember the last time clint eastwood played a role in a presidential campaign was reagan, wasn't it? 1968, he was endorse -- he endorsed richard nixon and appeared in a famous poster that was issued by the campaign. i've seen him. he sometimes comes to the meetings of friends of aid, a group of hollywood conservatives and libertarians that meet in a quiet conclave with secret rituals and -- >> bus he's not a hard core republican. i think he voted for president obama last time around.

>> i don't know about that. but you're right. he's not a hard core republican. sometimes he's very libertarian. he's got moderate social views on marriage and other issues. but he's an iconic figure. this is a man of few words, so when he speaks, this will be heard. >> right. here comes jeb bush and he's the 8:00 o'clock hour star. so let's go down and hear what the governor has to say. >> thank you. thank you all very much. [ cheers and applause ] thank you. welcome to florida. (speaking spanish) thank you.

before i begin my remarks, i have something personal i'd like to share with you. i've been so blessed to be part of a family that has committed its life to public service. my granddad -- [ cheers and applause ] my grandfather examine my father have been -- and my father have been incredible role models for me examine served our country mondayorably. and my brother, well, i love my brother. [ cheers and applause ] he is a man of integrity, courage, and honor. and during incredibly challenging times, he kept us safe. [ cheers and applause ] so mr. president, mr. president, it is time to stop blaming your

predecessor for your failed economic policies. [ cheers and applause ] you were dealt a tougha(g7vw what we do here. with what we do on november 6. we can restore america's greatness. that starts with a strong economy, a smart energy policy, lower deficits, and a president who puts america's workers and

job creators first. but to have a great future, a secure future, a future that is equal to our potential as a nation, we need to do something else. we must make sure that our children and grandchildren are ready for the world we are shaping [ cheers and applause ] it starts in our homes, in our communities, and especially in our schools. as a candidate and governor, i visited over 400 florida schools. i saw children read for their first sentence, solve their first long division problems, explore the miracles of chemistry and physics. that's the essence of education. students getting a chance at a future. there are many reasons to believe america's future is bright. but also reasons to worry. of 34 advanced nations in the world, american students rank 17th in science, 25th in

math. only one quarter of high school graduates are ready for their next steps. china and india produce eight times more engineering students each year than the united states. this is a moral cost to our country. our failing schools need to be fixed. [ cheers and applause ] we say that every child in america has an equal opportunity, but tell that to a kid in whose classroom learning isn't respected. tell that to a parent stuck in a school where there is no leadership. tell that to a young talented teacher who just got laid off because she didn't have tenure. the sad truth is that a quality of opportunity doesn't exist in many of our schools. we give some kids a chance, but not all. that failure is the great moral and economic issue of our time and it is hurting all of

america. [ applause ] i believe we can meet this challenge. we need to set high standards for students and teachers and provide students and their parents the choices they deserve. the first step is a simple one. we must stop prejudging children based on their race, ethnicity or household income. [ cheers and applause ] we must stop excusing failure in our schools and start rewarding improvement and success. [ cheers and applause ] we must have high academic standards that are benchmark to the best in the world. you see, all kids can learn. governor romney believes it examine the dad approves it. while he was governor, massachusetts raised standards and today their students lead the nation in academic performance. [ cheers and applause ] here in 1999, we were at the bottom of the nation in

education. for the last decade, this state has been on a path of reform. under the leadership of governor rick scott and local leaders, our focus every day is where the students are learning. that's it. [ cheers and applause ] today more students are reading on grade level, passing rigorous college prep courses and graduating from high school. and perhaps most exciting, those traditionally left behind are showing the greatest gains. among african-american students, florida is ranked fourth in the nation for academic improvement. among low income students, we're ranked third for our gains. among students with disabilities, we're ranked first. among latino students, the gains were so big, they require a new metric. right now florida's fourth grade hispanic students read as well or better than all students in

21 states and the district of columbia. [ cheers and applause ] these kids were once written off, but today thanks to teachers like sean duffy, we're changing that. [ cheers and applause ] >> i'm honored -- i'm honored to be an educator. to help the next generation of leaders, thinkers, builders and entrepreneurs. sadly, i'm part of a dwindling field. i've seen too many good teachers come and go mainly due to poor work conditions and little pay. bad teachers get locked into the system and good teachers leave for more money. on top of the bureaucratic challenges, what we're teaching doesn't always match what our students actually need. to that end, i helped launch a lab at my high school. these labs focus on science,

technology, engineering and math, and help students learn proficiency in these fields. we turn students away from education each year by not providing a rebust curriculum that keeps up with the world in which these students live and will eventually work. at the end of the day, all of what we do from the educators, to the policy makers, has to be student focused and student centered. [ cheers and applause ] after all, students matter most and that's what counts. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, sean. i know that dell valle high school is proud of your efforts. we need more great teachers like you. teachers who don't give up on a kid, who recognize that every child can learn. and don't waste a precious year of a student's life. if you're a great teacher and your students are mastering their subjects no matter your

age or years of experience, you should have a job. education is hard work, but if you follow some core principles and you challenge the status quo, you can get great results. so here is another thing we could do: let's give every parent in america a choice about where their child attends school. [ cheers and applause ] everywhere, everywhere in our lives we got a chance to choose. go down any supermarket aisle and july find an incredible selection of milk. you can get whole milk, buttermilk, 2% milk, low fat milk, or skim milk, organic milk and milk with extra vitamin d, chocolate, strawberry. they even make it for people ho can't drink milk. [ laughter ] so my question to you is, shouldn't parents have that kind

of choice in schools that best meets the needs of their students? [ cheers and applause ] governor romney gets it. mitt romney gets it. he believes parents, regardless of zip code or income, should be able to send their child to the school that fits them best. there are many people who say they support strong schools, but draw the line at school choice. sorry, kid. giving you equal opportunity would be too risky and it would upset powerful political forces that we need to win elections. i have a simple message for these masters of delay and deferral. choose, you can either help the politically powerful unions or you can help the kids. [ cheers and applause ]

now, for those that have been involved in this, you know it's hard to take on the unions. they fund campaigns. they're well organized. election day, they'll show up. meanwhile, the kids aren't old enough to vote. but you and i know who deserves a choice. governor romney knows it, too. let me introduce you to franz, because we gave him a choice. he got a great election. [ cheers and applause ] >> i grew up in the inner city of miami in a place where your zip code determines your success. my only option was an unproductive and failing school. i knew that could lead to an unproductive and failing future. thanks to governor bush's school choice program, i got the chance to choose a better school. making my education my priority, i arrived at one of the toughest

high schools in miami. archbishop curly notre dame. i'm sure like a loft us, it was my mother, carlet, who really pushed for choice in my education. i'm glad she did. her devotion to my future has given me a chance to succeed. i've graduated from wagner college and am looking forward to a life of learning and serving my community. [ cheers and applause ] who knows what the future will have held if i didn't have a choice in my education? but i do know the numbers for failure and i probably wouldn't have a good chance. governor bush's school choice program gave me a chance to achieve academic success in a school that was best fit for me. i took it from there. thank you.

[ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. that is an incredible honor to see you grow up and france's story and many others is a driving force across this nation to bring about necessary change. some of the biggest reformers are republicans. governor mitch daniels in indiana and bobby jindal in louisiana have expanded school choice around what we have here in florida. governor martinez in new mexico is raising expectations, holding schools accountable for students gaining critical reading skills. governor la page in maine and deal in georgia are transforming education by pushing schools to harness the power of technology and digital learning. idaho governor otter and superintendent luna are raising up the best teachers and separating out the ineffective ones. that earned them some enemies. some of them flashed the superintendent's -- slashed the superintendent's tires. but he didn't back down of the governor scott walker in

wisconsin led his state. [ cheers and applause ] governor walker led his state to a job reform that promote early literacy and require teacher evaluations incorporate student achievement. in nevada, governor sandoval pushed for reforms to end the damaging practice of last in, first out. where teachers are hired or fired based on their years in the system. not their impact in the classroom. governor haslem in tennessee is making sure every classroom has an effective teacher. because he's a form governor, mitt romney understands that states must lead this national movement. in massachusetts governor romney narrowed the gap between students of different races. raised testing standards and put into place a merit scholarship, the john and abigail adams scholarship that gives students four tuition free years at any

massachusetts public institution of higher learning. [ cheers and applause ] he is a champion for bringing hope to education. and he intends to be a champion for equality of opportunity, a president who always puts students first. so in this election, remember this, our future is a nation is at stake. fact is, this election is not just about one office. it's about one nation. we want to continue to be the greatest nation on the planet. we must give our kids what we promised them, an equal opportunity. that starts in the classroom. it starts in our communities. it starts where you live. and it starts with electing mitt romney the next president of the united states! [ cheers and applause ] thank you. god bless you. god bless our excellent teachers and god bless the united states

of america. [ cheers and applause ] >> all right. jeb bush, possibly mitt romney wins, new secretary of education. we're going to take a break. we'll be back with karl rove and much more as "the factor" continues from tampa, florida this country was built by working people. the economy needs manufacturing. mhines, tools, people making stuff.

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>> bill: we continue now, special coverage of the republican convention. tampa, florida. let's bring back karl rove. a couple of things. the first part of jeb bush's speech, was prepared remarks about deadly weaponing his brother? it was interesting. i'm glad he did it. i think people who are anti-propaganda on both sides would be impressed by that. >> sharper view that the president has of blaming his preed seasure. four years, you got to stop making excuses. >> bill: that was unexpected. as i said in the break, i think if romney wins, that might be the secretary of education. >> he could be. but i think frankly, jeb is big enough to handle one of the big three tasks. secretary of state, defense or treasury. >> bill: that's where his heart lies is in education. >> he's vitally interested -- he made florida big export state. this is the state that does a lot of business with central and

south america. he's a big proponent of that. also an advocate of democracy and freedom, originally rose with his conserve about cuba. but it's broader than that. you heard this, this guy is a smart guy and this crowd -- this was a favorite. >> bill: yeah, did he well in in a fellow. let's look ahead, mitt romney's speech, they say it's going to run 40 minutes. what about the timing, is that too long in this day and age? >> it depends when it's 40 minutes if you read it or 40 minutes if -- with applause. if that's it, it's not too long. if it's 40 minute when is you read it with applause, it could be a long one. you want to be careful about that. >> bill: you remember how long president bush's two speeches were? >> i want to say 47 to 48 minutes, something in that range. with applause. >> bill: this isn't out of the ordinary? >> no, no. but it matters. is this thing 40 minutes with -- you can have a 40 minute speech if you read it through and with applause, it could be an hour. >> bill: eastwood speaks about

45 seconds, right? >> he's an iconic guy. >> bill: 82. >> wait a minute. that's not it. he's clint eastwood. he doesn't need to say a lot. when i made that joke about friends of abe, i didn't mean they had secret rituals. it's conservatives in hollywood are not exactly welcome. >> bill: that's why it's a fascinating to seat reaction to him. marco rubio set the table for mitt romney tonight. correct is this. >> yes. >> bill: and we expect senator rubio to go into the minority precinct and say hey, this isn't a guy who dislikes you. >> we saw that earlier tonight in the video tribute that involved all of these latino republican governor, the latino governor of puerto rico and nevada, senator rubio, the chairman of the house foreign relations committee, republican congressional february from miami who happens to be a latina. they began to set that theme earlier. >> bill: that's a tough one, though. they need to get the republicans

need to get more than they have of the hispanic america. >> they need to get better than we got last time around. we're not going to get as good as bush got. he got 44. i thought craig romney's speech was effective because it is a member of the romney family speaking in spanish and telling the story of how his grandfathers came from mexico. and establishing a connection and talking about family and faith examine community and service together and these are strong words in the latino community. >> bill: we got about 90 seconds. how big a bounce dothe republice polls off this convention? >> i think you need to go back to the day before mitt romney announced paul ryan and look at it then. it was at that point the real clear politics army was about three or four, close to 4% lead for obama. now it's dead even. a lot of the more recent polls have shown a small romney lead. i think that's going to be most of the bounce. they might go into monday examine tuesday of next week

with a two or three point edge in the polls, which would mean a bounce of five or six. >> bill: you're heading to north carolina on sunday. do you expect a different tone from the democrats? >> no matter what they say, the republican convention was kind of optimistic and we're going to do better. >> right. we can do better. >> bill: different tone? >> it's going to be interesting to seem there are two choices. this will be about here is the vision of barak obama or is this going to be more of the effort to discredit mitt romney and paul ryan as extremists out of touch with middle class america? it's going to be a big choice. i think the former would work. the latter has not been working and not repeating it on national tv will do better. >> bill: we'll see new north carolina. thank you. up next, we'll talk with john mccain about what it's like to go up against barak obama. very interesting interview. i taped it earlier this week. later, insider details on actor clint eastwood's surprise appearance. "the factor" is coming rye back

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>> bill: all right. here is what's going on of the we're obviously waiting for mitt romney, about 10:00 o'clock. before that, clint eastwood, we hope -- i'm not going to make a joke. i'm not even going to do it. i have five of them, but i'm not going to. before we get there, we have personal stories and here to tell us about those personal stories, james rosen, john roberts, our guys on the floor running an the convention. so just set it up for the audience. you're going to hear personal stories about what? >> these are people who are just ordinary citizens from massachusetts who were affiliated with mitt romney principlely through the mormon church where he was a pastor. they were friends as well. one of them is named grant bennett and he will talk, for example, about how mitt romney as a pastor literally swept the church floors, drove meals --

>> bill: it's basically he's going to give you what the governor did working at the church. >> at the church. >> bill: the secretary one? >> then there is a woman named pam finleyson whose daughter, kate, died at the age of 26 last year who was born premature and he struggled and did great for most of her life. in the very beginning, it was a touch examine go situation of the she will talk about how mitt romney with tears in his eyes, stroked the child's back and did everything he could to make the parents' lives easier. there is one last couple that's going to speak. ted and pat. he's a retired firefighter. their son, david, was diagnosed in 1979 at the age of 14 with nonhodgkins lymphoma examine how mitt romney, who gave the eulogy for this child, helped him write his will. helped him insure he would be buried with the things he wanted. >> bill: so roberts, this is his attempt to humanize the governor before he gets out there and says things maybe he wouldn't

want to say. >> it's an attempt to do a few hinges. to show humanize and show he was great in community service and disspell myths that people might have about his mormonism. in his function as a bishop, he was involved with these people and shows the depth that he went to to serve his community as an outstanding member of that church much really serves two narratives. >> bill: we basically have regular folks going up there. we're going to show you what they say. then there is the campaign manager, right, coming after them? >> bob white. >> bill: bob white, of the romney campaign. >> long-time friend of romney. >> bill: also a partner in bain capital. so we expect him to talk about bain capital to try to get that a little bit more defined for the folks who are hearing bad things about it? >> he'll talk about mitt romney, the sort of businessman he was, the teach person he was. in other interviews, bob white has said, the most difficult moment of mitt romney's life is when ann romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and how

that impacted him, how he said he was going to take more time away from the firm because he had to deal with it. it shows that regardless of where he was in his business, family was of utmost importance to him at that period of time. >> bill: so from this moment until about 9:00 o'clock, we're going to have these humanizing the governor speeches, then get into more politics this evening with marco rubio, right? we expect him to give a broad based feat, but some on the hispanic front, this is why the republicans are good for the hispanic community. then we have eastwood who god knows what he's going to same pretty much do what he wants to do, right? >> of course, yeah. >> bill: nice of him to fly coast to coast. >> but it would be a mistake to imagine that even clint eastwood's remarks weren't -- >> bill: there won't be many. >> politics are interesting, too (he's pro choice, pro gay marriage, pro environment as well. his politics as emanneddered --

meandered. >> bill: i think he voted for obama last time. >> no, he endorsed mccain. >> bill: he did. >> he did endorse gray davis, but he became a republican in 1952 to vote for eisenhower. he describes himself really as a libertarian more than anything, at least in his own personal ideology. he's obviously here, bill, to reach out to moderates because you can't win an election in this country without them. >> bill: i'll tell you why he's here really, because he's a self-made man. as i said, i know him a little bit in so many different ways. he dug pools. avenues pool digger -- he was a pool digger. mark milner, you remember the show "route 66" convinced him to go to hollywood and he did. he got some minor roles and he got on "right of wayhide" requests and did the italian westerns. i think barak obama's contention that the government contributes mightily to personal success offended mr. eastwood because he just, interestingly enough,

endorsed mitt romney in early august. >> august 4. $25,000 a plate fund-raiser. this wasn't from the junk. >> bill: to get him to go across is a motivating factor. i haven't talked to him. but i almost positive it's that he really is teed off about the remarks. >> remember during the super bowl, the half time in america, that was seen by many people as a veiled endorsement of president obama and his policies. and he turns around six months later and -- >> bill: that commercial was very widely seen and how did you see it? because when you were looking at that commercial when it ran, did it strike you as political? >> well, the mere existence of it, yes. it was kind of a political statement. he, at the time, took pains to say it wasn't. but you know what it stands for? rugged individualism. >> bill: that's what i mean. >> i think his appearance will also appeal not just to moderates, but gun owners because in so many of the

movies, he has one. >> bill: i don't know about the gun owners. i can't imagine any gun enthusiast voting democratic. >> you need him to come out and vote. >> bill: so that we basically have here a situation where there is a big finale. the finale, the table is being set by small -- smaller personal stories. >> personal narratives. >> bill: then they tsunami up and he comes out and the crowd is going to go wild. you see behind me, i don't know whether the camera can pick it up. we got balloons ready to drop. i'm getting out of here before the balloons come down. i'm frightened of the balloons. >> it's the best part of the convention. do not miss that. >> bill: you like getting hit by the balloons. >> there is nothing in america like a balloon drop at a political convention. it is every bit as american as fourth of july fireworks.

>> i don't consider that when i'm struck by balloon, i'm really hit. >> bill: you dewpoint? >> no. >> bill: i'm just wondering when sandra flock speaks next week what they're going to drop from the ceiling. >> goodness. >> bill: what would you do? >> there goes that suggestive o'reilley again. >> bill: i'm just pointing out, there is only one reason this woman is speak, one and one only. so if you're going to drop something, maybe it would be -- >> she did study law. maybe law books will drop. >> bill: let's go to the personal speeches. go. >> people of modest means, i made my living as a professional firefighter for 27 years. [ cheers and applause ] prior to moving to randolph, vermont, we lived in method,

massachusetts. [ cheers and applause ] it was there we met mitt romney and his family. it's been over 30 years since we have lost our son, david. the memories are still vivid and painful. but we wanted to share them with you because david's story is a part of mitt's story. america deserves to hear it. back in the early 1970s, mitt visited our home numerous times with his oldest son, tag, tagging along. he was in the vanguard of our support system when we received the news that no parent is prepared to confront. you can not measure a man's character based on the words he

utters before enduring crowds, during times that are happy. a true measure of a man is revealed in his actions during times of trouble. a quiet hospital room of a dying boy with no cameras and no reporters. this is the time to make that assessment. in 1979, tragedy struck our family when our youngest son, david, was diagnosed with hodgkin's disease. it was a cancer. >> over a period of seven months, he was in and out of

chirp's hospital in boston for treatment. throughout that agonizing period, mitt took time from his busy schedule to visit david. they developed a loving friendship. on one of his visits, mitt discovered that david was very fond of fireworks. he went out and bought a box full of big-time fireworks. they had o sit on the closet shelf because they couldn't be set off in the city. we waited until we were able to go to maine where we set them off on the sand dunes with permission from the fire and police departments. [ laughter ] through that simple but thoughtful gift, mitt brought joy to a young boy who had experienced any -- had not experienced any for too long. he also gave the rest of us a welcome release. on another visit, david, knowing mitt had gone to law school at

harvard, asked mitt if he would help him write a will. he had some prized possessions he wanted to make sure were given to his closest friends and family. the next time mitt went to the hospital, he was equipped with a yellow legal pad and pen. together they made david's will. that is a task that no child should ever have to do. but it gave david peace of mind. so after david's death, we were able to give his skateboard, his model rockets, and his fishing gear to his best friends. he also made it clear that his brother, peter, should get his ruger .22 rifle. how many men do you know who take the time out of their busy lives to visit a terminally ill 14-year-old and help him settle his affairs? david also helped us plan his

funeral. he wanted to be buried in his boy scout uniform. he wanted mitt to pronounce his eulogy and mitt was there to honor that request. we will be ever grateful to mitt for his love and concern. [ cheers and applause ] >> we humbly wish that god will continue to bless mitt romney and paul ryan in their efforts, in doing so, he will bless the united states of america. [ cheers and applause ]

>> in 1982, my husband grant and i, moved from california to massachusetts with our newborn son. being a church going family, we looked for the nearest chapel and soon found ourselves in the congregation led bay clearly bright and capable man named mitt romney. i knew mitt was special from the start. at the time, we didn't own a drier. the day he stopped by to welcome us, i was embarrassed to have laundry hanging all over the house. but mitt wasn't phased. in fact, as we spoke, without a word he joined me and actually y plucking clothes from around the house and folding them. by the time mitt left, not only did i feel welcome, my laundry was done. [ laughter ] as grant and i juggled school,

jobs, church examine family, we grew to love the romneys. they became role models and friends and we were honored when mitt and ann regularly trusted us to stay with their five rambunctious but very loving sons when they traveled. it was when our daughter, kate, was born 3 1/2 months early, however, that i fully came to appreciate what a great treasure of friendship we had in mitt and ann. kate was so tiny and very sick. her lungs, not yet ready to breathe. her heart unstable. after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage at three days old, she was teetering on the very edge of life. as i sat with her in intensive care, consumed with a mother's worry and fear, dear mitt came to visit and pray with me. as our clergy, he was one of very few visitors allowed.

i will never forget how, when he looked down tenderly at my daughter, his eyes filled with tears and he reached out and gently stroked her tiny back. i could tell immediately if he didn't just see a tangle of plastic examine tube examines wire -- and tubes and wires. he saw our beautiful little girl and he was clearly overcome with compassion for her. during the many months that our kate was hospitalized, the romneys often cared for our two-year-old son, peter. they treated him like one of their own, like a sixth son. they gave him a nickname, and even welcomed him to stay the night when needed. when thanksgiving rolled around, kate was still struggling for life. brain surgery was scheduled and the holiday was the furthest thing from our mind. but that morning i opened my door to find mitt and his boys, arms loaded down with a

thanksgiving feast. of course, we were overcome. when i called to thank ann later, she sweetly confessed, it had been mitt's idea that most of the shopping and cooking and chopping had been done by him. she and the boys had just happily pitched in. eventually we moved from boston. our daughter, kate, grew into an amazing girl of faith and love. [ cheers and applause ] but complications of her birth remains with her and after 26 years of both miracles and struggle, she passed away just a year and a half ago. in the midst of making the final decision to run for president, which had to be the most difficult of their lives, when they heard of kate's passing, both mitt and ann paused to personally reach out to us and

extend a sympathy and express their love. it seems to me when it comes to loving our neighbor, we can talk about it or we can live it. the romneys live it every single day! [ cheers and applause ] when the world looks at mitt romney, they may see him as the founder of a successful business, the leader of the olympic games or a governor, but when i see mitt romney, i know him to be a loving father, a man of faith and a caring and compassionate friend. it is with great excitement examine renewed hope that i think of how our country will be blessed if it is led by a man who is not only so very accomplished and capable, but who has devoted his entire life

quietly to serving others. that man is mitt romney. [ cheers and applause ] >> bill: there is a personal story of the evening. now let's get back to politics. perhaps no one else on earth knows more about campaigning against president obama than senator john mccain. four years ago mccain gave it all he had, but fell short. so what did he learn from the experience? i spoke with him earlier this week. senator, what was the most difficult thing personally about you running for president four years ago? >> i think probably the most difficult is the pace, you know. it's 4/7 -- 24/7. even when you lie down to try to go to sleep, you're thinking about things. but the pace of things. but at the same time, bill, i was always cognizant of the fact that here is a guy that stood fifth from the bottom of his

class at the naval academy, crashed four airplanes at taxpayers' expense that could run for president of the united states and get the nomination of a rip party. most of it was exhilaration, to tell you the truth. >> bill: okay. but do you have to sleep at night examine when you hit the hotel room, you're jacked up because the adrenaline is going all day long and i can't imagine you got more than four or five hours of sleep per night. would that be about right? >> that would be about right. the thing you have to guard against is every mistake i ever made, and i'll bet you it's the same with you, is when you're tired. >> bill: the thought process isn't as sharp. now, when you are out on the road, you have a schedule. president clinton notorious for being late. president obama is late a lot. but you were punctual. >> i admire and respect bill clinton. i know that the same thing of president obama. but the rudest thing you can do is keep people waiting. they're there to see you,

sometimes they have to get there way early any way because of the secret service. and in all due respects, i do not respect politicians that keep people waiting that will are there to see them. >> bill: you are barraged with a loft press. did you read and listen to the press? >> fix big broken things and had a profoundly positive impact on people's lives. our journey began when mitt asked a small group of us to help him start an investment firm called bain capital. [ cheers and applause ] thank you. mitt was absolutely clear what he expected from each of us. we would act with absolute integrity. mutual respect, true teammates, and we would recognize the

profound responsibility we owed to those who had placed their trust in us. [ cheers and applause ] integrity, respect, responsibility, trust. these are not just words to mitt romney. these are principles he lives by! [ cheers and applause ] he also applied them to the way we worked. first he built the team. he recuperated the best people he could find, reached out for ideas, encouraged dissent, and fostered real cooperation. next he gave us a clarity of purpose. our investors included pension funds, colleges, and charities with noble missions.

we would invest wisely and we would treat their money as carefully as we treated our own. we would support entrepreneurs and we would invest in troubled situations. we would help them grow and try to make their companies better. and we would be held accountable for our performance. and when things went wrong, we would not blame others! [ cheers and applause ] finally, he took decisive action. mitt never hesitated. he made tough decisions, coalesced the team, and moved forward. time and time again i have seen this decisive leadership. when our old consulting firm was on the verge of collapse, they asked mitt to come back and

help. he answered the call. when many thought the situation was hopeless, mitt was not deterred. i'll never forget when he said, bob, 1,000 employees and their families depend on us and we can not let them down. [ cheers and applause ] when others panicked, mitt was the calm in the storm. and he never lost hope. his confidence gave us confidence. and that company not only survived, it thrived and today bain and company is recognized as one of the best places to work in america. [ cheers and applause ] i saw something similar when mitt was asked to help save the

2002 salt lake city olympics. when we first realized the magnitude of the financial and management challenges, i was skeptical whether they could be saved. mitt never doubted what could be done. he applied the same principles of leadership and the olympics became a story that made america proud! [ cheers and applause ] when mitt was elected governor of massachusetts, he asked that i help him assemble a team that would serve the public trust and be loyal to the principles he held dear. that team accomplished so much because they got republicans and democrats to focus on the real problems and achieve real results! [ cheers and applause ] so why has mitt taken so many

challenges? it's because he run -- believes it's important to make a difference and thinks it's important to always give something back. in every pursuit he feels a sense of responsibility and a commitment to serve. even though we worked endless hours at bain capital, mitt found time to serve his church and counsel people in need. if someone needed help, mitt was there. when our partner's daughter went missing in new york, mitt said we can't just stand by and do nothing. we have to go find her. he closed down our entire office, took all of us to boston, mobilized a search her and a mom and a dad and a

daughter were reunited! [ cheers and applause ] mitt wanted us to give something back, too. he inspired the formation of bain capital children's charity. it not only donated money to worthy children's causes, it got bain capital employees actively involved in their communities. go back and look at every pursuit in mitt's life. surrounding him are people who have worked with him over and over again. they trust him. they respect him, they want to be part of his team and they want to be part of the change. and today we need urgent change in washington.

[ cheers and applause ] and we need a proven leader with passion and compassion. i have seen mitt romney be that leader. he is the right man at the right time to be the next president of the united states! thank you very much [ applause ] >> we will run the john mccain piece on monday in its entirety. that is it for us tonight from florida, governor romney expected to speak about 10:00 o'clock. clint eastwood and senator marco rubio coming up. we appreciate you watching "the factor." i'm bill o'reilly. we'll see you again back in new york you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways. on once empty fields.

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