was someone else's fault. this president can tell us that the next four years will get it right. but this president cannot tell us that you're better off today than when he took office. [ applause ] america's been patient. americans have supported this president in good faith. but today the time has come to turn the page. today the time has come for us to put the disappointments of the last four years behind us, to put aside the divisiveness and the recriminations. to forget about what might have been and to look ahead to what can be. now is a time to restore the promise of america. [ applause ] many americans have given up on this president but they haven't

ever thought about giving up, not on themselves, not on each other and not on america. what is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. it doesn't take a special government commission to tell us what america needs. what america needs is jobs, lots of jobs. [ applause ] in the richest country in the history of the world, this obama economy has crushed the middle class. family income has fallen by $4,000. but health insurance premiums are higher. food prices are higher. utility bills are higher and gasoline prices, they've doubled. today more americans wake up in poverty than ever before. nearly one out of six americans is living in poverty. look around you. these aren't strangers. these are our brothers and

sisters, our fellow americans. his policies have not helped create jobs. they've depressed them. and this, i can tell you about where president obama would take america. his plan to raise taxes on small business won't add jobs. it would eliminate them. [ applause ] his assault on coal and gas and oil will send energy and manufacturing jobs to china. [ applause ] his trillion-dollar cuts to our military will eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs and also put our security at greater risk. his $716 billion cut to medicare to finance obama care will both hurt today's seniors and depress innovation in jobs and medicine.

his trillion-dollar deficits, they slow our economy, restrain employment and cause wages to stall. to the majority of americans who now believe that the future will not be better than the past, ki guarantee you this -- if barack obama is reelected, you'll be right. i'm running for president to help create a better future, a future where everyone who wants a job can find a job. where no senior fears for the security of their retirement. an america where every parent knows their child will get an education that leads them to a good job and a bright horizon. and unlike the president, i have a plan to create 12 million new jobs.

[ applause ]3 f1 paul ryan and i have five steps. first, by 2020, north america will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil, our coal, our gas, and our renewables. [ applause ] second, we'll give our fellow citizens the skills they need for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow. when it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice and every child should have a chance. [ applause ] third, we'll make trade work for america by forging new trade agreements. and when nations cheat in trade, there will be unmistakable consequences.

[ applause ] and fourth, to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments in america will not vanish as have those in greece. we will cut the deficit and put america on track to a balanced budget. [ applause ]3 f1 and fifth, we will champion small businesses, america's engine of job growth. that means reducing tax on business, not raising them. it means simplifying and modernizing the regulations that hurt small business the most. and it means that we must rein in the skyrocketing cost of health care by repealing and replacing obama care.

[ applause ]3 f1 today women are more likely than men to start a business. they need a president who respects and understands what they do. and let me make this very clear -- unlike president obama, i will not raise taxes on the middle class of america. [ applause ] as president, i'll protect the sanctity of life. i'll honor the institution of marriage. [ applause ]

and i will guarantee america's first liberty, the freedom of religion. [ applause ] president obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans. [ laughter ] and to heal the planet. my promise is to help you and your family.

[ applause ] i will begin my presidency with a jobs tour. president obama began his presidency with an apology tour. america, he said, dictated to other nations. no, mr. president, america has freed other nations from dictators. [ applause ]3 f2 naciones le dicten que hacer, si every american --

[ crowd chanting usa ] every american was relieved the day president obama gave the order and s.e.a.l. team 6 took out osama bin laden. [ applause ] on another front, every american is less secure today because he has failed to slow iran's nuclear threat. in his first tv interview as president, he said, we should talk to iran. we're still talking and iran's centrifuges are still spinning. president obama has thrown allies like israel under the bus, even as he has relaxed sanctions on castro's cuba. he abandoned our friends in poland by walking away from our missile defense commitments. but he's eager to give russia's president putin the flexibility he desires after the election. under my administration, our friends will see more loyalty

and mr. putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone. [ applause ]3 f1 we will honor america's democratic ideals because a free world is a more peaceful world. this is the bipartisan foreign policy legacy of truman and reagan. and under my presidency, will he retu -- we will return to it once again. [ applause ] you might have asked yourself if these last years are really the america we want.

the america that was won for us by the greatest generation. does the america we want borrow $1 trillion from china? does it fail to find the jobs that are needed for 23 million people and for half the kids graduating from college? are those schools lagging behind the rest of the developed world? and does america that we want succumb to resentment and division among americans? the america we all know has been a story of the many becoming one. united to preserve liberty, uniting to build the greatest economy in the world, uniting to save the world from unspeakable darkness. everywhere i go in america, there are monuments that list those who have given their lives for america. there's no mention of their race, their party affiliation or what they did for a living.

[ applause ] they lived and died under a single flag fighting for a single purpose. they pledged allegiance to the united states of america. that america, that united america can unleash an economy that will put americans back to work. it will once again lead the world with innovation and productivity and will restore every father and mother's confidence that their children's future is brighter even than the past. that america, that united america will preserve a military so strong no nation would ever dare to test it. [ applause ]3 f1 that america, that america, that

united america will uphold the constellion of rights that were endowed by our creator and codified in our constitution. [ applause ] that united america will care for the poor and the sick, will honor and respect the elderly and will give a helping hand to those in need. that america is the best within each of us. that america we want for our children, if i'm elected president of these united states, i will work with all my energy and soul to restore that america, to lift our eyes to a better future. that future is our destiny. that future is out there. it is waiting for us. our children deserve it. our nation depends on it. the peace and freedom of the world require it. and with your help, we will deliver it. let us begin that future for america tonight. thank you so very much. may god bless you. may god bless the american people. and may god bless the united states of america.

[ applause ] ♪ >> mitt romney is the nominee of the republican party going forward. tom brokaw, what did you make of the speech? >> well, what i thought was, brian, that it was more of a checklist than i expected. i thought maybe we would have a more eloquent statement tonight, kind of fanatic about what he is. but obviously they're concerned about women. lots of references to women. he raised the idea of taxes again, medicare. he obviously thinks that congressman ryan is a big asset to him. it came up repeatedly. there they are on the stage. i did think from a staging point of view that we had those powerful testimonials from the mormon families earlier in the evening.

and then they were followed by clint eastwood and what can only be described as a rambling appearance, which is getting a lot of attention. i think it took something away from the message that mitt romney wanted to make tonight. i can take care of your family. the best line i think in the speech was the one in which he said, president obama wants to slow the growth of the oceans. i want to help you and your family. that pretty much summarized what he hoped to get across. >> joined now by their spouses on stage. you're going to see the beginnings of 120,000 balloons falling down on this crowd. the other number, david gregory, was we asked this morning, campaign aides, how many romneys would join them on the stage. we were told the number would be north of 20, maybe 30. there's going to be a lot of family members on that stage. >> and you know what, i think that mitt romney spoke very tenderly and most personally about being a dad and being a husband. i think critics might say he

spoke very conventionally so. but this is a picture that i think he very much wants america to see. this is who he is. and his faith is a big part of that as well. and i think that's a big part of the vision that he wants to project to the country. it's what i think too many americans do not yet understand about him. >> andrea mitchell? >> he did fill in the biography. he talked about his mom who ran for the senate. he talked about his dad putting a flower on her pillow at her bedside every night. that was very touching. and he defended bain capital because he's been hammered by all the money that's been spent on that advertising to describe his business experience in a different fashion. so he did fill in the biography. and the pictures of the children and the family now are so touching. but i do think that they got off to a late start because of the clint eastwood rambling appearance. >> i felt for some time that his personal story is irreputable in terms of the quality of it.

how he raised his family, his relationship with his wife and he paid tribute to her again tonight, the relationship he had with his dad, i happen to have spent some time covering his father and he was a remarkable man of great integrity who fought within this party to make it more moderate and to make it less extreme and to make it more inclusive. and the evolution of mitt romney, the son, has gone from being a moderate to being much more conservative. the other thing that was quite striking to me tonight, the centerpiece of what's possible for this country was putting a man on the moon. there had been fewer larger government projects than that. and it did spin off a lot of private enterprise. but it was an enormous public government investment that made that extraordinary achievement possible. and then as i said earlier, it also spawned lots of scientific achievement across this country that was transferred to the private sector. >> about his business

experience, going into this, they knew this was a significant area of strength for him. and that, i thought, is what really excited the hall as well when he talked about business success and not attacking business success. people got excited about it. >> chuck todd down on the floor. chuck? >> i have to tell you, i keep coming up with a two-word theme to this speech. i called it optimistic nostalgia. i was struck by the number of phrases you heard of "return to" or "restore." it actually reminded me a lot of dole's '96 speech, which was well received and then the clinton folks were able to turn it on a dime and say, look, they're going backwards, we're going forward. i think the obama folks are going to be responsive to that. >> as promised, the hall is filling with balloons. the stage is full of romneys. and the republican party has their nominee. we'll be back at this from charlotte starting next tuesday

as the democrats have their gathering. those of you on the east, get ready for your late local news. by the way, our friend, savannah guthrie on "the tonight show" with jay leno tonight. for our entire political team, brian williams in tampa, [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, latebreaking. >> good evening, everyone. >> the former massachusetts governor formally accepted the presidential nomination and makes the case to voters why he should be the next man in the white house. we have a look at his big night in our commitment 2012 coverage. >> the speech was all about connecting with voters. mitt romney tried to give it his all, talking family, faith, and

the future. moment.itt romney's big >> i accept the nomination for president of the united states. >> casting himself as an alternative to the president. >> four years from the excitement of that last election, for the first time, a majority -- the majority of americans doubt our children will have a better future. >> he appealed to economically weary of voters, pledging to create 12 million jobs. >> now is the moment where we can stand up and say i am an american, i make my destiny. we deserve better. my family deserves better. my country deserves better. >> the evening painted a portrait of mitt romney by those who knew him best. >> i am incredibly proud of my father and i love him dearly. >> a group of former olympians.

florida senator marco rubio. >> we chose a special man to lead us at a special time. >> i started come at you finish it. -- i started, you finish it. >> thank you very much. >> mitt romney now heads back to the campaign trail, holding a farewell rally with his running mate in florida. >> the republican convention is over now that romney has accepted the nomination, the attention will now turn to the democrats. there convention in charlotte, north carolina. the secret service agent left a gun in the bathroom of a plane carrying mitt romney. a reporter discovered the gone

on wednesday. it was quickly retrieved by an agent. agency officials say they are aware of the incident and the matter will be handled internally. >> we're joined from the parent of the teenager wounded in monday's shooting. in an interview with the associated press, his father says he and his wife do not know the exact circumstances of the shooting. >> obviously, he is a troubled young man. i hope he gets the help he needs. i am not trying to be forgiving, because we are hurting. my son is hurting. that is for the legal system, for the police come up for the lawyers, for the judges.

>> the accused shooter, robert gladden jr. remains in a state psychiatric hospital. a bail review hearing scheduled for today was canceled as a result. he is being held without bail. >> his mother says her son's feeding tube was removed today. he asked about -- daniel wants to marry the musician and as a suitcase packed silicon travel to meet her at a moment's notice. -- packed so he can travel to meet her at a moment's notice. it sounds like a social media campaign may be working. her people have apparently said

the artist will send something. daniel remains in critical condition. >> one of their officers was forced to shoot the dog today to save a woman from a vicious attack. investigators said a fire inspector working noticed the woman, who appear to be having a seizure. she was actually being mauled by a pitched ball. -- pit bull. >> a virginia judge sentenced george hughley to 23 years in prison for murdering yeardley love. we were in the courtroom when the sentence was handed down. we have this report from charlottesville. >> the judge deciding to take a closer look at the state sentencing guidelines and reduces george hughley's sentence from 26 to 23 years. before making that decision,

george hughley had a chance to address the love family. moments after the judge reduced the sentence from the jury recommended 26 years, the attorneys react. >> they have gotten this case right. we appreciate their hard work. >> commonwealth attorney david chapman taking the advice of the sentencing guidelines. >> we think that george was convicted of a crime inconsistent with the facts. he received a penalty inconsistent with what the evidence would require. >> she still claiming her client was not given justice. his appearance in court thursday was different from what we saw back in february when he was convicted of second-degree murder and grand larceny. the clean-cut image was gone, his hair was longer and he was dressed in an oversized black and white prison jumpsuits.

his attorneys asked the judge for a 14-year prison term. the commonwealth said the sentence was just comment that he had plenty of warning signs to change his life, presented five witnesses. a former teammate said she recalled a night at a bar when george hughley chapter because she had told her father of his recent drop and violent behavior. a former george hughley teammate said he beat him so badly that he needed a ct scan to check for broken bones in his face. >> the circumstances in which they would come to the surface. he can be held appropriately and firmly accountable for all of

his behavior. >> and his defense operated a few character witnesses of its own, including his aunt and uncle, a family doctor, and his priests. given the 23-year sentence, his attorneys say to expect an appeal. >> our client remains optimistic, and he remains hopeful that a thorough review of the case will lead to be out, -- outcomes he has saw from the beginning. >> if he shows good behavior he will be released from prison after serving about 85% of the term, which comes out to about 20 years. he has already served two. >> the anne arundel county man who police say called himself the joker appeared before a judge today. he was ordered to wear a gps

anklet and he cannot have access to guns spread his apprenticeship co-workers in capitol heights because he is being fired. his case made national headlines back in july when police say they've thwarted his plan. >> isaac is not drifting into arkansas and missouri. -- now drifting into arkansas and missouri. hundreds of homes in louisiana and mississippi are under water. it down as much as 16 inches of rain in some areas. 500 people had to be rescued by boat. >> we did not have to deal with those kinds of conditions. there is a chance some of the tropical storm from that system could impact our weekend weather.

>> downtown is expected to be a little bit more accessible compared to last year. we heard a lot of people complaining about road closures and traffic delays. he organizers said they have plenty of plans in place to make this event marked convenient for everyone. >> it was incredible, i cried as soon as i heard the engines. when i saw the cars, i cried again. >> she is a diehard racing fan am looking for to this year's grand prix. she has fond memories of last year's event. >> no arguments or anything. everything, the racing and the noise. it was fantastic. >> not everyone had the same experience. there were lots of complaints about traffic back of downtown or not enough pedestrian foot traffic in other parts of the city.

they have teamed up with andretti sports marketing for this weekend's event. he comes amid very famous racing family. >> to improve on some of the things, some of the complaints people had. some of the traffic patterns. we're going to try things to help relieve that. >> i think a lot of people had problems, they did not know where to go. but you're trying to do those sorts of things to make it a better experience. >> official start of the grand prix is just around the corner and enthusiasts are happy that andretti is involved in the baltimore event. >> i admire michael andretti and his father. >> thank you, mr. andretti.

his name is synonymous with racing and i have faith in that man. >> you are taking a live look at the racetrack at the corner of pratt and utah. crews have been working throughout the night. all the fund kicks off tomorrow. >> you can make wbaltv.com your pit stop for the grand prix information. coming up next, the numbers of west nile virus cases continues to grow. >> the deadly impact in maryland, then you alert and what officials are planning to

do. >> looking to save money on parking? before you head into downtown baltimore, czech on line. we will tell you how and why. >> beautiful weather out there right now. it's a state gorgeous. isaac may change the end of the weekend.

wççñçñ >> they have recovered of a woman who disappeared in baltimore county. the body of the 57-year-old was a cover around 10:00 this morning he disappeared 10:00 on tuesday. investigators say he went into the water to assist to