As Reaganesque As You Will Ever See AGAIN - A Class Act is Forced to Quit

http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/07/romney-quits-gop-presidential-race-text-of-speech/

Romney Quits GOP Presidential Race: Text of Speech

Thursday, February 7, 2008

February 7, 2008: Mitt Romney's Address to the Conservative Political Action

Committee

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to begin by saying thank you. Its great to be with you again. And I

look forward to joining with you many more times in the future.

Last year, CPAC gave me the sendoff I needed. I was in single digits in the

polls and I was facing household Republican names.

As of today, more than 4 million people have given me their vote for

president, less than Senator McCain's 4.7 million, but quite a statement

nonetheless. 11 states have given me their nod, compared to his 13. Of

course, because size does matter, he's doing quite a bit better with his

number of delegates.

To all of you, thank you for caring enough about the future of America to

show up, stand up and speak up for conservative principles.

As I said to you last year, conservative principles are needed now more than

ever. We face a new generation of challenges, challenges which threaten our

prosperity, our security and our future.

I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the France

of the 21st century-still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the

world, no longer the superpower. And to me, that is unthinkable.

Simon Peres, in a visit to Boston, was asked what he thought about the war

in Iraq. First, he said, I must put something in context. America is unique

in the history of the world. In the history of the world, whenever there has

been conflict, the nation that wins takes land from the nation that loses.

One nation in history, and this during the last century, laid down hundreds

of thousands of lives and took no land. No land from Germany, no land from

Japan, no land from Korea. America is unique in the sacrifice it has made

for liberty, for itself and for freedom loving people around the world. The

best ally peace has ever known, and will ever know, is a strong America! And

that is why we must rise to the occasion, as we have always done before, to

confront the challenges ahead.

Perhaps the most fundamental of these is the attack on the American culture.

Over the years, my business has taken me to many countries. I have been

struck by the enormous differences in the wealth and well-being of people of

different nations.

I have read a number of scholarly explanations for the disparities. I found

the most convincing was that written by David Landes, a professor emeritus

from Harvard University. I presume he's a liberal-I guess that's redundant.

His work traces the coming and going of great civilizations throughout

history.

After hundreds of pages of analysis, he concludes with this: If we learn

anything from the history of economic development, it is that culture makes

all the difference. Culture makes all the difference.

What is it about American culture that has led us to become the most

powerful nation in the history of the world? We believe in hard work and

education. We love opportunity: almost all of us are immigrants or

descendants of immigrants who came here for opportunity-opportunity is in

our DNA.

Americans love God, and those who don't have faith, typically believe in

something greater than themselves-a Purpose Driven Life. And we sacrifice

everything we have, even our lives, for our families, our freedoms and our

country. The values and beliefs of the free American people are the source

of our nations strength and they always will be!

The threat to our culture comes from within. The 1960's welfare programs

created a culture of poverty. Some think we won that battle when we reformed

welfare, but the liberals haven't given up.

At every turn, they try to substitute government largesse for individual

responsibility. They fight to strip work requirements from welfare, to put

more people on Medicaid, and to remove more and more people from having to

pay any income tax whatsoever. Dependency is death to initiative,

risk-taking and opportunity. Dependency is a culture-killing drug-we have

got to fight it like the poison it is!

The attack on faith and religion is no less relentless. And tolerance for

pornography-even celebration of it-and sexual promiscuity, combined with the

twisted incentives of government welfare programs have led to today's grim

realities: 68% of African American children are born out-of-wedlock, 45% of

Hispanic children, and 25% of White children.

How much harder it is for these children to succeed in school-and in life. A

nation built on the principles of the founding fathers cannot long stand

when its children are raised without fathers in the home.

The development of a child is enhanced by having a mother and father. Such a

family is the ideal for the future of the child and for the strength of a

nation. I wonder how it is that unelected judges, like some in my state of

Massachusetts, are so unaware of this reality, so oblivious to the millennia

of recorded history. It is time for the people of America to fortify

marriage through constitutional amendment, so that liberal judges cannot

continue to attack it!

Europe is facing a demographic disaster. That is the inevitable product of

weakened faith in the Creator, failed families, disrespect for the sanctity

of human life and eroded morality. Some reason that culture is merely an

accessory to Americas vitality; we know that it is the source of our

strength. And we are not dissuaded by the snickers and knowing glances when

we stand up for family values, and morality, and culture. We will always be

honored to stand on principle and to stand for principle.

The attack on our culture is not our sole challenge. We face economic

competition unlike anything we have ever known before.

China and Asia are emerging from centuries of poverty. Their people are

plentiful, innovative, and ambitious. If we do not change course, Asia or

China will pass us by as the economic superpower, just as we passed England

and France during the last century. The prosperity and security of our

children and grandchildren depend on us.

Our prosperity and security also depend on finally acting to become energy

secure. Oil producing states like Russia and Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and

Iran are siphoning over $400 billion per year from our economy-that's almost

what we spend annually for defense.

It is past time for us to invest in energy technology, nuclear power, clean

coal, liquid coal, renewable sources and energy efficiency. America must

never be held hostage by the likes of Putin, Chavez, and Ahmendinejad.

And our economy is also burdened by the inexorable ramping of government

spending. Don't focus on the pork alone-even though it is indeed irritating

and shameful. Look at the entitlements.

They make up 60% of federal spending today. By the end of the next

Presidents second term, they will total 70%. Any conservative plan for the

future has to include entitlement reform that solves the problem, not just

acknowledges it.

Most politicians don't seem to understand the connection between our ability

to compete and our national wealth, and the wealth of our families. They act

as if money just happens-that it's just there. But every dollar represents a

good or service produced in the private sector. Depress the private sector

and you depress the well-being of Americans.

That's exactly what happens with high taxes, over-regulation, tort

windfalls, mandates, and overfed, over-spending government. Did you see that

today, government workers make more money than people who work in the

private sector. Can you imagine what happens to an economy where the best

opportunities are for bureaucrats?

It is high time to lower taxes, including corporate taxes, to take a

weed-whacker to government regulations, to reform entitlements, and to stand

up to the increasingly voracious appetite of the unions in our government!

And finally, let's consider the greatest challenge facing America-and facing

the entire civilized world: the threat of violent, radical Jihad.

In one wing of the world of Islam, there is a conviction that all

governments should be destroyed and replaced by a religious caliphate. These

Jihadists will battle any form of democracy-to them, democracy is

blasphemous for it says that citizens, not God shape the law. They find the

idea of human equality to be offensive. They hate everything we believe

about freedom just as we hate everything they believe about radical Jihad.

To battle this threat, we have sent the most courageous and brave soldiers

in the world. But their numbers have been depleted by the Clinton years when

troops were reduced by 500,000, when 80 ships were retired from the Navy,

and when our human intelligence was slashed by 25%.

We were told that we were getting a peace dividend. We got the dividend, but

we didn't get the peace. In the face of evil in radical Jihad and given the

inevitable military ambitions of China, we must act to rebuild our military

might. Raise military spending to 4% of our GDP, purchase the most modern

armament, re-shape our fighting forces for the asymmetric demands we now

face, and give the veterans the care they deserve!

Soon, the face of liberalism in America will have a new name. Whether it is

Barack or Hillary, the result would be the same if they were to win the

Presidency. The opponents of American culture would push the throttle,

devising new justifications for judges to depart from the constitution.

Economic neophytes would layer heavier and heavier burdens on employers and

families, slowing our economy and opening the way for foreign competition to

further erode our lead.

Even though we face an uphill fight, I know that many in this room are fully

behind my campaign. You are with me all the way to the convention. Fight on,

just like Ronald Reagan did in 1976. But there is an important difference

from 1976: today. we are a nation at war.

And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and

the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. And the

consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on America,

launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look like

childs' play. About this, I have no doubt.

I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I

agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on

finding and executing Usama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and

terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would

forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that

Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot

let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends

and our supporters. many of you right here in this room. have given a great

deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only

about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and

because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for

our country.

I will continue to stand for conservative principles; I will fight alongside

you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we

cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face

evil extremism!!

It is the common task of each generation-and the burden of liberty-to

preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that its

noble past is prologue to its glorious future.

To this task. accepting this burden. we are all dedicated, and I firmly

believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond our

fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the

earth.

Thank you, and God bless America.

Goodbye Mitt.

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

"Patriot Games" <Patriot@America.com> wrote in message

news:47ab7009$0$16645$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

>

http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/02/07/romney-quits-gop-presidential-race-text-of-speech/

>

> Romney Quits GOP Presidential Race: Text of Speech

> Thursday, February 7, 2008

>

> February 7, 2008: Mitt Romney's Address to the Conservative Political

Action

> Committee

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------

> I want to begin by saying thank you. Its great to be with you again. And I

> look forward to joining with you many more times in the future.

>

> Last year, CPAC gave me the sendoff I needed. I was in single digits in

the

> polls and I was facing household Republican names.

>

> As of today, more than 4 million people have given me their vote for

> president, less than Senator McCain's 4.7 million, but quite a statement

> nonetheless. 11 states have given me their nod, compared to his 13. Of

> course, because size does matter, he's doing quite a bit better with his

> number of delegates.

>

> To all of you, thank you for caring enough about the future of America to

> show up, stand up and speak up for conservative principles.

>

> As I said to you last year, conservative principles are needed now more

than

> ever. We face a new generation of challenges, challenges which threaten

our

> prosperity, our security and our future.

>

> I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the

France

> of the 21st century-still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the

> world, no longer the superpower. And to me, that is unthinkable.

>

> Simon Peres, in a visit to Boston, was asked what he thought about the war

> in Iraq. First, he said, I must put something in context. America is

unique

> in the history of the world. In the history of the world, whenever there

has

> been conflict, the nation that wins takes land from the nation that loses.

>

> One nation in history, and this during the last century, laid down

hundreds

> of thousands of lives and took no land. No land from Germany, no land from

> Japan, no land from Korea. America is unique in the sacrifice it has made

> for liberty, for itself and for freedom loving people around the world.

The

> best ally peace has ever known, and will ever know, is a strong America!

And

> that is why we must rise to the occasion, as we have always done before,

to

> confront the challenges ahead.

>

> Perhaps the most fundamental of these is the attack on the American

culture.

> Over the years, my business has taken me to many countries. I have been

> struck by the enormous differences in the wealth and well-being of people

of

> different nations.

>

> I have read a number of scholarly explanations for the disparities. I

found

> the most convincing was that written by David Landes, a professor emeritus

> from Harvard University. I presume he's a liberal-I guess that's

redundant.

> His work traces the coming and going of great civilizations throughout

> history.

>

> After hundreds of pages of analysis, he concludes with this: If we learn

> anything from the history of economic development, it is that culture

makes

> all the difference. Culture makes all the difference.

>

> What is it about American culture that has led us to become the most

> powerful nation in the history of the world? We believe in hard work and

> education. We love opportunity: almost all of us are immigrants or

> descendants of immigrants who came here for opportunity-opportunity is in

> our DNA.

>

> Americans love God, and those who don't have faith, typically believe in

> something greater than themselves-a Purpose Driven Life. And we sacrifice

> everything we have, even our lives, for our families, our freedoms and our

> country. The values and beliefs of the free American people are the source

> of our nations strength and they always will be!

>

> The threat to our culture comes from within. The 1960's welfare programs

> created a culture of poverty. Some think we won that battle when we

reformed

> welfare, but the liberals haven't given up.

>

> At every turn, they try to substitute government largesse for individual

> responsibility. They fight to strip work requirements from welfare, to put

> more people on Medicaid, and to remove more and more people from having to

> pay any income tax whatsoever. Dependency is death to initiative,

> risk-taking and opportunity. Dependency is a culture-killing drug-we have

> got to fight it like the poison it is!

>

> The attack on faith and religion is no less relentless. And tolerance for

> pornography-even celebration of it-and sexual promiscuity, combined with

the

> twisted incentives of government welfare programs have led to today's grim

> realities: 68% of African American children are born out-of-wedlock, 45%

of

> Hispanic children, and 25% of White children.

>

> How much harder it is for these children to succeed in school-and in life.

A

> nation built on the principles of the founding fathers cannot long stand

> when its children are raised without fathers in the home.

>

> The development of a child is enhanced by having a mother and father. Such

a

> family is the ideal for the future of the child and for the strength of a

> nation. I wonder how it is that unelected judges, like some in my state of

> Massachusetts, are so unaware of this reality, so oblivious to the

millennia

> of recorded history. It is time for the people of America to fortify

> marriage through constitutional amendment, so that liberal judges cannot

> continue to attack it!

>

> Europe is facing a demographic disaster. That is the inevitable product of

> weakened faith in the Creator, failed families, disrespect for the

sanctity

> of human life and eroded morality. Some reason that culture is merely an

> accessory to Americas vitality; we know that it is the source of our

> strength. And we are not dissuaded by the snickers and knowing glances

when

> we stand up for family values, and morality, and culture. We will always

be

> honored to stand on principle and to stand for principle.

>

> The attack on our culture is not our sole challenge. We face economic

> competition unlike anything we have ever known before.

>

> China and Asia are emerging from centuries of poverty. Their people are

> plentiful, innovative, and ambitious. If we do not change course, Asia or

> China will pass us by as the economic superpower, just as we passed

England

> and France during the last century. The prosperity and security of our

> children and grandchildren depend on us.

>

> Our prosperity and security also depend on finally acting to become energy

> secure. Oil producing states like Russia and Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and

> Iran are siphoning over $400 billion per year from our economy-that's

almost

> what we spend annually for defense.

>

> It is past time for us to invest in energy technology, nuclear power,

clean

> coal, liquid coal, renewable sources and energy efficiency. America must

> never be held hostage by the likes of Putin, Chavez, and Ahmendinejad.

>

> And our economy is also burdened by the inexorable ramping of government

> spending. Don't focus on the pork alone-even though it is indeed

irritating

> and shameful. Look at the entitlements.

>

> They make up 60% of federal spending today. By the end of the next

> Presidents second term, they will total 70%. Any conservative plan for the

> future has to include entitlement reform that solves the problem, not just

> acknowledges it.

>

> Most politicians don't seem to understand the connection between our

ability

> to compete and our national wealth, and the wealth of our families. They

act

> as if money just happens-that it's just there. But every dollar represents

a

> good or service produced in the private sector. Depress the private sector

> and you depress the well-being of Americans.

>

> That's exactly what happens with high taxes, over-regulation, tort

> windfalls, mandates, and overfed, over-spending government. Did you see

that

> today, government workers make more money than people who work in the

> private sector. Can you imagine what happens to an economy where the best

> opportunities are for bureaucrats?

>

> It is high time to lower taxes, including corporate taxes, to take a

> weed-whacker to government regulations, to reform entitlements, and to

stand

> up to the increasingly voracious appetite of the unions in our government!

>

> And finally, let's consider the greatest challenge facing America-and

facing

> the entire civilized world: the threat of violent, radical Jihad.

>

> In one wing of the world of Islam, there is a conviction that all

> governments should be destroyed and replaced by a religious caliphate.

These

> Jihadists will battle any form of democracy-to them, democracy is

> blasphemous for it says that citizens, not God shape the law. They find

the

> idea of human equality to be offensive. They hate everything we believe

> about freedom just as we hate everything they believe about radical Jihad.

>

> To battle this threat, we have sent the most courageous and brave soldiers

> in the world. But their numbers have been depleted by the Clinton years

when

> troops were reduced by 500,000, when 80 ships were retired from the Navy,

> and when our human intelligence was slashed by 25%.

>

> We were told that we were getting a peace dividend. We got the dividend,

but

> we didn't get the peace. In the face of evil in radical Jihad and given

the

> inevitable military ambitions of China, we must act to rebuild our

military

> might. Raise military spending to 4% of our GDP, purchase the most modern

> armament, re-shape our fighting forces for the asymmetric demands we now

> face, and give the veterans the care they deserve!

>

> Soon, the face of liberalism in America will have a new name. Whether it

is

> Barack or Hillary, the result would be the same if they were to win the

> Presidency. The opponents of American culture would push the throttle,

> devising new justifications for judges to depart from the constitution.

>

> Economic neophytes would layer heavier and heavier burdens on employers

and

> families, slowing our economy and opening the way for foreign competition

to

> further erode our lead.

>

> Even though we face an uphill fight, I know that many in this room are

fully

> behind my campaign. You are with me all the way to the convention. Fight

on,

> just like Ronald Reagan did in 1976. But there is an important difference

> from 1976: today. we are a nation at war.

>

> And Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and

> the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. And the

> consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on

America,

> launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look

like

> childs' play. About this, I have no doubt.

>

> I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I

> agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on

> finding and executing Usama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and

> terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I

would

> forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that

> Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply

cannot

> let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

>

> This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends

> and our supporters. many of you right here in this room. have given a

great

> deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were

only

> about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America,

and

> because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and

for

> our country.

>

> I will continue to stand for conservative principles; I will fight

alongside

> you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we

> cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the

face

> evil extremism!!

>

> It is the common task of each generation-and the burden of liberty-to

> preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that

its

> noble past is prologue to its glorious future.

>

> To this task. accepting this burden. we are all dedicated, and I firmly

> believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond

our

> fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the

> earth.

>

> Thank you, and God bless America.

>

>