Just how many people are going to get an Obama tax cut?

First it was anyone making under $250,000. Then it was $200,000. The last time they let Joe Biden talk without a script it dropped to $150,000. Today according to Bill Richardson, we're down to $120,000. So, if you're making $120,000 or more you are rich. According to Martha Stewart you just need to suck it up and you'll just "have to budget" to pay your tax burden. It's a long way from $120,000 to $120,000 million or whatever amount Martha takes home.

And, let's see, 95% of the population will get a check from the government, courtesy of the "rich".

Business owners across the country are studying Obama's plan and they're planning their employee cuts, benefit cuts and more.

Today my son told me that his bosses sat down and talked about how they manage the company profits. They have it fine tuned to ensure they make a certain profit to avoid falling into a tax bracket that eats into their profits. If they make too much in a given year, they give the excess money back to the workers in the form of a bonus. They said that Obama's plan would have them immediately in a tax bracket that would cost them more than they could pay, thus to stay in business, they will have to raise the cost of goods my son buys to do his job. Effectively, he'd be getting a pay cut. Don't ask me to explain the details, I'm just repeating the general gist of what my son told me.

Guess who the company owners are voting for? It's not Obama! Guess who my son is voting for? It's not Obama. Hopefully there are a lot of people looking at Obama's spread the wealth, tax the rich, socialistic style government and they're going to punch the McCain-Palin button.

Here's Richardson talking about Barack Obama's ever moving tax target:

What a hoot - the Obama campaign is "hidin' Biden"

The Obama campaign is calling it Operation Hiden Biden (or Hidin' Biden I suppose). They are keeping this supposedly experienced Vice Presidential campaign out of the limelight and are not letting him speak until after the election!

The gaffe machine has been shut down for the next few days in hopes that he doesn't say any more truths that will get Obama in more hot water!

If they can't trust him on the campaign trail, if they have to keep him under wraps now, what will they do with him if Obama wins?

More importantly, what will our country do if for some reason he has to step in as President?

Let's Hide the Bide permanently back in the Senate.

Ha, I know what they did with him... they sent him on one of those great adventures to find the restaurant he hangs out in, the one he talked about in his debate with Sarah Palin... you know, the one that has been closed for around 20 years?

Just where are they hidin' Biden? Do they have duck tape over his mouth? Did they send him on a trip? Is he on house arrest? How does he feel about being pulled off the campaign trail?

Every time the man makes a remark that embarrasses Obama I can't help but wonder how he would handle being our Vice President.

Sharing blogs from the Read My Lipstick Network

Yes, I'm being lazy! I'm sharing words from other fellow bloggers. Hope you'll check out the blogs and add them to your favorites! If you need to get pumped up about the election scroll down the sidebar of my blog and take a look at all the people who are blogging and working in support of John McCain! Today I came across a group at www.justsaynodeal.com that was very interesting. It's a group of former Hillary Clinton supporters who basically say anyone but Obama. Found another network at www.anobamanation.net with a fairly large group of bloggers for McCain. These are people out working, not just writing.

Here's a small sampling of the many blogs in the Read My Lipstick Network:

Ugly remark unsubstantiated by Secret Service
posted by Jem at America Needs Sarah Palin - 12 minutes ago
Secret Service on Scranton 'Kill Him' Report: "We Have Yet to Find Someone to Back Up the Story" Yesterday, David Singleton of the *Scranton Times-Tribune* reported that someone shouted "kill him!" abou...

Obama vs. the plumber
posted by Jem at America Needs Sarah Palin - 35 minutes ago
Maybe Joe Six-pack from flyover country isn't the ignoramus the elites think he is. At the beginning of the first video is Joe Wurzelbacher's tax question and Obama's answer. (If you keep watching, you'll...

Bocephus
posted by Adam Brickley, aka "ElephantMan" at Draft Sarah Palin For Vice President - 1 hour ago
This has made a few headlines in the last few days, but I hadn't heard the full song until today. So, for those who have yet to hear Hank Williams Jr.'s "McCain-Palin Tradition", enjoy.

Obama's Tax Plan
posted by Barracuda Babes at Barracuda Babes for Sarah Palin - 6 hours ago
Aside from Obama's statement, umm I mean promise, to give everyone a tax cut (which means 40% of the people get a check since they don't pay taxes), there is this issue of taking away the Bush tax cuts. (O...

And the Voter Fraud Accusations Continue in OHIO
posted by A Mom for McCain at More Moms for McCain - 9 hours ago
(Photo courtesy of Michelle Malkin of the house in Columbus where Ohio voter fraud is purportedy taking place) This is just unbelievable. There are more worms in this can than a fisherman's bucket after t...

A Conservative on Healthcare
posted by noreply@blogger.com (Kat) at Moms In The Right - 16 hours ago
In true Capitalist spirit, I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard this question, "If conservatives are so concerned about abortion, why don't they care about poor children without health care and ...

CNN Reports On The Obama Campaign's Misleading ACORN Story
posted by Fayette Front Page.com at Republican Candidates - 16 hours ago
"Now, today I'm told that the Obama campaign is saying that we may have paid them some money for canvassing, but in earlier e-mails with the Obama campaign, they did say that they paid them $800,000, a sub...

Obama's Religious Ruse: His 'Conversion'By Alexander LaBrecque
posted by Grace Explosion at Go Sarah!! - 17 hours ago
October 15, 2008 Obama's Religious Ruse: His 'Conversion'By Alexander LaBrecque Part 2 of 3; read part 1 here. During his presidential campaign, Obama the skeptic has touted his Christian identity as defi...

Grassroots voter intimidation
posted by Jem at America Needs Sarah Palin - 21 hours ago
Moms for McCain clues us in on "an important concern that my Moms have raised: intimidation, harassment, and illegal acts against them because they support McCain." She gives lots of examples. Please read....

Financial Crisis, Politics, and Stuff

I listened to bits and pieces of the debate in D.C. about the so-called Bush bailout today. I listened to some more pundits discussing the merits and /or negatives on the issue. It seems to be boiling down to "we have to do something and this is all we have on the table".

I don't like it. I agree with many others that this is another step in the wrong direction for our country. I haven't a clue what else they could do though. They (whoever 'they' may be) are going to do everything in their power to keep the country rolling.

There's a lot of finger-pointing and backward looking, which is good for future lessons only if we're ever going to go down the same path. We've already made the good and bad decisions, and ignored good and bad suggestions along the way.

Regardless of what we do now, someday some bright minds will look back and see we could have chosen a better path, and they'll use it as part of their election rhetoric if they're running for office and it matters at the time.

Our politicians are being inundated with calls saying NOT to vote yes on the bail out. Newt Gingrich is encouraging John McCain to vote no. Barack Obama has already said he's going to vote yes, but that doesn't mean he'll do it by the time this thing comes up for a vote.

Everyone is grandstanding and it's fairly clear that many of our elected officials are simply trying to make sure they're on the right side with those who will vote them back into office.

If it weren't so difficult at the moment it would almost be funny. Think about it. If those in office vote yes, they're going to be bucking the will of a majority of voters. If they vote no and the economy collapses then they're going to be in even bigger trouble as their constituents will say "why didn't you do something?". They can't win.

It could be even worse if they vote yes and things still fail. Money down the drain.

And what about all these foreign countries that are sorting through the dregs to see what they can pick up? How much more of our country is going to be owned or owed to other countries?

Our politicians have also decided to punt on the issue of drilling saying this issue is too big and they can't deal with it at the moment. Do you really think every minute of their day is caught up with studying the books or trying to figure out how to vote on this issue?

I think they don't want it used as a bargaining tool. Everyone is trying to look the best they possibly can during this difficult time and they all want to come out smelling like... not a rose, but at least not smelling rotten. If drilling is on the table at the same time there will be some humongous deals cut. "We'll vote yes on this aspect if you'll add this to the bailout bill." So they took it off the table.

At least that's my take on it.

Unfortunately that just delays something else of importance that could make us feel better about all that's happening. Maybe they're holding it out as something to make us feel better down the road when things are more bleak? Hope that's not the game plan!

Did anyone notice that oil went up? Gee, you think there's a bit of manipulation going on? Kick 'em while they're down?

OK, 'nuff on this one. They're going to do what they're going to do and we're going to deal with it somehow.

By the way, I heard that McCain's numbers are on the rise again. Wonder what that's about?

Oh, and just another quick aside, has anyone been following Joe Biden's foot-in-mouth troubles? I actually like the guy and kinda feel sorry for him. I definitely wouldn't want him as President though after watching his difficulties with knowing when to speak and what to say. It would give the Saturday Night Live crew something better to joke about than incest though.

(Did anyone hear about the despicable SNL skit where they spoofed about Todd Palin and incest? That is lower than low. Can you imagine the uproar if they'd spoofed Obama or Biden or Hillary on that topic? There is nothing, nothing, funny about incest. )

Guess I've introduced enough subjects in this one blog! If you want to know more go check out http://readmylipsticknetwork.blogspot.com and wander through the listing of member blogs on the side bar. They're covering all the political news in a fun way!

Another point of view on the financial crisis

How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis: Kevin Hassett

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_hassett&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0

Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) — The financial crisis of the past year has provided a number of surprising twists and turns, and from Bear Stearns Cos. to American International Group Inc., ambiguity has been a big part of the story.

Why did Bear Stearns fail, and how does that relate to AIG? It all seems so complex.

But really, it isn’t. Enough cards on this table have been turned over that the story is now clear.

The economic history books will describe this episode in simple and understandable terms: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exploded, and many bystanders were injured in the blast, some fatally.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_hassett&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0

(Thanks to http://mccainpalin2008.blogspot.com/ for finding this and posting this!)

More on Down Syndrome, Sarah Palin and Politics

Photo: Niah with her Mom, April during a visit earlier this year.



I am taking advantage of the fact that Sarah Palin has brought Down Syndrome to the forefront of politics to write again about the subject! I know I'm stretching it here, but I'm proud of my little granddaughter and I don't usually have a way to share anything in this blog about her!

I found an article on another blog that I thought was interesting on the subject of Sarah Palin and Down Syndrome:

Sarah Palin, Down syndrome and special needs

My younger son, Elijah, has Down syndrome, so naturally I was very interested to
hear about Sarah Palin's candidacy. Her experience of getting a prenatal
diagnosis of Down syndrome halfway through the pregnancy parallels our own
experience. Our doctor told us, "Based on this diagnosis, you can choose to
terminate the pregnancy." (We later learned that about 90% of babies prenatally
diagnosed with Down syndrome are terminated.) Like the Palins, we chose to have
our baby, and now we can't imagine life without Elijah. (My column for the
forthcoming October issue of Christianity Today is going to be about Down
syndrome and disability, because October happens to be Down syndrome awareness
month. I had already written and sent in my column a month ago, long before
Palin's candidacy had been announced. Kind of wild.)... (click the title to read all)

I also received an email this evening with a transcript of a discussion a caller had with Rush Limbaugh recently. I'd share it but it has so many of those little >>> marks that it'd take all night to get rid of them! The gist of the conversation was that a family with a Down Syndrome child was noticed by John and Cindy McCain and Sarah and Todd Palin as their bus drove in for a visit. They had the Secret Service go over and get them and the family hung out with the group for a while. They sent photos and gave a glowing talk about how down to earth and caring the McCains and Palins were. There's a real cute photo of the little Down Syndrome girl being held by Sarah Palin, giving her a big hug.



There are a lot of people making the Palin's choice to have Trig political. I continue to be dismayed at how nasty some people can be when writing about the subject.

Here's another real interesting blog post on Moonbattery:

September 1, 2008
Sarah Palin Blamed for Hurricane, Child's Down Syndrome
It appears that Bush, Cheney, and Rove are no longer responsible for all the ills of the world. Sarah Palin has to shoulder her share of blame too.
http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2008/09/sarah_palin_bla.html

Here's another article of interest:

Joe Biden Slams Sarah Palin on Down Syndrome Son, Stem Cell Research
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 9, 2008
Joe Biden, Barack Obama's pro-abortion running mate, is coming under fire for comments he made today attacking vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. After attacking her on abortion, Biden then slammed Palin on the birth of her son, who has Down syndrome.
http://www.lifenews.com/bio2567.html

OK, have I done enough writing about the political aspect to justify doing the grandma thing and sharing some photos of Niah? If not, sorry, you're getting 'em anyway!

2nd Photo: April (Niah's mom), cousin Skylar and Niah at my parents.
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Out scouting for Sarah Palin blogs

I took a few minutes to wander around the Internet in search of positive blogs regarding Sarah Palin a few days ago. It was rather surprising to find that Google seemingly can't find hardly any, and can't find any to put on the first number of pages that come up on their search engines.

Now all I hear from friends is good stuff. All I get via email from all over the country are good things. Everyone has fallen in love with Sarah Palin it seems, except the media and liberal or Democratic bloggers.

So, I decided just to try popping in names of blogs with Sarah Palin's name in them to see what the level of support might be for her.

Here's a list of what I've found thus far:

Barracuda Babes for Sarah Palin
Lipstick Smears
Go Sarah Palin
We Love Sarah Palin
You can call her GOVERNOR, Senator Obama
Scared of Sarah
Superwoman Sarah Palin

I'm sure there are more, but those are part of the "Read My Lipstick" network! Isn't that cool? With any luck I'll find a few more out there and will be able to share them with you.

I am one of the many across the country who happens to think Sarah Palin is fantastic. She has done it her own way. The media keeps trying to say she's an "unknown" but geez, I think the country must know more about her at this point than they know about any of the other candidates.

I watched part of the interview Greta did on Fox last night with Todd Palin. She is one lucky lady to have a guy who is comfortable enough in his own skin that he's not threatened by her. You can tell the way he talks, and the way she talks, that they have built a strong relationship and that they are supportive of each other. It was kind of interesting seeing him on the snow machine, winning the race. She was so excited for him. When they talked with her she was chewing gum and holding a little one. I bet she quit chewing gum and talking when she ran for office!

On the issue of experience and the other Democratic talking points we keep hearing... line 'em up, look at history, and she's got more experience than quite a few who've run our country. I was listening to someone on the "talks" discussing foreign affairs experience. They ran down who had it when they went into office (not Clinton, not Bush, not a bunch of others) and then they mentioned those who did. ALL of them made errors in judgement (in hindsight) when dealing with issues relating to foreign affairs. ALL of them had people around them who had great experience in that arena.

I think of being the Vice President or President as somewhat akin to being a parent. We all go into it, or went into it, unprepared no matter how we judged ourselves at the time junior popped into the world. As older parents most of us are able to look back and see errors we made while raising our children. It helps in parenting if you've taken some classes (rare) or come from a family where you had siblings you had to help raise or you kept the church nursery on a regular basis, but nothing prepares you for the unknown.

It take good judgement, a sharp mind, a willingness to listen to others and many other characteristics to be a good parent. Ditto with being President.

I think we give to much credit, or blame, to a President to begin with. We're being rather silly if we think the President is the one who is at fault for our economy. Congress has more power than the President. The President isn't up there making the laws. He can veto some things, but it can be overturned. He appoints judges and those in certain critical positions, then fights tooth and nail to try and get them approved. The entire time he's fighting for those positions decisions are being made and life is going on in those particular offices.

Oil prices are set outside the country. It's not the President who's stopping us from drilling, it's a small segment of the American population putting pressure on their elected officials who are bowing to their wishes.

I know there are some things the government could have done to help forestall some of the things that we're dealing with now. But I betcha that if they'd tried before the crisis hit enough people would have been up in arms that they never would have had what it takes to put it into action. And, it wouldn't be the President who would have had to take action, although it would have helped if he'd been behind it (or given the makeup of the majority, probably would have helped more if he'd been against it!).

I love the way we sit out here judging what people in office do when we really haven't got a clue. We don't know what kind of ideas are floated by our elected officials and turned down cold. We don't know the deals being brokered. We don't know an awful lot, yet we judge.

There is nothing going on at the moment in our economy that resulted from the action of one person, one government, one business, one group. It's a conglomeration of all kinds of factors and to blame the President to my way of thinking is rather silly. There's plenty of blame to go around and a lot of it boils down to pure human ambition and / or greed.

How far off track I have gone! I start with Sarah and end up talking about the ills of the world. This blog might work better in my Ramblin' Jan blog given the way I'm rambling and just barely touching on so many subjects. Isn't it amazing how we can take something so big and complex and try to analyze it in a few short paragraphs?

I watch the various economic analysis shows at times. Just like in politics, there's opposing views on every subject under the sun. How in the world does anyone ever get anything right?

I want to end with Sarah Palin since that's the subject I started out to tackle. While I'm waiting for websites to load or things to download I'm going to continue to see if I can find more positive blogs. I loved the "Read My Lipstick" network! I wonder if there's a site where they list all the blogs? Hmmm... there you go, I have my search direction!

Very moving "commercial"

This is a "commercial" of sorts made by a soldier titled "Dear Mr. Obama". It's had over 3 million hits on YouTube, which is great! You can read the story about it if you go to it on YouTube (I think you can double click the video and it'll open the window, but just in case, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8) Be sure to watch it all the way to the end, it's not that long.

John McCain's Speech at the Convention

In case you missed it I've printed transcript below...

I thought it was great. He's not the most powerful speaker, but his conviction and love for American, and his heart for service, certainly came through. That was the most real I think I've ever see any politician speaking at something like that. It didn't seem like "just words".

I'm sure his emphasis on not being a Party wonk probably had a few in office raising an eyebrow. He really sounds like he's in it to shake things up and boy does Washington need shaking up.

I listened to Obama's speech and Biden's talk. I'd have to give Sarah Palin top marks. Heard last night that she had something like 36 million listening to her, just one million (give or take a few) less than Obama. Not bad for a VP pick. She certainly has taken all the attention since last Friday, gotten all the heat, too. But she's tough, she can take it and dish it right back as evidenced on Wed.

Here's the transcript for McCain's speech:

Thank you all very much. Tonight, I have a privilege given few Americans -- the privilege of accepting our party's nomination for President of the United States. And I accept it with gratitude, humility and confidence.

In my life, no success has come without a good fight, and this nomination wasn't any different. That's a tribute to the candidates who opposed me and their supporters. They're leaders of great ability, who love our country, and wished to lead it to better days. Their support is an honor I won't forget.

I'm grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I'm grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

As always, I'm indebted to my wife, Cindy, and my seven children. The pleasures of family life can seem like a brief holiday from the crowded calendar of our nation's business. But I have treasured them all the more, and can't imagine a life without the happiness you give me. Cindy said a lot of nice things about me tonight. But, in truth, she's more my inspiration than I am hers. Her concern for those less blessed than we are -- victims of land mines, children born in poverty and with birth defects -- shows the measure of her humanity. I know she will make a great First Lady.

When I was growing up, my father was often at sea, and the job of raising my brother, sister and me would fall to my mother alone. Roberta McCain gave us her love of life, her deep interest in the world, her strength, and her belief we are all meant to use our opportunities to make ourselves useful to our country. I wouldn't be here tonight but for the strength of her character.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you, who helped me win this nomination, and stood by me when the odds were long. I won't let you down. To Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for, thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to win your trust. I intend to earn it.

Finally, a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We'll go at it over the next two months. That's the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We're dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn't be an American worthy of the name if I didn't honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement.

But let there be no doubt, my friends, we're going to win this election. And after we've won, we're going to reach out our hand to any willing patriot, make this government start working for you again, and get this country back on the road to prosperity and peace.

These are tough times for many of you. You're worried about keeping your job or finding a new one, and are struggling to put food on the table and stay in your home. All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way. And that's just what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future.

And I've found just the right partner to help me shake up Washington, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. She has executive experience and a real record of accomplishment. She's tackled tough problems like energy independence and corruption. She's balanced a budget, cut taxes, and taken on the special interests. She's reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and Independents to serve in her administration. She's the mother of five children. She's helped run a small business, worked with her hands and knows what it's like to worry about mortgage payments and health care and the cost of gasoline and groceries.

She knows where she comes from and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down. I'm very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

I'm not in the habit of breaking promises to my country and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we're going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country's problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. We've got a record of doing just that, and the strength, experience, judgment and backbone to keep our word to you.

You know, I've been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment and sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you.

I've fought corruption, and it didn't matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I've fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment. I've fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I've fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses.

I fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq, when it wasn't a popular thing to do. And when the pundits said my campaign was finished, I said I'd rather lose an election than see my country lose a war.

Thanks to the leadership of a brilliant general, David Petreaus, and the brave men and women he has the honor to command, that strategy succeeded and rescued us from a defeat that would have demoralized our military, risked a wider war and threatened the security of all Americans.
I don't mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I've had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way. In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.

I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills.
I fight for Jake and Toni Wimmer of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Jake works on a loading dock; coaches Little League, and raises money for the mentally and physically disabled. Toni is a schoolteacher, working toward her Master's Degree. They have two sons, the youngest, Luke, has been diagnosed with autism. Their lives should matter to the people they elect to office. They matter to me.

I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfboro, New Hampshire, who died serving our country in Iraq. I wear his bracelet and think of him every day. I intend to honor their sacrifice by making sure the country their son loved so well and never returned to, remains safe from its enemies.

I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. We lost their trust when instead of freeing ourselves from a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies. We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles.

We're going to change that. We're going to recover the people's trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics.

We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential from the boy whose descendents arrived on the Mayflower to the Latina daughter of migrant workers. We're all God's children and we're all Americans.

We believe in low taxes; spending discipline, and open markets. We believe in rewarding hard work and risk takers and letting people keep the fruits of their labor.

We believe in a strong defense, work, faith, service, a culture of life, personal responsibility, the rule of law, and judges who dispense justice impartially and don't legislate from the bench. We believe in the values of families, neighborhoods and communities.

We believe in a government that unleashes the creativity and initiative of Americans. Government that doesn't make your choices for you, but works to make sure you have more choices to make for yourself.

I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them. I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I will cut government spending. He will increase it.

My tax cuts will create jobs. His tax increases will eliminate them. My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government run health care system where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.

Keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs. Cutting the second highest business tax rate in the world will help American companies compete and keep jobs from moving overseas. Doubling the child tax exemption from $3500 to $7000 will improve the lives of millions of American families. Reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs will let you keep more of your own money to save, spend and invest as you see fit. Opening new markets and preparing workers to compete in the world economy is essential to our future prosperity.

I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn't even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That's going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We're going to help workers who've lost a job that won't come back, find a new one that won't go away.

We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we'll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage.

Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.
When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity.

Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I'm President, they will.

My fellow Americans, when I'm President, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.

Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and to restore the health of our planet. It's an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we have faced greater challenges. It's time for us to show the world again how Americans lead.

This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the workforce.
Today, the prospect of a better world remains within our reach. But we must see the threats to peace and liberty in our time clearly and face them, as Americans before us did, with confidence, wisdom and resolve.

We have dealt a serious blow to al Qaeda in recent years. But they are not defeated, and they'll strike us again if they can. Iran remains the chief state sponsor of terrorism and on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons. Russia's leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world's oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and prayers. As President I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War. But we can't turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people.

We face many threats in this dangerous world, but I'm not afraid of them. I'm prepared for them. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. I know how to secure the peace.

When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house. A Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I rarely saw my father again for four years. My grandfather came home from that same war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home with me. I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination.

I'm running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals -- to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace.

In America, we change things that need to be changed. Each generation makes its contribution to our greatness. The work that is ours to do is plainly before us. We don't need to search for it.
We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. All these functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington.

The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn't a cause, it's a symptom. It's what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you.
Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.
Instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn't think of them first, let's use the best ideas from both sides. Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let's try sharing it. This amazing country can do anything we put our minds to. I will ask Democrats and Independents to serve with me. And my administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability.

We're going to finally start getting things done for the people who are counting on us, and I won't care who gets the credit.

I've been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I've never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn't thank God for the privilege.

Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. I was blessed by misfortune. I mean that sincerely. I was blessed because I served in the company of heroes, and I witnessed a thousand acts of courage, compassion and love.

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I hadn't any worry I wouldn't come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn't think there was a cause more important than me.

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn't feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn't set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn't get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life.

I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn't in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down.

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I'd been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I'd been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn't know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me.

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.
I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you.
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