Posted on 07/27/2004 2:51:51 PM PDT by Helms
Text of Bill Clinton's speech
Posted July 27, 2004, 12:06 AM EDT
The following is a transcript of a speech by William J. Clinton at the Democratic National Convention:
Thank you. I am honored to share the podium with my Senator, though I think I should be introducing her. I'm proud of her and so grateful to the people of New York that the best public servant in our family is still on the job and grateful to all of you, especially my friends from Arkansas, for the chance you gave us to serve our country in the White House.
I am also honored to share this night with President Carter, who has inspired the world with his work for peace, democracy, and human rights. And with Al Gore, my friend and partner for eight years, who played such a large role in building the prosperity and progress that brought America into the 21st century, who showed incredible grace and patriotism under pressure, and who is the living embodiment that every vote counts -- and must be counted in every state in America.
Tonight I speak as a citizen, returning to the role I have played for most of my life as a foot soldier in the fight for our future, as we nominate a true New England patriot for president. The state that gave us John Adams and John Kennedy has now given us John Kerry, a good man, a great senator, a visionary leader. We are constantly told America is deeply divided. But all Americans value freedom, faith, and family. We all honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.
We all want good jobs, good schools, health care, safe streets, a clean environment. We all want our children to grow up in a secure America leading the world toward a peaceful future. Our differences are in how we can best achieve these things, in a time of unprecedented change. Therefore, we Democrats will bring the American people a positive campaign, arguing not who's good and who's bad, but what is the best way to build the safe, prosperous world our children deserve.
The 21st century is marked by serious security threats, serious economic challenges, and serious problems like global warming and the AIDS epidemic. But it is also full of enormous opportunities-to create millions of high paying jobs in clean energy, and biotechnology; to restore the manufacturing base and reap the benefits of the global economy through our diversity and our commitment to decent labor and environmental standards everywhere; and to create a world where we can celebrate our religious and racial differences, because our common humanity matters more.
To build that kind of world we must make the right choices; and we must have a president who will lead the way. Democrats and Republicans have very different and honestly held ideas on that choices we should make, rooted in fundamentally different views of how we should meet our common challenges at home and how we should play our role in the world. Democrats want to build an America of shared responsibilities and shared opportunities and more global cooperation, acting alone only when we must.
We think the role of government is to give people the tools and conditions to make the most of their lives. Republicans believe in an America run by the right people, their people, in a world in which we act unilaterally when we can, and cooperate when we have to.
They think the role of government is to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of those who embrace their political, economic, and social views, leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves on matters like health care and retirement security. Since most Americans are not that far to the right, they have to portray us Democrats as unacceptable, lacking in strength and values. In other words, they need a divided America. But Americans long to be united. After 9/11, we all wanted to be one nation, strong in the fight against terror. The president had a great opportunity to bring us together under his slogan of compassionate conservatism and to unite the world in common cause against terror.
Instead, he and his congressional allies made a very different choice: to use the moment of unity to push America too far to the right and to walk away from our allies, not only in attacking Iraq before the weapons inspectors finished their jobs, but in withdrawing American support for the Climate Change Treaty, the International Court for war criminals, the ABM treaty, and even the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Now they are working to develop two new nuclear weapons which they say we might use first. At home, the President and the Republican Congress have made equally fateful choices indeed. For the first time ever when America was on a war footing, there were two huge tax cuts, nearly half of which went to the top one percent. I'm in that group now for the first time in my life.
When I was in office, the Republicans were pretty mean to me. When I left and made money, I became part of the most important group in the world to them. At first I thought I should send them a thank you note -- until I realized they were sending you the bill.
They protected my tax cuts while:
-- Withholding promised funding for the Leave No Child Behind Act, leaving
over 2 million children behind
-- Cutting 140,000 unemployed workers out of job training
-- 100,000 working families out of child care assistance
-- 300,000 poor children out of after school programs
-- Raising out of pocket healthcare costs to veterans
-- Weakening or reversing important environmental advances for clean air
and the preservation of our forests.
Everyone had to sacrifice except the wealthiest Americans, who wanted to do their part but were asked only to expend the energy necessary to open the envelopes containing our tax cuts. If you agree with these choices, you should vote to return them to the White House and Congress. If not, take a look at John Kerry, John Edwards and the Democrats.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
The definition of a sociopath.
The above paragraph is not entirely correct. More than once, Clinton said to a particular issue, "John Kerry would say send me." He said it so many times, it sounded as if Clinton was referring to himself - SEND ME!
Well, Bubba, we tried to send you and you didn't want to go.
In 1992, Bill Clinton, a draft-dodging coward, ran against George Herbert Walker Bush, a decorated WW II fighter pilot.
In 1996, Bill Clinton, a draft-dodging coward, ran against Bob Dole, a wounded WW II war hero.
In 2004, George W. Bush, who served his country via the National Guard, and learned to fly fighter planes, is running against John Kerry, a decorated Viet Nam veteran.
In the two Clinton elections, the press studiously avoided any comparisons of the candidates' war records. In fact, these records were dismissed as "irrelevant." Suddenly, in this election, the fact that Kerry won some (dubious) Purple Hearts has suddenly made him the most qualified man to prosecute the war on terror. This despite his joining forces with Jane Fonda, et al, in his post-Viet Nam peacenik days, accusing virtually all of our troops of war crimes. This despite his renunciation and tossing away of his medals or ribbons or whatever the hated United States Government awarded him. The spin is making me dizzy.
draft dogder, just like Cassius who threw out the 1st pitch in the 04 mlb all star game, some american
Indeed! and we ain't exaggerating
No, actually he said, "uhhhhh....It's like this. I'd like to go to a culinary school in France. May be I excused from the draft?"
His local draft board laughed in his face and THEN John Kerry joined the Navy.
Furthermore, Bubba can denigrate the service of those who served in the Air National Guard during Vietnam if he wants but I prefer to honor those who served in whatever military capacity.
Thank you National Guardsmen for your service to your country.
This speech is not verbatim is it?? I heard Clinton this morning on FoxNews replay, and he specifically said "American was divided and should be divided", which really is sad. He almost sounded like he wanted a civil war to fight.
My Bible says "a house (country, etc) divided against itself cannot stand."
It is just another documentation fo his psychopathology.
It is just another documentation fo his psychopathology.
Good job for Bill: collect the tax refunds from "the wealthiest Americans, who wanted to do their part" and send em to the government, instead of taking them at the point of a gun.
Ping. Did you happen to see that Hillarys Face was weird? The cheeks came to mind. Damned but they are scary.
Their opponents will tell you to be afraid of John Kerry and John Edwards, because they won't stand up to the terrorists -- don't you believe it. Strength and wisdom are not conflicting values -- they go hand in hand.If I want to learn about wisdom I'll listen to someone who might possibly have some. Pee Wee Herman, perhaps . . .
Well, it is excerpted. You want the whole speech, ya gotta follow the link. My #15 is a quote from the full text found at the link; I had seen a clip of a sound bite. Imagine x42 insinuating that someone should learn wisdom from who thinks with the part of the anatomy he does!I searched that text for "divided" and there are many instances of it.
This is a classic Liberal belief. "You" are not smart enough to take care of yourself. A government program is needed for everything, and everyone.
I believe in personal responsibility. I believe I can do better than social security if I had control of my money. Bill, thanks, but I want to fend for myself!
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