Posted on 07/22/2002 12:56:46 AM PDT by bradactor
Remarks Prepared For Delivery By RNC Chairman Marc Racicot Republican National Committee Summer Meeting General Session Remarks San Francisco, California July 19, 2002
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Republican National Committee, I am pleased to report to you today, as we proceed toward the Fall 2002 elections, that our President and our party are poised and prepared to engage our fellow citizens in a great cause that will profoundly and positively shape the future of our nation and the world. With a clear and immutable vision of the promise of America, President George W. Bush has pursued an agenda that positively impacts the lives of every American. Because of his leadership the people of this country have invested their confidence in him and in the Republican Party.
The President's unwavering commitment to securing our national, homeland and economic security has provided Republicans across this God-blessed land the foundation for success in the Fall. The President has given us a renewed understanding of our purpose and the nobility of our cause. Through his eyes we see the goodness of this nation and our responsibility to the world.
Upon receiving my assignment, the one charge President Bush made clear to me was to reach out to every community in America. Because they believe in the President's positive agenda, we are seeing new faces and new voices join our cause. Our grassroots efforts are taking root in every state in the nation and changing the face of our party, enlarging our possibilities for success. Look no further than our Team Leader program that has enlisted over 150,000 activists in cities and towns all across America. Every day they are delivering our message to neighbors, family members and community leaders. In California alone we have registered 200,000 new Hispanic citizens to vote.
People everywhere are expressing their support for the President and our Party. In the first half of this year we received more than 1 million contributions from more than 750,000 individual Americans and over 275,000 of these were from first time donors.
In one way or another, hundreds of thousands of Americans have volunteered to a cause greater than themselves.
I am inspired by the real opportunities for success that lie before us as we head into the home stretch for this year's elections. What are these opportunities? We believe that Republicans will retain a majority in the House of Representatives. Our redistricting efforts were highly successful, the Republican leadership has gone about the business of the country with competence and commitment, and the Republican House has been steady and strong. As a result, it appears that the Democrats face an uphill battle when it comes to taking control of the House.
In Governors races across the country we face many challenges. With 23 of 27 Republican seats up this year we have a lot of work to do. But, we have some unique opportunities to pick up seats where Republicans are not traditionally successful. Linda Lingle looks to have a successful campaign underway for Governor of Hawaii. John Sanchez is posing a serious threat to Bill Richardson in New Mexico. Bill Simon is in excellent standing here in California and we are looking at the potential for new successes in several states in the South, Midwest and Northeast.
The Senate is where many Americans have focused their attention. Not simply because control of the Senate hinges on one seat, but because those in control now have not shown the capacity to effectively and efficiently address the people's business. We have extraordinary candidates vying for those seats and we sincerely believe we can be successful in securing the opportunity to provide leadership in the United States Senate.
With these things said, please understand that our challenges are great and our best efforts will be required. Only Two times in the last 100 years has the party that holds the presidency not lost seats in the midterm elections. But, I believe in my heart that this year will be different. And, it will be different in no small measure because we have a different kind of President than we have ever had before.
There will be no coattails however. We don't believe in coattails and neither does the President. What we do believe is that the President's principled leadership and his compassionate conservative message provide our party with the opportunity to compete race-by-race all across the country. It is a generous moment in history and it is our duty to seize it.
The President has done something even more important than vindicating the imperatives and principles of the Republican Party. He has set a higher standard for leadership - one that is grounded in results, not rhetoric; in conviction, not convenience; in humility, not hubris. During his campaign for the Presidency, George W. Bush pledged to do all that he could to change the tone of public discourse in Washington and to work in good faith with others to find solutions to the problems that confront us all. The President has kept faith with that promise and the result has been substantial progress on important legislation.
The first example is tax reform. He worked to gain the support of many like-minded Democrats in the House and Senate to build a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who believed in the basic principle that taxpayers deserve to keep more of their money in their pockets. Did he get everything he wanted? No! But he worked with others to provide for historic tax relief and the necessary stimulus our economy required. It was the right thing to do for our economy and for families all across America.
The President made education a priority in his campaign and it has remained a priority during his time in office. His leadership brought together unusual partners, including Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy and Republican Congressman John Boehner, to pass the President's bold new education initiative. Although the Leave No Child Behind Education Act is an historic accomplishment, the President believes there is still more to be done and he intends to do it.
Earlier this year when our economy needed some extra help, the President worked with Congress to pass a stimulus bill to help those who were out of work and provide first aid to our recovering economy.
A review of the President's record and his proposals on health care, retirement security, trade promotion authority, corporate governance and a host of other urgent matters reveals evidence of a leader who lives by his word, a leader who seeks out every opportunity to work constructively with others to address the best interests of those he serves, a leader who is disciplined in his discourse and presumes the best of those he works with. It is a matter of regret that he does not always find constructive congressional partners in this effort. Some members of Congress have sadly and mistakenly focused their attention on the advancement of their own personal political interests instead of fulfilling their constitutional duties.
The most striking example of Democratic paralysis in he United States Senate is the failure of the Senate to pass a budget resolution. The law requires Congress to pass a budget resolution. The House acted earlier this year. Yet, for the first time since 1974, when the budget act was passed 28 years ago, the Senate has not passed a budget. Every American family understands the unavoidable necessity to live within a budget. A budget identifies priorities and determines how we set about to live within our means. But, apparently not in the Democrat controlled United States Senate in spite of what common sense and the law commands.
If it is good for American families, if the President and the House of Representatives can do it, surely the United States Senate should be able to comply with the law. In my debates with the chairman of the Democratic Party he continually, and I believe correctly, says that the fall elections will focus on "kitchen table" issues. But go to the kitchen table of any family in America and they will tell you that before they will talk about other issues, they have to see a budget. Steadily over the last few weeks Democrats in Congress and their surrogates have carelessly relied upon harsh rhetoric to serve their cause. By doing so, they do little to serve the best interests of the nation. The House has passed a plethora of bills that address the critical needs of our fellow citizens, including provisions dealing with, among other issues: Prescription drugs Permanent tax relief Permanent marriage penalty relief Welfare Reform Pension reform A budget resolution; and Military appropriations. And yet, where do we find this legislation now? Languishing, lying dormant at the doorstep of the United States Senate, now operating under Democratic control. As recently as this week Democrats have made their intentions clear. Two days ago they reported it would take at least two months to reach a compromise on corporate governance legislation. Just yesterday Congressman Gephardt told senior Democrats that the party could pick up as many as 40 seats if the continuously unfolding corporate scandals can be kept on the political radar screen until November.
It seems to me that Democrats are so eager to win that they aren't really interested in helping the economy grow by making the tax cut permanent, controlling spending, expanding trade with TPA, passing the energy bill, providing terrorism insurance or quickly coming to agreement on a sensible corporate governance bill because they feel the only way they can win is if the economy is disrupted. Shame on them.
Those who are elected to Congress have two distinct responsibilities to the American people. One is a constitutional responsibility to serve those who elected them by giving good faith consideration to a legislative agenda that reflects the priorities of the American people. The other is to engage in political activities at appropriate times to gauge the competency and capacity of those people we choose to serve us. It is important to understand that these are distinctly separate and compelling responsibilities, and appropriate a different times. And this is precisely what this election cycle is all about. It is not about just winning and losing. It is about determining the quality and character of leadership that our fellow citizens rely upon to get their business done.
The President has made clear his desire to approve legislation that will provide a prescription drug benefit, provide trade promotion authority, implement an energy security plan for America, provide pension security, reform accounting procedures, end discrimination against faith-based solutions for those in need, and create a patients' bill of rights.
The American people do not expect unanimity on every issue, but for God's sake, they do expect an honest, good faith effort to make progress on their behalf. The President, when he accepted his party's nomination, pointed out that "they have had their chance, they have not led, we will." It is our responsibility to make sure that happens.
READ: "Were going to blow any opportunity to attack Democrap lies and once again become their bitch in the House and the Senate by giving them control!"
Time to really start thinking about cloning Lee Atwater!
It was the speech of a compromising, spineless coward. Are you paid by the RNC to defend the Empire?
How much are you paid to attack the administration?
I will answer your question after you have answered mine. Don't change the subject, please.
You know, you sound just like Carville, who is always muttering that Clinton critics had book deals or something financial to gain. I guess you can't conceive that people would LIKE President Bush and Marc Racicot.
Well, as I said, you are welcome to your opinion. I have mine, and belligerent name calling isn't going to change my opinion.
Have a nice day.
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