Posted on 09/30/2004 8:40:03 PM PDT by swilhelm73
REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT FOLLOWING A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WATCHING PARTY
Denver Marriott City Center Denver, Colorado
7:57 P.M. MDT
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good evening.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you. (Applause.) Well, we're delighted you were here tonight. I thought the President did a great job. (Applause.) I was fascinated to watch on the one hand John Kerry saying that he's committed to winning the war on terror, and to winning in Iraq, and then he turns around and is unrelentingly negative about the proposition, the decision.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Useless.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Useless was your comment. (Laughter.) But I thought it's -- the President made several very good points, especially saying how can you expect to get support from our allies when you consistently trash our allies' efforts? (Applause.)
And the real bottom-line decision in terms of what this election is all about is who is going to be Commander-in-Chief, who do we want to have in the Oval Office making those life decisions -- life-and-death decisions for the United States, for our people, and the man who makes the decisions about when we're going to send troops in harm's way. And I don't think you can look at that debate tonight and conclude anything other than on the one case we've got in George Bush a man who has done it, who has been there, done it four different -- for four different years now, and done a superb job, made the right decisions for America; is absolutely committed to taking offensive action whenever it's necessary in order to defend the United States of America, and the wanna-be Senator who says -- (laughter) -- says that in response to the question on preemptive action, he would support it as long as it passed some kind of global test.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What George Bush has made clear repeatedly is that we're perfectly prepared to seek international support for international efforts. We've got a great alliance -- we've got 30 countries fighting alongside of us in Iraq. And we're prepared to work to lead a coalition, but we will never submit to the objections of a few. We will never seek a permission slip to defend the United States of America. (Applause.)
So I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. I've got to go do some interviews. And of course, I would invite all of you to watch next Tuesday when we'll do it all over again from Cleveland. (Applause.) John Edwards and myself -- I'm very, very proud to have had the privilege of serving alongside this President. And I'm delighted that the American people are going to give him four more years to lead this nation. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
Expect to hear more of this...
It'll be the takeaway on the blogosphere. Ask Dan Rather what that means :)
It's important to note that there's two reactions to debates. There's the initial reaction, which we're seeing tonight, slight edge to Kerry, but nothing to really change the dynamics of the race.
Then there's the more important second reaction, the one over the next 72 hours, based on a more in-depth look at statements and behavior. Mrs. Greenspan, on PMSNBC, was trying to make a big deal out of Bush's supposed reactions to Kerry's statements, but that dog won't hunt, not four years after the sigh-fest.
The real reaction is going to be based on certain statements by John Kerry, particularly the "global test" comment and the pledge to stop developing bunker busters and missile defense.
Oh, and most egregious of all, his proposal to give the mullahs nuclear fuel. That's right out of the Albright/Carter/Clinton playbook for North Korea and look what that got us.
I found one...but it is from a prohibted source...oh well.
He said it.
"Give Iran nuclear fuel."
Stunning.
Cheney is great. I can't wait until he takes on Edwards.
KERRY: With respect to Iran, the British, French, and Germans were the ones who initiated an effort without the United States, regrettably, to begin to try to move to curb the nuclear possibilities in Iran. I believe we could have done better.I think the United States should have offered the opportunity to provide the nuclear fuel, test them, see whether or not they were actually looking for it for peaceful purposes. If they weren't willing to work a deal, then we could have put sanctions together. The president did nothing.
Unveiling new tag line tonight....
Kerry sounded like he was running for UN Secretary General=not President of the United States.
I thought it was funny that Kerry said that we protected the oil industry but did not protect the nuclear sites. My question is, what nuclear sites was he refering to
The primary role of the government is to defend this Country. John Kerry can not rightfully defend this nation if he is going to ask permission of other nations.... That's the wrong position in the wrong time in the wrong place. Let's vote this a$$ back to Taxachussets.
Kerry states that the US has a right to act unilaterally, except where Iraq is concerned....but, he'll seek the blessing of the global community to do so.
Such mangled logic is irrational. It's amazing that Kerry can sit, considering all the splinters in his rump from sitting on every fence erected by political and world reality.
And of course your "Global Test" paperwork has to be prepared on Windows '72 and vetted by CBS. :-)
The ads are being cut right now on that one and this debate will be remembered not for all of kerry's debate points but for that statement.
Transcripts of open source feed have no copyright protections. You can post the link, at least.
NOPE.
Kerry said it.
You'll see for yourself when the transcript is posted.
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