Senator Mitch McConnell Weekly Republican Address 01/02/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Senator Mitch McConnell Weekly Republican Address 01/02/09 VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

This is Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The new year always brings with it renewed hope and a spirit of optimism — qualities that have exemplified our nation and its people from the very start. One such moment that stands out took place on this very day in 1777, along the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. The Continental Army, under the direction of George Washington, had just finished a daring but successful surprise attack on the British at Trenton.

In retaliation, the British launched an attack of its own on the Continental Army.

But instead of retreating, Washington ordered his troops to stay and fight. It was a daring move.

When the soldiers in the Continental Army saw the size and strength of the enemy arrayed against it, many of them were filled with dread.

But, as one historian put it, even in that awful moment … “these men had a sense of their own strength, a confidence in one another ... and a feeling that Providence was with them that night.”

Against impossible odds, these rag-tag patriots broke the enemy column, forcing the British to retreat. And at the moment of victory, the entire continental line is said to have triumphantly shouted as one.

The second battle of Trenton was a great victory for Washington’s troops. And it was a great moral victory for a young nation that had become exhausted and discouraged by war.

Two hundred and thirty three years later, Americans haven’t lost the spirit of....

...Trenton. Two long and difficult wars, a prolonged recession, double-digit unemployment — these are difficult days for our nation.

And in this new year, we’re grateful for the courageous men and women of our own day who keep a lonely watch to defend the cause of liberty. We’re also painfully aware of how many Americans were out of work this Christmas.

But these challenges don’t define us as a people. What’s always defined America is its ability to overcome even the most daunting difficulties.

So in this new year we can be filled with new hope and optimism that our greatest challenges will be met, that better days are ahead … and that in these difficult times, we will persevere as we always have — not just for our own individual good, but for the good of all our countrymen, because we believe that for those to whom much is given, much is expected.

Some look at Washington and wonder how lawmakers who always seem to disagree can ever solve any of our problems. And while it’s true that many of us approach the issues differently, at the beginning of a new year, it’s important to remember that we’re all united by our love of country, and by a common faith that no challenge is too great for the American people to overcome.

Political disagreements will continue in the year ahead. This is an essential part of any vibrant democracy. But Americans expect and deserve their elected leaders to put country first, and work together to solve our common problems.

Powerful forces may be aligned against us, just as they did against the Continental Army on that cold January night in 1777. But when the challenges are greatest, Americans always join ranks. It was true in Trenton. It’s no less true today.

Thank you, and Happy New Year. ###