Bush radio address 02/16/08 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 02/16/08 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address In Focus: Defense

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THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. At the stroke of midnight tonight, a vital intelligence law that is helping protect our nation will expire. Congress had the power to prevent this from happening, but chose not to.

The Senate passed a good bill that would have given our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep us safe. But leaders in the House of Representatives blocked a House vote on the Senate bill, and then left on a 10-day recess.

Some congressional leaders claim that this will not affect our security. They are wrong. Because Congress failed to act, it will be harder for our government to keep you safe from terrorist attack. At midnight, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence will be stripped of their power to authorize new surveillance against terrorist threats abroad. This means that as terrorists change their tactics to avoid our surveillance, we may not have the tools we need to continue tracking them -- and we may lose a vital lead that could prevent an attack on America.

In addition, Congress has put intelligence activities at risk even when the terrorists don't change tactics. By failing to act, Congress has created a question about whether private sector companies who assist in our efforts to defend you from the terrorists could be sued for doing the right thing. Now, these companies will be increasingly reluctant to provide this vital cooperation, because of their uncertainty about the law and fear of being sued by class-action trial lawyers.

For six months, I urged Congress to take action to ensure this dangerous situation did not come to pass. I even signed a two-week extension of the existing law, because members of Congress said they would use that time to work out their differences. The Senate used this time productively -- and passed a good bill with a strong, bipartisan super-majority of 68 votes. Republicans and Democrats came together on legislation to ensure that we could effectively monitor those seeking to harm our people. And they voted to provide fair and just liability protection for companies that assisted in efforts to protect America after the attacks of 9/11.

The Senate sent this bill to the House for its approval. It was clear that if given a vote, the bill would have passed the House with a bipartisan majority. I made every effort to work with the House to secure passage of this law. I even offered to delay my trip to Africa if we could come together and enact a good bill. But House leaders refused to let the bill come to a vote. Instead, the House held partisan votes that do nothing to keep our country safer. House leaders chose politics over protecting the country -- and our country is at greater risk as a result.

House leaders have no excuse for this failure. They knew all along that this deadline was approaching, because they set it themselves. My administration will take every step within our power to minimize the damage caused by the House's irresponsible behavior. Yet it is still urgent that Congress act. The Senate has shown the way by approving a good, bipartisan bill. The House must pass that bill as soon as they return to Washington from their latest recess.

At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning a new attack on America. And Congress has no higher responsibility than ensuring we have the tools to stop them.

Thank you for listening.

END For Immediate Release, February 16, 2008

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House radio address or House of Representatives and National Intelligence

Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 02/16/08

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 2/16/08 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del podnova y recibir la dirección de radio presidencial semanal en inglés y español con informes selectos del departamento del estado. Ofreciendo transcripciones audio y con texto completo verdaderas, más fuentes contentas agregaron a menudo así que la estancia templó.

Buenos Días.

Esta noche, al toque de la medianoche, vencerá una ley vital sobre la inteligencia, la cual nos está ayudando a proteger a nuestra Nación. El Congreso tenía el poder para evitar que esto sucediera, pero eligió no hacerlo. El Senado aprobó un buen proyecto de ley que hubiera dado a nuestros profesionales de inteligencia las herramientas que necesitan para mantenernos a salvo. Pero líderes en la Cámara de Representantes bloquearon un voto de la Cámara sobre el proyecto de ley del Senado. y luego se fueron por un receso de 10 días. Algunos líderes del Congreso alegan que esto no afectará nuestra seguridad. Están equivocados.

En vista de la falta de acción del Congreso, será más difícil para que nuestro gobierno los proteja a ustedes contra un ataque terrorista. A la medianoche, el Procurador General y el Director de Inteligencia Nacional perderán su poder para autorizar nueva vigilancia contra amenazas terroristas en el extranjero. Esto significa que a medida que los terroristas cambien sus tácticas para evitar nuestra vigilancia, nosotros quizás no tengamos las herramientas necesarias para seguir rastreándolos - y podremos perder una pista vital que podría evitar un ataque contra Estados Unidos.

Además el Congreso ha puesto en riesgo las actividades de inteligencia aún cuando los terroristas no cambien de táctica. Al no tomar acción, el Congreso ha creado un interrogante sobre si las compañías del sector privado que ayudan en nuestros esfuerzos para defenderlos a ustedes contra los terroristas pueden ser demandas por hacer lo correcto. Ahora, estas compañías serán cada vez más reacias a ofrecer esta cooperación vital debido a su incertidumbre en cuanto a la ley y por temor a ser objeto de demandas por parte de abogados de acción colectiva.

Durante seis meses insté al Congreso que tomara acción para asegurar que esta situación peligrosa no surgiera. Hasta firmé una extensión de dos semanas de la ley en vigor ya que miembros del Congreso dijeron que usarían ese tiempo para resolver sus diferencias.

El Senado hizo uso productivo de este tiempo y aprobó un buen proyecto de ley con una super-mayoría bipartita de 68 votos. Los Republicanos y los Demócratas se juntaron sobre una legislación para asegurar que pudiéramos efectivamente monitorear a aquellos que buscaban perjudicar a nuestro pueblo. Y votaron por proporcionar protección equitativa y justa contra responsabilidad a compañías que ayudaron en los esfuerzos por proteger a Estados Unidos después de los ataques del 11 de Septiembre.

El Senado envió este proyecto de ley a la Cámara de Representantes para su aprobación. Era claro que si se llevaba a voto, el proyecto de ley hubiera sido aprobado por la Cámara con una mayoría bipartita. Yo hice todo lo posible para trabajar con la Cámara para asegurar aprobación de esta ley. Hasta ofrecí demorar mi viaje al África si podíamos ponernos de acuerdo para sancionar un buen proyecto de ley. Pero los líderes de la Cámara se negaron a dejar que el proyecto de ley fuera llevado a voto. En su lugar, la Cámara realizó votos partidarios que no hacen nada por mantener más seguro a nuestro país. Los líderes de la Cámara eligieron la política por encima de proteger al país y como resultado nuestro país corre un mayor riesgo.

Los líderes de la Cámara no tienen excusa por este fracaso. Sabían muy bien que este plazo se acercaba pues ellos mismos lo fijaron. Mi Administración hará todo lo posible dentro de nuestro poder para minimizar el daño causado por el comportamiento irresponsable de la Cámara. Sin embargo todavía urge que el Congreso tome acción. El Senado ha mostrado el camino al aprobar un buen proyecto de ley bipartito. La Cámara debe aprobar el proyecto de ley en seguida que regrese a Washington de su último receso.

En este momento, en algún lugar del mundo, hay terroristas planeando un nuevo ataque contra Estados Unidos Y el Congreso no tiene responsabilidad más importante que la de asegurar que nosotros tengamos las herramientas para detenerlos.

Gracias por escuchar.

Para su publicación inmediata Oficina del Secretario de Prensa 16 de febrero de 2008

Etiquetas De Technorati: Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación, y Presidente Bush

Mitt Romney Endorses John McCain VIDEO

Governor Mitt Romney Endorses John McCain For President ARLINGTON, VA -- At a press conference in Boston today, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney endorsed John McCain for president. In addition, Governor Romney pledged all 289 of his delegates to John McCain,

putting McCain over the required 1,191 delegates necessary to secure the Republican nomination. See delegate count

Governor Romney issued the following statement on his endorsement:

"Thank you all very much. And thank you all for joining us on such short notice.

"This isn't my first joint appearance with Senator John McCain, but it promises to be one of our more pleasant exchanges.

"I am honored today to give my full support to Senator McCain's candidacy for President of the United States. Today I am asking my delegates to vote for Senator McCain.

"As you all saw over the past year, things can get rough in a political campaign. And in the thick of the fight it's easy to lose sight of your opponent's finer qualities. But in the case of Senator John McCain, I could never quite do that. Even when the contest was close and our disagreements were debated, the caliber of the man was apparent.

"This is a man capable of leading our country at a dangerous hour. Senator McCain understands the war we are in -- the necessity of victory and the consequences of surrender. For him, national security isn't just another item on the agenda. It is the abiding concern and responsibility of our nation.

"This is a man who tied his political fortunes to the fortunes of his country in a time of war. Such courage is not always rewarded in politics, but it was this time -- and that is a credit to both the man and to the party he will lead in the election of 2008.

"This is a man who has served and suffered for his country. John McCain's greatest test was long ago. But the loyalty, and love of country, and strength of heart that saw him through are still the qualities that define him. With their rhetoric, our Democratic opponents are very skilled at striking heroic poses. But with our Republican nominee, we're going to offer America the real thing.

"I am pleased to introduce a real America hero, the next president of the United States, Senator John McCain."

John McCain made the following remarks thanking Governor Romney for his endorsement:

"I thank Governor Romney for his endorsement. More than that, I thank him for the hard, intensive, fine, honorable campaign that he ran for the nomination of our Party. And I think it is also extremely important to me that not only do I have his endorsement, but that we join together now and travel this country not only on behalf of my candidacy, but on behalf of our Republican candidates for the House, the Senate, for Governor and all of the other races that we are committed to and are so important to the future of this country.

"I'm grateful for the fact that Governor Romney has served the state of Massachusetts. I'm grateful that he ran a hard, tough, and frankly a campaign that helped me become a better candidate not only in the primary, but also in the general election.

"Governor Romney will help me draw the stark differences that exist between myself and the things that he and I stand for and believe in and the Democratic candidates. Whether we have higher taxes, as the Democrats will want to impose, or lower taxes. Whether there will be a government-run health care system in America, or whether families will make choices on health care. Whether we will retreat and declare withdrawal from Iraq, or whether we will continue this surge and now the political process that's moving forward there. There will be stark differences.

"I look forward to campaigning with Governor Romney and I look forward to his continued, very important role of leadership in our Party that he has exercised in the past and will exercise even more so in the future. Governor Romney, I thank you. We all know it was a hard campaign -- primaries are tough. We know it was a hard campaign. And now we move forward together for the good of our Party and the nation and I am very honored to have Governor Romney and the members of his team at my side -- that's a vital ingredient for victory in November."

Tags: Mitt Romney and John McCain or delegate count and Mitt Romney Endorses John McCain

Navy to Shoot Down Malfunctioning Satellite VIDEO

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2008 – The Navy will shoot down a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite sometime after Feb. 20, government officials said during a Pentagon news conference today.

Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, assistant to the President and deputy national security advisor, said President Bush decided to bring down the satellite because of the likelihood that the satellite could release hydrazine, a toxic chemical used as a maneuvering fuel.

“The likelihood of the satellite falling in a populated area is small, and the extent and duration of toxic hydrazine in the atmosphere would be limited,” Jeffrey said. “Nevertheless, if the satellite did fall in a populated area, there was the possibility of death or injury to human beings beyond that associated with the fall of satellites and other space debris.”

The window for shooting down the satellite opens in the next three or four days and remains open for as many as seven or eight days, said Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said the study group looked carefully at increased risks to the shuttle and International Space Station and decided they are negligible. “We are very comfortable that this is a decision made carefully, objectively and safely,” Griffin said.

Still, the Navy will not fire until after the shuttle Atlantis mission ends Feb. 20.

In late January, the U.S. government notified other nations that the satellite was unresponsive and would make an uncontrolled reentry in late February or early March.

The Navy has modified three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite, Cartwright said. The Navy wants to intercept the satellite at a point just above the atmosphere so there would be a high likelihood of bringing it down in an unpopulated area. An intercept also would rupture the hydrazine tank. The vice chairman would not say exactly where the ships would fire from, only saying it will be from the northern hemisphere and the Pacific Ocean.

Intercepting the satellite at about 130 nautical miles altitude will reduce the risk of debris in space. Once the satellite is hit, officials hope 50 percent of the debris will come to Earth in the first two orbits and the rest shortly thereafter, Cartwright said.

The satellite belongs to the National Reconnaissance Office and was launched Dec. 14, 2006. It weighs roughly 5,000 pounds, and computer models show that roughly 2,800 pounds would survive reentry. “What is different here is the hydrazine,” Cartwright said. “In this case, we have some historical background that we can work against for the tank that contains the hydrazine. We had a similar one on Columbia that survived reentry. We have a pretty reasonable understanding that, if the tank is left intact, it would survive the reentry.”

The tank is circular with a radius of 20 inches. It holds about 1,000 pounds of the fuel.

While details of the satellite are classified -- DoD officials will not release who built it or how much it costs -- that had no bearing on the decision to shoot it down, Cartwright said. The temperatures from reentry would burn up any classified system on the satellite, he said.

Hydrazine is similar to chlorine or ammonia in that it affects lung tissue. People inhaling it would feel a burning sensation. “If you stay close to it and inhale a lot of it, it could be deadly,” Cartwright said.

If the military did not shoot down the satellite, the hydrazine would disperse over an area roughly the size of two football fields, the general said. Those who breathed it would need medical attention.

“As we reviewed the data, if we fire at the satellite, the worst that could happen is that we miss,” Cartwright said. “Then we have a known situation, which is where we are today.”

Grazing the satellite would probably still bring it down quicker and more predictably, he said. “If we hit the hydrazine tank, then we’ve improved the potential to mitigate that threat,” he said. “The regret factor of not acting clearly outweighed the regret factor of acting.”

Biographies:

• Gen. James E. Cartwright, USMC
• James F. Jeffrey
• Michael Griffin

Tags: James F. Jeffrey and Michael Griffin or Gen. James E. Cartwright and Navy to Shoot Down Malfunctioning Satellite

President Discusses Protect America Act VIDEO

With Michael McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, looking on, President George W. Bush delivers a statement on the Protect America Act Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008, in the Oval Office of the White House. Said the President, "It is time for Congress to ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. It is time for Congress to pass a law that provides a long-term foundation to protect our country. And they must do so immediately." White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

President Bush Discusses Protect America Act FULL STREAMING VIDEO Oval Office Fact Sheet: The House Must Act Quickly to Pass Bipartisan Senate FISA Modernization Bill 9:01 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Director, thank you for joining me. Good morning. At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning new attacks on our country. Their goal is to bring destruction to our shores that will make September the 11th pale by comparison. To carry out their plans, they must communicate with each other, they must recruit operatives, and they must share information.

The lives of countless Americans depend on our ability to monitor these communications. Our intelligence professionals must be able to find out who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they're planning.

To help our intelligence agencies do this, Congress passed the Protect America Act last year. Unfortunately, Congress set the law to expire on February 1st -- and then failed to pass new legislation that would keep these tools in effect over the long run. And so at the 11th hour, Congress passed a temporary 15-day extension of the current law which will expire at midnight this Saturday. I signed that extension. I did so to give members of the House and Senate more time to work out their differences.

Well, the Senate has used this time wisely. I am pleased that last night, Senators approved new legislation that will ensure our intelligence professionals have the tools they need to make us safer -- and they did so by a wide, bipartisan majority. The Senate bill also provides fair and just liability protections for companies that did the right thing and assisted in defending America after the attacks of September the 11th.

In order to be able to discover enemy -- the enemy's plans, we need the cooperation of telecommunication companies. If these companies are subjected to lawsuits that could cost them billions of dollars, they won't participate; they won't help us; they won't help protect America. Liability protection is critical to securing the private sector's cooperation with our intelligence efforts. The Senate has passed a good bill, and has shown that protecting our nation is not a partisan issue. And I congratulate the senators.

Unfortunately, the House has failed to pass a good bill. And now House leaders say they want still more time to reach agreement with the Senate on a final bill. They make this claim even though it is clear that the Senate bill, the bill passed last night, has significant bipartisan support in the House.

Congress has had over six months to discuss and deliberate. The time for debate is over. I will not accept any temporary extension. House members have had plenty of time to pass a good bill. They have already been given a two-week extension beyond the deadline they set for themselves. If Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can come together on a good piece of legislation, there is no reason why Republicans and Democrats in the House cannot pass the Senate bill immediately.

The House's failure to pass the bipartisan Senate bill would jeopardize the security of our citizens. As Director McConnell has told me, without this law, our ability to prevent new attacks will be weakened. And it will become harder for us to uncover terrorist plots. We must not allow this to happen. It is time for Congress to ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. It is time for Congress to pass a law that provides a long-term foundation to protect our country. And they must do so immediately.

Thank you very much.

END 9:05 A.M. EST For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary February 13, 2008

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President Bush Celebrates African American History Month VIDEO PODCAST

President George W. Bush joins the Temptations on stage in the East Room of the White House Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, after they performed during the celebration of African American History Month. White House photo by Eric Draper

President Bush Celebrates African American History Month FULL STREAMING VIDEO East Room 3:00 P.M. EST. PODCAST OF THIS ARTICLE running time 35:28 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House. Laura and I are honored that you all came, as we celebrate African American History Month. This is a month in which we recognize the many African Americans who've made great contributions to our country. We honor the talent and their courage. We renew our commitment to securing liberty and justice for every American. That's why we're here.

I appreciate many of the notables who have joined us: Madam Secretary, appreciate you coming. (Applause.) Mr. Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Marcia. Thanks for coming, Mr. Secretary. Proud you're here. (Applause.)

If I skip some of the notables, it's because I'm going to say something about them a little later on. (Laughter.) So, Congressman, I'll be with you in a minute. (Laughter.)

I appreciate Dr. Leonard Haynes, who's the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I am proud -- Doc, thanks for coming. I'm proud to welcome all the presidents from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities here today; really appreciate your service to the country.

I want to thank Ron Langston, National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency. Roslyn Brock, Vice Chairman of the NAACP -- Roslyn, thank you for coming. Somewhere -- there you are. I thank John Fleming, President, Association of the Study of African American Life and History. Reverend Al Sharpton, and his wife Dominique -- Reverend, it's good to see you.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Daughter.

THE PRESIDENT: Daughter. (Laughter.) Daughter. (Laughter.) I don't get them right all the time. (Laughter.) But thank you for coming. And, Dominique, you're sure a lot prettier than your father. (Laughter.)

Thurgood Marshall, Jr., we're proud you're here. Thanks for coming. Good to see you, sir. State Representative Calvin Smyre, of the state of Georgia, who is the President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Sure proud you're here.

Thank you all for coming. There's a lot of other notables here. Just consider yourself welcomed. (Laughter.)

The theme of this year's African American History Month is a celebration of America's cultural diversity. It is a tribute to a scholar who deepened our appreciation for diversity: Carter G. Woodson. When Dr. Woodson began his career in the early 20th century, most Americans knew little about African American heritage. Dr. Woodson set out to correct that. His scholarship helped pioneer the field of African American studies. And by the time he passed away in 1950, this son of freed slaves had become known as the Father of Black History.

It is important for all our citizens to know the history of the African American struggle for equality. We must remember that the slave trade brought many Africans to America in chains, not by choice. We must remember how slaves claimed their God-given right to freedom. And we must remember how freed slaves and their descendants helped rededicate America to the ideals of its founding.

Our nation has come a long way toward building a more perfect union. Yet as past injustices have become distant memories, there's a risk that our society may lose sight of the real suffering that took place. One symbol of that suffering is the noose. Recently, there have been a number of media reports about nooses being displayed. These disturbing reports have resulted in heightened racial tensions in many communities. They have revealed that some Americans do not understand why the sight of a noose causes such a visceral reaction among so many people.

For decades, the noose played a central part in a campaign of violence and fear against African Americans. Fathers were dragged from their homes in the dark of the night before the eyes of their terrified children. Summary executions were held by torchlight in front of hateful crowds. In many cases, law enforcement officers responsible for protecting the victims were complicit in their deeds [sic] and their deaths. For generations of African Americans, the noose was more than a tool of murder; it was a tool of intimidation that conveyed a sense of powerlessness to millions.

The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history. The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice. Displaying one is not a harmless prank. And lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest. As a civil society, we must understand that noose displays and lynching jokes are deeply offensive. They are wrong. And they have no place in America today. (Applause.)

This afternoon we honor four Americans who understand what this symbol represents, and who are leading the way toward ending racial injustice across our land.

Congressman John Lewis earned his place in history long before winning a seat in the United States Capitol. As a young man, he became one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. He organized freedom rides and sit-ins and voter registration drives. One Sunday in 1965, he set out to lead a march from Selma to Montgomery. The marchers never made it past the rows of state troopers outside Selma. But their message made it all the way to Washington, D.C. Five months later, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act. And more than 40 years later, John Lewis continues to inspire us -- and we're blessed to have him here today. (Applause.)

William Coleman has lived a life of many firsts. After graduating first in his class from Harvard Law School, he went on to become both the first Black American to clerk on the Supreme Court, and the first to hold a Cabinet post in a Republican administration, as Secretary of Transportation under President Gerald Ford. William Coleman has also helped open doors of opportunity for others. He worked alongside Thurgood Marshall, father of this good man, on the legal team that triumphed in Brown versus Board of Education. This ruling exposed the fallacy of "separate but equal" -- and it helped return America to the great truth that "all men are created equal." For this, we owe William Coleman our lasting thanks. We're honored to have you today, sir. (Applause.)

Three years after Brown versus Board of Education, nine students in Little Rock stepped forward to test the Supreme Court's ruling. On September 25, 1957, federal troops escorted them into the city's all-white Central High School. Once inside, the Little Rock Nine were spit on, harassed, and called names. One of the students was a senior named Ernest Green. As graduation day approached, some suggested it might be safer for Ernest to receive his diploma in the mail. Many people would have taken this advice -- not Ernest Green. In May of 1958, Martin Luther King, Jr. was on hand to watch Ernest become the first African American to graduate from Little Rock's Central High School. We're honored to welcome Ernest Green to the White House during the 50th anniversary -- (applause.)

And finally, as a young boy, Otis Williams remembers his mother packing food for their move from Texas -- oh, what a tragic mistake -- (laughter) -- to Detroit. She did so because restaurants along the route refused to serve African Americans. In Detroit, Otis Williams grew up to become the leader of one of the most successful vocal groups in the history of our country: the Temptations. This group has recorded 37 Top 40 singles -- including four Number One hits on the pop charts. Their success paved the way for other African American artists. Their melodies continue bringing Americans of all races together to this day.

Otis can remember performing in a venue in South Carolina, where blacks and whites in the crowd were separated by a barrier. The next year when the Temptations returned, the racial divide was gone. As Otis once put it, "The highest achievement for me has been ...to have our music penetrate all kinds of barriers -- for it to be colorless." The music of the Temptations has given countless Americans sunshine on a cloudy day -- (laughter) -- and we cannot help ourselves from loving them. (Laughter.)

Throughout African American History Month, we remember how individuals, African American leaders of all kinds helped bring our nation together. We recognize our nation still has a long way to go. But in the example of the leaders like those we honor today, we see strength greater than any division. And we see hope for a day when freedom rings from every mountainside, and every corner of the country.

And now it is my great pleasure to introduce the Temptations. (Applause.)

END 3:11 P.M. EST

For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, February 12, 2008

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or African American History Month and White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges

Mike Huckabee Speaks at CPAC VIDEO

Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) Speaks at CPAC FULL STREAMING VIDEO The 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) holds a third day of events in Washington, DC. Today a speech by Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) as well as Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). 2/9/2008: WASHINGTON, DC: 31:36 min.

Photo by yaquina This image is licensed Creative Commons

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Discrimination against blacks linked to dehumanization, study finds

Crude historical depictions of African Americans as ape-like may have disappeared from mainstream U.S. culture, but research presented in a new paper by psychologists at Stanford, Pennsylvania State University and the University of California-Berkeley reveals that many Americans subconsciously associate blacks with apes.

In addition, the findings show that society is more likely to condone violence against black criminal suspects as a result of its broader inability to accept African Americans as fully human, according to the researchers.

Co-author Jennifer Eberhardt, a Stanford associate professor of psychology who is black, said she was shocked by the results, particularly since they involved subjects born after Jim Crow and the civil rights movement. "This was actually some of the most depressing work I have done," she said. "This shook me up. You have suspicions when you do the work—intuitions—you have a hunch. But it was hard to prepare for how strong [the black-ape association] was—how we were able to pick it up every time."

The paper, "Not Yet Human: Implicit Knowledge, Historical Dehumanization and Contemporary Consequences," is the result of a series of six previously unpublished studies conducted by Eberhardt, Pennsylvania State University psychologist Phillip Atiba Goff (the lead author and a former student of Eberhardt's) and Matthew C. Jackson and Melissa J. Williams, graduate students at Penn State and Berkeley, respectively. The paper is scheduled to appear Feb. 7 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which is published by the American Psychological Association.

The research took place over six years at Stanford and Penn State under Eberhardt's supervision. It involved mostly white male undergraduates. In a series of studies that subliminally flashed black or white male faces on a screen for a fraction of a second to "prime" the students, researchers found subjects could identify blurry ape drawings much faster after they were primed with black faces than with white faces. The researchers consistently discovered a black-ape association even if the young adults said they knew nothing about its historical connotations. The connection was made only with African American faces; the paper's third study failed to find an ape association with other non-white groups, such as Asians. Despite such race-specific findings, the researchers stressed that dehumanization and animal imagery have been used for centuries to justify violence against many oppressed groups.

"Despite widespread opposition to racism, bias remains with us," Eberhardt said. "African Americans are still dehumanized; we're still associated with apes in this country. That association can lead people to endorse the beating of black suspects by police officers, and I think it has lots of other consequences that we have yet to uncover."

Historical background: Scientific racism in the United States was graphically promoted in a mid-19th-century book by Josiah C. Nott and George Robins Gliddon titled Types of Mankind, which used misleading illustrations to suggest that "Negroes" ranked between "Greeks" and chimpanzees. "When we have a history like that in this country, I don't know how much of that goes away completely, especially to the extent that we are still dealing with severe racial inequality, which fuels and maintains those associations in ways that people are unaware," Eberhardt said.

Although such grotesque characterizations of African Americans have largely disappeared from mainstream U.S. society, Eberhardt noted that science education could be partly responsible for reinforcing the view that blacks are less evolved than whites. An iconic 1970 illustration, "March of Progress," published in the Time-Life book Early Man, depicts evolution beginning with a chimpanzee and ending with a white man. "It's a legacy of our past that the endpoint of evolution is a white man," Eberhardt said. "I don't think it's intentional, but when people learn about human evolution, they walk away with a notion that people of African descent are closer to apes than people of European descent.

When people think of a civilized person, a white man comes to mind."

Consequences of socially endorsed violence: In the paper's fifth study, the researchers subliminally primed 115 white male undergraduates with words associated with either apes (such as "monkey," "chimp," "gorilla") or big cats (such as "lion," "tiger," "panther"). The latter was used as a control because both images are associated with violence and Africa, Eberhardt said. The subjects then watched a two-minute video clip, similar to the television program COPS, depicting several police officers violently beating a man of undetermined race. A mugshot of either a white or a black man was shown at the beginning of the clip to indicate who was being beaten, with a description conveying that, although described by his family as "a loving husband and father," the suspect had a serious criminal record and may have been high on drugs at the time of his arrest.

The students were then asked to rate how justified the beating was. Participants who believed the suspect was white were no more likely to condone the beating when they were primed with either ape or big cat words, Eberhardt said. But those who thought the suspect was black were more likely to justify the beating if they had been primed with ape words than with big cat words. "Taken together, this suggests that implicit knowledge of a Black-ape association led to marked differences in participants' judgments of Black criminal suspects," the researchers write.

According to the paper's authors, this link has devastating consequences for African Americans because it "alters visual perception and attention, and it increases endorsement of violence against black suspects." For example, the paper's sixth study showed that in hundreds of news stories from 1979 to 1999 in the Philadelphia Inquirer, African Americans convicted of capital crimes were about four times more likely than whites convicted of capital crimes to be described with ape-relevant language, such as "barbaric," "beast," "brute," "savage" and "wild." "Those who are implicitly portrayed as more ape-like in these articles are more likely to be executed by the state than those who are not," the researchers write.

The way forward:

Despite the paper's findings, Eberhardt said she is optimistic about the future. "This work isn't arguing that there hasn't been any progress made or that we are living in the same society that existed in the 19th century," she said. "We have made a lot of progress on race issues, but we should recognize that racial bias isn't dead. We still need to be aware of that and aware of all the different ways [racism] can affect us, despite our intentions and motivations to be egalitarian. We still have work to do."

For Eberhardt, two stories of race exist in America. "One is about the disappearance of bias—that it's no longer with us," she said. "But the other is about the transformation of bias. It's not the egregious bias anymore, but it's modern bias, subtle bias." With both of these stories, she said, there is an understanding that society has moved beyond the historic battles centered around race. "We want to argue, with this work, that there is one old race battle that we're still fighting," she said. "That is the battle for blacks to be recognized as fully human."

This research was supported by a Stanford University Dean's Award to Jennifer Eberhardt. -30-

Contact: Jennifer Eberhardt jleberhardt@stanford.edu 650-725-2419 Stanford University

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Freedom Calendar 02/09/08 - 02/16/08

February 9, 1864, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton deliver over 100,000 signatures to U.S. Senate supporting Republicans’ plans for constitutional amendment to ban slavery.

February 10, 1995, Death of Judge Masaji Marumoto, Japanese-American Republican who served with distinction on Hawaii Supreme Court.

February 11, 1856, Republican Montgomery Blair argues before U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of his client, the slave Dred Scott; later served in President Lincoln’s Cabinet.

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, 1909, On 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, African-American Republicans and women’s suffragists Ida Wells and Mary Terrell co-found the NAACP.

February 13, 1862 Birth of Republican Benigno Hernandez, first Hispanic U.S. Representative from New Mexico (1915-17, 1919-21).

February 14, 1928, Birth of Ben Garrido Blaz, Hispanic Republican and former Brigadier General; served as Delegate from Guam to U.S. Congress, 1985-93.

February 15, 1932, Republican President Herbert Hoover nominates Benjamin Cardozo as second Jewish Justice on U.S. Supreme Court.

February 16, 1812 Birth of Republican civil rights activist and U.S. Senator (R-MA) Henry Wilson, Vice President under Ulysses Grant.

“The Republican Party is the ship, all else is the sea.”

Frederick Douglass, Republican Civil Rights Activist

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Presidential Podcast 02/09/08

Presidential Podcast 02/09/08 . Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring full audio and text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned. In Focus: Judicial Nominees

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Bush radio address 02/09/08 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 02/09/08 full audio, text transcript. President's Radio Address In Focus: Judicial Nominees

Subscribe to Our Podcast feed or online podnova Podcast Channel and receive the weekly Presidential Radio Address in English and Spanish with select State Department Briefings. Featuring real audio and full text transcripts, More content Sources added often so stay tuned.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. One of the most important jobs of any President is to find good men and women to lead government agencies, preside over our courts, and provide vital services to the American people. So I have nominated talented individuals for these positions. Unfortunately, the Senate is not meeting its responsibility to consider these nominees in a timely manner. More than 180 of my nominees are waiting for confirmation. Some have been waiting for more than a year. As a result, careers have been put on hold, families have been placed in limbo, and our government has been deprived of the service of these fine nominees.

On Thursday I stood with many of these nominees at the White House. They are decent and talented people. The Senate needs to confirm them to address important issues, from the economy to public safety to national security.

One of the most important institutions for America's economy is the Federal Reserve. The Fed decides monetary policy, and it sets key interest rates that have an impact on homeowners and businesses across our country. Yet the Senate has been delaying three of my nominations to the Fed for nearly 9 months. My nominees have valuable experience and skills, and I urge the Senate to confirm them as soon as possible.

Another important institution is the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA plays a vital role in keeping you safe when you fly. In October I nominated Bobby Sturgell to lead the FAA. Bobby has nearly 20 years of cockpit experience from his time as a Navy fighter pilot, Top Gun instructor, and commercial airline pilot. He's committed to addressing problems that have caused airline delays, and I urge senators to put politics aside and confirm him to office.

In this time of war, we need a strong Department of Justice. Yet the Senate has not voted on nominations for seven senior leadership positions at the department. One of those vacancies is for Deputy Attorney General. The Deputy Attorney General helps lead efforts to detect and prevent terrorist attacks at home.

I've selected an outstanding nominee for this position: Judge Mark Filip. This former prosecutor has earned a reputation for being fair-minded and dedicated. Several years ago the Senate confirmed him unanimously for a lifetime position on the Federal bench. Now I ask senators to confirm him once again so he can help keep our nation safe.

As senators confirm these nominees, they must also confirm judges to the Federal bench. I have nominated highly qualified individuals who will rule by the letter of the law, not the whim of the gavel. Unfortunately, the Senate continues to delay votes for 28 of my judicial nominees. Three of my nominees for the Court of Appeals have waited nearly 600 days. These delays are irresponsible, they undermine the cause of justice, and I call on the United States Senate to give these nominees the up or down vote they deserve.

When men and women agree to serve in public office, we should treat them with respect and dignity, and that means giving them a prompt confirmation vote. When the Senate fails to give nominees a timely vote, it leaves important positions in our government vacant, and it makes it harder for Presidents of both parties to attract good men and women to serve in these vital posts.

By working together, Republicans and Democrats can chart a better course. We can bring every nomination to the floor for a vote, and give the American people the kind of public servants they deserve.

Thank you for listening. # # #

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Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación 02/09/08

forre el audio de la dirección de radio 2/09/08 por completo, transcripción del texto. (nota de los redactores: ninguna lengua española mp3 lanzó esta semana, apesadumbrada) PODCAST

Suscribir a nuestro canal de Podcast de Odeo o del podnova y recibir la dirección de radio presidencial semanal en inglés y español con informes selectos del departamento del estado. Ofreciendo transcripciones audio y con texto completo verdaderas, más fuentes contentas agregaron a menudo así que la estancia templó.

Buenos Días.

Una de las tareas más importantes de cualquier Presidente es la de encontrar buenos hombres y mujeres para dirigir agencias gubernamentales, presidir nuestros tribunales, y proporcionar servicios vitales al pueblo estadounidense. Por lo tanto he nominado a individuos talentosos para estas posiciones. Desafortunadamente, el Senado no está cumpliendo con su responsabilidad de considerar a estos candidatos de forma oportuna. Más de 180 de mis candidatos están esperando ser confirmados. Algunos han estado esperando más de un año. Como resultado, carreras han sido detenidas, familias se han encontrado en el limbo, y nuestro gobierno se ha visto privado del servicio de estos excelentes candidatos.

El jueves estuve con muchos de estos candidatos en la Casa Blanca. Son personas decentes y talentosas. El Senado necesita confirmarlos para abordar temas importantes, desde la economía a la seguridad pública a la seguridad nacional.

Una de las instituciones más importantes para la economía de los Estados Unidos es la Reserva Federal. El Fed decide la política monetaria y fija tasas de interés claves que tienen un impacto sobre los dueños de casa y los negocios en todo el país. Sin embargo el Senado ha estado demorando tres de mis nominaciones al Fed por casi 9 meses. Mis candidatos tienen experiencia y habilidades valiosas, y yo insto al Senado que los confirme lo más pronto posible.

Otra institución importante es la Administración Federal de la Aviación, o FAA por sus siglas en inglés. La FAA desempeña un papel vital en mantenerlos a ustedes a salvo cuando vuelan. En Octubre nominé a Bobby Sturgell para dirigir la FAA. Bobby tiene casi 20 años de experiencia en la cabina de piloto desde su tiempo como piloto de combate de la Marina, instructor Top Gun y piloto de aviación comercial. Él está comprometido a abordar problemas que han causado demoras en la aviación, y yo insto a los senadores que pongan a un lado la política y lo confirmen en este puesto.

En estos momentos de guerra, necesitamos un Departamento de Justicia fuerte. Sin embargo el Senado no ha votado sobre nominaciones para siete posiciones superiores de liderazgo en este departamento. Una de estas vacantes es para Sub-Fiscal General. El Sub-Fiscal General ayuda a encabezar esfuerzos para detectar y evitar ataques terroristas en casa.

He seleccionado un candidato sobresaliente para esta posición: el Juez Mark Filip. Este antiguo fiscal se ha ganado una reputación por ser ecuánime y dedicado. Hace varios años el Senado lo confirmó por voto unánime para una posición vitalicia en el tribunal Federal. Ahora les pido a los senadores que lo vuelvan a confirmar para que él pueda ayudar a mantener a nuestra nación a salvo.

Al mismo tiempo que los senadores confirmen a estos candidatos, también deben confirmar jueces al tribunal Federal. He nominado a ocho individuos altamente calificados que ejercerán según la letra de la ley, y no por el capricho del martillo de juez. Desafortunadamente, el Senado sigue demorando los votos para 28 de mis candidatos judiciales. Tres de mis candidatos a la Corte de Apelaciones han esperado casi 600 días. Estas demoras son irresponsables, socavan la causa de la justicia, y le pido al Senado de Estados Unidos que les den a estos candidatos el voto sí o no que merecen.

Cuando hombres y mujeres aceptan servir en la función pública, debemos tratarlos con respeto y dignidad, y esto significa darles un voto de confirmación puntual. Cuando el Senado no les da un voto oportuno a los candidatos deja vacantes importantes posiciones en nuestro gobierno, y hace más difícil que Presidentes de ambos partidos atraigan a buenos hombres y mujeres para servir en estos puestos vitales.

Trabajando juntos, los Republicanos y los Demócratas pueden trazar un mejor curso. Podemos traer todas las nominaciones a votación, y dar al pueblo estadounidense la clase de funcionario público que merece.

Gracias por escuchar.

Para su publicación inmediata Oficina del Secretario de Prensa 9 de febrero de 2008

Etiquetas De Technorati: Discurso Radial del Presidente a la Nación, y Presidente Bush or John McCain Super Tuesday Speech VIDEO and W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt) Du Bois and Berkeley Scientists Bring MRI/NMR to Microreactors or Matthew Alexander Henson

Ron Paul addresses CPAC VIDEO

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) at the 35th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference FULL STREAMING VIDEO.(February 7, 2008). Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) addresses the 35th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference. CPAC is sponsored by the American Conservative Union. Washington, DC : 25:49 min.

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John McCain addresses CPAC VIDEO

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) at CPAC - FULL STREAMING VIDEO. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) addresses the 35th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference. The GOP Presidential candidate is introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). Earlier today, Mitt Romney announced his withdrawl from the Presidential campaign. 36:53 min.

Remarks By John McCain to CPAC. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT. For Immediate Release. February 7, 2008. Contact: Press Office. 703-650-5550

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following remarks by John McCain as prepared for delivery:

Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. It's been a little while since I've had the honor of addressing you, and I appreciate very much your courtesy to me today. We should do this more often. I hope you will pardon my absence last year, and understand that I intended no personal insult to any of you. I was merely pre-occupied with the business of trying to escape the distinction of pre-season frontrunner for the Republican nomination, which, I'm sure some of you observed, I managed to do in fairly short order. But, now, I again have the privilege of that distinction, and this time I would prefer to hold on to it for a while.

I know I have a responsibility, if I am, as I hope to be, the Republican nominee for President, to unite the party and prepare for the great contest in November. And I am acutely aware that I cannot succeed in that endeavor, nor can our party prevail over the challenge we will face from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, without the support of dedicated conservatives, whose convictions, creativity and energy have been indispensible to the success our party has had over the last quarter century. Many of you have disagreed strongly with some positions I have taken in recent years. I understand that. I might not agree with it, but I respect it for the principled position it is. And it is my sincere hope that even if you believe I have occasionally erred in my reasoning as a fellow conservative, you will still allow that I have, in many ways important to all of us, maintained the record of a conservative. Further, I hope you will grant that I have defended many positions we share just as ardently as I have made my case for positions that have provoked your opposition. If not, thank you for this opportunity to make my case today.

I am proud to be a conservative, and I make that claim because I share with you that most basic of conservative principles: that liberty is a right conferred by our Creator, not by governments, and that the proper object of justice and the rule of law in our country is not to aggregate power to the state but to protect the liberty and property of its citizens. And like you, I understand, as Edmund Burke observed, that "whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither . . . is safe."

While I have long worked to help grow a public majority of support for Republican candidates and principles, I have also always believed, like you, in the wisdom of Ronald Reagan, who warned in an address to this conference in 1975, that "a political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers."

I attended my first CPAC conference as the invited guest of Ronald Reagan, not long after I had returned from overseas, when I heard him deliver his "shining city upon a hill" speech. I was still a naval officer then, but his words inspired and helped form my own political views, just as Ronald Reagan's defense of America's cause in Vietnam and his evident concern for American prisoners of war in that conflict inspired and were a great comfort to those of us who, in my friend Jerry Denton's words, had the honor of serving "our country under difficult circumstances." I am proud, very proud, to have come to public office as a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution. And if a few of my positions have raised your concern that I have forgotten my political heritage, I want to assure you that I have not, and I am as proud of that association today as I was then. My record in public office taken as a whole is the record of a mainstr eam conservative. I believe today, as I believed twenty-five years ago, in small government; fiscal discipline; low taxes; a strong defense, judges who enforce, and not make, our laws; the social values that are the true source of our strength; and, generally, the steadfast defense of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which I have defended my entire career as God-given to the born and unborn.

Those are my beliefs, and you need not examine only my past votes and speeches to assure yourselves that they are my genuine convictions. You can take added confidence from the positions I have defended during this campaign. I campaigned in Iowa in opposition to agriculture subsidies. I campaigned in New Hampshire against big government mandated health care and for a free market solution to the problem of unavailable and unaffordable health care. I campaigned in Michigan for the tax incentives and trade policies that will create new and better jobs in that economically troubled state. I campaigned in Florida against the national catastrophic insurance fund bill that passed the House of Representatives and defended my opposition to the prescription drug benefit bill that saddled Americans with yet another hugely expensive entitlement program. I have argued to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, to reduce the corporate tax rate and abolish the AMT. I have defended my position on protecting our Second Amendment rights, including my votes against waiting periods, bans on the so-called "assault weapons," and illegitimate lawsuits targeting gun manufacturers. I have proudly defended my twenty-four year pro-life record. Throughout this campaign, I have defended the President's brave decision to increase troop levels in Iraq to execute a long overdue counterinsurgency that has spared us the terrible calamity of losing that war. I held these positions because I believed they were in the best interests of my party and country."

Surely, I have held other positions that have not met with widespread agreement from conservatives. I won't pretend otherwise nor would you permit me to forget it. On the issue of illegal immigration, a position which provoked the outspoken opposition of many conservatives, I stood my ground aware that my position would imperil my campaign. I respect your opposition for I know that the vast majority of critics to the bill based their opposition in a principled defense of the rule of law. And while I and other Republican supporters of the bill were genuine in our intention to restore control of our borders, we failed, for various and understandable reasons, to convince Americans that we were. I accept that, and have pledged that it would be among my highest priorities to secure our borders first, and only after we achieved widespread consensus that our borders are secure, would we address other aspects of the problem in a wa y that defends the rule of law and does not encourage another wave of illegal immigration.

All I ask of any American, conservative, moderate, independent, or enlightened Democrat, is to judge my record as a whole, and accept that I am not in the habit of making promises to my country that I do not intend to keep. I hope I have proven that in my life even to my critics. Then vote for or against me based on that record, my qualifications for the office, and the direction where I plainly state I intend to lead our country. If I am so fortunate as to be the Republican nominee for President, I will offer Americans, in what will be a very challenging and spirited contest, a clearly conservative approach to governing. I will make my case to voters, no matter what state they reside in, in the same way. I will not obscure my positions from voters who I fear might not share them. I will stand on my convictions, my conservative convictions, and trust in the good sense of the voters, and in my confidence that conservative pr inciples still appeal to a majority of Americans, Republicans, Independents and Reagan Democrats.

Often elections in this country are fought within the margins of small differences. This one will not be. We are arguing about hugely consequential things. Whomever the Democrats nominate, they would govern this country in a way that will, in my opinion, take this country backward to the days when government felt empowered to take from us our freedom to decide for ourselves the course and quality of our lives; to substitute the muddled judgment of large and expanding federal bureaucracies for the common sense and values of the American people; to the timidity and wishful thinking of a time when we averted our eyes from terrible threats to our security that were so plainly gathering strength abroad. It is shameful and dangerous that Senate Democrats are blocking an extension of surveillance powers that enable our intelligence and law enforcement to defend our country against radical Islamic extremists. This election is going to be about big things, not small things. And I intend to fight as hard as I can to ensure that our principles prevail over theirs.

Senator Clinton and Senator Obama want to increase the size of the federal government.

I intend to reduce it. I will not sign a bill with earmarks in it, any earmarks in it. I will fight for the line item veto, and I will not permit any expansion whatsoever of the entitlement programs that are bankrupting us. On the contrary, I intend to reform those programs so that government is no longer in that habit of making promises to Americans it does not have the means to keep.

Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will raise your taxes.

I intend to cut them. I will start by making the Bush tax cuts permanent. I will cut corporate tax rates from 35 to 25% to keep industries and jobs in this country. I will end the Alternate Minimum Tax. And I won't let a Democratic Congress raise your taxes and choke the growth of our economy.

They will offer a big government solution to health care insurance coverage.

I intend to address the problem with free market solutions and with respect for the freedom of individuals to make important choices for themselves.

They will appoint to the federal bench judges who are intent on achieving political changes that the American people cannot be convinced to accept through the election of their representatives.

I intend to nominate judges who have proven themselves worthy of our trust that they take as their sole responsibility the enforcement of laws made by the people's elected representatives, judges of the character and quality of Justices Roberts and Alito, judges who can be relied upon to respect the values of the people whose rights, laws and property they are sworn to defend.

Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will withdraw our forces from Iraq based on an arbitrary timetable designed for the sake of political expediency, and which recklessly ignores the profound human calamity and dire threats to our security that would ensue.

I intend to win the war, and trust in the proven judgment of our commanders there and the courage and selflessness of the Americans they have the honor to command. I share the grief over the terrible losses we have suffered in its prosecution. There is no other candidate for this office who appreciates more than I do just how awful war is. But I know that the costs in lives and treasure we would incur should we fail in Iraq will be far greater than the heartbreaking losses we have suffered to date. And I will not allow that to happen.

They won't recognize and seriously address the threat posed by an Iran with nuclear ambitions to our ally, Israel, and the region.

I intend to make unmistakably clear to Iran we will not permit a government that espouses the destruction of the State of Israel as its fondest wish and pledges undying enmity to the United States to possess the weapons to advance their malevolent ambitions.

Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will concede to our critics that our own actions to defend against its threats are responsible for fomenting the terrible evil of radical Islamic extremism, and their resolve to combat it will be as flawed as their judgment.

I intend to defeat that threat by staying on offense and by marshaling every relevant agency of our government, and our allies, in the urgent necessity of defending the values, virtues and security of free people against those who despise all that is good about us.

These are but a few of the differences that will define this election. They are very significant differences, and I promise you, I intend to contest these issues on conservative grounds and fight as hard as I can to defend the principles and positions we share, and to keep this country safe, proud, prosperous and free.

We have had a few disagreements, and none of us will pretend that we won't continue to have a few. But even in disagreement, especially in disagreement, I will seek the counsel of my fellow conservatives. If I am convinced my judgment is in error, I will correct it. And if I stand by my position, even after benefit of your counsel, I hope you will not lose sight of the far more numerous occasions when we are in complete accord.

I began by assuring you that we share a conception of liberty that is the bedrock of our beliefs as conservatives. As you know, I was deprived of liberty for a time in my life, and while my love of liberty is no greater than yours, you can be confident that mine is the equal of any American's. It is a deep and unwavering love. My life experiences in service to our country inform my political judgments. They are at the core of my convictions. I am pro-life and an advocate for the Rights of Man everywhere in the world because of them, because I know that to be denied liberty is an offense to nature and nature's Creator. I will never waver in that conviction, I promise you. I know in this country our liberty will not be seized in a political revolution or by a totalitarian government. But, rather, as Burke warned, it can be "nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts." I am alert to that risk and will defend against it, and ta ke comfort from the knowledge that I will be encouraged in that defense by my fellow conservatives.

You have heard me say before that for all my reputation as a maverick, I have only found true happiness in serving a cause greater than my self-interest. For me, that cause has always been our country, and the ideals that have made us great. I have been her imperfect servant for many years, and I have made many mistakes. You can attest to that, but need not. For I know them well myself. But I love her deeply and I will never, never tire of the honor of serving her. I cannot do that without your counsel and support. And I am grateful, very grateful, that you have given me this opportunity to ask for it.

Thank you and God bless you.

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Mitt Romney Super Tuesday Speech VIDEO

Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) Speech from Boston, MA. FULL STREAMING VIDEO. Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) Super Tuesday speech from his headquarters in Boston, MA. 2/5/2008: WASHINGTON, DC: 12:35 min. Governor Mitt Romney On Super Tuesday FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT

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Mike Huckabee Super Tuesday Speech VIDEO

Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) Speech from Little Rock, AR. FULL STREAMING VIDEO. Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) Super Tuesday speech from his campaign headquarters in Little Rock, AR. 2/5/2008: 15:10 min.

News Release: Mike Huckabee Wins First Super Tuesday Contest. Former Arkansas Governor Wins All of West Virginia’s 18 Delegates. February 05, 2008

Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee decisively won the first victory of Super Tuesday 2008 by winning West Virginia’s 18 at-large delegates this afternoon.

Earlier today, Huckabee spoke at the West Virginia Republican Convention, emphasizing his positive message of family, life, and freedom which he said “triumphed in the Mountaineer State” and will continue to resonate in numerous Super Tuesday states, from Alabama to Alaska.

“Two days ago, the New York Giants pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Today, as pundits write my political obituary, we won a key Super Tuesday victory. Time and time again, my campaign has defied conventional wisdom. We did so in Iowa, after being outspent 20:1, and we did so today by winning what I hope will be the first of many Super Tuesday victories.”

“Our campaign is testament that the American dream is alive and well,” said Huckabee. “Running for President isn’t about who spends the most money or who has the most support on Wall Street or on K Street. If that was the case, the nomination picture would look vastly different.

”This victory was a triumph of Main Street, sending a message that becoming President of the Unites States is about message not money, principles not politics, and courage not convenience. Luckily for America, in places like Iowa and West Virginia, voters lead example and do the right thing regardless of what the pundits might say,” said Huckabee. # # # #

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