Michigan Says Romney in 08 Primary

The Following is a Transcript of a Speech by Romney in the Michigan Primary Election in January 2008. This was taken from Real Clear Politics and much more information can be found there and at the Presidential Election 2008 Blog.

"Thank you. This is quite an institution. It's good to be back here with you. It's good to be back in Michigan.

"You know, somehow everything just seems right here. In the winter, of course, the skies are cloudy all day. Most of the cars you see on the roads are made here in the good old U-S-of A.

"People know that pop is not a relative, it's a soft drink, and they know that Vernors is the best ginger ale in the world.

"And of course, for me, I have a lot of memories here. This is where both Ann and I were born. It's where I met her. We were in our senior year when we went to a party together. I was in senior year, she was a sophomore. She came with someone else. I noticed her at age 16. She was very interesting. I went to the guy who brought her there and said, 'Look, I live closer to Ann than you do, can I give her a ride home?' We've been going steady ever since.

"So we know each other real well. I said to her after we made the decision to get into this race, and you've probably heard it before, I said, 'Ann, in your wildest dreams did you see me running for President of the United States?' And she said, 'Mitt, you weren't in my wildest dreams.' She'd be here today, but she's in Lansing, by the way, speaking at another event for me.

"First, one of the things I like best about coming back to Michigan is the memories I have in my heart of my Mom and Dad.

"One of my favorite stories, and you may have heard this because they told it more than once, was about my Dad's visit to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, on the 4th of July. He got up and spoke before the town. He said, 'It sure is great being here in Mt. Clement.' There was this big ooooh in the audience and my mother leaned forward and said, 'George, it's Pleasant, Pleasant!' He said, 'Yeah, it sure is pleasant here in Mt. Clement.'

"Now I have to tell you, if I'm elected as President of this great land, I will not need a compass to tell me where Michigan is.

"And I won't need to be briefed on what's going on in the auto industry or what's happening to Michigan's economy. You see, I've got Michigan in my DNA. I've got it in my heart and I've got cars in my bloodstream.

"When I was living here, Michigan was the pride of the country and really the envy of the entire world. Detroit was the Motor City to everybody in the world. Of course, the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade was one of the grand traditions my family enjoyed.

"And perhaps the biggest day of the year for me was being able to go to the Detroit Auto Show. This was really something. My Dad was head of a car company, you know, he made Ramblers. And we were escorted from the hotel with a police escort, motorcycles, awfully cool, even though we had to go in a Rambler. So exciting.

"But a lot has changed since then, as you know, and not all of it is good. Michigan is enduring a one-state recession, and the problem has only been exacerbated by poor choices made by some of the leaders in Lansing to raise taxes and take that course instead of cutting spending.

"Unemployment, now you know these numbers, unemployment at 7.4% is in the basement of the entire country. A state agency just this week forecast that next year it's going to go to 8.2% and after that 8.7% the year after.

"And the question is, what has Washington done with this looming, not looming, this existing crisis, this recession, what has Washington done to help? The answer is not very much at all.

"In fact, in face of all of the existing burdens that weigh down our domestic auto industry, instead of throwing over a life preserver, Washington has dropped yet another anvil on Michigan with higher CAFE standards. And now, it's passively sitting back to see if the car companies can swim. And the answer is: just barely.

"A lot of Washington politicians are aware of the pain, but they haven't done anything about it. And of course, I hear people from time to time say, 'Well, that's Michigan's problem.' Or, they say something like, 'Well, it's the car companies. They just brought it on themselves.'

"But that's where they're wrong. What Michigan is feeling will be felt by the entire nation unless we win the economic battle here. Michigan is a bit like the canary in the mine shaft. What's hurting Michigan, if it's left unchecked, will ultimately imperil the entire nation.

"What's at stake here, in fact, is even larger than that. It's even larger than an industry and a state. The world is seeing the beginning of a global competitive struggle. It pits at least four major economic strategies against each other, and each of them has far reaching consequences for the peace of the planet, the prosperity, and security of America and the world.

"Our strategy - the American strategy - you know well. It is economic freedom combined with personal freedom. That's our strategy.

"China's strategy is Communism combined with an unbridled morphing of free enterprise. China doesn't flinch at buying oil from the genocidal Sudanese government or selling nuclear technology to the Iranians who threaten genocide. Today, China alone accounts for one-third of our trade imbalance as a nation.

"There's a third strategy; it's based on the control of energy and oil. It's pursued by a resurgent Russia, by Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, by Iran's President Ahmadinejad. Today, as you know, our energy purchases account for another one-third of our trade imbalance.

"The fourth strategy that's being pursued is radical, violent Jihadism. It is a very different campaign. It wants to return the world to the economy and the human condition of the Dark Ages. Violent Jihadism has cost America this year more in our treasure than even our purchases of oil. And, of course, much more, it has cost the lives of our countrymen, and other people throughout the world.

"We're accustomed as a people to measuring our national security in terms of missiles and aircraft and defense spending. But I would suggest that as we look down the lane for this next century, a better measure of our national security is the health of our economy. You cannot have a first-tier military and have a second-tier economy. The Soviet Union learned that the hard way and Ronald Reagan taught it to them.

"Michigan's economic worries should be America's worries. I don't know about the Washington politicians, but I can tell you this: if I am President, I will not rest until Michigan has come back!

"I am convinced that Michigan can once again lead the world's automotive industry. But it means we're going to have to change things in Washington. We're going to have to go from politicians who say they are 'aware' of Michigan's problems to have a President instead who will actually take action to do something about them.

"Let me tell you some of the places where I'd start.

"First of all, we have to be honest about the problems we have and tackle them head on. If I'm President of this country, I will roll up my sleeves in the first 100 days I'm in office, and I will personally bring together industry, labor, Congressional and state leaders and together we will develop a plan to rebuild America's automotive leadership. It will be a plan that works for Michigan and that works for the American taxpayer.

"And as part of this, we will directly address and rectify the enormous product cost and capital cost disadvantages that currently burden the domestic automakers. From legacy costs, to health care costs, to increased CAFE standard costs, to the cost of embedded taxes, Detroit can only thrive if Washington is an engaged partner, not a disinterested observer. The plan is going to have to include increases in funding for automotive related research as well as new tax benefits including making the Research and Development Tax Credit permanent.

"I am not open to a bail out, but I am open to a work out. Washington should not be a benefactor, but it can and must be a partner.

"But that's only one step. Washington also has to stop loading Detroit down with unfunded mandates. Of course, we all want fuel mileage to rise, but discontinuous CAFE leaps, uncoordinated with the domestic manufacturers, and absent consideration of competitiveness, kills jobs and imperils the entire industry. Washington dictated CAFE is not the right answer.

"We also have to stop Washington politicians from imposing enormous unilateral energy costs on American manufacturing, including automotive manufacturing. For example, the McCain-Lieberman bill pending in Congress unilaterally imposes new high energy costs on U.S. manufacturers, with no safety valve. The Energy Information Agency estimated that this bill would raise electric rates by as much as 25% and gasoline by as much as 68 cents a gallon. And their estimate of the cost in U.S. jobs -- 300,000 jobs. So it's not just a job killer, it would also make it harder for families to make their ends meet.

"Now of course we have to tackle the threat of climate change. But we don't call it America warming, we call it global warming. Placing caps and taxes on the U.S. alone just drives manufacturers to China and India, and does little more than make Washington politicians feel welcome at the embassy cocktail parties.

"Next, and you've heard this before, there is more healthcare cost in an automobile than steel costs. We got healthcare insurance premiums down in my state and we got everyone on track to be insured. We will work to do the same here and for the rest of the nation.

"And then a final burden, it's time to fix the tax code. Corporations, like individuals, need lower and simpler taxes. Embedded taxes put our products at a disadvantage in our home market and wherever they compete around the world. When we send for example, a Ford Mustang overseas, it's not just loaded with accessories. It's loaded with our excessive healthcare costs, our excessive regulatory burdens, our excessive legal liability burden, and the taxes paid by every single automotive supplier to help put product into that car. You take off those burdens and let's show them how fast a Mustang will actually go.

"Of course, taking off those burdens is only part of the solution. If we're going to be the world's greatest economic power, we also have to invest in the future. It's time for us to be bold. I will make a five-fold increase - from $4 billion to $20 billion - in our national investment in energy research, fuel technology, materials science, and automotive technology. Let's invest in our future.

"As you know, research spins out new ideas for new products, from both small businesses and large businesses. That's exactly what's happened in healthcare. We spend what $30 billion a year in NIH, and we lead the world in healthcare products. In defense, we spend even more. We lead the world in defense products. We also spend money in the space industry. And we lead the world in products coming out of space. Look how industries in these other states that have those advantages that thrive from the spin of other technologies, from our investment there. So if we can invest in healthcare, and defense, and space, why not also invest in energy and fuel technology right here in Michigan?

"Michigan can be a laboratory, just like other states - a drawing board, from which we can invent the future.

"Second, we'll turn government workforce training programs that are managed by bureaucrats, into personal accounts that can be managed by the workers themselves so they can gain education at community college or they can pay for on-the-job training in real jobs.

"There are currently some 40 different workforce training programs in government spread out all over the entire federal government. Now let's replace the bureaucracy and the bureaucrats with personal responsibility and individual ownership.

"Long term, we're only going to lead the world only if our students coming in now are the best-educated in the world. And you know this, almost every independent group that's looked at our public schools has said that we're falling behind international standards. And their number one prescription time and again - treat teachers like the real professionals they are. Better teachers should be better paid. Teachers should also be evaluated and promoted. And, here's a novel idea, education of our children should come ahead of the interests of the teacher's union.

"And finally, we have to shape America's trade policy to open markets for our goods and level the playing field across the world. For America to remain the world's superpower, we have to remain the world's economic superpower. And that requires us to successfully compete everywhere in the world.

"However, as we pursue new trade agreements, I'm far less interested in just getting an agreement signed than I am in getting an agreement signed that is good for America. I promise you that any nation that unfairly manipulates its currency, steals our patents and designs, dumps unsafe products in our markets, or stifles the American goods in their market place, will face a very aggressive President across the negotiating table.

"Now let me be clear, I strongly support free trade, but free trade has to be fair in both directions. And when the playing field is level, America can compete with any country in the world. And we will win.

"I came here about a year ago and talked about a number of actions which I thought were necessary to keep our national economy strong. I talked about cutting spending in Washington, about across the board tax cuts, about national tort reform liability, and I also talked about entitlement reform. But these aren't enough. What we face here in Michigan and what we face around the country if we don't take action here in Michigan, is a far more complex set of problems than most politicians have been willing to acknowledge.

"There is no one silver bullet. When it comes to getting Michigan back on track and building a strong America, we have to address every single problem I've spoken about. And I will.

"And by the way, that's what I have done all my life. I've taken on complex situations, led tough negotiations, found solutions, and then gotten things back on track. That was the job that I had as a leader in the business world, and then as the head of the Olympics in Salt Lake City, and of course as Governor of Massachusetts.

"And I am the only candidate with that kind of experience, and frankly, that's exactly the kind of experience that Michigan and America needs in the White House today.

"Now, I know that there are some people who don't think that there's a future for the domestic automobile industry. They think that the industry and its jobs are gone forever. And they're wrong.

"Innovation and change present the opportunity for transformation. And the burdens on American manufacturing are largely imposed by government, and new leadership in Washington can lift the burdens and lift the industry.

"Washington politicians look at Michigan and they see a rust belt. But the real rust is in Washington.

"The pessimist will point to an empty factory and a laid-off worker and say they have no future.

"Instead, I see vital infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and an innovative spirit, all worthy of an optimistic vision, and deserving of a leader who will work tirelessly to deliver the power and potential of Michigan and the American people.

"The pessimist says that the hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been lost, have been lost forever. That logic of course says that the 200 jobs that were lost last week at Willow Run, they're lost forever too. And by the way, that logic would also say that all the rest of the jobs in the auto industry will one day be gone forever, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

"Well, the pessimists are wrong. The auto industry and all its jobs do not have to be lost. And I am one man who will work to transform the industry and save those jobs.

"Now, after this speech, I am going to do with my son Tagg, who's sitting right there, what my Dad did with me 50 years ago. We're going to go to the International Auto Show where I will show him the best of today and the vision of what we can be tomorrow.

"And the next time I visit the Auto Show here in Detroit, I hope it will be as the President of the United States. Thank you so much. Thank you!"

Romney in 08 Stumping for Faith (Speech Transcript)

Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction.

"It is an honor to be here today. This is an inspiring place because of you and the first lady, and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library. For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine. It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation. We are in your debt. Thank you, Mr. President.

"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union. You left us, your children, a free and strong America. It is why we call yours the greatest generation. It is now my generation's turn. How we respond to today's challenges will define our generation. And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.

"America faces a new generation of challenges. Radical violent Islam seeks to destroy us. An emerging China endeavors to surpass our economic leadership. And we are troubled at home by government overspending, overuse of foreign oil, and the breakdown of the family.

"Over the last year, we have embarked on a national debate on how best to preserve American leadership. Today, I wish to address a topic which I believe is fundamental to America's greatness: our religious liberty. I will also offer perspectives on how my own faith would inform my presidency, if I were elected.

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

"As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution - and of course, I would not do so as president. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' - the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A president must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience.

Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter - on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America - the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders - in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

"We believe that every single human being is a child of God - we are all part of the human family. The conviction of the inherent and inalienable worth of every life is still the most revolutionary political proposition ever advanced. John Adams put it that we are 'thrown into the world all equal and alike.'

"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It is an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars - no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord's words: 'For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me...'

"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.

"Today's generations of Americans have always known religious liberty. Perhaps we forget the long and arduous path our nation's forbearers took to achieve it. They came here from England to seek freedom of religion. But upon finding it for themselves, they at first denied it to others. Because of their diverse beliefs, Ann Hutchinson was exiled from Massachusetts Bay, a banished Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, and two centuries later, Brigham Young set out for the West. Americans were unable to accommodate their commitment to their own faith with an appreciation for the convictions of others to different faiths. In this, they were very much like those of the European nations they had left.

"It was in Philadelphia that our founding fathers defined a revolutionary vision of liberty, grounded on self evident truths about the equality of all, and the inalienable rights with which each is endowed by his Creator.

"We cherish these sacred rights, and secure them in our Constitutional order. Foremost do we protect religious liberty, not as a matter of policy but as a matter of right. There will be no established church, and we are guaranteed the free exercise of our religion.

"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired . so grand . so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: We do not insist on a single strain of religion — rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. They were too divided in religious sentiments, what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot. And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God, they founded this great nation.

In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine author of liberty. And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed with freedom's holy light.

God bless this great land, the United States of America.

The previous was a transcript (as prepared for delivery) of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's speech "Faith in America," delivered at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. Romney discussed his views on religious liberty, religious tolerance and how faith would inform his presidency. The speech begins with Romney addressing former President George H.W. Bush, who introduced the former governor.