FULL SPEECH OF USA VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE SARAH PALIN
"Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for Vice President of the United States...
"I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.
"I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country.
"And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
"It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.
"With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
"But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.
"And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.
"He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.
"Our son Track is 19.
"And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.
"My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.
"In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between - my strong and kind-hearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper.
"And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
"That's how it is with us.
"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys.
"Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
"And children with special needs inspire a special love.
"To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
"I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.
"He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union ... and world champion snow machine racer.
"Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.
"My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and habber-dasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.
"A writer observed: 'We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity.' I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
"I grew up with those people.
"They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
"They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
"I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
"When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
"Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
"And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
"We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
"As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanentpolitical establishment.
"And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider acandidate unqualified for that reason alone.
"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
"Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
"No one expects us to agree on everything.
"But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.
"I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.
"Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.
"But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.
"And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.
"I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
"While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
"That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
"I also drive myself to work.
"And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
"Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
"Our state budget is under control.
"We have a surplus.
"And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
"I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
"I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
"If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska.
"And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.
"As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
"I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
"And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
"That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powersthat do not have our interests at heart.
"The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
"When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
"And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
"With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
"To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
"And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.
"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.
"But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more new-clear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.
"We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.
"Maybe you have, too.
"We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.
"And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
"But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.
"This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
"Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
"Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
"Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
"Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
"Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
"The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.
"How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
"How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.
"In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
"They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
"And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.
"Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.
"He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.
"A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.
"He said, quote, 'I can't stand John McCain.' Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man.
"Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
"And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
"It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
"But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
"To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
"As the story is told, When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up - as if to say, 'We're going to pull through this.' My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.
"For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
"For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.
"If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.
"Thank you all, and may God bless America."
"I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.
"I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country.
"And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won - the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
"It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.
"With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
"But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.
"And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.
"He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.
"Our son Track is 19.
"And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.
"My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.
"In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between - my strong and kind-hearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper.
"And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
"That's how it is with us.
"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys.
"Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
"And children with special needs inspire a special love.
"To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
"I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.
"He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union ... and world champion snow machine racer.
"Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.
"My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and habber-dasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.
"A writer observed: 'We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity.' I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
"I grew up with those people.
"They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
"They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
"I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
"When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
"Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
"And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
"We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
"As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanentpolitical establishment.
"And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider acandidate unqualified for that reason alone.
"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
"Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
"No one expects us to agree on everything.
"But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.
"I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.
"Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.
"But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.
"And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.
"I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
"While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
"That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
"I also drive myself to work.
"And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
"Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
"Our state budget is under control.
"We have a surplus.
"And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
"I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
"I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
"If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska.
"And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.
"As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
"I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
"And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
"That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powersthat do not have our interests at heart.
"The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
"When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
"And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
"With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
"To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
"And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.
"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.
"But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more new-clear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.
"We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.
"Maybe you have, too.
"We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.
"And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
"But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.
"This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
"Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
"Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
"Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
"Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
"Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
"The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.
"How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.
"How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.
"In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
"They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
"And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.
"Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.
"He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.
"A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.
"He said, quote, 'I can't stand John McCain.' Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man.
"Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
"And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
"It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
"But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
"To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
"As the story is told, When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up - as if to say, 'We're going to pull through this.' My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.
"For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
"For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.
"If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.
"Thank you all, and may God bless America."
Mugabe Pays Tribute To Late Zambian President
Wednesday, 03 September 2008 11:09
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has paid a glowing tribute to the late Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, his arch-critic, for his "courage" and "frankness", state radio reported on Wednesday."Mwanawasa was a very courageous leader. He was very frank and wanted to change not only his country but the entire Southern African region. We will greatly miss him," the radio quoted him as saying on arrival in Lusaka, late on Tuesday, for Mwanawasa's burial.Mwanawasa had been an outspoken critic of Mugabe, once referring to Zimbabwe as a "sinking Titanic".At least 10 of the 15 African heads of state expected for Wednesday's burial are already in Lusaka, officials said.Besides Mugabe, Presidents Ian Khama of Botswana and Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi and Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili have arrived in the Zambian capital, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation said on its website.A representative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Gloucester and Lord Malloch Brown, Minister for Africa, have also arrived along with German and Chinese official delegations, the radio said.A top United States delegation will also attend the funeral, a White House statement said.Tanzanian President Jakaya Kiwete, and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is the chairperson of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) are scheduled to deliver speeches at the occasion on behalf of their organisation.The burial will follow a church service, according to the official programme.Mwanawasa was, until his death, chairperson of SADC and one of the few African leaders to speak out against Mugabe's policies.Mbeki took over the leadership of the SADC during a summit of the body in Johannesburg last month.Mwanawasa (59) who died in a Paris hospital on August 19 after suffering a stroke, will be buried at Embassy Park, situated outside the presidential secretariat.Mwanawasa, married and father of six, was a trained lawyer. - AFP
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kiwete, and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is the chairperson of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) are scheduled to deliver speeches at the occasion on behalf of their organisation.The burial will follow a church service, according to the official programme.
Mwanawasa (59) who died in a Paris hospital on August 19 after suffering a stroke, will be buried at Embassy Park, situated outside the presidential secretariat.
C'River claims discovery of missing planeFrom Anietie Akpan, Calabar and Wole Shadare
AFTER five months of futile search, the Cross River State Government yesterday claimed to have found the wreckage of the missing private Beechcraft 1900D aircraft on the rocks of Busi in Obanlikwu Local Council Area of the state.
This confirmation came from the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Pat Ugbe, who however advised that the press should wait for an official statement.
The plane was reportedly partly burnt while the bodies of the three occupants had decomposed considerably exposing their skeletons at the scene of the crash.
A statement signed by Ugbe read in part: "The Beechcraft 1900D Aircraft belonging to Wings Airline which went missing on March 15th 2008 has been found.
"The ill fated aircraft was found by hunters at the thick rain forest of Busi in Obanliku Local Council Area on Saturday 30th August, 2008.
"Some of the items recovered from the crashed plane include the International Passport of the Pilot, Capt. Egbedi.
"Upon confirmation of this, the State Government notified the relevant Agencies, after which it was over flown by NEMA Helicopter on Tuesday, 2nd September, 2008.
"The matter has been handed over to the Federal Authorities and they have since mobilized resources to the site of the crash.
"The Cross River State Government has been unrelenting eversince, in the search for the aircraft, which has yielded the positive results."
"Yesterday, the state government dispatched a delegation led by the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Casmir Obok to the crash scene after allegedly getting information from the Obanlikwu Council Chairman, Dr. Godwin Amanke, that some hunters had found the wreckage of the missing aircraft.
The team included the state security adviser, Mr Bassey Okim; the state commissioner of police, Mr. Emmanuel Ezeozue and the airforce commander, Air Commodore A.A.Deji.
The plane which was en route the Bebi Airstrip, in Obanliku Local Council, near the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State, was declared missing shortly after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport via Enugu International Airport on March 15, 2008.
The crash occurred barely 18 months after a military aircraft conveying military officers to the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort for a retreat crashed in Kwande Local Council in Benue State.
The Cross River State Government had on May 11, 2008 ruled out the possibility of finding the missing plane in its territory after a seven-week futile search.
The state government subsequently announced the partial suspension of the search pulling out its over 200-member search team led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr. Casmir Obok and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Aqua.
However the state government left behind hunters and the local search teams to continue with the search: "We left behind our hunters and our local committee members and they should let us know of any information," Obok said.
The Minister of State for Transport Mr Felix Hyat had a day after the disappearance, announced that the missing aircraft had been found.
But the Yala Council Chairman, Fidel Egoro, had refuted the claim, saying: "I wish to refute what the Hon. Minister of State for Aviation said last night on Network. He said that the information as to the location of the wreckage of the aircraft was given by the local government.
"I want to say with every sense of responsibility that it is the farthest thing from the truth. The local government never gave any information on this matter. We had no information".
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dispatched a team to investigate the reports.
Speaking to reporters in a telephone interview, the Director of Operations, NEMA, Mr. David Shuaibu, said that the body sent a team since 10:30 a.m. yesterday to confirm the report and cannot confirm the said report for now.
He said that the difficult terrain of the area where the aircraft wreckage was allegedly found is one of the reasons why it might take some time to confirm the report.
The aircraft disappearance generated a desperate search by aviation parastatals, including the Search and Rescue team of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which could not ascertain the location of the aircraft.
Reacting to the alleged finding, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesperson, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said the regulatory body had no official stand on the media report yesterday, adding that it does not spring into action based on newspaper reports.
Spokesman of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, said that it was not the purview of the AIB to salvage the wreckage of the missing craft but to find out the cause of the accident and provide recommendations.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State (Air Transport), through his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs. Rhoda Ilya, yesterday said that the Federal Government would verify the claim of the finding before making a definite statement.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, told The Guardian that NEMA will issue a statement on the issue.
Asked if the wreckage of the aircraft had been located, he simply said: "It appeared so."
The Nigerian government contacted the United States of America (USA) and other countries to assist in locating the missing aircraft.
Nigeria also contacted the Camerounian government to assist it increase the plane strained into its territory.
It was suspected that the 19 seater-aircraft which had three crew members might have crashed somewhere around the hilly Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross River State.
The Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, Air Commodore D.A Shuaibu said the decision to invite the US was made because of the superior equipment those countries posses, just as he gave the assurance that the wreckage of the light aircraft would be found.
While the search lasted, the State Security Service (SSS), quizzed aviation chiefs to determine their alleged involvement in the disappearance of the 19-seater turbo prop aircraft.
Among those quizzed were the Director General of NCAA, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Ado Sanusi, the Commissioner, AIB and Dr. Sam Oduselu.
Their interrogations followed allegations that the aircraft was ferried outside the country to impede investigation into alleged financial crime by one of the financiers of the airline, a former governor.
The investigation by the SSS came on the heels of investigation by a committee set up by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to investigate the failure of search and rescue and the misinformation on the missing plane.
The committee had allegedly released the report of their investigation to the Presidency, but the Presidency in a swift reaction, denied ever receiving the report, just as it denied ever ordering the arrests of the top aviation chiefs.
Spokesman to the President, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, in his rebuttal said it was inconceivable for the Presidency to order the arrest of the officers, "when the President has not yet seen the report of the committee."
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Dele Ore, however carpeted the committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the missing aircraft.
The aircraft was declared missing since March 15, 2008 on its ways to Bebi airstrip, Obudu, Cross River State.
Many faulted the interrogation of the aviation chiefs, insisting that the committee had usurped the power and duty of AIB which, by law, is saddled with accident investigation in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations.
Quoting from ICAO Annex 13, Ore said the AIB "is mandated on the basis of his or her qualifications, with the responsibility for the organisation, conduct and control of an investigation."
Stating further, the former DC-10 pilot noted that the Bureau is equally mandated to conduct a process for the purpose of accident prevention which includes the gathering and analysis of information, the drawing of conclusions, including the determination of causes and, when appropriate, the making of safety recommendations.
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AFTER five months of futile search, the Cross River State Government yesterday claimed to have found the wreckage of the missing private Beechcraft 1900D aircraft on the rocks of Busi in Obanlikwu Local Council Area of the state.
This confirmation came from the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Pat Ugbe, who however advised that the press should wait for an official statement.
The plane was reportedly partly burnt while the bodies of the three occupants had decomposed considerably exposing their skeletons at the scene of the crash.
A statement signed by Ugbe read in part: "The Beechcraft 1900D Aircraft belonging to Wings Airline which went missing on March 15th 2008 has been found.
"The ill fated aircraft was found by hunters at the thick rain forest of Busi in Obanliku Local Council Area on Saturday 30th August, 2008.
"Some of the items recovered from the crashed plane include the International Passport of the Pilot, Capt. Egbedi.
"Upon confirmation of this, the State Government notified the relevant Agencies, after which it was over flown by NEMA Helicopter on Tuesday, 2nd September, 2008.
"The matter has been handed over to the Federal Authorities and they have since mobilized resources to the site of the crash.
"The Cross River State Government has been unrelenting eversince, in the search for the aircraft, which has yielded the positive results."
"Yesterday, the state government dispatched a delegation led by the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Casmir Obok to the crash scene after allegedly getting information from the Obanlikwu Council Chairman, Dr. Godwin Amanke, that some hunters had found the wreckage of the missing aircraft.
The team included the state security adviser, Mr Bassey Okim; the state commissioner of police, Mr. Emmanuel Ezeozue and the airforce commander, Air Commodore A.A.Deji.
The plane which was en route the Bebi Airstrip, in Obanliku Local Council, near the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State, was declared missing shortly after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport via Enugu International Airport on March 15, 2008.
The crash occurred barely 18 months after a military aircraft conveying military officers to the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort for a retreat crashed in Kwande Local Council in Benue State.
The Cross River State Government had on May 11, 2008 ruled out the possibility of finding the missing plane in its territory after a seven-week futile search.
The state government subsequently announced the partial suspension of the search pulling out its over 200-member search team led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr. Casmir Obok and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Aqua.
However the state government left behind hunters and the local search teams to continue with the search: "We left behind our hunters and our local committee members and they should let us know of any information," Obok said.
The Minister of State for Transport Mr Felix Hyat had a day after the disappearance, announced that the missing aircraft had been found.
But the Yala Council Chairman, Fidel Egoro, had refuted the claim, saying: "I wish to refute what the Hon. Minister of State for Aviation said last night on Network. He said that the information as to the location of the wreckage of the aircraft was given by the local government.
"I want to say with every sense of responsibility that it is the farthest thing from the truth. The local government never gave any information on this matter. We had no information".
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dispatched a team to investigate the reports.
Speaking to reporters in a telephone interview, the Director of Operations, NEMA, Mr. David Shuaibu, said that the body sent a team since 10:30 a.m. yesterday to confirm the report and cannot confirm the said report for now.
He said that the difficult terrain of the area where the aircraft wreckage was allegedly found is one of the reasons why it might take some time to confirm the report.
The aircraft disappearance generated a desperate search by aviation parastatals, including the Search and Rescue team of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which could not ascertain the location of the aircraft.
Reacting to the alleged finding, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesperson, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said the regulatory body had no official stand on the media report yesterday, adding that it does not spring into action based on newspaper reports.
Spokesman of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, said that it was not the purview of the AIB to salvage the wreckage of the missing craft but to find out the cause of the accident and provide recommendations.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State (Air Transport), through his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs. Rhoda Ilya, yesterday said that the Federal Government would verify the claim of the finding before making a definite statement.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, told The Guardian that NEMA will issue a statement on the issue.
Asked if the wreckage of the aircraft had been located, he simply said: "It appeared so."
The Nigerian government contacted the United States of America (USA) and other countries to assist in locating the missing aircraft.
Nigeria also contacted the Camerounian government to assist it increase the plane strained into its territory.
It was suspected that the 19 seater-aircraft which had three crew members might have crashed somewhere around the hilly Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross River State.
The Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, Air Commodore D.A Shuaibu said the decision to invite the US was made because of the superior equipment those countries posses, just as he gave the assurance that the wreckage of the light aircraft would be found.
While the search lasted, the State Security Service (SSS), quizzed aviation chiefs to determine their alleged involvement in the disappearance of the 19-seater turbo prop aircraft.
Among those quizzed were the Director General of NCAA, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Ado Sanusi, the Commissioner, AIB and Dr. Sam Oduselu.
Their interrogations followed allegations that the aircraft was ferried outside the country to impede investigation into alleged financial crime by one of the financiers of the airline, a former governor.
The investigation by the SSS came on the heels of investigation by a committee set up by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to investigate the failure of search and rescue and the misinformation on the missing plane.
The committee had allegedly released the report of their investigation to the Presidency, but the Presidency in a swift reaction, denied ever receiving the report, just as it denied ever ordering the arrests of the top aviation chiefs.
Spokesman to the President, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, in his rebuttal said it was inconceivable for the Presidency to order the arrest of the officers, "when the President has not yet seen the report of the committee."
Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Dele Ore, however carpeted the committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the missing aircraft.
The aircraft was declared missing since March 15, 2008 on its ways to Bebi airstrip, Obudu, Cross River State.
Many faulted the interrogation of the aviation chiefs, insisting that the committee had usurped the power and duty of AIB which, by law, is saddled with accident investigation in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations.
Quoting from ICAO Annex 13, Ore said the AIB "is mandated on the basis of his or her qualifications, with the responsibility for the organisation, conduct and control of an investigation."
Stating further, the former DC-10 pilot noted that the Bureau is equally mandated to conduct a process for the purpose of accident prevention which includes the gathering and analysis of information, the drawing of conclusions, including the determination of causes and, when appropriate, the making of safety recommendations.
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