John McCain

thank you for that kind introduct __PUNCT__

it is an honor to speak to thi __NUM__ biennial republican_leadership confer __PUNCT__

i stand befor you at a peril time __PUNCT__ a peril time for our parti but __PUNCT__ far more import __PUNCT__ a peril time for our countri __PUNCT__

we face an implac enemi dedic to our destruct __PUNCT__

we face critic at home and abroad __PUNCT__

some doubt that we can prevail against our enemi __PUNCT__ islam extremist that oper in europ __PUNCT__ the america __PUNCT__ africa __PUNCT__ the middl_east and asia __PUNCT__

just thi month __PUNCT__ terrorist plot were uncov in denmark and germani that had the potenti to kill hundr or thousand demonstr how seriou the threat is __PUNCT__ yet much of washington remain mire in irresolut and defeat __PUNCT__

your confer theme of __PUNCT__ reli on our root __PUNCT__ is appropri for my messag todai __PUNCT__

michigan ha a fine tradit of leadership in the republican_parti __PUNCT__ includ the late presid ford __PUNCT__

but i would like to speak to you about anoth exemplari leader of our parti whose root of leadership and wisdom we should also rememb and reli on __PUNCT__

three decad_ago __PUNCT__ a visionari politician describ the danger in the world __PUNCT__

it wa __PUNCT__ like todai __PUNCT__ a time when some doubt america good and great __PUNCT__

mani argu for reconcili with our global adversari __PUNCT__

but thi man held firm __PUNCT__

he did not care what editori_board wrote about him __PUNCT__

he did what he thought wa right __PUNCT__

he critic the liber_democrat __PUNCT__ foreign_polici of weak and vacil __PUNCT__

he call for resolv and firm in deal with the soviet_union __PUNCT__

and __PUNCT__ he refus to condemn million to perpetu communist tyranni in the fals hope that accommod the soviet union would contribut to america_secur __PUNCT__

fortun __PUNCT__ thi man __PUNCT__ governor reagan __PUNCT__ becam presid_reagan __PUNCT__

how differ would our live be had he not won elect in __NUM__ and __NUM__ __PUNCT__ doe anyon believ a liber_democrat democrat_presid would have call the soviet_union an __PUNCT__ evil_empir __PUNCT__ or would have stood up to the nuclear freez movement __PUNCT__ can you imagin a liber_democrat democrat_presid sai commun should be left on the ash heap of histori __PUNCT__ or call on gorbachev to tear down the berlin_wall __PUNCT__ while mani democrat tri to defund weapon_system and freedom_fighter __PUNCT__ ronald_reagan wa steadfast __PUNCT__ and he wa right __PUNCT__

thank to hi leadership __PUNCT__ the soviet_union dissolv and the cold_war wa won on our term __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ the challeng ar at least as sever as thei were when ronald_reagan stood tall __PUNCT__

and __PUNCT__ todai __PUNCT__ the differ between republican and democrat on nation_secur ar everi bit as stark as thei were __NUM___year_ago __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ lead_democrat democrat_presidenti presidenti_candid vote against fund for our troop engag in war in afghanistan and iraq __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ lead_democrat democrat_presidenti presidenti_candid question whether there is a war on terror __PUNCT__ offer to enter into uncondit negoti with our worst enemi __PUNCT__ and talk about counter the forc of radic by advoc surrend to them in iraq __PUNCT__

if the democrat get their wai in iraq __PUNCT__ if we cede iraq to al_qaeda __PUNCT__ how long will thei stai the cours in afghanistan __PUNCT__ we face grave challeng in the middl_east __PUNCT__ halt iran_nuclear ambit __PUNCT__ protect our democrat alli __PUNCT__ israel __PUNCT__ support moder voic against the killer of hama and hezbollah __PUNCT__ defend lebanon sovereignti against syrian and iranian aggress __PUNCT__

doe anyon serious believ that we can better meet those challeng in the aftermath of an american defeat in iraq __PUNCT__ it is irrespons to think so __PUNCT__ and ani man or woman who doe isn't prepar to lead our countri in the struggl against islam_extrem __PUNCT__

the world ronald regan face wa a danger on __PUNCT__ but more stabl than the world_todai __PUNCT__

it wa a world where we confront a massiv __PUNCT__ organ threat to our secur __PUNCT__

our enemi wa evil __PUNCT__ but not irrat __PUNCT__

and for all the suffer endur by captiv nation __PUNCT__ for all the fear of global nuclear_war __PUNCT__ it wa a world made fairli predict by a stabl balanc of power until our steadfast and patienc yield an histor victori for our secur and ideal __PUNCT__

that world is gone __PUNCT__ and pleas don't mistak my reminisc as an indic that i miss it __PUNCT__

if i nostalg for it at all __PUNCT__ it is onli an old man nostalgia for the time when he misspent hi youth __PUNCT__

that world __PUNCT__ after all __PUNCT__ had much cruelti and terror __PUNCT__ some of which it wa my fate to wit person __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ we glimps the prospect of anoth __PUNCT__ better world __PUNCT__ in which all peopl might somedai share in the bless and respons of freedom __PUNCT__

but we also face a threat __PUNCT__ and a long_war to defeat it __PUNCT__ that is as difficult and in mani respect more destabil than ani challeng we have ever face __PUNCT__

we confront an enemi that so despis us and modern itself that thei would us ani mean __PUNCT__ unleash ani terror __PUNCT__ caus the most unimagin suffer to harm us __PUNCT__ and to destroi the world we have tri throughout our histori to build __PUNCT__

as we meet here todai __PUNCT__ in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__ american_soldier __PUNCT__ marin __PUNCT__ sailor and airmen ar fight brave and tenaci in battl that ar as danger __PUNCT__ difficult and consequenti as the great battl of our arm_forc __PUNCT__ stori past __PUNCT__

as we all know __PUNCT__ the war in iraq ha not gone well __PUNCT__ and the american_peopl have grown sick and tire of it __PUNCT__

i understand that __PUNCT__ of cours __PUNCT__

i __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ have been made sick at heart by the mani mistak made by civilian and militari_command and the terribl price we have paid for them __PUNCT__

but we cannot react to these mistak by embrac a cours of action that will be an even greater mistak __PUNCT__ a mistak of coloss histor proport __PUNCT__ which will and i am as sure of thi as i am of anyth serious endang the countri i have serv all my adult_life __PUNCT__

like you __PUNCT__ i want our troop to come home __PUNCT__ but i want them to come home with honor __PUNCT__

the honor of victori that is due all of those who have paid with the ultim sacrific so that sacrific is not in vain __PUNCT__

we have new command in iraq __PUNCT__ and thei ar follow a counterinsurg_strategi that i have call for from the begin __PUNCT__ which make the most effect us of our strength and doesn't strengthen the tactic of our enemi __PUNCT__

thi new battl plan is succeed where our previou tactic fail __PUNCT__

although the outcom remain uncertain __PUNCT__ we must give gener_petraeu and the american he ha the honor to command adequ time to salvag from the wreckag of our past mistak a measur of stabil for iraq and the middl_east __PUNCT__ and a more secur futur for the american_peopl __PUNCT__

to conced defeat __PUNCT__ as mani lead_democrat now advoc __PUNCT__ would strengthen al_qaeda __PUNCT__ empow iran and other hostil power in the middl_east __PUNCT__ unleash a full scale civil_war in iraq that could quit possibl provok genocid there __PUNCT__ and destabil the entir region as neighbor power come to the aid of their favor faction __PUNCT__

the consequ would threaten us for year __PUNCT__ and i am certain would eventu draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would impos even greater sacrific on us __PUNCT__

let me be clear __PUNCT__ choos to lose in iraq would hand a victori to the radic in control of iran __PUNCT__

as iran presid recent crow __PUNCT__ soon __PUNCT__ we will see a huge power vacuum in the region __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ we ar prepar to fill the gap __PUNCT__

iran ha been engag in a proxi war against our forc in iraq for year __PUNCT__

thei ar activ arm sunni and shia radic with advanc weapon and on the ground train __PUNCT__

twenti seven year_ago __PUNCT__ the radic mullah in iran releas american hostag held illeg for more than __NUM___dai rather than face presid_reagan __PUNCT__

it wa the first victori of hi presid and we should heed the lesson it hold for deal with iran todai __PUNCT__ determin and resolv __PUNCT__ not accommod and appeas __PUNCT__ ar what tehran heed __PUNCT__

and i certainli think a man who is direct the maim and kill of american_troop should not be given an invit to speak at an american_univers __PUNCT__

rather than roll out the red carpet for the leader of a terrorist __PUNCT__ sponsor regim __PUNCT__ columbia should be welcom the reserv offic __PUNCT__ train corp back on campu to honor the men and women who put their live on the line everi dai defend our freedom __PUNCT__

ronald_reagan warn of the need for firm and vigil in the 1970 __PUNCT__

unfortun __PUNCT__ we did not heed hi wisdom and we paid a horribl price for weak and inattent toward the threat pose by islam_extrem in the 1990 __PUNCT__

but todai __PUNCT__ our defeat in iraq would be even more catastroph __PUNCT__ not just for iraq __PUNCT__ but for us __PUNCT__ and i cannot and will not be complicit in it __PUNCT__

i will do whatev i can to help avert it __PUNCT__

that is all i can offer my countri __PUNCT__

it is not much compar to the sacrific made by american who have volunt to shoulder a rifl and fight thi war for us __PUNCT__

i know that and am humbl by it __PUNCT__

but though my duti is neither danger nor oner __PUNCT__ it compel me nonetheless to sai to my fellow_american __PUNCT__ as long as we have a chanc to succe we must try to succe __PUNCT__

and i believ that if we persever we can succe on the battlefield of iraq and in the larger war against islam_extrem __PUNCT__

i have mani respons to the american_peopl __PUNCT__ and i try to take them all serious __PUNCT__

but i have on respons that outweigh all the other and that is to us whatev meager talent i possess __PUNCT__ and everi resourc god ha grant me to protect the secur of thi great and good nation from all enemi foreign and domest __PUNCT__

and that i intend to do __PUNCT__ even if i must stand athwart popular opinion __PUNCT__

i will attempt to convinc as mani of my countrymen as i can that we must show even greater patienc __PUNCT__ though our patienc is nearli exhaust __PUNCT__ and that as long as there is a prospect for not lose thi war then we must not choos to lose it __PUNCT__

that is how i constru my respons to my countri __PUNCT__

that is how i constru it yesterdai __PUNCT__

it is how i constru it todai __PUNCT__

it is how i will constru it tomorrow __PUNCT__

i do not know how i could choos ani other cours __PUNCT__

war is a terribl_thing __PUNCT__ but not the worst_thing __PUNCT__

our militari men and women have endur the danger and depriv of war so that the worst thing would not befal us __PUNCT__ so that america might be secur in her freedom __PUNCT__

the war in iraq ha divid the american_peopl __PUNCT__ but it ha divid no american in our admir for the men and women who ar fight for us there __PUNCT__

it is everi veteran hope that should their children be call upon to answer a call to arm __PUNCT__ the battl will be necessari and the field well chosen __PUNCT__

but that is not their respons __PUNCT__

it belong to the govern that call them __PUNCT__

as it onc wa for us __PUNCT__ their honor will be in their answer not their summon __PUNCT__

whatev we think about how and why we went to war in iraq __PUNCT__ we ar all __PUNCT__ those who support the decis that place them in harm wai and those who oppos it __PUNCT__ humbl by and grate for their exampl __PUNCT__

thei now deserv the distinct of the best american __PUNCT__ and we ow them a debt we can never fulli repai __PUNCT__

we can onli offer the small tribut of our humil and our commit to do all that we can do __PUNCT__ in less try and costli circumst __PUNCT__ to help keep thi nation worthi of their sacrific for us and for the world __PUNCT__

in __NUM__ ronald_reagan gave hi famou __PUNCT__ shine_citi upon a hill __PUNCT__ speech and conclud by sai __PUNCT__ we cannot escap our destini __PUNCT__ nor should we try to do so __PUNCT__

the leadership of the free_world wa thrust upon us in the littl hall of philadelphia __PUNCT__

in the dai follow world_war_ii __PUNCT__ when the econom strength and power of america wa all the stood between the world and the return to the dark_ag __PUNCT__ pope piu xii said __PUNCT__ the american_peopl have a great geniu for splendid and unselfish action __PUNCT__

into the hand of america __PUNCT__ god ha place the destini of an afflict mankind __PUNCT__

we ar inde __PUNCT__ and we ar todai __PUNCT__ the last best hope of man on earth __PUNCT__

it wa my privileg to hear governor reagan deliv that speech __PUNCT__

i had recent been releas from a long involuntari captiv and wa seat as governor reagan guest __PUNCT__

hi word ring true todai when __PUNCT__ onc again __PUNCT__ it fall to america to lead the world against a global threat __PUNCT__ to remain the last best hope of man on earth __PUNCT__

it is a privileg beyond measur to live in a countri that ha sacrif so much for the caus of freedom __PUNCT__

i have live a long __PUNCT__ event and bless life __PUNCT__

i have had the good_fortun to know person a great mani brave and selfless patriot who sacrif and shed blood to defend_america __PUNCT__

but i have known none braver or better than those who do so todai __PUNCT__

thei ar my inspir __PUNCT__

and i prai to a love_god that he bless and protect them __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__