Mitt Romney

it a privileg to be address the veteran who defend our liberti in the past __PUNCT__ and who defend the memori and digniti of everi veteran todai __PUNCT__

i wa born in __NUM__ __PUNCT__ a quintessenti babi_boomer __PUNCT__

i grew up in the shadow of world_war_ii __PUNCT__ and then came the war in korea and vietnam __PUNCT__

as a boi __PUNCT__ i knew that it wa american_soldier and sailor and marin and airmen who had save us from german fascism __PUNCT__ and who protect us from soviet_commun __PUNCT__

you were our hero then __PUNCT__ and you ar todai __PUNCT__

you know better than most that the world is still infect with purveyor of hate and oppress __PUNCT__

some ar jihadist __PUNCT__ some ar communist __PUNCT__ and some ar simpli tyrant who cloth themselv in ani conveni polit manifesto __PUNCT__

and so onc again __PUNCT__ american hero ar call upon to defend liberti __PUNCT__

we rightli call our father and mother the greatest_gener __PUNCT__ but everi man and woman who ha or now defend american_liberti __PUNCT__ from the beach of normandi __PUNCT__ to the mekong delta __PUNCT__ to the vallei of the hindu kush __PUNCT__ share in their heritag of great __PUNCT__

everi veteran is the greatest of hi gener __PUNCT__

the quiet hero who have fought for our countri come from the most divers background imagin __PUNCT__ from farmer and subwai rider __PUNCT__ ph.d. and high_school school_graduat __PUNCT__ and from everi ethnic background of the american melt_pot __PUNCT__

but thei ar unit by far more than what divid them __PUNCT__

thei believ in america __PUNCT__

i believ in america __PUNCT__

we believ in freedom and opportun __PUNCT__

we believ in the inher digniti of everi human be __PUNCT__

we have a deep and abid faith in the good and the great of america __PUNCT__

but todai we ar unit not onli by our faith in america __PUNCT__

we ar unit also by our concern for america __PUNCT__

__NUM___million_american ar out of work __PUNCT__ or have stop look __PUNCT__ or have onli part_time time_job but want full __PUNCT__ time_work __PUNCT__

home valu have drop more than thei did dure the depress __PUNCT__

nation_debt is almost as larg as our entir economi __PUNCT__ and we ow a huge chunk of it to china __PUNCT__

incred __PUNCT__ unfund govern promis now total about __MONEY__ per american household __PUNCT__

thi cannot possibl stand as the legaci we will leav the next gener __PUNCT__

and the peril of thi mismanag mai even be more immin __PUNCT__

we stand near a threshold of profound econom miseri __PUNCT__

four more year on the same polit path could prove disastr __PUNCT__

i am a conserv businessman __PUNCT__

i have spent most of my life outsid of polit __PUNCT__ deal with real_problem in the real_economi __PUNCT__

career politician got us into thi mess and thei simpli don't know how to get us out __PUNCT__

to win thi fight for america_futur __PUNCT__ we will have to rise abov polit __PUNCT__

when member of seal team six board their helicopt __PUNCT__ thei did so not as republican or democrat or independ __PUNCT__ thei did so as american __PUNCT__

and the final imag that osama_bin_laden took with him straight to hell wa not a parti symbol __PUNCT__ not a republican eleph or a democrat donkei __PUNCT__ but an american_flag on the shoulder of on straight __PUNCT__ shoot u. __PUNCT__ navi_seal __PUNCT__

i start with the fundament convict that america is the greatest nation in the histori of the world and a forc for good __PUNCT__

and while we ar not perfect __PUNCT__ i will not apolog for america __PUNCT__

our presid ha taken a differ approach __PUNCT__

have we ever had a presid who wa so eager to address the world with an apolog on hi lip and doubt in hi heart __PUNCT__ he seem truli confus not onli about america past but our futur __PUNCT__

so critic wa presid_obama of america befor the unit_nation that fidel_castro compliment him for hi __PUNCT__ courag __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ brave gestur __PUNCT__ and venezuelan dictat and thug hugo_chavez join in on the prais __PUNCT__

we can't lead the world by hope our enemi will hate us less __PUNCT__

ronald_reagan ralli america with __PUNCT__ peac through strength __PUNCT__

american strength is the onli guarante of liberti __PUNCT__

american strength turn the cuban missil around __PUNCT__

american strength caus the collaps of the soviet_union __PUNCT__

american strength yank saddam_hussein out of hi spider hole __PUNCT__

with freedom as our caus __PUNCT__ strength is our onli sure defens __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ presid_obama is on a differ cours __PUNCT__

first __PUNCT__ the white_hous propos cut militari_spend by __MONEY___billion over the next twelv_year __PUNCT__

then __PUNCT__ presid_obama agre to a budget_process that could entail cut defens_spend by __MONEY___billion __PUNCT__

the incom chairman of the joint_chief of staff ha call a cut of that magnitud __PUNCT__ veri high risk __PUNCT__

defens_secretari panetta ha warn that it could have __PUNCT__ devast_effect on our nation_defens __PUNCT__ and that come from a gui who work for presid_obama __PUNCT__

thi is the first time in my memori that massiv defens cut were propos without ani refer to the mission that would be foreclos and the risk to which our countri and it men and women in uniform would be expos __PUNCT__

cut of thi magnitud can onli be the product of on of two mistaken belief __PUNCT__

on the on hand is wish think that the world is becom a safer place __PUNCT__

the opposit is true __PUNCT__

consid simpli the jihadist __PUNCT__ a near __PUNCT__ nuclear_iran __PUNCT__ a turbul middl_east __PUNCT__ an unstabl pakistan __PUNCT__ a delusion north_korea __PUNCT__ an assert russia __PUNCT__ and an emerg global_power call china __PUNCT__

no __PUNCT__ the world is not becom safer __PUNCT__

and so __PUNCT__ on the other hand __PUNCT__ that leav us with the belief that america should becom a lesser power __PUNCT__

it flow from the convict that if we ar weak __PUNCT__ tyrant will choos to be weak as well __PUNCT__ that if we could just talk more __PUNCT__ engag more __PUNCT__ pass more u.n __PUNCT__ resolut __PUNCT__ that peac will break out __PUNCT__

that mai be what thei think in that harvard faculti loung __PUNCT__ but it not what thei know on the battlefield __PUNCT__

but american leadership is more than a budget fight __PUNCT__

america must lead with clariti of intent __PUNCT__ a commit of purpos and unlimit resolv __PUNCT__

unfortun __PUNCT__ when we look around the world_todai __PUNCT__ we see a muddl pictur of american_polici and power __PUNCT__

in the mideast __PUNCT__ we ar pressur our closest alli israel to make concess while put almost no pressur on the palestinian __PUNCT__

the administr wa quick to critic israel but slow to confront syria strongman __PUNCT__ bashar_al assad __PUNCT__ even though he facilit arm hezbollah __PUNCT__ allow terrorist to cross hi border into iraq to attack u. __PUNCT__ troop __PUNCT__ and turn weapon on hi own peopl __PUNCT__

instead of call mr __PUNCT__ assad a reform __PUNCT__ the administr should have label him a killer __PUNCT__

presid_obama retic to critic mr __PUNCT__ assad echo hi unwilling to sai a harsh word about the ayatollah of iran when thei engag in a bloodi crack down on the dissid who brave protest the stolen __NUM___elect __PUNCT__

the white_hous wa so tent in it critic and so eager to continu it polici of __PUNCT__ engag __PUNCT__ that iranian protest question whether presid_obama wa with them __PUNCT__

what a disgrac __PUNCT__

now we have an unfold revolut in libya __PUNCT__

first __PUNCT__ presid obama act as if it were a great surpris that a rebellion erupt __PUNCT__ even though the arab_spring wa alreadi in full swing in tunisia and egypt __PUNCT__

our involv in libya wa mark by inadequ clariti of purpos befor we began the mission __PUNCT__ mission muddl dure the oper __PUNCT__ and ongo confus as to our role in the futur __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ qaddafi is on the run and we congratul the libyan peopl and the extraordinari profession of our men and women in the arm_servic __PUNCT__

but when a presid send our men and women into harm wai __PUNCT__ he must first explain their mission __PUNCT__ defin it success __PUNCT__ plan for their victori exit __PUNCT__ provid them with the best weapon and armor in the world __PUNCT__ and properli care for them when thei come home __PUNCT__ anyth less is not befit a great_nation __PUNCT__

in afghanistan __PUNCT__ the presid ha chosen to disregard the counsel of the gener on the ground __PUNCT__

i don't know of a singl militari advisor to presid_obama who recommend the withdraw plan the presid chose __PUNCT__ and that put the success of our soldier and our mission at greater risk __PUNCT__

across the globe __PUNCT__ china is becom not onli an econom powerhous __PUNCT__ but also a militari super __PUNCT__ power __PUNCT__

properli consid __PUNCT__ china militari_spend is nearli half our own __PUNCT__

it militari build __PUNCT__ up should give us paus __PUNCT__

as america veteran __PUNCT__ you understand better than anyon that weak invit aggress and that the best alli of peac is a strong america __PUNCT__

our air_forc is now older and smaller than it ha been for decad __PUNCT__

our navi ha fewer ship than it is ha had sinc world_war on __PUNCT__

the navi sai it need __NUM__ ship to fulfil it mission around the world __PUNCT__

it onli ha __NUM__ ship and we on track to drop down to the low 200 __PUNCT__

and while our output ha declin __PUNCT__ the bureaucraci ha increas __PUNCT__

there is enorm wast __PUNCT__

let me give you an exampl __PUNCT__ dure world war two __PUNCT__ we built __NUM__ ship per year with __NUM___peopl in the bureau of ship __PUNCT__ the purchas depart __PUNCT__ if you will __PUNCT__

in the __NUM__ we built __NUM__ ship per year __PUNCT__ with __NUM__ peopl in purchas __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ for __NUM__ ship a year __PUNCT__ it take __NUM__ peopl __PUNCT__

let me tell you __PUNCT__ as a conserv businessman who ha spent most of hi life in the privat_sector __PUNCT__ i look at that kind of ineffici and bloat and sai __PUNCT__ let me at it __PUNCT__

i will slice billion of dollar in wast and ineffici and bureaucraci from the defens_budget __PUNCT__

i will us the monei we save for modern ship and plane __PUNCT__ and for more troop __PUNCT__

and i spend it to ensur that veteran have the care thei deserv __PUNCT__

the sacrific made by our soldier inspir __PUNCT__

as governor __PUNCT__ i had the honor and privileg of visit our wound in militari hospit here and abroad __PUNCT__

i walk room to room and bed to bed __PUNCT__ visit with these young hero __PUNCT__

their courag and determin extend beyond the battlefield __PUNCT__ to these hospit __PUNCT__ and then to their home __PUNCT__

ampute who fought for america now compet for america in the paralymp game __PUNCT__

a young father hold hi child with prosthet arm __PUNCT__

other were not wound __PUNCT__ but thei sacrif in other wai __PUNCT__

thei miss a birth or birthdai __PUNCT__

thei endur financi hardship and lost opportun __PUNCT__

as governor __PUNCT__ i attend a great mani funer and wake __PUNCT__

i met with famili __PUNCT__ parent __PUNCT__ wive and husband and children __PUNCT__

as you know too well __PUNCT__ it is heart wrench __PUNCT__

i met with our soldier in the anxiou dai befor deploy to danger place __PUNCT__

i welcom them home __PUNCT__ sometim in celebr __PUNCT__

sometim in casket __PUNCT__

i rememb on dai toward the end of my term when my offic got a call tell us that a soldier bodi wa be return to our state from iraq __PUNCT__ come in on a u. __PUNCT__ airwai flight __PUNCT__

the soldier famili had not been notifi in time to get to the airport to receiv the bodi __PUNCT__ i wa ask if i would go to the airport in their stead __PUNCT__

of cours __PUNCT__ i said ye __PUNCT__

we drove over to the airport and the polic_car took me out on the tarmac __PUNCT__

the jet came in and the peopl disembark and then the luggag came down the conveyor __PUNCT__ and final __PUNCT__ the casket came down __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__

and the state_trooper who were there with me all salut __PUNCT__

and i put my hand on my heart __PUNCT__

and i happen to glanc up at the termin __PUNCT__

there a big wall of glass at the u. __PUNCT__ airwai termin in boston right where the plane had come in __PUNCT__ and the peopl come off the plane had seen all the polic_car __PUNCT__ so thei stop to see what wa go on __PUNCT__

and the peopl_walk down the hall saw the peopl lean up against the glass __PUNCT__ so thei pull up behind them __PUNCT__

a huge crowd had form up there __PUNCT__

everi singl_person i saw had their hand on their heart __PUNCT__

and i couldn't see tear through the glass __PUNCT__ but i could see the face __PUNCT__ the sorrow __PUNCT__ the admir __PUNCT__ the appreci for that young_soldier __PUNCT__

we ar a patriot peopl __PUNCT__

we face extraordinari challeng __PUNCT__

the american_peopl rise to the occas __PUNCT__

thei onli ask for a leader who will tell them the truth __PUNCT__ who will live with integr __PUNCT__ and who will actual lead them in the direct that will preserv thi great_nation __PUNCT__

we lost a coupl of year __PUNCT__ but we haven't lost our wai __PUNCT__

the principl that made america the hope of the earth ar the principl that will keep us the great shine_citi upon a hill __PUNCT__

it time for us to come togeth and to carri our messag across thi countri __PUNCT__ that we take back_america __PUNCT__ that we restor those principl that made america the great_nation that it is __PUNCT__

becaus we believ in america __PUNCT__ we go to keep america strong __PUNCT__ and worthi of the great sacrific of america veteran and those young_men and women who put their live on the line for us even todai __PUNCT__

thank you veri much __PUNCT__