Text of Joseph Lieberman's speechIt is great to be standing before this Democratic National Convention where four years ago I had the high honor of accepting your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America. I shall forever be grateful to Al Gore and the members of this great party for that barrier-breaking opportunity. You proved that the American Dream is alive and well - which is what the Democratic Party has always been all about.
That was a heck of a campaign in 2000, wasn't it? And when it was all over, Al and I won, didn't we? But campaigns are about the future - not the past. And I am proud to stand before you tonight and say that America's future will be a lot brighter with John Kerry and John Edwards in the White House. They're not only going to win the popular vote, as Al and I did -- they're actually going to get to take office, and then they're going to lead an America that is strong at home, strong abroad, and respected the world over. America looks very different today than it did four years ago. People are worried about their jobs, their rising health care bills, their kids' education, their retirement, and their environment. John Kerry and John Edwards have practical, sensible plans to relieve those worries. But all of these plans won't mean much unless we can restore Americans' sense of personal security; unless we can free the American people from the fear of terrorism. On September 11, 2001, we were brutally attacked by Islamist terrorists who hate us more than they love their own lives; fanatics who are as great a threat to our security and freedom as the Nazis and Communists we defeated in the last century. Make no mistake: this war, like those earlier conflicts, is a war of values. Our enemies reject our founding faith that every child on earth is endowed by our Creator with the right to life, liberty, and opportunity. To make America safe again, we need strong leaders who know when to use American power to destroy these Islamist terrorists. But we also need wise leaders who also know when and how to build bridges with Islamic people throughout the world; bridges that are built on the faith we share in one God, and the dreams we share of a better future for all of our children. In other words, we need the strong and balanced leadership of John Kerry and John Edwards. To make America safe again, we must keep our military strong. We must support our brave and brilliant troops - the new greatest generation - who have liberated Afghanistan and Iraq from murderous tyrannies, and who are fighting tonight in both nations to defeat terrorists and allow free and stable governments to grow there. Continued... |
