Speeches from the 2008 Republican National Convention

Norm Coleman
Remarks to the 2008 Republican National Convention
St. Paul, Minnesota
September 3, 2008

Here in Minnesota we talk about the Norwegian husband who loved his wife so much he almost told her.

In this election and in Washington we face leaders of the Democrat party who care so much about working families that they almost do something, but don't. In this presidential election, we have the chance to elect a man who does not just talk about problems and how much he cares, but who will actually do something to solve them.

Prosperity does not flow down from Washington; it rises up from the creativity, hard work and determination of the American people.

Stephen Covey wrote the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is jobs for the American people! And it's the main thing for John McCain. He'd rather spend his time creating 200,000 jobs in America than speaking to 200,000 Germans in Berlin.

We create jobs three ways:

Number One. We make government more efficient. The biggest expense of struggling families is not energy or food or transportation. It's government! Yet, Barack Obama wants to expand it! He thinks he can grow the economy by raising taxes, which is like using Roundup Ready to grow your garden. Taxes kill jobs! We need to keep ‘em low.

Number Two. We increase energy supply. The Democrats' energy plan tilts at windmills and ignores the technology and resources at our disposal that would enable us to increase domestic supply. We need drilling and oil shale and nuclear and clean coal and more conservation and renewables now. Our economy and our sovereignty depend on them all. America needs to go all in and gain our independence from foreign oil.

And Number Three. We reform health care and education to get more quality. Blank checks and bureaucratic programs don't work. If we really empower patients and parents to take charge and make their own choices, they will transform health care and education by demanding the quality all Americans deserve. And I don't want the folks who run the IRS to run my healthcare.

As Republicans, we have to say what Democrats are unwilling to: Some of our nation's problems are too big for one political party to solve. In the spirit of John McCain's whole career in Congress we must work together - today and in the next Congress - to craft genuine reform that leads to genuine results.

That's the heart of Country First: it doesn't matter who gets the credit if the American people win. We need to bring people together - all regions, all industries, all ages, races and parties - and get the job done for America. The main thing is jobs.

Barack Obama will tax them away and John McCain will build them here at home. It's as simple as that. God bless you all.

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