It Is Time
A Speech For A Democratic Candidate:
I am here today with a simple message: It is time.
It is time to examine the state of our union, and reflect upon whether we are better off today then when President Bush took office. It is time to ask if this President has been a proper steward of our economy and our national security. It is time to consider the great challenges facing our nation, and elect a leader capable of making responsible decisions in difficult circumstances.
It is time to reclaim our nation from an administration intent upon mortgaging the future of our children. This administration entered the oval office with a budget surplus and a historic opportunity. For the first time in a generation there existed the possibility of eliminating this nation's National Debt. Given the chance to secure the fiscal future of our next generation by reducing a debt that rests on the backs of our children, to save social security from certain bankruptcy, this administration chose to cut taxes.
This president chose opportunism over opportunity. Presented with the opportunity to make a difficult, responsible choice, this president chose the avenue of least resistance.
I have spent my life confronting difficult choices. I fought and was wounded in Vietnam. I know what it means to risk my life for my country. I learned first hand how presidential administrations can endanger the lives of young Americans by being overly eager to believe supposedly irrefutable evidence.
In August 1964 American intelligence reported the North Vietnamese attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. The perceived threat to our national security opened the door to the vast expansion of our military presence in Vietnam. The president was so intent on believing the North Vietnamese posed an imminent threat to American security, he chose to recognize only those facts that supported this belief. There was only one problem, there was no attack in the Gulf on Tonkin, the intelligence that reported an attack was in error. We were committed with no easy way to bring our troops home.
There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The intelligence that reported such weapons was in error. The president was so intent on believing Saddam Hussein posed an immediate threat to American security, he chose to recognize only those facts that supported this belief. We are committed with no easy way to bring our troops home.
This administration has led us into the past.
It is time to elect a president who has the foresight and experience to correct our course before its too late. I do not deny the threat of terrorism, it is very real, and it is very serious, but we cannot allow fear to overpower reason.
It is time we had a leader who knew better than to chase the ghosts in every corner. We do not have unlimited resources. Risking American lives toppling tinhorn tyrants leaves us more vulnerable to true terrorists .
It is time to regroup and refocus.
We must reverse the mounting mountain of debt that threatens to crush our children. We must fix social security today or there will be no social security tomorrow. We must secure our nation from the threat of terrorism without lashing out at every shadow. We must repair our relationships with our allies and work together towards a safer world.
It is time that we had a leader able to avoid the mistakes of the past, rather than repeat them. America is the world's only superpower, yet there exist very real threats to our way of life.
It is our obligation and our interest to make this world safer, to encourage the growth of democracy and human rights. That will be the American legacy. But we squander that legacy when we act unilaterally, without regard for others. We belittle our great nation when we suggest every third world thug poses an imminent threat to our security.
It is time to turn our attention to securing a safe and prosperous future for all Americans, not just the privileged few. It is time to return to sound fiscal policy, we cannot continue to spend far more than we earn. We cannot pass a nation crippled by debt to our children. It is time for each American to recognize responsibility to the future of our nation. It is the responsibility of every American to pass a healthy nation to the next generation. We cannot continue to borrow against our children's future income. We cannot allow our children to inherit a nation that is hated and feared. It is time to make difficult choices, to sacrifice for our collective future.
It is time to elect a new leader. It is time. It is time. It is past time.
I am here today with a simple message: It is time.
It is time to examine the state of our union, and reflect upon whether we are better off today then when President Bush took office. It is time to ask if this President has been a proper steward of our economy and our national security. It is time to consider the great challenges facing our nation, and elect a leader capable of making responsible decisions in difficult circumstances.
It is time to reclaim our nation from an administration intent upon mortgaging the future of our children. This administration entered the oval office with a budget surplus and a historic opportunity. For the first time in a generation there existed the possibility of eliminating this nation's National Debt. Given the chance to secure the fiscal future of our next generation by reducing a debt that rests on the backs of our children, to save social security from certain bankruptcy, this administration chose to cut taxes.
This president chose opportunism over opportunity. Presented with the opportunity to make a difficult, responsible choice, this president chose the avenue of least resistance.
I have spent my life confronting difficult choices. I fought and was wounded in Vietnam. I know what it means to risk my life for my country. I learned first hand how presidential administrations can endanger the lives of young Americans by being overly eager to believe supposedly irrefutable evidence.
In August 1964 American intelligence reported the North Vietnamese attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. The perceived threat to our national security opened the door to the vast expansion of our military presence in Vietnam. The president was so intent on believing the North Vietnamese posed an imminent threat to American security, he chose to recognize only those facts that supported this belief. There was only one problem, there was no attack in the Gulf on Tonkin, the intelligence that reported an attack was in error. We were committed with no easy way to bring our troops home.
There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The intelligence that reported such weapons was in error. The president was so intent on believing Saddam Hussein posed an immediate threat to American security, he chose to recognize only those facts that supported this belief. We are committed with no easy way to bring our troops home.
This administration has led us into the past.
It is time to elect a president who has the foresight and experience to correct our course before its too late. I do not deny the threat of terrorism, it is very real, and it is very serious, but we cannot allow fear to overpower reason.
It is time we had a leader who knew better than to chase the ghosts in every corner. We do not have unlimited resources. Risking American lives toppling tinhorn tyrants leaves us more vulnerable to true terrorists .
It is time to regroup and refocus.
We must reverse the mounting mountain of debt that threatens to crush our children. We must fix social security today or there will be no social security tomorrow. We must secure our nation from the threat of terrorism without lashing out at every shadow. We must repair our relationships with our allies and work together towards a safer world.
It is time that we had a leader able to avoid the mistakes of the past, rather than repeat them. America is the world's only superpower, yet there exist very real threats to our way of life.
It is our obligation and our interest to make this world safer, to encourage the growth of democracy and human rights. That will be the American legacy. But we squander that legacy when we act unilaterally, without regard for others. We belittle our great nation when we suggest every third world thug poses an imminent threat to our security.
It is time to turn our attention to securing a safe and prosperous future for all Americans, not just the privileged few. It is time to return to sound fiscal policy, we cannot continue to spend far more than we earn. We cannot pass a nation crippled by debt to our children. It is time for each American to recognize responsibility to the future of our nation. It is the responsibility of every American to pass a healthy nation to the next generation. We cannot continue to borrow against our children's future income. We cannot allow our children to inherit a nation that is hated and feared. It is time to make difficult choices, to sacrifice for our collective future.
It is time to elect a new leader. It is time. It is time. It is past time.
posted by Daniel at 1:05 AM
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