 Ladies and gentlemen, the President and the Vice President of the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, I almost get the impression you see someone you like. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like at this time to start the festivities here today. This is a family festival day. By introducing someone who is eminently familiar to all of Texas, but who will be more familiar to all of the nation in the near future. Someone who has proven common sense. Someone with tremendous courage and conviction. Our congressman from the sixth district soon to be Texas Senator Phil Graham. Thank you. Thank you. Well let me say that it does my eggy heart good to come over here and see so many people that support Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Four years ago the economy was in catastrophic shape. The inflation rate had reached 13%. Prime interest rates were 21.5%. The nations were seeing productivity decline and unemployment rise. And in the best tradition of the democratic process, the American people sent in a new team. And that team was the Reagan-Bush team. And under the leadership of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, we brought the inflation rate down from the highest levels in American history to the lowest levels in 20 years. We've dug out from under a recession that started four months before our program did and 7 million Americans have gone to work in permanent productive tax-paying jobs for the future for them and for their children. That's more permanent productive tax-paying jobs with a real future that we've created under the Reagan program than all the government jobs programs put together since 1946 have created in the way of Ducaman, who for 25 years and a quarter of a century has stood for Texas in the United States Senate. Under his leadership in the last four years, we've provided our citizens soldiers with the weapons they need to deter aggression and to keep the peace. And the peace is more secure today than it was four years ago because America is stronger today than it was four years ago. And more than any other member of the United States Congress, our senior Senator John Tower is responsible for that. Senator Tower. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, my distinguished colleague in the Congress and soon to be my successor, Phil Graham, distinguished governors, party and campaign leaders, my fellow Texans, it's a great privilege to be here today to see this marvelous crowd here in Austin, Texas, the capital of our sovereign state. And to say that from Periton to Brownsville, from Texarkana to El Paso, we rejoice that our great president has elected to open his great campaign for reelection right here in Texas. We take even greater pride that his running mate is a proven, outstanding national leader, a great Texan, George Bush, a man that we know, love and respect. And so may I simply say, ladies and gentlemen, it is my high honor and privilege to present the Vice President of the United States of America. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you so much. It is really great to be back in Texas. The only regret I've got in this wonderful homecoming is that the man I was sitting next to, my dear friend, our great former governor, isn't still governor of Texas. Bill Clements did a wonderful job. Now I must start this few remarks with a confession. I watched the Democratic Convention on Television. Not all of it. No, wait a minute, not all of it. Just a little. And the pessimism out there in San Francisco was absolutely incredible. I'm surprised they didn't name the Moscone Center the Temple of Doom. Mr. Mondale says that our present strong economic growth makes him nervous. Well, then he's got a lot to be nervous about because right now, this country is in the midst of nothing less than the strongest sustained economic expansion since 1949. And one other thing they didn't mention out of that Temple of Doom is there are more Americans working today than at any time in the history of the United States of America. But I think Texans, perhaps more than others, know that in San Francisco the delegates lost touch, it seems, to us at least with the roots of their own party. The great names of the Democratic past, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, I don't believe would have been comfortable, felt at home there in San Francisco. I don't believe that Franklin Roosevelt would have condoned the weakness in the face of totalitarian aggression. And I don't believe that Harry Truman would have been silent. I believe he would have spoken out against Marxist-Lenis regimes in Nicaragua. And John Kennedy never would have embraced Fidel Castro, by the way. And Lyndon Johnson would have seen our action to save American lives and give democracy a chance in Grenada as a proud moment in the history of the United States of America. And very candidly, very candidly, I'm proud to serve with the President who stands up for our country and doesn't apologize for the United States of America. At that convention with all its oratorical style, Walter Mondale asked all those special interest groups, do you want Ronald Reagan to appoint the next Supreme Court? And there was a deafening no out of there. But I believe the American people will answer very differently in November. They want a Supreme Court that will interpret the law, not legislate. And frankly, they overwhelmingly support the appointment, the one appointment that President Reagan has made, namely the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court. I think they're on the wrong side of that one. Since the days of Dwight Eisenhower, under whom this country was, I think history will show, a miracle of peace and stability and security, prosperity, no American president has served out two full terms. And we need that stability and constancy again. We need that consistent, purposeful presidential leadership that we've had for the last three and a half years. And all I can say is one good term deserves another. And ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to introduce to you the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And I want to thank you for always reminding me that if you want to see where America's dreams reach toward wide open sky, where her spirit of progress is as strong as her heart is big, then come to the Southwest and come to the great state of Texas. Take up where the Vice President left off on one point at their convention, the leadership of the Democratic Party gave Texas the back of their hand. Well, we've come to give you a message from our heart. We care about Texas. We care about your citizens and the values that you all live for. But rather than saying you're, maybe I should be saying our for you've made me feel at least like an adopted son. And you've also given me and the country one of your finest. Believe me, Texas has no more loyal son than my partner, George Bush. And I use that term partner advisedly. With all due respect to those who have served in that office before, I don't believe there has ever been a Vice President that has been so involved at the very top level in all that is going on in our country and in the decisions that are being made. He is untiring, totally faithful, and I am so grateful for what he brings on the basis of his experience as a congressman, his experience as the director of the CIA, as our ambassador to the United Nations and as our representative to the Republic of China. I just happen to think he's the best Vice President that we've ever had. Now, I'm also thankful for the friendship and the support of great Texans like John Connolly, Bill Clemets, John Tower, and Phil Graham. They have worked with courage and common sense for growth, for stable prices, and for a strong America. But you know when Phil Graham tried to help us control government spending and taxing, he infuriated the national democratic leadership. So, he did the honorable thing. He left his party. He joined ours, but then, they didn't need to do this. Having just been returned to office, he went back to the voters of his district to give them a chance to register approval or disapproval on the action he'd taken. And thank heaven they registered approval. They stuck with him then, and I'm confident that Texas will stick with him now. I'm confident that Republicans, Democrats, and independents will join together to elect Phil Graham, your next United States Senator. With his talk about switching parties, I remember when I cast my first vote. I was a Democrat, and I cast it for Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932. He ran on a platform to reduce the federal budget by 25 percent to eliminate useless boards, commissions, agencies, and bureaus, and restore the autonomy of state and local governments that he said had been unjustly seized by the federal government. Ask yourselves which party could run on that platform today? Certainly not those we heard and saw in San Francisco. But then, with all respect to millions of fine patriotic citizens who are Democrats in this country today, where those people in San Francisco truly representative of those millions of rank-and-file Democrats across this land. To those of you who are still Democrats, and I know there must be many here, and who might share my belief that government should not plunder more of our earnings, should not seize greater power over our lives, but should work to ensure the ultimate and individual freedom consistent with an orderly society, then I extend an invitation to you and to millions of others, come where you will be welcome and appreciated. Join George Bush and Phil Graham and me and together we'll make history on November 6, 1984. You know, when I heard some of the things that were being said last week in San Francisco, and I didn't watch all the convention, there are some punishments you just don't deserve. But, from what I did here and then maybe the next day read about, I couldn't help but think that maybe the fog is so thick out there that it was getting inside their heads, but maybe there's another explanation. The National Democratic Leadership is going so far left, they've left America. I'm sorry, I'm sorry they seem to see only misery and feel only fear and never stop pining for their days of tax and tax and spend and spend. They offer a three-point program, fear the future, ignore the present, and forget the past. And one promise, one promise that was made at that convention by one of them made me think of a suggestion I got for the income tax. It was a plan we will not adopt. It was a sample form. One line you put down how much you'd earned and on the other line it said send it. But, they offer a three-point program as I said, forget the future, ignore the present, forget the past. I've found a way to put their pessimism to constructive use. It's a sure-fire diet that you can use to lose weight and there's only one rule. You only eat on the days the pessimists say something good about America. Permit me to make three small points of my own. Point one, those responsible for punishing America with record inflation, record interest rates, record tax increases, credit controls, farm embargoes, gas lines, no growth at home, weakness abroad, and phony excuses about malaise are the last people who should give sermonettes about misery, unfairness, and compassion. Point two, today they offer new realism. Well, forgive me, but their new realism seems to begin right where their old ideas left off. Billions in new spending, higher taxes on small business, family farms, and every other working family, and we must answer with a firm unequivocal, no. Point point three, a little barometer of discomfort that Jimmy Carter and his vice president used in 1976. They created the misery index by adding the inflation and unemployment rates. In 76, that came to 12 and a half percent. And they said our candidate had no right to seek re-election with a misery rate as big as 12 and a half. Well, since the Democratic leadership devoted hours in San Francisco to talk of misery, I hope I'll be pardoned for taking 10 seconds to say we cut their misery index almost in half from the 19 and a half it was in 1980 to 10.3 today. And we'll bring it down even more if they'll just get out of the way. We'll campaign on our record. And yes, on theirs as well. And for ideas we believe will bring new hope to all Americans. We intend to represent only one special interest group. You, the people. Let me pose the question they never got around to in San Francisco. Which major industrial nation today has the strongest currency? The strongest economic growth. Seven and a half percent for the last quarter. Inflation of only three, well it's only been 3.3 percent in the last few months. Labor force participation at an all time high. Fastest rate of job creation as you've just been told. There are 7 million more people employed in the United States today than we're working in 1980. Last year there were a record 600,000 business incorporations. It's fastest growth in business investment in 30 years. The largest increase in real after tax personal income since 1973 and leadership in developing jobs and markets for the future in science and high technology both on earth and in outer space. Well I think you know which nation fits all of those and the initials are USA. I'm sorry the other side still of this but then they never have understood the economy. They still think that GNP stands for Gross National Promises. They've never understood that incentives are the driving force of growth and human progress. That if we work or save more than before our reward will be greater than it was and will be challenged to lead more productive, worthy lives. They don't understand but America does believe that challenge will be the choice of a new generation. Incentives Incentives, initiative and innovation are sparking a revolution in America. We see it here in Austin with your great shrink the world will beat a pat or and no one will be able to hold America back. So please don't let them bury the American dream in their graveyard of gloom and envy. Endless tax increases deeper dependency planned protectionism certain sacrifices and veiled quotas. We don't need that kind of progress do we? I've always been told that if you want to make a Texan's neck swell you tell him where to line up and what to think. Well this election offers the sharpest most important choice in modern times greater freedom or coercion. Right, I asked the leadership of the Democratic Party to support six key measures for our future. Legislation that will benefit all Americans legislation that's been bottled up by a do nothing house leadership. For example they seek to reduce deficits but the futile way by raising taxes on America's families. Right I'm asking why not do it the right way the fair way the effective way why not insist that governments spend no more than government takes in. Why not insist a speaker O'Neill a speaker O'Neill permit a vote on the I hope they're listening in Washington but why shouldn't he permit a vote on the constitutional amendment mandating a balanced federal budget. Fairness for families means a spouse working in the home should enjoy the same individual retirement rights IRAs as a spouse working outside the home. Each should be able to save and exclude from taxation up to $2,000 a year. We'd like that bill passed now. Tuition tax credits would help low and middle income parents paying to send their children to parochial or independent schools while also paying their full share of taxes to support public schools. You know it's fine to get way out there in the nether region out in the abstract someplace and talk about our great national family but how about a little help for the real families who sustain our neighborhoods our churches and our schools the forgotten Americans in all those years of their domination have been those parents who sit around a table at night deciding how to pay their bills and put the kids through school how about a little compassion for them. Then there's our bill offering incentives for investment in 75 enterprise zones that would bring jobs and growth and hope for people in inner cities and in other distressed regions but here's the rub again enterprise zones have been blocked for two years by the same people who gave those fine speeches about opportunity and fairness well do they want to end the welfare bondage or they just want to fill a buster forever and they'll do someday somewhere somehow for somebody we think it's not asking too much that Americans be able to take a walk after dark without having to cringe in fear we we have a strong anti-crime proposal that would provide new restrictions on bail tougher sentencing and stricter enforcement of drug trafficking laws lives are at stake so if we still can't get a vote on that maybe it's time to move some politicians out of office to get the criminals off the streets and finally last night I asked the house to pass the equal access bill it would permit religious student groups the same freedom that other student groups now have to meet in public school high schools in their vacant rooms during off hours this is let me repeat this is in non-school hours I believe the God who blessed this land of ours never deserved to be expelled from our schools in the first place well I'm pleased to give you some good news and just receive take out your pins members of the press today I have just been informed the house of representatives finally passed despite stubborn resistance by its liberal leaders the equal access bill 337 to 77 but let's make one thing plain while this long overdue action is welcome it's certainly not sufficient they should put their new realism to work and take action on each of those other five requests that they've bottled up for so long and together we will make America great and let me let me just suggest to you the steps that we've taken the steps we've taken to reverse years of neglecting our military security shameful neglect have not made America less secure the steps we've taken have made us more secure if the sons and daughters of this nation can risk their lives to protect our freedom in a dangerous world we have a moral obligation to give them in the way of protection the finest we can in weaponry in machinery I want to tell you something when you see when you see one of those young men or women out on the street in uniform if you haven't done it already give them a smile and maybe ask them where they're from and tell them maybe you're a little grateful for what they're doing but let me tell you that nothing in this job has made me more proud than the young men and women who are representing our country in uniform they have the highest level of intelligence and education of any who have ever represented our country in the past in uniform they are the best trained they have an esprit de corps that just won't stop and I I was an officer once I was supposed to salute but I also know that if I'm commander in chief and when they started throwing those high balls at me I'm going to salute them back thank you thank you for your wonderful Texas welcome today and for being with us here and sharing your joy and spirit and before I go I do want to ask you a question that you may have heard before tell me are you better off today than you were four years ago ask another is America better off than she was four years ago then I'm going to assume I won't even ask this one I'm just going to assume that you don't want to go back to the days of America being second best let's keep going forward together thank you and God bless you all President Reagan if you would please sir if you would come forward Vice President Bush two lovely ladies in the wings here in the best tradition of Texas have a presentation for you