Michael Steele's acceptance speech for RNC Chair ...

ColbertWatcher

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Fri Jan-30-09 07:52 PM
Original message

Michael Steele's acceptance speech for RNC Chair ...

Edited on Fri Jan-30-09 08:20 PM by ColbertWatcher

... so no one else has to click on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNMFVYRVVRg

FILE PHOTO

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you. ... (interrupted by applause) ... Thank you very much. As a little boy growing up in this town; this is awesome.

(APPLAUSE & CHEERING)

It is with a great deal of humility and a sense of service that I accept and appreciate and thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as the next national chairman of our very proud, our very strong and our very, very hard-working Republican National Committee.

(APPLAUSE & CHEERING)

To our friends, to those who support us, to those who believe in the ideals, those conservative principles that have made us the strong and proud party that we are, to Americans who believe in the future of this country, to those who stand in difference with us: it's time for something completely different. And we're going to bring it to them.

(APPLAUSE & CHEERING)

We're going to bring ... (interrupted by applause & cheering) ...

We're going to bring this party to every corner, every board room, every neighborhood, every community and we're going to say to friend and foe alike, "We want you to be a part of us, we want you to work with us and for those of you who wish to obstruct: get ready to get knocked over."

(APPLAUSE & CHEERING)

So, I want to thank all of you especially. I remember sitting in this body in 2000 and 2002 and I never thought this day would come.

I want to thank especially my friends in the territories, who, I can assure you--as I can assure all of you--you'll be a part of helping us build and grow this party in a way we have never seen before.

(APPLAUSE)

To my friends ... (interrupted by applause) ...

To my friends in the Northeast: get ready baby it's time to turn it on and work ... (interrupted by applause & cheering) and work to do what we always do well and that is to win. We're going to win again in the Northeast. We're going to continue to win in the South. We're going to win with a new storm in the Midwest. And we're going to get to the West and we'll going to lock it down and win there, too.

(APPLAUSE)

This is our opportunity ... (interrupted by applause) ...

This is our opportunity. I cannot do this by myself. As I've said to so many of you as we met, "This is about empowering you--our chairman, our national committeemen, our national committee women, to lead this party, to grow this party, to strengthen this party. We stand proud as the conservative party of the United States. And we will make sure that we work hard to make sure those principles, those values that have made us the party of Lincoln are part of the issues, are part of the policies, are part of helping set a new direction for this country.

We will cede no ground to anyone on matters of principle, on matters that matter to the people of this country."

So, my first official act as your new chairman is to end this speech right now.

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE & CHEERING)

Because we have a few more races to do, to fill out the leadership team that you will select to lead you the next two years. I look forward to visiting all of you in your neighborhoods, in your backyards as we grow and build the Republican Party of this country.

Thank you again for this honor ... (interrupted by applause) ... God bless you ... (interrupted by applause) ... God bless our party ... (interrupted by applause) ... Thank you.