Daniels Offers Tough Love to Conservative Crowd

[Valin]

Real Clear Politics:

Erin McPike
2/11/11

Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said his speech to the audience gathered at this year's Conservative Political Action Committee conference would be "different" than the rest of the speakers' addresses, and it was.

The potential presidential contender did not set out to fire up the crowd; rather, he served up tough love and laid out his vision for dealing with the nation's financial state. Daniels spoke to a slightly different audience than his potential competitors for the GOP nomination have so far; he spoke to the Ronald Reagan banquet, a fundraising dinner that attracts an older crowd of GOP donors who were receptive to his message.

He stayed true to his belief that fiscal issues are paramount and weaved in and out of dry laugh lines and grave language about the importance of getting spending under control, calling the nation's debt the "red menace."

(Snip)

[Geee]

Full text: Mitch Daniels’ speech to CPAC

 

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels

February 11, 2011 Remarks

Ronald Reagan Centennial Dinner

Conservative Political Action Conference

Washington, D.C.

 

Phyllis Schlafly, David Keene, George Will, good friends, thank you for the enormous privilege of this podium. Even a casual observer of American public life knows how many great ideas have been born here, how many important debates joined here, how many giants of our democracy appeared on this platform. When David broached the invitation, my first reaction was one I often have: “Who cancelled?” But first choice or fifteenth, the honor, and the responsibility to do the occasion justice, is the same. I am seized with the sentiment best expressed by Hizzoner, the original Mayor Richard Daley, who once proclaimed a similar honor the “pinochle of success.”

 

We are all grateful to our co-sponsors, the Reagan Foundation and the Reagan Ranch. How fitting that we convene under their auspices, as we close this first week of the centennial. Those of us who served President Reagan were taught to show constant respect for the presidency and whoever occupies it. But, among us alums, the term “the President” tends to connote just one of those forty-four men, that great man with whom God blessed America one hundred years ago this week.

 

The prefix in “co-sponsor” is meaningful tonight. It is no state secret that the two foundations have not always been co-operative, or co-llaborative, or co-llegial. So it is a tribute to the stature and diplomacy of David Keene that they have come together to produce so warm a moment as this. I am now converted to the view that yes, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be solved. Well done, David; Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded for far less.

 

I bring greetings from a place called Indiana. The coastal types present may think of it as a “flyover” state, or one of those “I” states. Perhaps a quick anthropological summary would help.

 

We Hoosiers hold to some quaint notions. Some might say we “cling” to them, though not out of fear or ignorance. We believe in paying our bills. We have kept our state in the black throughout the recent unpleasantness, while cutting rather than raising taxes, by practicing an old tribal ritual – we spend less money than we take in.

 

http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/11/full-text-mitch-daniels-speech-to-cpac/