Congressman Chris Cannon’s remarks:

I am not a George W. Bush Republican.  Nor am I a Ronald Reagan Republican.  I am a Utah Conservative.

Make no mistake – I proudly served in the Reagan Administration, and while my opponent was campaigning for Michael Dukakis, I was supporting the Republican nominee for President.  My point is that what really matters when it comes to representing the 3rd District in Congress is principled beliefs and the ability to turn those beliefs into results.
Jason Chaffetz gives a good speech.  I told him so as he left the podium at the convention. 

He is well packaged, and looks good on camera.  On the other hand, as Bob points out, I sometimes get too deep into a subject and lose my listeners with detail, but I know how to move legislation.  My record proves that.  And Congress is full of people who give great speeches, but have very little to show for it.  

I still believe we are the party of ideas.  I still believe we are the party that inspires through our message, not our messengers.  I believe we are the party of leaders, not cheerleaders.  I believe we are the party that can legislate, and inspire.  

I for one, refuse to believe we have been relegated to casual observers on the American stage.  I for one refuse to believe the Republican Party I worked my life to build is sidelined.  

I for one refuse to believe that my conservative roots are second to someone who spent his formative years tearing down our icons, while I spent them trying to build them up.  

I also refuse to believe we are out of power for the foreseeable future. There are over 60 members of the House of Representatives today who are in districts that President Bush won in 2004.  In addition, Democrats are not likely to reach 60 votes in the Senate. If John McCain becomes President, we will have the veto pen over pork barrel spending and other legislation.  If, on the other hand, Barack Obama becomes President, we will no doubt bear the fruits of his disastrous socialistic policies.

But, in one respect Bob is right, we will and do have work to do.  When we return to power - and we will - all the speeches and all the face time will mean nothing in an institution built by our founders to be labyrinthian in complexity and plodding in execution.  My opponent will say all the right things, but as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton compromised to create the Federalist Papers, so too must a member of Congress be willing to listen more often than he speaks.  He must also never let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  The breadth and depth to legislate our way out of this socialistic morass is staggering, but possible.

Imagine how far we have come since Jimmy Carter’s 90% tax bracket.  We are not where we need to be yet, but due to time and pressure, the two constants the Lord put to work in earth’s geology, America has gotten better, and we will continue to be the catalyst for that progress because we are the party of ideas.

My opponent will continue to try and label me as part of the problem.  His entire campaign is built on the premise that doing nothing is better than doing something. Stopping everything is better than working for something. 

Yes, I did vote for No Child Left Behind.  It was the promise of a new paradigm in education - local control and removing the federal government from the classroom.  I and many other conservatives wanted to give it a shot.  The Status quo was unacceptable and it seemed like hope.  It didn’t work out that way, and must be done away with.  

But imagine if on every issue, when presented with an option to change the status quo, we all did nothing.  That is what my opponent represents.  That is not the Republicanism of Ronald Reagan, who tore down that wall.  That is not the Republicanism of Abraham Lincoln, who epitomized the politics of the possible. 

That is the politics of fear.  The politics of prevarication.  And if I may say so, the politics of the Democrat Party.  If both parties stand astride history or a FoxNews TV screen, screaming NO at each other, it won’t solve problems.  Hard work, study, depth of understanding, and devotion to principle will.  Those are Utah values and Conservative credentials.  That is a Utah Conservative…that is me.   

Thank You.
- Rep. Chris Cannon