United States | The White House

[Odinson]

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THE EAST ROOM
Vice President Benjamin V. Sinclair
July 1, 2004

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"Good afternoon... At the request of President Gore who is out of the country, I will be delivering a statement regarding what has happened in New Caledonia. Firstly, on behalf of the President and the American People, I extend my sincerest condolences to the Kingdom of Poland for the loss of life of soldiers and any volunteers - all of whom were distributing aid on the islands. Polish troops are in New Caledonia at the invitation of the French government and are there for humanitarian purposes. A so-called revolutionary organization has murdered several Polish soldiers and is clamoring for the independence of New Caledonia.

"President Gore and myself have spoken with representatives from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency - as far as we can see there have been no official or legitimate attempts by this group to bring the question of independence up to the New Caledonian people, the French government, the Global Assembly, or through any other legitimate channels. Instead, they have chosen violence and the murder of people from a world away who were there to do nothing but help them feed their families. The actions by this terrorist group in New Caledonia are abhorrent and an afront to common human decency and the rule of law.

"At this time, we do not have a full account of exactly how many Polish casualties there have been in New Caledonia. However, American diplomats have expressed to the highest authorities in Poland that the United States will support their mission in New Caledonia so long as the French do, and we will support whatever means are necessary to evacuate Polish soldiers or assist them by other means. Remarkably, the State Department has confirmed to the White House that there are currently no Americans on New Caledonia or the surrounding islands.

"An American task force is being deployed to the Pacific. At this time, the United States has no plans for a permanent presence of American forces in New Caledonia, and we have not had any kind of invitation from the French or Polish government to station American forces there. With that being said, I want to emphasize that the United States recognizes that the Polish government and the Polish armed forces are in the lead of what is happening in New Caledonia. Outside interference from other state actors, if not welcomed by the Polish government, will be in direct contradiction of the policy of the United States government and this administration. We highly encourage all other governments to work directly with the Polish government before hastily organizing any kind of response in New Caledonia. Thank you."​

 

[Odinson]

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THE CAPITOL BUILDING
President Benjamin V. Sinclair
January 20, 2005

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"Vice President Blumenthal, Mister Speaker, Mister Chief Justice, President Ford, President Carter, Vice President Mondale, President Gore, reverend clergy, my fellow citizens... What you have just witnessed was not a victory for any political party or special interest. The Presidency and the Vice Presidency of the United States are now in the hands of men with no bounds to any political party, and an allegiance only to the Constitution and the United States of America. This gathering today, at this place and time, represents the end and beginning of several things, but is most importantly a continuation of our republic and a peaceful transition of power from a very estimable man to myself. For thousands of years, princes and kings and tyrants alike fought to the death and gripped the reins of power until their dying breaths. Since 1797, our republic is one of the few in the world where the people can truly choose their leaders, from the mayor of a town of 300 people, to the President of 300-million people.

"For over 200 years, the United States has forged its own destiny with the will of the American People as its rule and guide. America has endured times of great hardships and war, but we have stoically marched forward with the utmost fortitude and the strongest of national spirits. Our country has never been one that has relied on the government to bring forth fortune or greatness. The individual spirit of every American, guided by righteous moral character, has worked to build and support families, to invent technologies people only a generation ago could never even imagine, and to build businesses that have employed millions and brought them to the middle class. The people of this country have built charities that help Americans and people the world over, while contributing more to philanthropy than any people in any country anywhere in the world in all of human history. The character, morality, determination, and pure grit of our people is second to none... That begs the question, what is the role of government? The government of this republic exists to execute the will of the people, to protect them from harm, and ensure that they can perform the most sacrosanct American right of pursuing their happiness.

"Despite our rise from a fledgling republic to that shining city upon a hill, we are still human. We have made mistakes and suffered mishaps. In the past fifty years, we have slowly allowed critical industries in our country to slip away to other parts of the world. The growth of the middle class is not what it once was and, if we do not change our pace, we will see it shrink. If we continue on our current path, if we decide that the American People are destined for nothing more than to be part of a so-called 'service economy,' we will slowly watch the American Dream fade........ That will not happen under my watch. No matter the cost! No matter the sacrifice! No matter the politics! No matter what!!!

"In a hundred years from now, when historians look at this crucial time of change in world history, they will look back and see what we decided. They will see that we decided to grow our apples in Washington State instead of importing them from a thousand miles away, they will see that we made our cars in Detroit instead of overseas, they will see that we reopened the textile mills in Maine and that we are energy independent. Business interests, the richest men in the world, the tyrants who have ruled for a thousand years will all try to stop us. They don't want to see our country succeed, they don't want there to be a middle class, they don't want the life of an average American to be the envy of the world, they don't want you to support a family on one income, they don't want you to have a family - but you will! We are going to get there together, we are going to preserve our country and make sure that our children have a better nation than even we did. My fellow citizens: let - us - begin.

"We are going to rebuild Detroit, we are going to save New York City, we are going to lift up our schools to be the envy of the world, we are going to make the Rust Belt America's backbone again, we are going to rebuild our infrastructure, we are going to grow the middle class and save the American Dream! So help me God, we will have an American Renaissance!"​