Transcript: Michael Williams
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The following are remarks by Michael Williams as prepared for delivery on September 2 at the 2004 Republican National Convention:
Ladies and gentlemen, the story I'm going to share goes back nearly a quarter of a century.
It's the story of an unlikely friendship between an African-American man from the other side of the tracks in Midland, Texas, and a Harvard graduate building his career in the energy business.
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I'm speaking about the friendship between me and a man named George W. Bush. From the time we first met, it was evident to me that George saw America as a land of opportunity. And more than that, he felt a personal stake in creating opportunity not just for some, but for everyone.
He was willing to work against the odds to help somebody realize the promise of this great country - somebody who could do nothing for him.
You see, twenty years ago, Midland had never had an African-American elected to office.
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When I decided to run, George W. Bush didn't just agree to vote for me. He agreed to be my campaign manager.
I have to admit, he's proved himself a far better President than campaign manager. We got stomped!
But with that defeat, he didn't lose faith in me. He also didn't lose faith in his vision of America.
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After he appointed me to the energy commission in 1998, I became the highest ranking African-American elected official in Texas state government.
Today, President Bush has one of the most diverse cabinets in American history.
I'm here to tell you first-hand that his commitment to inclusion goes back to a time when nobody was watching.
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It goes back to a time when we drove around Midland in his Oldsmobile, baby seats in the back, scattered with toys for the twins.
It goes back to a time when he did everything he could to avoid the dance floor at my wedding reception.
It goes back to a time when we rolled up our sleeves, grabbed our hammers, and put up the walls of a home for a Christmas in April project.
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And to a time when we chewed on sunflower seeds and visited with folks at the ballpark in the hot Texas sun. America has been a land of opportunity for me because George Bush believed in me a quarter of a century ago.
And you know what? I believe in him, too.