The American Dream is not living life on the dole; the handouts from the government. It is the opportunity presented to those who are here to move beyond their circumstances and improve life for their family. If you still believe in this dream you need to help change the path on which we currently are headed.

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You can watch the whole speech on C-Span by clicking here.

These comments are insulting to business men and women everywhere. No one disputes that there are many who work hard at their job. But…People still come to America believing that they can start their own job, work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and grow into a successful enterprise.

We’ve come a long way from Ronald Reagan’s belief and promotion of small business.

At AFP’s Defending the American Dream Summit in D.C. this weekend both Herman Cain and Mitt Romney were keynote speakers at the kick-off session. While Mitt said everything Conservatives might want to hear, it still felt ..  unbelievable – as if he were telling them what they wanted to hear and only what they wanted to hear. He did manage a standing ovation during his speech, but nothing like what happened when Herman Cain took the stage.

Herman got things started by asking “who’s teleprompters are these? I don’t need them!”  And then broke into a reverend-esque revival-style speech that seemed to electrify the crowd. Many may have seen the live stream of his speech on Fox, but I am fairly certain it could not have captured the energy coming from the crowd back at Mr. Cain.

Within just a few minutes of starting his speech, the crowd was on it’s feet. More cameras were in use by the crowd than for any other speaker, including Mitt – by far.

What’s important to note is not just that he did well with a crowd, but that he did well with this crowd. Conservatives that would spend money on a conference ticket, travel and hotel are very likely to be representative of “the 12%” – registered Republicans that actually vote in the primaries.

Throughout the speech Herman Cain received six (not that I was counting) roaring, full-room standing ovations from the crowd while communicating his major policy initiatives:

On foreign policy Herman said that we should persue “peace through strength and clarity.” “We should clarify who our enemies are and we should clarify who our friends are.”

Domestically he again discussed his 9-9-9 plan and went after the EPA’s recent over-reaches.

In addressing recent assertions that he was closely associated with the Koch brothers, Herman said, “I am the Koch brothers brother from another mother.”

As campaign stump speeches go, this one was successful. It was lackluster on detail and rich in soundbites. The upcoming debate between Herman and Newt may help voters understand his policies more in-depth, but this speech shows that he can excite the base even with allegations of sexual harassment hanging over his head.

At the “Cut Spending Now” session, Levin hit all the high points the audience was looking for and more. Federal spending, attacks on liberties and returning America to her former glory.

More and more of our fellow citizens are fed up with what this government is doing. We have a plan – the Constitution.

We have a jobs plan, it’s called capitalism.

We have a foreign policy – ya know what it’s called? Don’t tread on me!

I know the title says the Occupy D.C. protestors “resorted to nursery rhymes”, but after watching these two videos, it might come off like I’ve given them too much credit.  It’s just that I couldn’t fit “Protestors In D.C. Stand Around In An Unorganized Fashion And Continuously Shout The Same Five Words Over And Over Again” into the headline.  So… “Resort To Nursery Rhymes” is the headline you got.  Here it is.  Check it out, check it outers.

By the way, that cluster (situation) in the videos above was taking place at the “Defending The American Dream Summit” in D.C. this weekend, a summit that just happens to be attended by members from this website.  Hopefully they’ll update us on some of the “occupy” action before the weekend’s over.  Until then, here’s a write up that CDN’s Brian Cook did on his experience there so far.

So what do you guys think?  Did I give the protestors too much credit? (I sorta think I did…)  Or do you think they were just a bunch of fine Americans, exercising their 1st Amendment rights, and I was too hard on them?  Let us know in the comments below, or you can just stand in front of my house and yell the same five words over and over again.  After all, it is a free country…