"Tonight, we have a man with us who made that journey of conversion. A man who did not always know the evil of abortion, but he saw the truth. As our Governor during a debate on embryonic stem cell research, Mitt Romney took the courageous step of consulting the leaders of the medical and scientific communities to give him insight into what he knew in his heart was wrong.

"Mitt Romney was a great Governor, who served with honor and distinction. But most importantly, he was a pro-life Governor. He vetoed a number of pro-abortion pieces of legislation and made many pro-life appointments. He was always there for us. He's a busy man these days and we are extra fortunate that he and his wife Ann could be with us. Governor, you have been an inspirational leader in many ways. And if I may say so, Mitt, you're looking very presidential. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our friend, Governor Mitt Romney, to the podium as our 2007 Mullins Award Winner for Outstanding Political Leadership."