Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One en route Springfield, OH, 11/02/2012

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Springfield, Ohio

3:07 P.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you for joining us on this short flight within the confines of the great state of Ohio.

Let me just tell you that this morning, President Obama held a conference call with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco to discuss the administration’s ongoing efforts to support state and local response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The President charged his team to focus on three key areas: First, he directed that especially in light of colder weather, temporary housing for those who have lost their homes, or lost heat or power should be a top priority.  Temporary housing assistance is made available through the individual assistance that President Obama expedited overnight on Monday. 

Second, he reiterated the need to restore power and alleviate gasoline shortages.  To that end, as you may already have seen, the administration has waived the Jones Act to allow ships to bring fuel from other American ports to the affected states, regardless of the ship’s country of origin.

Q    You announced that already, right, Jay?

MR. CARNEY:  It was announced earlier today.  That's why I said, as you may have already seen.

Q    Yes, I'm just checking.

MR. CARNEY:  Finally, or thirdly, the President ordered federal officials to lean forward in their interactions with local officials, not just waiting for requests but proactively helping officials process the situation and think about what they will need next and whether there are federal resources that can be brought to bear to assist them further.

With that -- let’s see if I have any more here on Sandy.  I do.  Some of the stuff that we talked about yesterday -- further, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of work to do, as we discussed.  We've seen what happened in places like Staten Island -- homes lost, cars destroyed, residents stranded in their own neighborhoods.  FEMA is on the ground in Staten Island, working with the state and local authorities there to try and get folks the aid they need.  And we've helped a caravan of Red Cross relief trucks get through to Staten Island to help meet basic necessities of the residents there.

Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano will travel to Staten Island with FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino, to meet with residents and local authorities to determine what more the federal government can do to aid the response.  I believe also the head of the Red Cross is there today.

The President has repeatedly emphasized that the road to recovery will be long and difficult, but we are going to keep at it and we will not be satisfied until everyone who needs help can get it.

With that, I turn it over to my esteemed colleague.

MS. PSAKI:  So real quickly, three quick things.  One, today is Katie Hogan’s birthday -- very important.  Hope you all wish her a happy birthday.

Q    How old?

MS. PSAKI:  I'm not sure.  We'll get back to you on that -- 22.  We'll make that up.

Two, as I did yesterday, just to give you guys a few quick stats on Ohio as we're focused there today:  23 percent of Ohio votes have already been cast.  And according to public polling, the President leads 62-35 among those who have already voted.  This means that Mitt Romney would need to win the remaining votes by 54 percent in order to tie the race on Election Day.

Voters in Democratic counties are voting at higher rates and outnumber voters in Republican counties.  And finally, Democrats are doing a better job getting our non-midterm low-propensity voters to the polls than the Republicans are -- more votes from Democratic counties are non-midterm voters -- sporadic voters, as we like to say -- than voters from Republican counties.

The last thing I just wanted to add is, obviously the President has been talking about autos today; he'll do that again at the final event today.  This is an important issue, as you’ve heard him say, not just because the facts are wrong in this ad the Romney team is laying out, but because this raises a question in the closing days of the campaign.  You have a candidate, our opponent, who is using scare tactics to run his campaign in Ohio. And I think people across the state are questioning whether this is somebody with the character that they want to be commander-in-chief.

Q    Jay, does the President believe that it’s appropriate for New York City to go forward with this weekend’s marathon, despite the fact that it will be a major logistical challenge and take potential resources from a city that’s still dealing with obviously the storm relief efforts?

MR. CARNEY:  The President is focused on mobilizing an unprecedented federal response to one of the worst storms in our lifetimes, and to get as much assistance as possible to those affected by the storm as soon as possible, working with state and local officials.

We engage with state and local officials and rely on them to tell us what their needs are.  That goes to the third point that I mentioned the President emphasized in his conference call this morning.  And we are working very closely with New York officials -- Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, and others, officials in New Jersey -- Governor Christie and others -- as well as in Connecticut to get this essential assistance to affected residents as quickly as possible.

Decisions at the state and local level are made, appropriately, by state and local officials.

Q    Has it come up on any of these conference calls he was in?  Because I know Mayor Bloomberg has pushed that it keep going forward.  Other state officials, though, have said they don't think it’s a good idea.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, again, this is something that state officials and local officials discuss.  It did not come up, as far as I know, on any of the calls the President has had.

Q    What about the -- anecdotally, in places like Elmwood Park, New Jersey, rationing gas hasn’t happened since the ‘70s.  Are they considering opening up Strategic Petroleum Reserves also?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I don't have any new measures to announce.  I can tell you that the President has broadly tasked his team with thinking creatively about ways to get assistance and to provide support for -- assistance to affected individuals and provide support for the state and local recovery efforts as quickly as possible.  And that effort continues.  And one element of that was waiving the Jones Act, and we’ll continue to look at other possibilities.

Q    Does tapping the SPR fall into that category of creative ideas?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t think I have anything specific to relay to you that’s on the table.  But I can certainly tell you the President wants his team to think creatively to make sure that assistance is provided as quickly as possible.

Q    Jay, U.S. officials have provided new details about the CIA’s role in defending the Benghazi consulate on the night of -- or the day of September 11th.  But the question has come up as to whether the White House focused in way on the sort of videotape in any way to sort of keep the CIA’s role hidden, I mean, because they didn’t want that to be the focus.  Is there any sense of that at all?

MR. CARNEY:  I didn’t -- the video?

Q    Yeah, I mean, that the attack on the consulate was based on this anti-Muslim videotape, that the focus would be on that, in any way to sort of cover up the CIA role.

MR. CARNEY:  That suggestion, which I haven’t heard, is completely false.  We provided information based on assessments made in real time by the intelligence community.  And as we’ve had more information come available, we have made it available to the public, through you.  And that process continues.  There are essentially two investigations underway:  one led by the FBI, one being conducted under the Accountability Review Board established by Secretary of State Clinton. 

And this President is very interested in ensuring that those investigations proceed wherever the facts may take them, and finding out what happened, bringing to justice those who are responsible for the deaths of four Americans, and learning lessons from this incident to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.

Q    Jay, there was apparently a death of a Secret Service agent yesterday in an apparent suicide.  Can you give us any details that the White House knows about that?  Has the President been informed?  And what else can you tell us about that?

MR. CARNEY:  I would refer you to the Secret Service for information about that.  We, here at the White House, are aware of it, and the President is, but I don’t have any details for you on it.

Q    The jobs reports -- obviously, this is the last one before the campaign.  You guys have been anticipating this for a while.  The President didn’t really mention it very much in his remarks.  How do you feel it’s going to have an impact on the campaign in the next few days?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, I mean, he did mention it during his remarks this morning, the President did.  I think that there are two questions that the American people sitting at home at their kitchen tables are asking themselves as it relates to the economy.  One is, how far have we come?  Have we made progress?  The facts are clear:  nearly 5.5 million jobs created over 32 straight months.  Manufacturing sector -- we’ve seen progress; we saw that in the numbers today.  And we’ve seen progress in people reentering the workforce.

The second question is where we go from here.  And as they’re looking at the choice in this election over the next few days, it’s which path do they feel is a better path.  So in that regard, that’s how we think people are thinking about the jobs numbers.  We don’t think -- and I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating -- that people are sitting at home, clicking refresh on their BLS websites.  It’s how does it impact them; what does it mean; and who has a better plan for the middle class moving forward.

Q    On the three states that Romney is trying to make a play for -- Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan -- are you guys still of the mind that the polls favor you there and that the President and the Vice President will not be traveling there between now and Election Day?

MS. PSAKI:  Yes.  Mitt Romney and his team are desperately seeking a path to 270, and they’re looking for any possible way. At this stage in an election, four days before Election Day, you want a path that you can drive a Mack truck through, not one that you can drive mini scooter through.  And they’re doing more mini scooter shopping than they are Mack truck shopping at this stage in the race.

If you look at any of those states, these are places where they’ve never been up in a poll.  They don’t have a ground game. And they don’t have a clear path to victory.  And they’re playing a bit of mind game here by trying to explore the ways they can get to 270 because they know Ohio is a tough nut for them to crack.

Q    So no travel from Obama or Biden?

MS. PSAKI:  Our travel has not changed over the next couple of days, nor has the Vice President’s.

Q    -- early voting this weekend in Ohio in particular where that was a subject of some litigation?

MS. PSAKI:  Sure.  As you know, we won that court case, which, fortunately, ensured that the people across Ohio, including military -- members of the military, could vote early. That’s great because it enables people to vote for three more days than they would have been able to. 

I mentioned the statistics -- more than 25 percent of people in the state have already voted.  We expect more people will continue to early vote this weekend.  As you know, the President will be back repeatedly and he’ll keep making that pitch this weekend.

Colorado and Nevada, today is the last day of early voting, which is one of the reasons we were there yesterday.  But we feel good about where we are.  We feel good about how it set us up going in Election Day.  And we think it poses a challenge for Mitt Romney and his team to overcome our early vote lead.

Q    -- the campaign to maximize the opportunity to vote?

MS. PSAKI:  As to why we’re going back this weekend?  Or --

Q    In this litigation, just to have as wide a window?  I mean, what’s the thinking there about having so many days to vote?

MS. PSAKI:  Yes, our focus has always been ensuring that anybody who’s eligible to vote has the opportunity to vote.  And we know people’s lives are busy.  We want to provide as much flexibility as possible.  That means expanded hours, expanded days where possible.  And we were thrilled that we won the court case because it gives that many more day for people across Ohio to early vote -- just in case who know what happens on Election Day.

Q    Just really quick before you go, can you -- how does the President plan to spend Election Day?  Because he already voted.

MS. PSAKI:  I’ll probably have to get back to you on that question.  He’ll be spending some time obviously doing some GOTV, radio and satellite TV throughout the day; some time with his family.  As of now, I don’t have any update on the schedule, so we’ll have to let you guys know as soon as we have more details on it.

MR. CARNEY:  Thanks, guys.

END
3:20 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President in Springfield, OH

Springfield High School
Springfield, Ohio

1:20 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Ohio!  (Applause.)  Thank you!  How’s it going, Wildcats?  (Applause.)  There definitely are some Wildcats in here.  (Applause.)  You're fired up!  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Fired up?  (Applause.)   

Can everybody please give Alicia a big round of applause for the great introduction?  (Applause.) 

It is great to see all of you!  (Applause.) 

For the past few days --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  I do.  (Applause.)  I do. 
For the past few days, all of us have been focused on one of the worst storms in our lifetime.  And everybody in Ohio obviously has been watching the images on TV.  We are so saddened by those who lost their lives.  We can only imagine what their families are going through, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. 

I had a call this morning with my emergency teams, and one of the things that I've emphasized to everybody on the East Coast -- people all around the country want to send a message, and that is we will stand with folks in New York and New Jersey and Connecticut every step of the way until they have fully recovered.  (Applause.)  That's a commitment we're making to them.

When I make those commitments, I don't make those commitments just as President.  I make those commitments on behalf of the American people.  (Applause.)  And what’s interesting is, during these kinds of crises, these disasters, as tough as it is and as sad as it is, we're also inspired because we see heroes running into buildings and wading through water to save their fellow citizens.  We see neighbors helping neighbors cope with tragedy.  We see leaders of different parties working to fix what’s broken, not to score political points.  We see a spirit that says no matter how bad a storm is, no matter how tough times are, we’re going to make it because we're all in this together.  (Applause.)  We rise or fall as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.) 

And that spirit, Ohio, has guided this country along its improbable journey for more than two centuries.  And it’s also guided us and carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last four years. 

In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs -- and this morning, we learned that companies hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.  (Applause.) 

The American auto industry is back on top.  (Applause.)  Home values, housing starts are on the rise.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than any time in the last 20 years.  Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  The war in Afghanistan is ending.  Al Qaeda has been decimated.  Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.) 

So we're on the move, Ohio.  (Applause.)  We’ve made real progress these past four years.  But the reason all of you are here today, the reason I'm here today, is because we know we’ve got more work to do.  As long as there’s a single American who wants a job but can’t find one, our work is not done.  As long as there are families working harder but falling behind, as long as there’s a child anywhere in this country who is languishing in poverty, barred from opportunity, our fight goes on.  We are not finished yet.  We’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)  

We're here because we understand this nation cannot succeed without a growing, thriving middle class – (applause) -- without sturdy ladders for folks who are willing hard to get into the middle class.  (Applause.)  Our fight goes on because America has always done best when everybody is getting a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules.  That’s what we believe.  That’s what you believe.  That's why you elected me in 2008.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!   

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, in four days, Springfield, four days -- (applause) -- just four -- four days for four years.  (Applause.) In four days, you’ve got a choice to make -- it’s not just a choice between two parties or two candidates.  It’s a choice between two different visions for America.  (Applause.)  It’s a choice between going back to the top-down policies that got us into this mess -- or the middle-out, bottom-up strategies that have gotten us out of this mess and are going to keep us going.  (Applause.)

As Americans, we believe in free enterprise, and we believe in the strivers and the dreamers and the risk-takers who are the driving force behind our economy.  That's how we create growth and prosperity, the greatest the world has ever known.  But we also believe that our economy does better, our businesses do better, our entrepreneurs do better when everybody has got a chance to succeed; when all our children are getting a decent education; when all our workers are learning new skills; when we support research in medical breakthroughs and new technologies.

We believe America is stronger when everybody can count on affordable health insurance and Medicare and Social Security -- (applause) -- when our kids are protected from toxic dumping and pollution; when our consumers aren't being taken advantage of by credit card companies or mortgage lenders.  (Applause.)  

We believe in a democracy where everybody’s voice is heard, where you just can't buy an election.  (Applause.)  And we believe in politicians that understand that there’s some things the American people can do better for themselves -- for example, that politicians in Washington, mostly men, shouldn’t be controlling health care choices that women can make perfectly well for themselves.  (Applause.)

For eight years, we had a President who shared these beliefs -- a guy named Bill Clinton.  (Applause.)  And so our beliefs were put to the test.  His economic plan asked the wealthiest Americans to pay a little bit more so we could continue to invest in our people, continue to invest in ideas and innovation, invest in our infrastructure.  And at the time the Republican Congress and a Senate candidate by the name of Mitt Romney --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no -- don’t boo, vote.  (Applause.)  Vote!  Voting is the best revenge. 

But at the time Mitt Romney said Bill Clinton’s plan would hurt the economy and kill jobs, it turns out his math back then was just as bad as it is today.  (Applause.)  Because by the end of President Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs, and incomes were up and poverty was down, and our deficit became the biggest surplus in history.  So our ideas were tried and tested, and they worked.  Their ideas were also tried, and they didn’t work out so well. 

Because remember, in the eight years after Bill Clinton left office, they tried this top-down economics, they tried this “you’re on your own” economics.  We tried giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.  We tried giving insurance companies and oil companies and big Wall Street banks a free license to do whatever they pleased.  We tried it.  And what did we get?  We got falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and we ended up with an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after ever since.  (Applause.) 

So we tried our ideas -- they worked.  We tried their ideas -- didn’t work.  Now, Governor Romney, he’s a very gifted salesman.  So he’s been trying in this campaign, as hard as he can, to repackage these ideas that didn’t work, the very same policies that did not work, and he’s trying to pretend that they’re change.  Have you heard him?  He’s going around saying, I’m the candidate of change.  Except, when you look at the policies, they’re the same ones that didn’t work. 

Now, the thing is, we know what change looks like, and what he’s selling ain’t it.  (Applause.)  Giving more power to the biggest banks -- that's not change.  Another $5 trillion tax cut that favors the wealthy is not change.  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies until after the election -- not change.

Ruling out compromise, pledging to rubber-stamp the tea party agenda in Congress -- that's not change.  That’s exactly what we need to change.  Kind of massaging the facts when they’re inconvenient to your campaign -- that's definitely not change.  That’s the oldest trick in the book. 

That’s what Governor Romney has been doing these last few weeks.  You’ve been seeing it.  Right here in Ohio, folks who work at the Jeep plant have been having to call up their employers because they’re worried; they’re asking if their jobs are being shipped to China.  And the reason they're worried is because they saw ads run by Governor Romney saying Jeep plants were going to be shipping jobs to China.  Of course, it turns out it’s not true.  The car companies themselves have told Governor Romney to knock it off.  Knock it off.  That’s what they said.  (Applause.) 
GM -- General Motors said, we think creating jobs in the United States should be a source of bipartisan pride.  That’s what they said, and they’re right.  I couldn’t agree more.

And I understand Governor Romney has a tough time here in Ohio because he was against saving the auto industry.  And the auto industry accounts for one out of eight jobs here in Ohio.  So I get that it’s a problem for him.  But you can’t run away four day, five days, six days before an election -- run away from that position, especially when you’re on videotape saying the words, “let Detroit go bankrupt.”  (Applause.)  He said it. 

And you can’t try to scare people.  Listen, this is not a game.  These are people’s jobs.  These are people’s lives.  The auto industry, they spend a lot of money advertising and branding, and letting folks know that we’re back and we’re here in America, and we’re making American cars with American workers.  And now, suddenly, you’ve got a guy going out there saying something that’s not true?  You don't scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes.  That's not what being President is about.  (Applause.) 

When I first made the decision to rescue the auto industry, some of you don’t remember this, but it was not very popular.  Even in Ohio and Michigan it wasn’t popular, but I knew it was the right thing to do.  Betting on American workers was the right thing to do.  Betting on American ingenuity and know-how and manufacturing, that was the right thing to do.  And that paid off, and it paid off in Lordstown, and it paid off in Toledo.  They’re creating new jobs right now -- not in China -- right here in Ohio, right here in United States of America.  (Applause.)  It was the right thing to do.

And so, as you think about the choice over these next four days, and when you’re talking to your friends and your neighbors and your colleagues, one of the things that’s important about electing a President is trust -- trust.  Is somebody going to say what they mean and mean what they say?  (Applause.)
 
After four years as President, you know me.  (Applause.)  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made.  Sometimes you may have been frustrated at the pace of change.  But you know what I believe.  You know where I stand.  You know I tell the truth.  (Applause.)  You know I’ll fight for you and your families every single day, as hard as I know how.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’m running for a second term, because I want to fight for you.  That’s why I need your votes, Springfield.  That’s why I need your vote, Ohio.  (Applause.)  

And I know what real change looks like, because I fought for it -- right alongside you.  And after all we’ve been through together, we sure can’t give up now. 

Let me tell you about the change we need over the next four years -- real change.  Real change is a country where every American has a shot at a great education.  This school that we’re in is an example of a school that’s making incredible reforms.  The Race to the Top program that we put together -- this is one of the winners of Race to the Top -- this school right here.  (Applause.) 

So we know how to raise standards and recruit great teachers, and become more creative in the classroom.  And our kids are going to succeed.  But you can’t tell me that more teachers won't help grow our economy.  Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford to go to college should just borrow more money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me; it probably wasn’t an option for a lot of you. 

That’s why I want to cut the growth of tuition in half over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)  That’s why I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so our kids don’t fall behind the rest of the world.  (Applause.)  That’s why I want to train 2 million Americans at our community colleges with the skills that businesses are looking for right now.  That’s what real change is.  That’s my plan for the future.  That’s the America we’re fighting for in this election.  Forward.  (Applause.) 

Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation.  The nice thing about the auto industry, we’re not just building cars again; we’re building better cars again, more advanced cars, better technology -- cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)  Today there are workers who are building long-lasting batteries and wind turbines all across the country and right here in Ohio.   These are jobs that didn’t exist four years ago. 

And I don’t want a tax code that subsidizes oil company profits when oil companies are already making a lot of money.  I want to support the clean energy jobs of tomorrow.  I want to support the new technology that is going to cut our oil imports in half by 2020.  I don’t want a tax code that rewards companies that are shipping jobs overseas; I want to reward companies that are taking root right here in Springfield, Ohio.  (Applause.)  Right here in Lordstown, in Toledo, in Youngstown. 

I am confident about a renaissance, a resurgence of American manufacturing.  And that’s good for the entire economy.  That’s the future I see for this country -- making stuff again, selling it all around the world; products stamped with three proud words: Made in America.  (Applause.) 

Change -- real change -- is turning the page on a decade of war so we can do some nation-building here at home.  As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will pursue our enemies with the strongest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  But it’s time we use some of the savings from ending the war to pay down our debt, rebuild America, put folks back to work right now, repairing roads and bridges, schools all across this country. 

And let’s put our veterans back to work -- (applause) --because who’s served us, protected us, fought for our freedom should not have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  That should be our priority.  That’s my plan to keep us strong.  That's my commitment to them.  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  (Applause.)

Want to talk about real change?  Let’s talk about how we reduce our deficit in a balanced and responsible way.  I signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending cuts; I’m ready to do more.  I will work with Democrats and Republicans.  But if we’re serious about reducing the deficit, we’ve also got to ask folks like me, the wealthiest Americans in the country to go back to paying taxes at the same rate when Bill Clinton was in office.  (Applause.) 

Millionaires and billionaires, they’re not going to be going to the poorhouse because they paid a slightly higher tax rate.  They’ll be fine.  And if we’re going to be serious about reducing the deficit you’ve got to make choices.  You can’t just reduce the deficit on the backs of the middle class, on the backs of the poor. 

As long as I’m President, I’m not going to turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  I’m not going to make it more expensive for young people to go to college just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  I’m not going to eliminate investments in research and science that are the key to our future just to pay for a millionaire’s tax cut.  That's not who we are.  Those aren’t the right priorities.  (Applause.)  That's not real change.

We know what real change is.  We know what the future requires, and we also know it’s not going to be easy.  I talked about this in 2008 -- some people forgot.  But in 2008, I said back then, when I talk about change that we can believe in, I’m not just talking about changing presidents or changing parties;  I’m talking about changing our politics. 

I ran the last time and I’m running this time because the voices of the American people -- your voices -- had been shut out of our democracy for way too long by lobbyists and special interests, and politicians who will do whatever it takes to just keep things the way they are.  The protectors of the status quo in Washington, they fought us every step of the way on everything we wanted to do.  They spent millions of dollars trying to stop us from reforming health care; millions of dollars trying to stop us from reforming Wall Street.  They engineered a strategy, a gridlock in Washington, refusing to compromise anything, even on ideas that both Democrats and Republicans had supported in the past.

And what they're counting on now is that you’re going to be so fed up, so worn down with all the squabbling in Washington, so tired of all the dysfunction, that you’ll just give up, just walk away, and leave them to make the decisions.  They’re betting on cynicism.  Ohio, I’m betting on you.  (Applause.)  I’m betting on you.  I’m betting on the decency and good sense of the American people -- the folks I meet all across Ohio and all across this country.   

And that doesn’t mean that this is just a Democratic thing. When the other party has been with me to help middle-class families, I loved working with them.  We cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses; some of them cooperated. When we came together to repeal “don't ask, don't tell,” there were some courageous Republican senators who stood up.  I appreciate that.  I will work with anybody, of any party, to move this country forward.  (Applause.)  And if you really want to break the gridlock in Congress, then you better vote for leaders who feel the same way, whether they're Democrats or Republicans or independents.  You better work for folks who are putting people first, not the next election first.  (Applause.)

But I want everybody to be clear -- there are still going to be some struggles and some fights.  Look, I’m a very nice guy, people will tell you.  (Laughter.)  I really am.  But if the price of peace in Washington is cutting deals that kicks students off of financial aid, or getting rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or let insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, or eliminate health care for millions of folks on Medicaid who are elderly or disabled or poor -- I’m not going to make that deal.  I’ll fight against that deal.  (Applause.)  That’s a price I’m not willing to pay.  That's not bipartisanship.  That's not change.  That's surrender to a status quo that has hurt too many American families.  And I’m not going along with it.  (Applause.)  I’m not going along with it.  

I am a long ways away from giving up on this fight.  (Applause.)  I got a lot of fight left in me.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You’re not too tired?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t get tired.  I don’t grow weary.  I hope you aren’t tired either, Ohio.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  I hope you aren’t tired either.  

The folks at the very top in this country, they don't need another champion in Washington.  They’ve got lobbyists.  They’ve got PACs.  They’ve always got a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access.  They’ll always have influence in Congress.  But people who need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read every night -- the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day; the laid-off furniture worker who decides to go back to a community college and retrain at the age of 55 -- she needs a champion.  The restaurant owner who needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down -- he needs a champion.  The cooks and the waiters, and the cleaning staff working overtime in some Vegas hotel, trying to save enough to buy a first home or send their kids to college -- they need a champion.   
The autoworker who was laid off and never thought he’d go back to the line again, and then suddenly was called back in, and is now building a great car, filling him with pride and dignity
-- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)

All those kids in inner cities and small farm towns, and the rolling Virginia hills, or the valleys of Ohio, or right here in Springfield -- kids dreaming of becoming doctors and scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs and diplomats, and maybe even a President -- they need a champion in Washington.  (Applause.) Because they’re our future.  And the future will never have as many lobbyists as the status quo, but those children are our saving grace.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.) 

That’s what we’re fighting for.  And that's why I need you, Ohio -- to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure your voices are heard.  We’ve come too far to grow fainthearted.  Now is the time to keep pushing.  Now is the time to keep pushing forward, to educate all our kids and train all our workers, and to create new jobs, and rebuild our infrastructure, discover new sources of energy, broaden opportunity, grow our middle class, restore our democracy -- and make sure that no matter what you look like or where you come from, or how you started out, you make it in America if you try.  (Applause.)  That's what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.)  That’s why I need your vote.  

And if you’re willing to work with me, and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls with me, and turn out for me, we’ll win Ohio.  (Applause.)  We’ll win this election.  We’ll renew those bonds that tie us together as a people.  We’ll reaffirm that spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.) 

God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
1:48 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Hilliard, OH

Franklin County Fairgrounds
Hilliard, Ohio

10:47 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Ohio!  (Applause.)  O-H!  O-H!  (Applause.)  O-H!  Oh, it’s good to be back.  (Applause.)  Can everybody give Judy a big round of applause for the great introduction?  (Applause.)  Judy is an example of all the incredible volunteers who have been involved in this campaign each and every day, knocking on doors, making phone calls.  I love all of you, and I’m grateful to all of you for all the great work you guys have done.  (Applause.)

Give it up for your former Governor, our great friend, Ted Strickland.  (Applause.)  Poor Ted has got a cold.  He’s backstage.  He was -- he wouldn’t shake my hand.  (Laughter.)  He’s sick, but he’s still out campaigning.  Tireless.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Barack!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back, and I’m glad to be here.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Obama is -- (inaudible)!

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Settle down so we can see!

THE PRESIDENT:  I can tell this is kind of a rowdy crowd.  (Laughter and applause.)  All right, all right.

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughter.)  Thank you.  Well, listen, for the past few days, all of us have been focused on one of the worst storms in our lifetimes, in our history.  And I just got off the phone with my team, emergency management team, and got an update on what’s happening in New Jersey and New York and Connecticut, West Virginia, where there’s a whole lot of snow.  As a nation, we mourn those who were lost.  You can only imagine what so many families are going through right now. 

And the message I’ve sent every time I talk to people back East is we stand with the people of New York and New Jersey and Connecticut every step of the way in the hard weeks ahead.  (Applause.)  And there’s a lot of work that still remains to be done.

But we’ve also been inspired these last few days by the heroes who were running into buildings and wading through water; and the neighbors who were helping neighbors cope with tragedy; the leaders of different parties working together to fix what’s broken -- (applause) -- a spirit that says no matter how bad the storm is, no matter how tough times are, we’re all in this together.  (Applause.)  We rise or fall as one nation and as one people.

And that spirit is what’s guided this country for more than two centuries -- that idea that we’re in this together.  It’s carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last 200-something years, but also the last four years.  In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  And today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs; and this morning, we learned that companies hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.  (Applause.) 

The American auto industry is back on top.  (Applause.)  Home values and housing construction is on the rise.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in 20 years.  Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  The war in Afghanistan is ending.  Al Qaeda has been decimated.  Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)  We have made real progress.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Good job, man!  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughter.)  This guy had a lot of coffee this morning.  You’re fired up!  (Applause.)   

So, listen -- hold on a second.  We’ve made real progress, but we are here today because we know we’ve got more work to do.  As long as there’s a single American who wants a job and can’t find one; as long as there are families working harder but falling behind; as long as there’s a child anywhere in this country who’s languishing in poverty, and barred from opportunity, our fight goes on.  We’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)  

Our fight goes on because this nation can’t succeed without a growing, thriving middle class.  Our fight goes on because America always has done best when everybody has a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules.  That’s what we believe.  That’s why you elected me in 2008.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!   

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, Ohio, in four days, you have a choice to make -- and, by the way, I think you may have noticed that everybody is paying a lot of attention to Ohio.  (Applause.)  And rightfully so.  This is a choice not just between two candidates or two parties.  It’s a choice between two fundamentally different visions of America.  It’s a choice between going back to the top-down policies that crashed our economy, or adapting the kinds of policies that will make sure we’ve got a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)  That’s the choice. 

As Americans, we honor the strivers and the dreamers, and the risk-takers, the entrepreneurs, the small business people.  They’re the folks who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, and it’s been the greatest engine of growth and prosperity the world has ever known.

But we also believe in this country that people succeed, people start businesses, people work well in businesses when they’ve got a decent education, when they get a chance to learn new skills, when we support research into medical breakthroughs or new technologies.

We think America is stronger when we can count on affordable health care, and Medicare and Social Security; when there are rules to protect our kids from toxic dumping and mercury pollution.  (Applause.)  We think the market works better when consumers are protected from unscrupulous practices in the credit card industry, or from mortgage lenders. 

And we believe that no politician in Washington should control health care choices that women can make for themselves.  These are the things we believe.  (Applause.)

Now, for eight years, we had a President who shared our beliefs and his name was Bill Clinton.  (Applause.)  His economic plan asked the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more so we could reduce our deficit and invest in the skills and ideas of our people.  And at the time the Republican Congress and a Senate candidate by the name of Mitt Romney said that Bill Clinton’s plan would hurt the economy and kill jobs, it turns out the Governor’s math was just as bad back then as it was today.  (Applause.)

Because by the end of President Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs, and incomes were up and poverty was down, and we had the biggest surplus in our history instead of deficits.  So we know the ideas that we believe in work.  We know that their ideas don't work. 

For most of the last decade we tried what they want to do  -- giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans that we couldn’t afford.  We tried giving insurance companies and oil companies and Wall Street free rein to do whatever they pleased.  And you know what we got?  Falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after for the last four years.  (Applause.)

So we know what we want to do works.  We know what they want to do doesn't work.  We know what we want to do grows our middle class; what they want to do squeezes the middle class.  We know that our strategy makes sure that we bring our deficit down in a balanced way; their strategy ends up shooting the deficit up. 

So we know what the right choice is.  But let’s face it, Governor Romney, he’s a very talented salesman.  In this campaign he’s tried as hard as he can to repackage these same policies and offer them up as change. 

But we know what change looks like, and what the Governor is offering ain’t it.  Giving more power back to the biggest banks -- that's not change.  Another $5 trillion tax cut that favors the wealthy -- that's not change.  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies until after the election -- that's not change.  We’ve seen that before.  (Laughter and applause.)  Right?  We’ve seen that before. 

Ruling out compromise by pledging to rubber-stamp the tea party’s agenda in Congress -- that's not change.  And, by the way, when you try to change the facts just because they're inconvenient to your campaign, that's definitely not change.  (Applause.)

Trying to massage the facts -- that's not change.  That's just -- (laughter.)  Look, we’ve been seeing this out of Governor Romney and his friends over the last few weeks right here in Ohio.  You’ve got folks who work at the Jeep plant who have been calling their employers worried, asking is it true, are our jobs being shipped to China?  And the reason they're making these calls is because Governor Romney has been running an ad that says so -- except it’s not true.  Everybody knows it’s not true.  The car companies themselves have told Governor Romney to knock it off.  GM said, we think creating jobs in the United States should be a source of bipartisan pride.  And I couldn’t agree more.  (Applause.)

And I understand that Governor Romney has had a tough time here in Ohio because he was against saving the auto industry.  And it’s hard to run away from that position when you’re on videotape saying the words, “let Detroit go bankrupt.”  And I know we’re close to an election.  But this isn’t a game.  These are people’s jobs.  These are people’s lives.  These car companies are putting a lot of effort to make great products, but also to make sure that everybody in America knows how committed they are to making cars here in America.  And so you don't scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes.  That's not what being President is all about.  (Applause.)  That's not leadership. 

When I first made the decision to rescue the auto industry, I knew it wasn’t popular.  And despite the fact that one out of eight jobs in Ohio are connected to the auto industry in some way, it wasn’t even popular in Ohio.  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  I knew betting on American workers was the right thing to do, betting on American ingenuity and know-how was the right thing to do.  That paid off.  (Applause.) 

It paid off in Lordstown, where GM is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in their auto plant.  It paid off in Toledo, where Chrysler is adding more than a thousand new jobs on a second shift -- not in China -- right here in Ohio, right here in United States of America.  (Applause.)

And so one of the things I hope when you’re talking to your friends and your neighbors, they're trying to make up their minds these last few days, think about that -- think about the issue of trust; think about do you want a President who is going to actually tell you what he believes and what he thinks, or somebody who is going to --
AUDIENCE:  Lie!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, who’s going to -- well, change the facts.

After four years as President, you know me.  (Applause.)  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made.  You may be frustrated sometimes at the pace of change.  But you know what I believe.  You know where I stand.  You know I tell the truth.  (Applause.)  And you know that I’ll fight for you and your families every single day, as hard as I know how.  You know that.  (Applause.)  

And you know that I know what real change looks like, because I’ve fought for real change.  (Applause.)  And you’ve helped me every step of the way.  After all we’ve been through together, we can’t give up on real change now. 

Change is a country where Americans of every age have the skills and education that are needed for getting a good job.  And let me tell you, when I hear folks saying hiring more teachers won't help this economy grow, they are wrong, because if we've got great teachers in the classroom, that's going to help our kids and it’s going to help our economy.  (Applause.)

Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow more money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me; it wasn’t an option for a lot of you.  That’s why I want to cut the growth of tuition in half over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)  I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so that our kids don’t fall behind the rest of the world.  (Applause.)  I want to train 2 million Americans at our community colleges with skills that businesses are looking for right now.  That’s what we're fighting for in this election.  That’s what real change is.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I’ve got your back!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation.  Today, the great news about the auto industry is we’re not just building cars again; we’re building better cars, innovative cars -- cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, here in Ohio, it’s not just cars that we're starting to manufacture again.  We're building long-lasting batteries and wind turbines all across Ohio, all across the country.  (Applause.) 

We've got to keep our cutting-edge technology and research and innovation and investment.  And I don’t want a tax code that subsidizes oil company profits when they’re making money hand over fist.  I want to support the energy jobs of tomorrow, the new technologies that will help cut our oil imports in half.  And I don’t want a tax code that rewards companies for creating those jobs overseas; I want to reward companies that are creating jobs in manufacturing right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  That's my plan.  That's what real change is.  (Applause.)

Change is turning the page on a decade of war so we can do some nation-building here at home.  As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will pursue our enemies with the strongest military that the world has ever known.  But it’s time to use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and winding down the war in Afghanistan to pay down our debt and rebuild America, repairing roads and bridges and schools all across Ohio, all across America. 

And let’s especially focus on putting our veterans back to work as they come home.  (Applause.)  We need to serve them as well as they’ve served us.  Nobody who fights for this country should have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  That's my commitment. 

Change is a future where we do reduce our deficit, but we do it in a balanced, responsible way.  I’ve already signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending cuts; I intend to do more.  But if we’re serious about the deficit, we also have to ask the wealthiest Americans to go back to the rates that they paid when Bill Clinton was in office.  (Applause.)  Because if I'm not paying a little bit more, and Governor Romney is not paying a little bit more, then the choice is to start cutting out help for young people trying to go to school.  It’s to hurt folks who are vulnerable and depend on things like Medicaid.  As long as I’m President, I will never turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  

I’m not going to make it more expensive for some young person who is working hard trying to go to school.  I’m not going to make them pay more just so I get a tax break that I don't need.  I’m not going to cut out some research grant to some outstanding young scientist that could have the next discovery for cancer just because I want a tax cut that I don't need.  That's not who we are.  That's not what change is.

We know what the future requires, and we know it won’t be easy.  Back in 2008, I told some of you, I said, look, I’m not just talking about changing presidents or changing political parties in Washington.  I said if we’re going to talk about real change, we’re talking about changing how our politics works.

I ran because the voices of the American people -- your voices -- had been shut out of our democracy for way too long by lobbyists and special interests; politicians who will do whatever it takes to keep things just the way they are.  And over the last four years, you’ve seen it -- the status quo in Washington has fought us every step of the way.  They’ve spent millions trying to stop us from reforming the health care system.  They’ve spent millions trying to keep us from reforming Wall Street.  They engineered a strategy of gridlock in Congress, refusing to compromise on ideas that both Democrats and Republicans in the past have supported.

What they're counting on now is that you’re going to be so worn down by all the squabbling, so worn down by all the dysfunction that you’ll just give up, walk away, put them back into power.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  In other words, Ohio, their bet is on cynicism.  My bet is on you.  (Applause.)  My fight is for you.  (Applause.) 

When the other party has been with me in that fight, I’ve worked with them.  Look, there have been times when Republicans cooperated on tax cuts for middle-class families and small businesses.  They were Republicans who helped us repeal “don't ask, don't tell”.  When they're about broadening opportunity and helping the middle class, we can work together.  But as long as I’m President, I’ve said I will work with anybody, of any party, to move this country forward.  If you want to break the gridlock in Congress, you’ll vote for leaders who feel the same way whether they're Democrat, Republican or independents.  (Applause.)

But I’m not just going to cut a deal that kicks students off of financial aid, or gets rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or let’s insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, or eliminate health care for millions on Medicaid who are poor or elderly or disabled.  If that's the price of peace, then I’m not going to pay that price.  (Applause.)  That's not bipartisanship.  That's not change.  That's surrender to the same status quo that has hurt the middle class and all those families who are trying to get into the middle class for way too long.

And, Ohio, I’m not ready to give up on the fight.  (Applause.)  I’m not ready to give up on the fight to make sure that the middle class is growing.  (Applause.)  I’m not ready to give up on the fight to make sure every child has opportunity.  I hope you aren’t either, Ohio.  I hope you aren’t either.

The folks at the very top -- the folks at the very top in this country, they don't need another champion in Washington.  They already have a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access and influence.  The people who need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read late at night; the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day; the laid-off worker who has gone back to a community college to retrain for the jobs of the future -- she needs a champion.  The restaurant owner who needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down -- he needs a champion.  The cooks and the waiters, and the cleaning staff at a hotel, trying to buy a first home or send their kid to college -- they need a champion.  (Applause.) 

The autoworker who had lost his job, wasn’t sure the plant would ever reopen, and now is back in that plant building a car and feeling the dignity and pride of doing a great job -- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)

Those kids in inner cities and small farm towns and the valleys of Ohio, rolling Virginia hills, right here in Hilliard, kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors or engineers or entrepreneurs and diplomats, or even a President -- they need a champion in Washington.  (Applause.)

The future will never have as many lobbyists as the past does, as the status quo does, as the vested interests do.  But it’s the dreams of those children that will be our saving grace.  It’s the dreams of those children that move us forward.  That's what we have to champion.

That's why I need you, Ohio -- to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure your voices are heard.  (Applause.)  We’ve come too far to turn back now.  We’ve come too far to grow fainthearted.  It’s time to keep pushing forward, to educate all our kids and train all our workers, create new jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, discover new sources of energy, broaden opportunity, grow our middle class, restore our democracy to make sure that no matter who you are or where you come from, you make it in America.  That's what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.)

Ohio, I’m asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  And if you’re willing to work with me again and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls for me, and turn out for me, grab your friends and neighbors and co-workers, we’ll win Ohio.  (Applause.)  We’ll win this election.  (Applause.)  We’ll reaffirm the bonds that tie us together.  We’ll reaffirm the spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth. 

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
11:14 A.M. EDT