Declaraciones del Presidente en la dedicación del Monumento Nacional a Cesar Chavez

Keene, CA

11:50 A.M. PDT 

EL PRESIDENTE: ¡Buenos días! ¡Buenos días! (Aplausos.) ¡Sí se puede! (Aplausos.) Gracias. Muchas gracias.

AUDIENCIA: ¡Cuatro años más! ¡Cuatro años más! ¡Cuatro años más!

EL PRESIDENTE: Gracias a todos. Muchas gracias. Estoy verdaderamente agradecido de poder estar aquí hoy. Es un verdadero honor estar aquí con ustedes en este día tan hermoso, un día que lleva mucho tiempo en llegar a hacerse realidad. 

A los miembros de la familia Chávez y aquellos que conocieron y amaron a César; a los hombres y mujeres que han trabajado tanto durante tanto tiempo por preservar este lugar: les quiero decir a todos, gracias.  La dedicación y la perseverancia de ustedes han hecho posible este día de hoy. 

Quiero reconocer a los miembros de mi Administración que han abogado por este proyecto desde su verdadero inicio: el Secretario Ken Salazar, la Secretaria Hilda Solís, Nancy Sutley. (Aplausos.)  Al Gobernador Brown, el Alcalde Villaraigosa -- (aplausos) -- el Congresista Grijalva -- están aquí presentes. Estamos agradecidos por su presencia. Y también quiero reconocer a mi querido amigo, alguien de quien estamos tan orgullosos, Arturo Rodríguez, el presidente vigente de la Unión de Trabajadores Agrícolas (UFW, por sus siglas en inglés). (Aplausos.)

Más que nada, quiero darle las gracias a Helen Chávez. (Aplausos.) En los años venideros, generaciones de estadounidenses llegarán aquí donde estamos actualmente y observarán una muestra de la historia, que es un tributo a un gran hombre y a un gran movimiento.  Pero para Helen, esta siempre será su casa.  Aquí es donde ella luchó por una causa conjuntamente con el hombre a quien amaba; donde crió a ocho hijos y consintió a 31 nietos y a 15 bisnietos. (Aplausos.) Es donde continua viviendo el resto de sus días. 

Así es que, Helen, hoy todos somos tus invitados.  Agradecemos tu hospitalidad, y puedes sentirte en plena libertad de decirnos que nos marchemos en el momento que quieras. (Risas.)

Hoy, La Paz se une a una larga lista de monumentos nacionales, que se extienden desde la Estatua de la Libertad hasta el Gran Cañón, monumentos que cuentan la historia de quienes somos como estadounidenses.  Es una historia de maravillas naturales y de tesoros modernos; de batallas feroces y progreso silencioso.  Pero también es una historia de la gente, de personas determinadas, valientes y llenas de esperanza que siempre han estado dispuestas a dedicar sus vidas a hacer a este país un poco más justo y un poco más libre.

Una de esas personas descansa aquí, debajo de un jardín de rosas al pie de una colina que él acostumbraba a subir para ver la salida del sol.  Así es que hoy celebramos a César Chávez. (Aplausos.)

César sería el primero en decir que este no es un monumento a un solo hombre.  El movimiento que él ayudó a liderar estuvo sostenido por una generación de organizadores que unieron fuerzas y dieron a conocer sus opiniones y exhortaron a otros a hacer lo mismo, incluyendo a la gran Dolores Huerta, que está aquí presente hoy. (Aplausos.) 

Este movimiento consiguió fuerzas de estadounidenses de todas las razas y antecedentes que marcharon y boicotearon juntos en nombre de “La Causa”.  Y siempre estuvo inspirado por los propios trabajadores agrícolas, algunos de quienes se encuentran aquí con nosotros.  Este lugar les pertenece a ustedes también.

Sin embargo, la realidad es que nosotros no estaríamos aquí si no fuese por César.  Habiéndose criado como hijo de trabajadores migratorios que había perdido su casa durante la Gran Depresión, César no fue un hijo fácil para sus padres.  Él se describía a sí mismo como caprichoso. (Risas.) Caprichoso. Su hermano Richard usaba otra palabra para definirlo -- (aplausos) -- testarudo.

Para cuando César llegó al 7° grado, este estimaba que había asistido a 65 escuelas elementales; al seguir los ciclos del cultivo con su familia, trabajar en diversos trabajos, a veces vivir en tiendas de campaña a los lados de las carreteras sin tener electricidad ni agua potable.  No fue una niñez fácil, pero César siempre fue diferente.  Mientras otros muchachos podían identificar los automóviles más populares, él se memorizaba los nombres de los líderes sindicalistas y los políticos. 

Después de servir en la Marina de Guerra de EE.UU. durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, César regresó a los campos.  Era una época de muchos cambios en EE.UU. pero, con demasiada frecuencia, ese cambio se definía en términos de guerra y paz; blanco y negro, jóvenes y viejos.  A nadie parecía importarle los trabajadores agrícolas invisibles que recogían los alimentos de la nación, doblados sobre sí mismos bajo el ardiente sol, viviendo en la pobreza, engañados por los dueños de los cultivos, abandonados en su vejez, e incapaces de poder exigir siquiera los derechos más básicos.

Pero a César sí le importaba.  Y, en su propia manera pacífica y elocuente, hizo que esto le importara también a otra gente.  Una marcha que comenzó en Delano con un puñado de activistas -- (aplausos) -- concluyó a 300 millas de distancia en Sacramento con una multitud de 10,000 personas.  (Aplausos.) Un boicot de las uvas caseras que comenzó en California eventualmente obtuvo 17 millones de partidistas en todo el país, lo que obligó a los cultivadores a acceder a algunos de los primeros contratos con los trabajadores agrícolas en la historia.  Donde en un momento hubo desesperanza, César les dio a los trabajadores un motivo de esperanza.  Él dijo que, “Lo que [los cultivadores] no saben es que no se trata de bananas ni de uvas ni de lechuga.  Se trata de la gente".

Se trata de la gente.  Más que salarios más altos o mejores condiciones de trabajo, ese fue el regalo que nos hizo César, un recordatorio de que todos somos hijos de Dios, que toda vida tiene valor y que, según lo dijo uno de sus héroes, el Dr. King, “estamos atrapados en una red inescapable de mutualidad, unidos en un mismo tejido del destino”.

César no creía en ayudar a aquellos que se niegan a ayudarse a sí mismos.  Sin embargo, él sí creía en que, cuando alguien que trabaja 12 horas al día en los campos puede ganar lo suficiente para comprar comida para los suyos y tal vez ahorrar algo para poder comprar su casa, eso hace más fuertes a nuestras comunidades y fomenta nuestra economía completa.

Él creía que, cuando a un trabajador su empleador lo trata con justicia y humanidad, eso le aporta significado a los valores en que se fundó este país, y credibilidad a la idea de que siendo muchos realmente somos uno solo.

Y él creía que, cuando un niño en cualquier lugar de EE.UU. puede soñar más allá de sus circunstancias y trabajar para convertir ese sueño en realidad, eso aporta un poquito más de satisfacción al futuro de todos nosotros. (Aplausos.)

Fue esa visión, esa creencia en el poder de la oportunidad, lo que impulsó a César todos los días de su vida.  Es una visión que indica que, tal vez nunca tuve la oportunidad de obtener una buena educación, pero quiero que mi hija vaya a la universidad.  Tal vez yo comencé trabajando en los campos, pero algún día seré dueño de mi propio negocio.  Tal vez tenga que hacer sacrificios, pero esos sacrificios merecen la pena si eso significa una vida mejor para mi familia.

Esa es la historia de mis antepasados y de los de ustedes.  Es la promesa que ha atraído a generaciones de inmigrantes a nuestras costas desde todos los rincones del mundo, muchas veces corriendo grandes riesgos, atraídos por la idea de que, no importa quién uno sea, la fisonomía que uno tenga, o de donde provenga, este es el lugar donde uno puede tener éxito si lo intenta.  (Aplausos.)

Actualmente, tenemos más trabajo por hacer para cumplir esa promesa.  La recesión de la que estamos tratando de salir está causando estragos, especialmente en las comunidades latinas, que de por sí ya tenían tasas más altas de desempleo y de pobreza.  E, incluso con el progreso que hemos logrado, hay demasiados trabajadores a quienes aun se les niegan los derechos básicos y el simple respeto. Pero, gracias a la fortaleza y la entereza del pueblo americano, estamos logrando progreso.  Nuestros negocios están creando más empleos.  Más estadounidenses están reintegrándose a la fuerza laboral.

Y, a pesar de que todavía tenemos por delante un camino difícil que recorrer, yo sé que podemos seguir yendo adelante todos juntos. (Aplausos.)  Lo sé porque el mismo César trabajó durante 20 años como organizador sin lograr una sola victoria importante.  Piensen en eso. Pero él se negó a darse por vencido o a retractarse de sus sueños.  Él siguió ayunando y marchando y dando su opinión, con la confianza de que su día por fin llegaría. 

Y, cuando finalmente llegó, no quedó satisfecho.  Después de la lucha por conseguir salarios más altos, César presionó para obtener agua potable e indemnización a los trabajadores; planes de pensión y protección contra los pesticidas; siempre en movimiento, siempre luchando por el país que él sabía que podíamos llegar a ser.

Más que todo, eso es lo que yo espero que nuestros hijos y nietos deriven de este lugar. Cada vez que el hijo o la hija de alguien venga a aprender sobre la historia de este movimiento, quiero que sepan que nuestro camino jamás es un camino sin esperanza, y que nuestra labora nunca queda terminada.  Quiero que ellos tengan conocimiento de un hombre pequeño guiado por una fe enorme, en una causa justa, un Dios benevolente, y la dignidad de todo ser humano.  Y quiero que ellos tengan presente que el verdadero valor se da a conocer cuando la noche es oscura y la resistencia es fuerte y de alguna manera encontramos la valentía para defender aquello en lo que creemos.  (Aplausos. 

César escribió una vez una oración para los trabajadores agrícolas que termina con estas palabras:  

Que el Espíritu florezca y crezca;
Para que no nos cansemos entre la lucha 

Nos acordamos de los que han caído por la justicia;
Porque a nosotros han entregado la vida.

Ayúdanos a amar aun a los que nos odian;
Así podremos cambiar el mundo. (Aplausos.)

Nuestro mundo es un lugar mejor porque César Chávez decidió cambiarlo.  Honremos su memoria. Pero aún más importante, emulemos su ejemplo. (Aplausos.)

Muchas gracias, que Dios los bendiga. (Aplausos.) Que Dios bendiga a los Estados Unidos de América. ¡Sí se puede! (Aplausos.)

AUDIENCIA:  ¡Sí se puede! (Aplausos.)

EL PRESIDENTE: ¡Sí se puede! (Aplausos.)

AUDIENCIA: ¡Sí se puede! (Aplausos.)

EL PRESIDENTE: Gracias a todos. (Aplausos.)

                                      FIN                                   12:04 P.M. PDT  

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Bakersfield, CA, 10/8/12

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Bakersfield, California

9:48 A.M. PDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good morning, everyone.  Welcome aboard Air Force One as we make our way to Bakersfield, California, where, as you know, the President will be speaking about the designation of La Paz as a national monument.  We discussed that yesterday, can certainly take more questions on that if you like. 

I have no other announcements to make.  Jen may have something at the top.

MS. PSAKI:  Sure.  Just as a follow-up to a question you guys asked yesterday, because I'm here to please you -- on the fundraising the 48 hours after the debate, I know the Romney team released their number, which I believe was $12 million in the 48 hours.  I can tell you because of a strong response from our grassroots supporters, from people who want to see the President go back for another four years, that we raised more than that in the 48 hours following the debate.  In fact, if you look back at our numbers from September, that's about the daily average -- about $6 million a day if you were to do the daily average of our numbers in September.

So I don't have any other specifics than that, but I just wanted to get back to you on that particular piece.

Q    What made you decide to tell us that?  Because usually you guys don't reveal those sorts of things in the middle of the cycle.

MS. PSAKI:  We have before.  And I think it was just important to remind you that we have a lot of people out there who are excited to see the President go back for another four years; that we had 30,000 people in Wisconsin last week; we've had an overwhelming response from our grassroots supports.  And it was something you asked and it was something I was able to deliver the information on.

Q    You can't give us the exact number, just that it was more than $12 million?

MS. PSAKI:  I cannot.  More than $12 million.

Q    Jen, before the debate, the campaign told us that you expected Romney to do well; that wasn’t the measure, the measure was what comes of it.  Particularly in states like Ohio, will we see any changes?  Can you speak from the campaign's perspective whether you are seeing any changes, whether there is any tightening of the polls?

MS. PSAKI:  I'm not going to speak to our internal poll numbers, as I'm sure comes as no surprise to you.  We've long said long before the debate that we expected the race to tighten and we don't expect that in the polls that showed us 10 points and even more points up in Ohio that that would be the final margin. 

But the people in Ohio are looking at who's going to be a better fighter for them in the White House.  And the decision -- the factors haven’t changed since the debate, so who's going to fight for middle-class tax cuts, who's going to fight to make sure kids have access to affordable health care, can go to college.  In Ohio, there are some specific issues, like who is -- who fought to bring the auto industry back.  We all know Mitt Romney wanted to let the auto industry go bankrupt, and one in eight jobs in Ohio relies on the auto industry.

We've been back to Ohio; we'll be back again.  We know there are many other states that we're going to be competing in and fighting for every last vote.  But the decision-making -- the issues that we were debating before the campaign and the choice between the candidates has not changed.  And that's one of the reasons the President's message has been so consistent, not just before and after the debate but for months.

Q    Has the President read or heard Mitt Romney's foreign policy remarks?  What's his reaction, and what's your reaction to the details that he laid out today?

MR. CARNEY:  I don't believe the President has read or seen the remarks yet, but we have, and I'll let Jen start.

MS. PSAKI:  Sure.  A couple things I'll say.  One is this is Mitt Romney's seventh attempt by our count to reboot his foreign policy.  When you're commander-in-chief you don't get to bring an Etch-a-Sketch into the Oval Office.  You don't get second chances, never mind seventh chances.

And as the American people are looking at what he had to say today, but also his record from the last few months, the areas that should be of concern are that this is somebody who leads with chest-pounding rhetoric.  He's inexperienced.  He's been clumsy at his handling of foreign policy.  And most of all, all of these factors lead to a risk that we're going to go back to the same policies that led us to some of the challenges we faced in the last few years.

He's surrounded himself with people who are out of the mainstream.  And I just want to highlight a couple of things that were in the speech that stuck out to us.  One is that he doubled down on comments he made in a closed door -- the 47 percent closed-door event that we’ve all chatted about quite a bit, where he talked about leaving troops in Iraq.  He led -- he said today that that’s something that he didn’t think the handling was done correctly. 

The President disagrees with him on that.  Obviously we’ve drawn down our troops in Iraq.  They have a strong difference of opinion.  And that’s one of the President’s proudest accomplishments.

Second is he indicated that the President hadn’t signed trade agreements.  That is not only absurd, it’s inaccurate.  He’s basing it on an absurd premise that President Bush signed a couple of trade agreements, but the fact remains that the President renegotiated the trade agreements -- made them better for American workers, made them better for the American auto industry and the American meat industry -- and that’s why we not only got them through Congress, but the President actually signed them into law.

So overall, we heard a lot of rhetoric, an out-of-the-mainstream rhetoric from Mitt Romney this morning.  It doesn’t change the fact that the American people have some serious questions about whether he’s prepared to be Commander-in-Chief.

Q    Jen, who would you describe as being -- in Romney’s foreign policy circle as being outside the mainstream?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, he’s surrounded himself with a number of people who were advisors to past President Bush, people who have been saber-rattling -- have used saber-rattling rhetoric when it comes to Syria and Iran, and that’s something that we think the American people should take a look at.

Q    Can you comment on his -- he didn’t mention China and obviously that’s been a big campaign issue.  Were you guys struck by that in any way? 

And also, Jay, if you could address what he said about Egypt in terms of putting conditions on U.S. aid?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, on Egypt I would simply say that this President has supported the people of the region in their historic attempt to transform their countries and their governments into ones that are responsive to the interests of the people, that are more democratic and more able to create prosperity for more people.  And that has been true in Egypt as it has been true throughout the region.

The President believes we need to support a democratic transition in Egypt.  And one of the things that I think is striking about the speech that Governor Romney gave is that on the one hand he says -- he suggests the President hasn’t been supportive enough of the democratic aspirations of people in the region, and on the other hand he suggests that we should withdraw our conditioned support for those who are trying to achieve a brighter future, a more democratic future in the region.

Contradictions are, I know, fairly prevalent in his statements about foreign policy as well as other policy, but this is particularly striking. 

On China, I can simply say that this President’s policy is clear.  We have a broad and deep relationship with China that is extremely important.  We cooperate in a number of areas, but we are clear with the Chinese on matters where we disagree.  And when there are issues that we have with the Chinese in terms of trade policy that put American workers and businesses at a disadvantage, this President acts.  And he has acted at a rate before the WTO that -- twice of his predecessor.  And in all of those actions that he’s put before the WTO, the United States has prevailed.  And I think that demonstrates this President’s commitment to American workers and American businesses. 

MS. PSAKI:  I’ll just add, I mean, it is striking that -- obviously I didn’t go through every single piece of the speech -- that on an issue like China, where Mitt Romney has gone out there and used so much heated rhetoric about how the President isn’t the right leader, the President doesn’t have the right plans, that he would fail to talk about it.  And it kind of harkens you back to him failing to talk about Afghanistan and failing to talk about the troops in his convention speech.

So the question is, we don’t know what kind of commander-in-chief Mitt Romney will be, and all we can -- would be.  All we can delve into is kind of who he surrounds himself with, his rhetoric and his repeated attempts to reboot his policies.

MR. CARNEY:  I think it’s important as a matter of policy to look at what he said about Iraq.  This was a long military engagement that President Obama, when he ran for office, made clear that he would end more responsibly than it was begun under President Bush.  That is a commitment the President made and it is a commitment that he fulfilled, a promise that he kept.

In what seems simply to be an attempt to draw a distinction with this President without any policy forethought, Governor Romney is now saying we should have tens of thousands of troops still in Iraq.  And this President is happy to debate that issue, because he profoundly disagrees.  And that is why he kept his promise and withdrew all of our forces from Iraq.

In Afghanistan it’s the same thing.  This President inherited a policy that was adrift, that was under-resourced, that Governor Romney had supported and other Republican leaders had supported.  He kept his commitment to redouble our efforts against al Qaeda, to fully resource our mission in Afghanistan, to hone that mission so that its objectives were clear and achievable.  And he has fulfilled that, and we are now in the process of drawing down our presence in Afghanistan and ending that war.

Q    Is there anything besides -- keep mentioning Iraq -- that you saw that was different with what Governor Romney said and where the President is on certain policies?  He talked about Syria, he talked about army opposition, but his staff says that that would be done through other partners, not directly by the U.S.  Did you -- anything notable in what he said about Iran?  He also said that he supports the 2014 drawdown in Afghanistan.  I mean, it sounds like they’re pretty similar in terms of where they stand on a number of these issues.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I would just say, as matters of policy, this has been frequently the case -- that on Iran, for example, there has been a lot of heated rhetoric and chest-thumping, but every concrete prescription that the President’s critics, including Governor Romney, have put forward -- concrete prescriptions that make sense have been acted on.  We have the most intense sanctions regime in history -- an effort this President has led internationally.  We have diplomatic isolation and international isolation that’s unprecedented in history, and it’s having a profound impact on both the Iranian economy and the Iranian regime’s internal political structure.

On Israel, there’s an attempt to draw a distinction and to suggest that this President’s commitment to Israel’s security is not strong, and yet Israel’s leaders themselves have said that military cooperation and support, and intelligence cooperation and support from this President and this administration is unprecedented in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. 

Those are the facts.  And this President’s foreign policy record is very strong.
 
Q    Speaking of foreign policy, can you react to the election results in Venezuela?

MR. CARNEY:  The Venezuelan National Elections Commission has declared that President Hugo Chavez won reelection, I believe roughly 54 to 45 percent, with 90 percent reporting.  We congratulate the Venezuelan people on the high level of participation, as well as on what was a relatively peaceful election process.  I would note the challenger has conceded the race.

Q    Do you have anything else to say about Chavez?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, we have our differences with President Chavez, but we congratulate the Venezuelan people on a process that included high levels of participation.

Q    A quick follow-up on Syria.  Do you see any distinctions between the President’s positions on how to handle that crisis and what the Governor says in his speech?

MR. CARNEY:  Short of -- I think the President has been very clear about what our interests are:  Assad must go.  We must work with our friends and allies around the world and in the region to put pressure on Assad to make clear that Syria's future cannot include him because the Syrian people demand a transition and a change.
 
And we have worked very closely with the Friends of Syria.  We have worked through -- or attempted to work through the United Nations Security Council, and we continue to work with our allies and partners to help bring about that change.  We provide substantial assistance, humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and substantial non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition.  We work with our partners to help the Syrian opposition form itself.  And we support those elements in the opposition that aspire to a democratic and inclusive future for Syria.

MS. PSAKI:  One thing I would just add is -- I mean, I would flip this question to Mitt Romney and his team.  He said that the President and his team are not doing enough when it comes to Syria, when it comes to Libya, and several events in the Middle East.  What exactly are they suggesting we do?  What exactly is their plan and their proposal?  So if they’re going farther, they should say that.

Q    Can I ask you a politics question?  So last night at two of the fundraisers where the President made public remarks, he talked about basically not knocking it out of the park with the debate.  And I’m curious why he’s decided to incorporate that into his speeches.  Is it -- does he feel that his supporters want to hear an acknowledgement from him that the debate was less than perfect?  And is this a message we’ll hear going forward?  Basically, what’s the strategic thinking in his comments twice last night?

MS. PSAKI:  I think the President was having a light moment last night, acknowledging that it wasn’t his best performance, that his opponent had a much more theatrical performance.  And I think it’s nothing more than that.

And the majority of the President’s remarks last night and moving forward will be about the choice in this election and the differences between their policies and what’s at stake.  And that’s what he thinks is the most important.

MR. CARNEY:  Thanks, guys.

Q    Thank you.

END
10:04 A.M. PDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

8:26 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  First of all, you just heard from the future of the Democratic Party -- the great Mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro.  (Applause.)  We're so proud of him.

There are so many people I could thank tonight, so I'm just going to focus on three individuals.  First of all, my unbelievable Southern California co-chairs -- John Emerson and Ken Solomon.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  They have been tireless in their efforts.  They have been unbelievable.

The other person that I want to acknowledge in particular -- because I said this to them privately, I've got to say it publicly -- Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg have been -- (applause) -- they have been tireless and stalwart and have never wavered through good times and bad since my first presidential race, back when a lot of people still couldn't pronounce my name. (Laughter.)  And I will always be grateful to them for just the incredible support that they've given.  So thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thanks, both of you. 

Some of you are aware that -- well, all of you are aware that Michelle and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary.  (Applause.)  And the actual anniversary date was not that romantic.  (Laughter.)  There was some speculation as to whether this had an impact on my performance.  (Laughter.)  But I did make it up to her on Saturday.  We went out to dinner, a date night.  And it was a wonderful evening.  It was a private room, because people kind of lean over and start listening if we're in the booth next to them.  (Laughter.)  And Secret Service gets nervous.  (Laughter.)

And we had this wonderful young waiter, and he brought us all our stuff, and he was patient with us as we were dawdling over the menu.  And we were milking it for all it was worth because we don't get out that often.  But at the end of the dinner -- it was very professional, very unobtrusive -- but at the end of the dinner he just said, I wanted to just say how much I appreciate you because you saved my mother's life -- because my mother had a stroke, she wasn’t yet qualifying for Medicare, and because of the Affordable Care Act, we were able to get her coverage that allows her to take her medicines and is keeping her alive.

And it reminded me of why we do this.  I am a fairly competitive guy.  Clooney has played basketball with me.  (Laughter.)  And I don't like to lose -- especially not to actors.  (Laughter.) 

MR. CLOONEY:  We were on the same team.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  We were on the same team.  I put him on the team -- and we did win.

MR. CLOONEY:  That's right, we did.

THE PRESIDENT:  And so sometimes during the course of campaigns, we get caught up in the sport of politics, and the ups and the downs, and doing the this and the that, and how much money did we raise and how many doors have we knocked on.  And all that's important, but it is in service of that waiter, Anthony's mom.  Or some young girl in Phoenix who's going to be able to get the surgery that she needs because the insurance company can't impose a lifetime limit. 

Or the auto worker in Toledo who was laid off his job and couldn't figure out how he was going to support his family, and had to have that conversation with his kids explaining how dad is out of work right now and so we're going to have to tighten our belts, and we're not sure we're going to make the mortgage payments.  And then suddenly the plant reopens and people come back to work.  And it's not just about a paycheck but it's about that sense of being part of a community and building something that's worthwhile, and holding your head high and knowing your kid looks up to you because you're looking after him and building for his future.

That’s why we do what we do.  That’s why I got into this business.  And there are times during the course of a presidency when you are so focused on policy and Congress and data and analysis, and yet one of the wonderful things about the presidency is that at least once a day, you’re reminded that’s why you do it.  That’s why you fight.  That’s why whatever controversies or press or all that stuff that comes up, it all, in the end, is worthwhile because you know that you’re in some small way helping a whole bunch of people realize their dreams.

And that’s what’s at stake over the next 30 days.  It’s not clinging onto an office.  It’s not about power.  It’s not about perks.  It’s not about winning.  It’s about, can we sustain -- over the next 30 days, and then over the next four years, and then over the next decade, and then over the next two decades -- that sense that there’s something about this country that allows everybody to get a fair shot, and allows everybody who is willing to work hard and take responsibility to chase their dreams. 

It doesn’t guarantee people success.  It doesn’t guarantee that they’re not going to hit bumps in the road and there are not going to be tragedies in their lives.  But the idea that in this country everybody counts, and that for all our individual initiative and self-reliance, we also do some things together as one people and one nation -- that’s what the next 30 days is about.  And that’s why I intend to win.  That’s why we’re going to be working so hard to win.  (Applause.) 

Most of you guys are pretty familiar with policy, so I won’t bore you with too many details.  But I can’t recall an election in my lifetime in which the contrasts are sharper or the stakes are higher.  We are going through this incredible transformation, not just here in the United States, but globally.  The world has shrunk.  It’s more competitive.  There are huge opportunities to create peace and security and prosperity, but there are also enormous possibilities of the American Dream shrinking and the world becoming more dangerous.  And on each and every issue that we’re talking about, my opponent and I just have very different ideas about where we need to go. 

I believe that we’re going to have to have the kind of economic policies that reward investment here in the United States and create more opportunities for businesses to thrive.  My opponent, his basic view is that the status quo of doing as little as possible, unimpeded as possible for folks who are moving jobs overseas, or not providing their workers health care, or you name it, that that kind of status quo is acceptable.  I disagree.

When it comes to education, he is prepared to gut our investments in education and college in order to provide tax cuts to people in this room who don’t need them and weren’t asking for them.  I think that us making investments in early childhood education, and making sure that our high schools are graduating kids that are capable of learning, and making sure our community colleges are there to train our workers for the jobs that are out there right now, and maintaining tuition that's affordable for young people -- I think that's absolutely vital.  That's how we win the race to the future.

On energy, I’m big on oil and gas, and developing clean coal technology, but I also believe that if we’re ever going to have control of our energy future, then we’ve got to invest in solar and wind and biofuels, and that it does make sense for us to double our fuel-efficiency standards on cars.  And that's not a socialist plot -- (laughter) -- for us to reduce our energy usage.  It’s the smart thing to do.  It’s right for our national energy.  It’s right for our economy.  It’s right for the environment.  He disagrees. 

I think that it’s going to be important for us to make sure that as we reduce this deficit, we do it in a way that's balanced and fair.  And I have to tell you, after four years of having a pretty good front row seat on the federal government, there's no doubt that there are things that we can do smarter.  There are aspects to the federal government that were designed in the 1930s and need to be redesigned and there are savings to be had.  And we’ve gone after waste and fraud and regulations that aren’t working, and we’re going to continue to be as aggressive as possible on that.

But the bottom line is, is that there are certain things we need to pay for.  And when my opponent proposes $5 trillion worth of tax cuts, $2 trillion of additional military spending that our military is not asking for, and doesn’t provide a single detail on how to pay for it, what that means is either we’re going to be blowing up the deficit or we’re going to be sticking it to folks who can’t afford it.  Somebody is going to pick up the tab. 

And I don't want it to be middle-class families who are just barely making ends meet.  I don't want it to be kids on Head Start who get kicked off and potentially foreclose a future -- their future.  I don't want it to be students who suddenly have to pay $1,000 more in tuition costs because they’re not getting the same level of Pell grants.  I don't want it to be some family that's got an autistic kid who needs help from Medicaid, or a senior in a nursing home whose family depends on that support.  I don't want it to be a senior who is relying on Medicare and just barely getting by.  That's not who we are.  That's not what we’re about.  And it’s not a smart way to grow the economy. 

So on every issue domestically we’ve got differences, and I haven’t even -- we haven’t talked about the fact that my opponent feels comfortable with Washington making decisions about women’s health care that women, Michelle tells me, are perfectly capable of making themselves.  (Laughter and applause.)

We haven’t talked about what's at stake with respect to the Supreme Court.  We haven’t talked about what's at stake with respect to civil liberties.  And obviously there's a lot at stake internationally.  And an opponent who calls me ending the war in Iraq "tragic," or suggests that somehow we should stay longer in Afghanistan has a very different world view, different perspective.

And so the question now is, how hard are we willing to fight for the vision that we profess?  How hard am I willing to fight for it, but it’s not just me in this thing -- how hard are you guys willing to fight for it? 

There are times sometimes when -- like in 2008 where politics has just been trendy.  It’s kind of cool to be an Obama supporter in ’08.  (Laughter.)   And there are some folks who got in early, and they can go around saying, I told you so.  (Laughter.)  We knew this guy was going to make it.  And then there are times where you just have to grind it out, because it’s hard.  It’s hard work bringing about change. 

But as we go into these last 30 days, I just constantly want you to think about what's at stake among your friends and your family, but also the stories in your own past about maybe an immigrant parent who came here and was able to succeed because they got a student loan, or somebody in your family -- or maybe you -- who had a door open to him because you were willing to work hard, but you didn’t come from wealth or privilege.  And the question is, is that what we’re going to sustain for our children’s future as well?

As a practical matter, nothing that my opponent offers will create more jobs, reduce our deficit, grow our middle class, improve our education system, improve our environment or make us safer around the world.  And I’m not just offering prospective plans.  Over the last four years, I’ve shown you that we have created jobs, improved our education system, made us safer in the world, helped to clean up our environment.  I haven’t just talked about it, I’ve done it.  And I intend to continue to do it.
 
So to all of you here tonight, I want to say how grateful I am.  But I also want to tell you we’re not finished yet and I’m a big believer in closing the deal.  (Laughter and applause.)  So you will see me working as hard as I have ever worked for the next three years -- or for the next 30 days.  (Laughter.)  It will seem like three years, but it will be 30 days.  (Laughter.) And then, you’ll see me working as hard as I ever have over the next four years.

But I’m going to need you guys alongside me, and even after the election -- because the election is just a means to an end.  Even after the election, I’m going to be continuing to call on you.  It won’t be for political donations, but it’s going to be for your time and your energy and your ideas and your effort, because we’ve got a lot of work to do.
 
The one thing that I remain extraordinarily confident about is in the American people and in our future if we make good decisions.  And I travel around the world a lot, and I’m not somebody who expects that other people love their country any less than we love ours, but I will tell you there is something exceptional and special about this country.  And there are very few people around the world who wouldn’t do everything they could to be citizens of the United States or have the same opportunities that we have.

And we’ve just got to make sure that that’s there for that waiter who served Michelle and I the other night, for his kids, for my kids, for your kids, our grandkids.  If we work hard these next 30 days, we’ll be able to deliver that. 

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
8:44 P.M. PDT