Remarks by the President at Campaign Event in Virginia Beach, VA

Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia

12:24 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Jim Webb!  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  How’s it going, Virginia Beach? (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  It is good to be back.  It is good to have all kinds of friends here today.  (Applause.)  I want to acknowledge a couple of people.  First of all, outstanding Congressman Bobby Scott.  (Applause.)  A good man who’s running to join him in Congress -- Paul Hirschbiel.  (Applause.)  And I could not be prouder of a man who has served this country his entire life -- as a Marine, as Secretary of the Navy, as an advocate for veterans, as a United States Senator, somebody who is responsible for successfully passing the Post-9/11 GI Bill -- my friend and a true patriot, Senator Jim Webb.  (Applause.) 

And it’s good to see all of you.  (Applause.)

Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock or you didn’t pay your cable bill -- (laughter) -- you may be aware that there’s an election going on here in Virginia.  (Applause.)  I was talking to my campaign manager.  He was meeting with a young couple -- they had a four-year-old son with them, Sammy.  And they’re strong supporters, and so they were excited -- they saw a picture of me on the wall and they said, "Sammy, Sammy, who’s that?"  And the four-year-old says, "That’s Barack Obama."  And then they said, "And what does Barack Obama do?"  And Sammy thought about it for a second, and then he said, "He approves this message."  (Laughter.)  He approves this message.  It's a true story.

So you know you’re in campaign season -- and I approve this message.  (Applause.)  And I’ve got to tell you, the reason is, is in the coming weeks, you’re going to have a very big choice to make.  I mean, Jim could not have been more eloquent about what’s at stake.  This is not just a choice between two candidates or two parties.  It’s a choice between two fundamentally different visions about how we move forward, two different ideas about our future. 

See, today I believe that as a nation, we’re moving forward again.  We’re not where we need to be -- not yet.  We’ve got a lot more folks who have to get back to work.  We’ve got a lot more work to do to make the middle class secure again.  But the question is, whose plan is better for you?

AUDIENCE:  Yours!

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, well, I know some in the crowd may be a little biased, but -- (laughter) -- but I also want to speak to the audience who may be seeing this over the television.

Look, my opponent is a big believer in top-down economics.  He thinks that if you just spend another $5 trillion on tax cuts that favor the wealthiest Americans, if you get rid of more regulations on Wall Street, that jobs and prosperity will rain down on everybody.  The deficit will magically disappear.  We’ll live happily ever after. 

But there’s a problem with this.  We just tried this.  We tried it in the last decade, before I was elected President.  It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.  (Applause.)  Because top-down economics doesn’t work.  We don’t need to double down on the same trickle-down policies that got us into this mess in the first place. 

This country doesn’t succeed when only the rich get richer. We succeed when the middle class gets bigger, when there are ladders of opportunity for all who strive to get into the middle class, when everybody who’s willing to work hard has a chance to get ahead and live up to their God-given potential.  (Applause.)

I don’t think we can get very far with leaders who write off half the nation as a bunch of victims who never take responsibility for their own lives.  I know I travel around a lot in Virginia and across this country -- I don’t meet a lot of victims.  I see hardworking Virginians.  I see students trying to work their way through college.  (Applause.)  I see single moms, like my mom, putting in overtime to raise their kids right.  (Applause.)  I see senior citizens who have been saving for retirement your entire lives.  (Applause.) 

Like Jim Webb said, I see a whole bunch of veterans who are -- served this country with bravery and distinction.  (Applause.) And I see soldiers who defend our freedom every single day.  And I see those military families -- (applause) -- who are wondering whether their loved ones are going to come back home, safe and sound.  That’s who I see. 

We don’t believe anybody is entitled to success in this country.  We don’t believe government should help folks who aren’t willing to help themselves.  But we do believe in something called opportunity.  We do believe in a country where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, where everyone gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules.  We believe in an America where no matter what you look like, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter who you love, you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)

That’s the country I believe in.  That’s what I’ve been fighting for as President.  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!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  During campaign season, you always hear a lot about patriotism.  Well, you know what, it’s time for a new economic patriotism -- an economic patriotism rooted in the belief that growing our economy begins with a strong and thriving middle class.

And I won’t pretend that getting there is easy.  The truth is it’s going to take a few more years to solve challenges that were building up over decades.  But I want everybody here to understand our problems can be solved.  Our challenges will be met.  We’ve got everything it takes to succeed.  We’ve got the best workers in the world.  We have the best entrepreneurs in the world.  We’ve got the best researchers and scientists in the world.  We’ve got the best colleges and universities in the world.  (Applause.)  I travel around the world and I know there’s not another country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So no matter how hard the path may seems sometimes, the path I’m offering leads to a better place.  And that's why I’ve put forward a practical plan to create jobs and grow the middle class, rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. 

So what’s my plan?  Just in case, you weren’t watching the convention -- or maybe you just saw Michelle -- (applause) -- I want to lay it out for you.

Number one, I want to export more products and I want to outsource fewer jobs.  When my opponent said we should just let Detroit go bankrupt --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo, now.  I want you to vote.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Vote!  Vote!  Vote!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  But when Governor Romney turned his back on the American auto industry, I said I’m going to bet on American workers.  I’m going to bet on American ingenuity.  We came together, and we reinvented a dying auto industry that is now back on top of the world.  (Applause.)  In the last two and a half years, we created more than half a million manufacturing jobs. 

So now, you’ve got a choice, Virginia.   You can follow Governor Romney’s advice and keep --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo -- vote.

We can give -- we can keep giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and hire new workers and create new jobs right here in Virginia, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

We can help big factories and small businesses double their exports.  We can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years.  You can make that happen with your vote.  (Applause.)  

Second, I want to control more of our own energy.  After 30 years of doing nothing, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, your car will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.   (Applause.)  We’ve doubled the amount of renewable energy that we generate from things like wind and solar.  Thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.  Today, the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly two decades.  (Applause.)

So now you’ve got a choice.  Governor Romney wants to reverse this progress. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Or we can build on that progress.  See, unlike my opponent, I’m not going to let the oil companies write this country’s energy plan.  I’m not going to see them collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers.

We’ve got a better plan where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal technology; and where farmers and scientists are harnessing new biofuels to power our cars and trucks; and where we put construction workers back to work refitting homes and factories so they're more energy-efficient; where we’re developing a 100-year supply of natural gas; where we cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and create hundreds of thousands of jobs all across this nation.  That's the plan that will move us forward.  That's why I’m running for a second term. (Applause.)

Number three, I want to give more Americans the chance to learn the skills they need to compete, and I want us to have the best education system on Earth.  (Applause.)  I am only standing here because of a great education.  I wasn’t born into wealth or privilege, but I got a great education because I was born here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Education gateway of opportunity for Michelle.  It was the gateway of opportunity for a whole lot of you.  It's now the gateway to a middle-class life. And so we have not just talked the talk, we've walked the walk when it comes to education.  (Applause.)

Millions of students are now, right now, paying less because we took on a system that was wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on banks and lenders, and we said let's give that money directly to students.  (Applause.)  Let's keep interest rates on student loans low.  Let's make sure that we are implementing the Post-9/11 GI Bill so everybody has got a fair shot.  (Applause.)

So now you've got a choice -- we could gut education to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo --

AUDIENCE:  Vote!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- vote.

Or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dream deferred just because of an overcrowded classroom.  (Applause.)  No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money.  (Applause.)  No company should have to relocate to China because they couldn’t find the workers they need right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  

So, Virginia, I'm asking you to help me recruit 100,000 new math and science teachers, and improve early childhood education. Help give 2 million workers the chance to learn skills at a community college for a job that is hiring right now.  Help us keep tuition costs down for young people all across this country. They deserve opportunity just like I got opportunity, just like you got opportunity.  (Applause.)  That's what we're fighting for.  That's why I'm running for a second term.  We can meet these goals.  (Applause.)  We can choose this future for America. (Applause.)
 
Number four, I want to cut the deficit without sticking it to the middle class.  (Applause.)  I put forward a very specific plan to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion.  I’ve already worked with Republicans in this Congress to cut a trillion dollars' worth of spending, and I’m willing to do more.  I want to reform the tax code so it’s simple and fair.  But I also want to make sure that the wealthiest households in America pay modestly higher taxes on incomes over $250,000 -- (applause) -- which is the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was President.  Our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs.  We went from deficit to surplus, and we produced a whole lot of millionaires to boot.

Now, the reason is four years ago I said I'd cut taxes for middle-class families, and I did.  The typical family has seen their tax burden go down about $3,699 on the federal level because of our policy.  And I want to keep your taxes low because you need it.  (Applause.)

What happens when middle-class families have a little extra money?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Spend it!

THE PRESIDENT:  They spend it.  Maybe you got to finally trade in that 15-year-old car and get a new one.  Maybe you need to buy a computer for your kid who’s going off to college.  And what happens is when the middle class or folks fighting to get into the middle class, when they’ve got a little extra money, they spend it.  And now suddenly business has more customers, which means they have more profits, which means they’re doing better so they hire more workers.  And you get a virtuous cycle going up.  Everybody does better.  That’s how you grow an economy -- not from the top down but from the middle out.  (Applause.)

Now, in fairness, my opponent also has a plan.  But as President Clinton pointed out down in Charlotte, there’s one thing missing from it -- arithmetic.  (Laughter and applause).  Arithmetic.  My opponent somehow says we can lower our deficit while spending trillions of dollars more on new tax breaks for the wealthy.  And it doesn’t add up. 

Every few days he keeps on saying he’s going to "reboot" this campaign and they’re going to start explaining very specifically how this plan is going to work -- and then they don’t.  They don’t say how you’d pay for $5 trillion tax cut that are skewed towards the wealthy without raising taxes on middle-class families.  They don’t explain how you’d spend $2 trillion more on military spending that our military hasn’t asked for without having you foot the bill.  The math doesn’t add up. 

My opponent thinks it’s fair that somebody who makes $20 million a year, like him, pays a lower tax rate than a cop or a teacher who makes $50,000. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo --

AUDIENCE:  Vote! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Vote. 

Look, I just disagree.  I don’t think that’s fair.  And I don’t think it helps grow our economy.  And I refuse to ask middle-class families to give up your deduction for owning a home or raising kids just so we pay for another millionaire’s tax cut. I refuse to ask the college students who are to pay more -- (applause) -- or kick kids off of Head Start, or eliminate health insurance for millions of poor and elderly and disabled, just to pay for a tax cut for me.  That is not right.  That’s not who we are.  (Applause.) 

And I will never, ever turn Medicare into a voucher -- (applause) -- because no American should have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.  They worked all their lives; they should be able to retire with dignity.  We’ll reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care -- not by dumping those costs onto seniors.  Just like we’re going to keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it, and that means we’re not by turning it over to Wall Street.  (Applause.)

Now, Virginia, our prosperity at home is linked to our policies abroad.  Four years ago, I said I’d end the war in Iraq, and we did.  (Applause.)  I said we’d wind down the war in Afghanistan in a responsible way, and we are.  You’ve got a new tower across the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)  

But we still face serious threats, as we saw just a couple of weeks ago with the tragic death of our Ambassador and three of his colleagues.  And that’s why, as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, Virginia, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And as Jim Webb so eloquently stated, when our troops take off their uniforms, we will serve them as well as they’ve served us -- because nobody who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home.  (Applause.)

My opponent said it was "tragic" to end the war in Iraq, and he won’t tell us how he’ll end the war in Afghanistan.  I have, and I will.  And I’ll use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work rebuilding roads and bridges, schools and runways -- because after a decade of war, it is time to do some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.)

So that’s the choice we now face.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  Love you back.  (Applause.)

That’s what this election comes down to.  The other side, they keep on running these ads and their basic message is, is that somehow bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations is the only way; that because government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing.  Their theory is, if you can’t afford health insurance, hope you don’t get sick.  Their theory is, if you can’t afford to go to college, borrow money from your parents. 

You know what -- we’ve got a different idea.  We’re fighting on behalf of a different idea.  We don’t think that anybody owes us anything, and we don’t think government can solve all our problems.  But we do think that the government can help, that it’s not the source of all our problems. 

We don’t believe in a politics that tries to separate people out, whether it’s corporations, or unions, or welfare recipients, or immigrants, or gays or -- here in America, we believe that we’re in this all together.  (Applause.)  We believe America only works when we accept certain responsibilities for ourselves, but also for others, and for future generations, to create more opportunity and more possibility for this nation.  (Applause.)

We understand America is not what can be for us, but what can be done by us, together, as one nation, and as one people.  And you understood that four years ago.  That’s what I took away from 2008.  The election four years ago wasn’t about me.  It was about you and your capacity to move this country forward. 

You’re the reason a mother in Richmond doesn’t have to worry about her son being denied medical coverage because of a preexisting condition.  You made that happen.  (Applause.)  You’re the reason a middle-class family in Leesburg got a tax cut -- money they can use to buy groceries and put gas in the car, pay their bills.  That was because of you.  (Applause.)  

You’re the reason a student in Charlottesville, or Blacksburg, or Hampton has help -- (applause) -- to pay for her college education; the reason a returning veteran like Jim’s son can go to college on the New GI Bill.  (Applause.)  That’s because of you. 

You’re the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she’s ever known, the country she calls home.  (Applause.)

You’re the reason why we ended "don't ask, don't tell."  (Applause.)  You’re the reason that thousands of families have finally been able to say to the loved ones who served us so bravely:  "Welcome home."  (Applause.)

You know it’s funny -- I made this point in Florida -- I said one of the things I learned after four years, it reminded me that change doesn't come from the inside; you got to change Washington from the outside.  And you change it with the help of ordinary Americans who are willing to have their voices heard.  And for some reason, this got Governor Romney really excited.  And he rewrote his speech, and he stood up at a rally and he proudly declared, I’ll get the job done from the inside -- which got me thinking, what kind of inside job are you talking about?  (Laughter and applause.)

Because if it’s the inside job of rubber-stamping the top-down, lobbyist-driven agenda of this Republican Congress, we don't want that. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  If it’s the inside job of letting oil companies write energy policy, insurance companies writing health care policy, outsourcers writing our tax code, we don't need that.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  If it’s the inside job of trying to control the health care choices that women are perfectly capable of making themselves, we’ll take a pass on that.  (Applause.)

We don't need an inside job.  We want change in Washington. And I’ve always said that change takes more than one term or one President.  It takes more than one party.  It can't happen if you write off half the nation before you take office.  (Applause.)

In 2008, 47 percent of this country did not vote for me.  But the night of the election, I said to all those Americans, I said, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voice.  I need your help.  I will be your President, too.  (Applause.)

And so I say this to Virginia:  I don't know how many of you out there will be voting for me.  (Applause.)  But I’ll be fighting for you no matter what.  I’m not fighting to create Democratic jobs or Republican jobs -- I’m fighting to create American jobs.  (Applause.)  I’m not fighting to improve schools in blue states or red states -- I’m fighting to improve schools in the United States.  (Applause.)

The values of hard work and personal responsibility and looking after your neighbor -- those aren’t just values of rich folks or poor folks, or the 1 percent or the 99 percent.  They are American values and they belong to all of us.  And if we reclaim those values now, if we rally around a new economic patriotism together, we can rebuild this economy together.  We will grow the middle class together.  We will move forward together. 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  I don't believe we’re as divided as our politics make it seem.  I think we’ve got more in common than the pundits give us credit for.  I still believe in you.  And if you still believe in me, I’m asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  If you stand with me, and work with me, we’ll win the Tidewater again.  We’ll win Virginia again.  (Applause.)  We’ll finish what we started and remind the world why the United States is the greatest nation on Earth.   (Applause.)

God bless you, Virginia.   God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
12:53 P.M. EDT

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Virginia Beach, Virginia, 9/27/2012

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Virginia Beach, Virginia

11:00 A.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Welcome aboard Air Force One.  We’re very excited to be headed down to Virginia Beach, part of the state of Virginia that is home to my people; my father grew up in Norfolk.  Great part of the state, great part of the country. 

The only announcement I have is on what might be the most dominant topic of the week for the vast majority of the American people, and that is the replacement referees.  The President is very pleased that the two sides have come together to resolve their differences and ensure that going forward, when we watch our favorite teams play in the NFL, we can focus on the players and the game rather than on the officiating.  It’s a great day for America. 

Q    Will he mention that in the --

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t expect so, but you never know.

MS. PSAKI:  Just one thing to highlight.  As you all know, overnight, the Obama campaign released a two-minute ad where the President speaks directly to the American people and lays out his plan to keep America moving forward, get folks back to work, and make the middle class secure again.  By focusing on manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and a balanced plan to reduce our deficit, President Obama’s real and achievable plan will create jobs and expand opportunity for the middle class.  This ad will run in seven states.  You have the list.  I’m happy to read it or present it to you.

Also, you’ll hear him in his remarks today talk about the importance of economic patriotism and making sure the middle class gets a fair shake, a fair chance to continue to -- to make sure the middle class have a fair shot to compete.  With that, we’ll take your questions.

Q    Where was that video shot?

MS. PSAKI:  I’ll have to get back to you on that question.

Q    Do you know, Jay?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m not sure, actually.  It looks like it might have been the Chief of Staff’s office, but I’m not sure.

Q    Just on the other topic of the week.  Is the President going to meet with Netanyahu tomorrow or anytime soon?

MR. CARNEY:  I have no scheduling updates.  As you know, the President was at the United Nations earlier this week in New York.  The Prime Minister was not in New York.  The Prime Minister is there today and tomorrow, I believe.  The Prime Minister is meeting with Secretary of State Clinton later today, this evening, and I expect the President will have a follow-up phone call with the Prime Minister probably Friday.

Q    On Benghazi, there still is considerable confusion over what the administration considers the attack on the U.S. consulate.  Can you say why the FBI still hasn’t been able to get into that crime scene?  And how aggressively is the United States looking for clues, and as the President says, bringing them to justice?

MR. CARNEY:  I would have to refer you to the FBI for specifics about the investigation that they’re leading.  I can tell you that the President is determined, as he has said many times, that the perpetrators of the attack that cost four American lives, including our ambassador, be brought to justice.  And he will insist that the agencies of his administration take all necessary action to bring about that eventuality.

Q    If the President does not call it, label it a terrorist attack as you and others have, is there some legal or diplomatic trigger that that brings?  Why hasn’t he said that?

MR. CARNEY:  I think you’re misunderstanding something here.  I’m the President’s spokesman.  When the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Matt Olsen, in open testimony in Congress answered a question by saying yes, by the definitions we go by -- this is me paraphrasing -- this was a terrorist attack -- I echoed that, because this President, this administration, everybody looks to the intelligence community for the assessments on this.  And it has been since I said so, the President’s position that this was a terrorist attack.

There are broader issues here that the President has addressed in answering questions, and he’s obviously interested in, as we all are, in waiting for the final result of an investigation.  But let’s be clear about this.  Every step of the way, the information that we have provided to you and the general public about the attack in Benghazi has been based on the best intelligence we’ve had and the assessments of our intelligence community.  We have said all along that there’s an ongoing investigation and that as more facts come out, we will follow those facts wherever they lead and apprise you of our assessments as those facts come to light.

What has also been the case is that from the very first hours after the attacks and the unrest in Cairo, there has been an attempt, unfortunately, by Republicans, beginning with Governor Romney, to try to turn this event into a partisan issue, to try to score political points out of a terrorist attack that cost the lives of four Americans, including our Ambassador to Libya -- and that’s unfortunate.

This President is absolutely focused on finding out exactly what happened, who is responsible, and bringing those responsible to justice.

Q    Jen, could you weigh in on the Romney campaign’s criticism of Obama over how the Benghazi issue has been handled? Any political aspects to that that you see?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, I think every time Mitt Romney has attempted to dip his toe in foreign policy waters, it’s been an unmitigated disaster.  So if you look at the last couple of months -- I know this isn’t exactly your question, but I’m getting there -- he went overseas on a foreign trip that was built up, offended our closest ally.  He gave a speech that was his best opportunity to lay out his case to the American people on why he was prepared to be commander-in-chief, and he failed to mention our troops, failed to mention Afghanistan.  He jumped the gun in criticizing the President on the night that these tragic events happened, which is something that, as we know, is not traditionally what takes place in a political campaign given the tragedy and the seriousness of what was underway.

Look, I think the American people are going to look at the President versus Mitt Romney, and look at their records and look at their vision.  The President has been very -- from the beginning of his time in the White House he has said, before he went into office, I’m going to end the war in Iraq -- he did that.  I’m going to go after Osama bin Laden -- he is dead.  I’m going -- and al Qaeda is decimated.  I’m going to restore our place in the world -- he’s done that.  That’s how people are going to look at and evaluate the President’s record.

We know that Mitt Romney wants to change the subject, wants to get at a strength for the President, and it’s clear that that’s what’s going on here.

Q    Jay, you made a point of saying you’re his spokesman and so what you say is policy.  But there is a difference in weight when a spokesman says something versus when the President says something.  Is there a reason that that particular word hasn’t come out of his mouth?  He’s had a chance --

MR. CARNEY:  As I said yesterday, no, there is no -- he was simply answering a question and explaining that the matter is under investigation.  Again, he bases his judgments on matters like this on the assessments that he’s provided by the intelligence community.  The head, the director of the NCTC went before Congress and made clear what his views were about how he would describe this, which is that it was a terrorist attack. 

And I think it’s important to note, I mean, definitionally, what a terrorist attack means, and that’s why I say it was self-evident when you have an armed assault on a diplomatic facility that results in the death of four Americans.  That’s definitionally a terrorist attack.

In terms of the partisan criticism here that has been sort of all over the map, I think it’s important to note that key members of the Senate and House in the Republican Party have been briefed by the same intelligence officials that provide intelligence to the administration, to the President, and they’ve gotten the same information.  They're fully aware of the information that has been developed and what the views were as we’ve moved along since the events of that night in Benghazi -- or that day in Benghazi.  So it just underscores the fact that there’s an unfortunate attempt to politicize something like this.

What the President is focused on is on bringing those to justice who killed four Americans and ensuring, as he said at his United Nations speech, that our embassies and diplomatic facilities and our diplomatic personnel around the world are being provided the protection by host countries that those countries are obligated to provide.

Q    Jen, do you think the President is running ahead in Virginia polls?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, we see the same public polls that you all see.  I’m not going to get into our internal polls.  I will say that we know Virginia is going to be a close race.  I would bet that when the Romney team was looking at their scope of states that they probably thought six months ago they might be in a stronger position in Virginia, and it’s very close.  It’s within the margin of error.

We’re going to run regardless of where the polls are in Virginia like we’re five points behind.  That's why we’re here today.  That's why we will be back, I’m certain, again in the next couple of weeks.  And we’re really focused on our own game plan.

I will mention that not in Virginia, but today early voting starts in Iowa, early voting is happening in dozens of states across the country.  It’s Game Day in America -- that's not just a play on the refs’ resolution.  And that's a focus of ours as well.  So that's not applicable to Virginia, but it is part of what we’re focused on -- making sure people know where to vote, how to vote; they can vote early at this stage in the race.

Q    I thought, Jen, Denise’s road map says that today early voting did start in Virginia.  Is that wrong?

Q    Absentee voting.

MS. PSAKI:  Absentee voting, it may.  Early voting does start in Iowa today though.

Q    Jen, a quick question.  Any reaction to this apparently perfectly legal method Romney used to greatly reduce the gift and estate taxes on the wealth he transferred to his children that was reported today?

MS. PSAKI:  I have not seen that report.  I’m happy to get back to you on kind of a response to it.  What’s clear -- that specific report aside -- is that Mitt Romney has not been shy about using tax loopholes and different ways to reduce his own taxes that he’s paying on a yearly basis.  So I’ll take a closer look and I’m happy to get back to you on a specific response.

Q    Jen, how long are you going to keep this run going where President Obama and Governor Romney are in the same state on the same day?

Q    Same moment.  (Laughter.)

MS. PSAKI:  I know.  Well, look, we plan our schedule.  We all know what the close states, the swing states are.  Virginia is certainly one of them.  Ohio is certainly one of them.  And you never know, it could happen again.

Q    Jen, what’s the effect of the abbreviated debate prep schedule for the President going to be?  How is that going to affect his debate performance next week?

MS. PSAKI:  The President will have some time to prepare, and he’s been doing some studying.  But it is certainly less than we anticipated because of the events in the Middle East, because of his busy travel schedule, because of just the constraints of governing.  So it is less than we originally planned.

I will just take this opportunity to say that Mitt Romney on the other hand has been preparing earlier and with more focus than any presidential candidate in modern history -- not John F. Kennedy, not President Bill Clinton, not President George Bush, not Ronald Reagan has prepared as much as he has.  So there’s no question that he will have a lead on how prepared he is.

I’ll also say that we fully expect -- we’ve been -- a lot of us have been to this rodeo before; we know there’s going to be twists and turns, and ups and downs in the campaign.  We know we’ll have them in the next 40 days as well.  Mitt Romney has set it up that, and his team has set it up that they want the debate to be that moment for him.  They fully expect that moment is going to be their turning point.  And we know people want to write a comeback kid story, so we’ll see if that happens.

And I’m happy to send this to you, too, but John Kerry did receive a bump, a significant bump, when he -- after the debate, as did George W. Bush.  So that’s something that there’s historical precedent for.

Q    Given all that, what’s the worst thing from the campaign perspective that could happen at the debate for the President?  (Laughter.)

MS. PSAKI:  Well, he could fall off the stage.  I’m not going to speculate on what’s going to happen at the debate.  As you know, it’s 90 minutes where there will be a great deal of back and forth.  We also feel that Mitt Romney has 90 minutes to explain to the American people exactly how he’s going to fight for the middle class when his plan seems to be to just extend tax cuts for the highest income.  He has 90 minutes to give specifics, and so we expect that will be part of the conversation as well.

Q    Is there an area that you guys think you need to -- that you’re sensitive on, that you need to explain more?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, as much as I’d love to detail our fears, concerns and hopes, I know that it will go straight to our opponent’s deck of papers, so we’re probably going to hold back from previewing our strategy before the debate.

Q    Romney has suggested that, at the very least, Obama will present untruths about his record at the debate.  And some Republicans have suggested that he’ll outright lie.  Could you respond to that?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, it is -- Mitt Romney and his team have a tendency to look at the President and make outrageous accusations about his truthfulness when, if you look at their record of ads, their record of mistruths, his nose would be Pinocchio, from here in Virginia to Ohio if that was part of what happened to Mitt Romney.  That didn’t make sense.  I'm going to say it one more time.  (Laughter.)  If Mitt Romney were Pinocchio, his nose would be reaching from Virginia to Ohio, with the number of lies and untruths in the ads that his team has put out. 

The President has laid out his plan, the choice in this campaign, the choice in this election for the American people.  He'll do that next Tuesday.  But this is the kind of ridiculous, absurd and unproven accusations by the Romney team that are just meant to distract and are not based on any record of the last several months. 

Q    Hey, Jay, are you starting to feel like a bystander in these gaggles?

MR. CARNEY:  Not at all.  I enjoy listening to my colleague field your questions.  It's most comforting.

Q    Jay, did you cover the ’08 debates, any of them?

MR. CARNEY:  I sure did. 

Q    What do you expect to get out of the comparison today?

MR. CARNEY:  Look, I think it's fair to say -- and this is as a former journalist and observer -- I mean, if you just look at the assessment of the debates in 2008, that Barack Obama became the nominee of his party, in some ways in spite of his debate performances, and Mitt Romney became the nominee of his party because of them.  And I think that -- because of Romney's debate performances.  And I think that, in terms of expectations, reflects my view going in.

Q    Is he doing any work to prepare for Romney potentially trying to get under his skin -- the President? 

MS. PSAKI:  I don’t want to preview what's happening or kind of read out what's happening in debate prep.  I mean, I will say that the President is familiar with his own loquaciousness and his tendency to give long, substantive answers, as is evidenced by his appearance at Univision and also at the NBC Education Nation interview.  And that is a challenge when you're in a debate and you have a limited amount of time to answer a question, to give feedback, to push back on your opponent's answers.  So that’s certainly something he and all of us are cognizant of. 

Q    Air Force One has landed. 

MR. CARNEY:  Thanks, everybody.

END
11:19 A.M. EDT

Presidential Memorandum -- Aviation Insurance Coverage for Commercial Air Carrier Service in Domestic and International Operations

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

SUBJECT: Provision of Aviation Insurance Coverage for Commercial Air Carrier Service in Domestic and International Operations

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including 49 U.S.C. 44301-44310, I hereby:

1. Determine that the continuation of U.S. air transportation is necessary in the interest of air commerce, national security, and the foreign policy of the United States.

2. Approve provision by the Secretary of Transportation of insurance or reinsurance to U.S.-certificated air carriers against loss or damage arising out of any risk from the operation of an aircraft, in the manner and to the extent provided in chapter 443 of title 49, U.S. Code, until September 30, 2013, if he determines that such insurance or reinsurance cannot be obtained on reasonable terms from any company authorized to conduct an insurance business in a State of the United States.

3. Delegate to the Secretary of Transportation the authority, vested in me by 49 U.S.C. 44306(c), to extend this approval and determination beyond September 30, 2013, to December 31, 2013, if he finds that the continued operation of aircraft to be insured or reinsured is necessary in the interest of air commerce or national security or to carry out the foreign policy of the United States Government, if he also determines that such insurance or reinsurance cannot be obtained on reasonable terms from any company authorized to conduct an insurance business in a State of the United States.

You are directed to bring this determination immediately to the attention of all air carriers, as defined in 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(2), and to arrange for its publication in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA