Statement by the Press Secretary on the Government of Colombia’s Peace Negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

President Obama today welcomed the announcement that Colombian President Santos reached a framework for peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC.

The President noted that the “Santos administration has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to seeking a durable peace and ensuring a better life for all Colombians through its security and social inclusion policies.”  The Colombian government’s conclusion of this framework for negotiations sets the stage for talks that hold out the promise of ending the 50-year conflict with the FARC, in order to permit all Colombians to live with greater peace, security, and prosperity.

President Obama welcomes President Santos’ deep commitment to working for peace and recognizes the courage and sacrifice of successive Colombian governments – and most especially of the Colombian people – in achieving this milestone.  The FARC should now take this opportunity to end its decades of terrorism and narcotics trafficking, and allow the Colombian people to continue building a democratic, prosperous, and just society.

As the Santos administration works toward a resolution of the conflict, the United States reaffirms its longstanding defense and security partnership with Colombia and its commitment to work with Colombia to promote citizen security, respect for human rights, and economic prosperity for all its people.

Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Norfolk, VA, 9/4/2012

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Norfolk, Virginia

11:22 A.M. EDT

MR. EARNEST:  All right, good morning.  I think we are getting near the end of our flight, so we’ll move quickly here.  I don’t have anything to start, but I think Jen has a couple things she wants to preview.

MS. PSAKI:  Yes, I just wanted to go through the convention schedule for you guys, just to remind you of who’s speaking.  So tonight, Americans will heard from San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the keynote speaker, whose story reflects the President’s story and the American story -- if you work hard, play by the rules, this is the land of the opportunity, you can get a fair shot and a fair shake. 

Mayor Castro will talk about those values that define us and discuss the choice the American people face in the election between going forward and moving back.  We can invest in things like education that was key to his success and critical to a strong middle class and growing economy, or we can provide additional tax cuts to millionaires and pay for it with tax increases on middle-class families while cutting education.

The night culminates with the First Lady, Michelle Obama, who knows the President best, and she’ll speak about the values and experience that drive him.  She’ll give a personal and passionate speech.  After a moving introduction from Elaine Brye, a military mom from Ohio, she’ll talk about the President’s deep connection to the struggles middle-class families are facing, because he’s lived it, and why he’s made the choices he’s made to strengthen the middle class and move our nation forward.

I’m just going to run quickly through the other speakers:  Governor Lincoln Chafee, Governor Pat Quinn, Governor Ted Strickland, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Governor Deval Patrick and Tammy Duckworth.

MR. EARNEST:  Questions?

Q    Can I ask about President Clinton tomorrow night?  Has the campaign seen his remarks?  Do you have a sense of what points he’ll be hitting?  And also, is there the risk that in talking about the economic boom of the ‘90s, that a broader audience now will be drawing comparisons to the current economic situation?

MS. PSAKI:  Sure.  So President Clinton is -- we’ve been in close contact with him, and he is working on his remarks.  And I’m sure, when he’s done, we’ll see them.  We have absolute confidence about what he’s going to say.  And we think who better to deliver a message to the American people about the choice middle-class families in this country are facing, the difference between what the vision President Obama is presenting to the American people and the vision Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are presenting. 

He is somebody who can speak directly from experience, not only from his time as President in the ‘90s, but also as somebody who’s been deeply involved in the last decades, post-presidency, about what we need to do to move the country forward, what the right choices are for the American people.  And we expect he’ll speak to all of that tomorrow evening.

Q    The President speaks on Thursday ahead of the Friday jobs report.  Is there any concern that an uptick in the unemployment report might diminish any positive impact that might be seen coming out of the convention?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, we won’t know what the jobs numbers are until Friday morning, as you know.  We’ve to date had 29 straight months of private sector job growth, 500,000 manufacturing jobs.  We know that more needs to be done, but we feel good about the steps that -- the direction the country is moving in.

Regardless of what the numbers are on Friday, we know that the American people are still facing a choice about who they would rather have standing up for them in the White House -- who has a better chance for the middle class, who has a better vision for the country moving forward.  And when people are sitting at home, talking about this at their kitchen tables, they’re talking about who’s going to help them send their kids to college, who’s going to help them make sure that they have access to affordable health care, who’s going to make sure that their middle-class tax cuts are continued.  And on that, along those lines, we feel pretty good about the choice we’re presenting.  You’ll hear the President talk about that on Thursday.

Q    Jen, a few of the Republicans are seizing on the President’s comment that his work on the economy is incomplete -- that’s how he graded himself.  Can you talk about what he meant by that and also how that squares with you guys also saying that people are better off than they were four years ago?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, that wasn’t -- the question he was asked, and I was there for the interview, was what grade he would give himself.  And they clearly haven’t done their homework because he’s said that countless times -- in part because we know, despite the fact that millions of people have access to affordable health care, that we’ve had 29 straight months of private sector job growth, that the troops have been taken out of Iraq -- we know -- he feels that there’s more we need to do for the American people and for the middle class.

The alternative is to go with the failed policies, the bad study habits, the rotten ideas of the Romney/Ryan team that no doubt would lead to failing grades.  And the President knows more work is -- there is more work that needs to be done, and he wants the American people to send him back for four more years so he can continue to fight for the middle class and continue to do more to make their lives better.

Q    But as a recipient of many “incompletes” myself, I know that it’s not a passing grade.  (Laughter.)  So how do you make your pitch to the American public that an incomplete deserves a reelection?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, I think what an incomplete means is that there’s more work that he wants to do for the middle class and for the American people.  The alternative is to go back to the old playbook of failed policies and failing grades, and that’s what Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to do.  That’s where they want to lead this country. 

So you have a choice: Either you have somebody who has accomplished a great deal, who has helped bring the economy back from the brink of collapse and still wants to fight more for the middle class and do more for the American people, or you have the Romney/Ryan team that wants to go back to the failed, rotten policies of the past.  So I think an incomplete and a desire to do more is far better than a failing grade.

MR. EARNEST:  One thing that I would interject as a matter of policy is that the other reason that an incomplete is an appropriate assessment of where we stand is there are a number of things sitting on the steps of the Republican-led House of Representatives that could be done that would strengthen our economy.

The Senate has passed a piece of legislation that would ensure that taxes don’t go up on 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses.  That would be something that would improve our economy.  The President’s -- there are several components to the American -- of the President’s American Jobs Act that would put construction workers and teachers and police officers and firefighters back to work.  Outside analysts indicate that that could actually add about a million jobs to our economy. 

So the work is incomplete, but a lot more could be done if Republicans in Congress -- the reason those things haven’t gotten done is because Republicans in Congress are insisting that we actually protect the tax benefits that are currently enjoyed by millionaires and billionaires.  That’s what’s stopping a number of policy initiatives that could have a tangible, positive impact on the economy.  And hopefully, we’ll see the Republicans drop their opposition to these measures that would actually have a positive benefit for the American economy.

Q    You guys have said that the President is going to watch the First Lady’s speech tonight at the White House and you’ll send a picture out.  Can you talk about where he’ll watch President Clinton’s speech, and give other details about what the President’s schedule is on Wednesday, in Charlotte, and Thursday before he speaks?

MS. PSAKI:  Sure.  I mean, we’re arriving, as you know, at 2:45 tomorrow afternoon.  At some point in the evening, he’ll do a walkthrough, as is pretty standard.  I don’t have any update for you on where he’ll watch President Clinton’s speech, but we’re happy to get back to you as soon as we have more specifics on that.

Q    What else will he be doing?  Will he be meeting with other Democrats and things there?

MS. PSAKI:  I don’t have any other updates on his schedule for tomorrow, but if there are more details to share we’ll certainly make sure you have them.

Q    Anything concerns about the weather forecast right now with the stadium?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, as we’ve said, the convention proceedings at Bank of America Stadium will take place rain or shine, similar to other events at the stadium.  Of course, there are many sports teams that I hear do some business there.  We have an advisory team in place, and if any changes need to be made that’s certainly something we would adjust.  But at this point in time we don’t anticipate that and we expect they will proceed as planned.

Q    Are you concerned that you’ll have more trouble filling the stadium if there is rain?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, we’ve spent the last couple of weeks reaching out to the people of North Carolina and had an overwhelming response to a desire to come see the President deliver his remarks on Thursday evening.  We’re absolutely confident we’re going to have an energetic crowd, full crowd in the stadium Thursday evening.  If changes need to be made because of weather, that’s something we’ll deal with at that point in time.

Q    I wanted to ask -- the Navy SEAL’s book comes out today, hits shelves, on the bin Laden raid.  Does the President have any comment on what folks can read from that?  Or does the White House have any response to what may be right from that book?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I do want to remind you of something that the President said on the night that Osama bin Laden was brought to justice last summer, which is the President said, “We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country.”  Bringing Osama bin Laden to justice is a testament to the courage and service of our men and women in uniform, and particularly the special operators who performed so courageously that evening.

In terms of the specifics that are included in the book, I’d refer you to my colleagues at the Department of Defense who have been -- who have taken some questions on this.

Q    Does the President think it was appropriate for this former SEAL to write the book?  And does he support the Pentagon’s threat to perhaps proceed from a prosecution standpoint?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, like I said, this is something that the Department of Defense is handling, and this is something they’re doing independent of any advice or consultation with the White House or the President.  The President’s position on this is pretty clear, which is that the successful mission really was a testament to the courage and service of our men and women in uniform.

Q    You mentioned that these events take place rain or shine, but aren’t you concerned about safety if he tries to give the speech and it is bad weather in the stadium?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, we have an advisory team who is closely watching the weather working with our team, and if any changes need to be made, we’ll make them.

Q    The other day Vice President Biden made a comment about a reference in a Rolling Stone article and Mitt Romney securing what he called a bailout from the FDIC for Bain Capital while he was working there.  The Washington Post, David’s fine organization here, has fact-checked that statement and given it three Pinocchios for saying that there was no -- the FDIC, which doesn’t receive taxpayer money, doesn’t really give a taxpayer bailout for anything like that.  Is this something that we’ll be hearing more about on the stump?  And do you think the Vice President will change his language at all on it?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, I spend time with the President, obviously listening to what the President has to say.  I’m not familiar with the comment you’re referring to.  As you know, it’s not something the President talks about out there on the campaign trail.  He does talk about the contrast between his vision for the economy and his vision for the future for the American people and how that differs from Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. 

So I don’t know that it has become a major part of any stump or that -- and it certainly -- I don’t know that I expect it would be since I haven’t even heard of the comment before you just mentioned it now.

MR. EARNEST:  I haven’t heard the comment either, but I do think that there is a pretty clear difference between the approaches that the two candidates are advocating on this front.  The President has advocated for Wall Street reform that would ensure that taxpayer-funded bailouts aren’t needed in the future.  And that’s something that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan say that they would undo if they were to take office.

So since we’re landing, why don’t we call it a day.

Thanks, everybody.

END
11:34 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President After Touring Flood Damage from Hurricane Isaac

St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want to just say, first of all, how proud I am to be joined by Governor Jindal, Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator David Vitter, Representative Cedric Richmond. We’ve got Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom, and we’ve also got St. John the Baptist Sheriff Mike Tregre.

As you can see, there has been enormous devastation in St. John’s Parish, and that’s not the only place that’s been hard hit. We’ve also seen enormous damage in Plaquemines Parish and in other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.

I want to commend everybody who’s here for the extraordinary work that they’ve done in making sure that lives were saved, that although there was tremendous property damage, people were in a position to get out quickly.  And, as you can see, folks are on the ground already clearing out the debris and making sure that they’re able to recover as rapidly as possible.

I want to particularly thank FEMA and the state and local authorities, because sometimes in the past we haven’t seen the kind of coordination that is necessary in response to these kinds of disasters. This time we’ve seen it. We made sure that we had the disaster declarations happen quickly so that we weren’t behind the eight ball. We’ve approved individual assistance for this area, which means that these folks, if they’ve suffered additional losses beyond what they’re insured for, that they are potentially eligible for some help. We’re going to be providing St. John’s the Baptist Parish with help in debris removal, in some of the other losses that have been suffered. 

I particularly want to commend the sheriff and his team because they’ve been working around the clock saving lives. Some of the folks that we just walked by literally had to be saved by boat. They were in their homes, trapped. The waters came in so quickly. And this is an area that hadn’t been flooded in 17 years, so as a consequence, folks just weren’t anticipating and accustomed to the scale and scope of the destruction. But because of the great work of law enforcement, National Guard, Coast Guard, making sure that folks were out in rescue mode rapidly, even in some cases at risk of their own lives, no lives were lost.

Keep in mind that many of these folks who have been working so hard, they themselves suffered losses. So I’ve just been talking to the sheriff and his wife about the fact that they’re having to do -- actually his wife is having to do exactly what these families are having to do while he’s on the job. 

A couple of final points I want to make. Obviously, right now, we’re still in recovery mode, and that means that our biggest priority is helping to house people who have been displaced, making sure that they’ve got the resources they need to re-enroll their kids in school, make sure that they’re able to get to their jobs, make sure that they can have the kind of support that they need to get restarted. That’s in the short term. And I’m confident that with Craig Fugate and his team on the job, on the ground, that that’s going to happen in a seamless fashion.

But we’ve got a larger issue involved here, and that is how do we anticipate these storms and how do we make sure that an area like St. John’s is protected when you have these kinds of disasters. The good news is, is that the Army Corps levees that were built around New Orleans and Jefferson Parish and some of these other areas worked very well and they were done expeditiously.

And so what I’ve pledged to these folks is we’re going to make sure that at the federal level we are getting on the case very quickly about figuring out what exactly happened here, what can we do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, and expediting some of the decisions that may need to be made to ensure that we’ve got the infrastructure in place to protect people’s property and to protect people’s lives.

So the final point I’ll make is, one thing you know about folks in Louisiana, they are resilient.  People in Mississippi, they are resilient. They know what tough times are like, but they know that they can bounce back. There is enormous faith here, enormous strength here. You can see it with these families. I mean, they were just devastated a few days ago, and they’re already smiling and laughing, and feeling confident about the future and pulling together. 

We heard one story about one of these homes where a local church group came in and did all the work that was needed to strip out the damaged interior of the house.  They did it not for any pay -- weren’t even asked.  But they did it because they care about their neighbors and they care about their friends. 

And that’s what we do here in the United States of America, and that’s what happens in Louisiana. When disasters like this happen, we set aside whatever petty disagreements we may have. Nobody is a Democrat or a Republican -- we’re all just Americans looking out for one another. And I couldn’t be prouder of this group right here that’s around me for the great work that they’ve done.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END                 6:25 P.M. CDT

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

Scott High School, Toledo, Ohio

12:30 P.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Toledo!  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you.  It is good to be in Toledo, Ohio.  (Applause.) 

     AUDIENCE:  Obama!  Obama!  Obama!

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Now, first of all, I've got to say thank you for Kenyatta, for that outstanding introduction.  Give Kenyatta a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  I was listening backstage and I thought I heard a little preaching going on there.  (Laughter.)  Folks in the crowd were going "yeah", "wow."  (Laughter.)  So Kenyatta can talk -- no doubt about it.  

It is great to see so many good friends --

AUDIENCE:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.)  It's great to see so many good friends who work so hard on behalf of working families every day.  We've got Sherrod Brown -- (applause) -- one of the best senators in the country.  Marcy Kaptur, one of the best congresswomen in the country.  (Applause.)  We've got my friend and your friend, daughter of a Teamster, our Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in the house.  (Applause.)  We've got your outstanding UAW President Bob King in the house.  (Applause.)  President of the AFL-CIO, Rich Trumka, is here.  (Applause.)  And the President of the National Education Association, Dennis van Roekel.  (Applause.)

So we've got some working people in the house here.  (Applause.)  And to everybody who is working hard each and every day, Happy Labor Day.  (Applause.)  Happy Labor Day.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We got your back, Obama.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Now, for those of you who have got a seat, feel free to take a seat.  I've got some things to say.  I've got some things to say here.  For those of you who don't have a seat, make sure to bend your knees a little bit.  We don't want you fainting.  Sometimes, folks are standing too long -- they drop off.  (Laughter.) 

Now, we're on our way to our convention in Charlotte this week.  (Applause.)  But I wanted to stop here in Toledo to spend this day with you -- (applause) -- a day that belongs to the working men and women of America -- teachers and factory workers, construction workers and students and families and small business owners.  And I know we’ve got some proud autoworkers in the house helping to bring Toledo back.  (Applause.)

After all, it’s working folks like you who fought for jobs and opportunity for generations of American workers.  It’s working people like you who helped to lay the cornerstones of middle-class security, things that people now sometimes take for granted, but weren't always there -- the 40-hour workweek, weekends, paid leave, pensions, the minimum wage, health care, Social Security, Medicare.  Those things happened because working people organized and mobilized. 

It is unions like yours that helped to forge the basic bargain of this country -- the bargain that built the greatest middle class and the most prosperous country and the most prosperous economy that the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  

And you know what that bargain is, because it's a simple one.  It’s a bargain that says if you work hard, if you're responsible, then your work should be rewarded.  (Applause.)  That if you put in enough effort, you should be able to find a job that pays the bills.  You should afford a home to call your own.  That you'll have health care you can count on if you get sick.  That you can put away enough to retire, maybe take a vacation once in a while -- nothing fancy, but you can enjoy your friends and your family.  And, most importantly, that you can provide your children with an education to make sure that they do even better than you did.  (Applause.)  

It’s an American promise that says no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can make it here if you try.  (Applause.)  And that’s what we’re fighting for, Toledo.  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Now, last week, the other party gave their sales pitch at their convention down in Florida. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo, vote.  (Laughter and applause.)  Vote.  And I have to say, it was something to see.  Despite all the challenges that we face in this new century, we saw three straight days of an agenda out of the last century.  It was a rerun.  You might as well have watched it on black-and-white TV, with some rabbit ears on there.  (Laughter and applause.)  It should have been on "Nick at Nite."  (Laughter.)

Now, if you didn’t DVR it, let me give you a basic recap of what they said.  The economy is bad.  It's all Obama’s fault.  And Governor Romney has the secret to creating jobs and growing the economy.  That's a basic summary.  They spent the most time on me.  (Laughter.)  They were talking about me.  (Laughter.) 

And there was a lot of “hard truths” and “bold choices,” they said, but nobody ever bothered to tell you what they really were.  And when Governor Romney had his chance to let you in on the secret sauce of job creation -- (laughter) -- he did not offer you a single new idea.  It was just a retread of the same old policies that have been sticking it to the middle class for years.  (Applause.)  

And then, after the convention, Governor Romney came here to Ohio, and he said he's going to be the coach that leads America to a “winning season.”  The problem is everybody has already seen his economic playbook.  We know what’s in it.

On 1st down, he hikes taxes by nearly $2,000 on the average family with kids in order to pay for a massive tax cut for multi-millionaires.  That's on 1st down.  It sounds like unnecessary roughness to me.  (Laughter and applause.)

On 2nd down, he calls an audible, and undoes reforms that are there to prevent another financial crisis and bank bailout.  He wants to get rid of rules that are there to protect our air and our water, and workers’ rights, and protections to make sure health care is there for you when you get sick. 

And then, on 3rd down, he calls for a Hail Mary -- ending Medicare as we know it by giving seniors a voucher that leaves them to pay any additional cost out of their pocket.  There’s a flag on the play -- loss of up to an additional $6,400 a year for the same benefits you get now. 

That’s their playbook.  That’s their economic plan.  And I’ve got one piece of advice for you about the Romney/Ryan game plan, Ohio: Punt it away!  (Applause.)  It won’t work.  It won’t win the game.  You don’t need that coach.  That’s a losing season. 

Now, there was one person at Governor Romney’s convention last week who wasn’t entirely on script.  (Laughter.) 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no -- because while they were busy telling folks how bad everything is, your Governor, John Kasich --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo --

AUDIENCE:  Vote!  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  John Kasich stood up there and told everybody that Ohio is now number one in the Midwest in job creation, fourth best in America -- which got folks kind of confused, because if it’s all Obama’s fault and nothing is going right, what’s going on in Ohio?  (Applause.)

Now, I guess the theory was that it’s all the Governor’s doing.  But I think we need to refresh his memory -- because a lot of those jobs are autoworker jobs like yours.  (Applause.)  The American auto industry supports one in eight jobs in this state.  And just a few years ago, when the auto industry was flat-lining, what was in his and Governor Romney’s playbook?  “Let Detroit go bankrupt.”  You remember that?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, think about what that would have meant not just for Ohio but for America.  If we had turned our backs on you, if America had thrown in the towel like that, GM and Chrysler wouldn’t exist today.  The suppliers and the distributors that get their business from these companies would have died off, too.  Then even Ford could have gone down as well.  Production: shut down.  Factories: shuttered.  Once proud companies chopped up and sold off in scraps.  And all of you -- the men and women who built these companies with your own hands -- you would have been benched for good.  That’s not a good play.  We didn’t run that play.

More than one million Americans across the country would have lost their jobs in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  In communities across the Midwest, it would have been another Great Depression.  And it’s not just the workers themselves; think about everybody who depends on you -- schoolteachers, small business owners, the server in the diner who knows your order before you walk in, the bartender who knows your order before you walk in.  (Applause.)  Their livelihoods were at stake as well, and so was something else. 

How many autoworkers here worked the assembly line, but your dads and your granddads, maybe your mom, grandmas worked on that same line?  How many people are second or third or fourth generation?  How many of you have sons and daughters who hope to work on those same assembly lines?  (Applause.) 

These jobs are worth more than just a paycheck.  They’re a source of pride.  They’re a ticket into a middle-class life.  These companies are worth more than just the cars that they build.  They’re a symbol of America’s innovation.  They’re a source of our manufacturing might.  If that is not worth fighting for, then what is?  

Ohio, we’re not about to take a knee and do nothing.  We weren’t going to give up on your jobs and your families and your communities.  We weren’t going to let Detroit go bankrupt, or Lordstown go bankrupt, or Toledo go bankrupt.  I stood with American workers.  I stood with American manufacturing.  I believed in you.  I bet on you.  (Applause.)  I’ll make that bet any day of the week.  And because of that bet, three years later, that bet is paying off for America.  (Applause.)  Three years later, the American auto industry has come roaring back --nearly 250,000 new jobs.

So it’s a little funny watching Governor Romney and Governor Kasich and others just try to rewrite history now that you’re back on your feet.  These are the folks who said if we went forward with our plan, then -- I’m quoting here -- “you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.”  Now they’re saying it was their idea all along.  (Laughter.)  Seriously.  Or what they’re saying is, well, the problem is that you, the workers, made out like bandits in this whole thing; that we did what we did because it was all about paying back unions.  Really?  I mean, even by the standards of political campaigns, that’s a lot of you know what. 

Workers made some of the biggest sacrifices.  About 700,000 retirees saw a reduction in the health benefits they had earned.  Hours were reduced, pay and wages scaled back.  You gave up promises made to you over the years for the sake and the survival of your fellow workers and their families and the company.  You made sacrifices.  (Applause.)  Which is why I don’t understand why these folks have the nerve to talk about you like you’re some greedy special interest that needs to be beaten down. 

After all that unions have done to build and protect the middle class, they were standing up there at their convention saying you’re responsible for the problems we face.  Their plan says the best way to help workers is to roll back workers’ rights; to overturn laws that make sure construction workers get a fair wage; to blame teachers and firefighters and police officers and other public servants for our economic challenges  -- instead of what happened on Wall Street and a historic financial collapse. 

So, Toledo, what you need to know is this: When they’re trying to take your collective bargaining rights away, when they’re trying to pass so-called “right to work” laws that really mean right to work for less and less, you should know this isn’t about economics.  This is about politics.

This notion that we should have let the auto industry die and that we should pursue anti-worker policies in the hopes that unions like yours will unravel -- it’s part of the same old you’re-on-your-own, top-down philosophy that says we should just leave everybody to fend for themselves. 

Now, on Thursday night, I’m going to offer you what I believe is a better path forward -- (applause) -- a path that’s going to grow this economy and create more good jobs, and strengthen the middle class.  (Applause.)  And the good news is, starting on October 2nd, Ohio gets its say because you get to vote early.  (Applause.)  You can choose which path we take.  You could choose their plan.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo.

AUDIENCE:  Vote!

THE PRESIDENT:  You can choose to give massive new tax cuts to folks who have already made it.  Or you can choose my plan -- to keep taxes low for every American who is in the middle class and every American who is striving to get into that middle class.  (Applause.) 

Four years ago, I promised to cut taxes by a total -- for middle-class families, and I have cut taxes by a total of about $3,600 for the typical family.  (Applause.)  And now I’m running to make sure that taxes aren’t raised a single dime on the first $250,000 of any family’s income.  Now, that's 98 percent of Americans.  It may be 99.9 percent of this auditorium.  (Applause.)  Your taxes won't go up, because my belief is you need relief.  I don't need relief.  Mitt Romney doesn't need relief.  He needs it less than me.  (Laughter.)   

But that's a choice in this election.  You can choose whether we give up new jobs and new industries to countries like China, or whether we fight to keep those jobs in states like Ohio.  (Applause.)  Unlike my opponent, I want to stop giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas.  I want to give those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in Toledo, right here in the United States -- all across Ohio, all across the Midwest.  (Applause.) 

You can decide whether borrowing money from your parents is an answer when a young person asks how they’re going to go to college.  You heard about that, right?  This young college student says, how can I get some help going to college?  He says, well, you need to borrow money from your parents.  (Laughter.)  Now, I guess that's one path.  That's one approach.   

I've got a different approach that says let's make sure Americans once again lead the world in educating our kids and training our workers for the jobs of tomorrow.  (Applause.)  And that means let's hire more great teachers, especially in math and science.  Let's help more folks go to community colleges to get trained in the skills that employers are hiring for right now.  (Applause.)  Because the truth is, some sort of higher education, whether it's four-year or a two-year technical school -- some form of higher education -- that's not a luxury anymore.  That is an economic necessity that every family should be able to afford.  And that's what I'm going to be fighting for.  (Applause.)  That's what I'm going to be fighting for.  (Applause.) 

Now, Ohio, you can choose an energy plan like the other guy is offering that's written by and for the oil companies.  Or you can choose an all-of-the-above strategy for American energy, which means we drill for more oil, we mine for more coal.  But it also means that we're going after the new energy sources of the future. 

Now, my opponent said renewable energy sources are “imaginary.”  The folks here in Toledo manufacturing solar panels might disagree with that.  (Applause.)  These jobs aren’t a “fad” -- they’re not imaginary.  They're our future.  And unlike my opponent, I want to stop giving a $4 billion-a-year taxpayer subsidy to big oil companies that are making money every time you go to the pump, and I want to use that money to invest in homegrown energy sources that have never been more promising and are creating jobs right here in Ohio.  (Applause.)  

It’s up to you whether we go back to the old health care system that let insurance companies decide when to cover you and when to cover you, and drop you when you needed it most.  But I think we should keep moving forward with the new health care law that's already cutting costs and covering more people and saving lives.  They call it Obamacare.  It's true, I care.  It's true.  (Applause.)

I guess the other side's plan is the "Romney Doesn't Care" plan.  (Laughter.)  But now is not the time to refight the battles of the last four years.  We need to move forward.

You get to decide what the future of the war in Afghanistan is.  Last week, did you notice Governor Romney did not say a word about our troops who are in harm’s way over there?  And because of my plan, 33,000 of them will have come home by the end of this month.  (Applause.) 

He said ending the war in Iraq was “tragic.”  I think it was the right thing to do.  I said we’d end that war -- and we did.  (Applause.)  I said we’d go after al Qaeda -- we did.  (Applause.)  I said we'd take out bin Laden -- we did.  (Applause.) 

Our troops are out of Iraq.  We’re bringing them home from Afghanistan.  And as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will serve our veterans 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.  That's why I'm running for a second term.  (Applause.)

So we've got some big choices we've got to make.  And the other side is going to spend the next two months -- they're fighting back with everything they’ve got.  They're going to give you an avalanche of attack ads and insults and distraction.  And they may massage the truth a little bit.  And it will be supported with $10 million checks from wealthy donors.  And they know that even if you don't buy into their plan, even if you don't vote for them, they're thinking, well, maybe we'll discourage people.  We'll get folks so disillusioned by all these negative ads, all this negativity, that you'll just decide to sit this one out.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  But you know what, I'm counting on something different.  I’m counting on you.  (Applause.)  I’m counting on you.  If you're not registered to vote, then you've got to go to GottaRegister.com.  Now, that's not "GotToRegister.com.”  This is "gotta" -- G-o-t-t-a-Register.com  (Applause.)

If you want to find out how to vote early, starting on October 2nd, then you need to go to GottaVote.com.  That’s not "GotToVote.com,” that's "gotta vote” -- (laughter) -- GottaRegister, GottaVote -- because we’ve got a whole lot of more work to do.  (Applause.)

We’ve got more good jobs to create.  We’ve got more good cars to build.  We’ve got more schools to upgrade, and more great teachers to hire, and more young people to send to college.  (Applause.)  And we’ve got more troops we've got to bring home and more veterans we’ve got to take care of, and more doors of opportunity that we've got to open up for everybody who is willing to walk through them.  That's what's at stake in this election.  That's why I'm asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  

That's why I need you to knock on doors.  That's why I need you to get on the phone.  (Applause.)  I need you to talk to your friends.  I need you to talk to your neighbors.  I need you to stand with me, Ohio.  (Applause.)  And if we win Toledo, we will win Ohio.  And if we win Ohio, we'll win this election.  (Applause.)  And if we win this election, we will finish what we started, and we will remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth. 

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

                                           END                 1:00 P.M. EDT