President and First Lady to Host Concert Honoring Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the East Room

On Wednesday, May 9th, as part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who will be awarded the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  President Obama will present the award as he did in 2010 and 2009, when the Library of Congress honored Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, respectively.   The program will include performances by Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Mike Myers, Rumer, Arturo Sandoval, Sheléa and Stevie Wonder.

The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 7:00 PM ET on May 9th. 

On Monday, May 21st at 9:00 PM ET, the East Room concert will be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide as “Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House” (check local listings). The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.

This will be the first time the Gershwin Prize honor has been awarded to a songwriting team; Bacharach and David are a pianist and lyricist respectively.  The Gershwin Prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive manuscript collections reside in the Library of Congress. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. 
 
The White House concert caps off two days of events celebrating the recipients of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. On Tuesday, May 8th at 7:00 PM ET, the Library of Congress will host an invitation-only concert at their Coolidge Auditorium in honor of Bacharach and David. The all-star tribute will include performances by Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Mike Myers, Lyle Lovett, Rumer and Stevie Wonder.

“Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House” will be the ninth “In Performance at the White House” program hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama.  Starting in February 2009, these events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring the music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown and the Blues; spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical; and explored the rich roots of Country Music.

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Los Poblanos Ranch
Albuquerque, New Mexico

3:06 P.M. MDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh my goodness!  (Applause.)  Thank you all so much.  This is truly breathtaking.  I would just like to stay here and hang out.  (Laughter.)  But I can't, but it is a pleasure to be here with all of you. 
 
Let me start by thanking Lisa for that very kind introduction and for all the support that she and Paul, who wasn't able to be here today, they have shown to us.  I know they both worked very hard to make this event wonderful, as well as all of the other co-hosts.  So please, let's join in in giving them all a round of applause.  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)
 
I'd also like to just take a moment to acknowledge your terrific State Party Chair, Javier Gonzalez.  I want to thank Javier for joining us here, as well as for all of his work. 
 
And finally, I really just want to thank all of you for your support and for taking the time to be here.  And I know that there's a reason why you all are here.  You're here because you know that this November, as Lisa said, we're going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And you're here because you know that choice, it won't just affect all of us, but it's going to affect our children and our grandchildren, and the world we leave behind for them long after we're gone.
 
And that’s really why I'm here, and that’s why I'm going to be here working so very hard.  Because as First Lady I have had the privilege of traveling all across this great country, and I get to meet with folks from all different backgrounds, and I hear what's going on in their daily lives.  And let me tell you, every day, people are working hard, struggling to keep it all together.  I hear about the bills they're trying to pay, the businesses they're trying to keep afloat, the home they love but are struggling to afford.
 
But one thing I also know -- no matter what people are going through, no matter what challenges they face, they just keep on working and sacrificing, because they want to give something to their kids -- desperately, they want something better for their kids.  They believe in that fundamental vision for our country that we all share -- the idea, as my husband says, that hard work should pay off; that responsibility should be rewarded; and that everyone should get a fair shot, they should do their fair share, but they should play by the same rules.
 
And those values are the foundation for an economy built to last.  They are basic American values, the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.
 
I have told my story before.  My father was a blue-collar city worker, worked at the city water plant his entire life.  My family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  My mother still occupies that home in Chicago when she goes back; my bedroom is the same -- bed sheets, pictures on the wall.  But neither of my parents had the chance to go to college.
 
But let me tell you what they did do, which was probably just as valuable -- they saved and they sacrificed everything/  They poured everything they had into us, because they wanted something more for me and my brother.  And more than anything else, that’s what at stake.   That’s why we're here.  That’s what we're working toward -- that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard you can build a better life, a decent life for yourself and an even better life for you kids.  And on just about every issue, that’s the choice we face.
 
And let's just start with all those tax cuts that my husband passed for middle-class families.  Let me tell you what that’s about, why he did that.  Because that’s about whether people can heat their homes; it's about whether folks can send their kids to college, retire with dignity and a little security; it's about putting more money into people's pockets, which means more money in our economy, which in turn means more jobs.  And it's about making sure that everyone pays their fair share.
 
That’s why Barack introduced what he calls the Buffett Rule, to close tax loopholes so that millionaires and billionaires aren't paying lower tax rates that firefighters and teachers.  Seems so obvious.  (Applause.)  But that’s what's at stake.
 
And how about everything my husband has done to create jobs in this country?  I mean, think back to when all those folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under.  Remember that?  And more than a million jobs on the line. 
 
But Barack had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people, and as a result -- thank goodness -- today, the auto industry is back on its feet, and, more importantly, people are back to work, providing for their families again.  (Applause.) 
 
And also think back to when Barack first took office.  In this economy, we were losing an average of 750,000 jobs every single month -- that’s what he inherited.  But for the past 25 straight months, we've actually been gaining private sector jobs -- a total of more than 4 million jobs in two years.  So while we still have a long way to go -- (applause) -- absolutely -- to rebuild our economy, we have much more work to do.  Today, millions of folks are collecting a paycheck again.  But that’s what's at stake.  That’s the choice we face.
 
And what about all that has been done for our small businesses?  I mean, these are the companies that create two-thirds of all new jobs each year -- two-thirds.  I'm talking about the mom who opens up that dry cleaning store to help provide for her kids -- these are the people we're talking about.  The family that’s run the neighborhood diner for generations.
 
See, for these folks, the small business tax cuts this administration has passed, for them, it means the difference between hiring new employees or handing out pink slips; the difference between keeping their doors open or closing shop for good.  But that’s the choice we face.
 
And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law to make sure women get equal pay for equal work -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)  And what I remind people of is that Barack did this because he knows what it means when women aren't treated fairly in our workplaces because he watched his own grandmother -- a woman with a high school education who worked her way up to become a vice president at a small community bank.  And she worked hard.  She had to.  She was good at what she did, but like so many women she hit that glass ceiling, and watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- be promoted up the ladder ahead of her.
 
So let me tell you something.  For Barack, this issue is not abstract.  This is not a hypothetical.  He signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap, that can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck or having that money in their pockets to buy gas, groceries, to put clothes on the backs of their children.  And he did it because when so many women are now breadwinners for our families, women's success in this economy is the key to families' success in this economy.  (Applause.)  But that is what's at stake.  That’s what we're working for.
 
And we have to talk a minute about health care.  Two years ago, we made history together by finally passing health reform -- (applause) -- something no other president was able to do.  And because that law was passed, insurance companies will now have to cover basic preventative care at no extra cost -- things like prenatal care, mammograms, contraception.  (Applause.)  And they can no longer deny our children coverage because they have a pre-existing condition like asthma, diabetes.  (Applause.) 
 
Our young people can now stay on their parents insurance until they're 26 years old.  I mean, you know what this means -- so when they graduate from college and they're just starting out, they don’t have to go without health care while they're trying to build their careers and their families.  And today, that’s how 2.5 million young people in this country are getting their coverage today.  (Applause.)  And also, since we passed this law, millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year on prescription drugs.
 
So we have to ask ourselves -- are we going to take those savings away?  Are we going to allow insurance companies to refuse to cover our children?  Or will we say that here in America, no one should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can't afford a doctor.  But that’s the choice we face.
 
And let's think for a moment about all that we've been doing to give our kids a good education.  Think about the investments we've made to raise standards and reform our public schools.  Think about how my husband has been fighting so hard for the DREAM Act, so that responsible young immigrants who came here as children -- (applause) -- and were raised as Americans can earn their pathway to citizenship by going to college, serving in our military. 
 
And think about how my husband took billions of dollars in taxpayer money that used to go middleman banks and lenders and he sent that money where it belongs -- to help millions of our young people go to college.  And those investments, all that we're putting into our children, that won't just determine our children's success -- that will determine nothing less than the success of our entire economy.  That will determine whether we're prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industry that will allow us to compete with any country anywhere in the world.  (Applause.)
 
And let's not forget about how my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- yes, indeed -- and for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seats on our nation's highest courts.  (Applause.)  And we cannot forget the impact the Court's decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -- on our privacy and security; on whether we speak freely, worship openly, and, yes, love whomever we choose.  (Applause.)  That’s what's at stake.  Those are the choices we face.
 
And we cannot forget all this administration had done to keep our country safe and restore our standing in the world.  Yes, thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)  My husband kept his promise -- he ended the war in Iraq, brought our troops home.  And we are working hard every single day to give them and their families and our veterans the benefits they've earned.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, because my husband ended "don't ask, don't tell," our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)
 
So make no mistake about it -- whether it is health care or the economy, whether it's education or foreign policy, the choice we make in this election will determine nothing less than who we are as a country.  But, more important, it will determine who we want to be. 
 
Who do we want to be?
 
Will we be a country where opportunity is just limited to the few at the top?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard you can get ahead no matter who you are or how you started out?  Who do we want to be?

Will we tell folks who have done everything right but are struggling just a little bit, are we going to look them in the eye and tell them, tough luck, you're on your own?  Is that who we are?  Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that we are in this together, and this country is strongest when we're all better off.  Who are we?
 
Will we continue all the change we've begun, all the progress that we've made?  Or will we just allow everything we've fought for to just slip away?  Who do we want to be?
 
But let me tell you -- those are the choices.  That’s why I'm here.  And we know what we need to do.  In our hearts, we know that we can't turn back now.  We can't.  We need to keep moving forward.  Absolutely.
 
And what I want everyone to understand in this country -- no one knows this better than your President.  He understands these issues because he's lived them.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  And when she needed help, who stepped up?  His grandmother, waking up every morning before dawn to take a bus to her job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over again and again for all those promotions, she never complained.  Like so many people in our lives, she never complained.  She just kept showing up, just kept doing her best.
 
So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  Those are the experiences that have made him the man, and, more importantly, the President he is today.  And we are blessed to have him.  (Applause.)
 
And that’s what I hear in his voice when he returns home after a long day of traveling around the country and he tells me about the people he's met.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night after the girls have gone to bed and he's up poring over the letters people have sent him -- the letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care, the letter from the father still struggling to pay his family's bill, the letter from far too many young people with so much promise but so few opportunities. 
 
And I hear the passion and the determination in his voice.  He says, "you won't believe what folks are going through."  That’s what he tells me.  He says, "Michelle, it's not right.  We've got to fix this.  We have so much more work to do." 
 
So what I want people to know about my husband is that when it comes to the people he meets, he has a memory like a steel trap.  He might not remember your name but if he has had a few moments and a decent conversation, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart.  And that is what he carries with him every single day.  It is our collection of struggles, and our hopes and our dreams.
 
That is where your President gets his passion.  That is where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that’s why, even in the hardest moments -- and we've had some -- when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal -- never.  He never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.  Like his grandmother he just keeps moving forward.  Just keeps moving forward.
 
But I've said this before and I will say it again, and again, and again:  He cannot do it alone.  That was never the promise.  Now, more than ever before, he needs your help.  And he needs you to make those calls, and register those voters -- that real work.  He needs you to take those "I’m in" cards and use them to sign up your friends and your neighbors and your colleagues -- no, really.  Let's apply yourselves.  Convince the people in your lives to join in in giving just a little part of themselves each week to this campaign.
 
And if you have any doubt about the difference that you will definitely make, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election could come down to those last few thousand votes.  It's happened before.  It could come down to those last few people we register.  It could all come down to those last few people that we help get to the polls on November the 6.
 
And I want you to think about -- just for a minute about what these kind of numbers mean when they're spread out over an entire state.  It might mean registering just one more person in your town.  That’s how crucial this is.  One more person might mean helping just one more person in your community get out and vote on Election Day.
 
So know that with every door you knock on -- truly -- with every call you make, with every conversation you have, you have to remember that this could be the one that makes the difference -- truly, every interaction.  You could be the one who inspires that person to make their voice heard this November. 
 
And that’s the kind of impact that each of you have.  That’s why we spend so much time and energy on our grassroots folks.  That’s what's going to make the difference.
 
And I will say what I said before -- this journey will continue to be long, and it will continue to be hard.  That is guaranteed.  And there will be twists and turns along the way, things that will make you shudder.  (Laughter.)  But the truth is -- please, remember this -- that is how change always happens in this country -- always. 
 
The reality is that real change is slow, and it never happens all at once.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we'll get there.  We always have and we always will.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children's lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren's lifetimes.  Because in the end, that is what this is all about.  In the end, we are not fighting these battles for ourselves, we are fighting them for our sons and our daughters; we are fighting them for our grandsons and our granddaughters.  We're fighting for the world that we want to leave for them.
 
But all of that is at stake.  All of that is on the line in November.
 
So it is time for us to get moving, right?  Don't you agree?  (Applause.)  It is time for us to get to work.  It's time for us to roll up our sleeves and multiply ourselves, and understand the difference that we can make.
 
So I have one final question for you all.  I need to know from you today, are you in?  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up about this?  (Applause.)  Have I have helped to convince just one more person to get a little more fired up, to do just a little more work and work just a little bit harder? 
 
Because I am convinced that we will do, this time, what we did the last time because of all of you.  That is the difference.  That’s what we have on our side.  We have you. 
 
So I look forward to seeing all of you on the campaign trail in the weeks and months to come.  We are going to work so hard and I am so fired up.
 
Thank you all so much.  God bless.

END
3:28 P.M. MDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event - Las Vegas

The Springs Preserve
Las Vegas, Nevada

9:29 A.M. PDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, wow, thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  And it smells so good in here.  (Laughter.)  You all, please, rest yourselves.  It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you.  I want to start by thanking Jenna for that very kind introduction and all of her hard work today.  She has been just a true-blue friend and supporter from the very beginning, before anybody knew who Barack or Michelle Obama was.  I remember our first meeting, and she was as fired up as she is today, and I am so grateful to her.  So let’s give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

And I also want to thank The Springs Reserve [sic] and the Culinary Academy for hosting us here today.  This is a beautiful site.  As often as I have been here, I didn't know this was here.  This is a true treasure, and it's my hope that I can come back with a little more quiet -- (applause) -- with the girls and really get to experience this place.  And, you all, the food is amazing.  Thank you for investing your time and your talent.  It means the world to all of us, right -- good food.  (Laughter and applause.)

I also want to recognize Representative Shelly Berkeley and former Representative Dina Titus.  They are here.  Thank you all so much.  Thanks for joining us.  Thank you for your support and your leadership.  (Applause.)  It's great to see you all this morning.

And I also want to give a hello and a thank you to our co-chairs -- Senator Steven Horsford and Sonya, as well as Julie Murray.  You guys -- yay!  (Applause.)  Way to go.  Thank you for doing everything to make today so special and such a great success.

And finally, I have to thank all of you.  Thank you for your support.  Truly, thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to be here this morning.  And I know that there’s a reason that you all are here.  And it's not just for a little good food and to see me -- which is okay, too.  (Laughter.)  But I know that you’re here because this November, we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And I know you’re here because you know that choice is not just going to affect all of us, but it will affect our children and our grandchildren, and it's going to affect the world we leave behind for them long after we’re gone.  And that is truly why I’m here as well.

You see, as First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling all across this country, and I've had the opportunity to meet with folks from all different backgrounds and hear what’s going on in their daily lives.  And every day, I hear about how people are trying to keep it together -- the bills they're trying to pay, the businesses they’re trying to keep afloat, the home they love but are struggling to afford.

But let me tell you something, no matter what they’re going through, no matter what the challenges are they face, they keep working, they keep sacrificing because they desperately want something better for their kids.  That's what we all do.  We all believe in the fundamental vision for our economy that we all share -– the idea, as Barack says, that hard work should pay off, that responsibility should be rewarded, and that everyone should get a fair shot, but also do their fair share, and play by the same rules.

And truly, these are values that are at the foundation of an economy that's built to last.  It's really our values.  They are basic American values -- the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  I have told my story time and time again:  My father was a blue-collar city worker who worked for the city water plant his entire life, and my family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  And neither of my parents had the chance to go to college, but like so many parents in their position, what they were able to do was probably even more important -- they saved; they sacrificed; they put everything they had into me and my brother so that we could get the kind of education they only dreamed of.

And truly, more than anything else, that is what’s at stake.  That's what we're working for -- that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can achieve a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  And on just about every issue, that is the choice we face.

And we can start with just looking at those tax cuts that my husband passed for middle-class families.  And let me tell you what that's about, why that's so important.  Because that’s about whether people can heat their homes; that's about whether they can send their kids to college; it's about whether these folks can retire with a little security and dignity.  It’s about putting more money in people’s pockets so that we can put more money into our economy, which means more jobs.  And it’s also about making sure that everyone pays their fair share.

I mean, that’s why Barack proposed what he calls the Buffett Rule -- to close tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires so that they aren’t paying lower tax rates than firefighters and teachers.  That’s what that's about.  (Applause.)  But that's what's at stake.

And how about everything my husband has done to create jobs in this economy?  Think back to earlier when all those folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under, with more than a million jobs on the line.  Remember that?  But what did Barack do?  Barack had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people.  And as a result, today, the auto industry is back on its feet again, and more importantly, people are back to work providing for their families again.  (Applause.) 

And also think back when Barack first took office -- this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs a month.  That's what he inherited.  That's what he walked into.  But for the past 25 straight months, we have actually been gaining private sector jobs -– a total of more than 4 million jobs in two years.  (Applause.)

So while we still have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, today millions of folks are collecting a paycheck again.  But all that is at stake.  And that's the choice we face.

And what about all that this administration has done for small businesses?  These are the companies that create two-thirds of all jobs in this economy -- two-thirds of all jobs.  I’m talking about -- this is the mom who opens up the drycleaners down the street to help provide for her kids.  I mean, this is that family that’s been running that neighborhood diner for generations.  See, but for these folks, that small business tax cut that this administration passed, that means the difference between these people hiring new employees or handing out pink slips; this is the difference between them keeping their doors open or closing up shop for good.  But that's the choice we face.

And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law to help women get equal pay for equal work -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act?  He did this because he knows what it means when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  He watched his own grandmother -– a woman with a high school education -– she worked her way up to become the vice president of a small community bank.  And his grandmother worked hard, and she was good at her job.  But like so many women, she hit a glass ceiling, and watched men no more qualified than she was –- men she had actually trained -– be promoted up the corporate ladder ahead of her. 

So what I want you to know is that for Barack, these issues aren’t abstract.  These aren’t hypotheticals.  He signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap will mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 for each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their kids.  He did it because when so many women are now breadwinners for their families, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  But that’s what’s at stake.  (Applause.)  All of that we’re working for.

And let’s talk, just for a minute, about health care.  Two years ago, we made history together by finally passing health reform.  Because this law was passed, insurance companies will have to cover basic preventative care at no extra cost -- things like mammograms, contraception, prenatal care.  And they can no longer deny our children coverage because they have preexisting conditions -- things like diabetes and asthma.  (Applause.)  Our children can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old, so that when they graduate from college, they won’t have to go out without insurance while they’re just starting out in life, trying to build their careers.  And that’s how 2.5 million of our young people in this country are getting their health care coverage today. 

And since we passed that law, millions of our seniors have saved an average of $600 a year on their prescription drugs.  So we have to ask ourselves, are we going to take all those savings away?  Is that what we’re going to do?  Or are we going to allow insurance companies to refuse to cover our children?  Or will we say that in this country, in America, no one should have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can’t afford a doctor?  But that’s really the choice we face.  That’s why we’re here.

And just think, for a moment, about all that we’re doing to give our kids a good education.  Think about the investments to raise standards and to reform our public schools.  Think about how my husband has been working so hard for the DREAM Act.  See, this about responsible young immigrants who came here as children and were raised as Americans.  It’s a way for them to earn a path to citizenship by going to college and serving in our military.   

And think about how my husband has taken billions of dollars in taxpayer money that used to go to middleman banks and lenders, and he sent it where it belongs -– into the hands of millions of our young people so that they can go to college.  And these kind of investments won’t just determine our children’s success; they will determine nothing less than the future and success of our entire economy.  They will determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and build the industries that will allow us compete with any country, anywhere in the world.  That’s what this is about.  That’s what’s at stake. 

And let us not forget about my husband appointing those two brilliant Supreme Court justices.  (Applause.)  And for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest courts.  And we cannot forget the impact those Court decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -– on our privacy and security, on whether we speak freely, worship openly, and yes, love whomever we choose.  But that’s what’s at stake.  That is the choice we’re facing.  (Applause.)

And then there’s all this administration has done to keep this country safe and restore our standing in the world.  Thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of violence.

My husband kept his promise.  He ended the war in Iraq.  He brought our troops home.  And we are working every day to make sure that they and their families get the benefits and the respect and the love and admiration that they have earned.

And finally, because my husband ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)

But all of that’s at stake this November.  So make no mistake about it, whether it’s health care or our economy, whether it’s education or foreign policy, the choice we make this November will determine nothing less than who we are as a country.  But more importantly, it will determine who we want to be.  Who are we?

Will we be that country that -- where opportunity is limited to just a few at the top?  Is that who we are?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead, no matter who you are or how you started out?  We have to ask ourselves, who are we?  Will we tell folks who have been doing everything right but are struggling just a little bit, are we going to look them in the eye and tell them, “tough luck, you’re on your own”?  Is that who we are? 

Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that we’re all in this together, and this country we are strongest when we’re all better off?  Who are we?  Will we continue all this wonderful change we’ve begun, the progress we’ve made?  Or will we just let it all slip away?

Well, we know who we are.  We know who we are.  We know that we cannot turn back now.  We cannot turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward.  (Applause.) 

And what I tell everybody everywhere I go, you have to understand, your President understands this.  He knows this more than you can imagine.  He understands these issues because he’s lived them.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay the family’s bills.  And when she couldn’t keep it together, who stepped up?  His grandmother, getting up every morning before dawn to catch that bus to her job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over again and again for all those promotions, she never complained.  How many people do we know like that in our lives?  She never complained.  She just kept showing up, kept doing her best.

So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential, how that hurts.  Those experiences have made him the man, but more importantly, the President he is today.  And we are blessed to have him.  We are.  (Applause.)

And that’s what I hear in his voice every day when he returns home from a full day of traveling around the country, and he tells me about the people he’s met.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night, after the girls have gone to bed, and he’s poring over the letters from people who have sent him -- the letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care; the letter from the father struggling to pay his bills; the letter from far too many young people with so much promise, but so few opportunities.

And I hear the passion and determination in his voice.  He says, “You won’t believe what people are going through.”  He says, “Michelle, this is not right.  We’ve got so much more work to do.  We’ve got to fix this.”

See, what you have to know about your President is that when it comes to the people he meets, he has a memory like a steel trap.  He may not remember your name, but if he’s had a few moments and a decent conversation, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart.  And that is what he is carrying with him every single day -– it is our collections of challenges and our hopes and our dreams.

That is where Barack Obama gets his passion.  That is where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that’s why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal -- never.  Never gets distracted by the chatter and the noise.  Just like his grandmother, he just gets up and he keeps moving forward -- keeps moving forward.

But I have said this before; I said it here in Las Vegas, I will say it again:  He cannot do this alone.  That was never the promise.  He needs all of you.  He needs your help.  He needs you to make those calls, to register those voters.  He needs you to take those “I’m In” cards -- I know you’ve seen them; if you haven’t, find them, take them.  Sign up.  Sign up your friends.  Sign up your neighbors.  Sign up your colleagues.  Convince them about why it’s so important just to give a little bit of themselves, a little bit of investment each week to this campaign. 

And if you have any doubt about the difference that you can make, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election could come down to just a few thousand people that we register.  It could all come down to those last few thousand folks we help get to the poll on November -- right?  And I want you to just think for a minute about those numbers and what that means when they’re spread out over an entire state. 

It means that registering maybe just one more person in your town; it might mean helping just one more person in your community get out and vote on Election Day -- one more.  So with every door you knock on, with every call you make, with every conversation that you have with people in your lives, just remember that this could be the one that makes the difference.  That’s how you have to think about it.

I know that’s how -- every speech I give, this could be the room where the one is there who can make the difference.  You could be the one who inspires someone to make their voice heard in November.  That’s the impact that each of you can have.  And don’t ever underestimate that. 

And I’m not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long.  And it is going to be hard.  That is guaranteed.  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But what we have to remember is that the truth is, that’s how change always happens in this country.  It always does.  The reality is that real change is slow, and it never happens all at once.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, then eventually we get there.  We always do.  We always have.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.

Because in the end, that is what this is about.  We are not fighting these battles for ourselves.  We are fighting them for our sons and our daughters.  We’re fighting them for our grandsons and our granddaughters.  And like so many people who came before us, that fought for us to stand here, we are fighting for the world we want to leave for them.  And that’s what’s at stake. 

So it’s time for us to get moving, don’t you think?  Don’t you think it’s time for us to get moving?  (Applause.)

So let me end with just one question that I need to know from you after this:  Are you in?  (Applause.)  I need to know -- are you in?  How in are you?  Are you as in as I’m in?  Because I’m way, way far into this, because I know what’s at stake.  I know the kind of country that I want to leave for my kids.  And I know I can’t stand on the sidelines and let somebody else fight these battles for us.  (Applause.) 

Barack Obama is the President we need, and he needs you working right alongside him.  I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.

Thank you all, and God bless.

END                    
9:53 A.M. PDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Tucson Convention Center
Tucson, Arizona

6:56 P.M. MST
 

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh my goodness!  (Applause.)  All right.  You all sound like you’re already fired up and ready to go, so I’ll just take my shoes off and go home.  (Laughter.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.   Can you all hear me?  I just want to make sure.  I’m a little taller.  (Laughter.) 
 
But let me tell you, it is a pleasure and truly an honor to be here with all of you, to be back in Tucson.  I just can’t tell you how special this place is to us.
 
I want to start by thanking Maria Elena for that very kind introduction.  Let’s give her a round of applause.  (Applause.)  She gave me shoelaces, and I was like okay -- so we took a picture with our shoelaces.  She told me she would explain them and now I am proud to have my shoelaces.  Thank you so much.
 
I also want to recognize a few dear people here.  Congressman Grilalba is here, who has just been amazing.  (Applause.)  And his beautiful daughter who was just -– she was just –- now she’s bigger!  Oh my god, the years!  Granddaughter -- well, did I say daughter?  Granddaughter, of course.  I mean, you look good, but not that good.  (Laughter.)  She’s a preciousness. 
 
I also want to thank Mayor Rothchild for being here as well.  (Applause.)  Your State Party Chair, Bill Roe, who’s been doing an amazing job.  (Applause.)  Thank you all for your leadership and service.  I know we’re going to do it here because of people like you.  I know we are.  (Applause.)
 
And, wow, wasn’t Calexico -- they were amazing.  Amazing.  (Applause.)  I got to hear a little bit backstage, very good.  Thank you all, thanks for that wonderful performance. 
 
I also want to recognize Ron Barber.  (Applause.)  He is going to do a fantastic job representing his district in Washington.  We will be happy to have him out there.  (Applause.)  
 
And we are thrilled to have Gloria Giffords here with us this evening.  (Applause.)  Gloria!  She knows how proud we are of her daughter.  I mean, we are so inspired by Gabby’s courage and her determination, and I just want you to know that we love her and we are with her, with you, with the family every step of the way.  Thank you for taking the time to be here.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, I just want to thank all of you.  This is a wonderful crowd.  Look at you guys, looking so good here.  Thank you all.  Thank you for your support, and for taking the time to be here this evening.  Is it evening now?  I’m having a hard time keeping up with what time of day is it; I started in D.C. at 7 a.m. or something like that, so I think this is the second half of my day or something like that.  But I’m thrilled to be here.
 
And I know that there’s a reason why you all are here.  And it’s not just to see me -- although I’m thrilled for those of you who came to see me.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
But you’re here because you know that this November -- and the time is ticking –- we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And you’re here because you know that choice won’t just affect all of us, but it’s going to affect our children, our grandchildren, and, more importantly, the world we leave behind for them long after we’re gone.
 
And truly, that is why I’m here as well.  That’s why I’m going to be out there working as hard as I can over the next several months.  Because as First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling all across this great country, and I get to meet folks from all different backgrounds.  I get to hear what’s going on in their daily lives.  And every day, I hear about the challenges people are facing. I hear about the bills they’re trying to pay, about the businesses they’re trying to keep afloat, the home they love but are struggling to afford.
 
But no matter what folks are going through, let me tell you -- no matter what challenges they face, they keep on working.  They keep on sacrificing.  Why?  Because they desperately want something better for their kids.  They believe in that fundamental vision for our economy that we all share.  Regardless of who we are, we share this vision:  The idea, as Barack says, that hard work should pay off, that responsibility should be rewarded, and that everyone in this country should get a fair shot but play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
And we have to remember that those values are the foundation of an economy built to last.   And they’re basic American values -- the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.
 
By now, you know my story.  My father was a blue collar worker at the city water plant, and he worked there his entire life.  My family, we lived in a little bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago over my aunt’s house.  My mom still lives in that house to this day and my room looks exactly the way it did when I was a teenager, down to the bedspread and the pictures on the wall.  (Laughter.)  She hasn’t touched a thing.
 
But neither of my parents had the chance to go to college.  But let me tell you what they did -- they saved everything, and they sacrificed everything.  They poured everything they had into us, because they wanted something more for me and my brother. 
 
And truly, more than anything else, the reason why we’re here is because that’s what’s at stake -- that fundamental promise that no matter who you are, no matter how you started out, if you work hard you can build a decent life for yourself, but more importantly, an even better life for your kids.  And let me tell you, on just about every issue that is the choice we face. 
 
Let’s start with all those tax cuts that my husband passed for middle-class families.  Think about it.  Those cuts are about whether people can heat their homes -- that’s what that’s about.  They’re about whether they can send their kids to college; whether they can retire with a little dignity, a little security.
 
It’s about more money in people’s pockets, which means more money in our economy, which means more jobs.   Those cuts are about making sure that everyone pays their fair share.  And that’s why Barack proposed the Buffett Rule -- to close tax loopholes -- (applause) -- simply so that millionaires and billionaires aren’t paying lower tax rates than firefighters and teachers.  Something simple.  (Applause.)  But that’s what’s at stake.
 
And how about everything my husband has been doing to create jobs in this economy?  (Applause.)   Think back, as you saw in that video, to when all those folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under -- remember that -- with more than a million jobs on the line.  Remember that? 
 
But what did Barack do?  He had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people and as a result, today, the auto industry is back on its feet, and more importantly, people are back to work providing for their families again.  (Applause.)
 
And how about when Barack first took office?  This economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs every single month.  That’s what he inherited.  That’s what he walked into after he took the oath.  But for the past 25 straight months, we have actually been gaining private sector jobs –- a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)  So while we certainly have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, today, millions of folks are collecting a paycheck again.  But that’s what’s at stake.  That’s the choice we face.
 
And how about all that has been done for our small businesses?  These are the companies that create two-thirds -– two-thirds of all new jobs each year in this economy.  Now, I’m talking about the mom who opens up the drycleaners to provide for her kids.  Those are the people we’re talking about -- the family that’s been running that neighborhood diner for generations. 
 
See, for these folks, the small business tax cuts this administration has passed, for these folks it means the difference between hiring new employees or handing out pink slips.  It’s the difference between them keeping those doors open or closing up shop for good.  That’s the choice we face.
 
And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act –- (applause) -- to help women get equal pay for equal work.  And it’s important to understand why he did this.  He did this because Barack knows what it means when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  He watched his own grandmother, a woman with a high school education –- was able to work her way up to become a vice president at a little community bank.  His grandmother worked hard, and she was good at her job.  But like so many women she hit that glass ceiling and watched men no more qualified than she was –- men she had actually trained –- be promoted up that ladder ahead of her. 
 
So believe me, for Barack, this is not an abstract issue.  This isn’t hypothetical.  He signed this bill because he knows that closing that gap, that can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their kids.   He did it because when so many women are now breadwinners for our families, women’s success in this economy is the key to family success in this economy.  (Applause.)  But that’s what’s at stake.  That’s what’s at stake.
 
Let’s talk for a minute about health care.  I mean, two years ago we made history together by finally passing health reform.  (Applause.)  And because we passed this law, insurance companies will now have to cover basic preventative care -- things like prenatal care, mammograms, contraception at no extra cost.  (Applause.)  And they can no longer deny our children coverage because they have a pre-existing condition -- things like diabetes or asthma.  (Applause.) 
 
And our children can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old -- (applause) -- so that when they graduate from college, they won’t have to go without health care right when they’re trying to find a job, starting to build their lives.  And today, that’s how 2.5 million young people in this country are getting their health coverage today.  (Applause.)  And since we passed this law, millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year for their prescription drugs. 
 
So we have to ask ourselves -- are we going to take those savings away?  Are we going to allow insurance companies to refuse covering our children? 
 
AUDIENE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we say that here in America, no one should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can’t afford a doctor.  (Applause.)  That is the choice we face.
 
And think for a moment about all that we’re doing to give our kids a good education.  I mean, think about the investments we’ve made to raise standards and reform our public schools.  I mean, think about how my husband has been fighting so hard for the DREAM Act -- (applause) -- so that responsible young immigrants who came here as children and were raised as Americans can earn a pathway to citizenship by going to college, serving in our military.  How about that?  (Applause.) 
  
And think about how my husband has -- he took billions of dollars in taxpayer money that used to go to middleman banks and lenders and he sent that money where it belongs -- to help millions of our young people go to college.  (Applause.)  And we have to understand that these investments in our young people won’t just determine our children’s success.  I mean, this kind of investment will determine nothing less than the success of our entire economy.  It will determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world.  But that’s what’s at stake. 
 
And let us not forget how my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices.  (Applause.)  Let’s not forget how, for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)  And we cannot forget the impact those court’s decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -- on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and yes, love whomever we choose.  (Applause.)  That’s what’s at stake.  That is the choice we face.
 
And let us not forget all this administration has done to keep our country safe and restore our standing in the world.  I mean, thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)  My husband kept his promise and he ended the war in Iraq, brought our troops home, and we are working hard every single day to give them and their families the benefits that they’ve earned.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, because my husband ended “don’t ask, don’t tell,” our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.) 
 
But all of that is at stake this November -- all of it.  So make no mistake about it -- whether it’s health care, the economy, education, foreign policy, the choice we make will determine nothing less than who we are as a country, but more importantly who do we want to be.  I mean, that’s what we have to ask ourselves.  Who are we?
 
Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to just a few at the top?  Who are we?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead no matter who you are or how you started out?  Who do we want to be?  Will we tell folks who have done everything right but are struggling just a little bit, are we going to look them in the eye and say, tough luck, you’re on your own?  Who are we? 
 
Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that we are all in this together, and in this country we are strongest when we are all better off?  (Applause.)  Who do we want to be?  (Applause.)  Will we continue all the change we’ve begun, all the progress we’ve made?  Or will we just allow everything we’ve fought for to just slip away?  But those are the choices we face. 
 
And we know what we need to do, right?  We know that we cannot turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward.  That’s what we need to do.  (Applause.)
 
And what I want you all to know is that your President knows this.  He understands this because he has lived this.  That’s why he understands these issues. 
 
See, Barack was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  And when she needed help, who stepped up?  His grandmother -- waking up before dawn to take that bus to her job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over for all those promotions, she never complained.  How many people in our lives do we know like that?  They don’t complain.  She just kept on showing up.  Just kept doing her best.  
 
So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have the chance to fulfill their potential.  Because those are the experiences that have made him not just the man, but the President he is today.  And we are blessed to have him.  (Applause.)
 
And I’m just trying to tell everybody that they need to know who their President is.  See, that is what I hear in his voice when he comes home from a long day traveling across the country and he tells me about the people he has met.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night after the girls have gone to bed, and he is poring over the letters he has received -- the letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care.  The letter from the father still struggling to pay his family’s bills.  The letters from far too many young people with so much promise but too little opportunity.   
 
And I hear the passion and the determination in his voice.  He says "you won’t believe what folks are going through."  That’s what he says.  He says, "Michelle, this ain’t right.  We’ve got to fix this.  We have so much more to do." 
 
See, what you need to know about Barack is that when he meets people, he has got a memory like a steel trap.  (Laughter.)  He might not remember your name, but if he has a few moments and a decent conversation with you, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart. 
 
And that is what he is carrying with him every single day.  It is our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams.  That is where Barack gets his passion.  That is where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that is why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal -- never.  He never lets himself get distracted by all the chatter and the noise.  Just like his grandmother, he just keeps moving forward. 
 
But I have said this before and I will say it again, and again, and again -- he cannot do it alone.  That was never the promise.  He needs your help.  He needs your help.  See, he needs you to make those calls, to register those voters.  He needs you to take those “I’m In” cards -- you’ve seen those?  Pick them up.  Use them.  Sign them up.  Sign up your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues, go into your churches -- sign them up.  Convince folks to join in just giving a little part of themselves, just a little bit of themselves each week to this campaign. 
 
Because we all know that this was never about just one extraordinary man -- although, let me tell you I’m biased.  I think our President is awesome.  (Applause.)  I think he has done a phenomenal job.  But it is not about him.  It has never been about Barack Obama.  It has always been about us -- all of us -- all of us coming together for the values we know we believe in and the country we want to be.  The country we want to be.
 
And I’m not going to kid you -- this journey, this is going to be long and it is going to be hard.  (Laughter.)  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But the truth is that’s how change always happens.  That’s how it always happens.  The reality is that change is slow and it never happens all at once. 
 
But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, we always get there.  We always do.  We never have gone backwards.  We’ve always moved ahead -- maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.  In the end, that’s what this is about.  We are not fighting these battles for ourselves.  We are fighting these battles for our sons and our daughters; for our grandsons, for our granddaughters.
 
Like so many people who fought for us to be here, we are fighting for the world we want to leave for them.  (Applause.)  That is what’s at stake.  That’s what we’re working towards.
 
So let me tell you something, Tucson.  It is time for us to get moving, right?  Oh, it is time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.  So I have one last question, are you in? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, I got to hear this.  Are you in?  (Applause.)  Come on!  How in are you?  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Because I am so in, I am so fired up.  I know so well what the stakes are, and I’m going to be out there as much as I can.  But we need you every step of the way.
 
So I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.  Let’s get this done, all right?  God bless.  (Applause.)
 
END
7:22 P.M. MST