Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Dayton Convention Center
Dayton, Ohio

3:50 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, wow!  Look at you all!  This is great!  (Applause.)  We're proud of you girls.  Girls Rock!  Keep it up.  (Applause.)

Look, I am so excited to be here today and to be with all of you.  (Applause.)  But just one thing before I get started -- and I mentioned this in Columbus as well -- I just want to take a moment to make sure that we recognize the people in Aurora, Colorado who were involved in that tragic shooting last week. Barack and I are truly heartbroken.  And he spent time with the families of the victims this weekend. 

And we can't say it enough.  We are all holding all of those families in our hearts and our prayers right now.  And I know that we will continue to come together as one American family, to mourn those who lost their lives in what was a very devastating event, and we all have to keep coming together to support their loved ones in these difficult days ahead.  So we cannot forget.

But I also want to thank you all.  I want to thank Robin for that very kind introduction.  We ought to give her another round of applause.  (Applause.)  And I also want to thank Sharen Neuhardt, who is here, for joining us today.  (Applause.)  And she is going to make an outstanding congresswoman.  She's doing a terrific job.  (Applause.)  And of course, I want to thank Niki for her remarks today and for her terrific work on the campaign.  (Applause.)

And again, to all of you, our extraordinary volunteers, our organizers.  (Applause.)  Thank you all for everything you do every day to make this campaign possible.  You all are doing that good work.  You're knocking on those doors and you're registering voters.  You're giving people the information they need about the issues they care about.  And it is truly important for you all to know that the grassroots work that you all are doing to get people focused and fired up -- that kind of work is at the core of this campaign. 

And just remember, that’s how we did it four years ago, and that’s how we’re going to do it again today, with your help.  (Applause.)  With your help.  (Applause.)

And the one thing that I know, this work is not easy.  And you all are making time to do it even though you all have your own busy lives to lead.  You’ve got jobs to do.  Hopefully there are young people who've got classes to attend -- right?  (Applause.)  And even not-so-young people attending classes.  We all have our families to raise.

But I also know that there’s a reason why we're taking time away from our lives to be here today and to do that work.  And it’s not just because we support a pretty awesome gentleman in the White House -- (applause) -- my husband, President Obama.  (Applause.)  And it’s not just because we want to win an election -- which we do and we will.  (Applause.)

What I remind people when I travel around, everywhere I go, we’re doing this because of the values we believe in -- our values.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  We're doing this because we believe that everyone in this country should have a fair shot.  That means that all of our kids should have good schools.  (Applause.)  And they should be able to attend college without a mountain of debt -- right?  (Applause.) 

We believe that everyone in America should do their fair share -- which means teachers and firefighters shouldn’t pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)  We believe that if you work hard, you shouldn’t go bankrupt when someone gets sick.  (Applause.)  You shouldn’t lose your home when someone loses a job.  And after a lifetime of hard work, you should be able to retire with dignity and security -- in America.  (Applause.)

And these are basic American values, the foundation of this country.  They are the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  I talk about my background everywhere I go because I’m proud of how I was raised.  As many of you know, my father was a pump operator at the city water plant, and neither of my parents had a college degree.  But let me tell you something.  My parents saved for us; they sacrificed everything for us.  They poured everything they had into me and my brother so that they could give us the kind of education they only dreamed of. 

And education was everything in our family.  It was our ticket to the middle class, our pathway to the American Dream.  And when my brother and I finally made it to college, pretty much all of our tuition came from student loans and grants.  I know a lot of people understand that. 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  But my dad still had to pay a small portion of that tuition himself.  And every semester, my father was determined to pay that bill right on time.  See, because he was proud to be sending his kids to college, and he made sure that we never missed a registration deadline because his check was late.  He didn’t want us to go through that.  Like so many people in this country, my father took great pride in being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to handle his responsibilities to his family.  That's all he wanted -- to pay his bills, and to pay them on time.  That’s all he wanted.  (Applause.)  

See, my father's life is a testament to that basic American promise that no matter who you are, or how you started out, if you work hard you can build a good life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  (Applause.) 

And my husband understands that promise because that’s his story, too.  That’s why I married him.  (Laughter and applause.)  He is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  He is the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn to catch a bus to her job at the bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother worked hard to help support his family -- and she was good at her job -- like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling, and men no more qualified than she was were promoted up the ladder right ahead of her.  But let me tell you something.  She never complained.  How many people like that do we have in our lives?  She just kept getting up, just kept giving her best every single day to help support her family.  (Applause.)

So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  This is not a hypothetical for him.  He knows what it means to work hard because you want something better for your kids and your grandkids.  Like me and like so many of you, Barack knows the American dream because he’s lived it.  And he believes that when you’ve worked hard and you’ve done well and you’ve walked through that doorway of opportunity, you don’t slam it shut behind you.  (Applause.)  You reach back, and you give other folks a chance to succeed as well.  That’s what we do in America.  (Applause.)

And more than anything else, that’s what’s at stake in this election.  That’s why we’re here.  It’s that dream, that fundamental American promise. 

And let me tell you something -- from now until November, we’re going to need you all to get out there and tell everyone you know, tell them about Barack’s values.  You tell them about this vision that we share.  And tell them about the choice we face in this election -- because this election is about choices, it’s about the choice we face on our economy.  It’s about building a strong and growing middle class.  So I want you to remind folks that Barack has cut taxes for working families by $3,600 per family.  (Applause.)  Let them know he has cut taxes for small businesses 18 times since he’s been President -- because he knows that rebuilding our economy starts with the restaurants and the stores and the start-ups that create two-thirds of all new jobs in this country.  Let them know. 

And I also want you to remind people how, back 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 welcomed him after inauguration.  But also let them know that for the past 28 straight months we’ve actually been gaining private sector jobs -- every month -- a total of more than 4 million new jobs. 

So while we still have a long way to go, we have more work to do to rebuild our economy, today millions of people are collecting a paycheck again.  Millions of people like my dad are able to pay their bills and take care of their families again.

This election is a choice about the health of our families.  The fact is that over the past century -- okay -- 100 years, so many of our Presidents have tried and failed to meet the challenge of health care reform.  But Barack was determined.  (Applause.)  See, he was driven by the stories of the people he’d met -- the grandparents who couldn’t afford their medications; the families going broke because a child got sick; the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company wouldn’t cover her care. 

And let me tell you, that is what kept him going day after day.  That’s why he fought so hard for this historic reform.  He fought for us.  And today, because of this reform, our parents and grandparents are paying hundreds less for their prescription drugs.  Our kids can stay on our insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  So our young people don’t have to lose their health care when they graduate and are out there trying to build a life and look for a job. 

Because of this reform, insurance companies have to cover basic preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care -- at no extra cost.  Because of this reform, they cannot discriminate against you because you have an illness they call a preexisting condition -- no longer.  (Applause.)  And thanks to this reform, if you get a serious illness like breast cancer, and you need expensive treatment, your insurance company can no longer tell you, sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit and we’re not paying a penny more.  No longer.  Thanks to health reform, that is now illegal.  (Applause.)

And make no mistake about it, this November we get to decide:  Do we want these reforms to be repealed?

AUDIENCE:  No! 

MRS. OBAMA:  Or do we want the people we love to have the care they need?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  That is the choice in this election.  This election is a choice about whether are kids can attend college without a mountain of debt.  And believe it or not, back when Barack and I were first starting out, building a life together, -- we were so in love -- and still are, believe me -- (applause) -- but back then, our combined student loan bill each month was actually higher than our mortgage.  And I know a lot of people can relate to that.  So just understand, when it comes to student debt, my husband and I -- we’ve been there.  And that’s why Barack doubled funding for Pell grants and fought so hard to stop student loan interest rates from rising.  (Applause.)  Because he wants all our young people to get the education they need for the jobs they deserve. 

He wants all our kids in this country to fulfill their promise.  And that is why he’s been fighting so hard for the DREAM Act.  I mean, understand this; he is fighting for responsible young people who came to this country as children through no fault of their own, were raised as Americans -- because he believes that these young people also deserve a chance to go to college, to contribute to our economy, to serve the country that they know and love.  (Applause.)

This election is also a choice about keeping our country safe.  So I want you to remind people that after 10 long years of war, after so many of our heroic men and women in uniform served and sacrificed and gave their lives, Osama bin Laden is no longer a threat to this country.  (Applause.)  Remind them.  You can remind folks that Barack kept his promise to bring our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)  And he is working very hard to make sure that they get the benefits and support that they’ve earned.  And today, our troops no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love -- because Barack ended "don’t ask, don’t tell."  (Applause.)

This election is also a choice about supporting women and families in this country.  So be sure to tell people that Barack believes women should be able to make our own choices about our health care.  (Applause.)  And remind them that it’s now easier for women to get equal pay for equal work because of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill Barack signed into law as President of the United States.

And finally, please tell them about those two brilliant Supreme Court justices Barack appointed -- Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.  Remind them that, for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)

Dayton, when folks ask you what this President has done for our country, tell them how many jobs he’s created.  Tell them how much money he’s put back in the pockets of the American people.  Tell them that more of our kids can afford college and more of our seniors can afford their medicine.  Remind folks how Barack ended the war in Iraq, passed historic health reform and stood up for our most basic, fundamental rights and freedoms again and again and again.  (Applause.)  Let them know. 

But you also have to remind folks that all of that -- and so much more -- it’s all at stake this November.  It’s all on the line.  These are the choices we face.  Are we going to continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to allow everything that we’ve fought for to just slip away?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  No, we know what we need to do.  We have to keep moving this country forward.  Forward.  And more than anything else, that’s what we’re here for.  That’s why we’re here.  That’s what we’re working for -- the chance to finish what we started, right?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  The chance to keep fighting for the values we believe in and the vision for this country that we all share.  And let me tell you, that’s what my husband has been doing every single day as President. 

And I’ve shared this with many people, but over the past three and a half years as First Lady, I have had the opportunity to see up close and personal what being President really looks like.  And let me just share something.  I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones.  They’re the problems with no easy solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there’s no margin for error.  And as President, you are going to get all kinds of advice from all kinds of people.  But at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your life experiences.  All you have to guide you are your values and your vision for this country. 

In the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for.  See, and we all know who my husband is.  And we all definitely know what we stands for, and we have seen again and again just how hard he is willing to fight for us.  Remember when folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  With more than a million jobs on the line -- you remember that?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  But Barack had the backs of American workers.  And as a result, the auto industry is back on its feet again and people are back at work again, earning a paycheck.  (Applause.)

Remember how folks were telling Barack -- they were telling Barack not to take on health care.  They said don’t do it -- said leave it for another day, another President, it’s too risky.  Just keep kicking that can down the road.  But Barack had the backs of American families.  And as a result, today millions of people can finally see a doctor when they’re sick.  They can get the care they need to stay well, thanks to him.  (Applause.)

So when it comes time to stand up for the middle class so that our kids can go to college and our families can make a decent living and save for retirement, you know what my husband is going to do.  When we need a President to protect our most basic rights, no matter who we are or where we’re from or what we look like or who we love, you know you can count on my husband -- because that’s what he’s been doing every day as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

But I have said this before and I will say it again:  He cannot do this alone.  Because as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  And in the end, it could all come down to those last few thousand voters.  And while that might not sound like a lot, when you think about those votes when they're spread out across an entire state, across hundreds of cities and thousands of precincts -- think about that -- so that one new voter that you register in your precinct, that one neighbor you get to the polls on November 6th, that could be the one that makes the difference.  That could be the one. 

That one conversation you have, that one new volunteer you recruit -- that could be the one that puts this election over the top.  (Applause.)  That could be the difference between waking up on November 7th and asking yourself, could I have done more, or feeling the promise of four more years.  (Applause.) Just one.

And that is why we've launched this new effort that we're calling It Takes One.  It's as simple as it sounds.  Every time you take action to move this campaign forward, we're asking you to inspire one more person to step up and do their part as well.  We all know one person, right? 

So, if you're making phone calls or knocking on doors, bring along that friend who hasn't been involved.  If you're coming to an event, bring a neighbor who has never heard about this election, doesn't know the issues.  When you're voting early or on Election Day, bring one new voter along with you who might not be able to make it to the polls.  Find one friend, one colleague, one person in your family -- send them to BarackObama.com/one.  (Applause.)  And that's a very easy way for them to get involved in the campaign. 

And then I want you to bring them along to our very first It Takes One Weekend of Action that's happening this weekend, when folks will be meeting in cities across this country to register voters, and talk with their neighbors about this campaign.  You all here, you can sign up on the website.  We need every single one of you in this room, within the sound of my voice, to join us. 

Because it's like Barack has always said.  He said, "It takes just one voice to change a room.  And if a voice can change a room, it can change a city.  And if it can change a city, it can change a state.  And if it can change a state, it can change a nation."  Just one voice.  That is the power of one person stepping up and doing their part to move their country forward -- just one.  Just one.  (Applause.)  Just one will get us over the top.

And I am not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long, it is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But we have to keep reminding ourselves that is how change always happens in this country.  Real change is hard.  Real change is slow and requires some patience. 

But if we keep showing up -- if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we get there.  Because we always do.  We always have.  In this country, we always move forward -- (applause) -- maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children's lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren's lifetimes. 

Because in the end, that's what this is about.  It's not about us.  In the end, that's what elections are always about.  Elections are always about hope, always about hope.  They're about our hopes for our children.  They're about the world we want to leave for the next generation.  That's what I think about when I kiss my girls goodnight, and I think about how I want to do for them what my dad did for me, what Barack's mom and grandmother did for him.  That's why we're here.

I want my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, to have a foundation for their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise, because all of our kids are worthy.  I want to give them that sense of limitless possibility, that belief that here in America there is always something better out there if you're willing to work for it.  (Applause.)

See, so we cannot turn back now -- not now.  Not now.  We can't turn back.  We have so much more work to do, but we have come so far.  So I have one last question to ask you all:  Are you in?  (Applause.) 

No, you need to understand what kind of "in" I'm talking about.  Are you the kind of roll-up-your sleeves in?  "It Takes One" in?  Finding that neighbor, getting up and registering those voters kind of in?  Shaking people up, talking to the hard neighbors, the folks that aren't sure?  Are you ready to put your views on the line?  Are you ready to work hard for this President and this campaign and this vision?  Are you in like that?  (Applause.)

Because I am so in.  If you haven't noticed, I am so fired up.  I want these kids to have the future they deserve, but it is on us.  It is on us.  And we're going to need you all every step of the way. 

Thank you all.  Let's work hard.  God bless.  (Applause.)
   
END
4:18 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady Previewing Trip to the 2012 Olympic Games During Press Conference Call

Via Conference Call

1:13 P.M. EDT

MS. AUGUST:  Great.  Thank you so much, and thank you to everybody for joining the call today.  All of you should already have the schedule for Mrs. Obama's trip that we put out this morning. 

Joining us on the call today we have, of course, First Lady Michelle Obama.  We also have Ben Rhodes, who is the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications.  We also have Sam Kass, who is the Senior Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives.  We also have key members of our wonderful delegation, Dominique Dawes and Grant Hill, and we have Kevin Dowdell from the USTA who is also going to talk.

So I will turn it over to the First Lady. 

MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks so much, Hannah, and I want to thank everybody for taking time to be on this call.  We're very excited about the trip, we're excited about the call, we're excited about all that we're doing but I just wanted to take a moment before we got started because I just want to say how heartbroken Barack and I are about the tragic shootings that took place in Aurora, Colorado on Friday.  I would be remiss to mention the incident. 

Barack and I, we have seen people -- and so have people around this country -- we've seen people across this country come together as one American family to mourn the victims of this devastating event and to support their friends and families and loved ones.  And I know that we'll continue that support in the difficult time ahead.  So I know that we are all -- even as we enter the Olympics, this wonderful occasion I know that we are all holding the people of Aurora in our hearts and our prayers.  So, again, I just wanted to take a moment to say that.

But I'm also here today to discuss the upcoming Olympic Games, and I am just thrilled to have everyone on the call.  We've got Ben and Sam, but I'm so happy that Dominique and Grant are on the line.  They have just been tremendous supporters of fitness and health and exercise; they both serve on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and they've just been active and engaged and involved on so many different levels. 

And we also have Kevin Dowdell, who has been doing terrific things in tennis, but, more importantly, we went to college together.  And this is how life happens, that all of a sudden we wind up on this phone call together.  So, Kevin, it's great to have you on board.  You guys are doing terrific things.  The commitments you've made have been amazing.  And he is going to talk about that a little later in the call.

I am beyond proud to be leading the U.S. delegation to the Opening Ceremony of this year's Olympic Games.  And during my visit, in addition to cheering for Team USA, I'm going to have the chance to meet with our Olympic athletes and the folks who work in our embassy in London as well.  I'll also be hosting a Let's Move event with American and British students, including American military kids.  And that is going to be a ball.

Leading our nation's delegation and traveling to London is truly a dream come true.  If anybody had asked me when I was 10 or 11 or 20, or actually 40, whether I would be doing this, I would have bet not.  Some of my fondest memories -- when I was young and not so young -- involve watching the Olympics on TV and cheering on Team USA. 

And as part of this trip and my Let's Move initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity, I decided that I wanted to turn that Olympic spirit and inspiration into action by using these games as a way to get more kids up and moving.  And that's why I challenged the U.S. Olympic Committee and 10 of its governing bodies to commit to helping 1 million kids get active in their communities this year.  And we thought that the goal of 1 million kids was an ambitious target, but our partners not only met that goal, they added another 700,000 more to that commitment.  So that means that 1.7 million young people are going to be participating in Olympic and Paralympic sports in their communities this year as a result of these commitments. 

So this involves sports like soccer, tennis, swimming and gymnastics.  They are expanding their beginner programming and planning exciting events in clinics to engage kids for the very first time in many of these sports. 

In addition, in conjunction with the start of the 2012 London games, we've declared July the 28th Let's Move Olympic Fun Day.  And this is going to be really cool.  On that day, kids and families across the country are going to come together to cheer on Team USA and participate in all kinds of athletic activities in their communities through meetup.com. 

So as our Olympic athletes begin to compete in London, they will truly be inspiring a generation of young people to get active and to strive for excellence.  And they're going to be reminding us all that being an Olympian isn't just about winning the gold or setting a new record.  It's really about pushing yourself.  It's about believing in yourself and refusing to give up, no matter what obstacles you might face. 

So I am very excited about this trip for so many reasons, but I'm excited that it will serve as a powerful opportunity to send another message to the kids in this country and other countries about the importance of staying fit, learning to compete, staying healthy.  And this isn't just about sports, it's about being active.

So we are very excited.  And I wish all of the members of Team USA the best of luck in these games.  And I truly look forward to cheering them on in London this week.

So with that, I’m going to turn it over to Ben, who’s going to talk a bit about more exciting stuff.  And I look forward to being a part of the Olympic tradition.  And I want to thank everybody again for joining the call.  Take care, and Ben, take it away.

MR. RHODES:  Great.  Well, thanks, everybody, for joining the call, and, of course, thanks to Mrs. Obama for her leadership and for leading this delegation to a very important event. 

Obviously, the Olympics are always a very exciting and -- event for the American people.  However, I believe that these Olympics will be even more meaningful to the United States because they are taking place in London.  The United Kingdom, of course, is one of our closest allies in the world, and the ties that we have between our countries are deep and enduring.  And so having, again, the Olympics hosted by a country that is as close to the United States as any other in the world only heightens the significance of the Olympics.

As you all know, the U.S. and the U.K. work together on just about every issue of interest to our two countries when it comes to national security and the global economy.  The U.S. and the U.K. are serving together in Afghanistan as we complete a transition to the Afghans and wind down the war there.  The U.S. and the U.K. stood side by side in Libya during our recent intervention where we were able to protect the Libyan people and help bring about the end of the Qaddafi regime.  And we cooperate really on every major issue that you can think of -- from counterterrorism to the global economy to international peace and security. 

So this, in addition to being an important visit to the Olympics, is another opportunity to reaffirm the special relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

I’d note that this is in line with a number of visits that we’ve had to the United Kingdom and opportunities we’ve had to host British leaders here in the United States.  The Obamas have traveled twice to the U.K. -- first, in 2009 for the very important G20 meeting that was hosted in London in which President Obama came together with world leaders to help rescue the global economy.  And Mrs. Obama, of course, was able to do some very exciting and meaningful outreach to the British people. 

It includes, of course, the state visit that President Obama and Mrs. Obama made to the U.K. in 2011 when, again, they were able to both have a series of meetings with the leaders of the U.K.  They were able to be hosted by Her Majesty, the Queen, and were also able to do some important outreach to the people of the United Kingdom.

And earlier this year, we reciprocated that state visit by having a very successful visit to the United States by Prime Minister and Mrs. Cameron that included an event in which the First Lady and Mrs. Cameron were able to have Olympic athletes and Paralympic athletes engage in some activities for some of the local children here in the Washington, D.C. area. 

I’d just say a couple of words about how the First Lady’s events build on the special relationship between our two countries.  First of all, Sam will follow me and discuss the Let’s Move event, but the First Lady will be able to visit with our staff at the embassy.  This is one of our most important embassies in the world, and every time we’re able to thank our civilians and other embassy personnel for their service, it’s a very meaningful opportunity.

The First Lady will also be attending the reception that the Queen is hosting for heads of delegation, which will give her an opportunity, of course, to pay her respects to the Queen and also to meet with the range of other heads of delegation, which includes a variety of heads of state and other important personalities from around the world who will be converging on London for the Olympic games.

She’ll be meeting with Samantha Cameron, and she’ll also be meeting with some of the military families -- U.S. military families that are serving in the United Kingdom in keeping with her focus on military families as a top priority through the Joining Forces initiative. 

I’d just say one other point about both her meeting with Mrs. Cameron and her visit with the military families.  In large part, because of the initiative that she -- the First Lady and Mrs. Cameron have taken together, the U.S. and the U.K. have worked together to lift up the issue of how are we caring for our troops, our veterans and our military families. 

And out of some of our earlier meetings, we established last year a U.S.-U.K. task force on our Armed Forces personnel, veterans and military families.  And the purpose of this task force, which has met a number of occasions since then, is to share best practices; in some instances, to have personnel travel to each country and discuss how we can improve our care for wounded warriors, how we can improve the way in which our military personnel transition into civilian life and seek greater opportunities in civilian life. 

It also includes a focus on how are we caring for those who suffer from mental health injuries, given that this has been a signature wound for both U.S. and U.K. personnel in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And of course, it builds on the work that the First Lady has done on the Joining Forces initiative to, again, engage in a discussion about best practices for how our communities can support military families. 

So we’ll once again have an opportunity to spotlight our joint efforts in terms of how we’re standing by our troops who served together in Iraq and Afghanistan, how we’re caring for our veterans, and how both the United States and the United Kingdom are providing support for our military families.

So the bottom line is I think it’s important to underscore that while this visit is about the Olympics, it’s also about advancing the close ties between the U.S. and the United Kingdom -- ties that are about the close cooperation between our governments, but also about the deep bonds between our people.  And the President and Mrs. Obama have done a lot of work since they took office, again, to reach out to our closest allies, to reaffirm the bonds that our alliances depend upon, but also to reach out to publics.  And Mrs. Obama, again, has been to do that on her travel to the United Kingdom in the past, and so therefore her events I think will build on a record of reaching out to cooperate with the government of the United Kingdom but also to speak directly to the people of the United Kingdom, as well.

With that, I’ll turn it over to Sam, who can say a few words about the Let's Move event in particular.

MR. KASS:  Thank you, Ben.  And thanks, everybody, for being on the call. 

The First Lady has really seen the Olympics as obviously an amazing moment for the nation and for the world, but also an incredible opportunity to rally around the health and wellbeing of our kids and utilize all the excitement around the games to inspire our kids to move more.  So we have been hard at work at that for many, many months.

The First Lady -- we started a lot of this work hosting a mini Olympics with -- a while back in the spring to get our kids starting to get excited.  She spoke at the Wounded Warrior Games, their opening ceremony, and has announced a really exciting national initiative to have fun days through meetup.com, which will get communities active all over the country.  So right now we have already almost 200 cities and towns and communities that have signed up to do events to really give kids opportunities to play and be active in the theme of the Olympics, and we’re encouraging many, many more to join.

And the partnership and commitment from the USOC and the governing bodies are really groundbreaking efforts to expand programming in communities all over the country, particularly for those kids who don't have access to sport and play opportunities, and give them very positive experiences about being active, which can have a transformative impact on kids for the rest of their lives.  So we're very grateful that we're going to touch 1.7 million children in this next year alone and continue that work from there.  So all of this is leading up to what will be an amazing few days in London, highlighting our young people. 

So Let's Move in particular will have two great opportunities.  On Friday, the 27th, we are -- the first day we'll be going to the U.S. Olympic training facility at the University of East London to meet with many of our athletes and have a chance to honor them and thank them for their service to the nation.  And then we will be going to the Ambassador's residence later that morning to have what will be an incredible Let's Move London event where we'll have about a thousand kids, American and British kids, and incredible lineup of athletes, of entertainers, including -- even SpongeBob will be there.  And it's going to be an amazing day of fun that actually gets kids out moving and running around and playing in a very diverse set of stations, with a lot of excitement, which will hopefully send a lot of these young people on their way to living active, healthier lives.

So we're very grateful to all of the partners -- it's too long of a list to even begin, but I think everybody has it -- their efforts to make this day possible, especially Nickelodeon and others who are really putting on a lot of effort here.  And it's going to be an amazing day.  So we're really excited to get there and run around with the kids. 

So, with that, I will give it back to Hannah and I look forward to taking your questions.

MS. AUGUST:  We have two members of the First Lady's delegation on the line.  As everybody knows, the First Lady will be joined in London by Brandi Chastain, Dominique Dawes, Gabriel Diaz de Leon, Grant Hill and Summer Sanders.  And we have Dominique and Grant on the line now.  So I'd like to turn it over first to Dominique.

MS. DAWES:  Well, thank you, Hannah.  I'm very excited to be a member of the First Lady's Olympic delegation, as well as being the co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.  I know as a veteran athlete, I just know how important it is for Americans to support fellow Olympians that are competing in the sport.  And so, to be there at the opening ceremonies with the First Lady's delegation, as well as helping out in a number of Let's Move events will be an honor for me.

I've been focusing on health, fitness and wellness since I retired 12 years ago, and kids are a targeted group that I'm very passionate about.  So to have an opportunity to work with these young kids and teach the importance of physical activity and nutrition I truly think will leave a lasting and a positive impact.

So, again, I'm thrilled to be a part of this delegation.  And I do believe that during these Olympic years it's also a great time for young kids to watch these different sports that are so popular, like gymnastics or basketball, or track and field, but to maybe look at table tennis, diving, or even trampoline, because those may be sports that they have an interest in, a passion for and a talent in, and that might be the next fitness activity that they may shine in, hopefully in the future.

Thanks again.

MS. AUGUST:  Thank you so much.  And Grant, I'll turn it over to you next.

MR. HILL:  Thank you, Hannah.  Just like Dominique, I'm very thrilled, excited and honored to be a part of this First Lady's delegation to the Olympics in London.  I, as well, am on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.  And it's just a tremendous honor. 

When I think of the Olympics, to me the Olympics embodies everything that the First Lady, with her initiative, the Let's Move campaign, it's really what it's all about.  I remember as a child vividly watching the '84 Olympics and being enthralled and motivated and inspired by the commitment and the excellence of those athletes, and, like Dominique, having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and to now -- to now watch as a veteran these great athletes, it will continue to motivate and inspire me. 

So I am forever grateful and thankful, and I'm looking forward to participating in the Let's Move event, and watching and getting to know a lot of these great Olympic athletes firsthand.

Thank you.

MS. AUGUST:  Great.  Thank you so much, Grant. 

And both Mrs. Obama and Sam touched on the 1.7 million commitment from USOC and the different Olympic sports, so we have Kevin Dowdell from the USTA on the line to just give us a little bit of a flavor about what that means and what's happening on the ground.  And USTA has been a tremendous partner in this effort.  So I'll turn it over to Kevin.

MR. DOWDELL:  Sure.  Thank you, Hannah. 

The USTA is honored to participate in the First Lady's Let's Move campaign, and I have to say I'm personally honored to support the First Lady as a friend and a former classmate.

Childhood obesity is a vital issue for all Americans, and the USTA wants to be a big part of that solution.  Introducing kids to the lifetime sport of tennis makes a lasting difference in the lives of children and it supports the goals of the Let's Move campaign as well.  And we're really excited about how the Olympics can energize us all to be even more active.

Tennis has grown dramatically over the last 10 years, and now the USTA is focused on attracting even more youth to our sport.  For example, the USTA Ten and Under Initiative, which uses smaller courts and slower, lower-bouncing balls, will introduce the game to hundreds of thousands of new kids this year alone.  And that's real.  It's happening all around the country.

Many tennis centers, including the Montgomery TennisPlex facility we're building in Germantown, Maryland, and which opens in September, use innovative new USTA programs like tennis play days and kids tennis clubs to introduce young players to the sport.  Tennis, like many sports, is holistic in the sense that it leads to improved academic performance and character development in addition to enhancing fitness and habits of good health.  So schools are an important place for the USTA to spread the word.

Many elementary schools in the Germantown area offer physical education just once a week.  So tennis play days and kids tennis clubs are especially important.  As an example of the pent-up demand for additional activities, we held a pilot program in Germantown's Spark Matsunaga Elementary School in May.  We weren’t even open and we held it in the gymnasium, and it sold out in about 48 hours.  Further, we anticipate that hundreds of Matsunaga's thousand students will enroll in tennis programs after we open them this September. 

When we had our pilot last spring, many of the parents were afraid that the programs would already be sold out in September. And that demand and energy is why thousands of tennis facilities like ours throughout the U.S. are joining to engage 750,000 youths in USTA programs to support the USOC's larger commitment to introduce 1.7 million kids to Olympic sports in 2012, as you've heard.  We know that so many kids will be inspired by this summer's Olympic Games, and we look forward to turning that inspiration into action by getting more kids out on the courts. 

MS. AUGUST:  Great.  Thank you so much.  And with that, the First Lady has to depart.  But we will open it up to questions for Ben, Sam, Dominique, Grant, or Kevin. 

Q    Hi.  My question -- is the First Lady Michelle Obama going to meet Queen Elizabeth II? 

MR. RHODES:  Well, this is Ben Rhodes.  I'm happy to take the question.  The First Lady will be meeting with Queen Elizabeth.  Queen Elizabeth is hosting a reception for all the heads of delegation from around the world.  And so, the First Lady will be attending in her capacity as head of the delegation. 

I'd also note, again, during the state visit to the United Kingdom that the President and the First Lady did in 2011, they were hosted at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth and very much appreciated the extraordinary hospitality and the chance to meet with the Queen there, and were able to reciprocate that by hosting the Queen at a dinner in her honor at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in London shortly after that dinner.

So they were able to have that very special time with the Queen, who they have a great deal of regard for.  And then, recently, President Obama was honored to extend his greetings and congratulations to the Queen on her 60th anniversary of taking the throne through a video message and a message he delivered to the Queen and her subjects. 

So the First Lady will have a chance to meet with the Queen.  And, again, that builds on I think what has been a very valuable experience for them in terms of being able to interact with her, and, again, to reaffirm the fact that she really stands for the endurance of the relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.  Again, her six decades of rule are a period of time in which the bonds between our nations have only grown stronger.  And this Olympics, again, will be an opportunity to reaffirm that. 

Q    Hi.  Thank you so much for taking my call.  I really appreciate it.  I’m curious about the meet-ups.  Do you have a number on how many meet-ups are in place for the Olympic launch, and what activities families can do if they're not able to attend one of the meet-ups?

MR. KASS:  So right now we’re approaching -- we’re almost at 200.  We expect that number to continue to grow throughout the week as we’re going to continue to add some excitement to it and as communities are becoming aware. 

And communities are going to be doing all kinds of different events from hosting mini-Olympic events, little sporting events, getting together to cheer on the athletes.  It’s going to take on many different forms.  And I think -- look, every family can host their own little Olympic party and use it as a great opportunity to get outside, to go to a park, to do races, to do swimming, to do basketball, anything you can think of. 

So I think -- it doesn't have to be formally in the meet-up frame, but the inspiration that the Olympics provides is what we’re really trying to use in every way imaginable.

Q    Thank you so much.

Q    Hi.  Thanks so much for taking my question.  This question is for Dominique.  This is the first year that there’s more female athletes than male athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team, and I just kind of wanted to get your thoughts on, growing up, I guess how far the female movement has come in the Olympics in your time, coming up through the system and now since you’ve retired?

MS. DAWES:  Yes, well, Title IX has played a huge role in that.  This year is the 40th anniversary of Title IX, and it has opened up a number of opportunities for females in sports.  And I would have to definitely give applause to all of those pioneers -- those female and male pioneers that have really pushed for Title IX to make sure that women are given equal opportunity. 

One of my fellow council members is Billie Jean King, and she does substantial work in ensuring that girls are given the opportunities to play and enjoyable opportunities to play.  And I’m very excited to hear that us women are taking advantage of those opportunities.  It’s not about having a higher percentage than the males; it’s just us embracing this opportunity and using it to reach our full potential and to help us up to the best of our abilities.

MS. AUGUST:  Thank you.  And we just have time for one last question.

Q    Hi.  I guess this question is for Sam:  Has there been any effort made to serve healthy, kid-friendly food at the Olympics?

MR. KASS:  At the Olympics more broadly, I can’t speak to, but for our Let’s Move London event, absolutely.  We’ll be having water and we’ll be having some healthy granola bars and we’ll be having some nuts and other very healthy treats.  So, yes.

Q    Great.

MR. KASS:  Everywhere we go, we try to make sure we’re giving our kids healthy options.

Q    Great.  Thank you.

MS. AUGUST:  Well, thank you all so much for joining the call.  Again, we look forward to the trip to London.  And if anybody has any follow-up, the best way is going to be to email FirstLadyPress@who.eop.gov.  Thank you so much.

END 
1:42 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel
Birmingham, Alabama

5:10 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, whoa!  (Applause.)  This is a good crowd.  You all are fired up.  (Applause.)  Let me thank you all.  Thank you so much.  I am beyond thrilled to be here in Birmingham with all of you, and to be in the state of Alabama.  I told Terri that I was coming back, and it has just been a glorious few hours here.  I just want to thank you for your graciousness, your hospitality, your warmth.  It’s just been tremendous.
 
I want to thank Peggy for that very, very kind introduction -- absolutely -- (applause) -- and for all of her support down here in this state.  And I also want to recognize Justice Mark Kennedy, Peggy’s husband, for all of the work as Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank them for their service to this country -- their entire family -- for their unwavering sacrifice and dedication to this country.  We are just grateful.  I know we all are, as Americans. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, First Lady!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Love you, too.  Love you, too.  (Applause.) 
 
And I have to thank my dear friend, Representative Terri Sewell.  (Applause.)  I know that Terri mentioned to you that we have known each other for a long time, and I’m just going to say this about Terri:  She is the exact same person today that she was when I met her.  And I mean that.  Now, she’s matured; she’s obviously a congresswoman.  But let me tell you, the first time I met Terri, she was bubbly, she was energetic, she was whip-smart.  She was the kind of person you’d pick to be on your team, because you’d know she’d get the job done.  And it has just been a thrill to watch her grow and to become a dedicated public servant.  I will tell you, you all are blessed to have her, and I am -- I look forward to have her as my friend.  Terri, thank you so much -- proud of you, very proud of you.
 
I want to also recognize State Representative Merika Coleman and her mom.  I got to meet them earlier.  (Applause.)  Thank you for your words, for firing up the crowd.  Mom, you look great.  (Laughter.)  And I also want to thank Leanne as well for all of her hard work and for getting you all fired up.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed.  There she is.  And her beautiful children -- and her mom, because she is doing what she’s doing because of her mom, and I can relate to that, because we can’t do what we do with children without a good grandma by our side, right?  (Applause.)  Thank you, Leanne, you’re doing a phenomenal job.
 
And I also want to give a big shout-out to all of the grassroots volunteers who are here today, because I know we’ve got a lot of our worker bees.  (Applause.)  You all are the folks that are doing the hard work -- you’re making those phone calls, knocking on doors.  So I want to give you all -- give all our team leaders, our volunteers a round of applause.  (Applause.)  You all are doing the hard work.  (Applause.) 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Whitney Young!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Whitney Young -- High School, for those of you who -- (laughter) -- the Dolphins.  Go Dolphins.  (Laughter.)
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you, this beautiful crowd.  Just glorious.  Thank you for taking the time to be here today.  And I know that -- I don’t take it for granted that you are taking time out of your busy lives to be here.  Yes, I’m the First Lady, but you all are busy.  (Laughter.)  You all --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you.  But you all have jobs to do, right?  You’ve got business to handle.  Many of you are in school, you’ve got classes to attend, you’re taking care of business.  You’ve got those beautiful families to raise -- our children. 
 
But I also know that there’s a reason why all of you are here today, and it’s not just because we all support an extraordinary President -- my husband.  Yes, I’m a little biased.  (Applause.)  I believe that our President is doing a phenomenal job.  (Applause.)  And we’re not just here because we want to win an election -- which we do, and we will.  Four more years -- yes, indeed.  (Applause.)
 
But what I like to remind people when I travel around the country is that we’re here, we’re doing this because of the values we believe in.  That’s why we’re here.  We’re doing this because of the vision for this country that we all share.  We’re doing this because we want all of our children to have good schools, right?  The kind of schools that push them, and inspire them -- we know those schools.  The kind of schools that prepare them for the good jobs and the opportunities of the future -- that’s why we’re here. 
 
We want our parents and our grandparents to be able to retire with some dignity, because we believe that after a lifetime of hard work, they should be able to enjoy their golden years, right?  (Applause.)
 
We’re here because we want to restore that basic middle-class security for all of our families, because we believe that in America folks shouldn’t go bankrupt because they get sick.  Not in America.  They shouldn’t lose their home because someone loses a job.  Not in America.  We believe that responsibility should be rewarded, and that hard work should pay off.  We believe that everyone should do their fair share, but play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
And the thing we know is that these are basic American values, right?  The basics --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thanks for bringing my (inaudible) home!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And thank you for your service, sweetie.  Thank you. 
 
These are the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  You all know my story by now.  My father was a blue-collar worker at the city water plant, and my family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  My mother still lives in that apartment -- when she’s not at the White House, but -- (laughter.)  My parents never had the kinds of educational opportunities that we had.  Never.  And growing up, I’m sure like so many people here, I saw how they saved and how they sacrificed -- how they poured everything they had into me and my brother.  They held us to that same high standard of excellence because they wanted us both to have the same kind of education they could only dream of.
 
My parents did everything in their power to support my college education -- right? -- so I know you can relate to this.  And pretty much all of my tuition came from student loans and grants.  (Applause.)  But my dad still had to pay a small portion of that tuition himself.  And let me tell you, every semester, he was determined to pay that bill right on time, because my dad was so proud to be able to send his kids to college, and he did all he could to lessen our financial burden by ensuring that neither me nor my brother ever missed that registration deadline because his check was late.  And like so many people in this country, my father was proud to be able to earn the kind of living that allowed him to handle his business to his family; to be able to pay all of his bills, and to pay them on time.  That’s all he wanted.  That’s all most people want.
 
And more than anything else, that’s what’s at stake.  That’s why we’re here.  That’s what we’re working for.  It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, in America, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  And it is that promise that binds us together as Americans.  That’s what we cannot forget.  That is what makes us who we are.  That’s what makes this country special.
 
And from now until November, Barack is going to need all of you to get out there and to tell everyone you know about our values.  You tell them about this vision, about everything that’s at stake in this election.  That’s what we need from you.
 
And you can start with the economy.  When it comes to the economy, you can start by telling them how Barack fought for tax cuts for working families and for small businesses, because he understands that an economy built to last starts with the middle class and the folks who are creating jobs and putting people back to work.
 
And remind people how, back when Barack first took office, this economy was losing an average of 750,000 jobs every single month.  Remind them.  But also let them know for the past 28 straight months, we’ve actually been gaining private sector jobs -– a total of more than 4 million jobs in just two years.  (Applause.)  It’s important that people understand this in context, correct?
 
So while we still have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, today, millions of people are collecting a paycheck again; millions of people like my dad are able to pay their bills again.  (Applause.)
 
And I want you to remind people about how those folks in Washington, so many of them were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under.  Remember that?  With more than a million jobs on the line, they said, let it go.  But 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 again, providing for their families.  Let them know.  (Applause.)
 
As someone mentioned, let’s talk a little bit about health care.  (Applause.)  You can tell people how insurance companies will have to cover preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care, at no extra cost thanks to health reform.  Thanks to health reform, millions of our seniors have saved hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs.  And our young people can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  That is how 6.6 million of our young people in this country are getting the care that they need.  Let them know.
 
When it comes to education, you can tell them that Barack knows what it’s like to be drowning in student debt.  Back when we first started out, right -- we’re all in love, trying to build a life together -- (laughter) -- we’re still in love -- (laughter) -- as you can see from the Kiss-Cam, right?  (Applause.)  But when we first got married, our combined student loan bill was actually higher than our mortgage. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Amen.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I can get an Amen.  There are a lot of people in here -- that’s why Barack fought so hard to prevent student loan interest rates from increasing.  And that’s why he’s doubled Pell Grants, helping 4 million more students afford the education they need for the jobs of the future.  (Applause.) 
 
And when it comes to increasing opportunities for all of our young people, I want you to tell people how hard Barack has been fighting for the DREAM Act.  And understand this -- he’s fighting for responsible young people who came to this country as children through no fault of their own, and were raised as Americans.  He’s fighting for them because he believes they deserve the chance to go to college, to serve our country, and to contribute to this economy.  That’s what that’s about.  (Applause.)
 
And when it comes to our country’s safety, please remind people that Barack kept his promise and brought our troops home from Iraq.  (Applause.)
 
You can remind them about how our brave men and women in uniform finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks.  (Applause.)
 
And our troops will no longer have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love, because Barack finally ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  That makes a difference to our men and women in service.  (Applause.)
 
And when it comes to supporting women and families in this country, you can tell people how Barack fought to make it easier for women to get equal pay for equal work because of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)  That was the first bill he signed into law, 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 and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their kids.  And he did it because when so many women in this country are breadwinners for our families, women’s success in this economy is the key to families’ success in this economy.  That’s why he did it.  Let people know.  (Applause.) 
 
And finally, when it comes to the Supreme Court, don’t forget to tell people about those two brilliant Supreme Court Justices he appointed -- (applause) -- and how for the first time in history our daughters and sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  Let them know.  (Applause.)
 
But all of this is at stake this November.  It’s all on the line.  And in the end, it all boils down to one simple question:  Are we going to continue the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made?  Or are we going to let everything we’ve worked so hard for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, we know what we need to do.  We can’t turn back now.  We need to keep moving forward, right?  (Applause.)  Forward!  This country always moves forward.  (Applause.)
 
And more than anything else, that’s what we’re working for.  That’s why we’re here -- the chance to finish what we started; the chance to keep fighting for the values we all believe in, the vision that we all share.  Everybody shares this vision.  And that is what your President, my husband, has been doing every single day -- every single day in office.
 
And let me just share something with you.  Over the past three and a half years I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President looks like.  (Laughter.)  And I have seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk, they are always the hard ones –- they’re the problems with no easy solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there is no margin for error.  And as President, you are going to get all kinds of advice and opinions from all kinds of people.  But let me tell you, at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your life experiences.  All you have to draw on are your values and your vision for this country.  And in the end, it all comes down to who you are and what you stand for.
 
And we all know who my husband is, don’t we?  (Applause.)  And we all know what he stands for.  (Applause.)  He is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  Barack is the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch a bus at her job at the bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother worked hard to help support his family, and she was good at her job, she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- climb up that ladder.  Like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling.
 
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.  And, believe me, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want something better for your kids.  Those are the experiences that have made him the man, and yes, the President he is today.  And that’s what we’re working for.  (Applause.)
 
So when there’s a choice about our children’s future -- about investing in their schools and helping them to attend college without a mountain of debt, you know where Barack Obama stands.  (Applause.)
 
When it comes time to stand up for our workers and our families, so folks can make a decent wage, save for retirement, see a doctor when they’re sick, you know what Barack Obama is going to do.  (Applause.)  And when we need a President to protect our most basic rights -- no matter who we love, or where we’re from, or what race or what gender we are -- you know you can count on my husband, because that’s what he’s been doing every single day as President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Every single day.  (Applause.)
 
But I have said this before, and I will say it again:  He cannot do this alone.  That was never the promise.  Because, as Barack has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is a guarantee.  So he needs your help.  And let me just say -- and I know that I’m talking to our people here, but let me just say, sitting on the sidelines is simply not an option if we want to keep this country moving forward.  It’s not an option.  (Applause.)  Barack needs you to be actively and passionately engaged.  He needs you to make those phone calls.  He needs you to organize those events.  He needs you to join one of our neighborhood teams.  These teams are groups of people all over the state and all over the country.  We’ve got team leaders right here.  And they’re giving just a little bit of their time and energy to make a difference for this campaign.  Everything we do on the ground runs through our teams.  That’s what’s going to make the difference.
 
So, today, we’ve got volunteers here.  Hands up our volunteers here, who can answer questions and get you signed up -- (applause) -- get you to fill in one of those “I’m In” cards.  You can sign up to volunteer next week, or next weekend, down in Florida.  We need you to go everywhere as well.  And once you’ve signed up, we need you to multiply yourselves.  I want you all to think like that.  I’m telling everybody around the country:  Multiply yourselves.  If you’re in, you need to be 10 more people in.  We need you to reach out to everybody you know -- your friends, your family, your neighbors -- and I want you to tell them to go to dashboard.barackobama.com, and that information will be there.  You can stop at any -- that’s dashboard.barackobama.com.  Our websites are tremendous.  So we want you to go there, and we want you to direct people to that site to get them involved.
 
And let me just say, if anyone here has any doubt about the difference you can make, I just want you to remember that in the end, this election could all come down to those last few thousand people that we register to vote, right?  (Applause.)  It could all come down to those last few thousand people that we help get to the polls on November the 6th.  So with every conversation you have, I just want you to remember -- think in your mind -- think this could be the one that makes the difference.  With every conversation -- this could be the one.  That is the kind of impact that each of us can have. 
 
So if you’ve noticed that I’m a little passionate -- because I’m thinking there is someone out there right now, today, who could be the one.  That’s how I think about this.  And if we’re all thinking like that -- there is no conversation that is wasted; there is no moment that goes unfulfilled when it comes to working on behalf of this campaign.
 
And I’m not going to kid you, this journey is going to be long.  It is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  I remind everyone about that.  But we have to remember that that is how change always happens in this country.  Real change is slow.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, then eventually we get there.  We always have.  We always do.  Maybe not in my lifetime, but maybe in our children’s lifetime, right?  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
Because, in the end, that’s what this is all about.  That’s what I remind myself.  That’s what keeps me fired up.  That’s what I think about when I tuck my girls in at night.  Malia is getting a little big for tucking, but I still make her get tucked.  (Laughter.)  But I think hard about the world I want to leave for them, and for all of our sons and daughters.  I love your kids.  I think about how I want to do for them what my mom and dad did for me.  I want to give them a foundation for their dreams.  I want to give them opportunities worthy of their promise, because all our kids are worthy.  I want to give our children that sense of limitless possibility, right?  That belief that here in America, there is always something better if you’re willing to work for it.
 
So we just can’t turn back now.  We have come much too far.  We can’t go back.  (Applause.) But we have so much more work to do.  We have to keep moving forward.
 
So I have one last question that I ask everybody:  Are you all in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  No, no, are you really in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I mean, as I say, are you the kind of in where you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and make those calls and multiply yourselves and reach out to people in your lives who are not paying attention?  Find those nephews and nieces who aren’t registered to vote and shake them.  Are you the kind of in where you’re ready to find somebody on Election Day and take them to the polls?  Are you thinking -- are you the kind of in where you’re thinking, every conversation, I can let you know what’s happening.  I’m going to take it on.  Are you that kind of in?  (Applause.)  Because that’s the kind of in we’re going to need.  And if you haven’t noticed, I’m so far in.  (Applause.)  I am so fired up.  And I hope you all are, too.  We have to get this done.  We have to do it for our children.  They deserve the best.  They deserve a country that is working for them.  And we need each of you to help us get there.
 
So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done and all that you will do.  God bless you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END               
5:35 P.M. EDT