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

Franklin County Fairgrounds
Hilliard, Ohio

10:47 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Ohio!  (Applause.)  O-H!  O-H!  (Applause.)  O-H!  Oh, it’s good to be back.  (Applause.)  Can everybody give Judy a big round of applause for the great introduction?  (Applause.)  Judy is an example of all the incredible volunteers who have been involved in this campaign each and every day, knocking on doors, making phone calls.  I love all of you, and I’m grateful to all of you for all the great work you guys have done.  (Applause.)

Give it up for your former Governor, our great friend, Ted Strickland.  (Applause.)  Poor Ted has got a cold.  He’s backstage.  He was -- he wouldn’t shake my hand.  (Laughter.)  He’s sick, but he’s still out campaigning.  Tireless.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Barack!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back, and I’m glad to be here.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Obama is -- (inaudible)!

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Settle down so we can see!

THE PRESIDENT:  I can tell this is kind of a rowdy crowd.  (Laughter and applause.)  All right, all right.

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughter.)  Thank you.  Well, listen, for the past few days, all of us have been focused on one of the worst storms in our lifetimes, in our history.  And I just got off the phone with my team, emergency management team, and got an update on what’s happening in New Jersey and New York and Connecticut, West Virginia, where there’s a whole lot of snow.  As a nation, we mourn those who were lost.  You can only imagine what so many families are going through right now. 

And the message I’ve sent every time I talk to people back East is we stand with the people of New York and New Jersey and Connecticut every step of the way in the hard weeks ahead.  (Applause.)  And there’s a lot of work that still remains to be done.

But we’ve also been inspired these last few days by the heroes who were running into buildings and wading through water; and the neighbors who were helping neighbors cope with tragedy; the leaders of different parties working together to fix what’s broken -- (applause) -- a spirit that says no matter how bad the storm is, no matter how tough times are, we’re all in this together.  (Applause.)  We rise or fall as one nation and as one people.

And that spirit is what’s guided this country for more than two centuries -- that idea that we’re in this together.  It’s carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last 200-something years, but also the last four years.  In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  And today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs; and this morning, we learned that companies hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.  (Applause.) 

The American auto industry is back on top.  (Applause.)  Home values and housing construction is on the rise.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in 20 years.  Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  The war in Afghanistan is ending.  Al Qaeda has been decimated.  Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)  We have made real progress.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Good job, man!  (Laughter and applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughter.)  This guy had a lot of coffee this morning.  You’re fired up!  (Applause.)   

So, listen -- hold on a second.  We’ve made real progress, but we are here today because we know we’ve got more work to do.  As long as there’s a single American who wants a job and can’t find one; as long as there are families working harder but falling behind; as long as there’s a child anywhere in this country who’s languishing in poverty, and barred from opportunity, our fight goes on.  We’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)  

Our fight goes on because this nation can’t succeed without a growing, thriving middle class.  Our fight goes on because America always has done best when everybody has a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules.  That’s what we believe.  That’s why you elected me in 2008.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!   

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, Ohio, in four days, you have a choice to make -- and, by the way, I think you may have noticed that everybody is paying a lot of attention to Ohio.  (Applause.)  And rightfully so.  This is a choice not just between two candidates or two parties.  It’s a choice between two fundamentally different visions of America.  It’s a choice between going back to the top-down policies that crashed our economy, or adapting the kinds of policies that will make sure we’ve got a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)  That’s the choice. 

As Americans, we honor the strivers and the dreamers, and the risk-takers, the entrepreneurs, the small business people.  They’re the folks who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, and it’s been the greatest engine of growth and prosperity the world has ever known.

But we also believe in this country that people succeed, people start businesses, people work well in businesses when they’ve got a decent education, when they get a chance to learn new skills, when we support research into medical breakthroughs or new technologies.

We think America is stronger when we can count on affordable health care, and Medicare and Social Security; when there are rules to protect our kids from toxic dumping and mercury pollution.  (Applause.)  We think the market works better when consumers are protected from unscrupulous practices in the credit card industry, or from mortgage lenders. 

And we believe that no politician in Washington should control health care choices that women can make for themselves.  These are the things we believe.  (Applause.)

Now, for eight years, we had a President who shared our beliefs and his name was Bill Clinton.  (Applause.)  His economic plan asked the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more so we could reduce our deficit and invest in the skills and ideas of our people.  And at the time the Republican Congress and a Senate candidate by the name of Mitt Romney said that Bill Clinton’s plan would hurt the economy and kill jobs, it turns out the Governor’s math was just as bad back then as it was today.  (Applause.)

Because by the end of President Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs, and incomes were up and poverty was down, and we had the biggest surplus in our history instead of deficits.  So we know the ideas that we believe in work.  We know that their ideas don't work. 

For most of the last decade we tried what they want to do  -- giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans that we couldn’t afford.  We tried giving insurance companies and oil companies and Wall Street free rein to do whatever they pleased.  And you know what we got?  Falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after for the last four years.  (Applause.)

So we know what we want to do works.  We know what they want to do doesn't work.  We know what we want to do grows our middle class; what they want to do squeezes the middle class.  We know that our strategy makes sure that we bring our deficit down in a balanced way; their strategy ends up shooting the deficit up. 

So we know what the right choice is.  But let’s face it, Governor Romney, he’s a very talented salesman.  In this campaign he’s tried as hard as he can to repackage these same policies and offer them up as change. 

But we know what change looks like, and what the Governor is offering ain’t it.  Giving more power back to the biggest banks -- that's not change.  Another $5 trillion tax cut that favors the wealthy -- that's not change.  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies until after the election -- that's not change.  We’ve seen that before.  (Laughter and applause.)  Right?  We’ve seen that before. 

Ruling out compromise by pledging to rubber-stamp the tea party’s agenda in Congress -- that's not change.  And, by the way, when you try to change the facts just because they're inconvenient to your campaign, that's definitely not change.  (Applause.)

Trying to massage the facts -- that's not change.  That's just -- (laughter.)  Look, we’ve been seeing this out of Governor Romney and his friends over the last few weeks right here in Ohio.  You’ve got folks who work at the Jeep plant who have been calling their employers worried, asking is it true, are our jobs being shipped to China?  And the reason they're making these calls is because Governor Romney has been running an ad that says so -- except it’s not true.  Everybody knows it’s not true.  The car companies themselves have told Governor Romney to knock it off.  GM said, we think creating jobs in the United States should be a source of bipartisan pride.  And I couldn’t agree more.  (Applause.)

And I understand that Governor Romney has had a tough time here in Ohio because he was against saving the auto industry.  And it’s hard to run away from that position when you’re on videotape saying the words, “let Detroit go bankrupt.”  And I know we’re close to an election.  But this isn’t a game.  These are people’s jobs.  These are people’s lives.  These car companies are putting a lot of effort to make great products, but also to make sure that everybody in America knows how committed they are to making cars here in America.  And so you don't scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes.  That's not what being President is all about.  (Applause.)  That's not leadership. 

When I first made the decision to rescue the auto industry, I knew it wasn’t popular.  And despite the fact that one out of eight jobs in Ohio are connected to the auto industry in some way, it wasn’t even popular in Ohio.  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  I knew betting on American workers was the right thing to do, betting on American ingenuity and know-how was the right thing to do.  That paid off.  (Applause.) 

It paid off in Lordstown, where GM is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in their auto plant.  It paid off in Toledo, where Chrysler is adding more than a thousand new jobs on a second shift -- not in China -- right here in Ohio, right here in United States of America.  (Applause.)

And so one of the things I hope when you’re talking to your friends and your neighbors, they're trying to make up their minds these last few days, think about that -- think about the issue of trust; think about do you want a President who is going to actually tell you what he believes and what he thinks, or somebody who is going to --
AUDIENCE:  Lie!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, who’s going to -- well, change the facts.

After four years as President, you know me.  (Applause.)  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made.  You may be frustrated sometimes at the pace of change.  But you know what I believe.  You know where I stand.  You know I tell the truth.  (Applause.)  And you know that I’ll fight for you and your families every single day, as hard as I know how.  You know that.  (Applause.)  

And you know that I know what real change looks like, because I’ve fought for real change.  (Applause.)  And you’ve helped me every step of the way.  After all we’ve been through together, we can’t give up on real change now. 

Change is a country where Americans of every age have the skills and education that are needed for getting a good job.  And let me tell you, when I hear folks saying hiring more teachers won't help this economy grow, they are wrong, because if we've got great teachers in the classroom, that's going to help our kids and it’s going to help our economy.  (Applause.)

Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow more money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me; it wasn’t an option for a lot of you.  That’s why I want to cut the growth of tuition in half over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)  I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so that our kids don’t fall behind the rest of the world.  (Applause.)  I want to train 2 million Americans at our community colleges with skills that businesses are looking for right now.  That’s what we're fighting for in this election.  That’s what real change is.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I’ve got your back!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation.  Today, the great news about the auto industry is we’re not just building cars again; we’re building better cars, innovative cars -- cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, here in Ohio, it’s not just cars that we're starting to manufacture again.  We're building long-lasting batteries and wind turbines all across Ohio, all across the country.  (Applause.) 

We've got to keep our cutting-edge technology and research and innovation and investment.  And I don’t want a tax code that subsidizes oil company profits when they’re making money hand over fist.  I want to support the energy jobs of tomorrow, the new technologies that will help cut our oil imports in half.  And I don’t want a tax code that rewards companies for creating those jobs overseas; I want to reward companies that are creating jobs in manufacturing right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  That's my plan.  That's what real change is.  (Applause.)

Change is turning the page on a decade of war so we can do some nation-building here at home.  As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will pursue our enemies with the strongest military that the world has ever known.  But it’s time to use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and winding down the war in Afghanistan to pay down our debt and rebuild America, repairing roads and bridges and schools all across Ohio, all across America. 

And let’s especially focus on putting our veterans back to work as they come home.  (Applause.)  We need to serve them as well as they’ve served us.  Nobody who fights for this country should have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  That's my commitment. 

Change is a future where we do reduce our deficit, but we do it in a balanced, responsible way.  I’ve already signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending cuts; I intend to do more.  But if we’re serious about the deficit, we also have to ask the wealthiest Americans to go back to the rates that they paid when Bill Clinton was in office.  (Applause.)  Because if I'm not paying a little bit more, and Governor Romney is not paying a little bit more, then the choice is to start cutting out help for young people trying to go to school.  It’s to hurt folks who are vulnerable and depend on things like Medicaid.  As long as I’m President, I will never turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  

I’m not going to make it more expensive for some young person who is working hard trying to go to school.  I’m not going to make them pay more just so I get a tax break that I don't need.  I’m not going to cut out some research grant to some outstanding young scientist that could have the next discovery for cancer just because I want a tax cut that I don't need.  That's not who we are.  That's not what change is.

We know what the future requires, and we know it won’t be easy.  Back in 2008, I told some of you, I said, look, I’m not just talking about changing presidents or changing political parties in Washington.  I said if we’re going to talk about real change, we’re talking about changing how our politics works.

I ran because the voices of the American people -- your voices -- had been shut out of our democracy for way too long by lobbyists and special interests; politicians who will do whatever it takes to keep things just the way they are.  And over the last four years, you’ve seen it -- the status quo in Washington has fought us every step of the way.  They’ve spent millions trying to stop us from reforming the health care system.  They’ve spent millions trying to keep us from reforming Wall Street.  They engineered a strategy of gridlock in Congress, refusing to compromise on ideas that both Democrats and Republicans in the past have supported.

What they're counting on now is that you’re going to be so worn down by all the squabbling, so worn down by all the dysfunction that you’ll just give up, walk away, put them back into power.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  In other words, Ohio, their bet is on cynicism.  My bet is on you.  (Applause.)  My fight is for you.  (Applause.) 

When the other party has been with me in that fight, I’ve worked with them.  Look, there have been times when Republicans cooperated on tax cuts for middle-class families and small businesses.  They were Republicans who helped us repeal “don't ask, don't tell”.  When they're about broadening opportunity and helping the middle class, we can work together.  But as long as I’m President, I’ve said I will work with anybody, of any party, to move this country forward.  If you want to break the gridlock in Congress, you’ll vote for leaders who feel the same way whether they're Democrat, Republican or independents.  (Applause.)

But I’m not just going to cut a deal that kicks students off of financial aid, or gets rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or let’s insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, or eliminate health care for millions on Medicaid who are poor or elderly or disabled.  If that's the price of peace, then I’m not going to pay that price.  (Applause.)  That's not bipartisanship.  That's not change.  That's surrender to the same status quo that has hurt the middle class and all those families who are trying to get into the middle class for way too long.

And, Ohio, I’m not ready to give up on the fight.  (Applause.)  I’m not ready to give up on the fight to make sure that the middle class is growing.  (Applause.)  I’m not ready to give up on the fight to make sure every child has opportunity.  I hope you aren’t either, Ohio.  I hope you aren’t either.

The folks at the very top -- the folks at the very top in this country, they don't need another champion in Washington.  They already have a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access and influence.  The people who need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read late at night; the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day; the laid-off worker who has gone back to a community college to retrain for the jobs of the future -- she needs a champion.  The restaurant owner who needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down -- he needs a champion.  The cooks and the waiters, and the cleaning staff at a hotel, trying to buy a first home or send their kid to college -- they need a champion.  (Applause.) 

The autoworker who had lost his job, wasn’t sure the plant would ever reopen, and now is back in that plant building a car and feeling the dignity and pride of doing a great job -- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)

Those kids in inner cities and small farm towns and the valleys of Ohio, rolling Virginia hills, right here in Hilliard, kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors or engineers or entrepreneurs and diplomats, or even a President -- they need a champion in Washington.  (Applause.)

The future will never have as many lobbyists as the past does, as the status quo does, as the vested interests do.  But it’s the dreams of those children that will be our saving grace.  It’s the dreams of those children that move us forward.  That's what we have to champion.

That's why I need you, Ohio -- to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure your voices are heard.  (Applause.)  We’ve come too far to turn back now.  We’ve come too far to grow fainthearted.  It’s time to keep pushing forward, to educate all our kids and train all our workers, create new jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, discover new sources of energy, broaden opportunity, grow our middle class, restore our democracy to make sure that no matter who you are or where you come from, you make it in America.  That's what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.)

Ohio, I’m asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  And if you’re willing to work with me again and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls for me, and turn out for me, grab your friends and neighbors and co-workers, we’ll win Ohio.  (Applause.)  We’ll win this election.  (Applause.)  We’ll reaffirm the bonds that tie us together.  We’ll reaffirm the spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth. 

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
11:14 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

James L. Knight Center
Miami, Florida

6:10 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yes!  (Applause.)  Oh, Miami!  Wow.  Thank you so much!  (Applause.) 
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Four more years, with your help.  Oh, you guys make me feel so loved.  (Applause.) 
 
But before I get started, given what has happened over the past few days on the coast, I just want to take a few moments to say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy.  And of course, the President and I and I know all of you are heartbroken about the lives that have been lost, the damage that has been done in so many communities.  And as you all know, Barack has been working around the clock with governors and mayors -- (applause) -- our extraordinary first responders to make sure that they have the support and resources that they need.
 
And also, something that we all know in times like this is that when we face a crisis as a country, we always come together as one American family.  And I know that we're going to do that again, and again, and again.  (Applause.)  So even as we celebrate and we prepare for Election Day, we cannot forget that there is real life going on out there, and we have to keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers. 
 
So now, I'd like to start by thanking Josefina for that very kind introduction and all that she is doing for our campaign.  Let's give her a round of applause.  (Applause.)  I have the Deep Fried Funk Band.  (Applause.)  Yes!  I hear you have been funking it up all day long.  (Laughter.)  Good thing. 
 
I want to thank two outstanding members of Congress –- Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz and Congresswoman Wilson.  (Applause.)  We are so proud to have them on our team.  They are representing so well.  We are so proud. 
 
And I also want to thank my girl Gabrielle Union -- (applause) -- absolutely -- and of course, my dear friend Marc Anthony for their wonderful remarks today.  (Applause.)  I know they're around here somewhere -- there they are.  Love you guys.  Thank you.  Thank you for being here.  And you too, I love you too.  I love you too.  (Applause.)  
 
And most of all -- thank all of you.  Thank you for being here, thank you for working so hard.  I can tell that you are fired up and ready to go.  (Applause.)
 
And I have to say, this is my third stop today in Florida, and I am still fired up and ready to go.  (Applause.)  Because in just five days -- five -- we have the opportunity to reelect -- let me tell you -- a decent, honest man -- (applause) -- a man whose courage and integrity we have seen every day for these last four years; the man that I have known and loved for 23 years -- (applause) -- my husband, our President, Barack Obama.  We're going to get him reelected. 
 
And I have to tell you that all those characteristics, that's what made me fall in love with Barack all those years ago.  Yes.  It was his character, his compassion, his conviction, his commitment to helping others.  But I also loved the way that Barack was so devoted to his family, especially the women in his life.  (Applause.)  See, I'm trying to help you brothers out, you know.  You've got to treat the women in your life -- you want a good woman, you've got to treat the women in your life well.  (Applause.) 
 
See, I saw, for Barack, the respect he had for his own mother.  I saw how proud he was that she had put herself through school while still struggling to support him and his sister as a single mom.  And I certainly saw the tenderness that he felt for his grandmother, how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning, catching that bus to her job at the community bank.  And he also watched as she was passed over for promotions simply because she was a woman.  But he also saw how she kept getting up year after year without complaint or regret. 
 
See, the thing is, with Barack, I found a real connection, because in his life story I saw so much of my own.  Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my father make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  And let me tell you something, I saw the way he carried himself with that dignity, with that same pride in being able to provide for his family, that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of. 
 
See, and the thing about this country -- like so many families, our families just weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t want much.  And let me tell you, they did not begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did –- in fact, they admired it, which is why they pushed us to be the best that we could be.
 
But let me tell you what they did believe -- they simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard, if you do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  (Applause.)
 
And here's something else they believed -- they believed that when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and you've finally walked through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you.  No, you reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)  And that is how Barack and I and I know so many of you were raised. 
 
And more than anything else, that is what this election is all about.  It’s a choice.  It's a choice about our values and our hopes; our aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and grandkids.  And let's talk a little bit about that America, what we believe.  
 
We believe in an America where every child has access to good schools that push them, and inspire them, and prepare them for college and good jobs of the future -- every child.  We believe in an America where no one goes broke or loses a home because someone gets sick or lost their job.  
 
We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own, and we treat everyone with dignity and respect -- from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)  And in this America that we're building, we believe that the truth matters, and you don’t take shortcuts or game the system. 
 
And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight, because we know good and well that cutting Sesame Street is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  We know better than that.  Instead, yes, we need to cut wasteful spending, but we also have to make smart investments in things like education and infrastructure for an economy that’s built to last.  And let me tell you something -- that is what my husband stands for.  That's the country he’s been working to build for the last four years.   
 
And let me tell you, since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that is what we’ve seen in my husband.  Think back to when Barack first took office.  Where was our economy?  It was on the brink of collapse.  And you don’t have to take my word for it.  Newspapers were using words like “meltdown," “calamity;" declaring “Wall street implodes," “Economy in Shock.”  You remember that?   
 
See, here's where we were --
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Here's where we were -- because another thing we believe in -- what did I say -- we believe in decency and respect. 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But in that economy, if you recall, the auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month, and a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression.  See, and this is what Barack Obama faced on day one as President of the United States. 
 
But instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, your President got to work.  (Applause.)  See, because he was thinking about folks like my Dad, folks like his grandmother.  And that’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and working families -- because he believes that here in America, teachers and firefighters should not pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)   
 
And that’s also why, while some folks were willing to let the auto industry go under -- you remember that? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  With more than a million jobs that would have been lost, see, Barack had the backs of American workers.  And that’s why, today, the American auto industry is back on its feet again.  (Applause.)  
 
And, yes, while we still have a long way to go to completely rebuild this economy, there are more and more signs every day that we're headed in the right direction:  Exports have grown by 45 percent.  Manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs.  We have had 31 straight months -- the majority of this presidency -- with private sector job growth; 5.2 million new jobs created by this President right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)
 
Now, when it comes to providing our young people the education they deserve, see, Barack knows that like me and I know so many of you, we never could have attended college without financial aid.  (Applause.)  Let me just explain to you, we would not be here if it weren't for financial aid.  So when it comes to student debt, Barack and I have been there.  This is not a hypothetical situation for us. 
 
And that is why Barack doubled funding for Pell grants and fought to keep interest rates down for students -- (applause) -- because we have a President who understands how important it is for all of our young people to be invested in, to have the opportunities to go to college.
 
And finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women, look, we know that my husband will always have our backs.  (Applause.)  See, because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  And that’s why the very first bill he signed into law as President was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And that is why he will always, always fight to make sure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and our health care.  (Applause.)
 
And let us not forget that because of health reform that he passed, insurance companies can no longer charge women more than men for the same coverage.  (Applause.)  Also, because of health reform, they won’t be able to discriminate against any of you because you have a preexisting condition -- let's say asthma or diabetes.
 
Our seniors are paying hundreds less for their prescription drugs -- our seniors on Medicare, because of health reform.  And our young people can stay on our insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)
 
And here's another one that gets me -- if you get a life-threatening illness, and you need real expensive treatment, no longer can your insurance company tell you, "sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit, and we’re not paying a penny more.”  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.)   
 
So over these next five days, when you’re out there talking to folks -- and I hope you will be -- and you're talking to folks who are trying to decide who's the best person to keep America moving forward for four more years -- (applause) -- let me just give you a few things you can tell them. 
 
I want you to tell them what Barack has done for our economy, our health care, our education, but also, I want you to tell them that, yes, Barack ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  Remind them that this was the President that took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Remind them that this is the President that is fighting every day to make sure that veterans and military families have benefits they have earned.  (Applause.)  
 
Tell them about all the young immigrants in this country who will never again have to live in fear of being deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them about the brave servicemembers who will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)   
 
And if they need more information, send them to the website barackobama.com/plans, because that’s where you can get some concrete information on what our President is going to do in the next four years, including creating jobs, reducing our deficit, and so much more.
 
But here's what I really want you to tell them:  I want you to tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it -- (applause) -- and he is fighting every day so that every one of us can have that same opportunity no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.  (Applause.)
 
But also let’s be clear that while he is so very proud of all that we’ve achieved together -- because as President you don’t do anything alone -- my husband is nowhere near satisfied.  Barack, of all people on this planet, knows that there are still too many people hurting.  But as President Clinton said, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to finish rebuilding an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.) 
 
But here’s what else I know, and this is why I am so passionate.  Over these last four years, just know that together -- together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole that we started in.  We have been moving forward and making real, meaningful change.
 
So here is the question that everybody has got to ask themselves:  Are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us into this hole in the first place?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to just sit back and watch everything we’ve fought for and worked for to just slip away?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  What are we going to do?  (Applause.)  We’ve got to go forward!  We must go forward.  (Applause.) 
 
But in the end, here’s where we are:  The answer to these questions is now on us.  It is all on us.  Because, believe me, all of our hard work and all of the progress that we have made, it’s all at stake this Tuesday.
 
And as my husband has said, the only guarantee is that this election will be even closer than the last one.  And it will all come down to what happens in just a few key battleground states like right here in Florida.  Right here.  (Applause.)  So let me give you some perspective, all right?  Especially our young people -- just so that you know the power that everyone in this room has.  In 2008, Barack won Florida by about 236,000 votes.  And that might sound like a lot, but when you take that number and break that down across precincts, that is just 36 votes per precinct.  That was the margin of difference. 
 
Now, that could mean just one vote in your neighborhood, right?  Just a single additional person in your apartment building or on your college campus.
 
So if there is anyone here or anyone in your lives who might be thinking that their vote doesn’t matter, that their involvement doesn’t count, that in this complex political process that ordinary folks can’t possibly make a difference, I want you to think about and remind them about those 36 votes.  I want you to think about how with just a few more hours knocking on some doors or making some calls, with just a few hours getting folks to the polls on Election Day, just a few of you here could swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  And know this:  When we win enough precincts, we will win this state, and when we win this state we’ll be well on our way to putting Barack back in the White House for four more years.  (Applause.)  Four more years -- you all can do it right here.
 
So here’s the plan -- because we always have a plan.  Before you leave today, sign up to volunteer with our campaign.  More importantly, for the next five days, talk to everyone you know.  Talk to everyone -- friends, neighbors.  Leave no stone unturned -- that cousin you don’t really speak to that often.  (Laughter.)  Now is the time.  Call him up. 
 
Everybody knows someone in their lives who might not vote.  You know those folks.  You know those folks who didn’t vote the last time.  Find them.  Get them.  And if you can, get them to vote early.  I voted early.  I voted for Barack Obama!  (Applause.)  Just in case you were wondering, I voted for Barack.  And one of the reasons I did that, in addition to knowing deep in my heart that he’s absolutely the best person to lead this country forward, I did it because I want to spend Election Day working to get the vote out.  We’re going to be on the phones, doing radio, calling on the air.  We’re going to be calling all across the country on Election Day.
 
And here in Florida, you can vote early through Saturday at your county supervisor of elections office and in many libraries and city halls throughout the state. 
 
But whether you vote early or on Election Day, if you need more information just go to vote.barackobama.com.  And that website, you can get everything -- all the information you need to figure out how to make your voice count.  So --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Michelle!  We’ve got your back!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  We love you.  We love you.  We love you!  (Applause.)  Well, we’re going to keep working hard.  Four more years.
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So we have less than a week.  Four more years!  Yes, you got it.  Just go for it.  Four more years!
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I’m not going to hold you back.  (Applause.)  Four more years! 
 
But make no mistake about it:  What we do over these next five days will absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and wondering, “Oh, my goodness, could I have done more?”, or feeling that promise of four more years.
 
So from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep on working and struggling and pushing like never before.  Because what I want people to remember, especially our young people:  That is how change always happens in this country.  We know from our history that change -- real change -- is hard and it requires patience and tenacity.  Shoot, life is hard and requires patience and tenacity. 
 
But the lessons that we’ve all learned, as older folks, is that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight and doing in our hearts what we know is right, then eventually we get there.  We always do. 
 
And that is why we all have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead, because we know that here in America we always move forward.  We always make progress.  (Applause.)  And in the end, that’s what this is about.  That is what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you differently, ever.  Elections are always about hope. 
 
What kind of hope am I talking about?  The hope that I saw on my father’s face as I walked across that stage to get the diploma he took out loans to help me get.  (Applause.)  The hope that Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised.  It’s that kind of hope.  (Applause.)  The hope of all of those men and women in all of our lives who worked that extra shift for us, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could stand here and be better.  The hope that so many of us see when we look into the eyes of our kids and our grandkids.
 
That is why we’re here.  This is about our kids, because we want all of our kids to have a solid foundation for their dreams.  We want to give all of our kids opportunities worthy of their promise -- because I don’t care where you’re from, what party you belong to, we know that all of our kids in this country are worthy.  We want to give them that sense of limitless possibility; that belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.
 
So here’s what I tell myself.  Every day I tell myself:  We cannot turn back now.  Not now.  We will not turn back now.  Not because of them.  We have come so far, but we have so much more work to do.
 
So here’s my final question.  Are you in this?  (Applause.)  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up and ready to go?  (Applause.)  Are you going to roll up your sleeves?  Five days for four more years!  We can make this happen right here in Florida.  Let’s make it -- let’s get it done. 
 
I love you all.  God bless.
 
END
6:35 P.M. EDT
 

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Ocean Center
Daytona Beach, Florida

3:38 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah!  (Applause.)  It is so great to be here to see all of you!  I am thrilled -- beyond thrilled!  (Applause.)  Oh, my goodness, this is good stuff.  (Applause.)

Before I begin, because as we've seen the last few days unfold, it’s important to take a moment to make sure we send our thoughts and prayers out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy. I know, like you, all of you, the President and I, we are heartbroken about the lives that have been lost and the damage that has been done in so many of our communities.  And as you know, your President has been working around the clock with governors and mayors and our extraordinary first responders to make sure that they have all the support and resources they need.

And here’s the thing.  When we face tragedy in this country, we come together.  That is the beauty of America.  And I know we will continue to come together as one American family to help our fellow citizens recover from this devastating storm.  So we cannot do this until we acknowledge what is going on in this country, so I just want to thank you all -- and keep sending your prayers and your support.  (Applause.)

I also want to start by thanking Wendy for that very kind introduction and for everything she’s doing for this campaign.  Let’s give Wendy a round of applause.  (Applause.)  And I'm going to thank one of my dear friends who I miss seeing since I've visited Florida -- Grace Nelson, who is here.  Grace, I love you. Thank you -- thank you for your outstanding job in the Senate, for your husband’s job, and thank you for your friendship and your kind words.  We love you so much.  (Applause.)

And of course, I understand you got to hear from Marc Anthony, right?  (Applause.)  He gave some wonderful remarks and we are thrilled he could be with us today, and we are grateful for his support.  He’s just been just focused and fired up and ready to go -- just like all of you.  And I'm glad you all are here joining us.  (Applause.)  

Are we fired up and ready to go?  (Applause.)  I love it!  Because I have to tell you I'm feeling pretty fired up and ready to go.  Because in just five days -- can you believe, five days  -- (applause) -- we have the opportunity to re-elect such a decent, honest man -- (applause) -- a man whose courage and integrity we have seen every day for the last four years, the man I have known and loved for 23 years -- my husband, our President, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  That's why we're here.

And I have to tell you that’s really what made me fall in love with my husband.  It’s his character.  It’s his compassion, his conviction, his commitment to helping others.  And that has been the man I have known all of our time together.  I love that Barack was also so devoted to his family.  I watched for that, ladies.  (Laughter.)  That was important.  When we first met I looked for that in a man -- in this man.  (Applause.)   Especially his devotion to the women in his life.  (Applause.)   I saw the respect that he had for his own mother.  I saw how proud he was that she was able to put herself through school and still support him and his sister as a single mom. 

And I definitely saw the tenderness he felt for his grandmother.  I saw how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning, catching that bus to her job at the community bank.  And he also watched as she was passed over for promotions year after year simply because she was a woman.  But here’s something he learned from her -- he saw how she kept on getting up every day, year after year, without complaint or regret. 

See, here’s the thing -- with Barack, I found a real connection, because in his life story I saw so much of my own.  Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my father make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  And I saw how he carried himself with that dignity, with that same pride that comes from being able to provide for your family, that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of. 

And here’s the thing about this country -- see, like so many families in this country, our families weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t want much.  And they didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success; in fact, the admired it.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did.  That’s why they pushed us to be the very best we could be. 

But they simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard, if you do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  (Applause.)

See, and they also believed in something really important as well, that when you’ve worked hard -- young people, your hear me? When you’ve worked, when you’ve done well, when you finally have walked through that doorway of opportunity, here’s what you don't do:  You don't slam it shut behind you.  You reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)

That’s how Barack and I and I know so many of you -- that's how we were raised.  And more than anything else, that is what this election is all about.  It’s a choice.  It’s a choice about our values, about our hopes, our aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and our grandkids.

What does that America look like?  What do we believe in?  We believe in an America where every child has access to good schools -- schools that push them and inspire them, and prepare them for good jobs of the future.  We believe in an America where no one goes broke or loses a home because someone gets sick or lost their job.  (Applause.) 

We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own, and where we treat everyone with dignity and respect -- from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)  In this America that we are working to build, we believe that the truth matters.  And you don't take shortcuts or game the system. 

And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight.  We all know good and well that cutting Sesame Street is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  We know better than that.  Instead, we need to cut wasteful spending, yes -- but we have to make smart investments in things like education and infrastructure for an economy built to last.  And that is what my husband stands for.  (Applause.)  That’s the country he’s been working to build for four years.  (Applause.)

See, and since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that is exactly what we have seen in our President. 

So think back to when Barack first took office -- our economy was on the brink of collapse.  You don't have to take my word for it.  Newspapers were using words like "meltdown," "calamity;" declaring "Wall Street implodes," "Economy in Shock." Do you remember that?  See, because the auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month.  And a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression. 

And this is what Barack faced on day one as President.  See, but instead of pointing fingers and placing blame, your President got to work, because he was thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.  And that’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and for working families -- because he understands that teachers and firefighters should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)  Not in America. That's not right.  We know that’s not right. 

And that’s why, while some folks were willing to let the auto industry go under -- you remember that?  You know who I’m talking about?  With more than a million jobs -- you hear me --a million jobs that would have been lost, Barack had the backs of the American workers.  And that’s why today, the auto industry in America is back on its feet again.  (Applause.) 

And while we still have a way to go to completely rebuild this economy, let me tell you, there are more and more signs every day that we’re headed in the right direction.  Exports have grown by 45 percent.  Manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs.  We have had 31 straight months -- the majority of this presidency -- of private sector job growth -- a total of 5.2 million new jobs that have been created right here in the United States of America under this President.  (Applause.)

Now, when it comes to giving our young people the education they deserve, see, Barack knows that like me, and like so many of you, we never could have attended college without financial aid  -- never.  (Applause.)  We would not be standing here if not for financial aid.  So when it comes to student debt, trust me, Barack and I, we've been there.  This is not a hypothetical for us.

And that’s why Barack doubled funding for Pell grants, fought hard to keep interest rates down on student loans.  (Applause.)  Because you have a President that understands that ever young person in this country deserves access to college in an affordable way.  (Applause.) 

And then finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women -- (applause) -- my husband you know will always have our backs.  Because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  And that’s why the very first bill he signed into law as President was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to help women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And that is why he will always, always fight to ensure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and our health care.  (Applause.) 
And as Wendy mentioned in her introduction, we cannot forget about the health reform that he passed.  Because of that reform insurance companies can no longer charge women more than men for the same coverage.  (Applause.)  Also because of this reform, they won't be able to discriminate against you because you have a preexisting condition like diabetes or asthma.  (Applause.)

Our seniors on Medicare are saving [paying] hundreds less for their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  And as Wendy said, our young folks can stay on their parent’s insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)

And here’s the other thing about Obamacare.  If you get a life-threatening illness and you need real expensive care, insurance companies can no longer tell you, sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit and we're not paying a penny more.  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.)

So here we are, five days out.  And when you’re out there talking to folks -- and I know you’re going to be out there, right? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  When you’re out there talking to folks who are trying to decide who will keep America moving forward for four more years, I want you to tell them a few specific things about Barack Obama.

Tell them what he has done for our economy, our health care and our education.  But also remind them that this was the President that ended the war in Iraq, took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  This was the President that is fighting every day so that veterans and military families to get the benefits that they have earned.  (Applause.)  

Remind them about all the young immigrants in this country who will no longer live in fear of being deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them about our brave servicemembers who will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)

If they need to know more, send them to BarackObama.com/plans -- our website.  They can learn about all the concrete plans that Barack has for the next four years to create more jobs, to reduce our deficit, and so much more. 

But here’s what I really want you to tell them about this man.  You tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it.  (Applause.)  And he has been fighting every day -- do you hear me, every day -- so that everyone of us in this country can have that same opportunity, no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.  (Applause.)  

But let’s be clear.  While is so proud of all that we have achieved together, my husband is nowhere near satisfied.  Of all the people on the planet, Barack knows all too well that too many folks are still hurting.  And as President Clinton said, it is going to take a lot longer than four years to finish rebuilding an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.) 

But here’s what I know I have seen for the past four years. Know this:  Together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole we started in.  We have been moving forward, and making real, meaningful change.  (Applause.) 

So over the next five days, we have got to ask ourselves a simple question.  Are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us into this hole in the first place?  Are we just going to sit back and watch everything we worked for and fought for to just slip away? 

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  What are we going to do?  (Applause.)  I want to go forward!  What are we going to do?

AUDIENCE:  Forward!

MRS. OBAMA:  We’ve got to go forward.  (Applause.) 

But here’s the thing.  In the end, the answer to these questions is on us now.  It’s all on us.  Because, believe me, all of our hard work, all of the progress we’ve made -- know this -- it is all on the line.  It’s no joke.  It’s all at stake this Tuesday.

And as my husband has said, the only thing guaranteed is that this election will be even closer than the last one.  And it is all going to come down to what happens in just a few key battleground states like right here in Florida.  (Applause.)  And let me help put it in perspective.  I do this everywhere I go.  Let’s take you back to 2008 to understand the power that you have.

Here in Florida, we won by about 236,000 votes.  It might sound like a lot, but when you break that number down across precincts, that is just 36 votes per precinct.  You hear me?  Thirty six!  Look around this room.  Right, this room alone could make the difference.  See, because that could mean just one vote in your neighborhood -- one!  Just one more vote in your apartment building or on your college campus.  Just one.  (Applause.) 

So if there is anyone out there -- if there is anyone you know out there who might be thinking that their vote doesn’t matter, that their vote and involvement doesn’t count, that in this complex political process that ordinary folks can’t possibly make a difference, see, I want you to think about those 36 votes. See, because you know 36 people.  Everybody knows 36 people.  And you know 36 people who didn’t vote in 2008.  So I want you to think about how with just a few more hours knocking on some doors, or making some phone calls, with just a few more hours getting folks to the polls on Election Day, just a few of you here -- shoot, look at this room; this room here alone could swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  And when we win enough precincts, we will win this state, and we’ll be well on our way to putting Barack back in the White House for four more years.  (Applause.) 

So we’ve got a plan, and it involves you.  You are at the core of this plan.  Before you leave today, sign up to volunteer -- just a couple more days.  Weekend -- just give your weekend, just hand it over.  (Laughter.)  But for the next five days, we need every single one of you to talk to everyone you know.  Don’t leave any stone unturned -- not a friend, not a neighbor, not a cousin.  We don’t care if you haven’t spoken to him in a year, call him.  (Laughter.)  Get them out to vote.

And if you can, get them to vote early.  I voted early.  (Applause.)  We’ve got a lot of early voters.  See, because I want to spend Election Day getting other people out to the polls, motivating other people, reminding people.  We’re going to be on the phone, on the TV, on the radio just reminding people.  And I hope you all do the same.

See, because the other thing about early voting is that life happens.  Election Day is one day.  And when you’re talking about a difference of 36 votes, we can’t afford anybody to wake up and their car is broken down, they don’t feel well, the babysitter is late, the boss made you work overtime -- anything can happen.  So vote early. 

And here in Florida, you can vote early through Saturday at your county supervisor of elections’ office and many of the libraries and the city hall.  So, as Wendy said, you can leave here after we’re done and go vote.  (Applause.) 

But whether you vote early or whether you vote on the 6th, you can also go to vote.barackobama.com to learn how and where to vote.  You can go on that website and find out anything, anywhere in the country.  So use that as a resource to make your voices heard. 

Now, that’s our plan.  You do understand that you are critical to the plan, right?  (Applause.)  And with less than a week to go until Election Day, make no mistake about it:  What we all do for these next five days will absolutely make the difference between us waking up on Election Day and asking ourselves, could I have done more, or feeling the promise of four more years.  See, and I only want to feel that promise.  I don’t know about you.

So from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep working and struggling and pushing forward.  See, because here’s the thing.  That is how change always happens in this country.  And I’m really talking to our young people.  (Applause.)  Because we know from our history that change is hard, and it requires patience and tenacity -- shoot, life is hard.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight and doing what we know in our hearts is right, then eventually we get there.  You have to know this.  We always do. 

That is why we have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead, because we know that here in America we always move forward.  We never go back.  We always make progress.  (Applause.)  And in the end, that’s what this is about.  That’s what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody fool you.  Don’t let anybody tell you differently.  Elections are always about hope. 

What kind of hope am I talking about?  The hope that I saw on my father’s face as I crossed the stage to get my college diploma -- the diploma he took out loans to help me get.  (Applause.)  The hope Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised.  That kind of hope. The hope of all those men and women in our lives who worked that extra shift for us, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could stand here.  We are here because of them.  That kind of hope.  (Applause.)  The hope that so many of us see when we look into the eyes of our kids and our grandkids. 

That is why we are here today.  See, because we want all our kids to have that solid foundation for their dreams.  We’re here for our kids.  We want to give all of our children opportunities worthy of their promise, because we all know -- I don’t care who you vote for, you all know in this country that all of our children are worthy.  They’re all worthy.  We want to give them that sense of limitless possibility, that belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet, there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.  (Applause.) 

So here’s what I tell myself every day as First Lady:  We cannot turn back now.  We will not turn back now.  (Applause.)  We have come so far, but we have so much more work to do. 

So here’s my last question.  Florida, are you in this?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Are you ready to go? (Applause.)  You get out there and vote like you’ve never voter before.  (Applause.)  Work hard.  Five days for four more years! That’s what we need from you.  Get it done.  We’re going to be working hard. 

We love you, guys.  God bless.

END
4:01 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Green Bay, WI

Austin Straubel International Airport
Green Bay, Wisconsin

10:43 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Wisconsin!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  I want to thank all of you for giving such a warm welcome to a Bears fan  -- (applause) -- and I especially want to thank one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history for being here today  -- Charles Woodson.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank Charles because I understand he made an announcement about a gift to the Red Cross to help support everybody over on the East Coast, and that’s the kind of guy he is, so we’re grateful to him.  Thank you, Charles.  (Applause.)

Let’s also give it up for your next United States senator, Tammy Baldwin.  (Applause.)  She’s going to be following leaders like Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold in being fierce fighters for the people of Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  

Now, for the past few days, all of us have been focused on one of the worst storms in our lifetimes.  And we’re awed and we’re humbled by nature’s destructive power.  We mourn the loss of so many people.  Our hearts go out to those who have lost their loved ones.  We pledge to help those whose lives have been turned upside down.  And I was out in New Jersey yesterday and saw the devastation, and you really get a sense of how difficult this is going to be for a lot, a lot of people. 

But we’ve also been inspired these past few days -- because when disaster strikes, we see America at its best.  All the petty differences that consume us in normal times all seem to melt away.  There are no Democrats or Republicans during a storm, there are just fellow Americans.  (Applause.)  Leaders of different parties working to fix what’s broken; neighbors helping neighbors cope with tragedy; communities rallying to rebuild; a spirit that says, in the end, we’re all in this together -– that we rise or fall as one nation, as one people.  (Applause.)

That spirit has guided this country along its improbable journey for more than two centuries.  It has carried us through the trials of the last four years.  In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Today, our businesses have created over 5 million new jobs.  (Applause.)  The American auto industry is back on top.  American manufacturing is growing at the fastest pace in 15 years.  Home values are on the rise.  Thanks to the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  (Applause.)  The war in Afghanistan is winding down.  Al Qaeda has been decimated.  Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)

So we’ve made real progress these past four years.  But, Wisconsin, we know our work is not yet done.  As long as there’s a single American who wants a job but can’t find one, our work isn’t done.  As long as there are families who are working harder but falling behind, our work isn’t done.  As long as there’s a child languishing in poverty, barred from opportunity, anywhere in this country, our work is not yet done.  (Applause.)  

Our fight goes on because we know this nation cannot succeed without a growing, thriving middle class; and strong, sturdy ladders into the middle class.  Our fight goes on because America has always done its best when everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules.  (Applause.)  That’s what we believe.  That’s why you elected me in 2008.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President -- because we’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, we knew from the beginning that our work would take more than one year, or even one term -- because let’s face it, the middle class was getting hammered long before the financial crisis hit.  Technology made us more productive, but it also made a lot of good jobs obsolete.  Global trade brought us cheaper products, but it also allowed companies to hire in low-wage countries.  American workers saw their paychecks squeezed, even as corporate profits rose and CEO salaries exploded, and the guaranteed security of pensions and health care slowly started disappearing.

And these fundamental changes in the economy –- the rise of technology and global competition –- they’re real.  We can’t wish these challenges away.  But here’s what I know, Wisconsin:  We can meet them -- because we’re Americans.  We’ve got the world’s best workers and the best entrepreneurs.  We’ve got the best scientists and the best researchers; the best colleges and universities.  And we’ve got the most innovative spirit.  We have everything we need to thrive in this new economy, in this new century, and there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America.

But we have a choice to make.  In five days, we will choose our next President.  (Applause.)  And it’s more than just a choice between two candidates or two parties.  You’ll be making a choice between two fundamentally different visions of America -– one where we return to the top-down policies that crashed our economy --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo, Wisconsin -- vote.  (Applause.)

Or a future that’s built on a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)  And, Wisconsin, we know what the choice needs to be.  We’re here today because we believe that if this country invests in the skills and ideas of its people, then good jobs and businesses will follow. 

We believe that America’s free market has been the engine of America’s progress, driven by risk-takers and innovators, and dreamers.  But we also understand that in this country, people succeed when they’ve got a chance to get a good education and learn new skills –- and, by the way, so do the businesses that hire those people, or the companies that those folks start.

We believe that when we support research into medical breakthroughs or new technology, then entire new industries will start here and stay here and hire here. 

We don’t believe government should poke its nose into everything we do.  But do we believe this country is stronger when there are rules to protect our kids from toxic dumping and mercury pollution -- (applause) -- when there are rules to protect consumers and ordinary families from credit card companies that are engaging in deceptive practices, mortgage lenders that are unscrupulous.  (Applause.)

We grow faster when our tax code rewards hard work and companies that create jobs here in America.  (Applause.)  And we believe that quality, affordable health care and a dignified retirement aren’t just achievable goals, they’re a measure of our values as a nation.  (Applause.)  That’s what we believe. 

For eight years, we had a President who shared these beliefs; his name was Bill Clinton.  (Applause.)  When he was first elected, he asked the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more so we could reduce the deficit and still make investments in things like education and training, science and research.  And guess what?  Plenty of folks who were running for Congress at the time said it would hurt the economy; that it would kill jobs.  And if that argument sounds familiar, one of those candidates back then happens to be running for President right now.  (Laughter.)  And it turns out their math was just as bad back then as it is today.  (Applause.)  Because by the end of Bill Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs, and incomes were up, and poverty was down.  And our deficit became the biggest surplus in our history. 

So, Wisconsin, we know the ideas that work.  We also know the ideas that don’t work.  Because in the eight years after Bill Clinton left office, his policies were reversed.  The wealthiest Americans got tax cuts they didn’t need and that we couldn’t afford.  Companies enjoyed tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas.  Insurance companies and oil companies and Wall Street were given free license to do what they pleased.  Folks at the top got to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.

And the result of this top-down economics was falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up for the last four years. 

Now, in the closing weeks of this campaign, Governor Romney has been using all his talents as a salesman to dress up these very same policies that failed our country so badly, the very same policies we’ve been cleaning up after for the past four years.  And he is offering them up as change.  (Laughter.)  He’s saying he’s the candidate of change.

Well, let me tell you, Wisconsin, we know what change looks like.  (Applause.)  And what the Governor is offering sure ain’t change.  Giving more power back to the biggest banks isn’t change.  Leaving millions without health insurance isn’t change.  Another $5 trillion tax cut that favors the wealthy isn’t change.  Turning Medicare into a voucher is change, but we don’t want that change.  (Laughter.)  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies isn’t change.  Ruling out compromise by pledging to rubberstamp the tea party’s agenda as President -– that’s definitely not change.  In fact, that’s exactly the attitude in Washington that needs to go.   
Now, here’s the thing, Wisconsin.  After four years as President, you know me by now.  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made.  You may be frustrated at the pace of change.  But you know what I believe.  You know where I stand.  You know I’m willing to make tough decisions, even when they’re not politically convenient.  (Applause.)  And you know I’ll fight for you and your families every single day, as hard as I know how.  You know that.  (Applause.)

I know what change looks like, because I fought for it.  You have, too.  And after all we’ve been through together, we sure as heck can’t give up now. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Change is a country where Americans of every age have the skills and education that good jobs now require.  And government can’t do this alone, but don’t tell me that hiring more teachers won’t help this economy grow, or help young people compete.  (Applause.)  Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me, and I’ll bet it wasn’t an option for a whole lot of you. 

We shouldn’t be ending college tax credits to pay for millionaires’ tax cuts; we should be making college more affordable for everyone who’s willing to work for it.  (Applause.)  We should recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so that high-tech, high-wage jobs aren’t created in China, they’re created right here in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  (Applause.) 

We should work with community colleges to train another two million Americans with skills that businesses are looking for right now.  That’s my plan for the future.  That’s what change is.  That’s the America we’re fighting for in this election.

Change comes when we live up to our legacy of innovation, and make America home to the next generation of manufacturing, scientific discovery, technological breakthroughs.  I’m proud I bet on American workers and American ingenuity and the American auto industry.  And today, we’re not just building cars again, we’re building better cars –- cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.) 

Today, there are thousands of workers building long-lasting batteries and wind turbines and solar panels all across the country –- jobs that weren’t there four years ago.  And sure, not all technologies we bet on will pan out.  Some of the businesses we encourage will fail.  But I promise you this -– there is a future for manufacturing here in America.  There is a future for clean energy here in America.  (Applause.)  And I refuse to cede that future to other countries. 

I don’t want tax codes rewarding companies for creating jobs overseas; I want to reward companies that create jobs here in America.  (Applause.)  I don’t want a tax code that subsidizes oil company profits; I want to support the energy jobs of tomorrow and the new technologies that will cut our oil imports in half.  That’s my plan for jobs and growth.  That’s the future of America that I see. 

Change is finally turning the page on a decade of war to do some nation-building here at home.  So long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will pursue our enemies with the strongest military the world has ever known.  But it’s time to use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to start paying down our debts here and rebuilding America.  Right now, we can put people back to work fixing up roads and bridges.  Right now, we can expand broadband into rural neighborhoods, and make sure our schools are state-of-the-art. 

Let’s put Americans back to work doing the work that needs to be done.  And let’s especially focus on our veterans -- because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their heads, or the care that they need when they come home.  (Applause.)  That’s my plan to keep us strong.  That’s my commitment to you.  And that’s what’s at stake in this election. 

Change is a future where we reduce our deficit in a way that’s balanced and responsible.  I’ve signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending cuts; I intend to do more.  And I’ll work with both parties to streamline agencies and get rid of programs that don’t work. 

But if we’re serious about the deficit, we’ve also got to ask the wealthiest Americans to go back to the tax rates that they paid when Bill Clinton was in office.  (Applause.)  Because as long as I’m President, I will never turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  I will never allow this nation to be plunged into another battle over health care reform just so insurance companies can jump back in the driver’s seat.  And I will never allow politicians in Washington to control health care choices that women should be making for themselves.  (Applause.)

So, Wisconsin, we know what change is.  We know what the future requires -- we don’t need a big government agenda or a small government agenda.  We need a middle-class agenda that rewards hard work and responsibility. 

We don’t need a partisan agenda –- we need a common-sense agenda that says when we educate a poor child, we’ll all be better off; that says when we fund the research of a young scientist, her new discovery will benefit every American. 

We need a vision that says we don’t just look out for ourselves –- we look out for one another other; we look out for future generations, and we meet those obligations by working together.  That’s the change we believe in.  That’s what this election is all about.  

Now, let’s be clear, achieving this agenda won’t be easy.  It’s never been easy.  We always knew that.  Back in 2008, when we talked about change, I told you I wasn’t just talking about changing Presidents.  I wasn’t just talking about changing parties.  I was talking about changing our politics.  I ran because the voices of the American people –- your voices -– had been shut out of our democracy for way too long –- by lobbyists and special interests, and politicians who believe that compromise is somehow a dirty word; by folks who would say anything to win office, and do anything to stay there. 

The protectors of the status quo are a powerful force in Washington.  And over the last four years, every time we’ve tried to make a change, they’ve fought back with everything they’ve got.  They spent millions to stop us from reforming health care and Wall Street and student loans.  And their strategy from the start was to engineer pure gridlock in Congress, refusing to compromise on ideas that both Democrats and Republicans had supported in the past. 

And what they’re counting on now, Wisconsin, is that the American people will be so worn down by all the squabbling, so tired of all the dysfunction, that you’ll actually reward obstruction, and put people back in charge who advocate the very policies that got us into this mess. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  In other words, their bet is on cynicism.  But, Wisconsin, my bet is on you.  (Applause.)  My bet is on the decency and good sense of the America people -- because despite all the resistance, despite all the setbacks, we’ve won some great fights.  And I’ve never lost sight of the vision we share that you would have a voice; that there would be somebody at the table fighting every single day for middle-class Americans who work hard.  Sometimes, Republicans in Congress have worked with me to meet our goals –- to cut taxes for small businesses and families like yours, to open new markets for American goods, or finally repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  (Applause.) 

And sometimes we’ve had big fights -- fights that were worth having -- like when we forced the banks to stop overcharging for student loans, and made college more affordable for millions.  (Applause.)  Like when we forced Wall Street to abide by the toughest rules since the 1930s.  Like when we stopped insurance companies from discriminating against Americans with preexisting conditions like cancer or diabetes, so that nobody in America goes bankrupt just because they get sick.  (Applause.)

I didn’t fight those fights for any partisan advantage.  I’ve shown my willingness to work with anybody, of any party, to move this country forward.  And if you want to break the gridlock in Congress, you’ll vote for leaders –- whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents –- who feel the same way.

But if the price of peace in Washington is cutting deals that will kick students off of financial aid, or get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or eliminate health care for millions on Medicaid who are poor, or elderly, or disabled, just to give a millionaire a tax cut, I’m not having it.  That’s not a deal worth having.  That’s not bipartisanship.  That’s not change.  That’s surrender to the same status quo that has hurt middle-class families for way too long.  And I’m not ready to give up on that fight.  (Applause.)

I hope you aren’t either, Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  I hope you aren’t either.  See, the folks at the very top in this country don’t need another champion in Washington.  They’ll always have a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access and influence. 

The people who need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read late at night; the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day.  The laid off furniture worker who is retraining at age 55 for a career in biotechnology -– she needs a champion. 

The small restaurant owner who needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down -– he needs a champion.  The cooks and the waiters and the cleaning staff working overtime at a Vegas hotel, trying to save enough to buy a first home or send their kid to college -– they need a champion.  (Applause.) 

The autoworker who’s back on the job, filled with pride and dignity because he’s building a great car –- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)  The young teacher doing her best in an overcrowded classroom with outdated textbooks –- she needs a champion.  (Applause.) 

All those kids in inner cities and small farm towns, in the valleys of Ohio or rolling Virginia hills or right here in Green Bay; kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors, engineers or entrepreneurs, diplomats or even a president –- (applause) -- they need a champion in Washington.  (Applause.)  They need a champion.  They need a champion because the future will never have as many lobbyists as the past, but it’s the dreams of those children that will be our saving grace. 

And that’s why I need you, Wisconsin -- to make sure their voices are heard; to make sure your voices are heard.  We’ve come too far to turn back now.  We’ve come too far to let our hearts grow faint.  Now is the time to keep pushing forward -– to educate all our kids, and train all our workers; to create new jobs, and rebuild our infrastructure; to discover new sources of energy, to broaden opportunity, to grow our middle class, to restore our democracy, and to make sure that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or how you started out, you can work to achieve your American Dream.  (Applause.)

In the midst of the Great Depression, FDR reminded the country that “failure is not an American habit; and in the strength of great hope we must [all] shoulder our common load.”  That’s the strength we need today.  That’s the hope I’m asking you to share.  That’s the future in our sights.  That’s why I’m asking for your vote.  (Applause.) 

And if you’re willing to work with me again, and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls for me, and turn out for me, we’ll win Brown County again.  (Applause.)  We’ll win Wisconsin again.  We’ll win this election.  And together, we’ll renew those bonds, and reaffirm that spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth. 

Thank you, Wisconsin.  Get out there and vote!  Thank you.  God bless you, and God bless America.  (Applause.) 

END
11:08 A.M. CDT