Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly

United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York 

10:22 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman:  I would like to begin today by telling you about an American named Chris Stevens.

Chris was born in a town called Grass Valley, California, the son of a lawyer and a musician.  As a young man, Chris joined the Peace Corps, and taught English in Morocco.  And he came to love and respect the people of North Africa and the Middle East. He would carry that commitment throughout his life.  As a diplomat, he worked from Egypt to Syria, from Saudi Arabia to Libya.  He was known for walking the streets of the cities where he worked -- tasting the local food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking Arabic, listening with a broad smile. 

Chris went to Benghazi in the early days of the Libyan revolution, arriving on a cargo ship.  As America’s representative, he helped the Libyan people as they coped with violent conflict, cared for the wounded, and crafted a vision for the future in which the rights of all Libyans would be respected. And after the revolution, he supported the birth of a new democracy, as Libyans held elections, and built new institutions, and began to move forward after decades of dictatorship.

Chris Stevens loved his work.  He took pride in the country he served, and he saw dignity in the people that he met.  And two weeks ago, he traveled to Benghazi to review plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize a hospital.  That’s when America’s compound came under attack.  Along with three of his colleagues, Chris was killed in the city that he helped to save. He was 52 years old. 

I tell you this story because Chris Stevens embodied the best of America.  Like his fellow Foreign Service officers, he built bridges across oceans and cultures, and was deeply invested in the international cooperation that the United Nations represents.  He acted with humility, but he also stood up for a set of principles -- a belief that individuals should be free to determine their own destiny, and live with liberty, dignity, justice, and opportunity. 

The attacks on the civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America.  We are grateful for the assistance we received from the Libyan government and from the Libyan people.  There should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice.  And I also appreciate that in recent days, the leaders of other countries in the region -- including Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen -- have taken steps to secure our diplomatic facilities, and called for calm.  And so have religious authorities around the globe.

But understand, the attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on America.  They are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded -- the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully; that diplomacy can take the place of war; that in an interdependent world, all of us have a stake in working towards greater opportunity and security for our citizens.

If we are serious about upholding these ideals, it will not be enough to put more guards in front of an embassy, or to put out statements of regret and wait for the outrage to pass.  If we are serious about these ideals, we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of the crisis -- because we face a choice between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes that we hold in common.

Today, we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens -- and not by his killers.  Today, we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United Nations.

It has been less than two years since a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to protest the oppressive corruption in his country, and sparked what became known as the Arab Spring.  And since then, the world has been captivated by the transformation that’s taken place, and the United States has supported the forces of change.

We were inspired by the Tunisian protests that toppled a dictator, because we recognized our own beliefs in the aspiration of men and women who took to the streets.

We insisted on change in Egypt, because our support for democracy ultimately put us on the side of the people. 

We supported a transition of leadership in Yemen, because the interests of the people were no longer being served by a corrupt status quo.

We intervened in Libya alongside a broad coalition, and with the mandate of the United Nations Security Council, because we had the ability to stop the slaughter of innocents, and because we believed that the aspirations of the people were more powerful than a tyrant.

And as we meet here, we again declare that the regime of Bashar al-Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian people can stop and a new dawn can begin.

We have taken these positions because we believe that freedom and self-determination are not unique to one culture.  These are not simply American values or Western values -- they are universal values.  And even as there will be huge challenges to come with a transition to democracy, I am convinced that ultimately government of the people, by the people, and for the people is more likely to bring about the stability, prosperity, and individual opportunity that serve as a basis for peace in our world.

So let us remember that this is a season of progress.  For the first time in decades, Tunisians, Egyptians and Libyans voted for new leaders in elections that were credible, competitive, and fair.  This democratic spirit has not been restricted to the Arab world.  Over the past year, we’ve seen peaceful transitions of power in Malawi and Senegal, and a new President in Somalia.  In Burma, a President has freed political prisoners and opened a closed society, a courageous dissident has been elected to parliament, and people look forward to further reform.  Around the globe, people are making their voices heard, insisting on their innate dignity, and the right to determine their future.

And yet the turmoil of recent weeks reminds us that the path to democracy does not end with the casting of a ballot.  Nelson Mandela once said:  "To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."  (Applause.) 

True democracy demands that citizens cannot be thrown in jail because of what they believe, and that businesses can be opened without paying a bribe.  It depends on the freedom of citizens to speak their minds and assemble without fear, and on the rule of law and due process that guarantees the rights of all people.

In other words, true democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work.  Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissidents.  In hard economic times, countries must be tempted -- may be tempted to rally the people around perceived enemies, at home and abroad, rather than focusing on the painstaking work of reform.

Moreover, there will always be those that reject human progress -- dictators who cling to power, corrupt interests that depend on the status quo, and extremists who fan the flames of hate and division.  From Northern Ireland to South Asia, from Africa to the Americas, from the Balkans to the Pacific Rim, we’ve witnessed convulsions that can accompany transitions to a new political order. 

At time, the conflicts arise along the fault lines of race or tribe.  And often they arise from the difficulties of reconciling tradition and faith with the diversity and interdependence of the modern world.  In every country, there are those who find different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who love freedom for themselves must ask themselves how much they’re willing to tolerate freedom for others.

That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world.  Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity.
It is an insult not only to Muslims, but to America as well -- for as the city outside these walls makes clear, we are a country that has welcomed people of every race and every faith.  We are home to Muslims who worship across our country.  We not only respect the freedom of religion, we have laws that protect individuals from being harmed because of how they look or what they believe.  We understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them.

I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video.  And the answer is enshrined in our laws:  Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech. 

Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense.  Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs.  As President of our country and Commander-in-Chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day -- (laughter) -- and I will always defend their right to do so.  (Applause.) 

Americans have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their views, even views that we profoundly disagree with.  We do not do so because we support hateful speech, but because our founders understood that without such protections, the capacity of each individual to express their own views and practice their own faith may be threatened.  We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities. 

We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is more speech -- the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.

Now, I know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech.  We recognize that.  But in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete.  The question, then, is how do we respond? 

And on this we must agree:  There is no speech that justifies mindless violence.  (Applause.)  There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents.  There's no video that justifies an attack on an embassy.  There's no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan. 

In this modern world with modern technologies, for us to respond in that way to hateful speech empowers any individual who engages in such speech to create chaos around the world.  We empower the worst of us if that’s how we respond. 

More broadly, the events of the last two weeks also speak to the need for all of us to honestly address the tensions between the West and the Arab world that is moving towards democracy. 

Now, let me be clear:  Just as we cannot solve every problem in the world, the United States has not and will not seek to dictate the outcome of democratic transitions abroad.  We do not expect other nations to agree with us on every issue, nor do we assume that the violence of the past weeks or the hateful speech by some individuals represent the views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims, any more than the views of the people who produced this video represents those of Americans.  However, I do believe that it is the obligation of all leaders in all countries to speak out forcefully against violence and extremism.  (Applause.) 

It is time to marginalize those who -- even when not directly resorting to violence -- use hatred of America, or the West, or Israel, as the central organizing principle of politics. For that only gives cover, and sometimes makes an excuse, for those who do resort to violence.

That brand of politics -- one that pits East against West, and South against North, Muslims against Christians and Hindu and Jews -- can’t deliver on the promise of freedom.  To the youth, it offers only false hope.  Burning an American flag does nothing to provide a child an education.  Smashing apart a restaurant does not fill an empty stomach.  Attacking an embassy won’t create a single job.  That brand of politics only makes it harder to achieve what we must do together:  educating our children, and creating the opportunities that they deserve; protecting human rights, and extending democracy’s promise.

Understand America will never retreat from the world.  We will bring justice to those who harm our citizens and our friends, and we will stand with our allies.  We are willing to partner with countries around the world to deepen ties of trade and investment, and science and technology, energy and development -- all efforts that can spark economic growth for all our people and stabilize democratic change. 

But such efforts depend on a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect.  No government or company, no school or NGO will be confident working in a country where its people are endangered.  For partnerships to be effective our citizens must be secure and our efforts must be welcomed.

A politics based only on anger -- one based on dividing the world between "us" and "them" -- not only sets back international cooperation, it ultimately undermines those who tolerate it.  All of us have an interest in standing up to these forces. 

Let us remember that Muslims have suffered the most at the hands of extremism.  On the same day our civilians were killed in Benghazi, a Turkish police officer was murdered in Istanbul only days before his wedding; more than 10 Yemenis were killed in a car bomb in Sana’a; several Afghan children were mourned by their parents just days after they were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

The impulse towards intolerance and violence may initially be focused on the West, but over time it cannot be contained.  The same impulses toward extremism are used to justify war between Sunni and Shia, between tribes and clans.  It leads not to strength and prosperity but to chaos.  In less than two years, we have seen largely peaceful protests bring more change to Muslim-majority countries than a decade of violence.  And extremists understand this.  Because they have nothing to offer to improve the lives of people, violence is their only way to stay relevant.  They don’t build; they only destroy.

It is time to leave the call of violence and the politics of division behind.  On so many issues, we face a choice between the promise of the future, or the prisons of the past.  And we cannot afford to get it wrong.  We must seize this moment.  And America stands ready to work with all who are willing to embrace a better future.

The future must not belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt -- it must be claimed by those in Tahrir Square who chanted, "Muslims, Christians, we are one."  The future must not belong to those who bully women -- it must be shaped by girls who go to school, and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons.  (Applause.) 

The future must not belong to those corrupt few who steal a country’s resources -- it must be won by the students and entrepreneurs, the workers and business owners who seek a broader prosperity for all people.  Those are the women and men that America stands with; theirs is the vision we will support. 
 
The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.  But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied.  (Applause.)

Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims and Shiite pilgrims.  It’s time to heed the words of Gandhi:  "Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit."  (Applause.)  Together, we must work towards a world where we are strengthened by our differences, and not defined by them.  That is what America embodies, that’s the vision we will support.

Among Israelis and Palestinians, the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on a prospect of peace.  Let us leave behind those who thrive on conflict, those who reject the right of Israel to exist.  The road is hard, but the destination is clear -- a secure, Jewish state of Israel and an independent, prosperous Palestine.  (Applause.)  Understanding that such a peace must come through a just agreement between the parties, America will walk alongside all who are prepared to make that journey.

In Syria, the future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people.  If there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world today, peaceful protest, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings.  And we must remain engaged to assure that what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence. 

Together, we must stand with those Syrians who believe in a different vision -- a Syria that is united and inclusive, where children don’t need to fear their own government, and all Syrians have a say in how they are governed -- Sunnis and Alawites, Kurds and Christians.  That’s what America stands for.  That is the outcome that we will work for -- with sanctions and consequences for those who persecute, and assistance and support for those who work for this common good.  Because we believe that the Syrians who embrace this vision will have the strength and the legitimacy to lead.

In Iran, we see where the path of a violent and unaccountable ideology leads.  The Iranian people have a remarkable and ancient history, and many Iranians wish to enjoy peace and prosperity alongside their neighbors.  But just as it restricts the rights of its own people, the Iranian government continues to prop up a dictator in Damascus and supports terrorist groups abroad.  Time and again, it has failed to take the opportunity to demonstrate that its nuclear program is peaceful, and to meet its obligations to the United Nations.

So let me be clear.  America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space to do so.  But that time is not unlimited.  We respect the right of nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the United Nations is to see that we harness that power for peace.  And make no mistake, a nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained.  It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy.  It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in the region, and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty.  That’s why a coalition of countries is holding the Iranian government accountable.  And that’s why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

We know from painful experience that the path to security and prosperity does not lie outside the boundaries of international law and respect for human rights.  That’s why this institution was established from the rubble of conflict.  That is why liberty triumphed over tyranny in the Cold War.  And that is the lesson of the last two decades as well. 

History shows that peace and progress come to those who make the right choices.  Nations in every part of the world have traveled this difficult path.  Europe, the bloodiest battlefield of the 20th century, is united, free and at peace.  From Brazil to South Africa, from Turkey to South Korea, from India to Indonesia, people of different races, religions, and traditions have lifted millions out of poverty, while respecting the rights of their citizens and meeting their responsibilities as nations.

And it is because of the progress that I’ve witnessed in my own lifetime, the progress that I’ve witnessed after nearly four years as President, that I remain ever hopeful about the world that we live in.  The war in Iraq is over.  American troops have come home.  We’ve begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014.  Al Qaeda has been weakened, and Osama bin Laden is no more.  Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals.  We have seen hard choices made -- from Naypyidaw to Cairo to Abidjan -- to put more power in the hands of citizens.

At a time of economic challenge, the world has come together to broaden prosperity.  Through the G20, we have partnered with emerging countries to keep the world on the path of recovery.  America has pursued a development agenda that fuels growth and breaks dependency, and worked with African leaders to help them feed their nations.  New partnerships have been forged to combat corruption and promote government that is open and transparent, and new commitments have been made through the Equal Futures Partnership to ensure that women and girls can fully participate in politics and pursue opportunity.  And later today, I will discuss our efforts to combat the scourge of human trafficking.

All these things give me hope.  But what gives me the most hope is not the actions of us, not the actions of leaders -- it is the people that I’ve seen.  The American troops who have risked their lives and sacrificed their limbs for strangers half a world away; the students in Jakarta or Seoul who are eager to use their knowledge to benefit mankind; the faces in a square in Prague or a parliament in Ghana who see democracy giving voice to their aspirations; the young people in the favelas of Rio and the schools of Mumbai whose eyes shine with promise.  These men, women, and children of every race and every faith remind me that for every angry mob that gets shown on television, there are billions around the world who share similar hopes and dreams.  They tell us that there is a common heartbeat to humanity.

So much attention in our world turns to what divides us.  That’s what we see on the news.  That's what consumes our political debates.  But when you strip it all away, people everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny; the dignity that comes with work; the comfort that comes with faith; and the justice that exists when governments serve their people  -- and not the other way around.

The United States of America will always stand up for these aspirations, for our own people and for people all across the world.  That was our founding purpose.  That is what our history shows.  That is what Chris Stevens worked for throughout his life.

And I promise you this:  Long after the killers are brought to justice, Chris Stevens’s legacy will live on in the lives that he touched -- in the tens of thousands who marched against violence through the streets of Benghazi; in the Libyans who changed their Facebook photo to one of Chris; in the signs that read, simply, "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans."

They should give us hope.  They should remind us that so long as we work for it, justice will be done, that history is on our side, and that a rising tide of liberty will never be reversed.

Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END          
10:16 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Henry Maier Festival Park

Henry Maier Festival Park

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

5:16 P.M. CDT 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Wisconsin!  (Applause.)  Oh, you guys sound like you're fired up already!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in Milwaukee!  (Applause.)  First of all, it's good to be back because this is the closest I've been to home in a couple of months.  (Applause.)  I was thinking about hopping on the freeway and just driving on down.  (Laughter.)  Hour and a half, maybe a little shorter with the motorcade.  (Laughter.)

     I am also glad to be in Milwaukee because, before I came out here I was able to have an outstanding sampling of bratwurst from Milwaukee.  (Applause.) 

I'm also glad to be here because I get to see some great friends, like your Mayor, Tom Barrett, who's in the house.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding Senator Herb Kohl.  (Applause.)  And your next United States senator, Tammy Baldwin. (Applause.) 

And just to prove that I am determined to bring everyone together in moving this country forward, I am proud to have a couple of Green Bay Packers in the house.  (Applause.)  We've got your Jermichael Finley.  (Applause.)  We've got Desmond Bishop.  (Applause.)  And they were pointing out the results of the most recent Bears-Packers game.  (Applause.)  All I could say to them is it's a long season.  (Laughter.)  We're going to play you a couple more times.  But we're so glad that they are here.  And it just goes to show you we are not as divided as some people think. (Applause.)  We are not Bears fans first, or Packers fans first, we are Americans first.  (Applause.) 

Now, unless you've been hiding under a rock or your television is busted, you probably know that we've got an election going on.  (Applause.)  I was telling folks about a story recently I heard -- my campaign manager was talking to this couple; they had this four-year-old with them.  And they saw a picture of me, and the parents said, "Who's that, Sammy?" And the little boy says, "That's Barack Obama."  And then they asked, "What does Barack Obama do?"  And he thinks for a second, and he says, "He approves that message."  (Laughter and applause.) 

     So that's what I do.  I approve this message.  (Laughter.)  And that's because, when you heard Mark up here talking -- and give Mark a big round of applause for the great job he did.  (Applause.)  What you heard from Mark is that we've got a very big choice to make in this election.  And it's not just between two candidates or two parties; it's a choice between two different paths for America, two different visions for our future. 

     Now, my opponent, he believes in top-down economics --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo -- vote.  (Applause.)  Vote. 

But he thinks that if we just spend another $5 trillion on  tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans all our problems are going to go away.  Jobs and prosperity will rain down on everybody.  Deficits will magically disappear.  It will all end happily ever after. 

But there's a problem with that.  We tried what they're selling.  We tried it for a decade.  It didn’t work then and it won't work now.  This country does not succeed when only a very few do well.  America succeed when working families do well, when middle-class folks do well -- (applause) -- when folks working hard to get into the middle class do well, when everybody has got a chance to get ahead -- that's when we do well. (Applause.) 

     We can't move forward if we've got leaders who write off half the nation, calling them a bunch of victims who will never take responsibility for their lives.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  I don't see a lot of victims here today.  (Applause.)  I see hardworking Wisconsinites.  (Applause.)  I see students trying to work their way through college.  (Applause.)  I see single moms putting in overtime to make sure their kids have a shot.  (Applause.)  I see senior citizens who've been saving their entire lives for their retirement.  I see veterans who have served our country bravely.  I see soldiers who defend our freedom today.  (Applause.)       

Milwaukee, we don't believe anybody is entitled to success, we don't believe government should help folks who don't try to help themselves.  But we do believe in something called opportunity.  (Applause.)  We believe that in this country hard work should pay off, and everybody should get a fair shot, and everybody should do their fair share, and everybody should play by the same rules.  That's the country we believe in.  And that's why I'm running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, Wisconsin, the truth is the path I'm offering is not going to be quick, it won't be easy.  It's going to take a few years to solve challenges that have built up over decades.  But I want everybody here to understand there's no problem we cannot solve.  (Applause.)  There is no challenge we cannot meet.  Because we've got the best workers in the world.  (Applause.)  We've got the best businesses in the world.  We got the best scientists and researchers in the world.  We've got the best colleges and universities in the world.  (Applause.)  We've got this incredible diversity of talent -- which is why people want to come here from every corner of the globe.  There's not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States.  (Applause.)   

     But we're going to have to work hard to achieve that potential.  That's why I put forward a practical plan to create jobs, and grow the middle class, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation.  It starts by exporting more products but outsourcing fewer jobs.  (Applause.) 

You remember my opponent wanted to "let Detroit go bankrupt." 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo

     THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo -- 

     AUDIENCE:  Vote!

     THE PRESIDENT:  Vote.  (Applause.) 

So we said, no, too much is at stake.  We’re going to come together and reinvent a dying auto industry.  And we put it back on top of the world.  (Applause.)  So what we did for autos, we want to do for manufacturing across the board.  We’ve already created more than half a million new manufacturing jobs.  So now what we have to do is to stop giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas, let’s give them to companies that are investing right here in Milwaukee, creating jobs right here in Wisconsin.  That's how we move forward.  (Applause.) 

     Let’s help big companies and small businesses double their exports.  We can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years.  But it requires you to vote.  It requires all of us to do our part. 

     I want us to control our own energy.  After 30 years of not doing anything, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, your cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)  We have doubled the amount of renewable energy we generate, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than any time in nearly two decades.  (Applause.) 

     So my opponent, he wants to let the oil companies write the energy plan.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo --

     THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo --

     AUDIENCE:  Vote!  (Applause.) 

     THE PRESIDENT:  He wants to keep giving $4 billion in corporate welfare to him from our taxpayers.  We’ve got a better plan.  We want to produce oil and natural gas, but we also want to invest in wind and solar and clean coal.  (Applause.)  We want to bring farmers and scientists together to harness new biofuels. We want to put construction workers back to work, building homes and factories that use and waste less energy.  We want to develop a 100-year supply of natural gas.  We want to cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process.  We can do it, but I’m going to need your help.  (Applause.)  I’m going to need you to vote.  (Applause.) 

     I want to make sure that we’ve got the best education system on Earth.  (Applause.)  I wouldn’t be standing here unless I got a great education.  (Applause.)  It was the gateway of opportunity for me and for Michelle and for so many of you.  And that's why we fought so hard to make sure that millions of students are paying less for college, because we took on a system that was wasting billions of dollars and started giving that money to students.  (Applause.) 

     Now, my opponent, he wants to gut our investments in education to give tax breaks to the wealthy. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo --

     THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo --

     AUDIENCE:  Vote!

     THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve got a different vision.  I believe that in the United States of America, no child should have her dream deferred because of an overcrowded classroom.  (Applause.)  No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don't have the money.  (Applause.)  No company should have to look for workers in China because they can’t find the right skills here in the United States.  (Applause.) 

     So, Wisconsin, I want you to help me recruit 100,000 new math and science teachers.  Let’s improve early childhood education.  Let’s give 2 million more workers the chance to get the skills they need at community colleges.  Let’s help colleges and universities keep tuition down.  We can meet these goals together, but I’m going to need your help.  (Applause.) 

     We need to bring down our deficit, but we don't need to do it by sticking it to the middle class.  (Applause.)  I put forward a plan that reduces our deficit by $4 trillion.  We’ve already cut a trillion dollars of spending that we didn’t need, and I’m willing to do more to make sure our government is efficient.  We can’t be wasting money.  But I also want to reform our tax code so that it’s simple and fair, and so it asks the wealthiest among us to pay a higher rate on incomes over $250,000.  (Applause.)  That's the rate we had when Bill Clinton was President, and our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs.  (Applause.)  We went from deficit to surplus -- and by the way, we created a whole lot of millionaires to boot. 

     I’ve cut taxes for the middle class.  I’ve cut taxes for small businesses.  And I want to keep your taxes low.  But I can afford to pay a little more, and Mitt Romney sure can afford to pay a little more.  (Applause.)  And the reason I want to do it is not because I want to punish success.  It’s when you give tax relief to middle-class families, what do you do when you got a little more money in your pocket? 

     AUDIENCE:  We spend it!

     THE PRESIDENT:  You spend it.  So maybe you trade in that old 10-year-old car.  Maybe you buy a computer for your kid.  And that means business has more customers, which means companies have more profits, which means then they hire more people.  And then the whole economy gets stronger.  We don't build the economy from the top down.  We build it from the bottom up, from the middle out.  That's what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.) 

     Now, I’ve got to say in fairness --

     AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Obama!

     THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back!  (Applause.)  That's why I want to make sure you’ve got a good deficit reduction plan.  (Laughter.)  

Look, my opponents, they’ve got a plan, too.  The problem is, like Bill Clinton said, there's no arithmetic in it.  (Laughter.)   Somehow they think that they can spend trillions of dollars more on tax cuts for the wealthy and somehow bring down our deficit.  They can’t say how they’ll do it.  They won’t say how you have $5 trillion in new tax cuts and not end up raising taxes on middle-class families, or spend another $2 trillion in new military spending that our military says we don't need, without asking you to foot the bill.  The math just doesn’t add up. 

     And I’ve got to tell you, Milwaukee, I refuse to ask middle-class families to give up their deduction for owning a home or raising kids just to give millionaires a tax cut.  (Applause.)   I refuse to ask college students to pay more, or kick children off of Head Start programs, or eliminate health insurance for millions of poor and elderly and disabled just to pay for another tax cut we can’t afford.  (Applause.) 

     I will not turn Medicare into a voucher program.  (Applause.)  And we are not going to end up creating a Social Security system that is controlled by Wall Street.  We are going to make sure that everybody can retire with dignity and respect. That's what we’re fighting for.  (Applause.) 

     Now, I know we’re getting a little wet, but that's okay.  (Applause.)  I’m going to wrap it up, but I’ve got a few more things to say.  (Applause.)  Just like we’ve got choices here at home, we’ve also got some choices overseas.  Our prosperity at home depends on our security overseas.  Four years ago, I said I would end the war in Iraq -- and I did.  (Applause.)  I said we’d wind down the war in Afghanistan -- and we are.  (Applause.)  A new tower is rising over the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.) 

     Now, as we saw last week --

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE PRESIDENT:  Now, as we saw last week, we've still got threats out there.  We saw the attack on our consulate, and we will bring those murderers to justice.  (Applause.)   And that's why as long as I am Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And when our troops come home, and they take off their uniform, we will serve them as well as they have served us -- because if you served in our military, if you protected our people, if you fought for our freedom, you shouldn’t have to fight for a job when you come home.  (Applause.) 

     Mitt Romney, he thinks that it was "tragic" for us to end the war in Iraq.  He doesn’t have a plan to end the war in Afghanistan.  I have, and I will.  And I’ll use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put folks back to work, rebuilding our roads and our bridges.  After a decade of war, we need to do some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.) 

     So I know you’re getting wet, but I’ve got one more thing to say.  (Applause.)  A little rain never hurt anybody.  (Applause.) Let me say this.  My opponents, they will keep on over the next 45 days spending more money than we’ve ever seen before trying to tell you that tax cuts are the only way to go; that since government can’t do everything it should do almost nothing.  Their basic philosophy is you’re on your own.  If you can’t afford health insurance, hope you don’t get sick.  If you can’t afford to go to college, try to borrow some money from your parents.  (Laughter and applause.)

     Let me tell you something.  That’s not who we are.  I don’t think government can solve all of our problems, but I don’t think it’s the source of all our problems.  I don’t want to spend all our time blaming somebody else -- blaming unions or blaming immigrants or blaming gay people or blaming some other group for our trouble.  (Applause.)

     I believe we’re all in it together.  I believe we’ve got to take responsibility for ourselves, but also look out for one another.  (Applause.)  I think we have a responsibility to create opportunity and possibility in this nation.  I don’t think America is just about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us, together, as one nation, as one people.  (Applause.)

     That’s what our election was four years ago.  It was about you.  You were the change, all of us coming together.  You’re the reason there’s a mother in Madison who doesn’t have to worry about her son being denied medical coverage because of a preexisting condition.  You made that happen.  (Applause.)

     You’re the reason there’s a student at Marquette or University of Wisconsin -- (applause) -- who can afford to go to college now.  Or a veteran on the New GI Bill -- you accomplished that.  (Applause.)  You’re the reason there’s a family in Green Bay that got a tax cut and has a little more money to buy groceries and put gas in the car and pay the bills. 

     You’re the reason that some young immigrant who grew up here and pledges allegiance to our flag won’t be deported.  (Applause.)  You’re the reason why an outstanding soldier can still serve in our military, because it doesn’t matter who they love.  We ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  (Applause.)  You did that.  You’re the reason that those families are welcoming home their incredible men and women who served us so bravely.  You did that. 

I was trying to make this point the other day in Florida and I said, you can’t change Washington just from the inside.  I’ve learned that, you’ve got to enlist and mobilize the American people to help bring about change from the outside.  (Applause.)

Mitt Romney heard me say that.  He said -- he started changing his speech.  He’s said, oh, oh -- he got all excited -- (laughter) -- I think Obama made a gaffe.  So he stood up and he said, I’ll get the job done from the inside.  And that made me want to ask, what kind of inside job is he talking about?  (Laughter and applause.)

If it’s one of those inside jobs where he’s rubberstamping the agenda of this Republican Congress, we don’t want that.  (Applause.)  If it’s the inside job of letting oil companies write our energy policy, or our insurance companies writing our health care policies --

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- or our outsourcers writing tax codes ---

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- that’s not the inside job we want.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  If it’s one of those inside jobs where politicians in Washington tell women that they can’t make decisions about their own health care choices, we don’t want that.  (Applause.)  We don’t want that inside job from Washington. 

We’ve always said in this campaign that change takes more than one term, it takes more than one President, it takes more than one party.  It can’t happen if you write off half the nation. 

In 2008, 47 percent of the country didn’t vote for me.  But I said to those folks on election night, I said, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices.  I need your help.  I will be your President, too.  (Applause.) 

So I don’t know how many folks will vote for me this time around, but I can tell you I’ll be with you, no matter what.  (Applause.)  Because I’m not fighting to create Democratic jobs or Republican jobs, I’m fighting to create American jobs.  (Applause.)  I’m not fighting to improve schools in red states or schools in blue states, I’m fighting to improve schools in the United States.  (Applause.)  I’m not fighting just on behalf of workers or businesses, or rich or poor, the 1 percent or the 99 percent.  I’m fighting for American values.  They belong to all of us.  (Applause.)

And if you still believe in that, if you still have hope, if you’re still ready to go, I’m asking you for your vote.  (Applause.)  If you get out there and work these last 45 days, if you’re willing to make some phone calls for me and knock on some doors for me and vote for me -- (applause) -- we’ll win Milwaukee.  (Applause.)  We’ll win Wisconsin.  We’ll finish what we started, and we’ll remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.) 

The sun is going to come out!

God bless you.  God bless the United States.  (Applause.) 

                             END       5:45 P.M. CDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Milwaukee Theater

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT

Milwaukee Theater

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

3:21 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you!  (Applause.)  It is great to be here.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  All right, everybody have a seat, have a seat.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.) 

It is good to be in Milwaukee.  (Applause.)  First of all, it's just good to be this close to my house.  (Laughter.)  Take it straight down an hour and a half, and I'm home.  (Applause.)  But -- although I got to say that I forgot that late September, it already starts getting a little chilly around here.  (Laughter.)  I've been getting a little spoiled down in D.C. -- it's still 75 degrees down there. 

But it's also great to be here because I see a lot of friends who I haven’t seen for a long time -- first of all, your outstanding Mayor, Tom Barrett.  (Applause.)  And then, to have maybe the best baseball player of all time introduce you -- that's not bad either -- Hank Aaron in the house.  (Applause.)  And it's great to see all of you. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you!  (Applause.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Backstage is my campaign manager, Jim Messina.  He drove up from Chicago.  And he's been telling me a story -- he told me a story about he was at some event -- I wasn’t at it -- but he saw this young couple, and they had this adorable four-year-old boy.  And they were talking, and the parents were very proud that the four-year-old already knew me.  And there was a picture up there, and they said, "Who's that?" And the four-year-old says, "That's Barack Obama."  And they said, "So what does Barack Obama do?"  And Sammy, the young boy, he thinks for a second, and he says, "He approves this message." (Laughter.)  He approves this message.  (Applause.) 

So that's what I do.  (Laughter.)  I approve this message.  It is election season, and the message I approve is important because in the coming weeks, folks here in Wisconsin and all across the country are going to have a very big decision to make -- not just between two candidates or two political parties, but two fundamentally different paths for America, two different visions for our future. 

My opponent, he believes in top-down economics, thinks that if you spend another $5 trillion on a tax cut skewed towards the wealthy that prosperity will rain down on everybody else. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No hissing or booing -- just voting, that's what we need.  (Laughter.)  Voting.  (Applause.) 

But the idea is you do that, maybe get rid of some regulations, deficit will disappear, we'll all live happily ever after.  Now, the problem, of course, is we just tried this.  We tried it during the last decade.  It didn’t work then.  Top-down economics never works.  The country doesn’t succeed when just those at the very top are doing well.  We succeed when the middle class gets bigger, when it feels greater security, when everybody has got a chance to climb into that middle class and everybody has a chance to live up to their God-given potential.  (Applause.) 

We can't get very far if we're just writing off half the country as a bunch of victims, or presume that somehow they want to be dependent on government or don't want to take responsibility for their own lives.  Because wherever I travel, folks are working hard.  Folks understand everybody has got to take initiative.  People understand that we're all responsible for ourselves.  But people also understand that we've got obligations to each other. 

When I go and meet students who are trying to work through college, or single moms putting in overtime to give their child a better future, or senior citizens who, after a lifetime of labor, are looking forward to a secure retirement, or veterans who have served this country and those in uniform who are fighting to defend our freedom right now -- they're not victims.  And they sure do take a lot of responsibility.  And we don't believe anybody is entitled to success or that government can help people who don't want to help themselves, but we do believe in something called opportunity.  (Applause.)  We believe in this country hard work should pay off, and responsibility should be rewarded, and everybody should have a fair shot, and everybody should do their fair share, and everybody should play by the same rules.  That's the country we believe in.  That's why I'm running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

Now, I'm not suggesting this is going to be easy.  We just went through the worst recession since the Great Depression.  We've got big challenges -- and some of those challenges have built up over decades.  But wherever I travel, one of the things I try to communicate is how much confidence I have in this country, because we are Americans, and we’ve got so many things going for us.  We’ve got the best workers in the world, and the best business people in the world.  We’ve got the best universities, the best colleges, the best researchers and scientists.  We have the most diverse population, full of innovators and risk-takers.  There's not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America.  And that's why people continue to travel here from all across the globe in search of opportunity.  (Applause.) 

So we’ve got what it takes to succeed.  But what's preventing us from realizing all that potential in part is the politics we’ve been seeing in Washington.  And part of what this election is about is giving the American people a voice to break the deadlock and break the gridlock, and chart a course that may be harder but leads to a better place. 

What I’m offering is a practical, specific plan to create jobs and grow the middle class, rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation.  And that means exporting more products and outsourcing fewer jobs.  It starts there.  (Applause.)  When there were those who said, let’s "let Detroit go bankrupt" I said, a million jobs are at stake; we’re not going to do that.  An iconic American industry is at stake.  (Applause.)   And three and a half years later, the American auto industry has come roaring back.  (Applause.) 

We’ve seen half a million new jobs in manufacturing, the fastest pace since the 1990s.  And so the choice now is, do we reverse that progress or do we move forward? 

AUDIENCE:  Forward!

THE PRESIDENT:  Right answer.  (Applause.)  Instead of giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, we want to give tax breaks to companies that are investing in new plants and equipment and workers right here in Milwaukee, right here in Wisconsin, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

We want to double exports.  We could create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years if we make the right choice in this election. 

I want us to control more of our own energy.  After 30 years of inaction, we doubled fuel-efficiency standards on cars.  (Applause.)   We have doubled the production of clean energy.  Your cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas as a consequence of the work that we’ve done.  We’ve invested in wind and solar, and thousands of jobs have been created all across America in these industries, building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.  The United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than it’s been in nearly two decades.  And now you’ve got a choice:  Do you build on that progress, moving forward, or do we reverse it?  Because that's what my opponent is proposing. 

I’ve got a different vision than he does, because I’m not going to let oil companies write our energy policy.  I don't want to keep giving them a $4 billion subsidy when they’re making record profits.  (Applause.)  I want to use that money to invest in wind and solar and clean coal technology, and a lot of farmers and scientists to harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks; put construction workers back to work retrofitting homes and buildings and schools and hospitals to make them more energy-efficient; develop a nearly 100-year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet.  And if we do those things, our plan will cut in half by 2020 our oil imports and create hundreds of thousands of jobs to boot.  That's how we move forward.  (Applause.)  

I want Americans to have the best education system in the world.  (Applause.)  It was the gateway of opportunity for me and for Michelle and for many of you.  And so today, because of the work that we’ve done over the last four years, millions of students are able to go to college because we have taken billions of dollars that were being wasted in the student loan program and made sure that that money was going directly to students.  (Applause.)  We’ve seen reforms in 46 of the 50 states as a consequence of our Race to the Top initiative.  So we’re making progress. 

Now we’ve got a choice, because the other side wants to gut our investment in education to pay for tax breaks for wealthy individuals.  And I’ve got a different vision, because I don't think there's any child that should be deferring their dreams because of an overcrowded classroom or outdated textbooks.  (Applause.)  I don't think there should be any family who gets a college acceptance letter and has to say, no, we can’t do it because we can’t afford it.  And there shouldn’t be a company in America that ends up looking in China for the workers they need because they can’t find them right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

So I’m going to need your help to hire 100,000 new math and science teachers, and improve early childhood education, and give 2 million more workers the skills they need -- (applause) -- to go to community colleges to train for the jobs that are out there right now, and to work with colleges and universities to cut the growth in tuition.  We can meet those goals.  We can choose that future.  But that's what's at stake over the next several weeks in this election. 

We need to reduce our deficit, but we need to do it right.  I’ve put forward a $4 billion -- a $4 trillion deficit reduction package without sticking it to the middle class.  And I’ve already worked with Republicans to cut a trillion in spending.  I’m willing to do more.  I’m willing to work with them. 

We need a tax code that is fair and simple.  But we’re not just going to cut our way to prosperity.  My opponent, his basic proposal is we give a $5 trillion tax cut so that somebody making $3 million a year would get a $250,000 tax break.  And every independent analyst who’s looked at it says the only way you pay for that is to ask middle-class families to pay even more in taxes than they’re doing right now.

Now, I’ve just got a different vision.  What I’ve said is folks who can afford it -- like me -- can pay a little more.  We can keep taxes low for your first $250,000 worth of income, but after that we can go back to the rates that Bill Clinton had in place when he was President, when we created 23 million new jobs -- (applause) -- and went from deficit to surplus, and we created a whole lot of millionaires to boot.  Because what happens is when middle-class families are doing well, business has more customers, they make more profits, they hire more workers, and we’re on a virtuous path. 

My opponent’s plan, the math just doesn’t add up.  Bill Clinton pointed that out -- you need some arithmetic to present a budget and to reduce the deficit.  (Applause.)  And you can’t reduce a deficit if you’re spending trillions of dollars more on tax cuts for folks who don’t need them and weren’t even asking for them.  And that’s the reason they haven’t been able to explain how it adds up -- because it doesn’t add up.  (Applause.)

I’ve been very clear.  One thing I’m not going to do, I am not going to slash investments in education and make young people pay more for college just to pay for a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)  I’m not going to kick them off of Head Start, I’m not going to shortchange our investment in basic research that could help us find cures for Alzheimer’s and cancer, we’re not going to turn Medicare into a voucher program in order to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy.  (Applause.)  We’re not going to eliminate health care for millions of poor and elderly and disabled Americans.  (Applause.) 

When it comes to Medicare, we need to reduce health care costs -- we don’t need to shift them onto seniors, asking them to pay thousands of dollars more.  And that’s what the voucher program that Governor Romney and Mr. Ryan are proposing.  Social Security we need to strengthen, but we don’t need to turn it over to Wall Street.  (Applause.)   

And what we also understand is that our prosperity at home is connected to our policies abroad.  And so four years ago I promised many of you that I’d end the war in Iraq -- and we did. (Applause.)  I said we’d wind down the war in Afghanistan -- and we are.  (Applause.)  And as a new tower rises in New York, we have gone after al Qaeda and we got bin Laden.  (Applause.) 

But as we were reminded this past week, this is a world still full of serious threats.  We’re going to have to work to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.  We’re going to have to make sure that not only our diplomatic posts are safe, but we go after folks who threaten or try to kill Americans.  And that’s why as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.  And when our troops come home, we’ll make sure we’re serving them as well as they’ve served us -- because if you fought for this country you shouldn’t have to fight for a job when you come home.  (Applause.) 

My opponent, he’s got a different view.  He said ending the war in Iraq the way we did was “tragic” -- doesn’t have a plan to wind down the war in Afghanistan.  And I’ve just got a different perspective.  I think after a decade of war, it’s time for us to do some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.)  Let’s put Americans back to work, using the savings that we obtain, to rebuild our roads and our bridges and our schools, and lay broadband lines into rural communities.  Let’s do some nation-building right here.

So that’s the choice we face.  That’s what the election is coming down to.  The other side, they keep on saying that tax cuts and fewer regulations is the only way.  They say that because government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing.  We’ve got a different view.  We don’t believe in "you’re on your own" economics, what these guys basically argue: If you can’t afford health insurance, hope you don’t get sick.  If a company is polluting the air your children breathe, that’s the price of progress.  If you can’t afford to go to college, borrow some money from your parents.  (Laughter.) 

That’s not who we are.  We don’t think government can solve every problem, but it’s not the source of every problem -- any more than all the folks that you hear are to blame out of Washington -- gays or immigrants or unions -- or corporations, for that matter.  We don’t think that anybody is solely to blame for the challenges that we face, but we do believe we’re all responsible to solve those problems, that we’re all in this together -- (applause) -- that as citizens we accept certain responsibilities not only for ourselves but also to our communities and our nation, to make sure that the country creates more opportunity for more people.

We understand that America is not just about what can be done for us, but also what’s done by us, together, as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.) 

The election four years ago -- I said in Charlotte when we were down there -- some of you went to the convention -- I said it was not about me, it was about you.  You were the change.  You’re the reason that there’s a mother in Madison or Green Bay that doesn’t have to worry about her son being denied medical coverage because of a congenital condition.  You made that happen.  (Applause.) 

You’re the reason some student at Marquette or University of Wisconsin has help paying for her college.  You’re the reason a veteran can go to school on the New GI Bill.  You did that.  You’re the reason that families here in Wisconsin have gotten a tax cut, money they use to buy groceries and put gas in the car, pay their bills.  That’s all because of you. 

You’re the reason why some young immigrant who has gone to school here and played with our kids and sworn allegiance to our flag is not going to suddenly be deported from the only country she’s ever known.  (Applause.)  You’re the reason that some outstanding soldier can still serve regardless of who they love because we ended “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  (Applause.)  You’re the reason that families across America are able to say to their loved ones who served us so bravely, "Welcome home."  (Applause.) You’re the reason.

I made this point down in Florida a couple days ago, saying that you can’t change Washington just from the inside.  You’ve got to mobilize the American people.  You change it with the help of Americans who are willing to make their voices heard.

My opponent got really excited.  He thought, oh, you know -- he quickly rewrote his speech.  (Laughter.)   He said, I’ll get the job done from the inside.  What kind of inside job is he talking about?  (Laughter and applause.)  Inside job rubberstamping a top-down agenda from this Republican Congress?  We don’t want that. 

We don’t want an inside job where the energy policies are written by the oil companies, and health care policies are written by insurance companies, and our tax code is written by outsourcers.  We don’t need an inside job where a politician in Washington is telling women they can’t make their own health care decisions.  (Applause.)  We don’t need that kind of inside job.

We want to bring change to Washington.  And from the day we began this campaign, but more importantly, from the day I ran for this office last year -- or four years ago -- (laughter.)  Seems like just last year.  (Applause.)  I’ve always said that change is going to take more than one term and one -- more than one President, and it takes more than one party.  (Applause.)

It doesn’t happen if you write off half the nation before you take office.  (Applause.)  It happens because you get everybody involved, everybody included -- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, able, disabled -- everybody gets involved.  (Applause.)

In 2008, 47 percent of the country didn’t vote for me.  But on election night I said to those Americans, I may not have won your vote, but I heard your voices, and I’ll be your President, too.  (Applause.)  And I don’t know how many folks will vote for me in Wisconsin this time around, but I want everybody in Wisconsin to know that, no matter what, I’ll be fighting for you.  (Applause.)

Because I’m not fighting to create Democratic or Republican jobs; I’m fighting to create American jobs.  (Applause.)  I’m not fighting to improve schools in red states or blue states; I'm improving schools in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  I don’t believe in just looking out for workers or businesses, or rich or poor, or 53 percent or 47 percent; I’m going to look out for everybody.  (Applause.)

That’s why I’m running for a second term.  That’s why I need your vote.  And if I get it, and if you’re willing to work hard these next six and a half weeks, we will win Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  We will win this election.  We will finish what we started, and remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.) 

Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

                             END      3:44 P.M. CDT

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event - Morgan State University

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY

AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT 

Morgan State University

Baltimore, Maryland

5:56 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Wow.  Well, thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  You all, rest yourselves.  Rest.  (Applause.)  Oh, my goodness.  Thank you all so much.  Wow, this is -- I am -- (applause) -- I am rarely speechless, but I’m almost -- I am beyond thrilled.  You don’t know how much we love you, how much your support means to us.  I mean, truly, it makes me so emotional, and I’ve got to give a speech, so you all have to stop it.  (Laughter.)  But, truly, this -- Barack and I are standing up straight because of folks like you, so thank you all so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

I want to start, first of all, by thanking Charnelle for that beautiful introduction -- (applause) -- really.  We hear that story from millions of people of all ages.  But to hear it from a young person whose life has been so greatly affected in a positive way, and to have her standing here so graceful and elegant, that’s what this is all about.  So let’s thank Charnelle for everything she’s doing.  (Applause.)

And I want to thank our host, Dr. David Wilson, for allowing us to be here today.  (Applause.)  We have a few more distinguished people with us today.  I want to recognize Governor O’Malley, who is here.  (Applause.)  Your Mayor, Mayor Rawlings-Blake -- Stephanie is here.  (Applause.)  We have Senators Mikulski and Cardin who are here.  (Applause.)  I’m not sure if they’re still here, but I know they were here.  Representatives Cummings, Edwards, and Sarbanes -- you all, thank you so much.  (Applause.)  And all of the other Maryland elected officials who have taken time to be with us today.  Thank you, all.

And most of all, I want to thank all of you for joining us, especially all of the students here from Morgan State.  (Applause.)  We are so proud of you all.  Proud!  Proud!  Proud!  You all, keep working hard, keep making us proud.  You all are going to be standing up here one day, right?  (Applause.)  Well, you all seem pretty fired up and ready to go.  (Applause.)  And that’s good, because after our convention a couple of weeks ago, I’m feeling kind of fired up and ready to go myself.  (Applause.) 

As I’m sure you remember, in Charlotte, we heard from just a wonderful array of speakers, including your Governor, folks like President Clinton, Vice President Biden.  And they reminded us of a few things -- how much we’ve accomplished together, how much is at stake, and why we need to reelect my husband for four more years.  (Applause.)

And see, my job in Charlotte I thought was pretty easy, because I had the pleasure and the honor of talking about the man I have loved and admired for 23 years and why I decided to marry him.  (Applause.)  See, everybody liked my speech, but I had good material to work with.  (Laughter and applause.) 

I’ve been sharing our story a little bit, but I want the young people to pay attention because, see, back when I first met Barack, we started dating, he had everything going for him.  All right, ladies, listen to this.  This is what I want you to be looking for.  (Laughter.)  Yes, he was handsome -- still is.  (Applause.)  I think so.  He was charming, talented, and oh-so smart, truly.  But that is not why I married him. 

Now, see, I want the fellas to pay attention to this.  (Laughter.)  You all listening?  What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama was his character.  You hear me?  (Applause.)  It was his character.  It was his decency, his honesty, his compassion and conviction.

See, I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others that he turned down high-paying jobs, and instead started his career fighting to get folks back to work in struggling communities.  I loved that about him.  And I loved that Barack was devoted to his family, especially the women in his life.  (Applause.)  I saw the respect he had for his mother.  I saw how proud he was that she was able to put herself through school while supporting him and his sister as a single mom. 

     I saw the tenderness that he felt for his grandmother, and how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning, catching a bus to her job at a community bank, making sure she was supporting his family.  And he watched as she was passed over for promotions simply because she was a woman, but he saw how she kept getting up, kept doing what she needed to do, doing that same job year after year, and doing it without complaint or regret. 

See, with Barack, I found a real connection because in his life, I saw so much of my own.  See, 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.  I saw how he carried himself with that same dignity, that same pride that one gets from being able to provide for their family, that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of.  How many people here have folks like that in their lives?  (Applause.)

     Like so many families in this country, our families just weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if other’s had much more than they did -- in fact, they admired it.  They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start up with much, if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and a better life for your kids and grandkids.

     And they also believed, yes, that when you’ve worked hard and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, 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 so many of you were raised.  Those are the values we were taught.  And we learned that how hard you work matters more than how much you make.  We learned that the truth matters.  So you don’t take shortcuts; you don’t game the system; you don’t play by your own set of rules.  (Applause.)

     We learned that no one gets where they are on their own, that each and every one of us has a community of people lifting us up -- from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)

     And we were always taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.  We also learned about citizenship and service -- that we’re all about something bigger than ourselves; that with our freedoms come obligations, and with our blessings come a duty to give back to others who have less.  (Applause.)

     And these are the values that make Barack such an extraordinary husband to me and such a phenomenal father to our girls.  But Barack’s values matter to me not just as a wife and a mother, but also as a citizen and as a First Lady.  See, because I’ve seen up close and personal what being President really looks like.  And I’ve seen how critical those values are for leading this country.

So over the past three and a half years, I’ve seen how the issues that come across a President’s desk are always the hard ones -- the decisions that aren’t just about the bottom line, but they’re about laying a foundation for the next generation.  And I’ve seen how important it is to have a President who doesn’t just tell us what we want to hear, but who tells us the truth -- even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard.  (Applause.)

And I’ve also seen that when it comes time to make those tough calls and everyone’s urging you to do what’s easy, what polls best, what makes good headlines, as President, you have got to be driven by the struggles, hopes and dreams of all the people you serve.  As President, you have to have a strong inner compass and a core commitment to your fellow citizens.  That’s how you make the right decisions for this country.  That’s what it takes to be a leader.  (Applause.)

Since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that’s what we’ve seen in my husband.  We have seen his values at work.  We’ve seen his vision unfold.  We’ve seen his character, courage and conviction.  Think back to when Barack first took office.  Our economy was on the brink of collapse.  The newspapers were using words like “meltdown” and “calamity,” declaring “Wall Street Implodes,” “Economy in Shock.” 

See, for years, folks had been lured into buying homes they couldn’t afford so their mortgages were under water.  Banks weren’t lending, companies weren’t hiring.  The auto industry was in crisis.  This economy was losing 800,000 jobs every single month, and a lot of folks were wondering whether we were headed for a Great Depression.  See, and this is what Barack Obama faced on day one as President.  This is what awaited him.  (Applause.) 

But instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, Barack Obama got to work -- because he was thinking about folks like my dad and like his grandmother.  (Applause.)  And that’s why he cracked down on lending abuses, so that today, when you apply for a mortgage or a credit card, you know exactly what you’re getting into.  (Applause.) 

That’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and working families, because he believes strongly that here in America, teachers and firefighters shouldn’t pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  Not in America.  (Applause.)

He got the auto industry back on its feet, and today new cars are rolling off the line at proud American companies like GM.  (Applause.) 

And, yes, while we still have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, we have had 30 straight months of private sector job growth -- a total of 4.6 million new jobs under this administration -- good jobs, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And then, as Charnelle says, when it comes to the health of our families, Barack didn’t care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically, because that’s not who he is; he cared that it was the right thing to do. 

And today, because of health reform our parents and grandparents on Medicare are paying hundreds less for their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  Young people, like Charnelle, many of you here can stay on your parent’s insurance until you’re 26 years old because of health reform.  (Applause.)

Insurance companies now have to cover basic preventative care, things like contraception, cancer screenings, with no out-of-pocket cost.  They won’t be able to discriminate against people like Charnelle because you’ve got a preexisting condition.  Maybe it’s diabetes or even asthma -- no longer.  And if you get a serious illness like cancer and you need expensive treatment, no longer can they 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.

And when it comes to giving our young people the education they deserve, Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, he never, never could have attended college without financial aid.  Never.  Never.  (Applause.) 

In fact, as I shared at the convention, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage.  So, yeah, when it comes to student debt, Barack and I, we’ve been there.  This is not a hypothetical.  And that is why Barack doubled funding for Pell Grants and fought so hard to keep student interest rates down.  (Applause.)  Because he knows how important it is for all of you to get the skills you need for the jobs of the future -- the kind of jobs you can raise a family on, jobs that will drive our economy for decades to come.

And finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women -- when it comes to standing up for our rights and our opportunities -- we know that my husband will always have our backs.  (Applause.)

We know this because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  He knows what it means when women struggle to meet the demands of their jobs and the needs of their families.  And today, as a father, oh, he knows what it means to want our daughters to have the same freedoms and opportunities as our sons.  (Applause.)

And that’s why the very first bill he signed into law as President was to help women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And that is why he will always, always fight to ensure that women can make our own decisions about our bodies and our health care.  That’s what my husband stands for.  (Applause.)

So when people ask you what this President has done for our country, when you run into folks who are deciding who will be the best person to keep America moving forward for four more years, here’s what I want to tell you -- I want you to tell them.  I want you to tell them about the millions of jobs Barack has created, about the health reform he passed.  Tell them about all those kids who can finally afford college. 

Tell them how Barack ended the war in Iraq, how we together took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Tell them how Barack fought to get veterans and military families the benefits they’ve earned.  (Applause.)

Tell them about the young immigrants brought to America through no fault of their own, and who will now no longer be deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)

     Tell them how our brave men and women in uniform will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  Tell them.  Tell them that and so much more.  (Applause.)

I could go on and on and on.  But here’s what I want you to tell them:  Tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it.  (Applause.)  And he is fighting every day so that everyone 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 also be clear that while he is very proud of what we’ve achieved together, my husband is nowhere near satisfied.  Barack knows that too many folks are still hurting.  He knows all too well that there’s plenty of work left to be done.  And as President Clinton said in his speech in Charlotte, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to rebuild an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.)

But here’s what I know for sure, what I have seen firsthand:  Since the day he took office, Barack has been fighting for us.  He has been struggling with us.  And together, slowly but surely, we’ve been pulling ourselves out of that hole that we started in.  For three and a half years, we’ve been moving forward and making real progress, and we’re beginning to see that change we all can believe in.

     So we have to step back and ask ourselves something -- 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 worked for and fought for to just slip away?

     AUDIENCE:  No!

     MRS. OBAMA:  What are we going to do?  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  What are we going to do?  Forward! 

But in the end, the answers to these questions is up to us.  It’s on us.  Because all of our hard work, all of the progress that we’ve made together, it is all on the line.  It’s all at stake this November.  Know that.

     And as my husband has said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That is a guarantee.  And it could all come down to what happens in just a few battleground states like Virginia or North Carolina.

     And I want you to think back to what happened in 2008.  Back then, we won Virginia by about 235,000 votes.  Now, that might sound like a lot to some, but when you break that number down, that’s just 100 votes for precinct.  One hundred votes -- you can kind of see that, right?

     So if there’s anybody here -- especially our young people, if you think for one minute -- and to make the point even better, look at what happened in North Carolina.  We won that by just 14,000 votes.  That’s just five votes per precinct.  You hear?  Five.  So that could mean just one vote in a neighborhood, right?  That could mean just one vote in a dorm room, in an apartment. 

So if there is anyone here who might be thinking to themselves, well, maybe my vote doesn’t matter, maybe my involvement doesn’t count, maybe in this complex political process ordinary folks can’t possibly make a difference -- if anybody is thinking like that, I want you to think about those five votes.

     I want you to think about how, with just a few evenings on a phone bank, just a few hours knocking on some doors, you could swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama all by yourself, all by your lonesome.  (Applause.)

     And if we win enough precincts, we will win these battleground states.  And if we win enough of those states, we will be well on our way to putting Barack Obama back in the White House for four more years.  (Applause.)  It’s very doable.

     So here’s what we need you to do.  From now until November, we are going to need every single one of you here to work like you’ve never worked before.  We need you to work with our team here in Maryland.  They’re the ones here today with clipboards, so if you see somebody with a clipboard, that's the best way to get involved.  We need you to sign up to make phone calls or to head over to Virginia, one of those battleground states, for a few days or maybe even a weekend to help get the vote out. 

     And we need every single one of you to talk to everyone you know -- your friends, your neighbors, that cousin you haven’t seen in a while, that student sitting next to you in the classroom -- you know that student, that student who’s not paying attention.  Talk to him.  (Laughter.) 

     And for our young people, shoot, talk to your parents and your grandparents -- especially to them.  Make sure they know what this election means for your futures, because this is really about your future.  Tell them what's at stake.  Remind them of all the things this President has accomplished.  Bring them to events like this one.  

But most of all, make sure that you and they are registered to vote.  You’ve got to be registered.  Got to be registered.  (Applause.)  Especially if you’ve just changed addresses here at school -- if you’ve got a new address, you’ve got to reregister.  If you’ve never voted before, you have to register.  And once folks are registered, make sure they get out to the polls and cast their ballots on Election Day.

     And if they don’t know where to go or what to do, you can send them to one of our websites –- gottaregister.com and gottavote.com -- and that's easy, especially for computer-literate young people, your generation, you can do it all there.  You can find everything you need to make sure that your voices are heard on November the 6th. 

     And I’m going to be honest with you, this journey is going to be hard, and these last days are going to be long.  But here’s what I want you to think about.  When you start getting tired -- and you will; when you start thinking about taking a day off -- and you will, I want you to remember that what we do for the next 46 days will absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and asking ourselves, “Could we have done more?”, or feeling the promise of four more years.  That's the difference.  (Applause.) 

     So from now until November the 6th, we need you to keep on working, and struggling, and pushing forward, because that is how change always happens in this country.  I keep saying this.  That's how change always happens.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting that good fight, then eventually we get there.  We always do.  In this country we have always moved forward.

     But maybe not in our lifetimes.  See, here’s the trick -- maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.  Because in the end, that’s what this is about.  That’s why we’re here.  In fact, that's what elections are always about.  Don’t let anyone ever tell you any differently.  Elections are always about hope

     The hope that I saw on my dad’s face as I crossed the stage to get my college diploma.  The hope Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised.  (Applause.)  The hope of all those men and women in our lives who worked that extra shift, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could have something more.  The hope that so many of us feel when we look into the faces of our own kids and grandkids.  You know that hope.

     That’s why we are here today -- because we want to give all of our children a solid foundation for their dreams.  We want to give all of our children opportunities worthy of their promise.  We want to give them all 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 -- we cannot turn back.  Not now.  We cannot turn back now.  We have come so far, but we have so much more work to do.

     So let me ask you something.  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  No, are you really ready for this?  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Are you all ready to go?  (Applause.)  All right, well, all we need to do is get to work, right? 

Thank you all.  God bless.  (Applause.) 

                                END             6:24 P.M. EDT