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

Capital University
Columbus, Ohio

1:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Ohio!  (Applause.)  Hello, Crusaders!  (Applause.)  Oh, it is good to be back in Columbus!  (Applause.)  The sun came out for us.  (Applause.)  It's a good sign. 

It is fun to be back in Ohio, and it is great to be here.  I just want to acknowledge a few people.  First of all, give Steven a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  He was explaining to me what it's like being a BMX driver -- rider.  And he said that -- he said, well -- I asked him, because I'd seen those guys in the Olympics, and I said, it seems like you guys fall a lot.  (Laughter.)  And he says, "No, no, I learned how to fall on my shoulder."  I said, well, is that good?  He said, "Well, I broke my shoulder four times."  (Laughter.)  But he looks okay to me.  He's doing great.

A couple other people I want to acknowledge -- your outstanding Mayor, Michael Coleman is in the house.  (Applause.) There he is.  And we've got congressional candidate -- Joyce Beatty is here.  (Applause.)  And all of you are here.  (Applause.)

How many students do we have here?  (Applause.)  You guys are excited about school starting up?  (Applause.)  Everybody was saying yes except this one guy over here.  (Laughter.)  He was shaking his head.  Come on, man, it's going to be great.  (Applause.)

Well, I am glad we've got some students here because I came to Columbus today to talk about what most of the students here are doing every day.  Your education is the single most important investment that you can make in your future.  And I'm proud of all the students who are here doing what it takes to make that investment -- the long hours in the library -- except for this guy.  (Laughter.)  Working in the lab, being in the classroom -- even when your classes start a little earlier than you had planned -- because your education has never been more important.

The degree that you earn from this university is the surest path that you will have to a good job and to higher earnings.  It’s the best tool you’ll have to achieve what is the core promise of this country -- the idea that if you work hard, your work will be rewarded.  The basic bargain that says if you’re willing to put in the effort, you can do well enough to raise a family and have a home that you call your own, have some security, put a little away for retirement, and most importantly, make sure that your children, your grandchildren can do even better and dream even bigger than you did.  (Applause.)  That’s the hope that your parents had for you.  That’s the hope I have for Malia and Sasha.  That’s the hope that you’ll someday have for your own kids.

But here’s the thing.  This is about more than just your own success.  Now, more than ever, your success is America’s success, because when we invest in your future we’re investing in America’s future.  The fact is that countries that out-educate us today, they’ll be able to out-compete us tomorrow.  Businesses are mobile in the 21st century economy; they can locate anywhere. So they’re going to create jobs and they’re going to hire wherever they find the best educated, most highly skilled workers.  And I don’t want them to have to look any further than right here in Columbus, right here in Ohio, right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And because the economy has changed, over the coming decade more than half of new jobs will require some form of higher education.  It may not be a four-year college degree, but you’re going to need to have gone to a community college or a technical school to get the skills you need to get hired -- and this is not breaking news to any of you.  What’s also not breaking news is the fact that higher education has gotten a lot harder to afford; it’s gotten more expensive.  Over the past two years -- excuse me, over the past two decades, tuition and fees at America’s colleges have more than doubled. 

The average student who borrows to pay for college now graduates with about $26,000 worth of student loan debt.  (Laughter.)  What, that sounds low to you?  (Laughter.) 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  I just said the average.  (Laughter.)  For a lot of young people it’s a lot higher, and that kind of debt means pretty tough choices when you’re first starting out.  It might mean putting off starting a family or buying a home, or putting off chasing that great idea that you’ve got for a small business.  When a big chunk of each paycheck goes towards paying off your loan debt, that’s not just tough for middle-class families that are trying to make it and young people who are trying to get started; it’s also painful for the entire economy because that means that money you might be spending on buying a new home or doing something else with it, it’s going to that check that you’re writing every single month.  It’s not going to the local business. 

And I have to say, this is something Michelle and I know firsthand about.  I’m not speculating on this, because we’ve been in your shoes.  Neither of us came from wealthy families.  Both of us graduated from college and law school with a mountain of debt.  When we married, we got poor together.  (Laughter.)  We combined our liabilities into one big liability.  (Laughter.)  We paid more for our student loans than we paid on our mortgage each month, and that went on for years.  And then, once we had Malia and Sasha, we needed to start saving for their college educations but we were still paying off our college educations. 

Now, keep in mind we were lucky enough to land good jobs, we had steady incomes, but we did not finish paying off our student loans until about eight years ago.  Think about that.  I’m not --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You got an education.

THE PRESIDENT:  I got an education and it worked out pretty good.  (Laughter and applause.)  But the point I’m making is, I’m only standing before you because of the chance that my education gave me.  So I can tell you, with some experience, that making higher education more affordable for our young people -- it’s something I’ve got a personal stake in; it’s something that Michelle has a personal stake in.  We believe in it because we’ve been there and we know that unless you provide those rungs on the ladder of opportunity, young people who are more talented than we are may not get a shot.  That’s why I’ve made it a top priority of my presidency.  And, Ohio, that is something that is at stake in this election.  That’s part of the reason why November is so important.  (Applause.) 

And I say this because putting a college education within reach for working families just doesn’t seem to be a big priority for my opponent.  A few months ago, just up the road, in Westerville, Governor Romney said, if you want to be successful, if you want to go to college or start a business, you can just -- and I’m quoting here -- “borrow money if you have to from your parents.” 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  When a high school student in Youngstown asked him what he would do to make college more affordable for families like his, Governor Romney didn’t say anything about grants or loan programs that are critical to millions of students to get a college education.  He said nothing about work-study programs or rising college tuition.  He didn’t say a word about community colleges or how important higher education is to America’s future.  He said, the best thing you can do is shop around. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  The best thing I can do for you is to tell you to shop around.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  That’s it!

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s it.  That’s his plan.  That’s his answer to young people who are trying to figure out how to go to college and make sure that they don’t have a mountain of debt -- shop around and borrow more money from your parents. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  What are we going to do?  (Applause.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, I’ve just got to -- I want to make sure everybody understands. Not everybody has parents who have the money to lend.  (Applause.)  That may be news to some folks, but it’s the truth.  (Laughter.) 

So what Governor Romney is offering is not an answer.  There’s nothing a parent wants more than to give opportunities to their kids that they never had.  And it’s pretty painful for a lot of parents if they can’t do that.  But as we’re fighting back from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, you’ve got a lot of parents who are out there struggling just to make ends meet.  And I don’t accept the notion that we should deny any child the opportunity to get a higher education.  If they’ve been working hard, if they’ve got the grades, if they’ve got the determination to get a better future for themselves, I don’t want them to be prevented just because their families were hit hard by a recession.  (Applause.) 

That’s not who we are.  That’s not what America is about.  We give everybody a fair shot.  Think about all the discoveries, all the businesses, all the breakthroughs that we would not have made if we told every young person who has got the drive and the will and the grades to go to college, “tough luck, too bad, you’re on your own.”  We’ve always made a commitment to put a good education within the reach of everybody who is willing to work for it.  That’s part of what makes us special.  That’s what keeps us at the forefront of business and science and technology and medicine.

And this dates back for decades.  Some of you know my grandfather fought in World War II.  When he came back, he had a chance to go to college because this country decided every returning veteran of World War II should be able to afford it.  (Applause.)  My mother was able to raise me and my sister because she was able to get grants and work her way through school.  Michelle and I would not be here today without the help of scholarships and student loans.  And I know Steve wouldn’t be here either and neither would a lot of you.  (Applause.) 

So in a 21st century economy, a college education should be available for everybody -- not just the wealthy few.  Whether it’s a four-year college, a two-year program, higher education is not a luxury, it is an economic necessity that every family in America should be able to afford.  And that’s what’s at stake in this election.  It’s one of the reasons I’m running for President of the United States for a second term.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  And I want you to know that I have not just talked the talk; we have walked the walk.  (Applause.)  Since I took office, we have helped more than 3 million additional students afford a college education with grants that go farther than they did before.  The economic plan my opponent has would cut our investment in education by nearly 20 percent.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  It would cut those grants so deeply that 1 million of those students who we have helped would no longer get a scholarship at all.  It would cut financial aid for nearly 10 million students a year. 

And keep in mind they’re not making these cuts to create jobs.  They’re not proposing these cuts to pay down the deficit. Governor Romney is proposing these cuts to pay for a new $5 trillion tax cut that’s weighted towards the wealthiest Americans. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Does that sound like a better plan for America?  Does that sound like a better plan for you?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  A plan that says that we can’t afford to help the next generation earn an education, but we can afford massive new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires?  A plan that says we can’t afford our young people -- to offer our young people student loans because we’ve got to protect corporate loopholes?  It’s a vision that says we can’t help young people who are trying to make it because we’ve got to protect the folks who already have made it. 

Michelle and I are going to be able to send Malia and Sasha to college.  We don’t need an extra tax break.  You do.  (Applause.)  Their vision is wrong for moving America forward.  It’s not a vision you’ve got to accept.  That’s why November is important, and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President.  (Applause.)

Governor Romney makes his time as an investor in the private sector the basis of his candidacy.  That’s how he says he’s going to fix the economy – “I was in the private sector.”  And his economic plan makes one thing clear:  He does not think investing in your future is worth it.  He doesn’t think that’s a good investment.  I do.  That’s what’s at stake in this election.  That’s the choice in November.  That’s why we fought to make sure the interest rate on federal student loans didn’t go up over the summer.  We won that fight.  (Applause.)

Some of these Republican members of Congress would have allowed those rates to double, costing more than 7 million students an extra thousand dollars a year.  I’ve said I want to extend the college tax credit that my administration created so more families can save up to $10,000 on their tuition over four years.  (Applause.)  They want to end that tax credit.  That’s the choice in this election.

In 2008, I promised we would reform a student loan system that was giving tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to big banks and lobbyists instead of students.  There are plenty of folks in Washington who fought tooth and nail to keep that system as it was.  We kept at it, we won that fight, we used it to double grant aid for students.  (Applause.)

My opponent now wants to go back to the way things were.  He wants to go backwards to the policies that got us into this mess in the first place.  We’re moving forward.  That’s the choice in this election.  That’s why I’m running for a second term.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, part of our job is also to make sure you don’t need a Ph.D. to apply for financial aid in the first place. So we’ve put in place this new consumer protection watchdog, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, put in place -- and it’s working with the Department of Education to develop a simple new factsheet on student loans and financial aid, so you can have all the information you need to make your own best choices about how to pay for college.  We call it “Know Before You Owe.”  Know before you owe.  (Applause.)  That’s a good idea.  But my opponent wants to get rid of this new consumer protection agency, and let for-profit colleges keep preying on veterans and working families.  That’s one of the choices in this election.

I’m want to make sure that America once again leads the world in educating our kids, training our workers.  I want to make sure more of our students are prepared for college by helping our secondary and elementary schools hire and reward the best teachers, especially in math and science.  (Applause.)  I want to give 2 million more Americans the chance to go to community college and learn the skills that local businesses are looking for right now. 

I’ve put colleges and universities on notice -- if they can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding they get from taxpayers will go down.  We want to give them some incentive to start lowering tuition.  (Applause.)  That’s the choice in this election.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s what you’re going to be having to think about when you go to that voting booth in November.

Four years ago, I promised that we would end the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  Thanks to the service and the sacrifice of our incredible men and women in uniform, that’s what we’ve done.  (Applause.)  Today, all our troops are out of Iraq.  We are beginning to bring our troops homes from Afghanistan.  But the key is making sure that they are getting the same good deal that my grandfather got when he came home from the war.  So we’ve made sure to keep the Post-9/11 GI Bill strong so that everybody who has served our country has the chance to earn a degree. 

As long as I am Commander-in-Chief, I promise you we will care for our veterans and serve them as well as they’ve served us.  (Applause.)  If you fought for this country, you shouldn’t have to fight for a college education or for a job or for a roof over your heads when you come home.  (Applause.)  So that’s what we’re fighting for, Columbus.  That’s just one example, in the education arena, of what’s at stake.

Now, over the next two and a half months, the other side will spend more money than we have ever seen -- ever.  I mean, they got folks writing $10 million checks, $20 million checks.  They should be contributing that to a scholarship fund to send kids to college.  (Applause.)  But instead, they are going to spend more money than we’ve ever seen on ads.  And the ads all say the same thing, which is, the economy is not where it needs to be and it's all Obama's fault. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  See, look -- no, no, listen, they know their economic plan isn't popular.  They know that gutting investments in education and science and infrastructure, and voucherizing Medicare, they know that doesn’t really sell well.  They know that it especially doesn’t sell well when you're doing all those things not to reduce the deficit but to pay for massive new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.  They know that’s not going to poll well.  So they're betting on the fact that you get so discouraged that you decide your vote doesn’t matter.

They're betting every single $10 million check from a wealthy donor drowns out millions of voices at the ballot box.  They're counting on young people sitting this one out.  They say well, you know what -- Obama, he’s grayer now, he's not as new and as fresh as he was in 2008, so young people aren't going to turn out the same way.  They're counting on you sitting on the sidelines and letting others make the choice for you.  See, they don’t have a plan to create jobs or strengthen the middle class, but this is their plan to win the election. 

But I'm counting on something different.  I'm counting on you.  (Applause.)  I’m counting on the fact that when the American people focus and push aside all the noise and all the nonsense, and they remember the fact that all of us, whatever success we've achieved, we've achieved because we worked together, because we made sure everybody has a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules.  I'm counting on the fact that when the American people focus on what's at stake, you can't be stopped.  And all the money the other side is spending doesn’t matter. 

So I'm going to need your help -- young people especially -- I'm going to need your help.  (Applause.)  I need to make sure you're registered to vote at your current address.  We've got staff and volunteers who are here who can help you do that before you leave today.  And when you leave, I'm asking you to grab 10 friends -- make sure they're registered, too.  And if you need more information, you can go visit the website GottaRegister.com.  That’s not Got-To, it's Gotta.  (Laughter.)  G-o-t-t-a-register.com. 

Let's prove the cynics wrong.  Let's show them your votes count.  Let's show them your voice makes a difference.  Let's show them America better start listening to the voice of the next generation of Americans.  (Applause.)

I need your help to keep this American Dream alive, this incredible experiment we have in democracy; this idea that no matter where you're born, or who your parents are, or how much money you got, or no matter what you look like or what you believe in, you can go as far as your talents take you.  (Applause.)  That dream that we can still, together, achieve great things; that you can pursue the happiness that you hope for and your parents hope for; that here in America you can make it if you try. 

Ohio, we've come too far to turn back now.  (Applause.)  We've got more students who dream to afford college.  We've got more good teachers to hire.  We've got more schools to rebuild.  We've got more good jobs to create.  We've got more homegrown energy to generate.  We've got more troops we've got to come home.  We've got more doors of opportunity to open for everybody who is willing to walk through them.  That’s why I'm asking for a second term as President.

And if you're willing to stand with me, and vote for me, and organize with me, and knock on doors and make phone calls with me, we will finish what we started.  We will win Ohio.  We will win this election.  And we will remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. 

END   
1:27 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at Kids' State Dinner

East Room

11:49 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, that was really sweet, it really was.  Marshall, we’re so proud of you.  We’re so very proud of you and your mom, who actually has some serious guns going on, too.  (Laughter.)  People talk about my arms, but I felt them.  They’re not -- (laughter) -- she’s no slouch.

But I want to welcome everyone to the White House.  Is this not cool?  (Laughter and applause.)  This is just so very cool.  And understand it’s not just cool for all of you.  I mean, this house has been abuzz with this event.  I think this is one of the best events that we’ve ever had here -- our very first ever Kids’ State Dinner.  So, so awesome.

And I want to start by thanking all of the staff, everyone who helped put together this gorgeous room, the tablecloths, the chairs.  This stuff isn’t normally here.  They brought this in for you.  Did you notice the centerpieces on the table?  Everything was thought out to the nth of detail; down to the little drink classes and your programs.  And it’s just so wonderful, so I want to thank everyone who put so much time and effort into making this day special.

Again, I want to thank Marshall for that very sweet introduction.  He is an outstanding role model, truly, for kids in this country.  And we are so proud of him, we’re so proud of his family, because, again, you often can’t do this alone.  You need some kind of support for young people to get on the right track.  So we’re just grateful that he is now one of those leaders, has written a book and is going to do some magnificent stuff in the future.  So congratulations, Marshall.  (Applause.)

And, of course, I want to thank Epicurious for their tremendously generous support of this event.  Through their efforts to make today possible, they’ve inspired kids across this country to learn about healthy eating and to get in the kitchen and start cooking.  Right?  For how many people was this was the first cooking you’ve done?  You guys are old hands, though.  (Laughter.)  You guys are always in the kitchen.  You are going to inspire some kids to get in the kitchen, just understand that. 

This is exactly the kind of leadership that we need to give all of our kids the healthy futures they deserve.  So I want to thank Tanya as well as the folks from the Departments of Education and Agriculture, too, as well -- we’ve got representatives here -- for working so incredibly hard to make today such a success.

And, of course, we’ve got some special guests coming up.  I want to thank them in advance.  My guys of the group Big Time Rush -- they’re coming out to perform.  They are incredible.  They always come through.  They’re awesome.  They are energetic.  They’re healthy.  And they made it a special point to be here to entertain.  So let's give them a round of applause.  (Applause.)

And I have to acknowledge all of the parents, and I know we have grandparents, too, as well, for joining us today.  Thank you all for teaching your kids about healthy eating and nurturing that passion for cooking.  And I want to thank you for the patience that you all have shown.  I’m sure that there are some wrecked kitchens in this room.  (Laughter.)  Sticky things, lots of stuff all over every place.  Thank you for being patient and giving your children that sense of possibility to be able to do anything, even compete to win a recipe contest to be here at the White House.  So let’s give our parents and grandparents a round of applause.  (Applause.) 

And finally, to our 54 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners -- congratulations.  (Applause.)  Look what you’ve inspired!  Just look around the room.  Look -- just look around the room.  This is all for you.  Look at all -- reporters from everywhere.  They’re just everywhere.  (Laughter.)  They never show up like this for stuff that we do.  (Laughter.)  This is the hottest ticket at the White House, right here, because of all of you.

And I am so proud of you, we are all so proud of you.  The President of the United States is so proud of you.  It’s so cool.  (Laughter.)  So thank you, guys.  Well done.  Well done.  And that’s why I wanted to invite you all here -- because you're special.  You've done some special stuff.  And I'm so impressed -- just like Marshall said -- amazing, amazing stuff you did. 

Believe it or not, more than 1,200 kids submitted recipes for this challenge -- 1,200.  It's a big competition.  Yes, look, oh my God, you didn’t know.  (Laughter.)  It was a true competition.  What did you think, we just picked you?  (Laughter.)  No, no you had to work for this.  1,200 submissions.  And when it got to the final round, our judges spent hours tasting the dishes.  So it wasn't just what it sounded like -- they actually tasted each and every one of these dishes.  I know, Sam, you did a little tasting.

MR. KASS:  I did a lot of tasting.  (Laughter.) 

MRS. OBAMA:  A lot of tasting.  That’s a lot of hard work, eating 1,200 submissions' worth of food.  (Laughter.) 

And they spent hours trying to decide which ones were the healthiest and the tastiest and the most fun to cook and eat.  And it wasn't easy to choose one winner from every single state.  You were the winner in your state -- the whole state.  You guys won!  Cool!  (Laughter.)

But you're here because your recipes truly stood out, right?  And that’s really saying something.  You came up with dishes that were packed with nutritious, delicious ingredients; dishes that are good for you, but more importantly, they taste good, too.  See?  It can happen -- healthy and tasty at the same time.

And you all were so creative -- here are some of the recipes -- Kickin' Chicken Salad.  Power Pesto Pasta.  Miss Kitty's Egg Salad Sensation.  (Laughter.)  Michael Lakind from Texas -- Michael is here -- he created his Secret Service Super Salad.  (Laughter.)  And Michael came up with the name because he is interested in joining the Secret Service one day, so I have a feeling that this won't be the last time Michael will make his trip to the White House.  Michael, where are you?  Did you finally meet one of the agents?

MR. LAKIND:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  (Laughter.)  That’s good. 

And then there was Aaron Beckman from Nebraska -- came up with the Apple Alien, a dish that involves fruit meteors and veggie asteroids.  (Laughter.)  Aaron, where are?  There you go, Aaron.  Aaron -- it's meteors and aliens and stuff -- very scary, but healthy.  (Laughter.) 

And Betsy DaSilva from Connecticut submitted a recipe for a Heavenly Lunch Wrap.  Where are you, Betsy?  Here, stand up, sweetie, might as well.  Betsy -- she says -- (applause) -- "whenever I eat this food, I know that I've been blessed with the energy to focus more at school."  See, there?  (Laughter.)  Thank you, sweetie.

More than anything else, truly -- you can sit down, babe, I've embarrassed you enough -- (laughter) -- that’s what this challenge is really all about.  And that’s what Let's Move is all about, that’s one of the reasons why I started it.  It's all about all of us coming together to make sure that all of you kids and kids like you across the country have everything you need to learn and grow and lead happy, healthy lives. 

It's about parents making choices for their kids -- choices that work with their families, schedules, budgets and tastes, because there is no one-size-fits-all here; as parents we know what works for one kid in one household doesn’t work for the other kid in the same household.  So we've got to be flexible. 

It's about companies like Epicurious doing their part to promote healthy eating.  And it's about kids like all of you doing your part to eat well and get active, which is an important part.  We never want to underestimate the importance of getting up and moving.

So stay active.  Get involved in cooking delicious, good stuff -- dishes like the ones we're going to try today.  And on the menu today, we're going to have some of those tasty, delightful treats.  We're going to try some of those.  That’s going to be our lunch.

But before we get to the business of eating, I thought that I would introduce two very special people here.  Since we are in a room full of chefs, I thought that you would love to meet the two chefs, main chefs in our lives -- Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses.  (Applause.)  So you'll be happy to know that you had some of the top chefs in this country working to prepare your recipes.  They've been slaving for hours.  I would have helped you, but I was getting my makeup done.  (Laughter.) 

But Cris and Bill and our whole crew, they played such a huge part in Let's Move.  They help with the garden.  They lead efforts in the garden.  All of our chefs, all of our staff, they are so bought into you guys.  And you all give us that kind of energy.  Just know that -- you guys inspire us here at the White House to keep doing what we need to do to keep this message at the forefront. 

And I just want to thank Bill and Cris for being so terrific, and for working so hard to make this lunch such a success.  And with that, I think we can start eating.  How about that?  All right, let's eat.  (Applause.)

END 
12:00 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Rochester, NH

Rochester Commons
Rochester, New Hampshire

3:55 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, New Hampshire!  (Applause.)  Thank you! 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  What a beautiful day in New Hampshire.  (Applause.) 

A couple people I want to acknowledge.  First of all, thanks to your outstanding young mayor, T.J. Jean -- (applause) -- and his folks, who are standing right next to him.  They're pretty proud of him.  He's doing a great job.

Please give Amy a great big round of applause for the wonderful introduction.  (Applause.)  One of the national co-chairs of our campaign and your outstanding senator, Jeanne Shaheen, is here.  (Applause.)  And congressional candidate Carol Shea-Porter is here.  (Applause.)  And all of you are here -- (applause) -- on a beautiful Saturday.

Now, first of all, I’ve got to just say thanks to all of you for looking after Malia and Sasha while they were up here.  They were here for a month at camp, and they did a great -- they just had a great time, and enjoyed all the water sports, playing basketball and tennis, and arts and crafts.  And, most importantly, there was some ice cream involved in the thing.  (Laughter.)  They were quite pleased about that.  So we missed them, though.  Parents, it’s tough when your kids are away, isn’t it?  (Laughter.)  We’ve missed them so much.  And they promised they’d write -- and they did -- and they’d just say, “We’re doing fine.  Bye.”  (Laughter.)  It’s tough.

But, anyway, I can see why they enjoyed themselves because New Hampshire is one of the most beautiful states in the country and we are just so pleased to be here.  (Applause.)   

Now, they didn’t -- Malia and Sasha didn’t get any TV when they were at camp, but --

AUDIENCE:  Awww --

THE PRESIDENT:  -- no, there’s nothing wrong with that.  That’s good.  (Laughter.)  But unless you’ve been able to hide your television set, you may be aware that there’s a pretty intense campaign going on right now. 

Now, the reason it is so hotly contested is because the choice that we face this November couldn’t be bigger.  It’s not just a choice between two candidates or two political parties.  This is a choice between two fundamentally different visions for our country; two fundamentally different ideas about the direction that we should be going in.  And the direction that we choose, the direction you choose when you walk into that voting booth in November is going to have an impact not just on your lives, it’s going to have an impact on your children, your grandchildren, and generations to come.  

Now, four years ago, we came together as Democrats, but also independents and some Republicans, because we knew we had to restore the basic bargain that built America -- what made us an economic superpower, what created the greatest middle class we’ve ever seen.  And it’s a pretty simple bargain.  It’s the idea that if you work hard, you should be able to get ahead.  It’s a deal that says if you put in enough effort and you act responsibly, that you can find a job that pays the bills; you can afford a home that you call your own; you can count on health care when you get sick; you can retire with dignity and respect; and, most importantly, you can give your kids the kind of education and opportunity that allows them to dream even bigger and do even better than you ever did.  (Applause.)  That’s the American idea.  That’s what we came together to fight for in 2008.

It’s a simple American promise.  And we knew it wouldn’t be easy restoring that promise.  We knew it would take more than one year or one term, or even one President, because we had gone through a decade in which that promise wasn’t being kept.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Mr. President!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you, too, sweetie.  (Applause.)  We had seen a decade, before I came into office, in which jobs were being shipped overseas.  We had run two wars on a credit card, gone from surplus to deficits.  Wages and incomes actually went down during this period, even as the costs of everything from health care and college were going up.  A few folks at the top were doing really, really well, but for a lot of middle-class families, folks were working harder and harder, and seems like if you were lucky you were just treading water.  And that was before the economic crisis, which hammered so many families all across this state and all across this country -- people losing their jobs, their homes, their savings -- making the American Dream even further out of reach.

So when I ran four years ago, when we talked about how we were going to restore that basic bargain four years ago, I told you there were no quick fixes, there were no simple solutions.  But what I said was, if we were willing to work hard, and we were willing to come together, I had no doubt we could meet every single challenge, because we’ve got so many things going for us.  We’ve got the best workers in the world.  We’ve got the best entrepreneurs and small businesspeople in the world.  We’ve got the best scientists and researchers, the best colleges and universities in the world.  (Applause.)

Compared to other developed countries, we’re a young nation.  And part of it is because we’ve got the greatest diversity of talent and ingenuity.  People still want to come here from every corner of the globe because they understand what America means.  And so no matter what the naysayers say, no matter how dark the other side tries to paint things around election time, there is not another country on Earth that would not gladly trade places with the United States of America.  (Applause.)

They understand, we understand that here in America, if you’re willing to work hard, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, you can make it if you try.  That’s what the last four years has been about -- whether it’s been saving the auto industry, or getting health care passed, or creating 4.5 million new jobs, or making sure that young people have an easier time affording college.  It’s all about that idea of making sure hard work is rewarded.  That’s what my presidency has been about.  That is what this campaign is about.  That is why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

Now, my opponent and his new running mate, they just have a different view of things.  They’ve got wonderful families, they’re good people, but they believe in a different vision.  They think the best way forward is the kind of top-down economics that got us into this mess in the first place.  They truly believe that if you roll back regulations that we put in place to control Wall Street, or if you get rid of regulations we put in place to avoid our air getting dirtier and our water getting dirtier, and then if you combine that with more tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, then somehow prosperity will come raining down on all of you.  (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  That’s why we’re in a drought!  (Laughter.)   

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not exaggerating here.  You can go on their website, look at Congressman Ryan’s budget.  The centerpiece of Governor Romney’s entire economic plan is a new $5 trillion tax cut, a lot of it going to folks like me, a lot of it going to the wealthiest Americans.  His new running mate, Congressman Ryan, put forward a plan that would let Governor Romney pay less than 1 percent in taxes each year. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s a pretty good deal, just paying 1 percent in taxes.  You’re making millions of dollars. 

Now, here’s the kicker -- they expect you to pick up the tab.  Governor Romney’s tax plan would actually raise taxes on middle-class families with children by an average of $2,000.  Now, this is not my analysis.  This is the analysis of independent economists whose job it is to analyze these plans.  Every media outlet has checked on the numbers here, and their estimate is that it would cost you an extra $2,000 -- not to grow the economy, not to reduce the deficit, not to make sure that our schools are working well or we’re building roads or we’re strengthening the middle class.  All this would be just to give another tax cut to folks like Governor Romney.  It would give the average person who is making more than $3 million a year another $250,000 in tax cuts.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan will be here in New Hampshire on Monday, so you can tell them if you think this is fair.  (Laughter.)  And you should ask them, how do you think that’s going to grow the economy again?  How is that going to strengthen the middle class? 

Look, we have tried this kind of trickle-down snake oil before.  (Laughter.)  It didn’t work then.  It won’t work now.  It’s not a plan to create jobs.  It’s not a plan to reduce our deficit.  It’s not a plan to strengthen our economy.  It’s not a plan to strengthen the middle class.  (Applause.) 

It won’t work.  We’re moving forward.  They want to take us backwards.  That’s the choice in this election.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, the truth is, if you ask them or you ask their consultants, I think they know their economic plan isn’t really popular.  (Laughter.)  And that’s why they’ve got to be dishonest about my plan.  They are just throwing everything they can at the wall to see if it sticks. 

Their latest approach is to try to challenge me on Medicare.  Now, let’s just think about this for a second -- Governor Romney wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system.  Congressman Ryan wants to turn Medicare into a voucher system.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  I, on the other hand, have strengthened Medicare.  (Applause.)  We made reforms that extended the life of the program, saved millions of seniors with Medicare hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs; we’re closing the doughnut hole.  (Applause.)  The only changes to benefits that we made was to make the benefits better by making sure that Medicare now covers new preventive services like cancer screenings and wellness visits for free.  (Applause.)

Meanwhile, Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan want to give seniors a voucher to buy insurance on their own, which -- again, somebody did the analysis; not us, somebody else -- and they estimate that this could force seniors to pay as much as an extra $6,400 a year for their health care. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  How many people think that’s a good deal?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  That doesn’t strengthen Medicare.  It undoes the very guarantee of Medicare.  But that’s the core of the plan that was written by Congressman Ryan and endorsed by Governor Romney. 

And if they want to talk about benefits, they should be straight with you.  Those new cancer screenings and prescription drug discounts, all those things we put into place with the Affordable Care Act, those things would be eliminated if Governor Romney had his way.  So it would take something away from seniors and it wouldn’t replace it with something better.

So here’s the bottom line, New Hampshire -- my plan saves money in Medicare by cracking down on fraud and waste, and making sure insurance companies aren’t getting unfair subsidies.  (Applause.)  Their plan makes seniors pay more so they can give another tax cut to rich folks who don’t need a tax cut.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  My plan has extended the life of Medicare by nearly a decade.  Their plan would shorten the life of Medicare and end Medicare as we know it, because they’d turn it into a voucher system. 

So those are the differences between our plans on Medicare.  But that’s just one example of the choice in this election.  That’s what’s at stake.  That’s why I’m running.  And you can see it on every issue. 

When it comes to taxes, four years ago, I came before you and I said middle-class families need relief, especially during this crisis; I’m going to lower taxes on middle-class families.  Guess what?  I kept that promise.  (Applause.)  So if you start getting into an argument with your Republican cousin or friend or what have you -- (laughter) -- you just tell them, look, the typical family is paying $3,600 less in federal taxes since President Obama came into office.  (Applause.)  And right now, what I want to do is I want to keep taxes right where they are for your first $250,000 of income.  Now, that means -- 98 percent of Americans make less than $250,000; 97 percent of small businesses make less than $250,000.  So under my plan, you wouldn’t see your taxes -- your income taxes go up a single dime next year.  (Applause.)  That’s a contrast with Governor Romney’s plan. 

But in the interest of full disclosure here, if you’re fortunate enough to be in the other 2 percent, you’re still going to get a tax cut on the first $250,000 of income.  You get to keep that.  All we’re asking is that you contribute a little bit more so that we can pay down our deficit in a responsible way and invest in things like education that help us grow.  (Applause.)  And you’ll hear some people say, well, just taxing the top 2 percent, that won’t eliminate the deficit.  It’s true.  Government is still going to have to do its part in cutting away spending we don’t need.  And we’ve already cut a trillion dollars’ worth of spending, and we’re slated to do another trillion and a half under my budget plan. 

But we’re not going to do it all on the backs of middle-class families, and gutting education, and gutting science and research, and no longer investing in our infrastructure.  All we're asking is that folks like me go back to the rates we paid under Bill Clinton -- which, by the way, worked out pretty good.  (Applause.)  We created 23 million new jobs, we had a surplus instead of a deficit, and we created a whole bunch of new millionaires to boot.  (Applause.) 

And part of the reason it worked out pretty well -- when a teacher or a construction worker or a nurse or a receptionist, when they've got a little extra money in their pockets, what do they do?

AUDIENCE:  They spend it!

THE PRESIDENT:  They spend it on basic necessities.  And that means maybe that old beat up car you've been hanging on to for the last 12 years, you decide, all right, it's time to get a new one.  Or maybe you decide, you know what, our kids are going to college, let's make sure they've got a new computer.  And that means, then, business has more customers, which means business gets more profit, which means they then hire more workers, which means those workers then have a little more money in their pockets.  Everybody does better.

That’s how you grow an economy -- not from the top down, but from the middle out and the bottom up.  When everybody is doing well, we all prosper.  (Applause.)  That’s the choice in this election.  And that’s why I'm running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)

On issue after issue, the choice could not be clearer.  When the auto industry was on the brink of collapse, Governor Romney said, let's "let Detroit go bankrupt."  I said, let's bet on American workers.  And three and a half years later, the American auto industry is back.  (Applause.) 

Governor Romney likes to tout his private sector experience, except a lot of that experience is investing in companies that have been called "pioneers" of outsourcing.  We don’t need more outsourcing, we need some insourcing.  (Applause.)  I want to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, like Governor Romney is promoting.  I want to give those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in Rochester, right here in New Hampshire, right here in the United States of America, with American workers making American products, selling them around the world, stamped with three proud words: Made in America.  That’s what I'm fighting for.  (Applause.) 

My opponent thinks new sources of clean, homegrown energy like wind energy are "imaginary."  That’s what he called them.  (Laughter.)  Congressman Ryan said they were a "fad."  Listen, since I took office, America has doubled the use of renewable energy.  (Applause.)  Thousands of good American jobs have been created.  It's helping us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  That’s not imaginary, that’s real.

We need to stop giving $4 billion of taxpayer subsidies to oil companies that are making money every time you go to the pump.  (Applause.)  Let's give those tax breaks to producers of clean, renewable energy right here in the United States of America.  That’s a choice in this election.  (Applause.) 

I'm running because I made a promise to you in 2008, we’d end the war in Iraq -- and we did.  (Applause.)  I said we’d go after al Qaeda and bin Laden -- and we did.  (Applause.)  We're transitioning in Afghanistan so we can begin to bring our troops home.  (Applause.)  All of this was accomplished only because of the incredible service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform -- (applause) -- which is why we've already passed tax breaks for companies that hire veterans, and we've made historic investments in the VA -- because my attitude is anybody who has fought for our country shouldn’t have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)

So now, New Hampshire, after a decade of war, I want to take some of those savings and let's do some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.)  Let's take about half the money we're no longer spending on war and let's put it to use putting people back to work rebuilding roads and runways and ports, and wireless networks and broadband lines into rural communities, and creating a Veterans Jobs Corps that can help returning heroes get back to work as cops and firefighters in communities that need them.  That’s the America we want to build.  That’s the choice in this election.  (Applause.) 

I want to make sure we've got the best education system in the world.  (Applause.)  So I want to help local school districts hire and retain the very best teachers -- especially in math and science –- (applause) -- create 2 million more slots for Americans to go to community colleges to learn the skills that businesses are looking for right now.  And I want to keep working to reduce the cost of tuition for colleges and universities -- (applause) -- because a higher education is not a luxury, it's an economic necessity in the 21st century.  That’s a choice we've got to make in this election.  (Applause.)

And yes, New Hampshire, I'm running because I believe in this nation.  I still believe you shouldn’t go bankrupt when you get sick.  (Applause.)  I'm actually kind of fond of the term "Obamacare."  (Applause.)  I fought for that bill because I cared, because I cared about the 6.5 million young people who can now get insurance by staying on their parent's plan.  (Applause.) 

I care about the millions of seniors who are now getting discounts on their prescription drugs and free preventive care because of what we did.  (Applause.)  I care about all those folks here in New Hampshire and around the country with preexisting conditions who can now get health insurance because of what we did.  (Applause.)  The Supreme Court has spoken.  This law is here to stay.  We don’t need to refight this battle for another three and a half years.  We’re not going backwards, we’re moving forward.  (Applause.) 

We’re not going to put -- we’re not going to go back to the days when serving the country you love depended on who you love.  We ended "don't ask, don't tell."  It was the right thing to do.  (Applause.)  We're not going backwards, we're going forward. 

I believe women should be in charge of their own health care decisions.  (Applause.)  We're not going backward, we’re going forward.  (Applause.) 

On issue after issue, there is a clear choice.  Now, over the next three months, the other side is going to spend more money than we have ever seen.  I mean, they are writing $10 million checks -- individuals -- just to run the same ad over and over again.  It’s variations on the same theme, which is, the economy is not where it needs to be and it's Obama's fault.  They’ll just say that over and over again.  (Laughter.)  And the reason they’ve got to say that -- that’s their only message -- is because they know their economic plan won’t sell. 

They may have a plan to win the election, but they don’t have a plan to create jobs.  They don’t have a plan to grow the economy.  They don’t have a plan to help the middle class.  I do.  (Applause.) 

But here’s the thing -- I've been outspent before.  I’ve been counted out before.  But what gives me hope, what gives me confidence is you.  (Applause.)  Because I know when the American people start paying attention after all the ads have been done and they cut through all the nonsense, and they start remembering the story of their families -- their parents, their grandparents -- all the struggles they went through, what it means to work hard and get ahead, and overcome obstacles -- the same kind of story I’ve got in my life as a son of a single mom; the same kind of story that Michelle has in her life -- her parents, dad a blue-collar worker, mom a secretary -- we know what it’s been like to go through hard times.  But we also know what it’s like to have hope and determination and resilience, and to watch the next generation do better.  And when you guys are focused on that idea, which is the essence of who we are, then all that other money, all that other stuff doesn’t matter.  (Applause.) 

So, New Hampshire, I’m going to need your help.  We’ve come too far to turn back now.  (Applause.)  We’ve still got more good jobs to create, more good teachers to hire, more students to help to go to college, more troops to bring home, more homegrown energy to generate, more doors of opportunity to open for everybody who is willing to walk through them and work hard and put in the effort.  (Applause.)

And if you're willing to stand with me one more time -- (applause) -- if you’re willing to knock on some doors and make some phone calls, talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors -- we will finish what we started, we will win New Hampshire, we will win this election.  And we’ll remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  Thank you.

END
4:22 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President and First Lady at a Campaign Event -- Davenport, Iowa

Davenport, Iowa

5:47 P.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA:  I decided to bring someone out with me.  You may know this guy.  (Applause.)

I want to start by thanking Amanda for that very kind introduction.  We are so proud of her.  And we are so grateful for her service.  So let's give Amanda another round of applause. (Applause.)  And thank you, Amanda, for getting the President to eat some fruit this morning.  That's good.  (Laughter.) 

Well, you guys, this looks amazing.  You all sound really   fired up.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Fired up!

MRS. OBAMA:  And you definitely sound ready to go.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Ready to go!

MRS. OBAMA:  And let me tell you, I'm glad to hear it because --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Four more years!

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, indeed, with your help!  (Applause.)  With your help.

Let me just say this.  I shared this with the folks earlier today, but being back in the great state of Iowa -- (applause) -- yes, indeed!  (Applause.)  Where it all began for us.  (Applause.)  I have to say I'm feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself. 

Our family has so many great memories of our time here in Iowa.  As I mentioned earlier, I remember when we went to Pella, and an entire neighborhood sang "Happy Birthday" to Malia on the Fourth of July.  (Applause.)  Yes.  It was so sweet.  I remember, on the big day at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, we danced with about a thousand folks across the street with the Isiserettes.  It's a marching band.  We've had them back to the White House since.  But that was exciting. 

And our girls still talk about our visit to the State Fair. That was like I think the first big State Fair we ever went to.  (Applause.)  And it was so much fun.  We did everything.  We rode the bumper cars, and we slid down this big slide.  I mentioned how Barack almost dropped Sasha -- (laughter) -- off of the slide.  (Applause.)  She flew up and he barely -- I wasn’t very happy about that.  (Laughter.) 

And, that is where, yes, we experienced our very first fried Twinkie on a stick.  (Applause.)  It was here.  And it was also pretty funny because he was a senator at the time and he had a lot of press, and they were everywhere.  And the girls were holding baby chicks, and the cameras were flashing.  So when it was time for him to leave -- he left early -- the girls actually turned around to me and said, "Whew, I'm so glad Daddy is gone." (Laughter.)  Now we can really have some fun.  (Laughter.)   

We essentially shut the State Fair down.  So we had a great time.  And I'll have to say that I'm a little bit jealous that Barack got to go to the State Fair this week without me.

AUDIENCE:  Awww --

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, it's so sad.

THE PRESIDENT:  It was good.  (Laughter.) 

MRS. OBAMA:  So today I want to start by saying thank you, truly, thank you.  I want to thank everybody in the state for the kindness and generosity and love that you all have shown our family.  Regardless of what party you're from, regardless of how you felt about us, you have shown us so much love.  (Applause.)  And you don't understand how important that was for me because Iowa was my very first experience with a national campaign.  And because of you all, this state, the people in this state, our girls still think campaigning is fun.  (Laughter.)  They really do.  

More importantly, because of all of you, Barack and I will always remember what this process can be at its very best.  Truly, every election, the folks here in Iowa, you all remind us what democracy is all about.  And it's really about getting to know the issues and discussing the issue with your neighbors.  It's about meeting your candidates and getting to know them and their families really up close and personal in a way that very few states get to do.

And I will never forget my very first visit here back in 2007, and I remember it well because we were in the backyard of someone's home.  It was just such a simple gathering.  And I have to admit that I was a little nervous because I hadn’t done much campaigning.  And back then, people barely even knew who Barack was, let alone who I was. 

So I didn’t know how it would be.  But the folks in that backyard welcomed me like I was an old friend.  And within minutes I was so comfortable that I kicked off my high heels and I was standing in the lawn, in the grass, with bare feet, talking and laughing and listening to people’s stories.  And that’s when I learned that that’s what campaigning is about -- hearing about what’s going on in people’s lives, about the jobs that they’re juggling and the businesses they’re trying to keep afloat; the kids they hope to send to college if they can find a way to afford it.
 
And the more we talked, the more I felt at home -- because in their stories, I saw my story.  I saw Barack’s story.  And you all know my story.  My father worked at the city water plant his entire life; that was pretty much the only job he had.  And neither of my parents had the chance to get a college degree.  But as I tell people everywhere I go, what I appreciate about my parents was that they saved and they sacrificed, and they poured everything they had into me and my brother so that we could have the kind of educational opportunities they could only dream of.  (Applause.) 

And like Barack, pretty much all of our college tuition came from student loans and grants.  Yes, we can relate to how a lot of folks go to college.  But my dad still had to pay a small portion of that tuition himself.  And let me tell you, every semester, my father was determined to pay his little portion right on time, because he was so proud to play a small part in sending his kids to college that he couldn’t bear the thought of us missing a registration deadline because his check was late.

And really, more than anything else, that’s what I try to remind people when I go out and campaign -- that’s what's at stake in this election.  (Applause.)  It’s that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, in America, you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.  (Applause.)  That’s why we're here. 

And whether it's equal pay for women or health care for our families, whether it's supporting our veterans or saving our auto industry, that is what this man, my husband, has been fighting for every single day as President.  (Applause.)

And let me just share something with you -- because over the last three and a half years, as First Lady, I have had the chance to see up close and personal what being President is like.  And I have seen how the issues that come across a President's desk are always the hard ones -- the problems with no clear solutions, the judgment calls where the stakes are so high and there's no margin for error.

And I have seen that as President, you are going to get all kinds of advice and guidance from all kinds of people.  But at the end of the day, when it’s time to make that decision, all you have to guide you are your values and your vision and your life experiences.  And what I’ve learned is that, in the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for. 

And we all know who my husband is, don’t we?  (Applause.)  And we all know what he stands for.  And I remind people, your President is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  He’s the grandson of a woman who woke up before dawn every day to catch a bus to her job at a bank.  And even though Barack’s grandmother was good at her job and worked hard to support his family, like so many women, she hit that glass ceiling and watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she'd actually trained -- climb that ladder ahead of her.

So I remind people that Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  And he knows what it means to want something better for your kids and your grandkids.  (Applause.)  And that’s why I love him, and that’s why I will have his back forever.  (Applause.) 

And that is also what I think about when I kiss our girls goodnight.  I think about the world I want to leave for them and for all our sons and daughters.  I think about how I want to give our kids a foundation for their dreams and opportunities worthy of their promise -- because all of our kids in this country are worthy.  (Applause.)  We want give them that sense of limitless possibility, the 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 I know that we cannot turn back now -- not now.  We have come so far, but we have so much more to do.  And if we keep on moving forward, then we need to work our hearts out for this man that I have the pleasure of introducing here today -- my husband and our President, President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Hello, Davenport!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back in the Quads.  (Applause.) I see a lot of familiar faces, a lot of good friends.

First of all, let me just say that I, too, could not be prouder of Amanda Irish -- her service to this country, everything that she’s done.  She wants to go back to medical school.  She is going to be a great doctor, and she’s going to help a lot of people.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Your Mayor and a great friend of mine for a long, long time, Bill Gluba is here.  (Applause.) 

There is another friend of mine who’s here that isn’t going to come up on stage, but I want to make a special mention to him. He’s from the other side of the river.  He’s an Illinoisan.  (Applause.)  But I tell you what, this is a guy who served his country, looked after veterans, was a fighter for working families, and was the first guy outside of Chicago to endorse me and support me when I ran for the United States Senate back in 2004.  And if had not been for his support, I wouldn’t be standing here today.  He has shown even more courage in battling Parkinson’s, and is somebody who I will always think of when I think of integrity and public service.  So I just want everybody to give a big round of applause to former Congressman Lane Evans -- a great friend of mine.  (Applause.)  Lane is right there.

And finally, let me say something about my wife.  I don’t usually like to follow her speaking -- (laughter) -- because, let’s face it, on the charisma rankings in my household, you’ve got her, the girls, Bo -- (laughter) -- and then my mother-in-law and then me.  Actually, my mother-in-law is before Bo, obviously. (Laughter.)  I love my mother-in-law, too -- that’s where Michelle got her looks from.  So when other Obamas are participating I tend to kind of not shine quite as much.

But I’ve called her the “rock” of our family.  That may sell it short.  I don’t know anybody who is more honest, who is stronger, who knows who she is, knows what’s important, remembers where she came from, is the best mom in the world, keeps me in line, keeps me straight, keeps me humble -- and she’s cute.  (Applause.)  So I told people back in 2008, I won’t be a perfect President, and I’m not a perfect man, but we do have a perfect First Lady.  Please give it up for Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)

Now, as Michelle mentioned, this is our third day in Iowa.  I started out in Council Bluffs and we drove here, all the way to the Quads -- west to east.  And we’ve stopped all across the state -- everywhere we've gone we have had fun.  It is true, I have eaten a lot.  (Laughter.)  At the State Fair I had a pork chop and a beer.  (Applause.)  And it was very good. 

But we met farmers who have been hurt badly by the drought, and talked to them about the importance of Congress getting its act together and passing a farm bill.  (Applause.)  That’s not an issue that’s been partisan in the past, there's no reason it should be now -- especially when farmers and ranchers are hurting.

We met folks who have helped Iowa become a leader in wind energy -- (applause) -- and talked about how we need to keep investing in clean, renewable energy.  This morning I had breakfast with Amanda and a number of other veterans, and listened to their stories about not only the pride they took in service to their country, but also they were pretty honest about some of the difficulties when they came home.  And I reminded them that as Commander-In-Chief, one promise I guarantee I'll keep -- we are going to make sure we serve our veterans as well as they served us.  (Applause.)

And everywhere I went, I was reminded -- because I'd see folks who I hadn't seen in a couple of years; friends, neighbors, hit spots we had gone to in 2007-2008 -- I was reminded of how this movement for changed started in folks' backyards and in school gyms, and in VFW halls and in diners all across this state.  And this may be the last stop on our particular trip here this week, but that journey that we started back in 2008, it's not finished. 

We've got a lot more work to do.  We've got unfinished business to attend to.  I've come here to ask you to stand with me and help me finish the job.  (Applause.)  I'm asking you to help finish what we started, to bring about the change that is going to make America live up to its promise -- not just for this generation but for generations to come.  That is why I am running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)   

Three months -- less than three months from now, less than three months -- not that I'm counting -- (laughter) -- you will face a choice.  And that choice could not be bigger.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  It's a choice that you face this November that is not just about two candidates or two political parties -- it's a choice between two fundamentally different visions of where to take America.  And the direction that you choose when you walk into that voting booth is not going to have a direct -- not just going to have a direct impact on your lives, it's going to have an impact on your kids' lives and your grandchildren's lives. 

When we came together in 2007-2008 -- Democrats, independents and, yes, some Republicans -- we came together to restore that basic bargain that built this country -- Michelle talked about it.  Simple idea:  Here in this country, if you work hard you can get ahead.  Here in this country, if you take responsibility and you put in the effort, you should be able to find a job that supports a family, you should be able to find a home you can call your own, you shouldn’t go bankrupt when you get sick, you should be able to retire with dignity and respect -- (applause) -- and, most of all, you should be able to give your kids the kind of education and opportunity that allows them to dream even bigger and do even better than we ever did.  (Applause.)  That is the basic American promise, and that promise was being broken. 

We had seen a decade where jobs were being shipped overseas, and where wages and incomes were going down except for a few at the very top, even while the cost of everything from health care to college were skyrocketing.  We saw 2 wars fought on a credit card, surplus going into deficit, all culminating in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

So we knew that restoring that basic American idea that if you work hard you can get ahead, that it wouldn’t be easy; that it was going to take more than one year or one term or even one President.  And that was all before we saw how badly this financial crisis hammered middle-class families -- folks losing their homes and losing their jobs, losing their savings, all pushing that American Dream a little further out of reach. 

And I told you in -- four years ago, I said, don’t look for quick fixes; we didn’t get into this overnight, we're not going to solve it overnight.  But what I said, and what is still true is we've got all the things we need, all the ingredients.  We've got the capacity to meet our challenges.  We've still got the best workers in the world.  (Applause.)  We've got the best farmers in the world.  We've got the best small businesspeople in the world.  We've got the best scientists and researchers and colleges and universities in the world.  (Applause.) 

We're a young nation, and we've got the greatest diversity of talent and ingenuity.  People want to come here from every corner of the globe.  No matter what the naysayers may say, there is not another country on Earth that would not trade places with the United States of America.  (Applause.)  People around the world understand this is still a place where no matter what you look like or where you come from or what your last name is, you can make it.  And that’s the idea we're trying to rebuild.  (Applause.)  That’s why we're -- that’s what this campaign is about.  That’s what the last three and a half years have been about.

Every day, I've woken up thinking about you.  That’s what we thought about when we put in place the Recovery Act to help make sure that everybody who needed it got a tax cut; to make sure that teachers could stay on the job, and firefighters and cops.  (Applause.)  That’s what I was thinking about when we saved the auto industry that was about to go under.  (Applause.)  That’s how we've worked with businesses to help create 4.5 million new jobs -- half a million in manufacturing.

But we've got a long way to go.  We've got more work to do.  We know that.  And the big challenge we have right now is not a lack of big ideas, it's not a lack of solutions.  Our problem is politics in Washington.  (Applause.)  We've got folks on the other side who think "compromise" is a dirty word, and basically have only 2 ideas to grow the economy. 

One is to get rid of regulations that we put in place to make sure that we don't have another tax-funded bailout -- taxpayer-funded bailout when the banks make reckless decisions, or make sure that polluters aren’t polluting, or make sure insurance companies aren’t taking advantage of you.  So they want to strip away those regulations. And the other big idea they've got is the same kind of top-down economics that got us into this mess in the first place. 

Governor Romney's big idea is a $5 trillion tax cut, on top of the Bush tax cuts -- a lot of which would be going to the wealthiest Americans who've already been doing very well.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Romney Hood!

THE PRESIDENT:  And here's the kicker:  He's expecting you to pay for it. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Because $5 trillion is a lot of money.  That's 10 times our defense budget, so that would be the equivalent of our defense budget in tax cuts every single year.  And his basic idea is that middle-class families with children would see their tax bill go up an average $2,000.  This is not my analysis.  This is an analysis that was done by independent economists. 

And they're asking you to pay more in your taxes not to reduce the deficit, or grow jobs, or invest in education, but to give another $250,000 tax cut to people making $3 million a year or more.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, his allies in Congress have the same view.  You heard that he announced Congressman Ryan as his running mate -- and look, Congressman Ryan, I know him, he's a good man, a family man.  But he is the ideological leader of this Republican Congress.  And he's a very articulate spokesperson for Governor Romney's vision.  The problem is the vision is wrong.  (Applause.)  We don't agree with it. 

They have tried to sell us this top-down, trickle-down economics before.  (Laughter.)  We just tried it right before I took office.  And guess what, it did not work.  It didn’t work then, and it won't work now.  It’s not a plan to create jobs.  It’s not a plan to reduce the deficit.  It’s not a plan to move our economy forward.  Now, secretly, I think they know this.  They understand their economic plan isn't very popular -- because they started making all kinds of stuff up about my plan. 

I'll give you an example.  Lately, they’ve been talking about Medicare.  Now, keep in mind these are -- both Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan in the past have said they want to voucherize the Medicare system.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Here's what I've done.  I’ve strengthened Medicare.  I've made reforms that save millions of seniors with Medicare hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  We're closing the doughnut hole.  I've proposed reforms that will save Medicare money by getting rid of wasteful spending in the health care system.  (Applause.)  Reforms that will not touch your Medicare benefits.

And Governor Romney and his running mate have a different plan.  They want to turn Medicare into a voucher system.  That means seniors would no longer have the guarantee of Medicare -- they’d get a voucher to buy private insurance.  And if it doesn’t keep up with costs, well, that’s the seniors' problem. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  It was estimated that Governor Romney's running mate, his original plan would force seniors to pay an extra $6,400 a year.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  My plan has extended Medicare by nearly a decade.  Their plan ends Medicare as we know it.  My plan reduces the cost of Medicare by cracking down on fraud and waste and subsidies to insurance companies.  Their plan makes seniors pay more to help finance another tax cut for folks who don’t need it.

That’s an example of the difference between our two philosophies.  That’s the choice in this election.  And that is 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:  You know, when it comes to taxes, four years ago I promised to cut middle-class taxes -- I did it.  If anybody tells you democrats are all big tax-and-spend, you tell them, well, my taxes are lower than they were before President Obama took office by about $3,600 for a typical family.  (Applause.)

So now, I want to keep taxes right where they are for the first $250,000 of everybody’s income.  (Applause.)  If your family makes under $250,000 -- like 98 percent of Americans, and 97 percent of small businesses -- you won’t see your income taxes increase by a single dime next year.  (Applause.) 

Now, if you’re fortunate enough to be in the other 2 percent you will still keep the tax cut on the first $250,000 you make.  But if you're making more than that, we’re going to ask you to contribute just a little bit more to help pay down the deficit and allow us to still invest in things like education that help the economy grow.  (Applause.)  

That won't solve the whole deficit problem.  We've still got to make some smart cuts.  I've already cut a trillion dollars of spending -- we can do more.  But we can't just balance our budget on the backs of middle-class families -- 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- not just on the backs of the poor. 

So what I said is, look, I know folks like me are in a position to do a little bit more, go back to the rates we paid under Bill Clinton -- a time when we created 23 million new jobs, we had a budget surplus instead of a deficit.  (Applause.)  And guess what, you know what, millionaires did good too.  (Laughter.)  Businesses and corporations did well too.  And here's the reason -- when a teacher or a firefighter or a receptionist or a construction worker, when they've got a little more money in their pockets, when you've got a little more money in your pockets, what do you do?

AUDIENCE:  Spend it!

THE PRESIDENT:  You spend it.  Because times are tough.  You maybe haven't bought a new car in 10 years.  Maybe you've got an old broken appliance that’s just been sitting there, doesn’t work.  Maybe your kid is going to college and you want to make sure they've got a computer to help them with their studies.

So you go out, and now businesses have more customers.  And when businesses have more customers, they make more profit.  And when they make more profit, they hire more workers.  And then those workers have a little more money and they go out and spend some more.  (Applause.) 

See, when you look at the history of this country, we didn’t grow through top-down economics, we grew through middle class-out economics.  We grew from bottom-up economics.  We grew together, where everybody got a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules.  That’s the choice in this election.  And that’s why I'm running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

So on almost every issue, you're going to have a choice.  When the auto industry was on the brink of collapse, Governor Romney said let's "let Detroit go bankrupt."  I said that’s a million workers at stake, and I believe in American workers.  And three years later, the American auto industry has come roaring back. 

So now I want to make sure American manufacturing is taking root here.  Let's change this tax code once and for all -- stop giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas.  Let's give them to companies that are investing here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Governor Romney wants to keep those tax breaks.  He likes to talk about his private sector experience, but a lot of it was investing in companies that have been called "pioneers" of outsourcing.  We don't need more outsourcing, we need more insourcing.  (Applause.)  That’s a difference in this election.  That’s a choice in this election.

I want to make sure we've got the best education system in the world.  (Applause.)  I want to make sure that local school districts can hire more teachers, especially in math and science.  I want to make sure that 2 million more people can go to community colleges so they can get trained for the jobs that businesses are hiring for right now.  And I want to keep pushing on colleges on universities to lower tuition so every young person can afford to get a higher education.  That’s a choice in this election.  (Applause.) 

Governor Romney wants to end the tax credits for wind energy. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Wind energy creates 7,000 jobs in Iowa -- 7,000 jobs.  Governor Romney said these new sources of energy are "imaginary."  Congressman Ryan said they're a "fad".  Those 7,000 jobs aren't a fad, they're our future. 

We should stop giving $4 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies to the big oil companies that are already making money, and help create homegrown sources of energy that put Americans back to work and help free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil.  That’s the choice in this election.  (Applause.)

In 2008, I said I'd end the war in Iraq -- and I did.  (Applause.)  I said we would refocus attention on al Qaeda and bin Laden -- and we did.  (Applause.)  We've set a timeline to end the war in Afghanistan.  All this was possible because of incredible men and women in uniform like Amanda.  (Applause.)  So now we've got an obligation to make sure that our VA and all our services are doing what we need to do for our veterans now that they're coming home. 

But part of that is also taking some of the savings after a decade of war and using them to put folks back to work doing some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.)  Let's rebuild some roads and some bridges.  Let's create a Veteran's Jobs Corps so they can get jobs as firefighters and cops in communities that need them.  (Applause.)  That’s the America I want to build.  That’s a choice in this election.  (Applause.) 

And let me just tell you one more choice -- Governor Romney said one of the first things he's going to do on day one is he's going to kill Obamacare. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, I've got to say, I've grown kind of fond of the term Obamacare.  (Applause.)  Because I do care.  (Applause.)  I care about all the families in Iowa and Illinois and all across the country that I've met who have preexisting conditions and now they know they're going to be able to get health care coverage.  (Applause.)  I care about 6.5 million young people who can now stay on their parent's plan because of Obamacare.  (Applause.)  I care about the seniors who are getting discounts on their prescription drugs because of Obamacare.  (Applause.) 

So maybe Governor Romney wants to have another three years' worth of argument about health care.  I want to move forward.  The Supreme Court has spoken.  We are implementing it.  It is helping families all across this nation.  We are moving forward, not backward.  That’s a difference in this election.  (Applause.)  
So on all these issues -- whether it's health care security, making sure Medicare is there for future generations, making sure that we're rebuilding America, making sure our kids are getting the best education possible -- these are all ingredients of what we know to be a middle-class life.  It's what Michelle talked about.  It's what helped Michelle and me have the opportunities to do things that our parents could not have imagined. 

And now, we want to make sure the next generation has it.  And I know you guys feel the same way because you've got that same story.  Your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents -- the struggles they went through to give us a shot.  We've got an obligation now to make sure our children have that same shot, that same opportunity.  That’s why this election is so important.  That’s what we're fighting for.  (Applause.)

And you know, over the next three months the other side will spend more money than we have ever seen on ads telling you one thing -- that the economy is not so good and it's Obama's fault.  And you know, their economic theory doesn’t sell, so that’s going to be their message.  And it may be a plan to win the election, but it's not a plan to create jobs or reduce the deficit or grow the economy.  They don’t have a plan to revive the middle class, but I do. 

And so I tell you what, we've come too far to turn back now.  (Applause.)  We've got too many jobs we've got to create.  We've got too many teachers we've got to hire.  We've got too many students who need to afford to be able to go to college.  (Applause.)  We've got more energy we've got to generate and more troops we've got to bring home.  (Applause.)  We've got more doors of opportunity that we've got to open to everybody who is willing to work hard to walk through them.  (Applause.) 

So if you're willing to work with me one more time, and stand with me one more time, and knock on some doors one more time, and make some phone calls one more time; if you're willing to vote for me this November, we'll win Davenport, we'll win Iowa, we'll win this election.  We'll finish what we started.  And we'll remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

END 
6:27 P.M. CDT