The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event -- Louisville, KY

Kentucky Center for African American Heritage Museum
Louisville, Kentucky

5:26 P.M. EST
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yes!  (Applause.)  Wow.  Thank you so much.  Oh, you all are already fired up.  I can just leave now, right?  (Applause.)  It is so good to be back.  I am just honored to be here with all of you.  This is truly amazing.
 
Let me start by just saying a few thank-yous.  First, Representative Yarmuth, thank you for that very kind introduction, and thank you for your leadership and your service in Congress.  You are doing an amazing job.  (Applause.)  Absolutely. 
 
I also want to recognize your governor, Governor Beshear, and Mayor Fischer, who are both here, who have been amazing.  (Applause.)  Thank you both for being here, for leading the way, for having our backs in so many ways.  It means a great deal.
 
And I'd like to thank our dear friend, Matt Barzun, who is our national finance chair.  (Applause.)  He is terrific.  He is so on point.  We love him to death, as well as our wonderful hosts who have made this event such a tremendous success -- Christy Brown, Brooke Pardue, and Carolyn Tandy as well.  Let's give them a big round of applause.  Thank you all for your hard work.  (Applause.)  This is amazing.  Amazing venue.  It's good to be here.  (Applause.) 
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you.  Thank you so much for your support, and thank you for being here with us today.  And I know that there is a reason why you are all here, packed in together tightly.  (Laughter.)  You’re here because you know that we stand at a fundamental crossroads for our country.  And you’re here because you know that in less than a year from now -- because it's coming up, right? -- we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And you’re here because you know that choice won’t just affect all of us; it will affect our children, and our grandchildren, and more importantly, the world we leave for them long after we’re gone.
 
And believe me, that is why I am here today.  That's why I'm going to be traveling all across the country.  I am so fired up.  (Applause.)  See, as First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling all across this magnificent country, and I get to meet folks from all different kinds of backgrounds and I get to hear what’s going on in their lives.  Every day, I hear about how folks are struggling -- the bills they're trying to pay; the businesses they're trying to keep afloat.  I hear about how folks are taking that extra shift, they're working that extra job, they're doing whatever they have to -- they're saving, they're sacrificing, never spending a dime on themselves because they desperately want something better for their kids.
 
And make no mistake about it, these struggles that I'm talking about, these are not new.  For decades now -- decades -- middle-class folks have been squeezed from all sides.  See, the cost of things like gas, groceries, tuition -- prices continuing to rise, but people’s paychecks just haven’t kept up.  And when this economic crisis hit, for far too many families the bottom just completely fell out.
 
Now, over the past three years, your President has worked very hard to dig ourselves out of this mess.  (Applause.)  And a lot of progress has been made.  We have had 23 straight months of private sector job growth -- (applause) -- and unemployment is now the lowest it has been in three years.  (Applause.)
 
But we know that we still have a long way to go.  We've got a lot of work to do.  And we’ve been working hard to rebuild our economy based on a vision that we all share -- the belief, as my husband says, that hard work should pay off in this country; that responsibility should be rewarded; and that everyone -- everyone -- should get a fair shot, they should do their fair share, and they should play by the same rules.  (Applause.)
 
See, as we all know, these are basic American values -- basic.  They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  See, my father, as you know -- my father was a blue-collar worker, working at the city water plant.  My family lived in a little-bitty apartment -- this is where I grew up -- little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  Neither of my parents went to college, but let me tell you what they did do:  They worked hard -- (applause) -- they saved, and they sacrificed, because, see, my parents, like so many of our parents, wanted something more for me and my brother.
 
And more than anything else, that is what’s at stake.  That's what's at stake -- that fundamental promise that no matter who you are, no matter how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself, and an even better life for your kids.  (Applause.)  Basic.  And on just about every issue -- from health care to education to the economy -- that is the choice we face.  That's the choice.
 
For example, when you hear all this talk about tax cuts for middle-class families; you hear about unemployment insurance for folks out of work -- let me tell you, that is about whether people can heat their homes.  That's what they're talking about.  (Applause.)  Whether a family can put a hot meal on the table, or gas in their car so that they can even look for work.  That's what that's about.  It’s about whether folks can afford to own a home, send their kids to college, retire with a little dignity, just a little security.  It’s about whether people will have more money in their pockets, which means more money in our economy, which means more jobs.  That's what it's about.  That's what's at stake here.  That is the choice that we face.  (Applause.)
 
And think for -- just for a minute about what this President has done to stand up for the American consumers.  I’m talking about families getting hit with those hidden credit card fees, right?  I’m talking about students -- our young people -- (applause) -- drowning in debt.  I'm talking about our seniors losing their homes and their savings because they were tricked into loans they couldn’t afford, probably couldn't even understand.
 
And that is why my husband created a new consumer watchdog with just one simply mission.  (Applause.)  That is:  To protect folks from exactly these kind of abuses.  That's why he did it.  Because he believes that when you’ve worked hard, when you’ve saved, when you’ve followed the rules, you shouldn’t lose it all to someone just looking to make some easy money.  See, that’s not fair.  That’s not right.  And believe me, your President is working hard to do something about it.  (Applause.)
 
And what about all that we’ve done for our small businesses?  Our small businesses.  See, these are the companies that create two-thirds -- two-thirds of all new jobs each year in this economy.  I'm talking about the mom who opens up the drycleaning store on the corner to provide for her kids.  I'm talking about the family that’s running that neighborhood diner -- has been running it for generations.  That's who we're talking about.  I'm talking about the veteran who launches a startup and pursues that American Dream that he fought so hard for.  See, these are the folks who work themselves to the bone during the day, and then they head home and they pore over their books late into the night, determined to make those numbers add up.
 
See, for these folks, the small business tax cuts that this administration has passed, this means the difference between these folks hiring new employees or handing out pink slips.  This is the difference between those businesses keeping their doors open or closing up shop for good.  That is the choice that we face.
 
And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to make sure that women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And he did this because he knows what it means when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  I mean, he watched his own grandmother -- a woman with just a high school education -- she worked her way up to become a vice president at a little community bank.  And his grandmother worked hard and she was good at her job, but like so many women she hit that glass ceiling, and she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- be promoted up the ladder ahead of her. 
 
So believe me, for Barack, this is not abstract, this issue.  This isn't some hypothetical thing he's talking about.  He signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their kids.  He did it because when nearly two-thirds of women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, he knows that women's success in this economy is the key to families' success in this economy.  (Applause.)
 
We believe that here in America, there are no second-class citizens in our workplace.  (Applause.)  That is what’s at stake in this election.  Understand, that's what’s at stake.
 
And let’s just talk for just a minute about health care.  Right?  (Applause.)  Because last year, we made history together by finally passing health reform.  (Applause.)  Amen.
 
But now there are some folks actually talking about repealing this reform.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So today the question for us is, are we going to stand by and let that happen?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Understand that since we passed this law, millions of our senior citizens have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)   So the question becomes, are we going to take those savings away from our seniors?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we make sure that our parents and our grandparents can afford to stay healthy in their golden years?  What are we going to do?  Are we going to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny our children coverage because they have pre-existing conditions, things like cancer, diabetes, even asthma?  Or will we stand up and say that in this country no one should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can't afford a doctor?  (Applause.)  What are we going to do?
 
And when our kids get older and graduate from school, we all know how hard it’s going to be for them to find jobs with good insurance, right?  That's why, as part of health reform, kids can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And today that is how 2.5 million of our young people are getting their health coverage.  So the question is, will we take that away from all of our kids?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we say that we don't want our sons and our daughters going out into the world without health care when they're just starting out, trying to build their families, trying to develop their careers on their own?
 
But that is the choice we face.  That's the choice.
 
And think, for just a moment, about what’s been done in this administration on education.  I mean, think about all those investments to raise standards and reform our public schools.  We all know what this is about.  See, this is about improving the circumstances for millions of our children -- kids we know are sitting in crumbling classrooms; kids that we know have so much promise; kids who could be anything in the world they want if we just gave them a chance.  That's what this is about.  (Applause.)
 
And think about how we’ve tripled investments for job training at community colleges.  This is about hundreds of thousands of hardworking folks who are determined to get the skills they need for a better job and better wages.  See, these are the folks -- they're doing everything that they're supposed to do.  They're working full-time.  They're raising their kids.  But they still make it to class every evening, study late into the night -- because why?  They desperately want something better for their families.
 
And, please, make no mistake about it, these kind of investments in our students, in our workers will determine nothing less than the future of our economy.  (Applause.)  It’s going to determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world.  That is what’s at stake.  That's what we’re talking about.
 
And let’s not forget what it meant when my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- and for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.  (Applause.)  And let us not forget the impact their decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -- on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and, yes, love whomever we choose.  That is what’s at stake here.  (Applause.)  That is the choice we’re facing.
 
And finally, let us not forget all that this administration has done to keep our country safe and restore our standing in the world.  (Applause.)  And thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we -- (applause) -- yes, indeed -- we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)
 
My husband kept his promise:  He ended the war in Iraq, and he brought our troops home for the holidays.  (Applause.)  And as you know, we are working hard to give our veterans and their families the education, the employment and the benefits that they have earned.  (Applause.) 
 
And because my husband ended "don’t ask, don’t tell," our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)  That is what’s at stake.  That’s what’s at stake.
 
So make no mistake about it, whether it is healthcare, the economy, whether it’s education, foreign policy -- truly the choice we make will determine nothing less than who we are as a country.  But more importantly, it will determine who we want to be.  Who do we want to be?  Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to just the few at the top?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead, no matter who you are or how you started out?  Who are we?  (Applause.)
 
Will we tell folks who have done everything right but are still struggling to get by -- are we going to tell them, “tough luck, you’re on your own”?  Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that in this country we are strongest when we're all better off?  Who are we?  (Applause.)
 
Will we continue all the change we’ve begun, all the progress we’ve made?  Or are we going to just allow everything that we’ve fought for to just slip away?  What are we going to do?  But that is the choice we face.  That is the choice.  Those are the stakes.
 
And I want to make sure we’ve got help right here -- is she okay?  It’s hot.  That’s because we’re firing it up in here.  (Applause.)
 
But those are the stakes.  That’s what this is about.  And what I want to share with you all is I want you to know that your President knows this, too.  He knows what’s at stake.  He understands these issues because he’s lived them.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  And when she needed help, who stepped up?  It was his grandmother, waking up every morning before dawn to take that bus to that job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over for all those promotions, like so many people in our lives she never complained.  Right?  We know folks like that.  She just kept showing up, just kept doing her best.
 
So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  See, those are the experiences that have made him the man and, more importantly, the President he is today, and we are blessed to have him.  (Applause.)
 
And that is what I hear in his voice when he returns home after a long day traveling and he tells me about the people that he’s met.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night after the girls have gone to bed, and he’s poring over all those briefings and letters -- the thousands of letters that he gets.  The letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care.  The letter from the father struggling to pay his family’s bills.  The letter from far too many young people, young people with so much promise but too few opportunities.
 
And I hear the passion and determination in his voice.  He says, "You will not believe what folks are going through."  He says, "Michelle, this ain’t right.  We’ve got to fix this.  We have so much more work to do."  (Applause.)
 
See, what I want people to know about their President is that when it comes to the people he meets, Barack Obama has a memory like a steel trap.  He might not remember your name, but let me tell you, if he’s had a few minutes and a decent conversation, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart. 
 
And it is that that he carries with him every single day.  It is our collection of struggles and hopes, and it’s our dreams that he carries with him.  That is where your President gets his passion.  That is where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that is why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal.  (Applause.)  He sees it down there.  He never, never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.  He just keeps moving forward.  (Applause.)  See, because the thing that you have to know about a President is, does he have a vision?  And Barack Obama has a vision for this country.  And it is a vision that we all share. 
 
But I have said this before; I said this when I was here before, and I will say it again -- he cannot do this alone.  That was never the promise.  He cannot do this alone.  He needs your help.  He needs you fired up and focused -- (applause) -- to make those calls.  More importantly, young people, register those voters.  Get registered.  (Applause.)  He needs you to take those “I’m In” cards -- you got them, those "I’m In" cards? -- sign them.  Sign up your friends.  Sign up your neighbors.  Sign up your colleagues.  It is so important to convince everyone you know to just give a little part of their lives each week to this cause, to this campaign.
 
Because we all know that this isn’t just about one extraordinary man -- although I love my husband and I think he is pretty amazing.  So I’m a little biased.  I’m just a little biased.  (Applause.)
 
This is really about all of us.  It’s about us.  It’s about us coming together for the values we believe in and the country that we want to be.  Now, I’m not going to kid you either, this journey is going to be long.  It is going to be hard and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But the truth is, that is how change always happens in this country.  It truly is.  (Applause.)  The reality is that change is slow, that real change never happens all at once.  But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, then eventually we will get there.  We always do.  In this country, we always do -- maybe not in our lifetimes -- maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes. 
 
See, because in the end, that is what this is all about.  In the end, we are not fighting these battles for ourselves.  We’re fighting them for our sons and our daughters.  We’re fighting them for our grandsons and our granddaughters.  We are fighting for the world we want to leave for them.  It’s about the children.  It’s not about us.  (Applause.)
 
And believe me, I am in this fight not just as a mother that wants to leave a legacy for my girls.  I am in this as a citizen who knows what we can do together to change this country for the better.  I know it.  I know it.  (Applause.)  Because the truth is, no matter what happens, my girls will be okay.  See, my girls are blessed.  They have plenty of advantages and opportunities, and that is probably true for many of your children as well.
 
But I think that the last few years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said -- that if any child  -- if any child is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if he is not our son, even if she is not our daughter.  (Applause.)  If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our family’s own good fortune.  That is not who we are.  In the end, we cannot separate our own story from the broader American story.  We can’t do that, because we know that in this country we rise and we fall together.  (Applause.)
 
And we know that if we make the right choices and have the right priorities, we can ensure that everyone gets a fair shake, everyone has a chance to get ahead.  That is what’s at stake.
 
So let me tell you, it is time for us to get to work.  Are you all ready to work?  (Applause.)  It is time for us to get up and get moving. 
 
So I've got one last question for you:  Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I can’t hear you.  Are you in?  Let me hear you.  (Applause.)  I am so in.  We have to be fired up.  We’re going to need you working every single day.
 
God bless you all.  Thank you for what you have done for us.  Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.  God bless.  (Applause.)      

END
5:54 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Private Residence, Coral Gables, FL

Private Residence
Coral Gables, Florida

5:35 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Well, good afternoon, everybody. What a spectacular setting and a beautiful evening.  I want to thank Chris and Irene and the whole Korge family.  You guys have been great friends for a really long time.  So please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

You have one of the finest senators in the country, Bill Nelson.  I expect you to send him back to Washington.  (Applause.) Plus he's an astronaut.  I always say this.  (Laughter.)  You know, there are a lot of folks who are senators; there aren’t that many astronauts.  So we are so proud of him.  And what can I say about Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  She is tireless.  She is smart.  And she is just fearless.  And so we could not have a better person to help lead the party.  (Applause.)

And to so many of you who have been supportive for so long, all the people that Chris mentioned, but a lot of folks who are here who have worked tirelessly not only on behalf of my campaign, but on behalf of good causes here in Florida and around the country -- I am grateful to all of you.

I just noticed, by the way, we've got one other person that needs to be acknowledged because some of you will be spending some time with him in September, and that is the Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, our host for the Democratic National Convention, Anthony Foxx is in the house.  (Applause.)

Now, in settings like this where I'm among friends I try to not speak long at the top because I want to spend most of my time in a conversation with you, in answering questions and getting ideas and comments from you.  And part of the reason I don't have to speak long at the top is because Chris stole a bunch of my lines.  (Laughter.) 

Think about where we were in 2008.  And sometimes people forget.  The stock market was in a freefall.  We were losing 750,000 jobs a month.  The bottom had fallen off of the housing market.  The entire financial system was locked up.  Blue-chip companies couldn't borrow money.  And people weren't certain whether we were going to spiral into a Great Depression.

Three years later, instead of losing 750,000 jobs a month, we created 250,000 last month.  (Applause.)  Over the last two years, we've created 3.7 million jobs in the private sector.  And we've actually seen manufacturing job growth for the first time since the 1990s.  So the economy is moving in the right direction.  We've got some headwinds -- Europe is still weak, gas prices are a huge burden on families.  But overall, considering where we were and where we could have been, I think most Americans recognize that things have stabilized and we're moving in a better direction.

The challenge we have is we don't want to just get back to where we were -- because part of what led me to run in the first place was the recognition that for too many families, the middle-class idea, the American Dream was slipping away.  Wages were stagnant.  A few of us were doing very well, including most of us who are here today.  But there were a whole bunch of folks who were having trouble just hanging on to their home, hanging on to the idea of sending their kids to college; and those who wanted to get in the middle class, who wanted to follow the same path that so many of our families, our parents, our grandparents followed -- working hard, playing by the rules, dreaming big dreams -- those ladders were being taken away from too many people.

So what we've done, even as we focused on the economy, was also to say, what are those ingredients that are going to make sure that America has an economy that's built to last over the long term?  And that means resuscitating -- reviving American manufacturing, which is why I am so proud of what's happened in the auto industry because it's an example of what can happen in manufacturing across the board.  (Applause.)  We had some folks who said let's let that die.  Instead, GM is back to number one, seeing the greatest profits that it's seen in its history; hired back tens of thousands of workers.  And that's true across the U.S. auto industry.

We said that we've got to start developing American energy. We've doubled clean energy since I've been President.  And even as we've increased production of oil, we've recognized we've got to transition so that our kids and our grandkids are able to enjoy not only economic growth and not be dependent on what's happening in the Middle East or someplace else, but also we're able to protect the planet. 

We said that we’ve got to focus on American skills and education.  And we now have 40 states that have initiated reforms because of what we did.  And college is more accessible to more young people -- millions of young people -- because of policies that we put forward. 

And at the same time we said we’ve got to make sure that America is fair, that everybody gets a fair shot -- which means that you don’t have to worry about who you love to serve the country that you love, and we ended "don't ask, don't tell."  (Applause.)  It means that the first bill I signed into law said equal pay for equal work.  I want my daughters paid the same as your sons when they get a job. 

And it means that we have a tax system that encourages economic growth, that helps to bring down our deficit, that pays for the investments that we need, and says folks like me can afford to do a little bit more -- that it doesn’t make sense to give me tax breaks I don’t need if it means making some senior citizen pay more for her Medicare, or making a student pay more for their student load, or a veteran maybe doesn’t get the kind of help that they need coming home and they’ve got Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Internationally, I promised to end one war; it's ended.  (Applause.)  We’re transitioning to end another one.  We’ve restored respect for the United States around the world.  And don’t take my word for it -- if any of you do international business, they will tell you that the attitude about America is fundamentally different now than it was when we first took office.  And that makes us safer.  And we’ve been able to do that without lessening the pressure -- in fact, increasing the pressure -- on those who carried out 9/11 and threatened to do us the most harm, which is why al Qaeda is on the ropes and bin Laden is no more.  (Applause.)

So we’ve got a good story to tell about the last three years but I’m not done yet.  I need five more years.  (Applause.)  We need five more years to reform an immigration system that doesn’t work and make sure that we are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.  We need five more years because we still have to implement energy policies that work for everybody.  And that means continuing to push on clean energy and energy efficiency. 

I was over at the University of Miami, where these amazing engineering students are helping businesses right now save millions of dollars just by making their physical plants and equipment more energy-efficient. 

That’s more work to do.  We’ve got to follow through and implement health care reform legislation so that 30 million people have health insurance who wouldn’t otherwise have it.  And to make sure that 2.5 million young people who already have health care because of that health care bill -- because they can stay on their parent's health insurance -- that they don’t lose it. 

We’re going to have to make sure that we effectively implement Wall Street reform.  I want our financial sector to be the most vibrant in the world, but I also want it to not engage in the kind of recklessness that may lead to another big bailout. We can’t afford it. 

And we’re going to have to continue to invest in our infrastructure -- the Port of Miami -- all across the country -- roads, bridges, airports, school buildings, science labs. 

There’s so much more that we’ve got to do, and I’m only going to be able to do it because of you.  You are going to have to send back Bill Nelson.  (Applause.)  You’re going to have to elect Mr. Murphy.  We’re going to need strong partners in Congress but -- well, Debbie is probably -- I don’t know what are you, 30 in the polls?  (Laughter.)   

But the most important thing I’m going to need is all of you sustaining that same sense of hope and vision for the future that led you to get involved in that campaign back in 2008.  And if you do that, we can’t lose.  Because the American people, they have deep in their core, deep in their gut, a belief that we are all in this together, that we look out for one another, that our country is at its best when everybody, regardless of what you look like, where you come from, what your last name is, what your sexual orientation is -- regardless of who you are, you deserve a fair shot in life. 

That’s what America is about.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s what this election is going to be about.  And that’s why I’m grateful for your help.

Thanks, everybody.  (Applause.)  And thank you to the staff back there for all the great help.  I appreciate you.

END
5:47 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Biltmore Hotel
Coral Gables, Florida

4:03 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Miami! (Applause.) It is good to see all of you. Thank you so much. Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you.

First of all, I just want you to know that I am resentful I'm not going to the game tonight. (Laughter.) I am mad about that. It's not right. It's not fair. (Laughter.) But I wish you guys all the best.

I want to, first of all, acknowledge a couple of people who are in the audience. First of all, you just heard from somebody who I don't know where she gets her energy from -- (laughter) -- but is just doing a remarkable job as our DNC chair -- Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Give her a big round of applause. (Applause.) Your senior senator who I expect you will send back to Washington, Bill Nelson is in the house. (Applause.) And my great friend and Florida finance chair, Kirk Wager is here. (Applause.)

And of course, all of you are here. And this is a good-looking crowd. (Laughter.) You, especially. (Laughter.) You're all raising your hand -- "yeah, that's me." (Laughter.)

Miami, I am here today not just because I need your help, although I do. But I'm here because your country needs your help. There was a reason that so many of you got involved in the campaign back in 2008 -- and it wasn’t because Barack Obama was a sure thing in the campaign. When you're named Barack Hussein Obama the odds are not in your favor in any election campaign. (Laughter.) The reason you got involved was not because of me.

The reason you got involved was because we had a shared vision about what America could be, what America should be. We had an idea of a shared vision of an America in which everybody who works hard, everybody who has a vision of where they want to take their life, they can succeed. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter what you look like, doesn’t matter what your name is. That idea that if you worked hard and took responsibility, that you could buy a home, and send your kids to college, and retire with dignity and respect, put a little bit away -- that core American Dream felt like it was slipping away for too many people all across the country.

And we shared a vision in which we started making good decisions about energy and health care and education. And instead of trying to divide the country, we tried to bring it together -- and that we could assure that America for the next generation and generations to come. That's why you got involved, because of that shared vision we had for America.

Now, three years later, I'm a little grayer -- (laughter) -- I'm a little dinged up here and there. But the message I have for you is that, because of you, that change that you believed in has begun to happen. As tough as these last three years have been, think about everything that we've accomplished together.

Because of you, we averted a Great Depression. When I took office, 750,000 jobs were being lost every month. Last month we gained 250,000 jobs. We are moving the economy in the right direction. (Applause.) That's because of you.

Because of you, there are millions of people around the country who didn’t have health care and either already have health care or will soon have health care, and will never again have to think about going bankrupt just because they get sick. That happened because of you. (Applause.)

Because of you, we were able to take $60 billion that was going to subsidize banks in the student loan program, and we said why aren’t we sending that money directly to students? And as a consequence, we now have millions of young people all across the country who are getting higher Pell grants, or are eligible for Pell grants for the first time, or are seeing their student loan interest rates lower, have access to college and the keys to the American Dream. That happened because of you. (Applause.) That's what change is.

Change is the decision to rescue the American auto industry from collapse. (Applause.) You remember there were a lot of people who didn’t believe in that. Even when some politicians said we should just let Detroit go bankrupt, we stepped up. And as a consequence, probably a million jobs were saved, and the American auto industry has come roaring back, and GM is now once again the number-one automaker in the world. (Applause.) That happened because of you.

Change is the decision we made to start doing something about our oil addiction -- not waiting for Congress. And so, in a historic step even without legislation, we doubled fuel-efficiency standards on cars, applied them to light trucks, heavy trucks for the first time. It will save consumers billions of dollars. It will help our environment. It puts us at the forefront of the electric car industry, at the forefront of the clean-energy industry. That all happened because of you.

Because of you, people across the country are going to still be able to serve the country they love, regardless of whom they love -- "don't ask, don't tell" is history. That happened because of you. (Applause.)

Change is keeping another promise that I made back in 2008. For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. We have refocused our efforts on those who carried out 9/11. Al Qaeda is being dismantled and Osama bin Laden will never again walk the face of the Earth. And that happened because of you. (Applause.)

So a lot has happened in three years. And none of this has been easy. None of this was automatic. Oftentimes we face enormous opposition. And obviously we’re still recovering from the worst recession that we’ve had in our lifetimes. So we’ve got so much more work to do. But as I said, the good news is we’re moving in the right direction.

Over the last two years, the private sector has created about 3.7 million new jobs -- 3.7 million new jobs. (Applause.) Our manufacturers are creating jobs for the first time since the 1990s. Our economy is getting stronger. The recovery is accelerating. America is coming back -- which means the last thing we can afford to do is to go back to the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. (Applause.) That’s what we can’t afford. (Applause.)

Now, that’s what the other candidates want to do. I don’t know if you guys have been watching the Republican primary debates, in case you need an incentive. (Laughter.) They make no secret about what they want to do. They want to go back to the days when Wall Street played by its own rules. They want to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny you coverage or jack up your premiums without reason. They want to spend trillions more on tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals, for people like me, who don’t need it, weren’t even asking for it -- even if it means adding to the deficit, even if it means gutting our investments in education or clean energy, or making it harder for seniors on Medicare. Their philosophy is simple: We are better off when everybody is left to fend for themselves, everybody makes their own rules, a few do very well at the top and everybody else is struggling to get by. That’s their core vision for America.

We’ve got a different vision. We see America as a bigger, bolder place. I’m here to tell them they are wrong about America. Because in America, we understand, yes, we’re rugged individuals, yes, we don’t expect a handout, we are going to do everything we can to make it and fulfill our dreams -- but we also understand we are greater together than we are on our own. We’re better off when we keep that basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well, you can succeed, that you can own that home and send your kids to college and put away something for retirement.

And that’s the choice in this election. This is not just a political debate. This goes to who we are as a people, because we are in a make-or-break moment for the middle class and people who are trying to get in the middle class. We can go back to an economy that is built on outsourcing and bad debt and phony financial profits. Or we can build an economy that lasts. An economy that’s built on American manufacturing, skills and education for American workers, and American-made energy, and, most importantly, the values that have always made America great: Hard work, fair play, shared responsibility.

We’ve got to make sure that the next generation of manufacturing ideas take place right here in the United States of America. Not in factories in Europe or China, but in Detroit, and Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I don’t want this nation to be known just for buying and consuming things. I want us to be selling our products and making our products, inventing products, all around the world. That’s who we are. (Applause.) It’s time for us to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas. We need to reward companies that are investing and hiring right here in the United States of America. (Applause.)

We need to make our schools the envy of the world. And that starts with the man or woman at the front of the classroom. (Applause.) A study recently showed a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by $250,000. A great teacher can help a child escape poor circumstances and achieve their dreams.

So I don't want to hear folks in Washington bash teachers, I don't want them defending the status quo. I want to give schools the resources they need to keep good teachers on the job. Reward the best ones, give schools flexibility to teach with creativity, stop teaching to the test. (Applause.) Replace teachers who aren’t helping our kids. We can do those things. (Applause.) We got some teachers in the house. (Applause.)

When kids graduate, I want them to be able to afford to go to college. If they've been working hard, if they've gotten the grades to go to college, I don't want them to cut their dreams short because they don't think they can afford it.

Right now Americans owe more in tuition debt than they do in credit card debt. And that means Congress is going to have to stop the interest rates on student loans from going up. They're scheduled to go up in July right now. Colleges and universities are going to have to do their part. I've said to them -- and I've met with university and college presidents -- we're going to keep on helping students afford to go to college. You've got to do your job in terms of keeping tuition down, because taxpayers can't fund this stuff forever. Higher education can't be a luxury; it's an economic necessity, an economic imperative for every family in America. And they should be able to afford it. (Applause.)

An America built to last is one where we're supporting scientists and researchers trying to find the next breakthrough in clean energy, making sure that happens right here in the United States. You know, we've subsidized oil companies for a century. It's time to end a hundred years of subsidies for an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and make sure that we're doubling down on clean energy that's never been more promising -- solar power and wind power, biofuels. (Applause.) They can break our addiction to foreign oil, create jobs here in America. And it's good for our national security, it's good for our economy, it's good for your pocketbook.

We need to build our infrastructure. I'm a chauvinist. I want America to have the best stuff. I want us to have the best airports and the best roads and the best ports right here in Miami that can create more jobs. (Applause.)

So what I've said is, let's take the money we're no longer spending on war, let's use half of it to reduce the deficit, let's spend the other half to do some nation-building right here at home. (Applause.) Let's put folks to work.

And we've got to make sure that everybody is doing their fair share. Everybody needs a fair shot; everybody has got to play by the same set of rules; everybody has got to do their fair share.

And when it comes to paying for our government and making sure the investments are there so that future generations can succeed, everybody has got to do their part. Which is why I put forward the Buffett Rule: If you make more than a million dollars a year you should not pay a lower tax rate than your secretary. (Applause.) That's common sense. We've said if you make $250,000 a year or less, you don't need your taxes going up right now. But folks like me, we can afford to do a little bit more.

That's not class warfare. That's not envy. It has to do with simple math. If somebody like me gets a tax break that the country can't afford, then one of two things happen: Either the deficit goes up, which is irresponsible -- or we're taking it out of somebody else -- that student who is now suddenly having to pay a higher student loan rate, or that senior who's having to pay more for Medicare, or that veteran who's not getting the help they need after having served our country.

That's not right. That's not who we are. Everybody in this room, we are here, successful, because somebody down the road was not just thinking about themselves, they were taking responsibility for the country as a whole. They we're thinking about their future. The American story has never been about what we just do by ourselves; it's about what we do together. We're not going to win the race for new jobs and new businesses and middle-class security if we're responding to today's challenges with the same old, tired, worn-out, "you're on your own" economics that hasn’t worked.

What these other guys are peddling has not worked. It didn’t work in the decade before the Great Depression. It did not work in the decade before I became President. It will not work now. (Applause.)

And this is not just a matter of economics. Look, we all have a stake in everybody's success. If we attract an outstanding teacher by giving her the pay that she deserves and giving her the training that she needs, and she goes on to teach the next Steve Jobs, we all benefit. If we provide faster Internet service so that some storeowner in rural America suddenly can sell their products all around the world, or if we build a new bridge that saves a shipping company time and money, workers, consumers, all of us benefit. We all do better.

This has never been a Democratic or Republican idea. This is an American idea. It was the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, who launched a Transcontinental Railroad, the National Academy of Sciences, the first land-grant colleges, all in the middle of the Civil War. Think about that. I'm sure there were some folks at the time who were saying, "Why are we doing all that? I don't want to pay for that." But that laid the groundwork for a national economy.

A Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, called for a progressive income tax. Dwight Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System. Republicans supported FDR when he gave millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go to college on the G.I. Bill.

Everybody here has a similar story. I mean, think about Florida, think about Miami -- it’s a microcosm of the country, people from all over the world coming here, seeking opportunity. And the reason people came here, the reason people continue to come to America, is because there is a recognition that in America we will create the platform for people to succeed if they work hard. That’s what is at stake in this election.
 
And I have to tell you that that sense of common purpose that binds us together regardless of our backgrounds, that still exists today. It may not exist in Washington, but out in the country it’s there. You talk to folks on Main Streets, town hall meetings, you go to a VFW hall, you go to a coffee shop -- it’s there. You talk to the incredible members of our Armed Forces, the men and women in uniform -- it’s there. If you go to places of worship, that sense of a bond to something larger -- it’s there.

So our politics may be divided -- and, obviously, the media loves to portray conflict -- but most Americans, they understand that we’re in this together; that no matter who we are, where we come from -- whether you are black or white or Latino or Asian or Native American, gay, straight, disabled or not -- that we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. And that’s what’s at stake right now. That’s what we are fighting for. That’s what we’ve been fighting for, for the last three years.
 
And so the main message I have to all of you is, as tough as these last three years have been, that that vision you had that led you to get involved, you’re not alone in that vision.

I know the changes we fought for in 2008 sometimes hasn’t come as fast as we want it. There have been setbacks. There have been controversies. And with everything that’s happened in Washington, sometimes it’s tempting to believe that, well, maybe that change we hoped for isn’t completely possible. But remember what I said during the last campaign. People don’t remember. People have a revisionist history. They remember the time from Grant Park until the inauguration. They don’t remember how hard it was to get to Grant Park. (Laughter.)

But I told you then, I said real change, big change is hard and it’s going to take time. It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single President. Most of all, what it requires is individual citizens like you who are committed to keeping up the fight, to pushing and struggling and nudging the country so that it slowly inches closer and closer and closer to our highest ideals.
 
The other thing I told you in 2008 was I’m not a perfect man. If you hadn’t talked to Michelle -- (laughter) -- in the interest of full disclosure, I told you I’m not perfect and I won’t be a perfect President. But you know what I promised? I said I’d always tell you what I thought, I’d always tell you where I stood, and I’d wake up every single day fighting as hard as I can for you. (Applause.) I’ve kept that promise. I've kept that promise. (Applause.)
 
So if you’re willing to keep pushing with me, if you’re willing to keep struggling with me, if you’re continuing to reach out for that vision of America that we all share, I promise you change will come. (Applause.) If you are willing to get just as involved and engaged and motivated in 2012 as you were in 2008, I promise you we’re going to finish what we started. (Applause.) If you stick with me, if you press with me, we will remind the world once again just why it is that America is the greatest country on Earth.
 
Thank you, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.) Thank you. God bless America.
 
END
4:28 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at a DNC Event -- Cincinnati, OH

The Westin
Cincinnati, Ohio

1:38 P.M. EST
 
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you all so much. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today.
 
I have to start by thanking your fabulous mayor, Mayor Mallory, for that kind introduction, but more importantly, for his outstanding leadership and service on behalf of this city. He has done a phenomenal job. (Applause.) Absolutely. And he has been a supporter from the very beginning. So I am always excited to see him. And I got to meet his wonderful parents, too. You all did a good job raising this young man. (Laughter.) I hope mine turn out just the same. (Laughter.)
 
I also want to thank all of today’s hosts for their wonderful work to make this event such a success. So I want to give all our hosts a round of applause. It takes a lot of work to do this. So well done, well done. (Applause.) And I like the fact that you all are seated. Also, I expect you to be on your feet by the end of this, all fired up and ready to go. I like it. (Laughter.)
 
And finally, I have to thank all of you for your support and for joining us today. I know that there is a reason that you all are here. You’re here because you know that we stand at a fundamental crossroads for our country. And you’re here because you know that in less than a year from now -- time is ticking -- we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come. And you’re here because you know that choice won’t just affect all of us, but it's going to affect our children, it's going to affect our grandchildren, and it's going to affect the world that we leave for them long after we’re gone.
 
And truly, that is why I’m here today as well. That's why I'm in this. As First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling all across this magnificent country, and I get to meet folks from all different backgrounds and I get to hear what’s going on in their lives. And every day, I hear about how folks are trying to keep it together -- their struggles; their challenges; trying to pay the bills; trying to keep those businesses afloat. I hear about how folks are taking the extra shift, how people are working the extra job, how people are saving and sacrificing -- never spending a dime on themselves because they desperately want something better for their kids. It's happening all across this country.
 
And make no mistake about it, these struggles that people are going through, they are not new. For decades now, middle-class folks have been squeezed from all sides. The costs for things like gas and groceries and tuition have continued to rise, but people’s paychecks just haven’t kept up. So when this economic crisis hit, for far too many families the bottom completely fell out.
 
Now, over the last three years, your President has worked very hard to dig ourselves out of this mess. And there has been some real progress made. (Applause.) Absolutely -- real progress. We have had 23 straight months of private sector job growth -- (applause) -- and the unemployment rate is now the lowest it has been in nearly three years. (Applause.)
 
But with all that said, we still have a long way to go. And we’ve been working hard to rebuild our economy based on a vision that we all share -- the belief, as my husband says, that hard work should pay off; that responsibility should be rewarded; and that everyone should get a fair shot, right? They should do their fair share. They should play by the same rules.
 
Because these are basic American values. They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself. You know my story by now: My father was a blue-collar worker, city water plant. My family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago. And neither of my parents went to college, but let me tell you -- they worked, they saved, and they sacrificed, because they wanted something more for me and for my brother.
 
And more than anything else, that is what’s at stake. That's what's at stake -- the fundamental promise that no matter who you are, no matter how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself, and an even better life for your kids. And on just about every issue -- from health care to education to the economy -- that is the choice that we face. That's the choice.
 
For example, when we hear talk about the tax cuts for middle-class families; you hear about unemployment insurance for folks out of work -- see, that’s about whether people can heat their homes. That's about whether a family can put a hot meal on the table, or put gas in their car so that they can even look for work. It’s about whether folks can afford to own a home, send their kids to college, retire with a little dignity, a little security. It’s about whether people will have more money in their pockets, which means more money in our economy, which in turn means more jobs.
 
See, that’s what’s at stake. That's the choice that we face. If you think for a minute about what this administration has done to stand up for American consumers -- I’m talking about families getting hit with those hidden credit card fees, right? I’m talking about students -- our young people -- drowning in debt; seniors losing their home and savings because they were tricked into loans they couldn’t afford, couldn't even understand.
 
That’s why your President gave the new consumer watchdog just one simple mission -- and that is to protect folks from exactly these kinds of abuses. (Applause.) Because when you’ve worked hard and you’ve saved and you’ve followed the rules, your President believes that you shouldn’t lose it all to someone looking to make some easy money. See, that’s not fair. It’s not right. (Applause.) And Barack Obama is working to do something about it.
 
And then what about all that we’ve done together for our small businesses? See, these are the companies that create two-thirds of all new jobs each year -- two-thirds of our jobs in this country. (Applause.)
 
And when you’re talking about our small businesses, you’re talking about that mother who opens up a drycleaner down the street to provide for her kids; or about the family that’s been running that neighborhood diner for generations; or the veteran who launches a startup and pursues that American Dream that he fought so hard for. See, these are the folks who work themselves to the bone during the day, and they head home again, pore over the books late into the night, determined to make the numbers add up.
 
See, and for these folks, the small business tax cuts that this administration has passed, this means the difference between them hiring new employees or handing out pink slips. It’s the difference between keeping those doors open or closing up shop for good. That’s the choice that we face in this election. (Applause.)
 
And then there's the very first bill my husband signed into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work. (Applause.) The very first thing he did as President of the United States, and he did this because he knows what it means when women aren’t treated fairly in our workplaces. See, he watched his own grandmother -- a woman with just a high school education -- work her way up to become a vice president at a little community bank. And yes, she worked hard and she was good at her job, but like so many others, she hit that glass ceiling and she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- be promoted up the ladder ahead of her.
 
So believe me, Barack, for him, these issues are not abstract. This is not hypothetical. And he signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money to buy gas and groceries and put clothes on the backs of their children. He did this because when nearly two-thirds of our women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, women's success in this economy is the key to families' success in this economy. (Applause.)
 
And he did this because, as he put it, we believe that here in America, there are no second-class citizens in our workplace. That is what’s at stake. That's what’s at stake.
 
And as the mayor mentioned, let’s just talk for a minute about health care. Last year, we made history together by finally passing health reform. (Applause.) But now, there are some folks actually talking about repealing that reform. So today, what we must do is ask ourselves, are we going to stand by and let that happen?
 
AUDIENCE: No!
 
MRS. OBAMA: And since we passed this law, millions -- millions of seniors have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs. So are we going to take that away from our seniors, those savings? Are we going to take that away?
 
AUDIENCE: No!
 
MRS. OBAMA: Or will we make sure that our parents and our grandparents can afford to stay healthy in their golden years? What are we going to do? Are we going to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny our children coverage because they have preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, even asthma? Or will we stand up and say that in this country, no one should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can't afford a doctor? (Applause.) What are we going to do?
 
And when our kids get older and graduate from school, we know how hard it is for our young people to find jobs that provide insurance, right? That’s why, as part of health reform, kids can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old. (Applause.) And today, that is how 2.5 million of our young people are getting their coverage. That's exactly how they're getting their coverage. So are we going to take that away from those kids?
 
AUDIENCE: No!
 
MRS. OBAMA: Or will we say that we don’t want our sons and daughters going without health care when they’re starting out, trying to build families and careers of their own. But truly, that is the choice that we face.
 
And think, for a minute, about what has been done on education. I mean, think about all those investments to raise standards and reform our public schools. See, this is about improving the circumstances of millions of our children in this country. These are our kids -- kids sitting in crumbling classrooms, with so much promise; kids -- you know these kids. They could be anything they wanted if we just gave them a chance.
 
And then think about how your President has tripled investments for job training at community colleges. This is about hundreds of thousands of hard-working people who are determined to get the skills they need for a better job and for better wages. They're doing everything they're supposed to do. They're doing it all. They’re working full-time. They’re trying to raise their kids. And still they find time to get to class in the evening and to study late into the night, because they desperately want something better for their families.
 
See, and make no mistake about it, this kind of investment in our students, in our workers -- I mean, this will determine nothing less than the future of our economy. This is going to determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world. That is what is at stake. That is what is at stake. (Applause.)
 
And let’s not forget what it meant when my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- and for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court. (Applause.) And let us not forget the impact their decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -– on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and yes, love whomever we choose. That is what’s at stake. That is the choice we’re facing. (Applause.)
 
And finally, let’s not forget all this administration has done to keep our country safe and restore our standing in the world. (Applause.) Thanks to the brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror. (Applause.) As the mayor said, my husband kept his promise -- ended the war in Iraq, brought our troops home for the holidays. (Applause.)
 
And we’ve been working very hard to give our veterans and their families the education, the employment and the benefits that they have earned. (Applause.) And because my husband finally ended "don’t ask, don’t tell," never again will our troops have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love. That is what’s at stake. That's what's at stake. (Applause.)
 
So make no mistake about it, whether it’s health care or the economy, whether it’s education or foreign policy, the choice we make will determine nothing less than who we are as a country. And more importantly, who do we want to be? Who do we want to be?
 
Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to the few at the top? Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead, no matter who you are or how you started out?
 
I mean, who are we? Will we tell folks who’ve done everything right, but are struggling just a little bit to get by, are we going to tell them, "tough luck, you’re on your own"? Who are we? Or will we honor the fundamental American belief that this country is strongest when we’re all better off? Who are we? (Applause.)
 
Will we continue all the change we’ve begun and the progress we’ve made, or will we allow everything we’ve fought for to just slip away? Who are we? See, but that is the choice we face. Those are the stakes.
 
And believe me, Barack Obama knows this all too well. He understands these issues because he has lived them. He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills. And then when he -- she needed help, who stepped up? His grandmother, waking up every morning before dawn to take that bus to that job at the bank. And even though she was passed over for all those promotions, she never complained. She just kept on showing up, just kept doing her best. Sounds familiar, right?
 
See, so trust me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles. He knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential. Those are the experiences that have made him the man –- and more importantly, the President -- that he is today. And we are blessed to have him. (Applause.)
 
And that’s what I hear from my husband, in his voice, when he returns home from a long day traveling around the country. See, when he tells me about the people he’s met. And that’s what I see in those quiet moments late at night, after the girls have gone to bed, when he’s up poring over the briefings and the letters -- the thousands of letters he gets every day. The letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care. The letter from the father struggling to pay his family’s bills. The letter from far too many young people with so much promise but so few opportunities.
 
And I hear the passion and determination in his voice. He says, "You won’t believe what folks are going through." That’s what he tells me. He says, "Michelle, this is not right. We have got to fix this. We have so much more work to do."
 
See, and I share this with everyone about my husband. See, when it comes to the people he meets, Barack has a memory like a steel trap. It gets a little annoying every time I think about it. (Laughter.) He might not remember your name, but if he’s had a few minutes and a decent conversation with you, he will never forget your story. It becomes imprinted on his heart. And that is what he carries with him every single day –- it is our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams. That is where Barack gets his passion. That is where he gets his toughness and that fight. And that’s why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal. He sees it way down there. He never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise. (Applause.) He just keeps moving forward, day by day.
 
See, because the thing about your President is that he has a vision for this country. He’s got a vision. And it’s a vision that we all share.
 
But I have said this before; I’ve said it here in Cincinnati, I'm going to say it again: He cannot do this alone. That was never the promise. He cannot do this alone. He needs your help. He needs your help. (Applause.)
 
He needs you to make those calls, right, and get out there and register those voters. He needs you to take all those "I’m In" cards, right, sign them, get your friends to sign them -- your neighbors, your colleagues. Convince more and more people to join in giving just a little part of their lives each week to this campaign, because we all know that this has never been about just one extraordinary man -- never. Though I’ll admit I’m a little biased. (Laughter and applause.) But it is really about us. It’s about all of us coming together for the values that we believe in and the country we want to be.
 
Now, I am not going to kid you -- this journey is going to be long. It is going to be hard, and there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way. But the truth is, that’s how change always happens in this country. That’s how it always happens. The reality is that change is slow. Real change never happens all at once. But if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting that good fight, then eventually we get there. We always do. We always do. We always get there. Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, right; maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.
 
And in the end, that’s what this is all about. In the end, we are not fighting these battles for ourselves. We’re fighting them for our sons and our daughters. We’re fighting them for our grandsons and our granddaughters. We’re fighting for the world we want to leave for them. This is about them. (Applause.)
 
And I’m in this not just as a mother who wants to leave a legacy for my daughters. I’m in this as a citizen who knows what we can do together to change this country for the better. Because the truth is no matter what happens, my girls are going to be okay. They’re going to be fine. They’re blessed. My girls will have plenty of advantages and opportunities in their lives. And that’s probably true for many of your kids as well.
 
But I think that the last few years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said -- that if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she is not our daughter, even if he is not our son. It matters to us. If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortunes. Because in the end, we cannot separate our own story from the broader American story -- (applause) -- because in this country, we rise and we fall together. Together.
 
And we know that if we make the right choices and we have the right priorities, we can ensure that everyone -- everyone gets a fair shake and everyone has a chance to get ahead. That is what’s at stake.
 
So it is time for us to get moving, right? It is time for us to get to work. (Applause.) We don’t have time to worry and -- we've got to move, right?
 
So I’ve got one final question: I need to know, Cincinnati, are you in?
 
AUDIENCE: Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA: Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE: Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA: I need to know, are you really in?
 
AUDIENCE: Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA: See, because I am so in this. I am going to work so hard over the next few months, but I need you in this and right by our side, working every step of the way. (Applause.) We need to make this happen. There is too much at stake for ourselves, for our children, and for our country.
 
You all, thank you so much and God bless. (Applause.)
 
END
2:03 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the President on Energy

University of Miami
Miami, Florida

2:26 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Miami!  (Applause.)  The U!   (Applause.)  It is good to see all of you here today.  (Applause.)  

I want to thank Erica for that outstanding introduction.  She said her parents were tweeting.  (Laughter.)  We’re so proud of you, Erica. 

I also want to thank your president, this country’s former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala.  (Applause.)  Senator Bill Nelson is here.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  Former astronaut -- that’s too cool.  (Laughter.)  And my outstanding friend, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is in the house.  (Applause.)
 
It is good to be back in sunny Florida.  (Applause.)  I must say I don’t know how you guys go to class.  (Laughter.)  I’m assuming you do go to class.  (Laughter.)  It’s just too nice outside.  But in another life, I would be staying for the Knicks-Heat game tonight -- (applause) -- then go up to Orlando for NBA All-Star Weekend.  (Applause.)  But these days, I’ve got a few other things on my plate.  (Laughter.)  Just a few.
  
I just got a fascinating demonstration of the work that some of you are doing at the College of Engineering.  (Applause.)  And let me say at the outset, we need more engineers.  So I could not be prouder of those of you who are studying engineering. 

It was fascinating stuff.  I understood about 10 percent of what they told me.  (Laughter.)  But it was very impressive.  (Laughter.)  And the work couldn’t be more important, because what they were doing was figuring out how our buildings, our manufacturers, our businesses can waste less energy.  And that’s one of the fastest, easiest ways to reduce our dependence on oil, and save a lot of money in the process and make our economy stronger.

So some cutting-edge stuff is being done right here at the U.  (Applause.)  Now, that’s what I’m here to talk about today.  In the State of the Union, I laid out three areas where we need to focus if we want to build an economy that lasts and is good for the next generation, all of you.  (Applause.)  We need new American manufacturing.  We’ve got to have new skills and education for America’s workers, and we need new sources of American-made energy.

Now, right now we are experiencing just another painful reminder of why developing new energy is so critical to our future.  Just like last year, gas prices are climbing across the country.  This time, it’s happening even earlier.  And when gas prices go up, it hurts everybody -- everybody who owns a car, everybody who owns a business.  It means you’ve got to stretch a paycheck even further.  It means you’ve got to find even more room in a budget that was already really tight.  And some folks have no choice but to drive a long way to work, and high gas prices are like a tax straight out of your paycheck.

I got a letter last night -- I get these letters, 10 letters every night that I read out of the 40,000 that are sent to me.  And at least two of them said, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep my job if gas prices keep on going up so high, because it’s just hard to manage the budget and fill up the tank.  A lot of folks are going through tough times as a consequence.
 
Now, some politicians they see this as a political opportunity.  I know you’re shocked by that.  (Laughter.)  Last week, the lead story in one newspaper said, “Gasoline prices are on the rise and Republicans are licking their chops.”  (Laughter.)  That’s a quote.  That was the lead.  "Licking their chops."  Only in politics do people root for bad news, do they greet bad news so enthusiastically.  You pay more; they’re licking their chops. 

You can bet that since it’s an election year, they’re already dusting off their 3-point plan for $2 gas.  And I’ll save you the suspense.  Step one is to drill and step two is to drill. And then step three is to keep drilling.  (Laughter.)  We heard the same line in 2007 when I was running for President.  We hear the same thing every year.  We’ve heard the same thing for 30 years. 

Well, the American people aren’t stupid.  They know that’s not a plan, especially since we’re already drilling.  That’s a bumper sticker.  It’s not a strategy to solve our energy challenge.  (Applause.)  That’s a strategy to get politicians through an election.

You know there are no quick fixes to this problem.  You know we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices.  If we’re going to take control of our energy future and can start avoiding these annual gas price spikes that happen every year -- when the economy starts getting better, world demand starts increasing, turmoil in the Middle East or some other parts of the world -- if we’re going to avoid being at the mercy of these world events, we’ve got to have a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.  Yes, oil and gas, but also wind and solar and nuclear and biofuels, and more. (Applause.)

We need to keep developing the technology that allows us to use less oil in our cars and trucks, less energy for our buildings and our plants and our factories -- that’s the strategy we’re pursuing.  And that’s the only real solution to this challenge.

Now, it starts with the need for safe, responsible oil production here in America.  We’re not going to transition out of oil anytime soon.  And that’s why under my administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years.  That’s why we have a record number of oilrigs operating right now -- more working oil and gas rigs than the rest of the world combined. 

Over the last three years my administration has approved dozens of new pipelines, including from Canada.  And we’ve opened millions of acres for oil and gas exploration.  All told we plan to make available more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico.

Last week, we announced the next steps towards further energy exploration in the Arctic.  Earlier this week, we joined Mexico in an agreement that will make more than 1.5 million acres in the Gulf available for exploration and production, which contains an estimated 172 million barrels of oil and 304 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

So we’re focused on production.  That's not the issue.  And we’ll keep on producing more homegrown energy.  But here’s the thing -- it’s not enough.  The amount of oil that we drill at home doesn’t set the price of gas by itself.  The oil market is global; oil is bought and sold in a world market.  And just like last year, the single biggest thing that’s causing the price of oil to spike right now is instability in the Middle East -– this time around Iran.  When uncertainty increases, speculative trading on Wall Street increases, and that drives prices up even more. 

So those are the biggest short-term factors at work here. 
Over the long term, the biggest reason oil prices will probably keep going up is growing demand in countries like China and India and Brazil.  I want you to all think about this.  In five years, the number of cars on the road in China more than tripled -- just in the last five years.  Nearly 10 million cars were added in China in 2010 alone -- 10 million cars in one year in one country.  Think about how much oil that requires.  And as folks in China and India and Brazil, they aspire to buy a car just like Americans do, those numbers are only going to get bigger. 

So what does this mean for us?  It means that anybody who tells you that we can drill our way out of this problem doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or just isn’t telling you the truth.  (Applause.) 

And young people especially understand this, because I think -- it's interesting, when I talk to Malia and Sasha -- you guys are so much more aware than I was of conserving our natural resources and thinking about the planet.  The United States consumes more than a fifth of the world’s oil -- more than 20 percent of the world's oil -- just us.  We only have 2 percent of the world's oil reserves.  We consume 20; we've got 2. 

And that means we can’t just rely on fossil fuels from the last century.  We can’t just allow ourselves to be held hostage to the ups and downs of the world oil market.  We've got to keep developing new sources of energy.  We've got to develop new technology that helps us use less energy, and use energy smarter. We've got to rely on American know-how and young engineers right here at the U who are focused on energy.  (Applause.)  That is our future.  And that’s exactly the path that my administration has been trying to take these past three years. 

And we’re making progress.  That's the good news.  In 2010, our dependence on foreign oil was under 50 percent for the first time in over a decade.  We were less reliant on foreign oil than we had been.  In 2011, the United States relied less on foreign oil than in any of the last 16 years.  That's the good news.  And because of the investments we’ve made, the use of clean, renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled -– and thousands of American jobs have been created as a consequence. 

We’re taking every possible action to develop, safely, a near hundred-year supply of natural gas in this country -- something that experts believe will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.  We supported the first new nuclear power plant in three decades.  Our cooperation with the private sector has positioned this country to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries that will power the next generation of American cars -- that use less oil; maybe don't use any oil at all. 

And after three decades of inaction, we put in place the toughest fuel economy standards in history for our cars and pickup trucks -– and the first standards ever for heavy-duty trucks.  And because we did this, our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon by the middle of the next decade.  That's nearly double what they get today.  (Applause.) 

Now, I remember what it was like being a student.  You guys probably have one of those old beaters.  Who knows what kind of mileage you guys get.  (Laughter.)  I can tell you some stories about the cars I had.  I bought one for $500.  (Applause.)  But by the middle of the next decade, you guys are going to be buying some new cars -- hopefully sooner than that.  And that means you’ll be able to fill up your car every two weeks instead of every week -– something that, over time, will save the typical family more than $8,000 at the pump. 

And it means this country will reduce our oil consumption by more than 2 million barrels a day.  That's not only good for your pocketbook, that's good for the environment.  (Applause.)

All right, but here's the thing -- we've got to do more.  We've got to act even faster.  We have to keep investing in the development of every available source of American-made energy.  And this is a question of where our priorities are.  This is a choice that we face.

First of all, while there are no silver bullets short term when it comes to gas prices -- and anybody who says otherwise isn't telling the truth -- I have directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers in the months ahead, from permitting to delivery bottlenecks to what’s going on in the oil markets.  We're going to look at every single aspect of gas prices, because we know the burden that it's putting on consumers.  And we will keep taking as many steps as we can in the coming weeks. 

That's short term.  But over the long term, an all-of-the-above energy strategy requires us having the right priorities.  We've got to have the right incentives in place.  I'll give you an example.  Right now, $4 billion of your tax dollars subsidize the oil industry every year -- $4 billion.  They don't need a subsidy.  They're making near-record profits.  These are the same oil companies that have been making record profits off the money you spend at the pump for several years now.  How do they deserve another $4 billion from taxpayers and subsidies? 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Preach it, Mr. President!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s outrageous.  It’s inexcusable.  (Applause.)  And every politician who’s been fighting to keep those subsidies in place should explain to the American people why the oil industry needs more of their money -- especially at a time like this.  (Applause.)  

I said this at the State of the Union -- a century of subsidies to the oil companies is long enough.  (Applause.)  It’s time to end taxpayer giveaways to an industry that has never been more profitable; double down on clean energy industries that have never been more promising -- that's what we need to do.  (Applause.)  This Congress needs to renew the clean energy tax credits that will lead to more jobs and less dependence on foreign oil. 

The potential of a sustained, all-of-the-above energy strategy is all around us.  Here in Miami, 2008, Miami became the first major American city to power its city hall entirely with solar and renewable energy.  Right here in Miami.  (Applause.)  The modernization of your power grid so that it wastes less energy is one of the largest projects of its kind in the country. On a typical day, the wind turbine at the Miami-Dade Museum can meet about 10 percent of the energy needs in a South Florida home, and the largest wind producer in the country is over at Juno Beach.  Right here at this university, your work is helping manufacturers save millions of dollars in energy bills by making their facilities more energy efficient.  (Applause.)

So a lot of work is already being done right here, just in this area.  And the role of the federal government isn’t to supplant this work, take over this work, direct this research.  It is to support these discoveries.  Our job is to help outstanding work that’s being done in universities, in labs, and to help businesses get new energy ideas off the ground -- because it was public dollars, public research dollars, that over the years helped develop the technologies that companies are right now using to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock. 

The payoff on these public investments, they don’t always come right away, and some technologies don’t pan out, and some companies will fail.  But as long as I’m President, I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.  Your future is too important.  I will not -- (applause) -- I will not cede, I will not give up, I will not cede the wind or the solar or the battery industry to China or Germany because some politicians in Washington have refused to make the same commitment here in America. 

With or without this Congress, I will continue to do whatever I can to develop every source of American energy so our future isn’t controlled by events on the other side of the world. (Applause.)

Today we’re taking a step that will make it easier for companies to save money by investing in energy solutions that have been proven here in the University of Miami -- new lighting systems, advanced heating and cooling systems that can lower a company's energy bills and make them more competitive. 

We’re launching a program that will bring together the nation’s best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to figure out how more cars can be powered by natural gas, a fuel that’s cleaner and cheaper and more abundant than oil.  We’ve got more of that.  We don’t have to import it.  We may be exporting it soon. 

We’re making new investments in the development of gasoline and diesel and jet fuel that’s actually made from a plant-like substance -- algae.  You’ve got a bunch of algae out here, right? (Laughter.)  If we can figure out how to make energy out of that, we’ll be doing all right. 

Believe it or not, we could replace up to 17 percent of the oil we import for transportation with this fuel that we can grow right here in the United States.  And that means greater energy security.  That means lower costs.  It means more jobs.  It means a stronger economy. 

Now, none of the steps that I’ve talked about today is going to be a silver bullet.  It’s not going to bring down gas prices tomorrow.  Remember, if anybody says they got a plan for that -- what?

AUDIENCE:  They're lying. 

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m just saying.  (Applause.)  We’re not going to, overnight, solve the problem of world oil markets.  There is no silver bullet.  There never has been. 

And part of the problem is, is when politicians pretend that there is, then we put off making the tough choices to develop new energy sources and become more energy efficient.  We got to stop doing that.  We don't have the luxury of pretending.  We got to look at the facts, look at the science, figure out what we need to do.

We may not have a silver bullet, but we do have in this country limitless sources of energy, a boundless supply of ingenuity, huge imagination, amazing young people like you -- (applause) -- all of which can put -- all of which we can put to work to develop this new energy source. 

Now, it’s the easiest thing in the world to make phony election-year promises about lower gas prices.  What’s harder is to make a serious, sustained commitment to tackle a problem.  (Applause.)  And it won’t be solved in one year; it won’t be solved in one term; it may not be completely solved in one decade.  But that’s the kind of commitment we need right now.  That’s what this moment requires. 

So I need all of you to keep at it.  I need you guys to work hard.  I need you guys to dream big.  I need those of you who are a lot smarter than me to figure out how we’re going to be able to tap into new energy sources.  We’ve got to summon the spirit of optimism and that willingness to tackle tough problems that led previous generations to meet the challenges of their times -– to power a nation from coast to coast, to send a man to the moon, to connect an entire world with our own science and our own imagination. 

That’s what America is capable of.  That's what this country is about.  And that history teaches us that whatever our challenges -– all of them -– whatever, whatever we face, we always have the power to solve them. 

This is going to be one of the major challenges for your generation.  Solving it is going to take time; it’s going to take effort.  It’s going to require our brightest scientists, our most creative companies.  But it’s going to also require all of us as citizens -- Democrats, Republicans, everybody in between –- all of us are going to have to do our part.

If we do, the solution is within our reach.  And I know we can do it.  We have done it before.  And when we do, we will remind the world once again just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth.  (Applause.)  

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

END  
2:49 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2012

Remarks by the President During Walking Tour of Industrial Assessment Center -- University of Miami

Miami, Florida

1:55 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  This is for background because you guys just came in.  What this facility does is teach these outstanding young engineers how to do energy assessments for manufacturers, industrial buildings across the board.  And so far they have -- how many?  Two hundred assessments, saving these companies up to 25 percent in their energy usage.  And that's going to end up saving them millions of dollars.

So it's a great example of how people are being trained right now to make our businesses more energy-efficient all across the country.

All right.

END
1:56 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2012

Remarks by the President at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Mall

11:21 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much. Thank you so much.  Please, have a seat.  Thank you very much.  Well, good morning, everybody.

AUDIENCE:  Good morning.

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to thank France for that introduction and for her leadership at the Smithsonian.  I want to thank everybody who helped to make this day happen.  I want to thank Laura Bush; Secretary Salazar; Sam Brownback; my hero, Congressman John Lewis; Wayne Clough, and everybody who's worked so hard to make this possible. 

I am so proud of Lonnie Bunch, who came here from Chicago, I want to point out.  (Laughter and applause.)  I remember having a conversation with him about this job when he was planning to embark on this extraordinary journey.  And we could not be prouder of the work that he has done to help make this day possible.

I promise to do my part by being brief. 

As others have mentioned, this day has been a long time coming.  The idea for a museum dedicated to African Americans was first put forward by black veterans of the Civil War.  And years later, the call was picked up by members of the civil rights generation -– by men and women who knew how to fight for what was right and strive for what is just.  This is their day.  This is your day.  It’s an honor to be here to see the fruit of your labor.

It’s also fitting that this museum has found a home on the National Mall.  As has been mentioned, it was on this ground long ago that lives were once traded, where hundreds of thousands once marched for jobs and for freedom.  It was here that the pillars of our democracy were built, often by black hands.  And it is on this spot –- alongside the monuments to those who gave birth to this nation, and those who worked so hard to perfect it –- that generations will remember the sometimes difficult, often inspirational, but always central role that African Americans have played in the life of our country. 

This museum will celebrate that history.  Because just as the memories of our earliest days have been confined to dusty letters and faded pictures, the time will come when few people remember drinking from a colored water fountain, or boarding a segregated bus, or hearing in person Dr. King's voice boom down from the Lincoln Memorial.  That’s why what we build here won't just be an achievement for our time, it will be a monument for all time.  It will do more than simply keep those memories alive.

Just like the Air and Space Museum challenges us to set our sights higher, or the Natural History Museum encourages us to look closer, or the Holocaust Museum calls us to fight persecution wherever we find it, this museum should inspire us as well.  It should stand as proof that the most important things in life rarely come quickly or easily.  It should remind us that although we have yet to reach the mountaintop, we cannot stop climbing.

And that’s why, in moments like this, I think about Malia and Sasha.  I think about my daughters and I think about your children, the millions of visitors who will stand where we stand long after we're gone.  And I think about what I want them to experience.  I think about what I want them to take away.

When our children look at Harriet Tubman's shawl or Nat Turner's bible or the plane flown by Tuskegee Airmen, I don’t want them to be seen as figures somehow larger than life.  I want them to see how ordinary Americans could do extraordinary things; how men and women just like them had the courage and determination to right a wrong, to make it right. 

I want my daughters to see the shackles that bound slaves on their voyage across the ocean and the shards of glass that flew from the 16th Street Baptist church, and understand that injustice and evil exist in the world.  But I also want them to hear Louis Armstrong’s horn and learn about the Negro League and read the poems of Phyllis Wheatley.  And I want them to appreciate this museum not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life.

When future generations hear these songs of pain and progress and struggle and sacrifice, I hope they will not think of them as somehow separate from the larger American story.  I want them to see it as central -- an important part of our shared story.  A call to see ourselves in one another.  A call to remember that each of us is made in God’s image.  That’s the history we will preserve within these walls.  The history of a people who, in the words of Dr. King, “injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization.” 

May we remember their stories.  May we live up to their example.  Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END              
11:28 A.M. EST

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at Women in Technology Event -- Washington, D.C.

Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.

1:34 P.M. EST
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  Rest yourselves.  Rest yourselves.  That was a great picture.  I love that.  Class photo.  (Laughter.)  It was awesome.  I've never seen 250 people get absolutely quiet -- snap of a finger.  (Laughter.)  It's wonderful.  It is a pleasure and truly an honor to be here with all of you.
 
I'm going to start by thanking Kathy, not just for that very kind introduction but for all the work that she's done, as well as all of the other co-chairs for making this event a tremendous success.  We have to give them all a round of applause for just an amazing job.  (Applause.) 
 
And I also want to thank Senator Gillibrand, who has been just an amazing friend, supporter, Senator, fighter, worker.  And she's gorgeous, and gets the job done.  (Applause.)  Absolutely.
 
And we have my dear friend, Melody Barnes, who is here.  And she looks fabulous because she's out of the White House.  (Laughter.)  She's rested and all that -- barely recognized her.  So that's what it looks like when you get some sleep?  (Laughter.)  But let's give Melody a round of applause as well.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you -- all of you for your support and for joining us today.  And I know that there's a reason why you all are all here, and it's not just to get a picture.  It was a good picture, but it's not just about the picture.
 
You're here because you know that we stand at a fundamental crossroads for our country.  You're here because you know that in less than a year from now -- time is ticking away -- we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.  And you're here because you know that that choice won't just affect all of us, but, more importantly, it's going to affect our children, it's going to affect our grandchildren, and it's going to affect the world that we leave for them long after we're gone.
 
And truly, that is why I'm here today.  That's why I'm going to be everywhere, all over this country over the next several months.  Because, as First Lady, I have had the -- what has been a privilege of traveling all across this wonderful country, meeting folks from all different backgrounds and hearing what's going on in their lives.  And every single day, I hear about how people are struggling to keep it together -- the bills they're trying to pay, the businesses they're trying to keep afloat.  I hear about how they're taking that extra shift, how they're working that extra job, how they're saving and sacrificing, never spending a dime on themselves because they desperately want something better for their kids.  That's what I hear. 
 
And make no mistake about it, these struggles are not new -- not at all.  For decades now, middle-class folks have been squeezed from all sides.  The costs for things like gas and groceries and tuition have continued to rise, but people's paychecks just haven't kept up.  So when the economic crisis hit, for far too many families the bottom just fell out.  Just fell out.
 
Now, fortunately, over the past three years, we have had a President who has worked very hard to dig ourselves out of this mess.  (Applause.)  And a lot of important progress has been made.  We have had 23 straight months of private sector job growth; the unemployment rate is now the lowest it's been in nearly three years.  (Applause.)  That's all good news. 
 
But we know that we still have a long way to go.  And we've been working hard -- this President has been working hard to rebuild our economy based on a vision that we all share -- the belief, as my husband says, that hard work should pay off; that responsibility should be rewarded; and that everyone should get a fair shot, right?  Do their fair share, and play by the same rules. 
 
See, these are basic American values.  They're the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  I mean, you all know my story -- my father was a blue-collar worker, city plant.  My family lived in a small apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  Neither of my parents attended college, but they worked, and they saved, and they sacrificed everything -- everything -- because they wanted something more for me and my brother.
 
And more than anything else, that is what's at stake.  That's what's at stake in this election.  The fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourself, and an even better life for your kids.
 
And on just about every issue -- from health care to education to the economy -- that is the choice that we face.  That's the choice.  For example, when you hear all the talk about tax cuts for middle-class families, or you hear about unemployment insurance for folks out of work, that's about whether people can heat their homes, right?  Or put a hot meal on their table, or put gas in their car so that they can even look for work -- that's what that's about.  It's about whether folks can afford to own a home, send their kids to college, retire with a little dignity, a little security.  It's about whether people will have more money in their pockets, which means more money in our economy, which means more jobs.  That's what's at stake.  That's the choice that we face. 
 
And think for just a minute about what this administration has done to stand up for the American consumer.  I'm talking about families getting hit with those hidden credit card fees.  I'm talking about our students drowning in debt, our seniors losing their homes and their savings because they were tricked into loans they couldn't afford.
 
And that's why my husband created a new consumer watchdog with just one simple mission, and that is to protect folks from exactly these kinds of abuses.  (Applause.)  Because when you've worked and you've saved and you've followed the rules, you shouldn't lose it all to someone just looking to make some easy money.  See, that's not fair.  It's not right.  And your President is working hard to do something about it.
 
And what about all that we've done together for our small businesses?  The companies that create two-thirds of all new jobs each year -- two-thirds.  I'm talking about the mother who opens up that drycleaner down the street to help provide for her kids.  Or the family that runs that neighborhood diner -- run it for generations.  Or the veteran who launches a startup and pursues the American Dream he fought so hard for.  See, these are the folks who work themselves to the bone during the day, then they head home and pore over the books late into the night, determined to make those numbers add up.
 
See, for these folks, the small business tax cuts that this administration has passed, this means the difference between those folks hiring new employees or handing out pink slips; it's the difference between them keeping their doors open or closing shop for good.  See, that is the choice we face.
 
And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law?  Talk about this every -- remember the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work?  (Applause.)  See, your President did this because he knows what it means when women aren't treated fairly in the workplace.  He watched his own grandmother -- woman with a high school education -- watched her work her way up to become a vice president at a little community bank.  And she worked hard; she was good at her job.  But like so many others, she hit that glass ceiling, and she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- be promoted up the ladder ahead of her.
 
So, believe me, for Barack this issue isn't abstract.  This isn't hypothetical.  And he signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap -- see, that can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money for gas and groceries and school clothes for their kids.  See, he did it because he knows that when nearly two-thirds of women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, that women's success in this economy is the key to families' success in this economy.  He knows that.  (Applause.)   
 
And he did it because, as he put it, we believe that here in America there are no second-class citizens in our workplace.
See, that's what's at stake in this election.  (Applause.) 
 
And let's talk for a minute about health care.  Yes.  See, last year, we made history together by finally passing health reform.  But now, there are some folks actually talking about repealing this reform.
 
And today, we have got to ask ourselves, are we going to stand by and let that happen? 
 
AUDIENCE:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Since we passed this law, millions of seniors have saved an average of more than $600 a year on their prescription drugs.  So are we going to take those savings away from our seniors?
 
AUDIENCE:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we make sure that our parents and our grandparents can afford to stay healthy in their golden years?  What are we going to do?  Are we going to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny our children coverage because they have preexisting conditions like cancer or diabetes, even asthma?  Or will we stand up and say that in this country, no one -- no one -- should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can't afford a doctor. 
 
See, when our kids get older and graduate from school, we all know how hard it is for them to find jobs, let alone jobs that provide insurance.  That's why, as part of health reform, kids now can stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And today, that is how 2.5 million of our young people are getting their coverage -- 2.5 million.  (Applause.)  So we have to ask ourselves, will we take that insurance away from those kids?  Or will we say that we don't want our sons and daughters going without health care when they're just starting out, trying to build families and careers of their own?  But that's the choice we face.
 
And think for a minute about what's been done in education. Think about all of the investments to raise standards and reform our public schools.  I mean, this is about improving the circumstances for millions of our children in this country -- these are our babies.  Kids sitting in crumbling classrooms; kids with so much promise, kids who could be anything -- anything -- they wanted, if we just gave them a chance.
 
So, you think about how this President has tripled investments for job training at community colleges.  This is about hundreds of thousands of hardworking folks -- folks who are determined to get the skills they need for a better job and better wages.  Folks who are doing it all, doing everything they can -- working full-time, raising their kids.  But they still make it to class every evening, still study late into the night.  Why?  Because they are desperately working for something better for their families.
 
     And make no mistake about it, this investment in our students and our workers will determine nothing less than the future of our economy -- nothing less.  It will determine whether we're prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world.  That is what's at stake. 
 
And let's not forget what it meant when my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- and for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation's highest court.  (Applause.)  More importantly, let us not forget the impact their decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -- on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and love whomever we choose.  That is what's at stake.  That is the choice we're facing.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, let's not forget all this administration has done to keep our country safe, and to restore our standing in the world.  Thanks to the brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)  Your President ended the war in Iraq and brought our troops home for the holidays.  (Applause.)  And we are working to give our veterans and their families the education, the employment and the benefits they have earned.  And because my husband ended "don't ask, don't tell," our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love. (Applause.)  Because that is what's at stake.  That's what's at stake. 
 
So make no mistake about it, whether it's health care, whether it's the economy, education, foreign policy, the choice we make will determine nothing less than who we are as a country, but, more importantly, who do we want to be?  Who do we want to be? 
 
Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to the few at the top?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead, no matter who you are or how you started out?  Who are we?  Will we tell folks who've done everything right but are still struggling just to get by, are we going to tell them, tough luck, you're on your own?  Who are we?  Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that this country is strongest when we're all better off? 
 
But who are we?  Will we continue all the change we've begun, all the progress we've made?  Or will we just allow everything to just slip away?  Who are we?  See, that is the choice we face.  Those are the stakes.
 
But believe me, your President knows this all too well.  He understands these issues, because he's lived them.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school, pay the bills.  When she needed help, who stepped up?  His grandmother stepped up, waking up every morning before dawn to get on some bus to go to that job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over for all those promotions, she didn't complain -- sounds familiar.  She didn't complain.  She just kept on showing up, doing her best. 
 
So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  He knows what it means when someone doesn't have a chance to fulfill their potential.  Because those are the experiences that have made him the man and the President he is today.  We are blessed to have somebody like that in the Oval Office.  (Applause.) 
 
And that's why I'm here.  That's why I'm here.  See, that's what I hear in my husband's voice when he comes home after traveling, a long day, all over the country, and he tells me about the people he's met.  See, and in those quiet moments late at night, after the girls have gone to bed, and he's sitting there poring over briefings and the letters that people have sent him.  Every night he reads these letters -- a woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won't cover her care.  The letter from the father struggling to pay his family's bills.  The letters from far too many young people with so much promise, but so few opportunities.
 
And I hear the passion, the worry, the determination in his voice.  He's like, "you won't believe what folks are going through."  That's what he tells me.  He says, "Michelle, this ain't right.  We have got to fix this.  We have so much more to do." 
 
See, I tell this to everybody:  When it comes to the people he meets, Barack has a memory like a steel trap.  He might not remember your name, but if he's had a few minutes and a decent conversation with you, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted on his heart.  See, and that's what he carries with him.  He carries, every single day -- it's our collection of struggles and hopes and dreams.
 
That is where Barack gets his passion.  That's where he gets his toughness and his fight.  And that's why, even in the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal, never lets himself get distracted by all that chatter, all that noise.  He just keeps moving forward.  Just keeps moving forward.  (Applause.)  Because he has a vision for this country.  He has a vision.  And it's a vision that we all share.  We all share this vision.
 
But I've said this before, and I will say it again:  He cannot do it alone.  That was never the promise.  He needs your help.  He needs you all over this.  Needs you to make those calls, needs you to register those voters.  He needs you to take those "I'm In" cards -- because hopefully you have them in here somewhere -- and sign them up; get your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues.  You've got to convince more and more people that giving just a little part of their lives -- just a little part of their lives -- each week to this campaign will make the world of difference because of what's at stake.
 
Because we all know that this isn't about one extraordinary man.  This is not about Barack Obama -- although I will admit I'm a little biased.  I think he's wonderful.  (Laughter and applause.)  But it has always been about us -- all of us.  All of us coming together for the values we believe in, and for the country we want to be.  We have to work for that
 
And I'm not going to kid you -- I never do -- this journey is going to be long.  It is going to be hard.  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But the truth is, that is how change always happens in this country -- always.  The reality is that real change is slow, and it never happens all at once.  But one thing I do know is that if we keep showing up, and if we keep fighting the good fight, then we always get there.  We always do.  We always have.  We always get to that better place.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children's lifetimes, right?  Maybe in our grandchildren's lifetimes. 
 
Because in the end, that's really what this all -- it's all about.  In the end, we're not fighting these battles for ourselves.  We're fighting them for our sons and our daughters.  We're fighting them for our grandsons and for our granddaughters.  We are fighting for the world we want to leave for them.  This is not about us.
 
And I'm in this not just as a mother who wants to leave a legacy for my girls.  I'm in this as a citizen who knows that we can do so much to change this country for the better.  Because the truth is that no matter what happens, my girls are good.  See, they're blessed.  My girls will have all the advantages and opportunities in their lives.  And that's probably true for so many of your children as well, children in this room.
 
But I think that the last few years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said:  that if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she's not our daughter, even if he's not our son.  If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family's good fortune, right?  (Applause.)   
 
Because in the end, we cannot separate our own story from the broader American story, because we know that in this country we rise and we fall together.  (Applause.)  And we know that if we make the right choices and have the right priorities, we can ensure that everyone -- everyone in this country -- gets a fair shake, and everyone has a chance to get ahead.  That's what's at stake. 
 
So it is time for us to get moving, right?  It is time for us to get this thing going, right?
 
AUDIENCE:  Right.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So I have one final question:  Are you in?  (Applause.)  Wait, wait, wait, I didn't hear that.  Are you in?
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  You all have to be fired up about this.  This is going to be long.  This is going to take a lot of work.  It is not going to be easy.  But there is too much at stake.  There is too much at stake to miss this opportunity.  I am going to be working so hard, but we need each and every one of you to be working just as hard. 
 
I look forward to seeing you all out there.  We've got to get this done.  Thank you all, and God bless.  (Applause.)
 
END             
2:00 P.M. EST
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 21, 2012

Remarks by the President at "In Performance at the White House" Blues Event

East Room

7:22 P.M. EST                      

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  That sounded pretty good.  (Laughter.)  I might try that instead of ruffles and flourishes.  (Laughter.) 

Well, first of all, I want to wish everybody a happy Mardi Gras.  I hear Trombone Shorty brought some beads up from New Orleans.  And I see that we've got some members of our Cabinet here.  We’ve got some members of Congress.  And we have elected officials from all across the country.

One of the things about being President -- I've talked about this before -- is that some nights when you want to go out and just take a walk, clear your head, or jump into a car just to take a drive, you can’t do it.  Secret Service won't let you.  And that’s frustrating.  But then there are other nights where B.B. King and Mick Jagger come over to your house to play for a concert.  (Applause.)  So I guess things even out a little bit.  (Laughter.)

In 1941, the folklorist Alan Lomax travelled throughout the Deep South, recording local musicians on behalf of the Library of Congress.  In Stovall, Mississippi, he met McKinley Morganfield, a guitar player who went by the nickname Muddy Waters.  And Lomax sent Muddy two pressings from their sessions together, along with a check for $20.

Later in his life, Muddy recalled what happened next.  He said, “I carried that record up to the corner and I put it on the jukebox.  Just played it and played it, and said, I can do it.  I can do it.  In many ways, that right there is the story of the blues. 

This is music with humble beginnings -- roots in slavery and segregation, a society that rarely treated black Americans with the dignity and respect that they deserved.  The blues bore witness to these hard times.  And like so many of the men and women who sang them, the blues refused to be limited by the circumstances of their birth. 

The music migrated north -- from Mississippi Delta to Memphis to my hometown in Chicago.  It helped lay the foundation for rock and roll, and R&B and hip-hop.  It inspired artists and audiences around the world.  And as tonight’s performers will demonstrate, the blues continue to draw a crowd.  Because this music speaks to something universal.  No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow.  The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. 

And as we celebrate Black History Month, the blues reminds us that we’ve been through tougher times before -- that’s why I’m proud to have these artists here -- and not just as a fan, but also as the President.  Because their music teaches us that when we find ourselves at a crossroads, we don’t shy away from our problems.  We own them.  We face up to them.  We deal with them.  We sing about them.  We turn them into art.  And even as we confront the challenges of today, we imagine a brighter tomorrow, saying, I can do it, just like Muddy Waters did all those years ago. 

With that in mind, please join me in welcoming these extraordinary artists to the White House.  And now, it is my pleasure to bring out our first performer to the stage, the King of the Blues, Mr. B.B. King.  (Applause.)

END
7:26 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
February 21, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady at Blues Music Clinic

State Dining Room


2:41 P.M. EST
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hey!  (Applause.)  You guys, rest yourselves.  Welcome to the White House.  (Laughter.)  What do you think?  (Applause.)  Do you like our house? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It's the State Dining Room; there's state dining that goes on here.  But now it's for you.  We're so excited today as we kick off this latest edition of the White House music series.  In the past three years, we have highlighted country, we've done a little Motown, we've done a little classical, we've done jazz, and today, we’ve got the blues.  (Applause.)  Yes.  But in a very good way we've got the blues.  (Laughter.)
 
You see, the blues are as deeply American -- and as deeply human -- as just about any form of music that we’ve got in this country.  This music wraps all of our emotions -- whether it's love and loss, joy and sorrow, heartbreak and celebration -- it wraps it all into an art form that stirs our souls and it helps us rise above all our struggles.
 
And that’s why this music series is so deeply rooted in the American experience.  That’s why it has traveled from the Deep South into every part of the country and just about every form of music that we hear today.
 
And that’s why, as we celebrate African American History Month, I am proud to have all these folks on stage with me.  It's a good thing.  So let me introduce a couple of them:  Bob Santelli, who has just been amazing -- Bob helps us with everything we do here in our music series.  He's always right there.  He's from the Grammy Museum.  He is always participating in these clinics.  He is just phenomenal, and he knows his stuff.  He is here with us -- Bob.  (Applause.) 
 
We've got Keb Mo, we've got Shemekia Copeland, and we have Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews with us.  (Applause.)
 
And finally, I just want to take a minute to recognize all of you here today, because you all are really the reason that we’re here today.  And I understand that you're coming from all over the country -- we've got Mississippi here, we've got a little California, a little Tennessee, a little Missouri, right? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yeah!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  A few others -- did I miss somebody?
 
AUDIENCE:  Washington.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Washington -- oh, Washington, D.C.? 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  No, state.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Washington state.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Philly.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Philly?  A little Philly here, see?  A little everybody -- everybody, just represent.  What, Jersey?  And a little Jersey.  That's good, that's good. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Illinois.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Illinois!  What part of Illinois? 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  St. Louis area. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  St. Louis area.  Well, see, you all are from all over the place.  And this is a good thing.  You are, from what I understand, some of the brightest young musical talent -- is this true? -- (laughter) -- at your schools and in our country.  Is that true?  We've got some of the brightest, some of the -- yes.  Said, "Yes, I am!"  (Laughter.)  What do you play?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Clarinet.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Clarinet.  What else we got?  Who else --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Saxophone.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Saxophone -- (laughter) -- some of the best.  What's this, vocals?  Is that what you're saying?  (Laughter.) 
 
Well, we've invited you here at the White House because we want you to know that you all have a place here -- a place here at the White House.  Yes, here.  This is your spot.  We want this house to truly be the people’s house.  That's something that we say -- people say, this is the people's house.  We just happen to occupy upstairs, but this belongs to everybody.  And in opening up the doors to this house, we also want to open up a world of possibilities for young people like you.  
 
See, since its very beginning, our country has been built by young people like all of you.  Maybe folks that maybe didn't start out with much, but they worked hard, they followed their hearts, and they did whatever they could to make this country stronger, and whether that was in government or business, science or the arts.
 
If you take these folks sitting up here, they represent that.  Before he was a three-time Grammy winner, Keb Mo was simply Kevin Moore.  (Laughter.)  Keb Mo was just little Kevin -- (laughter) -- the kid down the block in South Central L.A.  Little Kevin.  And then Troy was a little boy marching through the streets of New Orleans with a trombone twice his size.  (Laughter.)
 
MR. ANDREWS:  (Inaudible.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, I can see that.  (Laughter.)  No offense.  (Laughter.)  And as a young woman growing up in Harlem, Shemekia struggled -- stage fright.  Is that true? 
 
MS. COPELAND:  Yes, ma'am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  She's not shy now.  (Laughter.)  And one time, she was actually afraid to be up on stage performing at all -- you were afraid.  You're over that now, right?
 
MS. COPELAND:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  But today --
 
MS. COPELAND:  Nervous now.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Little nervous, little nervous.  (Laughter.)  Well, we're in the White House, you've got every right to be a little nervous. 
 
But today she, Keb, Troy, they're all up here, at the White House, right? 
 
And I mean, just thinking a little -- they were like you all, right?  Did you ever think you'd be sitting up here in the White House?
 
MS. COPELAND:  No way.  (Laughter.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Invited by the President of the United States himself?  (Laughter.)  See, that is the beauty of America, right?  You can go from there to here in a split second -- just a little focus, right?
 
And I should mention that the President didn't start out at the top either.  Neither did I, but let's talk about him for a little bit since he's not here.  (Laughter.)  As many people know, he was raised by his grandparents and by his mom, who was a single mom.  And she struggled, just like many parents do, to pay the bills.  But he had to work hard, and get a little focused -- and he wasn’t focused all the time.  It was later in life that he got a little focus, right?  So even if you mess up a little bit, you can get right on track.
 
So I say all this, it's because I want you all to believe that anything is possible for you all.  That's one of the reasons we do this music series.  That's why it is so important for me to open up these doors, to have you guys come from all over the country to sit in the same chairs that kings and queens and ambassadors and senators have sat in, right?  They sit right in those chairs.  And I want you all to hear from people who have struggled, who have worked, who built up careers and art forms for themselves. 
 
Because the point is:  You can be here, too.  This house belongs to you.  These opportunities belong to you.  You never rule yourself, right?  You never sell yourself short.  You stay focused on your craft.  And all of you have been given a talent, a blessing.  God, I would love it if I could sing or play something -- but I can't.  It's okay.  (Laughter.)
 
But you can.  So I want you to use this opportunity, as you sit here, to ask these wonderful men and women some good questions; find out what they've done to stay on track; learn about the art form.  Don't waste this time.  Don't be shy -- although I don't think there are too many shy people here.  (Laughter.)  But ask some good questions.  And remember that you're grooming to be the next greatest something, right?  But it starts with believing that you can be there.  And half of it is walking in these doors at the White House and sitting down here, and just being here, right?  Just get comfortable here, right?  Get comfortable with a little greatness.  (Laughter.)  See how it feels.  Put it on.  Wear it a little bit, right?  Feels pretty good. 
 
But it requires a lot of hard work.  That is the constant theme I think you will hear.  Here you will hear from the President, you will hear from me -- anybody who has experienced any level of success, there's a lot of hard work that comes with it.  So don't be afraid of hard work.  Don't be afraid to fail a little bit.  Don't be afraid to trip, stumble, make a fool out of yourself sometimes.  Sometimes that's the best way to get to your goal, all right?
 
So I am thrilled to have you all here.  Have fun.  And I have to go to some meetings, okay?  (Laughter.) 
 
So with that I will turn it over to Bob.  You all have fun.  (Applause.)
 
END
2:50 P.M. EST