NoharnessFeb 20th, 2008 - 15:18:45

John McCain's victory speech; 19-Feb-08:

Thank you, my friends, for your support and dedication to our campaign. And thank you, Wisconsin, for bringing us to the point when even a superstitious naval aviator can claim with confidence and humility that I will be our party's nominee for President. I promise you, I will wage a campaign with determination, passion and the right ideas for strengthening our country that prove worthy of the honor and responsibility you have given me.
I, again, want to commend Governor Huckabee, who has shown impressive grit and passion himself, and whom, though he remains my opponent, I have come to admire very much. And, of course, I want to thank my wife, Cindy, and my daughter, Meghan, who are here tonight, and the rest of my family for their indispensable love and encouragement.
My friends, we have traveled a great distance together already in this campaign, and overcome more than a few obstacles. But as I said last week, now comes the hard part and, for America, the bigger decision. Will we make the right changes to restore the people's trust in their government and meet the great challenges of our time with wisdom, and with faith in the values and ability of Americans for whom no challenge is greater than their resolve, courage and patriotism? Or will we heed appeals for change that ignore the lessons of history, and lack confidence in the intelligence and ideals of free people?
I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history and a return to the false promises and failed policies of a tired philosophy that trusts in government more than people. Our purpose is to keep this blessed country free, safe, prosperous and proud. And the changes we offer to the institutions and policies of government will reflect and rely upon the strength, industry, aspirations and decency of the people we serve.
We live in a world of change, some of which holds great promise for us and all mankind and some of which poses great peril. Today, political change in Pakistan is occurring that might affect our relationship with a nuclear armed nation that is indispensable to our success in combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and elsewhere. An old enemy of American interests and ideals is leaving the world stage, and we can glimpse the hope that freedom might someday come to the people of Cuba. A self-important bully in Venezuela threatens to cut off oil shipments to our country at a time of sky-rocketing gas prices. Each event poses a challenge and an opportunity. Will the next President have the experience, the judgment experience informs, and the strength of purpose to respond to each of these developments in ways that strengthen our security and advance the global progress of our ideals? Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan, and sitting down without pre-conditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists and are intent on destabilizing the world by acquiring nuclear weapons?
The most important obligation of the next President is to protect Americans from the threat posed by violent extremists who despise us, our values and modernity itself. They are moral monsters, but they are also a disciplined, dedicated movement driven by an apocalyptic zeal, which celebrates murder, has access to science, technology and mass communications, and is determined to acquire and use against us weapons of mass destruction. The institutions and doctrines we relied on in the Cold War are no longer adequate to protect us in a struggle where suicide bombers might obtain the world's most terrifying weapons.
If we are to succeed, we must rethink and rebuild the structure and mission of our military; the capabilities of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies; the purposes of our alliances; the reach and scope of our diplomacy; the capacity of all branches of government to defend us. We need to marshal all elements of American power: our military, economy, investment, trade and technology and our moral credibility to win the war against Islamic extremists and help the majority of Muslims, who believe in progress and peace, win the struggle for the soul of Islam.
The challenges and opportunities of the global economy require us to change some old habits of our government as well. But we will fight for the right changes; changes that understand our strengths and rely on the common sense and values of the American people. We will campaign:

to balance the federal budget not with smoke and mirrors, but by encouraging economic growth and preventing government from spending your money on things it shouldn't; to hold it accountable for the money it does spend on services that only government can provide in ways that don't fail and embarrass you;
to save Social Security and Medicare on our watch without the tricks, lies and posturing that have failed us for too long while the problem became harder to solve;
to make our tax code simpler, fairer, flatter, more pro-growth and pro-jobs;
to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil with an energy policy that encourages American industry and technology to make our country safer, cleaner and more prosperous by leading the world in the use, development and discovery of alternative sources of energy;
to open new markets to American goods and services, create more and better jobs for the American worker and overhaul unemployment insurance and our redundant and outmoded programs for assisting workers who have lost a job that's not coming back to find a job that won't go away;
to help Americans without health insurance acquire it without bankrupting the country, and ruining the quality of American health care that is the envy of the world;
to make our public schools more accountable to parents and better able to meet the critical responsibility they have to prepare our children for the challenges they'll face in the world they'll lead.
I'm not the youngest candidate. But I am the most experienced. I know what our military can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how Congress works, and how to make it work for the country and not just the re-election of its members. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. And I know who I am and what I want to do.
I don't seek the office out of a sense of entitlement. I owe America more than she has ever owed me. I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. I have never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud of the privilege. Don't tell me what we can't do. Don't tell me we can't make our country stronger and the world safer. We can. We must. And when I'm President we will.
Thank you, and God bless you.

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NoharnessFeb 20th, 2008 - 15:20:47

Anyone still complaining about the lack of substance in Senator Obama's speeches should now stop. With this speech, they have some substantive things to look at, ponder and criticize.


Barack Obama's victory speech, 19-Feb-08:

Barack Obama’s Feb. 19 Speech
The following is a transcript of Senator Barack Obama’s speech to supporters after the Feb. 19 primary in Wisconsin, as provided by CQ Transcriptions via The Associated Press.
SENATOR BARACK OBAMA: Houston, I think we've achieved liftoff here.
(APPLAUSE)
Let me just, first of all, say thank you to some special people who helped put this together. First of all, the pre-program entertainment Infinite Groove, thank you so much.
I want to thank the wonderful young lady who said the Pledge of Allegiance, Melissa Atkins (ph). That's not easy to do when you're 6 years old in front of 20,000 people. So thank you, Melissa.
There are many great elected officials state and local here, but I've got to give a special shout-out to three of my fellow members of Congress who are just great supporters, Congressman Al Green...
(APPLAUSE)
... Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and Congressman Chet Edwards, thank you so much.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank all the wonderful faith leaders who are here who gave me a little circle of prayer before coming out here today.
I want to thank some wonderful union supporters. SEIU in the house.
(APPLAUSE)
The United Food and Commercial Workers and the Transport Workers, thank you so much for your wonderful support.
Now, there's a little bit of business that we've got to do before we get into the main event. Early voting has started here in Texas.
(APPLAUSE)
Early voting has started here in Texas. And so everybody has received one of these cards, and everybody knows that you can start voting today. And if you didn't vote today, you can start tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that.
But we have early voting in Texas. I don't want you to wait until March 4th. I want you to go ahead and start voting tomorrow here in Texas.
(APPLAUSE)
You've got February 19th until 29th to vote, and you can also vote on election day, March 4th.
Now, I know this was explained to you. This is a little confusing. You're going to have to do two things for me now.
Not only do you have to vote -- and we would prefer you to vote early -- but on election day, March 4th, you're going to have to attend the caucus at 7 p.m. to get us a few more delegates.
(APPLAUSE) Can everybody do that, Houston? Everybody going to do that?
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
MR. OBAMA: Yes, we can.
And on the back -- on the back here are all the sites for all the early voting locations, so you don't have an excuse for not going. And we want you to grab your cousin, and your uncle, and your niece, and your nephew. Don't go alone. Take some friends and family to the polls.
Now, we just heard that we won tonight in Wisconsin.
(APPLAUSE)
And I am grateful to the people of Wisconsin for their friendship, and their support, and their extraordinary civic pride.
You know, in Wisconsin when you go to vote it's five degrees outside. But that has not deterred people from Milwaukee to Green Bay to Eau Claire, all across that state, from casting their ballot and exercising their civic duty.
(APPLAUSE)
We also have a caucus in Hawaii tonight. It's too early to know how that will turn out. It's too early to know, but we do know this. We do know this, Houston: The change we seek is still months and miles away, and we need the good people of Texas to help us get there.
(APPLAUSE)
We will need you to fight for every delegate it takes to win this nomination. And if we win the nomination, if we are blessed and honored to win the nomination, then we're going to need your help to win the election in November.
(APPLAUSE)
And if we win that election in November, then we are going to need your help and your time, your energy, your enthusiasm, your mobilization, your organization, and your voices to help us change America over the next four years.
(APPLAUSE)
Because understand this, Houston: As wonderful as this gathering is, as exciting as these enormous crowds and this enormous energy may be, what we're trying to do here is not easy, and it will not happen overnight.
It is going to take more than big rallies. It's going to require more than rousing speeches. It will also require more than policy papers and positions and Web sites. It is going to require something more, because the problem that we face in America today is not the lack of good ideas. It's that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die...
(APPLAUSE)
... because lobbyists crush them with their money and their influence, because politicians spend too much time trying to score political points and not enough time trying to bridge their differences so we can get something done.
(APPLAUSE)
The problem is that we haven't had leaders who can inspire the American people to rally behind a common purpose and a higher purpose. And this is what we need to change today. This is what's hard, and we know this.
We know how difficult it will be, but I also know why we're here tonight. We're here because we still believe that change is possible.
(APPLAUSE)
We're here because we know that we've never needed it more than we do right now.
(APPLAUSE)
We're here because there are workers in Youngstown, Ohio, who've watched job after job after job disappear because of bad trade deals like NAFTA, who've worked in factories -- who've worked in factories for 20 years, and then one day they come in and literally see the equipment unbolted from the floor and sent to China.
They need us to end those tax breaks that go to companies that ship jobs overseas...
(APPLAUSE)
... and give them to companies that invest in jobs right here in the United States of America, that pay well, provide a pension, provide health care. That's the change they need.
(APPLAUSE)
We're here because of the mother in San Antonio that I met just today, just this afternoon. She's got 2-year-old twins who are legally blind. She somehow entered into a predatory loan and saw her mortgage payments double in two weeks and has paid thousands in fees to try to stave off foreclosure.
She told me she was on the verge of packing and didn't know where her family would go next. She needed us to crack down on predatory lenders and give relief to struggling homeowners who were tricked out of their dream. She needs change today.
(APPLAUSE)
We're here because of the mother that I met in Green Bay, Wisconsin, who gave me this bracelet that I'm wearing. Inscribed on it is the name of her son, Ryan. He was 20 when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. And next to his name, it says, 'All gave some, but he gave all.'
(APPLAUSE)
We are here because it is time to ask ourselves as a nation if we are serving Ryan and his compatriots and all our young, brave men and women as well as they are serving us. They need us to end this war, and bring them home, and give them the care and the benefits that they deserve. They need change, Houston.
(APPLAUSE)
A year ago, a year ago I stood on the steps of the old state capitol in Springfield, Illinois, and I announced this improbable journey to change America. And there were those who said at the time, 'Why are you running so soon? Why are you running this time? You're a relatively young man; you can afford to wait.'
And I had to explain to them I'm not running because of some long-held ambition. I know that some people have been looking through my kindergarten papers, but that's not why I decided to run.
(APPLAUSE)
I'm not running because I think it's somehow owed to me. I'm running because of what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now, the fierce urgency of now.
(APPLAUSE)
Because there's such a thing, Houston, as being too late, and that hour is almost upon us. We are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations fought for feels like it's slowly slipping away.
You see it in your own lives and in your own neighborhoods. The stories I told you are not unique. Everywhere I go, I hear the same stories. People are working harder for less; they've never paid more for college, never paid more for gas at the pump.
(APPLAUSE)
Our health care system leaves 47 million people without health insurance. And those who have it are seeing their co-payments and deductibles and premiums going up year after year after year after year.
Despite the slogans, our children, millions of them, are being left behind, unable to compete in an international economy. In such circumstances, Houston, we cannot afford to wait. We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait to fix our health care system. We cannot wait to put an end to global warming. We cannot wait to bring good jobs with good benefits back to the United States. We cannot wait to end this war in Iraq. We cannot wait.
(APPLAUSE)
We cannot wait. And one year ago, one year ago when I made the decision to run, it was based on the belief that the size of our challenges had outstripped the capacity of a broken and divided politics to solve.
And I was certain that the American people were hungry for something new, that they were tired of a politics that tears each other down. They wanted a politics that would lift the country up, that they had grown weary of a politics that was based on spin and P.R. They wanted a politics that was based on honesty and truthfulness and straight talk to the American people.
I was convinced, most of all, that change in America does not happen from the top down. It happens from the bottom up.
(APPLAUSE)
Some of you know I used to work as a community organizer with churches on the south side of Chicago after the steel plants had laid thousands of people off. And we brought together black and white and Hispanic to try to create job training programs for the unemployed and bring economic development to neighborhoods that had fallen on hard times.
And it was the best education I ever had, because it taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they're given an opportunity.
(APPLAUSE)
It reminded me that Americans are decent and generous, willing to work hard and sacrifice on behalf of future generations.
And if we could just get beyond the divisions that have become so commonplace in our politics, if we could bridge the divides so that black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, young, old, rich and poor, Republican, Democrat, if we could join together to challenge the special interests in Washington, but also to challenge ourselves, also to challenge ourselves to be better, to be better neighbors, to be better citizens, to be better parents, then I believe there was no challenge we could not solve, no destiny we could not fulfill.
That was the bet that I made one year ago. And I'm here to report, Houston, that after a year of traveling all across the country, after countless miles and thousands of speeches, and talks, and shaking hands, and chicken dinners...
(LAUGHTER) ... I am here to report that my bet has paid off and my faith in the American people has been vindicated, because all across the country, people are standing up and saying, 'It is time to turn the page. It is time to write a new chapter in American history. We want to move forward into a better tomorrow.'
The American people...
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
MR. OBAMA: Yes, we can.
The American people have spoken out, and they are saying we need to move in a new direction. And I would not be running, as aware as I am of my imperfections, as clear as I am that I am not a perfect vessel, I would not be running if I did not believe that I could lead this country in that new direction, that we have a unique moment that we have to seize.
But I have to tell you, Houston, I can't do it by myself. No president can. Remember: Change doesn't happen from the top. It happens because of you. And so the question I have for you tonight, Houston, is, are you really ready for change?
(APPLAUSE)
Are you really ready for change? Because if you are ready for change, then we can go ahead and tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda are over.
(APPLAUSE)
They have not funded my campaign. They will not run my White House. And they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I'm president of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
If you are ready for change, Houston, then we can stop talking about the outrage of 47 million people without health insurance and start doing something about it. I put forward a plan that says everybody will be able to get health insurance that is at least as good as the plan I've got as a member of Congress.
And if you already have health insurance, we will lower your premiums by $2,500 per family, per year. And if you can't afford it, we will subsidize your care, and we will emphasize prevention so we have a health care system instead of a disease-care system.
And we won't do this 20 years from now or 10 years from now. We will do it by the end of my first term as president of the United States of America.
If you are ready for change, if you're really ready, then we can start restoring some balance to our economy. I believe in the free market. I know Texans believe in entrepreneurship. We are an independent and a self-reliant people. We don't believe in government doing what we can do for ourselves.
But when we've got CEOs making more in 10 minutes than ordinary workers are making in a year...
(APPLAUSE)
MR. OBAMA: ... and it's the CEOs who are getting a tax break and workers are left with nothing, then something is wrong, and something has to change.
So I want to -- I want to take away those tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas. We're going to give them to companies that invest right here in America.
And we're going to rollback those Bush tax cuts that went to all the wealthy people, and we're going to give tax cuts to ordinary families, people who are making less than $75,000. We will offset your payroll tax.
Senior citizens who make less than $50,000, we want to say to them: You don't have to pay an income tax. You're already having a hard time making ends meet.
We want to promote trade and we embrace globalization, but we also want our trade deals to have labor standards and environmental standards and safety standards so our workers aren't undermined and our children aren't playing with toys based in lead paint. That's the change we want.
And I will raise the minimum wage not every 10 years, but to keep pace with inflation, because if you work in America you should not be poor. And that's a goal that we should set for ourselves when I am president of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
If you're ready for change, we can assure that every child in America has the best education this country has to offer...
(APPLAUSE)
... from the day that child is born to the day that child graduates from college. The problem is not the lack of plans, the lack of good ideas.
The problem is a lack of political will, a lack of urgency. We think that those children in inner-city Houston, those are those children. Those are somebody else's problem. We think that the child in south Texas, that's somebody else's problem. That's not our problem; that's not our child.
We think that that child in rural east Texas, where there's a low property tax base and they can't afford to buy new textbooks or put into computers, that's somebody else's problem. Houston, I am here to tell you that every child is our problem, every child is our responsibility...
(APPLAUSE)
... every child needs to be nurtured and embraced. And so we are going to invest in early childhood education to close the achievement gap.
And I won't just talk about how great teachers are; I will reward them for their greatness...
(APPLAUSE)
... by giving them higher salaries and giving them more support.
And I want the highest standards in our schools. We have to have high standards, standards of excellence in order to compete in this global economy. But I don't want our standards measured just by a single high-stakes standardized test, because I don't want our teachers teaching to the tests.
(APPLAUSE)
I want our students learning art, and music, and science, and literature, and social studies.
(APPLAUSE)
And I don't know about you, but I think it's about time we made college affordable for every young person in America.
(APPLAUSE)
So we're going to provide a $4,000 tuition credit, every student, every year, but, students, you're going to have to give back something in return. You're going to have to participate in community service. You're going to have to work in a homeless shelter, or a veteran's home, or an underserved school, or join the Peace Corps.
We'll invest in you; you invest in America. Together, we will march this country forward.
(APPLAUSE)
If you are ready for change, we can start having an energy policy that makes sense. We send a billion dollars to foreign nations every single day, and we're melting the polar icecaps in the bargain. That has to change.
And so we're going to cap the emission of greenhouse gases. We are going to generate billions of dollars from polluters to invest in solar, in wind, and biodiesel.
(APPLAUSE) We are going to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars because that is the only way that we can actually bring down gas prices over the long term, and I know you need that.
And, by the way, when I talked about increasing fuel efficiency standards, I didn't do it in front of some environmental group. I did it in Detroit in front of the automakers. And I told them they had to change their ways.
And when I said that, I've got to admit that the room was really quiet. Nobody clapped.
But that's OK, because part of what you need from the next president is somebody who will not just tell you what they think you want to hear, but will tell you what you need to hear, will tell you the truth.
If you're ready for change, we can stop using immigration as a political football and actually start solving the problem. We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, and those two things we can join together.
We can get serious about our borders and crack down on employers who are taking advantage of undocumented workers and undermining U.S. labor.
(APPLAUSE)
But we can also provide a pathway for those who are living here. They can pay a fine and learn English and go to the back of the line, but we've got to give them an opportunity, too. We're a nation of immigrants.
(APPLAUSE)
If you're ready for change, we can start reinvesting in America, in the cities. We are spending $9 billion a month in Iraq, $9 billion. We can invest that money in rebuilding roads and bridges and hospitals right here in Houston, building schools, laying broadband lines, putting people back to work, employing young men and young women in our inner cities, in our rural communities. That is possible if you're ready for change.
We can create the kind of foreign policy that will make us safe and will lead to renewed respect of America around the world.
(APPLAUSE)
You know, as your commander-in-chief, my job will be to keep you safe.
(APPLAUSE)
My job will be to keep you safe. And I will not hesitate to strike against any who would do us harm. I will do whatever is required. But part of keeping you safe is maintaining the finest military in the world, and that means providing our troops with the proper equipment and the proper training and the proper rotations.
And it means caring for our troops when they come home, not forgetting about our troops. No more homeless veterans; no more begging for disability payments; no more waiting in line for the V.A. We have a solemn obligation to honor those who have served on our behalf.
But part of keeping you safe is also deploying our military wisely. And the war in Iraq was unwise.
(APPLAUSE)
It distracted us from the fight that needed to be fought in Afghanistan against Al Qaida. They're the ones who killed 3,000 Americans. It fanned the flames of anti-American sentiment. It has cost us dearly in blood and in treasure.
I opposed this war in 2002. I will bring this war to an end in 2009. It is time to bring our troops home.
(APPLAUSE)
But I don't want to just end the war; I want to end the mindset that got us into war.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to end a politics based on fear that uses 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a way to bring the country together against a common enemy. I want to rediscover the power of our diplomacy.
I said early in this campaign I would meet not just with our friends, but also with our enemies. And there were those in Washington who said, 'You can't do that.' And I said, 'Yes, I can'...
(APPLAUSE)
... because I remember what John F. Kennedy said. He said we should never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear to negotiate. Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries, and tell them where America stands, and try to resolve differences without resort to war.
And when we do that, I believe the world is waiting. I want to go before the world community and say, 'America's back, and we are ready to lead.'
(APPLAUSE)
But we will lead not just with militarily. Yes, we will hunt down terrorists; yes, we will lock down loose nuclear weapons that could do us harm. But we are also going to lead on climate change. We're also going to lead on helping poor countries deal with the devastation of HIV-AIDS. We're also going to lead in bringing an end to the genocide in Darfur.
(APPLAUSE)
We are going to lead by example, by maintaining the highest standards of civil liberties and human rights, which is why I will close Guantanamo and restore habeas corpus and say no to torture.
(APPLAUSE)
Because if you are ready for change, then you can elect a president who has taught the Constitution, and believes in the Constitution, and will obey the Constitution of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
All these things are possible, if you are ready for change. But I have to say that there are a lot of people these days who are telling you not to believe. They're trying to persuade you that, 'Well, Obama may have good ideas, but he hasn't been in Washington long enough. We need to season and stew him a little bit more and boil all the hope out of him.'
But I think you understand and the American people understand that the last thing we need is to have the same old folks doing the same old things, making the same mistakes over and over and over again.
(APPLAUSE)
We need something different. And we need new leadership to move into a new century.
There are those who would say that you have to be wary about inspiration because you might be disappointed, who say that Obama may make a good speech, but what is really going to make a difference is how you work our government.
But I have to say that it is my central premise that the only way we will bring about real change in America is if we can bring new people into the process, if we can attract young people, if we can attract independents, if we can stop fighting with Republicans and try to bring some over to our side.
I want to form a working majority for change. That's how we win elections; that's how we will govern. I want to reach out to everybody.
I know that there are some who say, 'Well, what about John McCain?' And I revere and honor John McCain's service to this country.
(APPLAUSE)
He is a genuine American hero. But when he embraces George Bush's failed economic policies, when he says that he is willing to send our troops into another 100 years of war in Iraq, then he represents the policies of yesterday. And we want to be the party of tomorrow. And I'm looking forward to having that debate with John McCain.
But, you know, there's something deeper in this argument we've been hearing about inspiration. It really has to do with the meaning of hope. Some of you know I talk about hope a lot. And it's not surprising, because, if you think about it, the odds of me standing here are very slim.
(APPLAUSE)
You know, I was born to a teenage mother. My father left when I was 2. So I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. And they didn't have money, and they didn't have fame. What they could give me was love, they gave me an education, and they gave me hope.
(APPLAUSE)
And so I talk about hope. I put 'hope' on my signs. I gave a speech in Boston at the convention about hope. I wrote a book called 'The Audacity of Hope.'
But now some are suggesting that I must be naive, that if you talk about hope it means that you're fuzzy-headed, you're not realistic, you're peddling in false hopes, you need a reality check.
The implication is, is that if you talk about hope that you must be passive and you're just waiting for good things to happen, and you don't realize how mean and tough the world can be.
But understand that's not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. Hope is not ignoring or being ignorant of the challenges that stand between you and your dreams.
I know how difficult it will be to provide health insurance to every American. If it was easy, it would have already been done.
I know how hard it will be to change our energy policy, because the status quo serves many powerful people.
I know how hard it will be to alleviate poverty that has built up over centuries, how hard it will be to fix schools, because changing our schools will require not just money, but a change in attitudes.
We're going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that's going to take some time.
I know how easy it is for politicians to turn us on each other, to use immigrants or gay people or folks who aren't like us as scapegoats for what they do. But I also know this. I know this because I have fought on the streets as an organizer, I have fought in the courts as a civil rights attorney, I have fought in the legislature, and I've won some battles, but I've also lost some, because good intentions aren't always enough. They have to be fortified by political will and political power.
But I also know this, Houston: that nothing worthwhile in this country has ever happened except somebody somewhere was willing to hope.
(APPLAUSE)
That is how this country was founded, a group of patriots declaring independence against the mighty British empire. Nobody gave them a chance, but they had hope.
That's how slaves and abolitionists resisted an evil system and how a new president chartered a course to ensure that we would not remain half-slave and half-free.
That is how the greatest generation, my grandfather fighting in Patton's army, my grandmother staying at home with a baby, working on a bomber assembly line, how that greatest generation defeated Hitler and fascism and lifted itself up out of a great depression.
That's how pioneers settled the west. That's how immigrants traveled at great risk from distant shores. That is how women won the right to vote. That's how workers won the right to organize.
That's how young people in the '60s traveled south, and some marched, and some sat-in, and some were beaten, and some went to jail, and some died for freedom's cause. That's what hope is.
(APPLAUSE)
That's what hope is. That's what hope is, imagining, and then fighting for, and then working for, struggling for what did not seem possible before.
You know, there is a moment in the life of every generation when that spirit has to come through, if we are to make our mark on history, when we decide to cast aside the fear and the doubt, when we're not willing to settle for what the cynics tell us we have to accept, but instead we are willing to reach for what we know in our gut is possible, when we decide that the next generation deserves the same chance that somebody gave us, when we determine that we're going to keep the dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and still thirst for justice.
It will not be easy. But at some point in our lives, we all have to decide, as hard as it's going to be, we are going to join together, lock arms, and go about the difficult but noble task of remaking this nation, block by block, county by county, state by state.
Houston, this is our moment. This is our time.
(APPLAUSE)
And if you are willing to vote for me, if you are willing to stand with me, if you're willing to caucus for me, then I truly believe that we will not just win Texas. We will win this nomination. We will win the general election. And you and I together will change this country and change the world.
Thank you, Houston. I love you.

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SP4: Where's the Beef?Feb 20th, 2008 - 15:46:29

He's said this all along. What is so new about anything in this speech? He quotes Kennedy.

Anyone ever looked at JFK?

Strong interventionist

Believed in lower taxes

believed in domestic spying.

This is the appeal of speeches like this: They feed the folks who simply wish to hear such things.

This is his appeal: Isolationist, appeaser, anti trade, tax and spend.

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Wooow......Feb 20th, 2008 - 15:54:49

TO SPA4: Are you an American? Your fangs are showing, why everything from your mouth is sooooo negative?

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NoharnessFeb 20th, 2008 - 16:27:56

SP4 is right, there isn't that much new in Senator Obama's speech. There is very little that is new in Senator McCain's speech. The reason for that is that we are still confronted with the same problems that we have been confronted with since WWII.

The charge of isolationism against Senator Obama is patently false. I am an 'isolationist' and am damned proud of it. The position Senator Obama stakes out in this speech has next to nothing in common with mine. He merely insists on withdrawing from Iraq sometime in 2009. This, by the way, is somewhat different from his previous position on Iraq. He here tacitly admits that the increase in troop strength has proven effective. He also states that he will negotiate with other countries and leaders, even those countries who are our enemies. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on how he handles matters at that time. The Bush Administration has been far more 'isolationist' in this respect than any previous US Administration.

Senator Obama does propose to intervene in several countries in this speech and I invite everyone's attention to this fact. I think he is wrong to propose such a thing, but then Senator McCain seems far more inclined to 'intervene' in a rather stronger way than Senator Obama has proposed.

The upshot, boys and girls, is that speech IS substantive. He answered his critics, especially The Clinton Clan and Rush Limbaugh, and did a fine job of it. Whether you agree with what he proposes or not, he did put forward some idea of what he intends to do.

Now it's John McCain's turn. What, pray tell, are John McCain's ideas on dealing with our energy needs and conservation efforts. Will he adopt a plan similar to Mitt Romney's? Or will he follow the advice of his Democrat buddies in the House and Senate? Both of these men lay claim to 'greenish' tendencies, but Senator Obama made it clear that he understands that energy is a National Security issue.

Whither John McCain? Will he enlighten us on his real intentions, or does he even know where he is headed?

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SP4: Dear WoooWFeb 20th, 2008 - 16:35:30

...that still does not make me wrong, does it?You see, Obama is a religious Icon, not an actual candidate. He's the Christ figure, the virgin and the golden calf all in one.

His followers are looking for a Savior not a leader. There is a difference, if you know the difference.

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SP4: and...Feb 20th, 2008 - 17:46:45

...they say I'M the drug user....

Can't you tinfoil-hat-in-moms-basement types practice a little brevity?

Like Obama, you talk, but say nothing...

Again, none of that makes me wrong.

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Looks likeFeb 20th, 2008 - 18:02:42

somebody just pulled the gloves off. SP4, you got an enemy out there.

At any rate, if these are our two candidates, we've got nobody to vote for. Pretty sad; all the people we had to choose from and we went all the way to the bottom of the barrel.

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OK, spfool, a little brevity...Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:08:58

Seeing as how SPfool is too stoned to read his own posts, I present a short version.
Ladies and gentlemen, SP4 is a drug addict. Not only that, but he is a drug grower. The following posts are from a drug growers site called Grasscity.com
Google Grasscity.com forums. Click on 'search' on the right side of the bar. Type in SP4 in the 'Search by User Name.' Enter the provided image verification. Scroll down a bit and press the 'search now' button. DO NOT push 'enter,' you'll just go in a loop.
SP4 has 13 posts on this site looking for information on how to better his yield.
Having lived in the heart of a major growing district, I have picked up information that he could use, like how to grow and not get any seeds and as a result get a higher quality product (37% THC content). However, as I do not smoke or grow or have anything to do with that sh*t, I'm not going to tell him and he can continue to rot his brain with that crap that he grows or buys. It is obvious from his juvenile rants and positions on this site that his brain is seriously screwed. He must have smoked too much of that Paraquat-soaked Mexican brickweed.
IF the druggie ever graduates from Vet school, don't take your pet to him. He'll be stoned and will kill it due to incompetance. Then he'll eat your critter because he has the munchies. SP4 has seriously skewed his neurochemistry.
Short enough for you to read, SPFOOL?

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Give me a break.Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:25:58

AUDIENCE: (Glassy eyed and drooling) 'Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!'

Guess they are too young to remember Pol Pot.

And no, there is no substance here In Obamas speech, just easy pot shots at lobbyists, (How courageous, what is he going to denounce next? Crack whores? Good of him to take on the large pro-lobbyist movement in the USA.) misconceptions about NAFTA (If this guy doesn't understand trade deals how can he be considered eligible for the presidency?) and deliberate mis characterizations about McCains 100 years comment. (In other words more lies from a political hack.)

Look at his short record in the senate rather then his pretty yet vague words... Senator Obama is the most liberal person in the Senate in 2007, according to National Journal -- Left of Teddy Kennedy. The most extreme in the party. Is this an extreme liberal country? Is 'extreme anything' a reasoned and mature way of looking at the world?

Obama is downright dangerous to the United States.

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SP4:I rest my case.Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:28:23

You know, if you're abusing substances, this might account for the rambling diatribe above.

I suggest rehab. It will change your life. After all, in the words of Dean Wormer: 'Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son!'

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SPdruggie saysFeb 20th, 2008 - 18:33:10

'...they say I'M the drug user....
Can't you tinfoil-hat-in-moms-basement types practice a little brevity?
Like Obama, you talk, but say nothing...
Again, none of that makes me wrong.'

THEY? The paranoid stoner sees conspiracies.
Wrong? Nope, he's just smashed out of his gourd and not making any sense at all.

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Really, get a life!Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:35:19

'Seeing as how SPfool is too stoned to read his own posts, I present a short version. Ladies and gentlemen, SP4 is a drug addict. '

LOL! The M&C stalker strikes again! Wrong on the last one crazy on this one... Why don't you challenge what he is saying rather then trying to smear him?

Because you are too stupid to do so?

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SPstoner saysFeb 20th, 2008 - 18:35:35

'Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son!'

Reply: fat, stoned and stupid is no way to go through life, moron. Go to detox, a-hole.

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SP4: Obama and big CoalFeb 20th, 2008 - 18:39:37

Obama is actually pretty cozy with the Coal compaines. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect THEY have a lobbiest or two, right? I'd imagine they had made a visit or two to Obama in the past...

How's THAT workin out, Barak?

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@Really, get a life!Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:44:30

sloppy attempt, spdruggie, using an alias to try and weasel out of the hole you dug yourself into. You're shot. You have no credibility whatsoever. Crawl back into your stash and blow the rest of your brains out.

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@ spfoolFeb 20th, 2008 - 18:54:45

'I'd imagine they had made a visit or two to Obama in the past...'
Another drug-dream, addict?

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Really, get a life!Feb 20th, 2008 - 18:55:25

'sloppy attempt, spdruggie, using an alias to try and weasel out of the hole you dug yourself into.'

That is your playbook not mine you paranoid loser. Again, why don't you try to break his argument rather then calling SP4 (of all people) a pot head.

SP4, you dirty hippy you. Riding around in your VW microbus, stinking of Patchouli, listening to Dead bootlegs....

And posting consistently arch conservative ramblings on M&C... It makes perfect sense! LOL!

You are a great clown Miss Stalker-troll!

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SP4: ????Feb 20th, 2008 - 19:06:05

...how'd you know about the dead bootlegs...?

hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

They always sucked! All their music sounds the same.

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SP4: One other thing...Feb 20th, 2008 - 19:07:45

..it's amazing the number of dems who just don't want Hillary!

Jesus! Who knew?

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