Letter from the President Regarding Implementation Plan for the Whole-of-Government Vision Prescribed in the 2010 National Security Strategy

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO SELECTED CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP
September 27, 2012
Dear Mr. Chairman: (Dear Madam Chairman:) (Dear Senator:)
(Dear Representative:)
Pursuant to section 1072 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81), I hereby submit the enclosed implementation plan for the whole-of-government vision prescribed in the 2010 National Security Strategy.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA

Congressional Budget Office Michael Steele John Boehner Speaker Pelosi stimulus bill

Remarks by the President to the Clinton Global Initiative

Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers
New York, New York
12:34 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Appreciate it.  Please, please, everybody have a seat. 
Well, good afternoon, everybody.  And, President Clinton, thank you for your very kind introduction.  Although I have to admit, I really did like the speech a few weeks ago a little bit better.  (Laughter.)  Afterwards, somebody tweeted that somebody needs to make him "Secretary of Explaining Things."  (Laughter.) Although they didn’t use the word, "things."  (Laughter.) 
President Clinton, you are a tireless, passionate advocate on behalf of what's best in our country.  You have helped to improve and save the lives of millions of people around the world.  I am grateful for your friendship and your extraordinary leadership.  And I think I speak for the entire country when we say that you continue to be a great treasure for all of us.  (Applause.)
As always, I also have to thank President Clinton for being so understanding with the record-breaking number of countries visited by our Secretary of State.  (Laughter and applause.)  As we’ve seen again in recent days, Hillary Clinton is a leader of grace and grit -- and I believe she will go down as one of the finest Secretaries of State in American history.  So we are grateful to her.  (Applause.) 
To the dedicated CGI staff and every organization that's made commitments and touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people, thank you for being an example of what we need more of in the world, especially in Washington -- working together to actually solve problems. 
And that’s why I’m here.  As Bill mentioned, I’ve come to CGI every year that I’ve been President, and I’ve talked with you about how we need to sustain the economic recovery, how we need to create more jobs.  I’ve talked about the importance of development -- from global health to our fight against HIV/AIDS to the growth that lifts nations to prosperity.  We've talked about development and how it has to include women and girls -- because by every benchmark, nations that educate their women and girls end up being more successful.  (Applause.)
And today, I want to discuss an issue that relates to each of these challenges.  It ought to concern every person, because it is a debasement of our common humanity.  It ought to concern every community, because it tears at our social fabric.  It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets.  It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime.  I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name -- modern slavery.  (Applause.)  
Now, I do not use that word, "slavery" lightly.  It evokes obviously one of the most painful chapters in our nation’s history.  But around the world, there’s no denying the awful reality.  When a man, desperate for work, finds himself in a factory or on a fishing boat or in a field, working, toiling, for little or no pay, and beaten if he tries to escape -- that is slavery.  When a woman is locked in a sweatshop, or trapped in a home as a domestic servant, alone and abused and incapable of leaving -- that’s slavery.
When a little boy is kidnapped, turned into a child soldier, forced to kill or be killed -- that’s slavery.  When a little girl is sold by her impoverished family -- girls my daughters’ age -- runs away from home, or is lured by the false promises of a better life, and then imprisoned in a brothel and tortured if she resists -- that’s slavery.  It is barbaric, and it is evil, and it has no place in a civilized world.  (Applause.)
Now, as a nation, we’ve long rejected such cruelty.  Just a few days ago, we marked the 150th anniversary of a document that I have hanging in the Oval Office -- the Emancipation Proclamation.  With the advance of Union forces, it brought a new day -- that "all persons held as slaves" would thenceforth be forever free.  We wrote that promise into our Constitution.  We spent decades struggling to make it real.  We joined with other nations, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so that "slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."
A global movement was sparked, with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act -- signed by President Clinton and carried on by President Bush. 
And here at CGI, you’ve made impressive commitments in this fight.  We are especially honored to be joined today by advocates who dedicate their lives -- and, at times, risk their lives -- to liberate victims and help them recover.  This includes men and women of faith, who, like the great abolitionists before them, are truly doing the Lord’s work -- evangelicals, the Catholic Church, International Justice Mission and World Relief, even individual congregations, like Passion City Church in Atlanta, and so many young people of faith who've decided that their conscience compels them to act in the face of injustice.  Groups like these are answering the Bible’s call -- to "seek justice" and "rescue the oppressed."  Some of them join us today, and we are grateful for your leadership.
Now, as President, I’ve made it clear that the United States will continue to be a leader in this global movement.  We’ve got a comprehensive strategy.  We’re shining a spotlight on the dark corners where it persists.  Under Hillary’s leadership, we’re doing more than ever -- with our annual trafficking report, with new outreach and partnerships -- to give countries incentives to meet their responsibilities and calling them out when they don’t.
I recently renewed sanctions on some of the worst abusers, including North Korea and Eritrea.  We’re partnering with groups that help women and children escape from the grip of their abusers.  We’re helping other countries step up their own efforts.  And we’re seeing results.  More nations have passed and more are enforcing modern anti-trafficking laws. 
Last week I was proud to welcome to the Oval Office not only a great champion of democracy but a fierce advocate against the use of forced labor and child soldiers -- Aung San Suu Kyi.  (Applause.)  And as part of our engagement, we’ll encourage Burma to keep taking steps to reform -- because nations must speak with one voice:  Our people and our children are not for sale.
But for all the progress that we’ve made, the bitter truth is that trafficking also goes on right here, in the United States.  It’s the migrant worker unable to pay off the debt to his trafficker.  The man, lured here with the promise of a job, his documents then taken, and forced to work endless hours in a kitchen.  The teenage girl, beaten, forced to walk the streets.  This should not be happening in the United States of America.
As President, I directed my administration to step up our efforts -- and we have.  For the first time, at Hillary’s direction, our annual trafficking report now includes the United States, because we can’t ask other nations to do what we are not doing ourselves.  (Applause.)  We’ve expanded our interagency task force to include more federal partners, including the FBI.  The intelligence community is devoting more resources to identifying trafficking networks.  We’ve strengthened protections so that foreign-born workers know their rights.
And most of all, we’re going after the traffickers.  New anti-trafficking teams are dismantling their networks.  Last year, we charged a record number of these predators with human trafficking.  We’re putting them where they belong -- behind bars.  (Applause.) 
But with more than 20 million victims of human trafficking around the world -- think about that, more than 20 million -- they’ve got a lot more to do.  And that’s why, earlier this year, I directed my administration to increase our efforts.  And today, I can announce a series of additional steps that we’re going to take.
First, we’re going to do more to spot it and stop it.  We’ll prepare a new assessment of human trafficking in the United States so we better understand the scope and scale of the problem.  We’ll strengthen training, so investigators and law enforcement are even better equipped to take action -- and treat victims as victims, not as criminals.  (Applause.)  We’re going to work with Amtrak, and bus and truck inspectors, so that they’re on the lookout.  We’ll help teachers and educators spot the signs as well, and better serve those who are vulnerable, especially our young people.
Second, we’re turning the tables on the traffickers.  Just as they are now using technology and the Internet to exploit their victims, we’re going to harness technology to stop them.  We’re encouraging tech companies and advocates and law enforcement -- and we’re also challenging college students -- to develop tools that our young people can use to stay safe online and on their smart phones.
Third, we’ll do even more to help victims recover and rebuild their lives.  We’ll develop a new action plan to improve coordination across the federal government.  We’re increasing access to services to help survivors become self-sufficient.  We’re working to simplify visa procedures for "T" visas so that innocent victims from other countries can stay here as they help us prosecute their traffickers.
This coming year, my Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships will make the fight against human trafficking a focus of its work.  (Applause.)  They’re doing great work.  And I’m also proud to announce a new partnership with Humanity United, which is a leader in anti-trafficking -- a multi-million dollar challenge to local communities to find new ways to care for trafficking victims.  And I want to thank Johns Hopkins University, which will be focusing on how to best care for child victims.  (Applause.)
Now, finally, as one of the largest purchasers of goods and services in the world, the United States government will lead by example.  We’ve already taken steps to make sure our contractors do not engage in forced labor.  And today we’re going to go  further.  I’ve signed a new executive order that raises the bar. It’s specific about the prohibitions.  It does more to protect workers.  It ensures stronger compliance.   In short, we’re making clear that American tax dollars must never, ever be used to support the trafficking of human beings.  We will have zero tolerance.  We mean what we say.  We will enforce it.  (Applause.)
Of course, no government, no nation, can meet this challenge alone.  Everybody has a responsibility.  Every nation can take action.  Modern anti-trafficking laws must be passed and enforced and justice systems must be strengthened.  Victims must be cared for.  So here in the United States, Congress should renew the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.  Whether you are a conservative or a liberal, Democrat or Republican, this is a no-brainer.  This is something we should all agree on.  We need to get that done.
And more broadly, as nations, let’s recommit to addressing the underlying forces that push so many into bondage in the first place.  With development and economic growth that creates legitimate jobs, there’s less likelihood of indentured servitude around the globe.  A sense of justice that says no child should ever be exploited, that has to be burned into the cultures of every country.  A commitment to equality -- as in the Equal Futures Partnership that we launched with other nations yesterday so societies empower our sisters and our daughters just as much as our brothers and sons.  (Applause.)
And every business can take action.  All the business leaders who are here and our global economy companies have a responsibility to make sure that their supply chains, stretching into the far corners of the globe, are free of forced labor.  (Applause.)  The good news is more and more responsible companies are holding themselves to higher standards.  And today, I want to salute the new commitments that are being made.  That includes the new Global Business Coalition Against Trafficking -- companies that are sending a message:  Human trafficking is not a business model, it is a crime, and we are going to stop it.  We’re proud of them.  (Applause.)
Every faith community can take action as well, by educating their congregations, by joining in coalitions that are bound by a love of God and a concern for the oppressed.  And like that Good Samaritan on the road to Jericho, we can’t just pass by, indifferent.  We’ve got to be moved by compassion.  We’ve got to bind up the wounds.  Let’s come together around a simple truth -- that we are our brother’s keepers and we are our sister’s keepers. 
And finally, every citizen can take action:  by learning more; by going to the website that we helped create -- SlaveryFootprint.org; by speaking up and insisting that the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the products we buy are made free of forced labor; by standing up against the degradation and abuse of women. 
That’s how real change happens -- from the bottom up.  And if you doubt that, ask Marie Godet Niyonyota, from the Congo.  Think about Marie’s story.  She was kidnapped by rebels, turned into a slave.  She was abused -- physically and sexually.  They got her pregnant five times.  In one awful battle, her children were killed -- all five of them.  Miraculously, she survived and escaped.  And with care and support, she began to heal.  And she learned to read and write and sew, and today Marie is back home, working toward a new future.
Or ask Ima Matul.  She grew up in Indonesia, and at 17 was given the opportunity to work as a nanny here in the United States.  But when she arrived, it turned out to be a nightmare.  Cooking, cleaning -- 18-hour days, seven days a week.  One beating was so bad it sent her to the emergency room.  And finally, she escaped.  And with the help from a group that cared, today Ima has a stable job.  She’s an advocate -- she’s even testified before Congress.
Or ask Sheila White, who grew up in the Bronx.  Fleeing an abusive home, she fell in with a guy who said he’d protect her.  Instead, he sold her -- just 15 years old -- 15 -- to men who raped her and beat her, and burned her with irons.  And finally, after years -- with the help of a non-profit led by other survivors -- she found the courage to break free and get the services she needed.  Sheila earned her GED.  Today she is a powerful, fierce advocate who helped to pass a new anti-trafficking law right here in New York.  (Applause.)
These women endured unspeakable horror.  But in their unbreakable will, in their courage, in their resilience, they remind us that this cycle can be broken; victims can become not only survivors, they can become leaders and advocates, and bring about change. 
And I just met Ima and Sheila and several of their fellow advocates, and I have to tell you they are an incredible inspiration.  They are here -- they’ve chosen to tell their stories.  I want them to stand and be recognized because they are inspiring all of us.  Please -- Sheila, Ima.  (Applause.)  
To Ima and Sheila, and each of you -- in the darkest hours of your lives, you may have felt utterly alone, and it seemed like nobody cared.  And the important thing for us to understand is there are millions around the world who are feeling that same way at this very moment.
Right now, there is a man on a boat, casting the net with his bleeding hands, knowing he deserves a better life, a life of dignity, but doesn’t know if anybody is paying attention.  Right now, there’s a woman, hunched over a sewing machine, glancing beyond the bars on the window, knowing if just given the chance, she might some day sell her own wares, but she doesn’t think anybody is paying attention.  Right now, there’s a young boy, in a brick factory, covered in dust, hauling his heavy load under a blazing sun, thinking if he could just go to school, he might know a different future, but he doesn’t think anybody is paying attention.  Right now, there is a girl, somewhere trapped in a brothel, crying herself to sleep again, and maybe daring to imagine that some day, just maybe, she might be treated not like a piece of property, but as a human being.
And so our message today, to them, is -- to the millions around the world -- we see you.  We hear you.  We insist on your dignity.  And we share your belief that if just given the chance, you will forge a life equal to your talents and worthy of your dreams.  (Applause.)  
Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it -- in partnership with you.  The change we seek will not come easy, but we can draw strength from the movements of the past.  For we know that every life saved -- in the words of that great Proclamation -- is "an act of justice," worthy of "the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God." 
That’s what we believe.  That’s what we're fighting for.  And I'm so proud to be in partnership with CGI to make this happen.
Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)
END               
12:57 P.M. EDT

Newt Gingrich Huckabee BP oil spill democrates

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.J. Res. 117, S. 3245 and S. 3552

On Friday, September 28, 2012, the President signed into law:
H.J. Res. 117, which provides fiscal year 2013 appropriations for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government through Wednesday, March 27, 2013;
S. 3245, which extends to September 30, 2015, the expiration dates of key requirements of four immigration programs administered by the Department of Homeland Security:  the EB-5 Regional Center Program; the E-Verify Program; the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker Program; and the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program; and
S. 3552, the "Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2012," which reauthorizes and modifies fee collection provisions and related authorities in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
 

czar putin Blagojevich financial regulations Tony Hayward

Jigger what, jigger who (Balloon-juice.com)

Feedzilla

Michelle Obama Sean Hannity Glenn Beck Rush Limbaugh Hillary Clinton

Presidential Memorandum -- Annual Refugee Admissions Numbers

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2013 Refugee Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee Status Pursuant to Sections 207 and 101(a)(42), Respectively, of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and Determination Pursuant to Section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, as Amended
In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the "Act") (8 U.S.C. 1157), as amended, and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize the following actions:
The admission of up to 70,000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest, provided that this number shall be understood as including persons admitted to the United States during FY 2013 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under the Amerasian immigrant admissions program, as provided below.
The 70,000 admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations (provided that the number of admissions allocated to the East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the United States during FY 2013 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained in section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian immigrants and their family members)):
Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,000
East Asia. . . . . . . . . . . .17,000
Europe and Central Asia. . . . . 2,000
Latin America/Caribbean. . . . . 5,000
Near East/South Asia . . . . . .31,000
Unallocated Reserve. . . . . . . 3,000
The 3,000 unallocated refugee numbers shall be allocated to regional ceilings, as needed. Upon providing notification
to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are hereby authorized to use unallocated admissions in regions where the need for additional admissions arises.
Additionally, upon notification to the Judiciary Committees of the Congress, you are further authorized to transfer unused admissions allocated to a particular region to one or more other regions, if there is a need for greater admissions for the region or regions to which the admissions are being transferred. Consistent with section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, I hereby determine that assistance to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for this purpose.
Consistent with section 101(a)(42) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)), and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 2013, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence:
a. Persons in Cuba
b. Persons in Eurasia and the Baltics
c. Persons in Iraq
d. In exceptional circumstances, persons identified by a United States Embassy in any location
You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the Congress immediately and to publish it in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA

John Boehner Speaker Pelosi stimulus bill recession Rick Santorum

Letter from the President regarding Designation of Funds for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
In accordance with section 115(c) of the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013, I hereby designate for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism all funding so designated by the Congress in section 115(a) pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts.
The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA

George Bush global warming Joe Biden Bush tax cuts Rubio

Presidential Memorandum -- Presidential Determination with respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Determination with Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008
Pursuant to section 404 of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (CSPA) (title IV, Public Law 110-457), I hereby determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Libya, South Sudan, and Yemen; and further determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to allow for continued provision of International Military Education and Training funds and nonlethal Excess Defense Articles, and the issuance of licenses for direct commercial sales of U.S. origin defense articles; and I hereby waive such provisions accordingly.
You are authorized and directed to submit this determination to the Congress, along with the accompanying Memorandum of Justification, and to publish the determination in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA

John Boehner Speaker Pelosi stimulus bill recession Rick Santorum

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event -- Bowling Green, OH

Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, Ohio
1:25 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Falcons!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Now, let me begin by asking everybody to give Seth a big round of applause for that great introduction.  (Applause.)  I was backstage and I had trouble hearing -- did he explain what was going on with his arm?  So Seth was playing, I think -- ultimate Frisbee, that’s what it was.  (Laughter.)  He was playing ultimate Frisbee.  He went up -- he was going to make this amazing touchdown, and he had the Frisbee and somebody cut him under his legs, cut out from under him.  It is clear replacement refs were in the game.  (Laughter and applause.)  He broke his wrist.  He was supposed to get it set yesterday but he didn’t want to miss this.  (Applause.)  So when he came up here, his wrist was not yet set, and he’s going to have to go to the hospital afterwards to get his wrist set.
 
Now, I just want to make the point that if Seth can come up here with a broken wrist, then there is not a student here who cannot get registered and make sure they go to vote.  (Applause.)  No excuses.  No excuses.  You got to play through injuries, Falcons.  (Laughter.) 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  I’m glad to be here.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, it’s great to be here with your next Congresswoman, Angela Zimmann.  (Applause.)  I’m thrilled to be with all of you.  And unless you live under a rock, or your cable is bust, you may have noticed that there’s an election going on here in Ohio.  By the way, those of you guys who have seats, feel free to sit down.  I’m going to be talking for a while here.  (Laughter.)  And those of you who don’t, make sure to bend your knees, because sometimes people faint, fall out -- not because I’m so exciting, but just because you’ve been standing a long time.  (Laughter.)
 
So there’s an election going on here in Ohio, and in case you’re wondering what kind of impact that’s having, I was talking to my campaign manager; he was meeting with this couple who had this adorable four-year-old son named Sammy.  And they were very proud that Sammy knew what was going on, and there was a picture of me up on the wall, and the parents said, “Who’s that, Sammy?”  And Sammy said, “That’s Barack Obama.”  And then the parents asked, “And what does Barack Obama do?”  And Sammy thinks for a second and he says, “He approves this message.”  (Laughter and applause.)  True story.  True story.
 
That’s what I do.  I approve this message.  (Laughter.)  And, Ohio, that’s because, starting on October 2nd, which is just six days from now, you get to start voting.  You get to have your say.  (Applause.)  You can register to vote all the way up until October 9th, but if you’re already registered you can start voting in six days.  And this is important, because you’ve got a big choice to make.  And it’s not just a choice between two parties or two candidates.  It is a choice between two fundamentally different paths for America, two fundamentally different choices for our future. 
 
My opponent and his running mate are big believers in top-down economics.  They basically think that if we just spend another $5 trillion on tax cuts that favor the very wealthiest, then --
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo, vote.  Vote.  (Applause.)  Vote.  Vote.  (Applause.) 
 
But their theory is, these tax cuts for the folks at the top, then prosperity and jobs will rain down on everybody else.  The deficit will magically go away, and we will live happily ever after.
 
There’s only one problem.  We just tried this during the last decade, during the previous presidency.  It didn’t work.  Top-down economics never works.  The country doesn’t succeed when only the rich get richer.  We succeed when the middle class gets bigger -- (applause) -- when more people have a chance to get ahead, more people have a chance to live up to their God-given potential.
 
Look, I don’t believe we can get very far with leaders who write off half the nation as a bunch of victims who never take responsibility for their own lives.  (Applause.)  And I’ve got to tell you, as I travel around Ohio and as I look out on this crowd, I don’t see a lot of victims.  I see hardworking Ohioans.  That’s what I see.  (Applause.)  We’ve got students who are trying to work their way through college.  (Applause.)  We've got single moms who are putting in overtime to raise their kids. 
 
By the way, your outstanding president of this institution, Bowling Green -- charming woman, really smart -- (applause) -- and there she is right there.  We were talking because we both were raised by single moms, and she was telling the story about how her mom worked at a resort in West Virginia, but she was doing the hard work and ended up raising one college president and one federal judge. 
 
That’s what we believe about the economy -- when you give folks a chance.  I see in this audience senior citizens who have been saving for retirement their entire lives; veterans who served this country so bravely.  (Applause.)  Soldiers who are today defending our freedom.  (Applause.)
 
Look, so let’s just get something straight in case anybody is confused.  We don’t believe that anybody is entitled to success in this country.  We don’t believe government should be helping people who refuse to help themselves.  But we do believe in something called opportunity.  (Applause.)  We do believe that hard work should pay off.  We do believe in an America where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules.  (Applause.)  We do believe in an America where no matter who you are, or what you look like, or what you’re your last name is, or who you love, you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)
 
That’s the country I believe in.  That’s what I’ve been fighting for, for four years.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.  (Applause.)
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years! 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Now, I’ve got to say this.  This country has gone through a very tough time, and we’ve still got a lot of folks who are hurting out there.  And I’m not somebody who is coming here offering some easy, quick solutions.  The truth is it’s going to take more than a few years to solve the challenges that were building up over decades -- jobs being shipped overseas; paychecks flat, even as costs of everything from college to health care were going up. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  -- in Ohio.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That, too.  (Applause.) 
 
But here is what I want everybody to be confident about:  Our problems can be solved.  Our challenges can be met.  We’ve still got the best workers in the world.  We’ve got the best businesses in the world.  We’ve got the best scientists in the world and researchers.  We definitely have the best colleges and universities in the world.  (Applause.) 
 
So especially for the young people out here, I want you to understand, there is not a country on Earth that wouldn’t gladly trade places with the United States of America.  (Applause.) 
 
But we’ve got work to do.  We’ve got work to do.  And the path I’m offering may be harder, but it leads to a better place.  And I’m putting forward a practical, five-point plan to create jobs and to grow the middle class, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. 
 
So just in case you guys missed the convention and -- (laughter) -- I know you didn’t miss Michelle.  (Applause.)  Let me reprise what this plan consists of.
 
First, I want to export more products and outsource fewer jobs.  (Applause.)  When my opponent said we should just “let Detroit go bankrupt” --
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo.
 
AUDIENCE:  Vote!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Vote.
 
That would have meant walking away from an industry that supports one in eight Ohio jobs.  It supports businesses in 82 of 88 Ohio counties.  So when he said that, I said, no, I’m going to bet on America; I’m betting on American workers.  I’m betting on American industry.  (Applause.)  And today, the American auto industry has come roaring back with nearly 250,000 new jobs.  (Applause.)  
 
And now you’ve got a choice.  We can give more tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and train new workers, and create new jobs right here in the United States.  (Applause.) 
 
Now, I understand my opponent has been spending some time here in Ohio lately, and he’s been talking tough on China.  Have you been hearing this? 
 
AUDIENCE:  Yeah!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  He’s been talking tough on China.  He says he’s going to take the fight to them; he’s going to go after these cheaters.  And I’ve got to admit, that message is the better -- is better than what he’s actually done about this thing.  (Laughter.)  It sounds better than talking about all the years he spent profiting from companies that sent our jobs to China. 
 
So when you hear this newfound outrage, when you see these ads he’s running promising to get tough on China, it feels a lot like that fox saying, “You know, we need more secure chicken coops.”  (Laughter.)  I mean, it’s just not credible.
 
Now, Ohio, I’ll tell you what I’ve done, because I’m not just talking the talk.  I have woken up every single day doing everything I can to give American workers a fair shot in this global economy.  (Applause.)  So we’ve brought more trade cases against China in one term than the previous administration did in two -- and, by the way, we’ve been winning those cases.  We’ve stood up for autoworkers against unfair trade practices.  When Governor Romney said stopping an unfair surge in Chinese tires would be bad for America, bad for our workers -- we politely declined his advice.  We went after China on that, and we got over 1,000 American workers back to work producing American tires.  (Applause.)
 
So when you want -- if you want to know who is going to actually fight for workers and fight for American jobs when it comes to trade, you can look at the records.  You can look at who said what before election time.  And right now, I am asking you to choose a better path than the one that my opponent is offering -- one that helps big factories and small businesses double their exports; that sells more goods stamped with “Made in America” to the rest of the world.  We can create one million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years with the right policies.  That’s what I’m fighting for.  That’s why I’m running for a second term as President.  (Applause.)  That’s what’s going to be important to Ohio. 
 
Second part of the plan -- I want us to control more of our own energy.  After 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, your cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)  We’ve doubled the amount of renewable clean energy we generate from sources like wind and solar.  (Applause.)  There are thousands of Americans -- including here in Ohio -- who have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.  Today, America is less dependent on foreign oil than any time in nearly 20 years.  (Applause.)  
 
So now you’ve got a choice between a plan that builds on this progress, or a plan that reverses it like my opponent is suggesting.  And this is a clear plan, because -- a clear difference, because I will not let oil companies write this country’s energies plan.  (Applause.)  And I want to stop oil companies collecting another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers.  (Applause.) 
 
We have a better plan.  Let’s take that money we’re giving to companies that are already hugely profitable -- every time you go to the pump, they’re making money; they don't need a tax break.  Let’s use that money and invest in wind and solar and clean coal technology.  (Applause.)  Let’s help farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and our trucks.  Let’s put construction workers to work retrofitting homes and factories so they waste less energy.  Let’s develop 100-year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet.  And if we do all these things, we can cut our oil imports even more -- cut them in half by 2020, and support hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the process.  That’s why I’m running.  That’s what’s going to be good for Ohio.  (Applause.)  
 
Number three -- I want to give more Americans the chance to get the skills that they need to compete. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Apprenticeships!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That's a good idea.  Education -- it was my gateway to opportunity.  That's the only reason I’m standing here.  (Applause.)  It was Michelle’s path to opportunity.  It’s the path more than ever to a middle-class life.  Today, millions of students are paying less for college because we took on a system that was wasting billions of dollars using banks and lenders and middlemen on the student loan process.  We said let’s give that money directly to students.  And as a consequence, millions of students are getting more grants, and we kept interest rates on student loans low.  All right?  That's what we fought for.  That’s what we fought for.  We already got that done.  (Applause.)
 
So now you’ve got a choice, because my opponent, he would gut education to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy.  That's one choice.  That's door number one.  Door number two -- we can decide that the United States of America should never have a child’s dreams deferred just because she’s in an overcrowded classroom or a crumbling school or has outdated textbooks.  No family should have to set aside an acceptance letter to a college like Bowling Green because they don’t have the money.  (Applause.)
 
No company should have to look for workers in China because they can’t find workers with the right skills here in the United States.  That's not the future that we want.  (Applause.) 
 
So, Ohio, I need your help because I want to recruit 100,000 new math and science teachers, and I want to improve early childhood education.  (Applause.)  I want to give 2 million more workers the chance to learn skills that they need at community colleges that will directly lead to a job.  (Applause.)
 
And I want to work with college presidents to keep tuition costs down.  We can cut in half the growth of tuition if we’re focused on this.  (Applause.)  We can meet this goal.  You can choose that future.  That's why I’m running, because I want to make sure that the folks coming behind me have the same opportunities I had.  That's what America is about.  (Applause.)
 
Number four -- I want to reduce the deficit without sticking it to the middle class.  (Applause.)  Now, I’ve already worked with Republicans in Congress to cut a trillion dollars in spending, and I’m willing to do more.  I put forward a very specific plan -- $4 trillion in deficit reduction.  I want to simplify the tax code so that it’s fair.  But I also want to ask the wealthiest households to pay a higher rate on incomes over $250,000 -- (applause) -- the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was President, and our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, we had the biggest surplus in history and, by the way, a whole lot of millionaires did really well, too -- because that’s how you grow an economy.  I want to keep taxes low for middle-class families and working families.  But if we’re going to close the deficit, we’ve got to ask folks like me to do a little bit more. 
 
And understand what happens.  When you get a tax break, what do you do?  You spend it, because you’ve got -- times are already tough.  So maybe you trade in finally that 10-year-old car, or maybe you a buy a computer for your kid who’s about to go off to college.  And that mean business now has more customers, and they make more profits, which means they hire more workers, and the whole economy does better.  That’s how you grow an economy -- from the middle out, not from the top down.  (Applause.)
 
And that’s also how we’ll reduce our deficit.  Now, in fairness, my opponent has a plan, too.  The problem is it’s missing what President Clinton called arithmetic.  (Laughter.)
 
So just understand my opponent and his allies in Congress tell us somehow we can lower the deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy.  No matter how many times they promise to “reboot” their campaign, no matter how many times they start saying they’re going to explain the specifics of this thing -- they can’t, they won’t.  They can’t say how they’d pay for $5 trillion in tax cuts without raising taxes on middle-class families.  They can’t explain how they’re going to pay for $2 trillion in new military spending that our military has said won’t make us safer.  They can't explain it because the math doesn’t add up. 
 
Now, my opponent may think it’s fair that somebody who makes $20 million a year, like he does, pays a lower rate than a teacher or an autoworker who makes $50,000 a year.  But I disagree.  I don’t think that’s fair.  I don’t think it helps grow our economy.  (Applause.)  I refuse to ask middle-class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or looking after their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  We’re not going to do that.  We’re not going to do that.  (Applause.) 
 
I’m not going to ask the students here to pay more for college, or kick some kids off of Head Start, or eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, or elderly, or disabled -- just to give myself a tax cut.  We can't afford it.  (Applause.)  
 
And I want you guys to know, I will never turn Medicare into a voucher.  (Applause.)  No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.  They should retire with dignity and the respect that they've earned.  We'll reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the actual cost of care -- not by dumping those costs onto seniors.  And we're going to keep the promise of Social Security.  We'll strengthen it, but we're not going to turn it over to Wall Street.  (Applause.)  We're not going to do that. 
 
Now, obviously, Governor Romney and I have a lot of differences when it comes to domestic policy, but our prosperity here at home is linked to what happens abroad.  Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq.  We did.  (Applause.)  I said we would responsibly wind down the war in Afghanistan, and we are.  You've got a new tower that's rising over the New York skyline, and meanwhile, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat and Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.)  We made that commitment.  (Applause.)
 
But as we saw just a few days ago, we still face some serious threats in the world.  And that’s why, as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we're going to maintain the strongest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And when our troops come home and they take off their uniform, we're going to serve them as well as they’ve served us, because nobody who fights for America should have to fight for a job when they come home.  I believe that.  (Applause.)   
 
My opponent has got a different view.  He said the way we ended the war in Iraq was “tragic.”  He still hasn't explained what his policy in Afghanistan will be.  But I have, and I will.  And one more thing, I will use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and to put more people back to work rebuilding roads and bridges and schools and runways -- (applause) -- because after a decade of war, it's time to do some nation-building right here in Ohio, right here at home.  (Applause.)
 
So this is the choice that you face; it's what this election comes down to.  And over the next 41 days, you will be seeing more money than has ever been spent, and a whole bunch of it on the other side from folks who are writing $10 million checks to these super PACs.  And they'll tell you that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way to go.  Their basic argument is since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing.  Their basic theory is you're on your own.  If you can’t afford health insurance, hope you don’t get sick.  (Laughter.)  If a company is releasing toxic pollution that your kids are breathing, well, that’s the price of progress.  If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, just borrow more money from your parents.  (Laughter.)  
 
Let me tell you something -- that’s not who we are.  That’s not what this country is about.  We don’t think government can solve all our problems.  But we don’t think it's the source of all our problems, either -- (applause) -- just like we don't think that folks who are having a tough time are our problem, or welfare recipients are our problem, or corporations are our problem, or unions are our problem, or immigrants or gays, or all the other groups that we’re told to blame for our troubles.   
 
Because here in America, we believe we’re in this thing together.  We believe that all of us have responsibilities.  (Applause.)  We believe we've got responsibilities to look after ourselves and work hard and show individual initiative.  But we also believe we have responsibilities to each other and to this country and to future generations, to make sure that America continues to be the place where there's more opportunity and possibility than any other nation on Earth.  That's what we believe.  That's what we're fighting for.  (Applause.)  
 
We understand that America is not about what can be done for us.  It’s about what can be done by us, together, as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.)  And that's what I've always said.  That's why I ran for this office, because I have faith in you.   
 
Four years ago, I told you this wasn't about me.  It was about you, the American people.  You were the change.  You are the reason a mother in Cleveland right now doesn’t have to worry about her son being denied medical coverage because of some preexisting condition.  You made that happen.  (Applause.)
 
You’re the reason a factory worker who lost his job in Toledo or Lordstown is back on the line building some of the best cars in the world.  You did that.  (Applause.)
 
You’re the reason a student in Akron or Columbus or Bowling Green has some help paying for a college education.  (Applause.)  You're the reason a veteran can go to school on the new GI Bill. 
 
You’re the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to the flag is not in danger of being deported from the only country she’s ever known.  (Applause.) 
 
You're the reason some outstanding soldier won’t be kicked out of our military because of who they are or who they love.  (Applause.)  You're the reason why thousands of families have finally been able to welcome home their loved ones who served us so bravely, to say, “Welcome home.” 
 
And the interesting thing is my opponent maybe doesn't understand this concept about how change happens, because I made this point down in Florida.  I said one of the things we learned is we can’t change Washington just from the inside.  You got to change it from the outside.  You change it with the help of ordinary Americans who are willing to make their voices heard.   
 
And my opponent got really excited.  He heard me say this.  He changed his speech.  (Laughter.)  He said, I'm going to get the job done from the inside.  That's what he said -- I'm going to get the job done from the inside.  And I'm thinking to myself, well, what kind of inside job is he talking about?  (Laughter and applause.) 
 
Is he talking about the inside job to rubber-stamp the agenda of this Republican Congress?  Because if he is, we don’t want it.  If he’s talking about the inside job of letting oil companies write the energy policies, and insurance companies writing health care policies, and outsourcers rewriting our tax code -- we don’t need that.  If he's talking about the inside job where politicians in Washington are controlling the health care choices that women are perfectly capable of making for themselves, we'll take a pass.  (Applause.)  We don’t need an inside job.  We want to change Washington. 
 
I've always said change is hard; it takes more than one term or even one President.  And the way our democracy works, we're never going to get everything that each of us individually want.  But if we're working together, you can make things happen.  Now, you can't make it happen if you write off half the nation before you take office.  (Applause.) 
 
It’s interesting, in 2008, 47 percent of the country did not vote for me.  They voted for John McCain.  But on election night, in Grant Park in Chicago, I said to all those Americans who didn't vote for me, I said, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, and I need your help.  And I will be your President, too.  That's what I said.  (Applause.)
 
So I don't know how many votes I’ll get in Ohio this time, but no matter who you are, no matter what party you belong to --and I want everybody who’s listening on television to understand -- I will be fighting for you because I’m not fighting to create Democratic jobs or Republican jobs.  I’m fighting to create American jobs.  (Applause.)
 
I’m not fighting to improve blue state schools or red state schools, I’m fighting to improve schools in the United States of America.  (Applause.)
 
The values of hard work and personal responsibility, those values that we believe in don't just belong to workers or businesses, or the rich or the poor, the 53 percent or the 47 percent, the 1 percent or the 99 percent.  Those are American values.  They belong to all of us.
 
So I want you guys to understand we are not as divided as our politics suggests.  I still believe, no matter how many times I'm called naïve about this, I still believe that we have more in common than divides us.  (Applause.)  I still believe in that.  I still believe in one nation and one people. 
 
I still believe in you.  And I'm asking you to keep believing in me.  (Applause.)  And if you do, I need you to register to vote.  (Applause.)  I need you to start voting six days from now on October 2nd.  And if you’re with me and if you work with me, we'll win Wood County again.  We'll win Ohio again.  (Applause.)  We'll finish what we started.  We'll remind the world why the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth. 
 
God bless you, everybody.  God bless America.  (Applause.)
END
2:00 P.M. EDT

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Jim DeMint's Support of Tea Party Candidates Could Boost His Senate Profile

When Marco Rubio embarked on his campaign for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race in Florida, he had very little public support among Republican power brokers, who overwhelmingly backed Charlie Crist, Florida governor and odds-on favorite at the time.
Enter Jim DeMint.
The junior Republican senator from South Carolina, who has developed a reputation for bucking authority in the Capitol, met with Rubio, the former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, in Washington on May 12, 2009. DeMint liked what he heard enough to endorse Rubio a month later. Rubio now has a commanding lead in the polls over Democrat Kendrick Meek and independent Crist, who bolted the GOP when it became clear he would lose to Rubio in the primary.
Rubio is among candidates DeMint has backed in the midterm elections as part of a multimillion-dollar effort to push the Senate's Republican caucus to the right. Those candidates -- mostly associated with the Tea Party movement -- also could help DeMint consolidate a leadership role in the Senate, assuming some or all of them win.
DeMint's early support of the then-relatively unknown Rubio did not go unnoticed. Across the country, other outsider, conservative hopefuls approached DeMint, looking for help in their battles against the establishment.
"There was a line of candidates down the street who wanted to talk to him," said Matt Hoskins, a spokesman for DeMint's political action committee, the Senate Conservatives Fund.
In an effort to bring more like-minded conservatives to the Senate, DeMint endorsed and funded alternative candidates in Republican primaries throughout the country. His Senate Conservatives Fund is still supporting 10 of these candidates in their general election bids, and all but one, Delaware's Christine O'Donnell, are either leading in the polls or in very competitive races.
When the victors arrive in Washington in January -- and political analysts project four to nine of the DeMint picks will win -- they will bring with them a heightened level of influence and power for their benefactor within the Republican Party.
DeMint's goal throughout the election season has been to steer the Senate to the right. With his own re-election assured well before the Nov. 2 vote, DeMint focused his efforts on raising money for the types of conservatives he'd like to serve with in the Senate, especially those with an appetite for reigning in the federal budget. DeMint regularly found himself the only national Republican supporting certain candidates.
"He was the first one," said Owen Loftus, spokesman for Ken Buck, the Republican nominee for Senate in Colorado. "It wasn't until after the primary that others followed."
And DeMint has given more than his name to these candidates. Hoskins estimated that the Senate Conservatives Fund has spent more than $4 million so far on the 10 Senate candidates DeMint is backing.
In the process of nudging the Senate to the right, DeMint almost inevitably will provide a boost to his own influence within the chamber.
"DeMint is a faction leader now," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "He'll have some votes. When you have votes that you can potentially deliver, you have power."
Sabato and other Beltway experts foresee the formation of a small but outspoken Tea Party caucus within the Senate Republicans. The belief is that these new senators will regularly side with DeMint because of a shared view of the role of government and, perhaps, a sense of debt.
"They will come in with sort of a natural affinity in terms of their ideas," said Robert Oldendick, a professor of political science at the University of South Carolina. "Plus, given the role that DeMint is playing in each of their campaigns, there is some kind of, 'OK, I owe some chips to this guy.' So he has become the de facto leader of this."
Hoskins insisted that DeMint's support of these candidates comes with no strings attached. But he expressed optimism that an influx of DeMint-backed candidates could change the direction of the Republican caucus in the Senate.
"I think you're going to see maybe a little more fight from the Republican Party in terms of its principles," Hoskins said. "A lot of people just focus on the numbers but in the Senate sometimes you don't need to have 50 votes. You need three people willing to stand up and speak out on something. If you've got that you can begin to rally the American people and before long you have 50 votes."
Some observers question DeMint's motives in getting so involved in the midterm elections. They claim DeMint is angling to become the Republican leader in the Senate or even to run for president. But Hoskins said DeMint's sole goal is to pack with the Senate with fellow hard-right conservatives.
"He wants to support these candidates to strengthen the Senate," Hoskins said.

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Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
12:53 P.M. CDT
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  Well, you all know I am so thrilled to be back here in Cedar Falls.  And I want to say hello to my Panthers.  (Applause.)  I love it!
Let me start by thanking Rose for that very kind introduction -- my little fist bump -- and everything that she's doing for the campaign.  She's doing a terrific job. 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!
MRS. OBAMA:  I love you all, too.  Love you all so much.  (Applause.)  I also want to say a wonderful thank you and to recognize Senator Harkin, Bruce Braley, and Mayor Crews for being here and for their leadership every single day here in this state.
And, most of all, I want to thank all of you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  I know you all are busy.  You've got school to go to and you're here.  You've got lives to lead and you're here.  And to all the students of UNI, thank you.  Thank you for everything that you're doing. 
I know you all are pretty fired up.  I know you're pretty ready to go.  That's a good thing.  (Applause.)  And let me tell you, I'm feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself.  (Applause.)  Because being here with you today and traveling all around the country, I get to do one of my favorite things -- I get to talk about the man that I have loved and admired since I met him 23 years ago.  (Applause.)
Next week, Barack and I, we'll be married for 20 years.  (Applause.)  So let me share something.  See, now, back when we first met -- ladies, listen up -- (laughter) -- Barack had everything going for him.  He was handsome -- still is, I think.  (Applause.)  He was charming, talented, and very, very smart.  But that is not why I married him. 
So, fellas, listen up.  (Laughter.)  What truly made me fall in love with Barack was his character.  No, truly, it was his decency, it was his honesty, it was his compassion, his conviction.  I loved that Barack was so committed to serving others that he turned down high-paying jobs and instead he started his career fighting to get folks back to work in struggling communities.
And I loved that Barack was so devoted to his family, especially to the women in his life.  I saw the respect that he had for his mother.  That meant so much to me.  I saw how proud he was that she was able to put herself through school and still support him and his sister as a single mom. 
I saw the tenderness that he felt for his grandmother, how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waking up every morning, catching a bus to her job at a community bank to make sure she was doing everything she could to support their family.  And he watched as she was passed over for promotions simply because she was a woman, but he also saw how she kept on getting up, kept doing what she was supposed to do without complaint, without regret. 
See, with Barack, I found in him a real connection because in his life story; I saw so much of my own.  Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my own father make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  I saw how my father carried himself with that same dignity, the same pride that folks feel with the opportunity they have to provide for their family, that same hope that one day his kids would have things he only dreamed of.  How many people here have folks like that in their lives?  (Applause.)  And I know there are a lot of college students that are here because they've got parents or someone in their lives who is making that same sacrifice right now for them. 
See, like so many families in this country, our families weren’t asking for much.  My dad, Barack's grandmother, they didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did -- in fact, they admired it.  That's why they pushed us so hard.  That's why they wanted us to go to college.  They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, in America, if you work hard, if you do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to provide a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and your grandkids.  (Applause.)
And they also believed in something very important, that when you’ve worked hard and when you've done well and you finally walk through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you.  You reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)
That’s how Barack, that’s how I, that’s how so many of us were raised.  Those are the values that we were taught.  We learned that hard work matters more than how much you make.  We learned that the truth matters -- so you don’t take shortcuts, you don’t game the system, you don’t play by your own set of rules.  We learned that no one -- none of us gets where we are on our own, that each of us has a community of people lifting us up, from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.) 
And one thing my folks always made sure we knew, you learn to value everyone’s contribution.  You were taught to treat everyone with respect.  We also learned about citizenship and service -- that we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves; that with our freedoms come obligations, and with our blessings come a duty to give back to others with less.  (Applause.) 
See, and I love talking to young people because I know these are the values that we’re all raised with.  These are the values that make Barack such an extraordinary husband to me and a phenomenal father to our girls.  But Barack’s values matter to me not just as a wife and as a mother, but also as a First Lady who has seen up close and personal what being President really looks like, and how critical those values are to leading this country. 
Over the past three and a half years, I’ve seen how the issues that come across the President’s desk, they’re always the hard ones -- the decisions that aren’t just about the bottom line, but about laying a foundation for the next generation.  (Applause.)  And I’ve seen how important it is to have a President who doesn’t just tell us what we want to hear, but who tells us the truth -- even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard.  (Applause.) 
And I’ve seen that when it comes time to make those tough calls, and everyone is urging you to do what’s easy, everyone is urging you to do what polls best, what makes good headlines -- and, as President, you have to be driven by the struggles, hopes and dreams of all the people you serve.  As President, you have to have a strong internal compass, a core commitment to your fellow citizens.  And that’s how you make the right decisions for this country.  That’s what it takes to be a leader.  (Applause.) 
And let me tell you, since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, that is what I have seen in my husband.  Let me tell you, we have seen his values at work.  We have seen his vision unfold.  We’ve seen the depths of his character, his courage and his conviction. 
I mean, think back to when Barack first took office.  This economy was on the brink of collapse.  Understand, the newspapers were using words like “meltdown,” “calamity;” declaring “Wall Street Implodes,” “Economy in Shock.”  See, for years -- and I don’t have to tell folks here -- for years, folks had been lured into buying homes they couldn’t afford, so their mortgages were underwater.  Banks weren’t lending, companies weren’t hiring.  The auto industry was in crisis.
This economy was losing 800,000 jobs every month.  You hear me?  Every month.  And a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression.  That’s where we were.  This is what Barack faced on day one as President of the United States.  This is what he walked into.
But let me tell you, instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, Barack got to work.  (Applause.)  See, because he was thinking about folks like my dad, folks like his grandmother.
See, and that’s why he cracked down on lending abuses, so that today, when you apply for a mortgage or a credit card, you know exactly what you’re getting into.  That’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and for working families -- because you have a President that believes that here in America, teachers and firefighters should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  (Applause.)
He got the auto industry back on its feet, and as a result, today, new cars are rolling off the line at proud American companies like GM.  (Applause.) 
And, yes, we have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, but we have had 30 straight months of private sector job growth -- more than 5.1 million new jobs under this President, good jobs right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 
And when it comes to the health of our families, Barack didn’t care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically.  That’s not who he is.  He cared that it was the right thing to do.  And today, because he fought so hard for health reform, our parents and grandparents on Medicare are paying hundreds less today for their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  Young people, like all of you, can now stay on your parent’s insurance until you’re 26 years old because of health reform.  (Applause.)
Insurance companies now have to cover basic preventative care -- things like contraception, cancer screenings, with no out-of-pocket cost.  (Applause.)  They won’t be able to discriminate against you because you have a preexisting condition like diabetes or asthma.  (Applause.)   
And here’s one that really gets me:  If you get a serious illness -- let’s say breast cancer -- and you need real expensive treatment, no longer can they tell you, sorry, you hit your lifetime limit and we’re not paying a penny more.  No longer.  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.)
And when it comes to giving all our young people the education they deserve, Barack knows that, like me and like so many of you, he never, never could have afforded to attend college without financial aid.  Never.  In fact, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage. 
So, believe me, when it comes to student debt, Barack and I, we’ve been there.  This is not a hypothetical.  And that’s why Barack fought to double funding for Pell grants and to keep interest rates down.  (Applause.)  Because, fortunately, we have a President who understands how critical that is to ensuring that all of our young people have the skills that they need for the jobs of the future -- good jobs you can raise a family on; good jobs that will build this economy for decades to come.  (Applause.)
And finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women -- when it comes to standing up for our rights and opportunities -- look, we know my husband will always have our backs.  See, because Barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  And that’s why he made sure the first bill he signed into law was to make sure that women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)
So he knows what it means when women struggle to meet the demands of their jobs, the needs of their families.  Believe me, today, as a father, he knows what it means to want our daughters to have the same freedoms and opportunities as our sons.  So one of the things I make sure that people understand -- Barack will always make sure that we as women have the right to decide what we want to do with our own health and with our own health care.  That’s what Barack Obama stands for.  (Applause.)
So when people ask you what this President has done for our country, when you run into people who are deciding which of these candidates is going to keep our country moving forward for four more years, here’s a few things that you can tell them -- and I’m only going to go through a few of them. 
Tell them about the millions of jobs Barack has created.  Tell them about how he passed health reform.  Tell them about all the kids who will now be able to finally afford college.  Tell them how Barack ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)
Tell them how we worked together and finally took out Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)  Tell them how Barack has fought to give veterans and military families the benefits they’ve earned.  (Applause.)  Tell them about all of the young immigrants brought here to this country through no fault of their own, and how they will no longer be deported from the only country they’ve ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them how our brave men and women in uniform will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)
I could go on and on and on, but more importantly, I want you to tell them that Barack Obama knows the American dream because he’s lived it.  And he has been fighting every day so that everyone in this country can have that same opportunity no matter who we are or where we’re from or what we look like or who we love. 
But let me tell you, let’s be very clear:  While Barack is very proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, my husband is nowhere near satisfied, trust me.  Barack knows more than anyone that there are still too many people struggling.  He knows that there is plenty of work left to be done.  As President Clinton said, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to build -- rebuild an economy from the brink of collapse.  (Applause.)
But here’s something I can tell you for sure.  Since the day he took office, Barack has been fighting for us.  He has been struggling with us.  And together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of the hole that we started in. 
For three and a half years, we’ve been moving forward and making progress, and we’re beginning to see that change we all can believe in.  So we have to ask ourselves, are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us in this hole in the first place? 
AUDIENCE:  No!
MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to just sit back and watch everything that we’ve worked for and fought for to just slip away? 
AUDIENCE:  No!
MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  What are we going to do?  (Applause.)  So let me tell you something.  In the end, the answer to these questions is really up to us.  It’s on all of us.  Because all of our hard work, all the progress we’ve made -- understand it’s all on the line.  It’s all at stake this November.  It can all be gone.  And as my husband said, this election will be even closer than the last one.  That’s the only guarantee you have.  And it could all come down to what happens in just a few key battleground states like right here in Iowa.
Now, just to put it in perspective for you guys, think back to what happened in 2008.  Back then, we won this state by about 147,000 votes.  (Applause.)  Yes, well, that may sound like a lot, but when you break it down, that’s just 87 votes per precinct.  Just think about that -- 87 votes.  That could mean just a couple votes in a neighborhood, a single vote in the hallway of your dorm.
So if there is anyone here who might be thinking -- or maybe you know someone who might be thinking that their vote doesn’t matter, that their involvement doesn’t count, that in this complex political process that somehow ordinary folks couldn’t possibly make a difference, I want you all to just keep that number in your mind -- 87. 
But I’ve got news for you -- here in this state, it is already Election Day.  (Applause.)  Today is Election Day.  (Applause.)  See, the beauty of where you are is that early voting started yesterday, and for today only, right here on this campus, there is a satellite voting site open at the Schindler Education Building until 6:00 p.m.  And there, you can get registered, you can cast your ballot all in one stop. 
So right after I’m done speaking, I want you all to walk out that main door, and follow the volunteers, and do your part to move this country forward.  (Applause.)  Listen to this -- you can be one of the first people here in 2012 to cast your ballot for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  You can do that.  See, and I really want to talk to the students right now, because you all know you need more than one day to vote, right?  (Laughter.)  You wake up late, you’ll be like, today is Election Day?  (Laughter.)  Oh, that was yesterday -- oh, my gosh, I didn’t know.  (Laughter.)  You know -- so don’t do that.  You got a whole month to make it happen, a whole month to vote.  (Applause.) 
As I tell my children, don’t procrastinate.  No procrastinations.  Make it happen.  Do it today.  And then after you’ve voted -- see, this is also the reason we need you to vote early.  We’re going to need you, every single one of you here, to work like you’ve never worked before.  Young people like all of you, so many of you here have always driven Barack’s campaigns with your energy and your passion.  This is your future.
And 39 days, that's how much time is left until the election -- 39 days.  That's a long time in a campaign.  Let me tell you.  It feels short.  That's a long time.  (Laughter.)  So we’ve got to turn all of this wonderful energy into action.  That's the next step.  We’ve got to work right up to the very end.  So if you vote early, you can use all the time to find other people, you know?  Multiply yourselves.  Find five more friends that you know aren’t registered.  Get them to vote early.  And look in this room, you all can beat that 87 right here at UNI.  You all can be the ones that do that.  (Applause.)
So when I’m finished, I want you to look for one of the volunteers here today.  They’ve got clipboards.  Find them, okay?  And when you find them, we need you to sign up with them to do more work.  Make phone calls, knock on doors to get out the vote here on campus and out in the community.  We need you to talk to everyone you know, everyone.  Your friends, your neighbors, that cousin you haven’t seen in a while, that student sitting next to you in class, you know the one.  You know he’s not registered.  (Laughter.)  You can just look at him.  You can tell.  You can pick them out.  Find them, shake them.
Also talk to your parents and your grandparents.  In 2008, I can't tell you how many grandparents came up to me and said that they voted for Barack because of their grandchildren, because of your enthusiasm, because you told them what it meant for your future.  (Applause.)  Let them know what this election means to you.  Tell them what’s at stake.  Remind them of all the things this President has done.  Bring them to events like this one.  But make sure you’re registered, all right?  Especially if you just moved.  Students, if you registered and you moved, you got to re-register, right?  Or if you’ve never voted before, you’ve got to register.
And once folks are registered, make sure they get to the polls, cast their ballot on Election Day.  If they don't know where to go, here’s more information.  Go to GottaRegister.com.  You don't even need to leave your room.  Go right there.  You can find everything you need to make your voices heard this Election Day. 
And I’m not going to kid you.  This journey is -- it’s going to be hard.  These next days are going to be long.  And trust me, there are going to be plenty of ups and downs all the rest of the way, all right?  So just count on that.  This stuff is never smooth sailing.  It’s up, it’s down.  It’s up again.  Trust me.  I’ve learned. 
But when you start to get tired, and you will -- when you start to get bored with all of this, and you will -- when you want to take a day off, and you will, I want you to remember don't do it.  (Laughter.)  I want you to remember that what we do for the next 39 days, especially you guys, will absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and asking ourselves, could we have done more -- or feeling the promise of four more years.
So I need you all to work like you've never worked before between now and November 6th.  I want us to keep working, keep struggling, keep pushing forward.  And remember that that is how change always happens in this country.  Change is hard, and it requires patience and tenacity.  It always does.  But if we keep showing up -- this is what I want young people to know because this is your journey, right? 
From now on everything you want in your life will require you to work and keep working.  But know that if you keep fighting for what you know is right, know that eventually we get there.  Because in this country we always do.  Don't get discouraged.  In this country, we have always moved forward.  (Applause.)  Always.  But here's the trick -- maybe not in our lifetimes.  This is how I think, so many people think -- maybe in our children’s lifetimes.  See, that's who I'm working for.  Maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes. 
Because in the end, that’s what this is all about.  That’s what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you any differently -- elections are always about hope.  Like the hope that I saw on my father's beaming face as he watched me cross that stage to get my college diploma.  The hope that Barack’s grandmother must have felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised.  (Applause.)  The hope that all of those men and women in our lives who worked for us -- they worked that extra shift, they saved for us, they sacrificed for us, they are praying for us so that we could have something more.  The hope that so many of us feel when we look into your eyes, the eyes of our kids and our grandkids.
That’s why we're here today -- because we want to give you all that foundation for your dreams.  All of our children are worthy of that promise, and we want to give all our children that sense of limitless possibility, that belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet -- (applause) -- there is always something better out there if you're willing to work for it.
So what I tell myself, we cannot turn back now.  No, not now.  We have come so far -- look at you all -- we have come so far.  (Applause.)  But we have so much more work to do.  So let me ask you one last thing -- are you ready for this?  (Applause.) Are you ready to work for this?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  Are you ready to vote?  (Applause.)  Are you going to go vote right now?  (Applause.)
Early vote!  Find your friends.  Get them to early vote!  Do that work! 
Thank you, guys.  God bless you.  (Applause.)
END  
1:28 P.M. CDT

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Weekly Address: It?s Time for Congress to Help Responsible Homeowners

In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people that four years ago this month, a financial crisis that was largely caused by irresponsibility in the housing market threatened to destroy the economy.  Four years later, the housing market is slowly healing, but we’re not done yet.  That’s why the Administration has taken aggressive steps to help families stay in their homes, including giving responsible homeowners a chance to save thousands of dollars every year by refinancing their mortgages. But we need Congress’s help to do more. In February, the President sent Congress a plan to cut red tape so every responsible homeowner gets the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates.  It’s time for Democrats and Republicans to act on this plan when they return in November so that we can help hardworking families and strengthen the middle class.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, September 29, 2012.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
September 29, 2012
 
Hello, everybody.  Four years ago this month, a crisis that started out on Wall Street almost brought down our entire economy.  The nation’s biggest banks were days away from failing.  The stock market – and millions of American retirement accounts – were in free-fall.  Credit froze.  Lending stopped.  And businesses large and small didn’t even know if they’d be able to make payroll.  It was a moment the likes of which few Americans had ever seen.
Today, we know the biggest cause of that crisis was reckless behavior in the housing market. 
Millions of Americans who did the right and responsible thing – who shopped for a home, secured a mortgage they could afford, and made their payments on time – were badly hurt by the irresponsible actions of others.  By lenders who sold loans to families who couldn’t afford them – and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them.  By speculators who were looking to make a quick buck.  And by banks that packaged and sold those risky mortgages for phony profits. 
When the party stopped, and the housing bubble burst, it pushed our entire economy into a historic recession – and left middle-class families holding the bag.
Four years later, the housing market is healing.  Home sales and construction are up.  Prices are beginning to rise.  And more than a million families who began this year owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, are now back above water. 
We’re moving in the right direction.  But we’re not there yet.  There are still millions of Americans who are struggling with their mortgages, even at a time of historically low rates.  
Now, I know there are some who think that the only option for homeowners is to just stand by and hope that the market has hit bottom.  I don’t agree with that.
That’s why my Administration teamed up with state attorneys general to investigate the terrible way many homeowners were treated, and secured a settlement from the nation’s biggest banks – banks that were bailed out with taxpayer dollars – to help families stay in their homes.
And that’s why we announced new steps to help responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages.  Already, hundreds of thousands of Americans who were stuck in high-interest loans have been able to take advantage of lower rates and save thousands of dollars every year. 
That’s not only good for those families; it’s also good for our economy.  When folks are spending less on mortgage payments, they’re spending more at local businesses.  And when those businesses have more customers, they start hiring more workers.   
But we can do even more if Congress is willing to do their part.
Back in February I sent Congress a plan to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at lower rates.  It’s a plan that has the support of independent, nonpartisan economists and leaders across the housing industry.  But Republicans in Congress worked to keep it from even getting to a vote.  And here we are – seven months later – still waiting on Congress to act.
This makes no sense.  Last week, mortgage rates were at historic lows.  But instead of helping more and more hardworking families take advantage of those rates, Congress was away on break.  Instead of worrying about you, they’d already gone home to worry about their campaigns.
The truth is, it’s going to take a while for our housing market to fully recover.  But it’s going to take a lot more time – and cause a lot more hurt – if Congress keeps standing in the way.  If you agree with me, I hope you’ll make your voices heard.  Call your Representative.  Send them an email.  Show up at their town hall and tell them that when Congress comes back to Washington, they better come back ready to work.  All of you are doing everything you can to meet your responsibilities.  It’s time Congress did the same.  Thanks and have a great weekend.

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