The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. And I've seen it in this campaign. I am emphasizing such investments within my country.
They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. Not this time. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring.
And meeting them won't be easy. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America. It should help us, not hurt us. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight.
This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.
Universities and states, including Illinois, are taking part in a divestment campaign to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the killings. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future. Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.