Obama Ipsum

Now Ashley might have made a different choice. 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. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. They all have different stories and reasons.

But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. That's not simply a matter of policy or ideology - it's a moral commitment. It comes from Deuteronomy 30 when Moses talks to his followers about the challenges they'll find when they reach the Promised Land without him. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it.

We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.

And I'm glad to see that. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.

Thank you.