Obama Ipsum

Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well. We are the party of Roosevelt. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands. But that is not yet the case. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.

That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted at least, most of the time. So doing the Lord's work is a thread that's run through our politics since the very beginning. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course.

Now, as children of God, we believe in the worth and dignity of every human being; it doesn't matter where that person came from or what documents they have. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build.

But privately, many Muslims recognize that Israel will not go away. It is easier to start wars than to end them.

John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies, or the sabotage of foreign oil fields. The President vetoed a similar plan, but he doesn't have the last word, and we're going to keep at it, until we bring this war to an end. I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: "I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be." Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have responsibilities.

Thank you very much everybody.