Obama Ipsum

And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma.

I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations.

Hall in East Moline, Ill.. That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

She poured everything she had into me. Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Now don't get me wrong. Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. It will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude and resolve.

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.