Barack Obama

thi morn __PUNCT__ we woke up to bad new from wall_street __PUNCT__

for the second dai in a row __PUNCT__ the global stock_market ha continu to plung as the world continu to fear that the unit_state state_govern won't do enough to prevent a recess __PUNCT__

we hope that the rate cut announc thi morn will restor some confid and stop the damag __PUNCT__ but the fear remain __PUNCT__

it a fear that hasn't just confin itself to those who nervous watch the ticker or scan the headlin of the financi section __PUNCT__ but on that i have seen on the face of work_american in everi corner of thi countri long befor anxieti ever hit wall_street __PUNCT__

i seen it in the face of famili who ar be forc to foreclos on their dream becaus an unscrupul lender trick them into bui a home thei couldn't afford just to pocket a profit __PUNCT__

i seen it in the face of maytag worker who labor all their live onli to see their job ship oversea __PUNCT__ who now compet with their teenag for __MONEY__ job at wal __PUNCT__ mart __PUNCT__

and i seen it in the face of a young_woman who told me she onli get three hour of sleep becaus she work the night shift after a full dai of colleg and still can't afford health_care for a sister who ill __PUNCT__

in the last sever month __PUNCT__ their fear have grown wors and ar now share by more and more american __PUNCT__

what start as a crisi in the hous_market ha now spill over to the rest of the economi __PUNCT__

bank ar face a credit_crunch __PUNCT__ leav busi with less monei to invest and more american unabl to get loan __PUNCT__

jobless rose more last month than at ani time sinc just after 9/11 __PUNCT__ and oil reach __MONEY__ a barrel __PUNCT__

peopl have less monei to spend __PUNCT__ higher bill to pai __PUNCT__ and fewer opportun for work __PUNCT__

for year __PUNCT__ we were warn thi might happen __PUNCT__

but washington did what washington doe __PUNCT__ it look the other wai __PUNCT__

it reward lender and lobbyist with whatev thei ask for while ignor the voic of work_peopl who need help most __PUNCT__

and all the while __PUNCT__ we been led by georg w __PUNCT__ bush __PUNCT__ a presid who done more to contribut to thi countri widen inequ than anyon sinc herbert_hoover __PUNCT__ a presid whose tax_break for wealthi american who didn't need them and didn't ask for them have onli encourag the mindset in washington and on wall_street that __PUNCT__ what good for me is good enough __PUNCT__

that why it no surpris that after month and month of watch famili struggl to get by in thi economi __PUNCT__ georg_bush final offer a stimulu_plan last week that neglect __NUM___million worker and senior who need our help the most __PUNCT__ the veri peopl who ar most like to spend and give our economi the boost it need right now __PUNCT__

well georg_bush econom_plan haven't work befor and thei not go to start_work now __PUNCT__

more importantli __PUNCT__ thei don't reflect who we ar as american __PUNCT__

we haven't come thi far becaus we practic surviv of the fittest __PUNCT__

america is america becaus we strive for surviv of the nation __PUNCT__ a nation where no on is left behind and everyon ha a chanc to achiev their dream __PUNCT__

that who we ar __PUNCT__

and that who we can be again at thi defin moment __PUNCT__

thi isn't an issu i found along the campaign_trail __PUNCT__

i introduc_legisl to stop mortgag fraud and predatori_lend almost two year_ago __PUNCT__

i call for a middl __PUNCT__ class tax_cut cut_back in __DATE__ that would put_monei into the pocket of over __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of work_american __PUNCT__ that would elimin incom_tax for senior make less than __MONEY__ __PUNCT__ that would give a tax_credit to struggl homeown __PUNCT__

and that why when i announc my econom_stimulu stimulu_packag the other week __PUNCT__ i call for immedi tax_relief for work_famili and senior __PUNCT__ becaus thei shouldn't have to wait anoth dai for washington to act __PUNCT__

thei need our help right now __PUNCT__

we should send each work famili a __MONEY__ tax_cut and each senior a __MONEY__ supplement to their social_secur check __PUNCT__

and if the economi continu to declin in the come week __PUNCT__ we should do it again __PUNCT__

thi is the quickest wai to help peopl_pai their bill and get them to start spend __PUNCT__

we should also immedi make unemploy_insur avail for a longer period of time and for more peopl who ar face job_loss __PUNCT__ and we should make sure it benefit part __PUNCT__ time and non __PUNCT__ tradit worker __PUNCT__ someth that will particularli help women __PUNCT__ african __PUNCT__ american and latino __PUNCT__

we should help those face foreclosur refin their mortgag and stai in their home __PUNCT__ and we should provid direct relief to victim of mortgag fraud __PUNCT__

and we should provid assist to state and local_govern so that thei don't slash critic servic like health_care or educ __PUNCT__

of cours __PUNCT__ it easi to propos plan and polici when you on the campaign_trail __PUNCT__

you can make all sort of promis and tell peopl what thei want to hear when thei want to hear it __PUNCT__

but in thi time of econom anxieti and uncertainti __PUNCT__ what thi countri need most is a presid who sai what he mean and mean what he sai __PUNCT__ a presid who won't just do what right when the polit ar easi __PUNCT__ but when the polit ar hard __PUNCT__ a presid who not just in it to win it __PUNCT__ but in it for you __PUNCT__

in the debat last night __PUNCT__ we spent some time talk about the economi __PUNCT__

and on of the thing i brought up that concern me wa that when senat_clinton first releas her econom_stimulu stimulu_plan __PUNCT__ she didn't think that worker or senior need immedi tax_relief __PUNCT__

she thought it could wait until thing got wors __PUNCT__

five dai later __PUNCT__ the economi didn't realli chang __PUNCT__ but the polit appar did __PUNCT__ becaus she chang her plan to look just like mine __PUNCT__

it remind me of what happen when we start debat the credit_card industri bankruptci bill __PUNCT__ a bill that would make it much harder for work_famili to climb out of debt __PUNCT__

believ it or not __PUNCT__ senat_clinton said again last night that even though she vote for the bill __PUNCT__ she wa glad it didn't pass __PUNCT__

i know you can get awai with thi in washington __PUNCT__ but most of us know that if you don't want to see a bill_pass __PUNCT__ there a pretti easi option avail __PUNCT__ you can vote against it __PUNCT__

and we heard her sai the same_kind of thing about nafta and china trade __PUNCT__ agreement that sent million of american_job __PUNCT__ thousand from thi veri state __PUNCT__ oversea __PUNCT__

becaus onli in washington could senat_clinton sai that nafta led to econom improv up until she start run for presid __PUNCT__

now she sai we need a time __PUNCT__ out on trade __PUNCT__

no on know when thi time __PUNCT__ out will end __PUNCT__

mayb after the elect __PUNCT__

the point is __PUNCT__ thi is exactli the kind of polit we can't afford right now __PUNCT__

not when the stake ar thi high __PUNCT__

not when the economi is thi fragil __PUNCT__

not when so mani bank ar foreclos on peopl dream __PUNCT__

we can't afford a presid whose posit chang with the polit of the moment __PUNCT__ we need a presid who know that be readi on dai on mean get it right from dai on __PUNCT__

and south_carolina __PUNCT__ if you give me the chanc __PUNCT__ that the kind of presid i be __PUNCT__

in my twenti __PUNCT__ five year of public_servic __PUNCT__ my posit haven't chang when the polit got hard __PUNCT__ and neither will the polici i pursu as presid __PUNCT__

i start my career as a commun_organ on the street of chicago __PUNCT__ fight jobless and poverti when the local steel plant_close __PUNCT__

i provid tax_relief for work_famili as a state_senat in illinoi __PUNCT__

and when i am presid __PUNCT__ i take awai the break that washington give to compani who ship our job_oversea __PUNCT__ and give them to compani who creat the job of the futur right here in america __PUNCT__

i won't wait to rais the minimum_wage everi ten_year __PUNCT__ i will rais it to keep pace everi year so that worker don't fall behind __PUNCT__

i take on the credit_card_compani who ar profit by drive work_famili into debt __PUNCT__

and i make sure that ceo can't dump your pension with on hand while thei collect a bonu with the other __PUNCT__

that an outrag __PUNCT__ and it time we had a presid who know it an outrag __PUNCT__

on health_care __PUNCT__ i know what it take to expand coverag to the uninsur __PUNCT__

in illinoi __PUNCT__ i brought democrat and republican togeth to expand health care to __NUM___children and parent __PUNCT__

and when i presid __PUNCT__ i do more to cut_cost for famili and busi than anyon in thi race __PUNCT__ and i pass univers_health_care not twenti_year from now __PUNCT__ not ten_year from now __PUNCT__ but by the end of my first term in offic __PUNCT__

and when it come to take awai the power of lobbyist and special_interest __PUNCT__ i the onli candid in thi race who actual done it __PUNCT__

in illinoi i pass the first major ethic reform in twenti __PUNCT__ five year __PUNCT__

in washington i help pass the strongest lobbi reform in a gener __PUNCT__ we ban gift from lobbyist __PUNCT__ meal with lobbyist __PUNCT__ subsid travel on fanci jet __PUNCT__ and for the first time in histori __PUNCT__ we forc lobbyist to tell the american_public who thei rais_monei from and who in congress thei funnel it to __PUNCT__

last night senat_clinton defend lobbyist again __PUNCT__ who she ha said repres real_american __PUNCT__

well let me tell you __PUNCT__ if you realli believ that lobbyist repres real american __PUNCT__ then you don't __PUNCT__

washington_lobbyist haven't fund my campaign __PUNCT__ thei won't run my white_hous __PUNCT__ and thei will not drown out the voic of work_american when i am presid __PUNCT__

we know the road ahead will be difficult __PUNCT__

none of the problem we face will be easi to solv and chang will not happen overnight __PUNCT__

it will take a new spirit of cooper and sacrific __PUNCT__

it will requir each of us to remind ourselv that we rise and fall as on nation __PUNCT__ and that a countri in which onli a few prosper is antithet to our ideal and our democraci __PUNCT__

and it will take a presid who can ralli american of differ view and background to thi common caus __PUNCT__

i remind everi dai that i am not a perfect man __PUNCT__

and i will not be a perfect presid __PUNCT__

but i can promis you thi __PUNCT__ i will alwai sai what i mean and mean what i sai __PUNCT__

i will be honest about the challeng we face __PUNCT__

and most importantli __PUNCT__ i will wake up everi singl_dai readi to listen to you __PUNCT__ and work for you __PUNCT__ and fight for you not just when it easi __PUNCT__ but when it hard __PUNCT__

that what i did for those men and women on the street of chicago __PUNCT__

that what i done over the last decad for the work_famili of illinoi __PUNCT__

and that what i will do for the american_peopl if you give me the chanc to lead thi countri __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__