Barack Obama

i want to thank governor sebeliu for her support in thi campaign __PUNCT__ for the leadership she provid the state of kansa __PUNCT__ and for the exampl she set for democrat all across america __PUNCT__

in her two term as governor __PUNCT__ kathleen sebeliu ha prove that new job and good school __PUNCT__ afford health_care and clean_energi ar not democrat idea or republican idea __PUNCT__ thei ar american_idea __PUNCT__

and she ha shown america that the democrat_parti is a parti that can run anywher and win anywher and lead anywher as long as we the parti of chang __PUNCT__ the parti of the futur __PUNCT__

governor sebeliu is a bright part of that futur __PUNCT__ and we ar grate to have her with us here todai __PUNCT__

you know __PUNCT__ we have been told for mani year that we ar becom more divid as a nation __PUNCT__

we have been made to believ that differ of race and region __PUNCT__ wealth and gender __PUNCT__ parti and religion have separ us into war faction __PUNCT__ into red_state and blue_state made up of individu with oppos want and need __PUNCT__ with conflict hope and dream __PUNCT__

it is a vision of america that been exploit and encourag by pundit and politician who need thi divis to score point and win_elect __PUNCT__

but it is a vision of america that i am run for presid to fundament reject __PUNCT__ not becaus of a blind optim i hold __PUNCT__ but becaus of a stori i live __PUNCT__

it a stori that began here __PUNCT__ in el_dorado __PUNCT__ when a young_man fell in love with a young_woman who grew up down the road in augusta __PUNCT__

thei came of ag in the midst of the depress __PUNCT__ where he found odd job on small_farm and oil rig __PUNCT__ alwai dodg the bank_failur and foreclosur that were sweep the nation __PUNCT__

thei marri just after war broke out in europ __PUNCT__ and he enlist in patton armi after the bomb of pearl_harbor __PUNCT__

she gave_birth to their daughter on the base at fort leavenworth __PUNCT__ and work on a bomber assembl_line when he left for war __PUNCT__

in a time of great uncertainti and anxieti __PUNCT__ my grandpar held on to a simpl dream __PUNCT__ that thei could rais my mother in a land of boundless opportun __PUNCT__ that their gener struggl and sacrific could give her the freedom to be what she want to be __PUNCT__ to live how she want to live __PUNCT__

i am stand here todai becaus that dream wa realiz __PUNCT__ becaus my grandfath got the chanc to go to school on the gi_bill __PUNCT__ bui a hous through the feder_hous author __PUNCT__ and move hi famili west __PUNCT__ all the wai to hawaii __PUNCT__ where my mother would go to colleg and on dai fall in love with a young student from kenya __PUNCT__

i am here becaus that dream made my parent __PUNCT__ love possibl __PUNCT__ even then __PUNCT__ becaus it meant that after my father left __PUNCT__ when my mother struggl as a singl_parent __PUNCT__ and even turn to food_stamp for a time __PUNCT__ she wa still abl to send my sister and me to the best school in the countri __PUNCT__

and i here becaus year later __PUNCT__ when i found my own love in a place far awai call chicago __PUNCT__ she told me of a similar dream __PUNCT__

michel grew up in a work __PUNCT__ class_famili on the south_side dure the 1960 __PUNCT__

her father had been diagnos with multipl sclerosi at just thirti_year old __PUNCT__

and yet __PUNCT__ everi dai of hi life __PUNCT__ even when he had to reli on a walker to get him there __PUNCT__ fraser robinson went to work at the local water filtrat plant while hi wife stai_home with the children __PUNCT__

and on that singl salari __PUNCT__ he wa abl to send michel and her brother to princeton __PUNCT__

our famili stori is on that span mile and gener __PUNCT__ race and realiti __PUNCT__

it the stori of farmer and soldier __PUNCT__ citi worker and singl_mom __PUNCT__

it take place in small_town and good school __PUNCT__ in kansa and kenya __PUNCT__ on the shore of hawaii and the street of chicago __PUNCT__

it a vari and unlik journei __PUNCT__ but on that held togeth by the same simpl dream __PUNCT__

and that is why it american __PUNCT__

that why i can stand here and talk about how thi countri is more than a collect of red_state and blue_state __PUNCT__ becaus my stori could onli happen in the unit_state __PUNCT__

that why i believ that we ar not as divid as our polit suggest __PUNCT__ that the dream we share is more power than the differ we have __PUNCT__ becaus i am live proof of that ideal __PUNCT__

and that is what i have seen all across thi countri over the cours of thi campaign __PUNCT__

i seen crumbl school in south_carolina that ar steal the futur of black_children and white children __PUNCT__

i been told of the injustic in the grow divid between main_street and wall_street by the lowest __PUNCT__ paid worker and the wealthiest billionair __PUNCT__

i met autowork in iowa and teacher in new hampshir and dishwash in nevada who ar all fight the same fight for better wage and good benefit and a retir thei can count on __PUNCT__

and i talk to young_peopl and old peopl __PUNCT__ democrat __PUNCT__ independ __PUNCT__ and republican who love their countri __PUNCT__ support their troop __PUNCT__ and believ it is time to bring them home from iraq __PUNCT__

we ar not as divid as our polit suggest __PUNCT__

ye __PUNCT__ we disagre __PUNCT__

ye __PUNCT__ we have interest and ideolog that don't alwai align __PUNCT__

ye __PUNCT__ we have real differ __PUNCT__

but the biggest divid in america_todai is not between it peopl __PUNCT__ it is between it peopl and their leader in washington __PUNCT__ dc __PUNCT__

that is where our collect dream ha been defer __PUNCT__

that where the monei and influenc of lobbyist kill our plan to make health_care more afford or energi cleaner year after year after year __PUNCT__

that where campaign_promis to keep job in america or put tax_cut in the pocket of work_famili ar cast asid to make_room for the polit of the moment __PUNCT__

and that where politician would rather demon each other to score point than come togeth to solv our common challeng __PUNCT__

that is where the real divis li __PUNCT__ in a polit that echo through the media and seep into our cultur __PUNCT__ the kind that seek to drive us apart and put up wall where none exist __PUNCT__

it the polit that tell us that those who differ from us on a few thing ar differ from us on all thing __PUNCT__ that our problem ar the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do __PUNCT__

the welfar queen is take our tax_monei __PUNCT__

the immigr is take our job __PUNCT__

the gai person must be immor __PUNCT__ and the believ must be intoler __PUNCT__

well we ar here to sai that thi is not the america we believ in and thi is not the polit we have to accept anymor __PUNCT__

not thi time __PUNCT__

not now __PUNCT__

thi will not be easi __PUNCT__

becaus the chang we seek will not just come from overcom the ingrain and destruct habit of washington __PUNCT__ it will requir overcom our own fear and our own doubt __PUNCT__

it will requir each of us to do our part in close the moral deficit __PUNCT__ the empathi deficit __PUNCT__ that exist in thi nation __PUNCT__

it will take stand in on anoth shoe and rememb that we ar our brother keeper __PUNCT__ we ar our sister keeper __PUNCT__

thi will not be easi __PUNCT__ but america stori tell me it possibl __PUNCT__

my stori tell me it possibl __PUNCT__

what began here in kansa all those year_ago tell me it possibl __PUNCT__

becaus as we face anoth time of anxieti and uncertainti __PUNCT__ a time where foreclosur sweep the nation and famili struggl to stai afloat __PUNCT__ where love on leav for war and parent wonder what kind of world their children will inherit __PUNCT__ i believ that thi nation can ralli around the simpl dream that my grandpar held on to even in the darkest of dai __PUNCT__

it a dream that we can find a job with wage that support a famili __PUNCT__

that we can have health_care that afford for when we get sick __PUNCT__

that we can retir with digniti and secur __PUNCT__

and that we can provid our children with educ and opportun __PUNCT__ so that thei can be what thei want to be and live how thei want to live __PUNCT__

thei ar the common dream that can final unit a nation around a common_purpos __PUNCT__

there ar those who will continu to tell us we cannot do thi __PUNCT__

that we cannot come togeth __PUNCT__

that the divis in our polit run too deep __PUNCT__

that we ar offer the american_peopl fals hope __PUNCT__

but here what i know __PUNCT__

i know that when i hear peopl sai that we can't come togeth to lift up work_famili who ar struggl in thi economi __PUNCT__ i think back to the street of chicago __PUNCT__ where i began my career as a commun_organ twenti __PUNCT__ five year_ago __PUNCT__

in the shadow of a close steel_mill __PUNCT__ we brought white_peopl and black_peopl and latino togeth to provid job_train to the jobless and after school program for children __PUNCT__

block by block __PUNCT__ we restor hope and opportun to those neighborhood __PUNCT__ and i can believ we can do the same_thing for the work_famili of america __PUNCT__

right now __PUNCT__ there an econom_stimulu stimulu_packag move through congress that will provid a boost to the economi and to work_famili __PUNCT__

it similar to the on i propos a few week_ago __PUNCT__ and would provid immedi tax_relief for work_famili __PUNCT__

i hope that when it final __PUNCT__ it will also provid relief to senior and extend unemploy_insur to those who lost their job __PUNCT__

but we need to do even more to restor fair and balanc to our economi __PUNCT__

last night __PUNCT__ we heard the presid sai that he want to make hi tax_cut for the wealthiest american perman __PUNCT__ again __PUNCT__

well we can't afford more georg_bush bush_tax_cut for those who don't need them and weren't even ask for them __PUNCT__

it time to give tax_relief to the middl __PUNCT__ class_famili who need it right now __PUNCT__

when i am presid __PUNCT__ we stop give tax_break to compani who ship our job_oversea __PUNCT__ and i put a middl __PUNCT__ class tax_cut into the pocket of work_famili __PUNCT__

thi tax_cut will be worth up to __MONEY__ for a work_famili __PUNCT__

we provid struggl homeown some relief by give them a tax_credit that would cover ten percent of a famili mortgag_interest interest_payment everi year __PUNCT__

and we also go to give senior a break by elimin incom_tax for ani retire make less than __MONEY__ a year __PUNCT__ becaus everi singl american should be abl to retir with digniti and respect __PUNCT__

that also mean help american save for retir when thei still work __PUNCT__

when i presid __PUNCT__ employ will be requir to enrol everi worker in a direct deposit retir_account that place a small_percentag of each paycheck into save __PUNCT__

you can keep thi account even if you chang job __PUNCT__ and the feder_govern will match the save for lower __PUNCT__ incom __PUNCT__ work_famili __PUNCT__

it also time we had a presid who won't wait anoth ten_year to rais the minimum_wage __PUNCT__

i will rais it to keep pace everi year so that worker don't fall behind __PUNCT__

i institut a credit_card bill of right that will ban credit_card_compani from chang the agreement you sign up for __PUNCT__ chang the interest_rate on debt you alreadi incur __PUNCT__ or charg interest on late fee __PUNCT__

american should pai what thei ow __PUNCT__ but thei should also pai what fair __PUNCT__ not just what profit for some credit_card_compani __PUNCT__

the same_principl should appli to our bankruptci_law __PUNCT__

i oppos the credit_card industri bankruptci bill that made it harder for work_famili to climb out of debt __PUNCT__ and when i presid __PUNCT__ 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__

it also time we had a presid who stop_talk about the outrag of __NUM___million uninsur american and start do someth about it __PUNCT__

when i hear that we can't come togeth and expand health_care to the uninsur __PUNCT__ i think back to how i wa abl to bring democrat and republican togeth in illinoi to provid health_insur to __NUM___children and parent __PUNCT__

and when i presid __PUNCT__ we final pass a univers_health_care health_care_plan that will make sure everi singl american can get the same_kind of health_care that member of congress get for themselv __PUNCT__

my plan doe more to cut_cost than ani other plan in thi race __PUNCT__ up to __MONEY__ for a typic famili __PUNCT__

and we won't pass it twenti_year from now __PUNCT__ not ten_year from now __PUNCT__ we pass health_care by the end of my first term in offic __PUNCT__

when i hear that there no wai we can overcom the power of lobbyist and special_interest __PUNCT__ i think about how i wa abl to pass the first major ethic reform in illinoi twenti __PUNCT__ five year __PUNCT__

i think about how in washington __PUNCT__ i wa abl to bring democrat and republican togeth to 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__

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__

and when i hear that some of our kid just can't learn __PUNCT__ that we can't do anyth about crumbl school and rise tuition __PUNCT__ i think back to the chanc that somebodi __PUNCT__ somewher gave my famili __PUNCT__

the ticket my father got to come studi in america __PUNCT__

the opportun my mother had to put herself through graduat_school __PUNCT__

the chanc i had to go to the best school in the countri __PUNCT__ even though we didn't have much __PUNCT__

it is time to give everi child in america that kind of chanc __PUNCT__ no matter what thei look like or where thei come from __PUNCT__

when i am presid __PUNCT__ we will provid all our children with a world __PUNCT__ class educ __PUNCT__ from the dai thei born until the dai thei graduat colleg __PUNCT__

that mean earli_childhood childhood_educ to give them the best possibl start __PUNCT__

that mean not just talk about how great teacher ar __PUNCT__ but reward them for their great __PUNCT__ with better pai __PUNCT__ and more support __PUNCT__

and it mean provid everi american with a __MONEY__ a year tax_credit that will final help make a colleg_educ afford and avail for all __PUNCT__

thi elect is our chanc __PUNCT__ our moment __PUNCT__ to restor the simpl dream of those who came befor us for anoth gener of american __PUNCT__

but onli if we can come togeth and like previou_gener did and close that divid between a peopl and it leader in washington __PUNCT__

becaus in the end __PUNCT__ the choic in thi elect is not between region or religion or gender __PUNCT__

it not about rich versu poor __PUNCT__ young versu old __PUNCT__ and it is not about black versu white __PUNCT__

it about the past versu the futur __PUNCT__

it about whether we settl for the same divis and distract and drama that pass for polit todai __PUNCT__ or whether we reach for a polit of common_sens and innov __PUNCT__ of share sacrific and share_prosper __PUNCT__

in the face of war and depress __PUNCT__ through great struggl and tremend sacrific __PUNCT__ that is the futur that my grandpar __PUNCT__ gener forg for their children __PUNCT__

it is why that littl girl who wa born at fort leavenworth could dream as big as the kansa sky __PUNCT__

and it is why i stand befor you todai __PUNCT__ becaus there ar two littl girl i tuck in at night who deserv a world in which thei can dream those same big dream __PUNCT__ in which thei can have the same chanc as ani other child live ani other place __PUNCT__

it is a dream i share for your children and all of our children __PUNCT__ and that is why it american __PUNCT__ alwai hope __PUNCT__ alwai reach __PUNCT__ alwai strive for that better dai ahead __PUNCT__

i hope you join me on that journei __PUNCT__ and i thank you for welcom me back to the place my famili call home __PUNCT__