Excerpts from his speech at American University 5-11
Rarely has there been a moment more urgent for all Americans to step up and define our country again.
Some people suggest we don't have any ideas. You know, I have to laugh at that. If by ideas they mean running the debt up to nine trillion dollars, losing America's manufacturing base, denying children after-school programs, cutting kids from Medicaid, and privatizing Social Security; if by ideas they mean violating the law, ignoring international treaties and forgetting diplomacy; if by ideas they mean filling the trough of the special interests' pig pen - giving the money changers their bankruptcy bill, giving the oil industry their energy bill, and giving the big pharmaceutical companies their prescription drug bill -- then they're right: those are bad ideas being shoved down the throats of the American people by a Washington of bankrupt values and I'm proud we stood up and said no to them every step of the way.
No -- we don't have a selfish agenda masquerading as ideas and facilitated by those who refuse to hold them accountable and speak the truth.
In fact, the Administration's agenda of the last years has so distorted America's politics that now, straightforward, little ideas have become big ones.
So what do we say yes to? What are our ideas?
How about starting with this: tell the American people the truth!
Then, full-on fire the incompetents!
Make America secure with energy independence.
Value work, not wealth, and make our tax code fair for the middle class and people struggling to join it.
Export products, not jobs.
Make health care accessible and affordable for all Americans.
Do something about global warming and, while we're at it, clean up our lakes and rivers so people can fish and swim in the United States.
Set a deadline for Iraqis to run Iraq and bring our troops home.
And all of this should be done because our one big idea is that leading America and building community requires the shared sacrifice and commitment of all Americans to a set of ideals bigger than self, and based on the truth. We need a Washington that doesn't just talk about family values, but that actually values families.
That is why I think we should pay for the war instead of passing the bill to our children; that's why I think we should invest in renewable and alternative energy to grow the fuels of the future; provide all our kids with health insurance; and make America secure by waging and winning a real war on terror.
These are real ideas. I believe that was an agenda worth fighting for in 2004, and it's even more urgent today and America will be better off if we start getting these things done now.
But these ideas will only become powerful if you give voice to your values.
We need you to make your issues the voting issues of this nation.
I remember when you couldn't even mention environmental issues without a snicker. But then in the 70's people got tired of seeing the Cuyahoga River catch on fire from all the chemicals. So one day millions of Americans marched. Politicians had no choice but to take notice. Twelve Congressmen were dubbed the Dirty Dozen, and soon after seven were kicked out of office. The floodgates were opened. We got the Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water. We created the EPA. The quality of life improved because concerned citizens made their issues matter in elections.
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So we need you to speak out. Speak out if you want an America that is finally and forever independent of Mideast oil - an America that relies on its ingenuity and innovation - not the Saudi royal family.
Speak out so that instead of making a mockery of the words No Child Left Behind when China and India are graduating tens of thousands more engineers and PhDs than we are, we build an America where college education is affordable and accessible for every student willing to work for it.
Speak out so that instead of letting a few ideologues get in the way of progress that can cure Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and AIDS, we build an America where the biology students here today will do the groundbreaking stem cell research tomorrow.
Speak out if you want to restore a politics of big ideas, not small-minded attacks.
Speak out if you're tired of seeing America divided into red states and blue states, because you know we can be one America -- red, white, and blue.
Dissent from this unacceptable status quo because you know the job of leadership is to prepare for your future - not ignore it. The people who run Washington today give in to special interests and rob future generations. Real leadership stands up to special interests and sets the course for future generations. You must demand leadership that works to solve problems - not create them.
Our challenge today is to speak out so loudly that Washington has no choice but to make choices worthy of the sacrifice of our neighbors here at home and our troops all around the world.
When we protested the war in Vietnam some would weigh in against us saying: "My country right or wrong." Our response was simple: "Yes, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right and when wrong, make it right." That's our mission - to get off our rear ends - go out - and make it right today.
This man IS my President.