Remarks
of
Senator
Barack
Obama
Announcement
for
President
Saturday,
February
10th,
2007
Springfield,
IL
Let
me
begin
by
saying
thanks
to
all
you
who've
traveled,
from
far
and
wide,
to
brave
the
cold
today.
We
all
made
this
journey
for
a
reason.
It's
humbling,
but
in
my
heart
I
know
you
didn't
come
here
just
for
me,
you
came
here
because
you
believe
in
what
this
country
can
be.
In
the
face
of
war,
you
believe
there
can
be
peace.
In
the
face
of
despair,
you
believe
there
can
be
hope.
In
the
face
of a
politics
that's
shut
you
out,
that's
told
you
to
settle,
that's
divided
us
for
too
long,
you
believe
we
can
be
one
people,
reaching
for
what's
possible,
building
that
more
perfect
union.
That's
the
journey
we're
on
today.
But
let
me
tell
you
how
I
came
to
be
here.
As
most
of
you
know,
I am
not
a
native
of
this
great
state.
I
moved
to
Illinois
over
two
decades
ago.
I
was
a
young
man
then,
just
a
year
out
of
college;
I
knew
no
one
in
Chicago,
was
without
money
or
family
connections.
But
a
group
of
churches
had
offered
me a
job
as a
community
organizer
for
$13,000
a
year.
And
I
accepted
the
job,
sight
unseen,
motivated
then
by a
single,
simple,
powerful
idea
-
that
I
might
play
a
small
part
in
building
a
better
America.
My
work
took
me
to
some
of
Chicago's
poorest
neighborhoods.
I
joined
with
pastors
and
lay-people
to
deal
with
communities
that
had
been
ravaged
by
plant
closings.
I
saw
that
the
problems
people
faced
weren't
simply
local
in
nature
-
that
the
decision
to
close
a
steel
mill
was
made
by
distant
executives;
that
the
lack
of
textbooks
and
computers
in
schools
could
be
traced
to
the
skewed
priorities
of
politicians
a
thousand
miles
away;
and
that
when
a
child
turns
to
violence,
there's
a
hole
in
his
heart
no
government
could
ever
fill.
It
was
in
these
neighborhoods
that
I
received
the
best
education
I
ever
had,
and
where
I
learned
the
true
meaning
of
my
Christian
faith.
After
three
years
of
this
work,
I
went
to
law
school,
because
I
wanted
to
understand
how
the
law
should
work
for
those
in
need.
I
became
a
civil
rights
lawyer,
and
taught
constitutional
law,
and
after
a
time,
I
came
to
understand
that
our
cherished
rights
of
liberty
and
equality
depend
on
the
active
participation
of
an
awakened
electorate.
It
was
with
these
ideas
in
mind
that
I
arrived
in
this
capital
city
as a
state
Senator.
It
was
here,
in
Springfield,
where
I
saw
all
that
is
America
converge
-
farmers
and
teachers,
businessmen
and
laborers,
all
of
them
with
a
story
to
tell,
all
of
them
seeking
a
seat
at
the
table,
all
of
them
clamoring
to
be
heard.
I
made
lasting
friendships
here
-
friends
that
I
see
in
the
audience
today.
It
was
here
we
learned
to
disagree
without
being
disagreeable
-
that
it's
possible
to
compromise
so
long
as
you
know
those
principles
that
can
never
be
compromised;
and
that
so
long
as
we're
willing
to
listen
to
each
other,
we
can
assume
the
best
in
people
instead
of
the
worst.
That's
why
we
were
able
to
reform
a
death
penalty
system
that
was
broken.
That's
why
we
were
able
to
give
health
insurance
to
children
in
need.
That's
why
we
made
the
tax
system
more
fair
and
just
for
working
families,
and
that's
why
we
passed
ethics
reforms
that
the
cynics
said
could
never,
ever
be
passed.
It
was
here,
in
Springfield,
where
North,
South,
East
and
West
come
together
that
I
was
reminded
of
the
essential
decency
of
the
American
people
-
where
I
came
to
believe
that
through
this
decency,
we
can
build
a
more
hopeful
America.
And
that
is
why,
in
the
shadow
of
the
Old
State
Capitol,
where
Lincoln
once
called
on a
divided
house
to
stand
together,
where
common
hopes
and
common
dreams
still,
I
stand
before
you
today
to
announce
my
candidacy
for
President
of
the
United
States.
I
recognize
there
is a
certain
presumptuousness
- a
certain
audacity
- to
this
announcement.
I
know
I
haven't
spent
a
lot
of
time
learning
the
ways
of
Washington.
But
I've
been
there
long
enough
to
know
that
the
ways
of
Washington
must
change.
The
genius
of
our
founders
is
that
they
designed
a
system
of
government
that
can
be
changed.
And
we
should
take
heart,
because
we've
changed
this
country
before.
In
the
face
of
tyranny,
a
band
of
patriots
brought
an
Empire
to
its
knees.
In
the
face
of
secession,
we
unified
a
nation
and
set
the
captives
free.
In
the
face
of
Depression,
we
put
people
back
to
work
and
lifted
millions
out
of
poverty.
We
welcomed
immigrants
to
our
shores,
we
opened
railroads
to
the
west,
we
landed
a
man
on
the
moon,
and
we
heard
a
King's
call
to
let
justice
roll
down
like
water,
and
righteousness
like
a
mighty
stream.
Each
and
every
time,
a
new
generation
has
risen
up
and
done
what's
needed
to
be
done.
Today
we
are
called
once
more
-
and
it
is
time
for
our
generation
to
answer
that
call.
For
that
is
our
unyielding
faith
-
that
in
the
face
of
impossible
odds,
people
who
love
their
country
can
change
it.
That's
what
Abraham
Lincoln
understood.
He
had
his
doubts.
He
had
his
defeats.
He
had
his
setbacks.
But
through
his
will
and
his
words,
he
moved
a
nation
and
helped
free
a
people.
It
is
because
of
the
millions
who
rallied
to
his
cause
that
we
are
no
longer
divided,
North
and
South,
slave
and
free.
It
is
because
men
and
women
of
every
race,
from
every
walk
of
life,
continued
to
march
for
freedom
long
after
Lincoln
was
laid
to
rest,
that
today
we
have
the
chance
to
face
the
challenges
of
this
millennium
together,
as
one
people
- as
Americans.
All
of
us
know
what
those
challenges
are
today
- a
war
with
no
end,
a
dependence
on
oil
that
threatens
our
future,
schools
where
too
many
children
aren't
learning,
and
families
struggling
paycheck
to
paycheck
despite
working
as
hard
as
they
can.
We
know
the
challenges.
We've
heard
them.
We've
talked
about
them
for
years.
What's
stopped
us
from
meeting
these
challenges
is
not
the
absence
of
sound
policies
and
sensible
plans.
What's
stopped
us
is
the
failure
of
leadership,
the
smallness
of
our
politics
-
the
ease
with
which
we're
distracted
by
the
petty
and
trivial,
our
chronic
avoidance
of
tough
decisions,
our
preference
for
scoring
cheap
political
points
instead
of
rolling
up
our
sleeves
and
building
a
working
consensus
to
tackle
big
problems.
For
the
last
six
years
we've
been
told
that
our
mounting
debts
don't
matter,
we've
been
told
that
the
anxiety
Americans
feel
about
rising
health
care
costs
and
stagnant
wages
are
an
illusion,
we've
been
told
that
climate
change
is a
hoax,
and
that
tough
talk
and
an
ill-conceived
war
can
replace
diplomacy,
and
strategy,
and
foresight.
And
when
all
else
fails,
when
Katrina
happens,
or
the
death
toll
in
Iraq
mounts,
we've
been
told
that
our
crises
are
somebody
else's
fault.
We're
distracted
from
our
real
failures,
and
told
to
blame
the
other
party,
or
gay
people,
or
immigrants.
And
as
people
have
looked
away
in
disillusionment
and
frustration,
we
know
what's
filled
the
void.
The
cynics,
and
the
lobbyists,
and
the
special
interests
who've
turned
our
government
into
a
game
only
they
can
afford
to
play.
They
write
the
checks
and
you
get
stuck
with
the
bills,
they
get
the
access
while
you
get
to
write
a
letter,
they
think
they
own
this
government,
but
we're
here
today
to
take
it
back.
The
time
for
that
politics
is
over.
It's
time
to
turn
the
page.
We've
made
some
progress
already.
I
was
proud
to
help
lead
the
fight
in
Congress
that
led
to
the
most
sweeping
ethics
reform
since
Watergate.
But
Washington
has
a
long
way
to
go.
And
it
won't
be
easy.
That's
why
we'll
have
to
set
priorities.
We'll
have
to
make
hard
choices.
And
although
government
will
play
a
crucial
role
in
bringing
about
the
changes
we
need,
more
money
and
programs
alone
will
not
get
us
where
we
need
to
go.
Each
of
us,
in
our
own
lives,
will
have
to
accept
responsibility
-
for
instilling
an
ethic
of
achievement
in
our
children,
for
adapting
to a
more
competitive
economy,
for
strengthening
our
communities,
and
sharing
some
measure
of
sacrifice.
So
let
us
begin.
Let
us
begin
this
hard
work
together.
Let
us
transform
this
nation.
Let
us
be
the
generation
that
reshapes
our
economy
to
compete
in
the
digital
age.
Let's
set
high
standards
for
our
schools
and
give
them
the
resources
they
need
to
succeed.
Let's
recruit
a
new
army
of
teachers,
and
give
them
better
pay
and
more
support
in
exchange
for
more
accountability.
Let's
make
college
more
affordable,
and
let's
invest
in
scientific
research,
and
let's
lay
down
broadband
lines
through
the
heart
of
inner
cities
and
rural
towns
all
across
America.
And
as
our
economy
changes,
let's
be
the
generation
that
ensures
our
nation's
workers
are
sharing
in
our
prosperity.
Let's
protect
the
hard-earned
benefits
their
companies
have
promised.
Let's
make
it
possible
for
hardworking
Americans
to
save
for
retirement.
And
let's
allow
our
unions
and
their
organizers
to
lift
up
this
country's
middle-class
again.
Let's
be
the
generation
that
ends
poverty
in
America.
Every
single
person
willing
to
work
should
be
able
to
get
job
training
that
leads
to a
job,
and
earn
a
living
wage
that
can
pay
the
bills,
and
afford
child
care
so
their
kids
have
a
safe
place
to
go
when
they
work.
Let's
do
this.
Let's
be
the
generation
that
finally
tackles
our
health
care
crisis.
We
can
control
costs
by
focusing
on
prevention,
by
providing
better
treatment
to
the
chronically
ill,
and
using
technology
to
cut
the
bureaucracy.
Let's
be
the
generation
that
says
right
here,
right
now,
that
we
will
have
universal
health
care
in
America
by
the
end
of
the
next
president's
first
term.
Let's
be
the
generation
that
finally
frees
America
from
the
tyranny
of
oil.
We
can
harness
homegrown,
alternative
fuels
like
ethanol
and
spur
the
production
of
more
fuel-efficient
cars.
We
can
set
up a
system
for
capping
greenhouse
gases.
We
can
turn
this
crisis
of
global
warming
into
a
moment
of
opportunity
for
innovation,
and
job
creation,
and
an
incentive
for
businesses
that
will
serve
as a
model
for
the
world.
Let's
be
the
generation
that
makes
future
generations
proud
of
what
we
did
here.
Most
of
all,
let's
be
the
generation
that
never
forgets
what
happened
on
that
September
day
and
confront
the
terrorists
with
everything
we've
got.
Politics
doesn't
have
to
divide
us
on
this
anymore
- we
can
work
together
to
keep
our
country
safe.
I've
worked
with
Republican
Senator
Dick
Lugar
to
pass
a
law
that
will
secure
and
destroy
some
of
the
world's
deadliest,
unguarded
weapons.
We
can
work
together
to
track
terrorists
down
with
a
stronger
military,
we
can
tighten
the
net
around
their
finances,
and
we
can
improve
our
intelligence
capabilities.
But
let
us
also
understand
that
ultimate
victory
against
our
enemies
will
come
only
by
rebuilding
our
alliances
and
exporting
those
ideals
that
bring
hope
and
opportunity
to
millions
around
the
globe.
But
all
of
this
cannot
come
to
pass
until
we
bring
an
end
to
this
war
in
Iraq.
Most
of
you
know
I
opposed
this
war
from
the
start.
I
thought
it
was
a
tragic
mistake.
Today
we
grieve
for
the
families
who
have
lost
loved
ones,
the
hearts
that
have
been
broken,
and
the
young
lives
that
could
have
been.
America,
it's
time
to
start
bringing
our
troops
home.
It's
time
to
admit
that
no
amount
of
American
lives
can
resolve
the
political
disagreement
that
lies
at
the
heart
of
someone
else's
civil
war.
That's
why
I
have
a
plan
that
will
bring
our
combat
troops
home
by
March
of
2008.
Letting
the
Iraqis
know
that
we
will
not
be
there
forever
is
our
last,
best
hope
to
pressure
the
Sunni
and
Shia
to
come
to
the
table
and
find
peace.
Finally,
there
is
one
other
thing
that
is
not
too
late
to
get
right
about
this
war
-
and
that
is
the
homecoming
of
the
men
and
women
-
our
veterans
-
who
have
sacrificed
the
most.
Let
us
honor
their
valor
by
providing
the
care
they
need
and
rebuilding
the
military
they
love.
Let
us
be
the
generation
that
begins
this
work.
I
know
there
are
those
who
don't
believe
we
can
do
all
these
things.
I
understand
the
skepticism.
After
all,
every
four
years,
candidates
from
both
parties
make
similar
promises,
and
I
expect
this
year
will
be
no
different.
All
of
us
running
for
president
will
travel
around
the
country
offering
ten-point
plans
and
making
grand
speeches;
all
of
us
will
trumpet
those
qualities
we
believe
make
us
uniquely
qualified
to
lead
the
country.
But
too
many
times,
after
the
election
is
over,
and
the
confetti
is
swept
away,
all
those
promises
fade
from
memory,
and
the
lobbyists
and
the
special
interests
move
in,
and
people
turn
away,
disappointed
as
before,
left
to
struggle
on
their
own.
That
is
why
this
campaign
can't
only
be
about
me.
It
must
be
about
us -
it
must
be
about
what
we
can
do
together.
This
campaign
must
be
the
occasion,
the
vehicle,
of
your
hopes,
and
your
dreams.
It
will
take
your
time,
your
energy,
and
your
advice
- to
push
us
forward
when
we're
doing
right,
and
to
let
us
know
when
we're
not.
This
campaign
has
to
be
about
reclaiming
the
meaning
of
citizenship,
restoring
our
sense
of
common
purpose,
and
realizing
that
few
obstacles
can
withstand
the
power
of
millions
of
voices
calling
for
change.
By
ourselves,
this
change
will
not
happen.
Divided,
we
are
bound
to
fail.
But
the
life
of a
tall,
gangly,
self-made
Springfield
lawyer
tells
us
that
a
different
future
is
possible.
He
tells
us
that
there
is
power
in
words.
He
tells
us
that
there
is
power
in
conviction.
That
beneath
all
the
differences
of
race
and
region,
faith
and
station,
we
are
one
people.
He
tells
us
that
there
is
power
in
hope.
As
Lincoln
organized
the
forces
arrayed
against
slavery,
he
was
heard
to
say:
"Of
strange,
discordant,
and
even
hostile
elements,
we
gathered
from
the
four
winds,
and
formed
and
fought
to
battle
through."
That
is
our
purpose
here
today.
That's
why
I'm
in
this
race.
Not
just
to
hold
an
office,
but
to
gather
with
you
to
transform
a
nation.
I
want
to
win
that
next
battle
-
for
justice
and
opportunity.
I
want
to
win
that
next
battle
-
for
better
schools,
and
better
jobs,
and
health
care
for
all.
I
want
us
to
take
up
the
unfinished
business
of
perfecting
our
union,
and
building
a
better
America.
And
if
you
will
join
me
in
this
improbable
quest,
if
you
feel
destiny
calling,
and
see
as I
see,
a
future
of
endless
possibility
stretching
before
us;
if
you
sense,
as I
sense,
that
the
time
is
now
to
shake
off
our
slumber,
and
slough
off
our
fear,
and
make
good
on
the
debt
we
owe
past
and
future
generations,
then
I'm
ready
to
take
up
the
cause,
and
march
with
you,
and
work
with
you.
Together,
starting
today,
let
us
finish
the
work
that
needs
to
be
done,
and
usher
in a
new
birth
of
freedom
on
this
Earth.
Welcome
to
the
new
BarackObama.com!
By
Joe
Rospars
Hi,
my
name
is
Joe
Rospars.
I'm
the
New
Media
Director
here
at
Obama
for
America.
As
we
build
out
the
team,
I'm
also
going
to
be
blogging
here
about
the
campaign,
the
evolution
of
the
web
site,
and
anything
else
you
want.
This
is
your
campaign,
and
we're
all
here
to
serve
you.
Indeed,
we're
here
early.
I'm
actually
writing
this
on
late
Thursday
night
as
we
ready
the
new
BarackObama.com.
If
you're
reading
this,
it's
probably
a
few
days
later
after
we've
launched.
I'm
writing
now
because
we're
making
the
final
tweaks
on
the
initial
set
of
tools
and
functionality
that
will
hopefully
help
a
lot
of
people
like
you
hit
the
ground
running
and
start
this
campaign
off
with
the
culture
of
self-organizing
that
Senator
Obama
wants
to
build.
Earlier
tonight
I
was
with
Senator
Obama
taping
a
short
video
message
that
will
go
out
to
folks
on
Friday,
reminding
them
to
watch
the
live
video
stream
of
his
announcement
speech.
That
speech
will
be
when
the
action
really
starts
here.
It
will
kick
off
Saturday
morning
at
10:55
AM
Eastern,
9:55
AM
Central,
when
the
live
stream
of
the
big
announcement
starts.
Senator
Obama
will
be
live
from
Springfield,
Illinois,
where
thousands
have
already
RSVPed
to
brave
sub-freezing
temperatures
to
be
part
of
history.
You'll
be
able
to
pull
up
the
live
video
from
the
front
page
of
the
new
BarackObama.com.
Before
we
shot
the
video
tonight,
Senator
Obama
got
his
final
look
at
the
web
site
to
give
the
thumbs-up.
As
we
put
together
the
final
pieces
of
the
puzzle
that
is
launching
a
new
grassroots-driven
web
site,
I
can
only
say
that
I
hope
you're
as
excited
as
he
was
about
the
opportunities
you
have
here
to
take
this
campaign
into
your
own
hands.
This
site
--
and
this
campaign
in
general
--
will
always
be a
work
in
progress.
We're
going
to
experiment,
we're
going
to
try
new
things.
Sometimes
it
will
inevitably
be a
little
rough
around
the
edges,
for
sure,
but
that's
the
risk
we're
going
to
have
to
take
if
we're
going
to
run
this
campaign
in a
new
way.
Source: Obama For America |