POL: OBAMA/ PITTSBURGH, PA
00:00:00:00 Topic: community event at Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial 
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/nSen. Barack Obama 
/n(D) Presidential Candidate
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/nSen. Robert (Bob) Casey
/n(D) Pennsylvania
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/nObama/milestone trt 1:04 oc: ...3000 americans
/n11:45:02 we've passed a milestone, 5 years we've been at war in iraq, we've been in iraq longer then wwi, wwii and the civil war we've got 5k, 4k young americans who have given their lives, the ultimate, ultimate sacrifice on behalf of this country, thousands more grievously wounded, we are spending 10 billion dollars a month i iraq, by the time this is over, we will have spent well over a trillion dollars and it has not made us mpore safe in fact it's distracted us from a war that we still have to win in afghan against those who filled 3,000 americans <applause> 11:46:06
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/nObama/foreclosures trt :22 oc: ...property values
/n12:08:49 we're gonna set up an fha program that helps people stay in their homes and negotiates between borrowwers and lenders and we'll have a 10b home prevention foreclosure program, prevention fund to make sure that ppl can stay in their homes, because it's bad for everybody when you atart seeing foreclosures in the neighborhood that lowers everybody's prop values 12:09:11 
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/nrough log
/n11:19:00 long introduction by Sen. Casey who endorsed per Chris Welch...Obama on L side - no walk-up - Obama begins w/him @ podium
/n11:35:21 Obama takes podium amidst applause and cheers
/n11:36:48 thank yous and hellos to specific supporters - steel workers and boilermakers all my brothers and sisters in labor
/n11:38:06 trust given in faith and accepted in honor
/n11:38:14 i can think of a few families who have lived up to that idea...mukaseys of PN
/n11:38:43 bob's grandfather became a respected lawyer who stood up for other people
/n11:39:37 to bring about real change we need to reach across party lines
/n11:39:50 bob's endorsement...he's such a complete gentlemen...no need for me to press him..."bob is such gracious person. I did not press him on this endorsement. There are others I press. But I thought theres no reason for me to do that to bob. It would have been easy for bob just to stay out of it, stay neutral, I think everybody would have accepted that, and so when he called me and said I think this is the right thing to do it meant as much to me as any endorsement ive received on the trail because I knew it was coming from the heart. That's the kind of leadership I want standing along side me on the trail."
/n11:40:51 when he called me and said i just want to endorse because i think it's the right thing to do...that's the kind of leadership bob will bring alongside me when i am pres if the US <applause>
/n11:41:31 i have been running for president for 15 months..and when i ...there are children who were born when i announced who are now walking and talking, that's how long this campaign has gone on...sen., clinton and i have had so many debates that we could each say each others lines
/n11:42:25 This has been a lengthy Primary season and it has been tough. I've been away from my family away from my children and i know sen. clinton has been on the capaign trail hitting it hard. 11:42:38 I think there are some people who felt like God when is this thing going to be over. 11:42:45 it's like a good movie that's lasted like 1/2 hour too long. 11:42:48 The truth is that this has been a great camapign. 11:42:57 a great primary season, it's been hard, it's been tough - but it's been hard and tough because both sen. clinton and i understand what's at stake, how important this race is and how important the next presidency will be to the American people and to familes right here in PA. 11:43:28
/n11:43:29 when i announced i was standing on the old state capital 
/n11:43:42 it was the city where i joined 
/n11:43:54 you're a relatively young man, why are you running so soon, you can afford to wait...i;m not running because i think it's my turn, i'm running because of what dr. king called the fierce urgency of now <applause>
/n11:44:46 because i believe there's such a thing as being too late and that hour is almost upon us
/n11:45:02 we've passed a milkestone, 5 years we've been at war in iraq, we've been in iraq longer then wwi, wwii and the civil war we've got 4k young americans who have given their life, thousands more grievously wounded, spend 10 billion...well over a trillion and it has not made us mpore safe in fact it's distracted us from afghan...3,000 americans11:46:07
/n11:46:27 although wall street just noticed, people have seen how difficult this economy is for a very long time, every where you go people are working harder just to get by, just to pay the bills and sometimes they need help, you've never paid more for gas, college, a dozen eggs or a gallon of milk
/n11:47:22 we've got hamburger...that too
/n11:47:37 from crowd "i love you" obama: i love you back
/n11:47:58 your copayments, deductibles and pre,miuns are going up every year
/n11:48:15 educaiton leaves people behind, unable to make a living wage
/n11:48:32 we can't wait to fix schools, health care, new sources oif energy, bring this war in iraq to an end...that's why i'm running for president of the US <applause>11:48:56
/n11:49:46 they wanted not about spin and pr and double talk, they wanted straight talk from their elected officials about how we're going to meet our challenges
/n11:50:39 we also had to work on behalf of those in need...set up job training programs for people fallen on hard times, it was hard work...
/n11:51:27 it taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when given a chance, it taught me that change doesn't happen from the top down but from the bottom up
/n11:52:01 their willingness to work hard and sacrifice ...i was bettin gon the fact that when we are unified, when we all come together...and put our differences aside and challenge the special interests there's nothing we can not accomplish in america
/n11:53:17 after talking to hundreds of thousands of ppl after shaking thousands of hands, after kissing hundreds of babies, after eating hundreds of chicken dinner
/n11:54:23 people are ready...but understand how much work we've got to do - i think it;s important we don't look at the world through rose colorded glasses, we have generated a lot of excitement in this campaign but i know it's not just about me...when ppl go to the poling place they know the name gw bush will not be on the ballot and that has pppl fired up...t11:55:20
/n11:55:33 the name of my cousin dick cheney will not be on the ballot...that's embarassing, you know, but his name won't be on the ballot
/n11:56:00 the era of scooter libby justice and karl rove politics, those days will finally be over and we can put them aside <applause>
/n11:56:25 we're not here because we'vre against something, we're here to be for something, we've got to put broken washington back together again because if we don't...i meet them all across the country
/n11:57:54 so she was getting three hours of sleep every night...i'm going to make a better life for us she couldn't understand why washington was not listening to her, no one was helping to see that her sister had the health care she needed
/n11:58:44 she at 61 has taken in two foster children and then she takes care of an 80-year old amputee and fixes breakfast and cleans the house, she loves looking after other ppl, very proud of her work, despite that it's often back breaking work...it would help if i could get a day off every once in a while, get some health care i could count on
/n11:59:58 all across this country i've met veterans 
/n12:00:44 sometimes i meet disable dveterans who wonder how their service has been forgotten so quickly
/n12:04:23 i think senator clinton is a smart and capable person, she was my friend before and she'll be my friend after...
/n12:04:46 what i;ve tried to say is that we don't just need to play the game better in wash. we need to put an end to the game
/n12:05:09 we can't have every agenda being set by lobbyists and special interstst
/n12:05:39 that's why ot's so important to understand that ...i've got to have you with me, this is about the american ppl - if you aren't willing to insist on real change, it's not going to happen
/n12:06:19 it's easy to ignore what's happening and play the wash game but when you get involved, get engaged then we cna go ahead and tell the lobbyists and specail interests that their days are over, they will not drown out the voices of the amewricna ppl when i am president <applause>
/n12:07:30 if you've already got health ins we're gonna lower your premium by 2500.yr and if you don't have it we will help you, there will be no exclusions, we won't wait to do it, we'll do it bu the end of my first term <applause>
/n12:08:10
/n12:08:12 if you are ready for change...not just the fat cats, not just main st this housing crisis didn't just happen by accident, stop predatory lending and deceptive practices
/n12:08:51 we're gonna set up an fha program 10b foreclosure prevention fund so ppl can stay in their homes, foreclosures lower everybody'[s prop values
/n12:09:23 give tax breaks to companies in the US give tax breaks to middle class americans who need them
/n12:09:47 i believe in frre trade but ut should have standards...that should be a commitment of the pres of the US
/n12:10:09 i want to invest in infrasturcutr in the us -if we can spend 10b /month in iraq then we can spend 10b to put ppl back to work<applause>
/n12:10:45 that's the only way we're gonna bring gas prices down is by using less...put ppl back to work building windmills p[utting unionized jobs making buildings more energy efficient, we've got to have a pres that has a will and commitment to make this happen
/n12:11:42 will actually be an education president, i want to make sure every chiold in america from the day there are born til the day they graduate from college
/n12:12:09 the problem is not good ideas, it;s that we don't have the urgency about it
/n12:12:31 well. life is tough...every child in america is our chilkd, every child is our responsibility if we make the commitment to seeing that happen, so we're going to invest in early childhood education...we;re gonna reward teachers with higher salaries and more support<applause>
/n12:13:25 i'm tired of seeing us buiild new jails while we're keeping old schools <applause>
/n12:13:48 i think it's about time we made college affordable for every child
/n12:14:02 we're gonna invest 4k every student every year to offset their tuition, every child every year, but young ppl you're going ot have to give something in return by working in the peace corps, volunteering,...we're gonna march this country forward together<applause>
/n12:14:56 we can do all these things one place it's going to have to start, when you spend as much 
/n12:15:23 on the vital needs of the american ppl, the mopst important task of my presidency, my number 1 job is too keep you safe, i will not hesistate to strike when ppl mean to do us harm, b/c i've got kids and a wife and keeping them safe means keeping you safe
/n12:16:16 train troops properly and put them on proper rotations so they don't go back again and again, it means no more homeless veterans, endless lines at the va, we've got to treat our veterans the way the should be treated, but keeping you safe also means using our military wisely
/n12:17:16 that's why i opposed it in 2002 that's why i will bring it to an end in 2009, i will bring our troops home, tell the iraqis to stand up and resolve their differences, focus on afghanistan
/n12:17:57 uses 98/11 as a way to scare up votes <applause>
/n12:18:07 we need ot rediscover a sens of our diplomacy, i intend to meet nit just with our friends but with our enemies...i was told by some you can't do that and i said yes i can...because i understand what jfk said never fear to negotiate...
/nwe will lead going after terrorists and nuclear weapons and help pour countries bring an end in darfur and we will lead in observing civil liberties, close gunatanmo and save habeus corpur becaus you'll have a president that believes in the constitution<applause>
/n12:19:50 that, pittsburg, that's what's possible - that's the vision we have for this country
/n12:20:23 they said if he's not taking pak money and special intersts he won't make it what they didn't understand is that you were going to fund this campaign with $25 and $50 checks
/n12:21:04 we built the best political org this campaign season, that's what wash keeps on missing, the power of the ppl
/n12:21:27 her main argument is that i haven't been in washington long enough...boiled all the hope out of you, i have to remind ppl no one had a longer resume then rumsfeld or cheney...they've all had a chance to create decent energy policy, longevity is not the same as wisdon, judgment, i'm running to challenge washington, to change washington...that's what sen clinton doesn't underestand <applause>
/n12:23:10 And then senator clinton makes an argument about electability. i'm the person to take on john mccain. now the polls dont show that, but the argument is that because she's been around washington longer, that somehow that makes her better equipped and i've got to explain, look if the contest between john mccain and the demo nominee is who's been ther elonger, john mccain wins... john mccain wins!
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/n12:23:37 if the argument is who is going to pursue a foreign policy like gbush's, then john mccain wins. if that's the criteria for being tough, if that's the criteria for answering the 3 oclock phone call, that you voted for iraq, that you went along with gbush's policies when it came to iran, and not talking to leaders that we don't like, then john mccain wins that fight. john mccain is ag reat american and a decent man, but he basically wants to run for gbush's third term. 
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/n12:24:23 he wants to continue gbush's economic policies, he wants to keep troops in iraq potentially for 100 years. he is representing the politics of the past, and in order to battle the politics of the past, you need a candidate who is talking about the future of america. that's what this campaign is about, a break with the past.
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/n12:25:00 let me just close by saying this, i am reminded every day of my life, if not by events then by my wife, that i am not a perfect man. i will not be a perfect president. but i can promise you this: i will always tell you what i think, i'll always tell you wehre i stand. i'll be honest with you about the challenges we face as a nation. 
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/n12:25:33 i will listen to you even when we disagree, and we're going to disagree sometimes. this is a big country, a big complicated country, and we're not going to agree 100% of the time, even within our own party. but i'll listen to you. you can disagree without being disagreeable. 
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/n12:26:08 the parent trying to get health care for their kids, get a good educaiton, the odds of me being here weren''t real high
/n12:26:35 thinking about that senior citizen how much she depends on ss and medicar
/n12:26:52 thise are the stories that drive me, those are the thinkgs i'll be thinkign about in the white house
/n12:27:10 he's peddling fantasites, the implication is that if you talk about hope you're naive
/n12:27:34 hope is not blind optimism, hope is believing despite the odds that we can accomplish gret things, i know how hard it's going to be to battle the legislature, good intentions aren't enough - nothing in this country is worth...
/n12:28:35 that's how the founders created this country...nobody gave them a chance, but they had hope, that's how they defeated facism and women worn the right to vote, that's how young ppl travelled south to march and sit in, that's what we're fighting for in this electiuon, if you will stand with me then i promise you we will win this nomination that we will win this nomination...change the country and change the world
/n12:29:53 hug and walk off to applause and cheers
/n12:34:19 gladhanding (0:00) /