at 10:00, remarks from martin o'malley, the keynote address and remarks from first lady michelle obama. all of this as the convention begins here in charlotte, north carolina. ♪ ♪ >> thank you so much. thank you. the 46th quadrennial national convention of the democratic national party will now come to

order. of the next three days we will hold the most open and accessible political convention in history. thank you. dior's from across the country and world can watch the entire convention, gavel-to-gavel, on the website and through our global application. the entire program is also being streamed simultaneous in spanish. [cheers and applause] we will clearly demonstrate why we need to key barack obama and

joe biden in the white house. this convention is more than reelecting the president obama. it is about helping the economy from the middle class out. this success will be based on the gauging the. of all the people who want to put their shoulders to the whale to the willeacregion and change our country for the better. we are so proud we have the largest number of delegates ever assembled at a democratic national convention. as i look out from this podium, ee the strength and unity of our party. the democratic party is the

oldest continuing party in the world. your participation is a testament to the fact that we're also the most vibrant and energized political party. aren't we? now for some housekeeping. at this time, let me remind delegates that presidential nomination petitions must be submitted to the office of the secretary no later than 6:00 p.m. today. vice presidential nominations must be submitted no later than 9:00 a.m. wednesday. petition should be delivered to the secretary's office, which is located on the floor level concourse. please get a round of applause to the dj for the convention. but also express our

appreciation to the dedicated men and women who have worked tirelessly to get the stadium ready for our convention. i am pleased to introduce him to lead our indication. -- invocation. >> please join with me in prayer. oh god, most pure, as he spoke to of us, speak to our hearts and new. you who had a fellowship with abraham and sarah, stay in our midst. lead us now as the democratic

national convention opened its deliberations for the benefit of the people of in land of these united states. you have brought us here from every place on earth that native americans and immigrant americans, people of color and of every town might find not just hope, but a land which seeks life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. grant a deep and abiding respect for the task at hand so that our common efforts will perfect our desire that law and government before and by the people assist us to set aside personal differences so that the unity of purpose that we have will rise above us all as a symbol of freedom and let free them so rain in our hearts that we would

never fear to lead the oppressed to freedom. never fear to get shelter the the homeless and displaced. never fear to treat our neighbors as ourselves. to give dignity and opportunity in mon-khmer get to the struggling unemployed and less fortunate brothers and sisters. let us never be afraid. while our prayers and assistance with those affected by hurricane isaac, we trust in you that your gracious luck will be with our president barack obama with our vice-president joe biden, with all of our public officials and those who serve the good of this nation. we asked also that you deserve and protect those who stand in harm's way as they defend and

search for the benefit of all. , be with us almighty god as a fortress and adventure that through you we shall rejoice knowing that our children and our children's children will no peace and -- know peace and every blessing. to you the glory forever. amen. [applause] >> please remain standing for the presentation of colors by the disabled american veterans, the stanley county chapter 12 honor guard.

ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the elementary school's third grade class from concord, north carolina to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. [cheers and applause] >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for

which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome from the comedy drama "glee" amber to sing our national anthem. oh say can you see ♪ early lights what so proudly we hailed

at the twighlights lastcglea ming whose bright stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ore the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and their rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave the proof through that night that our flag was still there oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave ore the land of the free

and the home of the brqave ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause]

[applause] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 2012 national convention chief executive officer .

>> good evening. on behalf of the 2012 national convention, welcome to charlotte. welcome to the 46 democratic national convention. for over a year, we have been preparing to welcome you here. it has been a journey marked by the hard work of hundreds of people whose names you may never know but whose work will shake your entire week. i speak for all of us when i say what a privilege it has been to work on this convention and out thrilled we are to have you with us today. president obama wanted this convention to be different. to be the most open and accessible one of its kind. to engage americans in a conversation about moving our country forward and being a -- building an economy that trade opportunity for all. i am happy to report we have

done just that. [cheers and applause] for the first time, at this convention begins and ends with event open to the public. nearly 6000 delegates, more than either party has ever welcome td. thanks to our innovative use of media, americans can participate in most everything we do. we do this because it is important. because we know that when people are engaged we can together sew a stronger america. it is our moment. it is our job to bear witness to the past four years. many people will speak of our president, as many successes at, and abroad, and of his bold vision for our future. as important of what you witness

here, it will be what you do after you leave here. we all have a role to play in moving our country forward. here is where we reaffirm our commitment to get that job done. [cheers and applause] president obama once remarked that my mentor and friend senator ted kennedy was the soul of our party. the senator can add his voice to the cheers this week. were he here, he would remind us all the for those whose cares have been our concern, and the work goes on. let the work of this convention go on. let the work of our party go on. most importantly, let the work of president obama go on. with your help it will for four more years. once again, welcome to

charlotte. [cheers and applause] >> we worked on this convention very sincerely. we made it possible. we started out as a basic economy with agriculture. we had cotton and tobacco and corn. we have changed. we have become a high-technology company. here in charlotte, we have set up great things for technology and now into the energy sector. this will be an energy hall for the future. >> we keep our global mind set.

it will take us into the 21st century. >> we are a city that engages everyone. we've got the educational institutions here. we are doing wonderful things with transit. we are doing wonderful things with moving the needle on public education. when school segregation was ordered by the federal courts, a charlotte did not react to it like most. >> we have courageous leaders including judges and mayors and legislators and governors of this state who said "we're going to keep our schools open."

>> it was the parent in the community that said "we're going to make this possible." out of that came a new attitude about dealing with civil rights. lunch counters were integrated with no fuss. it became an example of how we do things. >> i think charlotte has been one of the great examples of how you can deal with diversity. >> we have a state like north carolina is the 10th largest in the country. we are in a city and a state that is becoming more and more diverse in racial makeup and a democracy. all of those things make for a city on the move. >> charlotte is a city where the possibilities are endless. we are all engaged in making a difference.

>> it is a great story of progress by investing in people, caring about people, and working together. >> you can come here and you can get involved and people welcome you. they embrace you. you could come from charleston, south carolina in the space of 15 years beat the mayor of the city. -- and in the space of 15 years and become the mayor said he mayor.ed you can b that is the greatest thing for me about charlotte, making a difference.

>> we are committed to all people. we do believe you can use government in a good way. the government is the only thing we all belong to. we're different churches and clubs, but we are together as part of our county or state. >> we are an example of what the president of the united states wants to see this country moved toward. >> we are remarkable. >> we made it possible. [cheers and applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the co-chair of the credential committee, bishop mckinsey. >> thank you. i am honored to serve as co- chair. i cannot wait to hear his dynamic speech in just a few hours. it is an honor to have the opportunity with such an amazing group of democrats to re-elect president obama. [applause]

on behalf of the credentials committee, i am pleased to get our full support and endorsement to the credentials committee. on sunday, at the committee adopted the recommendation contained in the report, a consideration of this report is the first order of business for the 46 democratic national convention so that delegates can be officially seeded. i am so pleased that you are all here to join in this historic moment. almost four years ago, our economy was on the verge of collapse. 800 jobs were being lost a month. the housing market was in shambles. detroit was on the road to ruin. when president obama stepped into office, and he pulled our economy back from the brink.

today there is only one person with the plan to return this country to prosperity, president barack obama. we are committed to his reelection. we are here at in charlotte to make sure president obama returns to the white house. we are here in charlotte to take back of the house of representatives and elect a stronger majority in the senate. we are here in charlotte to say with one voice that we will never stop fighting for the middle class. across the country, millions of working families know that we cannot go back to the failed

republican economic policies of the past. we have to move forward. we know the democratic party is the oldest political party in the world but also the world's most forward looking. ours is the party of inclusion. the party of understanding. a party that believes this nation at drawls its strength from diversity. it values from is a middle- class. we believe that regardless of gender, race, creed, or sexual orientation -- [cheers and applause] every american is engaged to quality education, a decent job, a secure environment. these are our values.

come november 6, when we reelect president obama, we will begin to secure them for the next generation of americans. that is the charge before us. so madam chairwoman, it is with great pride and on behalf of my co-chair and colleagues that i moved to adopt the credentials committee report. >> there we go. >> thank you. thank you for your service in the service of mayor castro. the motion has been made to adopt a report of the credentials committee. do i have a second? >> second.

>> is there any discussion? hearing none, the chair calls the question. signify by saying aye. all those opposed say "no." the report of the credentials committee is hereby adopted. >> please welcome the co-chair of the convention rules committee.

on behalf of the great state of california, i thank you for the privileged to be here. we are now going to discuss the work that we have done with the rules committee. that work was the work of representing this great party and cochairing the with the great governor martin o'malley. we were honored to adopt the rules of the convention and it to do the work of necessary to make sure that we would maintain the traditions of our party and the work of the rules committee. we're now going to talk about that work. i could sing a little song until we start. >> [cheers]

>> i'm now going to introduce the great cat owner of -- agree governor of the state of maryland, gov. martin o'malley. correct my name is martin o'malley. and the governor of the state of maryland. thank you. i would like to think alice germond, secretary of the national convention. the rules committee nominated her to support as the permanent secretary of the convention. her adult standing leadership, not just in connection with this report, it contributes an extraordinary way to the success of democratic candidates all around the country into the

vitality of our democracy. it has been my honor to serve on the rules committee. together with my colleagues, we have laid out a foundation that reflects our party, a candidate, vision, and values. in these times of national challenge, we are proud to have acted treated to a great democratic victory in november. we also have the rules of the committee that had been introduced. the report has been distributed. those rules are before the committee. on behalf of the rules committee, i am grateful to my cochair. i would like to move the adoption of the rules committee

report. >> i am proud to nominate antonio guard cosa -- antonio villaraigosa. >> this includes the officers of the national convention. do i hear a second? is there any discussion? the chair calls to question all those in favor. all those opposed say "no." the rules committee report is adopted. thank you so much to our real

committee's co-chair. thank you very much. the rules of the convention allow me to appoint other officers to assist in the orderly conduct of the proceedings. it is now my great honor to announce the following additional convention officers as recommended by the convention rules committee. to serve as a convention parliamentarian, house minority whip steny hoyer from the great state of maryland, and helen mcfadden, michael coleman, cassandra butte, john perez, and nina shaw from chicago.

john lewis will serve as our sergeant in arms. in addition, my colleague and friends will serve as the assistance sergeants and arms. bruce will serve as our doorkeeper. hines will be our timekeeper. each of these convention officers is dedicated to strengthening their communities and our country. they share barack obama's positive vision for change and will be important messages for the campaign moving forward. please join me in welcoming the permanent chair of the convention, los angeles marmayor

antonio villaraigosa. [cheers and applause] he is the 41st mayor of los angeles. he was first born on july 1, 2005 and reelected to a second term 2005. he served on the los angeles city council and in the california state assembly. he is also the former president of the u.s. conference of mayors. i can assure you that we did not plan to wear the same color tonight. it is now my pleasure to turn over the gavel to my friends in the permanent chair of the 46 the democratic national convention, mayor antonio

villaraigosa. >> thank you. thank you. i love you. thank you for your leadership of this great party and your role in planning this convention. i am honored to serve as the chair of this historic 2012 dnc where we will renominate president obama and vice president joe biden. [cheers and applause] as i introduce the permit share of the 2012 convention, as i

introduced the first official to ask a here, congressman steny hoyer to give remarks on behalf of the convention parliamentarians, thank you. >> thank you so much. thank you, mr. mayor. good afternoon, delegates. first i want to thank my dear friend in the wasserman shultz, the distinguished chair of our democratic national committee. what a wonderful leader of our party she is. in addition to the great job she does as our chair, she is a close friend, a dynamic and

effective member of congress. thank you, florida. i ask you to work closely with her. i appreciate the opportunity to serve as the sixth convention as a parliamentarian of the national committee. it is my honor to be joined in the duties by five outstanding americans. helen mcfadden of south carolina who became the first woman to serve as a convention parliamentarians. michael coleman, mayor of the great city of columbus. cassandra buuts. -- buuts. -- butts. shaw, the first person of age

and-indian descent to serve as a parliamentarian. -- of asian-indian descent to serve as a parliamentarian. to this extent i would abies the delegations that proxy voting is prohibited. if a delegate is absent, at the time of a vote, he must be replaced by an alternate. during the convention, the parliamentarians will be available to respond to any of your questions. about the order proceedings and the nature of proceedings. each delegate can call our office at any time. a parliamentarian will always be on the podium and available for advice and counsel. but these and gentlemen, we know that this will be -- ladies and

gentlemen, we know this will be a well run and successful convention and that we will nominate the next president and vice-president of the united states of america and. let's get on with a wonderful convention. thank you very much. delegates, alternates, and guests. please welcome andrew tobias. >> this is the fourth time i've had the honor to address to as the treasurer. each time i speak about the same two things, money and quality. first, money. the democratic party is the party of social security, a federally insured bank accounts, consumer finance rurafinancial bureau, pell gran,

minimum-wage, and so much more that has helped lift the american middle class. the economy does significantly better under democrats. so do investors. the stock market is up 58% since barack obama took office. listen to this. if you had started in in 1925 with $10,000 and invested it in the market in the 44 years the republicans held the white house, it would have growth to less than $30,000 but to more than $300,000 in the 44 years of that democrats have held the white house. i favor the party that invests in the future and boost the

middle class and those aspiring to join it. i favor the party whose $10,000 gross to $300,000 instead of 30. second is quality. the democratic party under the leadership of barack obama has dramatically improved the lives of millions of lesbian, gay, a transit center, and bisexual americans. -- transgender and bisexual americans to know cost of anyone else. in college at that out is the only guy in the world to light the other guys. later i found there is someone else exactly like me. he and i never talked about it at the time. no one talked about being gay back then. people kill themselves over being gay. some kids still do. the progress we have made, remember that 26 year old

resident tutors. hisht weeks ago i attended th wedding to a guy. [cheers and applause] love that had been unspeakable years ago was celebrated by hundreds of people. it was a wedding that married my to topics, money and equality. that young tutor had gone on to be the chairman of the house financial services committee, barney frank. vote for equality. vote for prosperity. vote for barack obama. vote democrat. thank you.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the secretary of the democratic national committee, alice germond. >> as secretary of the convention, it is my job tonight to establish that of 56 delegations are in the hall. please sign in and vote present as i continue to speak. we are a convention that really looks like america. every race, every ethnic background. we are veterans and small- business owners, nurses, farmers, teachers, firefighters, and we fight for these middle class and american dream. that is why we support president

barack obama. time and time again he has made the tough decision to move our country forward. when president obama took office, our economy was in free fall. losing 800,000 jobs a month. since then, we have added 4.5 million jobs in the private sector. we have had a 29 straight months of job growth. president obama has passed 18 tax cuts for small businesses, helping them grow and hire unemployed workers, especially our veterans. when others said it cannot be done, president obama passed the affordable care acts. [cheers and applause] it is already the preventing the

worst insurance company abuses. for the first time, it will be illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre- existing conditions. or to cancel your coverage if you get really sick and when you need it most. when mitt romney said "let detroit go bankrupt," president obama refused to give up on america's heartland and say over a million jobs in our automobile industry. -- save over a million jobs in our automobile industry. our companies are posting record sales and hiring back american workers. as we gather as one convention, we stand together, women and

men, at a young and the young at heart, a gay and straight, of all faiths increase, from small towns and everything in between, united by our love of america, determined to fight for the middle-class and create an economy from the middle out not from the top down. there is much work left to be done. working together under president leadership, wea's can look for an america whose future will shine brightly for all generations to come. our system has now completed the tally. all 56 delegations are in the house and present.

i am extremely proud to report that we now have a quorum for this comment the 46 democratic national convention. i thank you. it is truly an honor to serve as your secretary. thank you. >> please welcome platform drafting committee member, barbara lee of california. >> i am so pleased i had a role

in drafting this remarkable document. it embodies the values we hold dear as did a craft and americans. it sets forth our great president vision for our future where together we will reignite the american dream fall. the reality is four years ago the american dream had slipped out of reach for too many. it had turned into a nightmare for millions. president obama changed our course. he changed our course. he invested in our future and put men and women back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges. he raise educational standards, invested in early childhood education, and worked hard to

make higher education more affordable for everyone. he invested in clean energy in action with the broadest tax cut in history, reducing taxes on the middle class to near- historic lows. he say to the american automobile industry. -- saved the american automobile industry. he produced historic house reform. he put forward a balanced deficit reduction plan that will put us on sound fiscal footing. today our economy is growing again.

our platform says that america faces a clear choice, moving forward as a nation where everyone has a chance to get ahead or go back to the same field ideas that created the crisis in first place. -- failed ideas that created the crisis that go first place. we will move forward, not backward. republicans will raise taxes on low income in the middle class to pay for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. they will end the guarantee and medicare that people have ernst. -- aerned. they will have on wall street right the owner -- t heir own rules again. they will allow special interest to continue the assault on our

democracy. they will cut vital investments in education and infrastructure at in order to help the wealthiest avoided doing their fair share. they will allow insurance companies to what again deny health care to working families and interfere with women's health care decisions. president obama and democrats will not let this happen. we will not. we will move forward, not backward. we believe we are bound together by a shared set of ideals and values rooted in the notion that together we can overcome the greatest challenges that come our way. we stand for an economy that is built not from the top down but from the middle out. passerby's opportunity for those aspiring to join the middle

class -- for those aspiring the opportunity to join the middle class. we bake ending poverty a national priority. we are a party of inclusion. our platform speaks to the aspirations of all. our platform ensures that the opportunities to live the american dream not only survives, but drives for generations to come. we cannot afford to go back or abandon the change we fought so hard for. we will not turn the clock back. we can move forward. we must move forward. under the leadership of president obama, we will move forward. thank you.

>> please welcome lt. general claudius candy -- claudia kennedy. >> i am proud to be here. i am proud to be an american. i am proud to be a democrat. the speeches are great. the most important thing we can do is create policy that improves the lives of everyday americans. sometimes that gets lost in the rhetoric and commentary. the fact is democratic policies are tough and smart and have improved our lives all over the country. i know something about what it takes to keep this country safe. i watched this president as he

helped make america strong grip. president obama has brought our troops home and has taken care of them upon their return. he has taken the fight to our enemies and restored our alliances and improve our standing in the world. he has ended in "don't ask, don't tell." [cheers and applause] if president obama is reelected, america will continue to go forward. now we have a chance to meet some of the people whose lives are better things to president obama. and to hear their stories. ♪

>> i teach science here. i taught here for 11 years. we were officially the lowest performing in terms of standards in the state. we had a lot of ideas but we are always short on the resources. our new policy is a new turn around. we had the opportunity to apply for a school improvement grant appeared in our first year, up we went from being the lowest achieving high school to the district to the second highest. you'd see a number of students wandering the halls. now it is focus. kids are more engaged. they want to be in class. they want to be using the technology and learning with the tools we have given them. the new shift has been all about

the students. it is about their success. it is about whether they are seeing the successes they need to have. here at north height, that is what it is all about. >> i am a site developer. we have developed approximately 15% of all the wind farms in iowa. there are a lot of jobs that it created, it engineering studies at the local restaurants, the local gas stations, all the other people that are providing services. using home from resources that are clean and solves the pollution issue, it is also a defense issue. there are a lot of angles to this. i am 67. i would not be doing this if i did not believe in it. we would not have these wind farms without this

administration's energy policies. >> i am the president and owner of keystone electric manufacturing company. we are an equipment manufacturer in the wind energy industry. it is a growing piece of our business. it is 20's arm of what we do now. we have seen significant change in wind and alternative sources of energy. manufacturing has grown around the wind industry. within the last four years we have really seen that volume increase. the energy policy has been good for us. >> i developed a bad cold. and then a really awful cough. a week later, i was on my support. it is very difficult to imagine

an illness that can come on so quickly and take you down so effectively. no one would really be expecting a rare fumble pneumonia -- fungal pneumonia perce >> we had million-dollar lifetime limit on our policies. within the first two months that amy was in the hospital, we cruised past that million dollar point. the elimination of the lifetime caps is what saved us from bankruptcy. >> it was comforting, because it meant that i could focus on getting better. right now i would not be talking with out of the affordable care act. the surgery to helped me be

able to talk. >> i started right out of high school. it was hard work. i did not know what hit me. when president obama took over, we were in a financial mess. when it gm and chrysler started hurting and there was word they would file for bankruptcy, it the old saying came to my mind that "has gm goes, as does our nation." i could not believe the are experiencing it firsthand. president obama had the insight and stayed in american auto workers to help us through. without that, thousands if not millions of employees would have been in the unemployment line. i think actions speak louder than words.

i have seen him in action. i have seen him save the middle class. he cares. he cares about people. ♪ [cheers and applause] >> please welcome platform committee cochair, in new york mayor cory booker. >> thank you. thank you. thank you.

thank you very much. our platform is crafted by democrats, but it is not about partisanship, it is about pragmatism. it is not about left or right, but about moving america and our economy forward. [applause] our platform and our president stand firm in the conviction that america must continue to out build, about innovate, and out educate the world. you see, this platform is a clear choice between economic pathways for word or back, inclusion or exclusion, and grow together as a nation or be a

country of savage disparities that favor the fortunate few over the greatest driving force of any economy, a large and robust middle-class. [applause] we must choose for word. we must choose inclusion. we must choose a growing together. we choose american might and american muscle, standing strong on the bedrock of the american ideal -- a strong and empowered and ever expanding and ever-growing middle-class. [applause] our platform emphasizes that a vibrant, free and fair market is in essential to economic growth. we also must pull for our

highest ideals of justice and fairness to protect against those ills that did stabilize our economy in recent years like predatory lending, over leveraged financial institutions, and the unchecked aphorist of the past that trump fairness and common sense. our platform calls for significant cuts in federal spending. our platform calls for a balanced deficit reduction plan where everyone, everyone from elected officials to the wealthy and the super wealthy pay their fair share. [applause] please listen to us. when your country is in a costly war with our soldiers

sacrificing a broad and our nation is facing a debt crisis at home, being asked to ferret -- to pay your fair share is not class warfare, it is patriotism. [applause] we all know -- [chanting "usa, usa, usa." we all know that it is common sense but that for an economy built to last, we must invest in what will fool -- will fuel our

economy for generations to come. this is our history from the transcontinental railroad to the hoover dam, from bed dredging of ports to the building of our most historic bridges, our american ancestors prioritized growth and investment in our nation's infrastructure. and today, our businesses, industry, of entrepreneurs, and economy realize a return on those investments. let us not fall prey to the rhetoric that seeks to debt investments and its star tarnation of critical common sense building for our future. investment must include the real engine of job growth in america, the american small business. [applause]

that is why the platform committee is proud that ou president has made a profound difference for people and businesses in newark, in new jersey, and in our nation as a whole by cutting taxes for all working families and giving small businesses 18 different tax cuts. [applause] for our president, home of the brave are not just the last words of our national anthem but also a call to action. this is why the president's policies and our platform include incentives to train and hire our troops returning home. not only because it is our moral responsibility, but because it makes for a stronger, more

secure american economy. [applause] investing in people does not stop with our troops. our platform and our president make it clear that the most critical investment we can make in a 21st century and knowledge- based economy is education. [applause] and so our president has already doubled pell grants, raised education standards, invested in research and development at hour or universities and early childhood education in our neighborhood. this is because our platform and

our president stated clearly that our nation cannot continue to be the world's number one economy if we are committed to being the world's number one educated. -- if we are not committed to being the world's number one educated. it is plain that our platform and our plat -- and our president are not interested in petty political argument. instead, this platform of big and practical ideas sets for and emboldened pathway toward the historic hope which has driven generation after generation of america -- of americans for word. it is our fundamental national aspiration that no matter who you are, no matter what color or creed, how you choose to pray or

who you choose to love, -- [applause] that if you are a citizen of the united states of america, as you are an american, first generation or 15th, one who was willing to work hard, play by the rules and apply your god- given talent, that you should be able to find a job that pays the bills. you should be able to afford health care for your family. you should be able to retire with dignity and respect. [cheering and applause] and you should be able to give your children the kind of education that allows them to dream even bigger, to go even further, and accomplished more

than you could ever imagine. [cheering and applause] this is our platform. this is our platform. this is our platform. [cheering and applause] this is our american mission. these are the dreams of our fathers and mothers. this is the demand from the next generation who calls to our conscious and a chorus of conviction and classrooms from sea to shining sea, from north to south, when our children proudly proclaim those sacred words from our most profound pledge, that we are a nation with liberty and justice for all. [cheering and applause] and so --

[cheering and applause] god bless america. god bless america. [cheering and applause] [chanting "usa, usa"] this november, with the reelection of president barack obama -- [cheering and applause] this generation of americans will expand upon the hope, the dreams, the truth and the promise of america. [cheering and applause] and so, mr. chairman, on behalf of every single member from every single state in these united states, we are pleased to

move for the adoption of the 2012 democratic national platform. [cheering and applause] thank you. thank you. [cheering and applause] >> cory booker, mayor of newark. [applause] [cheering and applause] a motion has been made to adopt

the platform. is there a second? [cheering and applause] it has been moved and seconded debt we adopt the platform committee report. is there any discussion? hearing none, the chair calls into question -- all those in favor say aye. all opposed? the ayes have it. the report of the platform committee is hereby adopted. [cheering and applause] we now have a new national democratic party platform that we can be proud of. thank you very much to our platform committee cochairs, lieutenant general and the

mayor cory booker and the members of the platform committee. before i leave, let me do a shout out to the great california delegation -- [cheering and applause] thank you. [cheering and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome north carolina

governor, beverly perdue. [cheering and applause] >> do we know how to have a party? it is my privilege on behalf of the people of north carolina to welcome you all to the queen city, charlotte, in the great, great state of north carolina. [cheering and applause] now it is always an honor for me as the governor to welcome a distinguished group of national leaders to north carolina. but it is particularly exciting today because of why we are here, to make sure that barack obama is reelected president of

the united states. [applause] [chanting "four more years"] we must reelect the president because he is standing up for middle-class families and growing our economy, an economy that is built last. he is doing it all over the country and right here in north carolina. my friends, it starts with education. the president has made it a top priority. he actually understand that all parents want their children to have it even better opportunities than they had as a

child. this president's education initiatives are helping north carolina schools and schools across america. these investments are moving education reform and innovation and strengthening our nationally-recognized early childhood education programs. this president, my friends, simply gets it on education and that is a good day for america. [applause] president obama knows education is the difference maker for every child. it is the pathway for this country to succeed in a global economy. from education to broadband, from building roads and bridges to supporting the military, barack obama is delivering for north carolina and delivering for america.

[applause] a growing middle class is simply the foundation for a strong america. and president obama is also standing up for women in north carolina and in america. [cheering and applause] he has helped women across this country fight for equal pay, for equal work. he understands that women must be guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care and make sure that their insurance coverage pays for those costs with no out of pocket costs. unlike mitt romney, unlike mitt romney, president obama is standing up for planned

parenthood. [cheering and applause] this election that we are all working so hard to make happen, this election is about the future. we each have a choice in this country. we can go back to the same old failed economic policies that brought about the worst recession since the great depression. or we can go back to economic plans that are designed to benefit only the wealthiest among us like mitt romney. or we can keep moving america forward with president obama's vision for a middle-class that works for the people of america. for me, and for north carolina,

and the people in america, it is an easy choice. join with me as we take n.c., we will win this state and we will return barack obama to the white house. we will keep america moving forward. we will elect barack obama president of at the united states of america. [cheering and applause] ♪ >> it's really difficult to tell

my story. i also realize it can serve as an example of what exactly is at stake in this election. when i was 17, my dad got sick. he got the flu. it's not a huge deal when you get the flu, but it didn't go away. i told him he should go to the doctor. he said i can't afford it. i don't have insurance. he did not have health insurance because he was laid off. his kidneys failed and he had a heart attack. i feel like if he had health insurance, he would still be here. after that, my mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. it was really hard on her because there were a lot of medical bills at issue is getting worse and worse. it really hit me at some point that education can wait. school was put on the back burner. i moved in with her and i worked at a grocery store and i had to

be strong for her. she was my best friend. i remember thinking like what am i going to do when she's gone? when president obama passed the affordable care act, i realized he has taken real steps to make sure people mothers and fathers and sons and daughters are not dying because they don't have health insurance. that was the turning point for me. i wanted to make sure the president was reelected and the affordable care act states. millions of people will have health insurance. every day, i'm calling people and sharing my story and my story helps people understand what is at stake. i just want to do what i can to make the united states a better place and protect what the president has accomplished.

this election is too important to stand on the sidelines. this election is about our voice. >> [inaudible] americans like ryan are why i ran for this office in the first place and why i am running for again. [cheering and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ryan case from boulder colorado. ♪

>> i wish you all could have met my parents. they were amazing people. i miss them every day. they would be so happy to see how far i have come. in fact, the last thing my dad said to me was that he was proud i was taking school seriously for the first time in a long time. both of my parents were scientists and wanted me to be a scientist. but i have always been more interested in how we pick our leaders and how they help us. so i am making a compromise. i'm studying political science. [applause] at 28, two semesters away from graduated at the university of colorado. i have worked so long and so hard to get here and it feels great. it would not have been possible if president obama had not fought for students like me. there is just no way i would be

able to pay for school without the pell grant funding president obama doubled. [applause] while i am determined to get my degree, i also cannot sit on the sidelines. that's why i'm knocking on the door for president obama. he believes no child should see his parents suffer like i did and all of us deserve the education we need to get the jobs our country needs. governor romney's plan could reduce pell grants for 10 million young people like me. we would still work as hard, we just would not see that hard work pay off. that's the difference in this election. president obama believes in me and fought for me. this fall, let's fight for him. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of the service employees international union, mary kay henry. >> hello, delegates. hello to my sisters and brothers in the american labor movement. [applause] my name is mary kay henry and i am here tonight on behalf of millions of americans who work hard for a living. the home care worker in columbus, the janitor in denver, the correctional officer in raleigh, these are the men and women who make america strong. these are the men and women who president obama is fighting for each and every day. [applause] i grew up in southeast michigan.

just a few miles from mitt romney. just a few miles away, but a world apart. here's the thing. even though mitt romney and i both called detroit home, it seems like he learned a very different set of values. when he started in business, he invested in the companies who were pioneering outsourcing. he loaded up companies with debt and when they went bankrupt, he walked away with profits and he left workers who lost their health care, their pensions and even their jobs. we just learned that his company, when it found itself in trouble, asked for a government bailout. but when more than 1 million autoworker's from michigan to wisconsin to ohio saw their company fall on hard times, you know what mitt romney said? lead detroit go bankrupt.

-- let detroit to go bankrupt. time after time, working families have paid the price for mitt romney's success. those are his values and make no mistake, those are the values he would bring to the white house. as president, mitt romney would raise taxes on the middle-class americans by an average of $2,000 a year while at the same time someone earning $3 million a year would get a quarter million dollar tax cut. there romney-ryan budget would cut education up to 20% while protecting tax loopholes for companies to send jobs overseas. governor romney would replace the guarantee of medicare with a voucher system. a voucher system that would cost the average senior $6,400 a

year out of their own pocket. but when it comes to subsidies for oil companies, well, mayor romney thinks that is something worth protecting. -- mitt romney thinks that something worth protecting. middle-class americans cannot afford four years of romney economics. [applause] we need a president who fights for us and that is what we have in president barack obama. [cheering and applause] we have a president who fights for women like maria. maria is a custodian from california and thanks to health care reform, her daughter is covered under health insurance and maria's mother will never have to worry about losing her medicare benefits. we have a president who has fought for hard-working immigrants like brenda who came

to this country when she was just a three years old. thanks to executive action by the president, she can pursue a college career without fear of deportation. [applause] we have a president who has fought for the right to collectively bargain. we have a president who wants workers to earn a decent wage for the principle that all work has value and every worker deserves respect. so, for millions of middle-class families across this country, the choice is clear. we can not move backward with mitt romney. we must keep america moving forward. that is why we need to elect -- we need to re-elect president barack obama. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chair of the congressional hispanic caucus, congressman charles gonzalez and congresswoman nydia m. velázquez. >> thank you. hello, democrats. [applause] hello texas democrats. [applause] i am proud to speak to you tonight as chairman of the congressional hispanic caucus. under president obama, the congressional hispanic caucus has been invited into the white house and given a seat at the table. hispanics are serving in

unprecedented numbers in this administration at the very highest levels. including the cabinet. we made history when president obama appointed sonya sotomayor -- [cheering and applause] a proud latina, the first hispanic supreme court justice. [applause] as the president likes to say, every single one that he appointed wasn't just the best latino for the job, but the best person for the job. [applause] president obama understands that for more than 50 million hispanic americans, their dream is the american dream.

that we derive inspiration for our country's most enduring motto -- e pluribus unum --out of many, one. we are an indispensable part of this country. president obama has led with principles, with a vision, and with values. one of the most important values of barack obama is that he will always level with the american people. [applause] and then there is mitt romney. adlai stevenson, famously said to richard nixon, "if you stop telling lies about me, i will stop telling the truth about you." [applause] where we are today.

when it comes to medicare, the truth is mitt romney and paul ryan want to break the fundamental guarantee of medicare and turn it into a voucher program and shift the cost to our seniors. when it comes to our country's immigration policies, the truth is mitt romney has embraced their racial profiling policies of arizona gov. jan brewer and aio.iff joe arpi the truth is he would separate families have been here for generations. he has embraced mistrust and division at the expense of our american values. when it comes to the american economy, the truth is mitt romney believes the key to our country's economic future lies in the failed policies of the

past. the same policy that put banks before people, wall street before main street, plunging us into a recession and devastating the middle-class. the truth is republicans in congress were prepared to have america default on its debt just to forward their own the narrow political agenda. that -- the biggest life republicans have told us is that they want to work with president obama. but the truth is what they really want to do is undermine the president. at the cost of our american values like justice, fairness and opportunity. no matter the color of your skin or where you come from, we are

all members of the american community, right? [applause] america prospers when our neighbors are empowered, when they are equipped to give back to this country. that is not measured by the size of one's bank account. it is measured by dedication and hard work, justice, fairness, and opportunity do not go to the highest bidder. they belong to the american who is willing to invest his or her energy to better themselves, to provide for their families, and build a brighter future. president obama believes in an america where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded, where everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules. [applause]

president obama knows is the middle-class that makes america great. that is why we have to grow our economy and create jobs. over the past four years, president obama's commitment to this vision has led to the rescue and has reenergize the american automobile industry. the more than 1 million jobs that depend on that industry. to pass health care reform and make health care are right, not just a privilege, and to strengthen and protect medicare. to help young people afford college and jump-start an american economy, run on homegrown energy sources. [applause] the work that president obama has undertaken has been opposed by congressional republicans every step of the way.

we have witnessed it. but he has kept moving america forward. president obama holds true to the values and the vision which this country was founded. but his work is not yet done. as part of this great country, hispanics have and will continue to work for the best this country has to offer. ready to do our part, we will work for policies that empower all americans to be responsible and contributing member of the greatest country in the history of this world, the united states of america. [applause] we have worked for the american dream. now we have to vote for the american dream and when we do, we will re-elect barack obama as president of the united states.

[cheering and applause] and now, it is my great pleasure to introduce my good friend and a proud latina from the great state of new york, congresswoman nydia m. velázquez. [applause] >> thank you, congressman gonzales. tonight, i am proud to speak to you as a patriotic hispanic american. as a proud latina and a porter regan. -- as a puerto rican. from being the first and my family to attend college to becoming the first let's get to chair a full congressional committee in congress, my story has been the american dream. [applause]

and as democrats, we want to send the american dream for all. in spanish, there is a spanish -- there is a saying many mothers tell their children -- tell me with whom you walked and i will tell you who you are. tonight, i want to talk about who i have seen president obama walk with. president obama has walked with our small businesses, our job creators. he knows small businesses are the backbone of our economy. that is why he has signed a 18 tax cut into law to help our entrepreneurs succeed. president obama has walked --

president obama's health-care law won the support of the aarp because it strengthens medicare without cutting benefits and helps millions of seniors with free preventive care and more affordable prescription drugs. [applause] president obama has what with our young people, america's future. he has made investments in the future that face -- that pays enormous dividends for our nation. for funding for pell grants scholarships to make college more affordable to head start to community college to job training, president obama has walked with america's web. [applause]

-- america's when mend. president obama has helped women and -- access screening and well women exams. meanwhile, mitt romney and republicans in congress would like to roll back a woman's access to important preventive care. turnover women pause health decisions and defund planned parenthood. president obama has walked with the hispanic community. because of president obama's work, more hispanics have access to health care, more hispanic students can afford a college education and now dreamers who are americans in every way except on paper no longer live

under the shadow of deportation. [cheering and applause] mitt romney, on the other hand, mitt romney, on the other hand is walking away from us. he walks with people who disrespect us and people to divide us. and people who do not believe that the american dream means all of us. president obama has walked with us for the last four years in good times and in tough times. and now we are going to walk with the president to the polls and onward to victory. thank you, democrats. [cheering and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please

well, governor pat quinn of illinois. [applause] >> delegates and fellow americans, is an honor to be with you this evening. it is an honor to represent a gates -- a great state of illinois, the home of president barack obama. [applause] tonight, i want to talk to you about a scary subject for many, many republicans. i want to talk about facts. [applause]

i watched the republican national convention last week and i heard a lot of things that are simply not true. one of our founding fathers, president john adams of massachusetts once said that facts are stubborn things. but last week, as they nominated a very different man from massachusetts, republicans in stubbornly smeared president obama's excellent record of reforming welfare. they went on and don, per attending our president weakened its work requirement. everyone knows that's a ridiculous charge. even the republican author of welfare reform says it romney is wrong. fact checkers have called this republican talking point

"blatantly false, a drastic distortion, wildly the bunk, and a mind-boggling act of untruth telling." in illinois, we know president barack obama. we know his record and we know president obama has made sure that work is always part of welfare reform. as an illinois state senator, president obama spearheaded welfare reform in the land of lincoln. the fact is, under president obama, states can only get flexibility if they move 20% more people to work. let me repeat that for our republican friends. more people working, not less. [cheering and applause]

then there is medicare. mitt romney and congressman ryan want to take away the promise that makes medicare medicare. they want to give seniors a voucher of that caps what medicare will cover and then tell our seniors they are on their own for what's left. that would cost their seniors thousand dollars every year. if they don't have the money, it could cost our seniors their lives. but that did not stop romney and ryan from telling the american people that their plan won't hurt seniors. the fact is it will. president obama's plant will protect medicare and protect our seniors. facts are stubborn things. [applause]

when congressman ryan got his turn, he blamed president obama for an auto plant that closed under president george w. bush. remember him? here is the facts, congressman ryan. when president obama took office in january of 2009, a chrysler plant in belvidere, ill. employed in just 200 people. today, because president obama saved the auto industry, that same chrysler plant is employing more than 4000 american workers. [cheering and applause] there is something else. something else the republicans

left out of their convention. any explanation of why they call mitt romney governor romney. we already know this extreme conservative man takes some pretty liberal deductions. evidently, that includes writing off all four years he served as governor of massachusetts. if you want to know how someone is going to govern the country, look at how he governs his state. mitt romney promised massachusetts three things -- more jobs, less debt, smaller government. then he left his state 47 out of 50 states in job growth, he added $2.6 billion in debt, and on his watch, government jobs grew six times faster than private sector jobs.

what does romney promised today? more jobs, less debt, smaller government. but he did not do it then and he won't do it now. [cheering and applause] from day one, president obama has told you where he stands. what he believes. and what he is doing to make our middle-class strong again. american -- america is moving forward under president obama's leadership. that's a fact. it is our job in the next nine weeks to make sure the american people know the facts. your vote is a valuable thing. in trust it to someone who respects you enough to tell you the truth. all of us should join together in voting for president obama and, together, let's make the will of the people a lot of the

land. thank you very much. [cheering and applause] ♪ >> please welcome doug stern, cincinnati firefighter. >> hello. my name is doug stern. i'm an ohio firemen, an unlikely choice to be addressing you this evening. for the vast majority of my voting life, have been a republican. so why am i here? something has happened recently -- the republican party left people like me. as a member of the middle-class, that left me and they certainly left me as a public employee. [applause] somewhere along the way, being a public employee, someone who works for my community, made a scapegoat to the gop.

vice-president biden and president obama still believe public service is an honorable calling. [applause] when i go to work, when there is an emergency, i want someone on my crew that has my back, someone that helps me get the job done, someone that is willing to go through hell with me, and i expect the same out of my elected leaders. that is what we get with joe biden and barack obama. [applause] for maintaining grant programs so fire departments nationwide have the save staffing and equipment to support our people that president obama and vice- president biden had our backs. supporting my voice, the have collective bargaining on the jobs, president obama has my back. president obama has kept thousands of first responders on the job and he sent plans to

congress to keep even more of is working. the republicans must stop obstructing progress and do the right thing for the middle- class. they must pass the president's jobs plan. for me, this election is about who respects middle-class workers like me and my family. i saw firsthand what the republicans thought of me and my fellow public employees last year when ohio legislators passed senate bill 5 in an attempt to silence us. we all know how that and that. while they were not successful cutting our collective bargaining rights, they were successful in cutting funding for cities and towns all across ohio. we have watched these so-called leaders claim they did not raise taxes, all the while knowing full well they are forcing the local governments to raise taxes or cut essential services, including police and fire.

we have the very right to voice our concerns about safety matters not just for ourselves, the general public we protect as well when right wing extremists try to take away the ability to negotiate with so-called right to work laws. but let me tell you what else we feel -- we feel unified and we feel stronger than ever. we have seen the people of ohio are on to their parlor tricks. last year, 63% of ohio voters took a stand with public employees. they've rejected the governors' senate bill 5. they said enough. the voters this year have the opportunity to do the same all across the country. enough of the vilification of the people who work for a living. a enough of the disrespect of the middle-class. enough of the far right agenda. if we have a clear choice this campaign. the people i work with, the firemen i hang out with, we have

a simple statement -- we support those who support us. that is why this republican -- former republican firemen stands here before you today. [cheering and applause] and that is why firefighters support president obama and vice president biden, because they have our backs and it's our turn to have theirs. thank you. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. [cheering and applause] >> delegates and the convention participants, please welcome governor tim kaine, former governor and canada for the senate in virginia. >> good evening. it is so great to be here tonight.

charlotte is doing a great job and i especially want to give thanks to my friends from virginia. [cheering and applause] a few years ago, very few imagined a virginia would be a battleground state. virginia had last botha for a democrat for president in 1964. but in 2008, we probably cast our electoral votes for president obama. [cheering and applause] in 2006, and in 2008, we elected to outstanding senators, jim webb and mark warner. if i have anything to do with that, we will win again in 2012. [applause] how did virginia go from red to purple? we did it with grass roots of

excitement and hard work. we showed virginians that democrats get results. when i was governor during the worst recession since the great depression, a virginia maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in america. we kept our aaa bond rating. we were named the most business- friendly state, best managed state, best state to raise a child. in virginia, we cut billions from the state government while making critical investment in schools, roads, and bridges. we worked together with democrats, republicans, and independents to get results. over the last four years, the gop pushed ideology and wedge issues. just last week, they passed a platform demanding privacy for superpacs and denying privacy to

women making health care decisions. meanwhile, democrats fought for the middle class. we cut taxes for 95% of american families. [applause] we went from 25 months of job losses to 28 straight months of private sector job growth. the auto industry is back and manufacturers are hiring again. but we know we have got more to do. this fall, there's a real choice. the other side bite to protect subsidies for big oil. but -- the other side of fight to protect subsidies for big oil. they want bigger tax cuts for those who need it the least. we want to invest in our communities, roads, bridges, infrastructure that will make us more competitive. they want to slash education and training. we want to invest in our future.

there is just as a stark choice when it comes to fixing america's budget. remember the last time they were in charge, the other side turned a record surplus into a massive deficit with two wars, trillion in tax breaks, loopholes, and entitlements, none of which they would pay for it. today, you see what they're pushing. they are pushing budget-busting tax cuts and economy-busting spending cuts. to pay for the plan, they would raise taxes on middle-class, they turn medicare into a voucher system, and rather than raise taxes on the wealthy by even one penny, they put thousands of defense jobs at risk. so let's be clear -- that is not fiscally responsible.

that is fiscally reckless and we can't afford to try again. [applause] we have got to move forward because while we have made progress, we still have a long way to go. we will only get there if we elect leaders who put results over ideology. i support president obama because he is that kind of a leader. [applause] he said he would end the war in iraq and he has. [applause] he said he would draw down troops in afghanistan, and today, every single virginia national guard unit is home for the first time in a decade and

we are so happy. [applause] he said he would go after al qaeda and he would take out he said he would try something that teddy roosevelt first talked about -- reforming health care systems, and he did. [applause] he promised to fight for equal pay for women, college affordability for students, fair treatment for lgbt americans, and he has kept his word. [applause] our president, president obama, is a tough leader who gets results for the american public. [applause]

now, next week we commemorate the 11th anniversary of 9/11. many virginians, too many virginians, lost their lives at the pentagon on a 9/11 and in the wars we have fought since. when i was governor, i went to the funerals of our virginia guard members. i know people who lost their kids. i know service members who returned with their lives changed forever. their sacrifice reminds us that we are not democrats and republicans first. we are americans first. [applause] so we have been through tough times. we have been through tough times as a nation, but we are tough people.

remember, folks, tough times do not last, but tough people do last. [applause] so let's come together. let's come together and show how tough americans are and prove that our best days will always, always be ahead of us. thanks and have a great night. appreciate it. [applause] ♪ >> please welcome the mayor of the 2012 convention host city, charlotte, n.c., anthony foxx. ♪ >> welcome, welcome to the democratic national convention

in 2012 at charlotte, north carolina. [cheers and applause] our city is a hub of energy and commerce, a place where business and government work together and make great things happen. and this -- in this election, we are a city where americans have come together to move our country forward and make great things happen. [cheers and applause] we have always been that kind of city and. nearly half a century ago, when cities across the south and struggled to desegregate schools, charlotte came together across kitchen tables, black and white, families met and decided to break down barriers that had so long divided their children. because they did, they gave a

generation of kids a chance to go to school together, to learn together, to recognize that there is no wall too high or too strong to be broken down if we do it together. [cheers and applause] i was one of those children. i learned what it's really meant to be judged by the content of one's character. i was born to a single mom. i was raised by her and my grandparents. they taught me to take pride in hard work. to take responsibility for my actions. to understand that an education could expand my mind and transform my life. and so, from my high school to davidson college, where i was the first black student body president, to nyu law school to practicing law in the public and

private sectors, from the charlotte city council to becoming the first democratic mayor in charlotte in 22 years, to this debate tonight, i live by my values. i live by my values that my family and my community taught me. you know what? i have seen president obama at work, and these are his values, too. this is a man who pulled our economy back from the brent. this is a president who plans to give every child an opportunity to succeed. this is a leader who believes all americans have a fair shot to go as far as their talent can take them. so, charlotte, north carolina, america, when this convention ends on thursday, our work does not. over the next 62 days, from this

night until election night, we will come together, as we have so many times before. we will not condors. we will register voters. we willis -- we will knock on doors. we will register or -- registered voters. together, we will reelect president obama. thank you, and god bless you. [cheers and applause] ♪ day >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senate majority leader harry reid of nevada. ♪ [applause]

>> my name is terry. -- harry reid. i am majority leader of united states senate. i'm a senator from searchlight, nevada. [applause] it has been my honor to support and work with president barack obama, a man who has bought courage and character to the presidency. his strength of character leads him to do the right thing, even when it is not the easy thing. some city -- some said he should not save detroit. president obama made the tough and bright call to save more than 1 million american jobs in an important, iconic industry. [cheers and applause]

some said he should not move heaven and earth to get bin laden. president obama made the tough and bright call to bring the worst terrorist in the world to justice. [applause] some even said he could not take on the big banks that brought our economy to its knees. president obama made the tough and right cost the taxpayers will never again be on the hook for wall street's risky bets. [applause] some said he could not take on insurance companies that were ripping us off. president obama made the tough and right call to save lives, save medicare, and insure that nobody goes broke just because they get sick. [applause]

his whole life, there have been so many who told him what he should not or could not do. but america has a president who knows what we must do. president obama has faced on another group of naysayers. in addition to the crowds of could not crack and should nots, the republican party has become the party of the would not crack and he will nots. they pledged on day one that they would not lift a finger to help. they have not. in the debt of the great recession, as millions of americans struggled to find work, the republican leader of the senate, mitch mcconnell, said that republicans' number one goal was to make barack obama a one-term president.

[crowd boos] they would not cooperate to create jobs. they would not try to turn around the economy. they would not do anything but stand in the way of president obama. i have had a front-row seat to watch the tea party take over the republican party. for three and a half years, they would not govern. they could not lead. we should not let them take over the senate or the white house. [cheers and applause] we must stop the tea party before the united states senate falls into the hands of extremists and ideologues who leave no room for reason or compromise, who do not recognize common ground, even when they are standing on it. [cheers and applause] and if they will not stand up to

rush limbaugh or progress marquest -- grover norquist, what would make you think they would stand up for you? [cheers and applause] d.c., today's republican party believes in two sets of rules. s e for millionaire ats and billionaires', and another for the middle-class. today they have nominated the strongest proponent and beneficiary of this rick game -- mitt romney. never in modern american history has a presidential candidate tried so hard to hide himself from the people he hopes to serve. when you look at the one tax return he has released, it is obvious why. it is obvious why there has only been one. we learned he pays a lower tax rate and middle-class families. we learned he chose swiss bank

accounts and cayman islands tax shelters over american institutions. we can only imagines what new secrets would be revealed if he showed the american people a dozen years of tax returns like his father did. [cheers and applause] mitt romney says we should take his word that he paid his fair share. his words? his word? trust comes from transparency. mitt romney comes up short on both. [cheers and applause] this is about more than just a piece of paper. it is not personal. this is about leveling with the american people and creating a level playing field for them. if we do not know how mitt romney would benefit from the

policies he proposes, how can we know if he is looking out for us or just himself? the american people are still asking, who is mitt romney? but the american people know barack obama. [cheers and applause] he is the leader who says, we should, we can, we will. [cheers and applause] you see, he is a leader who does not search for the easy path for himself, but takes the right one for us. this nation has been through hard times, but those hard times have hardened are resolved. i am ready to do the difficult work that is ahead. but i want to do that work with barack obama and not a tea party ideologue. [cheers and applause]

we can move america forward. but we can only do it together. we can move america forward with a strong middle-class. we can move america forward with a strong democratic majority in the senate. together, we can move america forward with barack obama in the white house. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> my success has been entirely dependent on my education.

when i think about children all across this country, i want to make sure they have got the same opportunities that i got. >> if you are a young american, education can be the only path out of poverty. for years we talked about crumbling classrooms and corridors of shame -- we talked about these well doing all too little to solve them. >> that is what president obama took decisive action to improve educational opportunity and achievement at all levels, beginning with the race to the top competition. >> we challenged every state in the company -- every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning. three years later, nearly every state has answered the call. >> what i like about race to the top is it leaves the big decisions on implementations to the local state holders and experts. >> we have seen the biggest

transformations in terms of school reform in a generation. i had the chance to go to great colleges and a great law school. i did not come from a rich background, but i was able to get scholarships and loans. those doors were open to me. >> president obama cut the middleman out of the student loan system and used the same system -- savings to invest in pell grants. >>pell grants have completely changed my life. the grant has paid for everything. my future is possible -- is an amazing feeling. >> mitt romney wants to drastically cut the department of generation. does not he now that millions of dollars go to financial aid for college students? >> if we are serious about building a opportunity that lasts for solid middle-class jobs, we have to improve education. i know we can do it. we can build an economy that

gives everybody a fair shot. we will remind the world just what it is that the united states of america is the greatest nation on earth. thank you everybody, god bless you. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> please join us in welcoming the house democratic leader, nancy pelosi, and the democratic women of the house. [cheers and applause] >[cheers and applause] >> good evening. good evening. i am nancy pelosi --

[cheers and applause] but my grandchildren, call me nimi. for me, politics is an extension of my role as a mother and grandmother. for the democratic women of the house, our work is not about the next election, but rather the next generation. working with president barack obama, we are committed to reigniting the american dream, the ideal that, if you are willing to work hard, played by the rules, and take responsibility, you will have the opportunity to climb the ladder of success. the democratic women of the house are ready to join president barack obama to move america forward. [cheers and applause] i am joined by congressman rosa

elauro of connecticut -- america's women still make just 77 cents for every dollar men earn. it is even tougher for women of color. those pennies add up to a real difference to middle-class families who are trying to pay their bills, trying to get ahead, and trying to achieve the american dream. we are making progress. of the fair pay act -- yes. [cheers and applause] the fair pay act to give victims of pay discrimination their day in court was the first bill the president signed into law. [applause] now we want to pass the paycheck

fairness act. real protection to ensure equal pay for equal work. the democratic women of the house are committed to closing the wage gap for america's families and to move america forward. [applause] i am congresswomen carolyn maloney from the great, great state of new york. [applause] president obama made health-care a right, not a privilege, for all americans. that was a change that brought hope to millions. now, women are beginning to get to the preventative services that they deserve. including birth control. [applause]

if they get sick, or become pregnant, they will not lose their health insurance. [applause] soon, for the very first time, no longer will being a woman be a pre-existing condition -- pre- existing medical condition. [cheers and applause] healthy imams mean healthy families. when my republican -- a healthy moms mean healthy families. when my republican colleagues refused to include one single woman on the first panel of witnesses to speak for the concerns of women, i asked, where are the women? where are the women?

where are the women? [cheers and applause] where are they? we are here. now, the women of america are here. and we are on our way to reelect our president, president barack obama. we support our president. [cheers and applause] >> the democratic women of the house are committed to women's health, and to moving america forward with president obama. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> i am congresswoman allyson

schwartz of the great commonwealth of pennsylvania. moving america forward means never going backward on america's great promise of health care for our seniors. medicare. as a daughter who cares for an elderly parent, i know that medical care is not optional for our seniors. we will not let the republicans and the guarantee of medicare, which will cost seniors thousands of dollars and endanger the health and retirement security of millions of americans. americans have worked for medicare. they have paid for their medicare. whether you are 65 or 55 or 45 or 35, you have earned your medicare. [cheers and applause] americans deserve the security

medicare provides. president obama will strengthen and protect medicare. he already has. [applause] democrats will make the tough choices, the right choices, to reduce the deficit and preserve medicare for this generation and the next. the democratic women of the house know that secure retirement moves america forward. [applause] >> i am a congressman from wisconsin. i am a mother of three and the grandmother of three granddaughters.

our daughters and our granddaughters, we are working hard to end violence against women. [cheers and applause] no victims of domestic violence or bullying, man or woman, should feel unprotected in america. yet when democrats acted to strengthen the violence against women act, republicans of the house moved to weaken it. [crowd boos] they have even tried to change the definition of rape. [crowd boos] vice president biden wrote the violence against women act. he and president obama and democrats are standing strong to prevent violence for all. whether you were born on a reservation or in another

country, whether you love a man or a woman. [cheers and applause] the democratic women of the house will fight back against -- will fight back to move america forward. [applause] >> i am a congresswoman from the great state of new york. [applause] women in business are helping to lead the way for america's economic recovery. nearly 8 million american women own small businesses. they are the engines of job creation and the backbone of the american economy. in this tough economic time, they need a level playing field and a fair shot to get ahead. supporting small businesses means expanding access to credit and supporting

investments that will help them grow. working with president barack obama, house democrats gave entrepreneurial americans the freedom to pursue their passions, success, and the american dream. the democratic women of the house know that when women succeed in our economy, we move america forward. [applause] >> aloha. i am kelcey a candid for congress in hawaii and a member of the national -- a captain of the national guard. [applause] when i stepped down from the state legislature and headed to a war zone, i joined a long, proud line of americans who sacrificed to make us the land

of the free and the home of the brave. [applause] as a combat veteran, i know the cost of war. the sacrifices made by our troops and military families are in metro. these days is often -- are in measurable. these days is often women in uniform, moms, wives, even grandmothers, to deploy and leave their families behind. such women and patriots need leaders who truly understand and care about their part ships and will fight for them. -- hardships and will fight for them. leaders like president and michelle obama, and vice president and dr. baden, the strongest family -- advocates are military families could ever have. the democratic women of the house will honor the service and sacrifice of our troops to move america forward.

aloha. [cheers and applause] >> i am running for congress in the great state of ohio to move america forward. moving america forward means higher education that is affordable and prepares our young people to lead in the 21st century a economy. moving america forward means affordable health care and equal pay for equal work. [applause] to unleash the power of moms and be economy, -- in a the economy, this means affordable, quality child care. we will move america forward on behalf of view, your families

and community, your aspirations. your hopes for your children. that is because america's success is dependent on the success of women, women in education, women in business, women in the military and public service. women will lead us to victory for a strong, democratic majority in congress. [applause] and to reelect vice president joe biden and president barack obama. [cheers and applause] the democratic women of the house are ready to move forward. [applause]

♪ ♪

♪ >> and fellow democrats, good evening. i accepted your nomination as president of the united states. i said then that america needed a president who shared your dreams and takes a strength and wisdom from you, the american people. ladies and gentlemen, we have such a leader in the white house. i realize quickly -- you realize quickly in the oval office that the easy decisions are not the ones that make their way to your desk. issues of war and peace, grave economic matters -- popular or unpopular, only a president can make the most difficult choices.

in the moment it takes more than policy. it takes integrity. an understanding of why and whom he served. from a president obama's first day in office, i watched him, as i know you have, faced these tough decisions and always put the interests of middle-class americans above those who, often with larger wallets, haven't ever louder voice. i have admired him for that. because he sits behind a desk, everyday people, from georgia to pittsburgh, have somebody on their side. think about them, working to give them an equal chance in life. in four short years, he has worked to avert economic calamity. he has put an -- a dignified and to the ill-conceived war in iraq and has signed into law healthcare, a dream that was already overdue when i called for it 36 years ago. he has done this all in the

face of unyielding and unprecedented partisan opposition. overseas, president obama has oversee -- restored the reputation of the united states. dialogue and collaboration are once again possible. a return of the spirit of trust and goodwill to our foreign policy. there remains much to do. in communities across america and in countries around the world, life is too hard for too many people. we see their struggles. our hearts go out to them. in the coming years, our hands must continue to reach out to them. if all that remains -- for all that remains to be done, at home and abroad, the evidence is overwhelming. president obama is a leader for america as they face the onslaught of some of the most complicated domestic and international challenges to confront any u.s. president in modern times. it is up to all of us to make sure that the american people understand exactly what is at

stake and at risk in this election. if president obama is in the oval office, we can make good progress to becoming a more fair, stronger, more prosperous, and inclusive america. the nation adjusted to changing and challenging times while holding true to unchanging principles. a leader among the community of nations. next month, god willing, i will enter the 80th year of my life. one month later, i will enter the voting booth in my home town to cast another vote for barack obama and joe biden. i will do so with the confidence and conviction that they understand the challenges and difficult choices that face our nation and our people, in fact, all peoples in the world, in the years ahead. one thing i have learned over my lifetime as a submarine officer, as president, and as leader of biggest challenges we

face cannot lend themselves to quick fixes or the snap the rhetoric of the television commercials. solutions are complex and difficult, requiring judgement, skill, and patience to pursue the right policies for the right reasons. there is a clear choice facing voters this november. i am confident that, when facts and policies have been examined, the record of performance is has been reviewed, barack obama and joe biden will once again be elected to lead our beloved country to a better future. thank you. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the honorable ken salazar.

♪ >> i am a senator and attorney general for the great state of colorado. i am proud that colorado delivered a victory to barack obama in 2008, and we will do so again in 2012. [applause] my support for barack obama is deeply rooted in the american dream. we have both been blessed by this nation. i am a 12th-generation mexican- american. my family has farmed the soils along the rio grande day and colorado and new mexico for more than 400 years. cat i grew up on a ranch without electricity or telephone map --

my parents or part of war ii possum greatest generation. although we were port, parents believed in the american dream. all of their children become first-generation college graduates. likewise, barack obama's grandparents were from the neighboring state, the great plains of the state of kansas. his grandfather march for the cause of freedom in patton's army. his grandfather worked in the factories during the war. he was raised by those grandparents and a courageous mother, who install their bodies in him and taught them there were no limits to what he could achieve. barack obama -- [cheers and applause]

barack obama has lived the american dream -- he walked in our shares. until a few years ago, barack and michelle live lives like we all do, commuting to work, paying off student loans, picking up kids, balancing the checkbook. these experiences are why he has fought so hard for all of us these past four years. he believes the american people belongs to every american, every single american. on the other side, mitt romney, he just does not get it. he has not walked in the shoes of most americans. he does not understand that we should focus on helping those around america's kitchen tables, not just those around the boardrooms of america. [applause]

we need a president who is on our side. my father used to tell me -- [speaking spanish] tell me who you walk with, and i will tell you who you are. barack obama walks with us. i watched president obama protect america's lands and waters and wildlife, to honor all our cultures, to uphold our commitments to tribal nations, and to secure america's energy future. in an era when america is working so hard to achieve energy independence, the president's emissions have never been more important. it was president nixon who first talked about the term energy independence. yes, until president obama took charge, no president had been

so crucial in helping america take real strides towards a secure and independent energy future. [applause] what did the old drill, baby, drill of the last republican administration get us? where would the same approach get us? four years ago, america imported nearly 60% of its oil. president obama recognized at that time -- that half was unsustainable and dangerous. under president obama's leadership, the united states move forward with an all of the above energy strategy. of oil and gas, nuclear, hydro, biofuel, wind, thermal, solar -- all that. today, for the first time in more than a decade, for the

first time in more than a decade, we import less than half of our oil. u.s. natural gas production is at an all-time high. oil production is at a 14-year high. renewable energy from solar and wind have more than doubled under the president's leadership. [applause] on public lands alone, the largest solar, wind, and geothermal plants in the world are sprouting up across our public lands. but enough electricity to power more than 3 million american homes. we are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs to put middle- class -- and a class jobs, as we move forward with a clean energy economy. thanks to president obama's leadership, the auto industry is making cars that americans want to buy. that did better gas mileage. that save money at the pump.

and reduce emissions. onay, america's defendants foreign oil is at the lowest point in two decades. the romney-rhine plan calls this success and imaginary. they say renewable energy is a fad. they mocked our sacred responsibility as stewards of god's earth -- their attitude is not just sat, it is reckless and backwards. yes, they are still locked in a geological complaints -- ideological complaints with failed policies of the past. president obama's plan moves us forward, not backward. forward to fuel-efficient cars, a healthy auto industry, and good, middle-class jobs. forced to a healthy planet and forward to the new energy frontier -- forward to a healthy

planet and forward to the new frontier of energy independence. america faces a choice -- return to the romney-ryan ticket of failed policies of the past, or move ahead with a smart focused and determine president who understands america always does best when it harnesses the winds of innovation and change. for the sake of every american family, for the sake of american energy independence, for the sake of america's best future -- let's go forward, not backwards. let's have the president walked with us, our president, barack obama. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> please welcome joseph p. kennedy iii, congressional candidate in massachusetts.

[cheers and applause] >> thank you. good evening, delegates. this is the first convention since 1956 that we meet without senator kennedy. but make no mistake, he is here with us this evening. [cheers and applause] i see him in the passion of our delegates, the character of our candidates, because that unite us. from my uncle teddy, politics is always about people. he was from a big family. he understood that lives are measured not by line items in a budget, but by first days of school, last days of summer, commotions -- promotions one, jobs lost. new homes, broken hearts, every

precious moment in between. i remember campaigning with him once in texas for then-senator barack obama. we showed up in a small border town with only a handful of voters to greet us. he did not care. they were working folks who had come out to support our candidate. uncle teddy got, raised his hands, and said -- [speaking in spanish] the crowd went crazy for the old ranchero song. it was uncle teddy at his best. he gave his best to everyone he met. whether it was a sick child, and injured soldier, an unemployed worker. that idea guided him to the bigger battles, to guarantee the right to organize, to end apartheid, bring peace in northern ireland, health care to

all. [cheers and applause] it adds s in a tough campaign ahead. as we fight -- guides us in a tough campaign ahead. as we fight for a woman's right to choose, to keep a college education affordable, protect our seniors retirement security, and ask every american to do their part to safeguard the promise of this country. four years ago, uncle teddy marveled at the grit and grace of a young senator who embodied the changes are country sorely needed. as the's today to remember senator kennedy, we -- as we pause today to remember senator kennedy, we commit ourselves to the leader he entrusted to carry on our cause. thank you very much. [cheers and applause]

>> for all those whose cares have been our concern, because in yours, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die. ♪ ♪

♪ >> no matter who writes the history books, when people look back on the century they will say that edward kennedy was one of the most able and productive and compassionate and effected man who served in the united states senate in the entire history of the country. [applause] >> live coverage of the debate between edward kennedy and his republican challenger, mitt romney. >> i believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. i believe that since roe v wa de has been law, we should

sustain and support it, and the right of a woman to make that choice. >> on the question of the choice issue, i have supported it, i am pro-choice. my opponent is a multiple choice. when, mr. romney, are you going to tell the people of massachusetts which health care program you favor? >> i have the plan, a position paper on health care, i am happy to show it to you any time you would like. >> it is not a question of showing your paper. it is a question of showing all of the people who are watching this program the paper. >> i think it is a wonderful idea to take it through piece by piece. >> that is what you have to do as a legislator. >> now he looks like he is for minimum wage, for education reform -- if we give him two more weeks he may even vote for me. mitt romney called me to

congratulate me on being reelected to the united states senate. >> the best way to find out about what a party will do is to look at what it has done. we were the ones to support higher education, medicare, medicaid, knock down the walls of discrimination -- be brought about a sound economy and sensible foreign policy. those should be the essential values of the party. i love this country. i believe in the bright light of hope and possibility. i always have, even in the darkest hours. i know what america can achieve. i have seen it. i have lived it. with barack obama, we can do it again. thank you very much.

this is because of my life -- new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every american, north, south, east, west, young, old, has decent, quality health care as a right, not a privilege. [cheers and applause] a victory decision is for people all over this country. their lives will be more secure because of this law and the supreme court's decision to uphold it. >> if teddy were here, he would tell us, now it is time to roll up our sleeves, get to work, fully implement the law, and move on with the business of our

country. this was a long time coming. it is one that i knew my husband would have loved to have seen. everything he did was for a better future. it is about going forward. it is about passing the torch to a new generation. ♪ >> those of us to new teddy and worked with him, here, people of both parties -- they know what drove him was something more. ted kennedy's passion was born not of a rigid ideology, but of his own experience. that large hardness, that

concern and regard for the plight of others, that is not a partisan feeling. not a republican or a democratic feeling. it is part of the american character. >> i have never shied away from being called a liberal. but what i have done is stand up for my beliefs. the work begins anew. the hope rises again. the dream lives on. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome recording artist -- >> dnc, this is for america. it is time to move forward. c'mon. ♪ ♪

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♪ is this time to live again ♪ ♪ ♪ time for you to judge ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ let's move forward. thank you. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪