the republicans to not want to create jobs. they'll just like to make noise. host: the were dropping, a continuation from the fall of 2008. en they bumped back up. guest: if you look at where we come from the fall of 2008, jobs are dropping. there were far more jobs being lost four years ago at this time. when president obama came into office in january of 2009, that month, we lost about 800,000 jobs. yes, there are those who would argue that the number of jobs

added is clearly insufficient for this economy. but on the other hand, you have month after month for literally years now of job growth. if you want to oppose the political question of whether you are better or not -- better off or not, one could argue that we have job losses and now we have job gains. one could argue whether they are sufficient now and whose fault that is. host: comments from both mitt romney in his excedrin speech and barack obama on jobs, here is what both of them had to say. [video clip] >> this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last two years. and now you have a choice. we can give more tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs

overseas, or we can start rewarding new plants that train new workers -- rewarding companies that open new plants and train new workers right here in the united states of america we can reward those companies that build right here and double their exports. we can create 1 million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years. you can make that happen. >> i want to create a future where everyone who wants a job can find a job. where no senior figures for their security of their retirement and every parent knows that their child will get an education that leads to a good job and a bright horizon. and unlike the president, i have a plan to create 12 million new jobs. host: has either campaign in

specific on how they plan to create 1 million new jobs? politics is not my area, but from what i have followed i have not seen at all specifically this is going to happen. its romney's plan, one of five. is to reduce the deficit. but it is not clear how it leads to more jobs in a direct way. obviously, overall, a strong quake -- stronger economy and reduced debt leads to a better economic environment. but as you cut contractors, teachers, whatever -- anytime government is cutting spending, cutting postal kerrs, the immediate impact is to jobs. on the obama side, there has not been to the best of that i have heard anything very new or different from the policies that

have been in place so far. host: in the report you are reading this morning talking about job losses, does it break it down into the federal government versus local government? guest: i have not had time to go deep into this area. the headline things that jump out is that manufacturing employment -- edged down by about 15,000. we would like to see those manufacturing jobs because they tend to be higher-paying jobs and they tend to have -- a sort of serve as a base for the economy. it helps the grocery stores, back-to-school shopping, that kind of thing. when you lose all those core manufacturing jobs, they tend to ripple out. that is a bad indicator. but one thing that makes it

confusing and complicated between now and the election, one of the big things that has been holding back corporations from hiring more, from feeling more confident has been this whole situation in europe. it seems odd that europe would have much of an affect on our job situation, but the atmospherics are pretty bad. there is a pretty serious recession going on there. they are a big trading partner for the u.s. countries in the european union go into a recession, it will reverberate on to us. it is not a good scenario. just yesterday, we got some pretty encouraging news are of europe. the european central bank said it would begin an aggressive program to buy government bonds to shore up some these programs in europe. and i was positive. the stock market shot up yesterday. you are looking at what was happening in august.

it is possible that if things are starting to break a little bit better with europe, then you might have some businesses say, i feel little bit better about doing business. if it does not look like europe is falling off a cliff there, maybe i can afford a little bit. if the stock prices are rising, maybe i can afford to expand a little bit more. there been some groups having just this week. and whether that can reverberate out very quickly remains to be seen. also, europe remains dicey. there is a big court hearing in germany about the constitutionality of all of these various moves in europe to bail out governments and shore things up. if they say, everything your planning is unconstitutional and you cannot do it, then you are back into our water in europe. there are still very many steps to go before we have stability

coming out of europe. we will have to see how that plays out this fall in terms of the u.s. economy. host: let's go to cincinnati on the republican line. .es caller: i am retired military. and i had been laid off for the last 20 months. on these unemployment figures, is the majority of the based on actually an unemployment and on a system? in my process with unemployment, standing in that line for the first time ever, if really frustrated me. i had to quit unemployment because i was very irritated. listening to stories in that line, there are the baby

boomers, those folks who have been laid off. i went from $50 an hour. there are hundreds of jobs available in the city in my driving around. they are all minnert -- minimum wage, or maybe $10 an hour. is easier for folks to get government entitlement, and i would say some are handouts, basically, then to pursue doing that work. -- ban to pursue doing that work. is very difficult to be 50 or older and try to get into a job. the company looks at it as, i will allow this individual 10 years and then they will retire. host: how long have you been out of work? caller: 20 months. host: we will leave it there. guest: it is difficult for the

economy on the one hand because stock prices have not been great for the past 10 years. you have a lot of people whose retirement funds are not where they thought they would be. earnings have not risen much. a lot of people feel they need to work longer and they want to stay in the work force. but then they are holding of jobs that otherwise might be open to people. you have this intergenerational problem where you have a lot of generation x, the 40-year-old's who are waiting for the 60-year- old's to retire. but they'd feel like they cannot your there are generational tensions there appeared but there are others who have lost a job and are trying to get back into the work force. if you are 50 or older, it can be tough to get the next job.

there are some employers who would rather get work out of a younger person who they feel they can train and hold onto for a longer time frame. there are a lot of aging issues. older people feel they are discriminated against. only under people get hired. and there are younger people who feel that they cannot get a break because the older people will not go away. host: next call on the democrat's line from florida. caller: i lived in sarasota. i am a veteran. i went through a training program at the community college. i may cnc writer -- rotor and i work for a boat manufacturer. we are hiring like crazy.

i mean, last year they said florida had record tourism from the people from canada who come down here. construction is the only thing that is still down in florida. i thought it was odd that rick scott was not invited to the republican convention, but gov. charlie crist was at the democrat convention. i thought that was all right. i mean, there is work in florida, but people after a train to the jobs that are available in the manufacturing, because the manufacturing, they've got to have people who know how to run the machines. host: we will leave it there. guest: thank you for that comment. it is a very important point of the skills that are mismatch. these skills, especially those that are using computer- controed equipment that he

referred to, those are very skilled jobs and those are voluble workers. we do not have enough skilled workers. there was a recent report by the fed in new york that explain this mismatch between the jobs open and the workers available. the unemployment rate would drop by one-third if we could just get into that -- get people into the jobs that already exist. there are not enough trained workers to fill them. this is a big issue, job training. how do we get the workers that we need out of the work force that we have? and matching up workers and skills and openings is one of the big challenges for the economy. host: a report came out yesterday from the world economic forum on global competitiveness and the u.s. dropped from sixth to seventh. they listed a number of factors that cause the dropped -- caused

the drop, or hinder economic competitiveness. one of them is the economic work force. but the number-one factor is the tax rates and inefficient government bureaucracy. they talk a little bit about the gridlock in washington between congress and the white house. which you were talking about when we first started our conversation. guest: there are lots of government-related problems with this jobs mismatch, too. there are so many different government programs about job training that many critics would say this needs to be streamlined and focus. we need to match up was available to work with the skills needed. for example, in the energy sector. there are a lot of jobs in petroleum and fragging and so forth. there are jobs were these things are booming, like places in

north dakota where they cannot get enough workers. and then you have other places where there are far more workers available then jobs open. trying to solve these mismatches in some key efficient way, if government were working a little bit better, let's say, you might be able to cut through some of this bureaucracy and the of that -- the inefficiencies there to make these programs work a little bit better. it is tough for congress to get anything done these days. and probably until the election cycle is over we will not see much progress. job training at workers, that is a key issue. host: next caller is an independent. doretta said. caller: -- go ahead. caller: i definitely agree with you about congress's inability to act. also, the skills mismatch, which

you were talking about. another thing or like to point out is that somehow this idea that government regulations, precisely environmental regulations are hindering job growth. i do not think we are seeing that. i think it is about 2% or 3% of job growth is hindered by regulations. you recently have a large fortune 500 businessmen write an article about government intrusion and regulation. he then testified at a senate hearing the same exact thing. but then when you viral the people work with the regulatory agency, it is not a concern for his business.

how would like to get your thoughts on the policy and how it affects job growth. guest: what i've seen of businesses, when they list the issues that are holding back their business, the thing that comes up is lack of demand. they do not really talk about -- i am sure, obviously, businesses would have any number of things they would like to have better. but if they would just have customers, they would be pretty happy. surveys do not show that taxes or regulations rise all that much to the top of the list. when you say to small businesses, was holding you back, what is the problem, it is basically that there is not enough people coming through the door. there is not enough demand. the question is how you get the demand back. this goes to the european thing that i was referring to. if you have customers in europe that buy your products, if you

are general electric or an auto company or whatever, and you have customers in europe by your parts or equipment, to have them in a depression -- well, that is going too far. a significant recession is a problem for your business. another thing that you are seeing this year is that china is slowing down a great deal this year. and although we import a great deal from china, but we also sell them things. if they are slowing down, that is also a problem for u.s. businesses. it depresses that the band. this is a demand-driven recession. there are not enough customers to bring in the bells. they mean more demand. -- need more demand host: -- need more demand. host: unemployment has fallen

and 96,000 jobs were added for august. here is a tweet. he says, most of us will be forced to adjust our standard of living down. more callso a couple here. cliff in pikesville, md., republican line. caller: things for the last 29 months have been going at least in a positive direction, even though it is not what we want as a country. but is in a positive direction as opposed to what we had before. it is amazing to me to hear people talk and support of various candidates. i am a republican. i think obama has done the best he could. i think people need to look at mitt romney's record. i would think that he has put more people in poverty from his

business activity than obama would ever have. that is all i have to say. host: bolten, mississippi, gary on in -- on the democrat's line. caller: i am host: jerry gary, go ahead. caller: i am jerry. host: gary, go ahead. caller: do think the president would have done a better job without the gridlock of the present time? guest: there are a lot of unsolved issues out there that if they were resolved, it would provide a little more certainty for businesses so that they could go forward. it is pretty clear that someone along the lines here, something is going to change as far as tax returns.

while corporate taxes be two years from now? it is hard to say. -- what will corporate taxes be two years from now? it is hard to say. unemployment extensions, those are starting to run out. we have had of to 99 weeks for unemployment benefits for people. those are expiring now. they were not renewed to the full limit. people who had been able to go to the grocery store, if they are no longer able to get their unemployment checks, will they still be able to buy gasoline, groceries? those kinds of things will impact retailers. if congress does not address this fiscal cliff for government contractors, there are lot of reasons that people are looking for clarity from government.

i do not expect anyone will take on the reformed of tax structure between our election day. host: in florida, johnny is on the independent line. caller: the problem that we have in this part of the south, and it is a vacation area, is that the people who want the jobs here and need the jobs here cannot get the jobs. we have to compete with these foreign labor pools. i do not know if this is some kind of grand experiment, but i cannot get a job. and this is from the lowest croslin job to light manufacturing. -- grass-blowing job to light manufacturing. and they are bringing in the resilience and others. and on not just being prejudice here. host: we will leave it there. the what do you know about that? guest: it is true that when you

go to places -- i was at cedar point, ohio. it was an amusement park. the workers were all -- it seemed virtually everyone i spoke with had an ax of -- an accent. and that is true in many amusement parks where they are britney and students from other countries. host: because they could not find a labor pool year? guest: because it is nicer for the guests and the kids get an experience. but for americans want to get a job, it is tough to compete with the beautiful 20-year-old from eastern europe. there are a lot of countries that bring in labor from outside the country to do some of this work. it is a question of whether or not those kids who come here are and have the our economy or preventing people of america from getting jobs. those are debatable issues. host: caller: maryland -- host:

geewax has been our guest. this week, we will focus on a study from the pure research center on the middle class. paul taylor is our guest. that is coming up next.

>> i watched c-span, c-span2 m.v. other -- and the other versions of c-span because i feel it is important to be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world and c-span gives the most information about what is going on in specific suspects -- subjects. >> hillary watches c-span, created by america's cable companies in 1979, brought to you by america's cable television providers. >> during the republican and democratic conventions we are asking middle and high school students to send a message to the president as part of the studentcam documentary competition. we will oust what the most important issue is that the president should consider in 2013 for a grand prize of $5,000 and there are $50,000 total

available. it is open to students in grades 6-fall. for complete rules, go online to studentcam.org. >> "washington journal" continues. host: joining us is paul taylor with the pure research center. we will discuss the pews study on the middle class. paul taylor, welcome and thank you for joining us. what is behind this the study? how many people did you talk to and what is the overall take away that we should know? guest: we are a research center and we talk to people who describe themselves as middle costs. and then we took a deep dive into census data and data, but

purdue leave those in the middle income over that -- particularly those in the middle income of a lost 60 years -- over the last 60 years. we are now in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. a relevant political question is whether you are better off now than four years ago. when we looked at the data, we were this -- we were struck by the distinctiveness of this past decade. in 1999, 12 years ago, median household incomes in this country peak. they are not in any year since then returned to that peak. we have never had a decade like this in modern history. a very tough decade. the stock market crashed. it has come back. the housing market crash.

it has not come back. housing wealth is the heart edolphus, the nest egg -- is the heart and soul, the nest egg of the middle class. they are poor, smaller nest eggs, less income. there is no surprise that the country is in a down move as they get ready to make this political chores. host: peak income was $72,976. and your most recent numbers were $69,500. guest: right, and that is for a family of three, which is the typical family in this country. guest: this is 12 years and counting. host: you found out the lower income scale is under 39,000.

the middle income is between a $39,000 and $118,000. and the upper income is over $118,000. there has been a lot of talk about middle class tax cuts in the campaigns. guest: the boundaries, by nature, are arbitrary. we have been asking -- survey researchers have been asking a question like this for decades. put yourself on the following scale, lord, mittal, upper middle, or upper. a 49% say they are middle. a growing third art are saying that they are middle or lower middle. about half of public self defines as middle class. where do we find that median

household income? what are the batteries that you described. but we did not use a dollar figure. if we use a percentage. -- we used a percentage. host: we're going to break up the phone lines a little bit differently. if you make $50,000 or less, here is the number. if you make between $50,000 and $150,000, the number is on the screen. we will get to your calls in just a moment. you talk about the median net worth. it drops off the cliff here between 2007 or 2008 when the financial crisis happened to currently. at what is the main reason people's financial net worth is vomiting?

guest: for the middle class, housing, housing, and housing? -- and housing. at the beginning of the decade, those dahlias went and up and up and up. then, people looked around and said, rich, or i have some wealth. they took out second mortgages, or refinance, and they lived on inflated home value. we know how that story ends. that bubble burst. a large share americans have not recovered from that. many say they are worse off after that. many people said it will take another five years recover and some say they will never recover and housing is part of the national dialogue. host: there was an item in this

report that the public says a secure job is the ticket to the middle class. 86% say person needs a secure job to be part of the middle- class. 45% say owning a home and 37% talk about a college education. is that 45% #a drop from previous service? guest: it is. a secure job has shot up considerably. we are now four years into an unemployment rate of 8% or higher and we have a larger share of the population in beijing -- we have the lowest share of the population in the labour force. the assumption in the past was if you wanted a job, you lived in an economy the could provide one. that assumption is no longer there and has affected the

economic mindset. host: we have a call from winchester, va.. caller: hello. my point is this -- if people would do like years ago -- i had to put a certain percentage down on my house and i paid for the house. the reason why this middle-class the struggling now is in the new millennium, i worked in a plant. we had 900-1100 people working at that plant. next year, it is scheduled to close in the first quarter but there is only 130 people. if somebody would talk to the people about bringing jobs back to america because they passed a law that allows bill clinton to sign nafta -

host: let's get some thoughts. guest: let me go to the question about foreign competition. there is a political discussion that often comes up. we asked people in this survey if it's tougher for the middle class to maintain that it was a decade ago and 85% said yes. we ask why. we asked who was to blame for the situation. the leading option was congress. the next was banks and financial institutions and the next was large corporations. we asked about foreign competition but a smaller share blend that. -- blamed bad. it was interesting that given a choice about the bush and administration and the obama administration, given the mix of

rogues galleries, the public when first with a political institution and large financial institutions. host: based on what you found in this report, would you agree with this? guest: the american public does not agree. we as a standard of living question about what you experience in your life and what you expect your children to experience. is your standard of living better or worse or about the same as it was when your parents were the age you are now? we asked about their kids. will their standard of living be better? the american public is always

positive on those kinds of questions. six in 10 say their standard of living is better than their parents were and only 18% say it is worse. a little less positive about their kids. but still more positive than negative. even in this gloomy decade, it is very difficult to beat the optimism out of the american public. the optimism is more muted than it used to be and there is no question about paying the bills. we're supposedly in a recovery and people have had to cut back for paying bills. you pull back and you ask the public broadly speaking, are you going to be okay and will the country be okay and the americans will say yes for the most part. host: there is tempered optimism for the next generation from

2012 -- 2008-2012, 51%, 43% this time around say it will be better. let's go to bloomfield, west .irginia on our line for thos caller: the opinion of the american public is really pointless. most people have no way of judging what is the real cause of the problem. they don't have economic decrees and they are not hearing what is going on in the back rooms in washington. ross perot mail the back in 1992. he said if we had these free trade agreements, we would be in a race to the bottom and that is was going on. for years, it has been hit in

policies of allowing 1 million immigrants per year and allowing in foreign students. in bloomfield, we have students coming in and taking restaurant jobs. the underlying policy is that the people making the decisions know we have to drive american wages down to the level of the third world to compete with workers and other countries. they have a policy to do that and the american people should not be optimistic. your wages will be going down for the next 50 years so we can compete with china. guest: i'm not an economist. if the opinions of the american people are worthless, we're in big trouble. we have been a country for 230 years that face it -- bases is

governments on the opinions of the public. that has worked well for a long time and will continue to work well. host: good morning -- caller: i would like to ask a question. does the gentleman know anything about unemployment? i don't think some jobs are ever coming back would you like to make a comment on that? guest: i don't want to stretch my credentials to suggest i know whether there is more to be gained or lost by the digital revolution and all the rest. we put that question to the american public and the opinion was divided. a lot of people see that technological innovation creates

and destroys jobs at the same time. the question that troubles economists and elected officials -- is our work force today the right kind of work force for the kinds of jobs that the 21st century will produce? that is a question about education and a broad set of policy questions. from our survey, the public looks at automation and technological change with a very mixed view. host: here is a tweet -- does this survey touch on the way the middle class feels on the relationship with their employers? guest: we have job satisfaction questions. do you feel like you are moving ahead in your career? the range is pretty positive.

people who have jobs and are happy to have jobs, they give their employers generally high ratings and they feel they are inventing. -- advancing. the question of having the right skills goes to education policies. one of the silver linings of this high unemployment and lower share of the public in the work force is an ever-rising share of the public is getting college degrees. if those numbers keep going up, you ask yourself, college degrees to do what? the unemployment picture has been particularly difficult on young adults. we have done reports on 20 some things that have boomeranged back home because they cannot find the first rung on the job letter.

ladder. host: back to the issue of optimism -- overall, 55% are hopeful about the future black respondents were 78%. did the number surprise you? guest: this is a pattern we have seen for the last four years and it is extremely interesting. if you look at various demographic groups by age and race and ethnicity that have been hurt the most, everybody has been hurt by this recession in one way or another the young and minorities have been hurt more than other groups. nonetheless, from every server we have taken over the last four years, they are more optimist. about their own futures and the

country's future. the election of barack obama four years ago was about the young and that shape their perception of their own personal economies and the nation. host: let's go to columbia, tennessee to a retiree. caller: good morning, i would like to apologize because i thought we had the independent on the third line. host: go ahead with your comments. caller: i appreciate it. i want to thank cspan for providing us with information on all three branches of our government. that is important for the american people. that gets back to accountability and transparency. unfortunately, we have not only barack obama's words but the

words of mitt romney saying we can be accountable and transparent. we are going through a line of hypocrisy. the morality and ethics of our government leaders is so terrible and it is a standoff between good and evil. we have scriptures in the bible that tell us exactly what is going on in this world today. host: i will let you go there. your survey asked people about how they feel about whose policies would work best. what did you find out? guest: we have to be best for the middle-class and upper-class and the lower class. whether we as the question of democrats versus republicans or the different candidates, the

old labels that have been with us for most of my lifetime, republicans are the party of the rich, are there in public opinion along much larger shares of the public. they said mitt romney will be most helpful to the wealthy and obama is a mix between the middle and the portrait of -- to the middle and the poor. there was a lot of talk about the middle class at the conventions. i think people are pretty skeptical about what they will do for the middle-class host: we have our phone lines a little different for this segment. we're talking about the middle

class and here are the numbers -- virgil is in clinton, iowa. caller: where does saving come in? when we got married and went back to college, she became an accountant. we lived on my salary. ever since she graduated, we have always lived virtually on one income and we saved the maximum that we could and paid for our vehicles in cash but we always just say as much money as we could instead of spending get all. it seems to me that the economy would not be in such bad shape

if the consumer would save more. my parents came here in the 1950's. they did not have much money and might dad was a sergeant in the army. they bought their first house in the 1950's in new jersey. they saved for all that money even with six kids. to put the down payment on their house and my parents always saved money and my wife's parents always saved their money and pay for everything in cash. what has happened to the middle class is they cannot save money. guest: that's a great observation. economic wiseman said a way to get rich is not how much you make but just spend less than you take in and do that over the course of a lifetime and it will work out fine. in terms of the saving picture for the middle class, it is interesting. during the time in the 1990's and the early part of the last decade when housing wealth was

or rising, the savings rate came down. it was called a wealth effect. they thought they did not have to worry about savings. they looked at their house and they said it was worth double. they could take out a second mortgage and put on that debt and use the money to help my kids get to college. saving rates came down of americans were on something of a spending spree. then came the shock of the bubble. on employment spite and the bubble burst of with foreclosures and people were under water on their mortgages. we really have not recovered from that. what the american swimmer has done and the american homeowner has done is they have begun to save more. in this case, their savings has been in the form of reducing their debt. they have been sobered up by the shocks of the last six years.

in one sense that is good. their balance sheets are a little bit better. because the american consumer is about 70% of the american economy, if they are not spending, it is one of the reasons why the economic recovery has been sluggish. circumstances have imposed more financial discipline on a typical middle-class family but that is maybe one reason why the recovery is as slow as it is. host: a quick look at the pew findings of middle and upper income families --

we have about 10 more minutes in this segment. go ahead -- caller: please don't cut me off. i agree with the man from ohio -- iowa. some people live beyond their means. this problem started since the 1980's back when reagan was president. wages have been stagnant since then. everything else has gone up. a car does not cost $6,000 like they did in the 1980's. you start to get yourself in debt. back in the 1980's, i was a steelworker. they closed the plant down. i am still suffering.

back in those days, they said to get more education and i did that. they contend the economy and i have no job. i am in debt with school out. it is just a domino effect. look up the economist, richard wolfe, and look at what he has to say. host: we thank you. richard wolfe has been a guest on this program. guest: our numbers tell a slightly different version of that story. if you go back longer in time -- we went back to 1978 -- sometimes the 1950's for some of our numbers -- median household income, once you adjust for changes in household size and you just for real dollars, over

the longer part of modern history, household incomes for the middle-class and upper and lower class of all gone up. that is counterintuitive to many people and it has to do with adjusting for household size. today's households are smaller. once you make those adjustments, the standard of living is up by about 1/3. then what was in 1970. one reason it is up is because some money families have two incomes. that is part of a very dramatic change in our lifetime is the movement of women into the workforce. it has changed the family life of many people and there are stresses and strains about that. we see this in public opinion. when you ask people about the

arc of their lives, they see progress. i think that progress is real. host: these are some of the overall numbers from the pure research -- 85% say it is harder to mains -- maintain their standard of living. to pennsylvania, sherry -- caller: thanks for taking my call. in 1987, i was 25 years old and my husband and i married and we

will able to buy a house and two new cars and we are doing fine. 25 years down the road, our daughter got an economics degree and she was offered a job with a defense contractor. she chose to go on to graduate school. her friend asha graduate college with, most of them are not finding jobs. many of them have been able to find jobs by not including their college degrees on applications. i see where i was when i was 25 years old and i look at where these kids are today at the same age and none of them are in the same position of buying a house and a couple of new cars. kids enteringese

the middle class any time soon. i will pull rank on you. i graduated from college in 1970. i am a baby boomer. i did not have to look for a job out of college. the job was looking for me. it is a dramatically different economy from what some have called the boomerangers. it is tough to start out in this economy. you might eventually find the first rung on the latter but you will be behind in your working life. that is a major challenge for this country. it is exacerbated by the fact that folks my age are about to hit 55 and they're about to put demands on social security and medicare and all the entitlements. we have this demographic

dynamic where the younger folks are having trouble getting started, the older folks will make claims on our social safety net and i am enough of an optimist to think there are ways we can get through this but it is a very accurate description of the challenges we face and young adults are right in the middle of it now. host: aurora, colorado -- caller: i have a reason why congress and the financial institutions are on top of the list. i work for lehman brothers and they could not get their hands on subprime mortgage is fast and not to put them on the stock market and corporate derivatives. hank paulson lead lehman brothers fail and that froze markets to freeze within 24

hours causing massive unemployment. the tea partiers in congress don't want bank failure and they don't understand how we ended up with this massive unemployment. u.s. manufacturing has been declining since the 1980's and the financial industry is now the largest industry in the united states. i would like to know what your guest has to say about what the financial industry has as far as responsibility of job loss and how this was created. host: they are second in line of who's to blame, congress is at the top of that list. guest: i will make a political observation -- the dramatic events happen in the middle of

the last presidential campaign in october of 2008. i think it had a lot of influence. here we are four years later, still feeling the after effects of those dramatic events involving the financial industry. there has been regulation that has been passed to regulate the financial industry. the democrats and republicans disagree as to how effective that has been. i will leave that to the politicians. it is interesting that four years later, we're still feeling what has come from that dramatic moment you described. host: new york city as on our line. caller: i would like to make that comment -- there are many people in my department who are here are h1 the says. it is not that we don't want to hire americans but it is difficult to find americans with

the skills we need in it especially. i don't know if that's the problem with the quality of education in the united states right now. it is just an observation, thank you. guest: it's a very interesting observation. most of what has been said about immigration over the last five or 10 years has been focused on the lower skilled immigrants coming in from self of the border. at the same time, there is another important immigration wave from all over the world but particularly from asia which tends to be high skilled, highly educated. are we doing enough to encourage that? where the benefits to that and the costs of that? i will not take a position on that but i think the debate over immigration has not kept up with changing reality on the

ground. there are now more immigrants in this country from asia than from latin america. i don't think the public understands that. that is a very important change going on. host: was the makeup ethnically and demographically of your survey? guest: as a country, we are about 13% immigrants which is getting close to our historic high. you can go back 100 years to get the same rate. host: one more call for you from kansas. caller: i was wondering -- the middle class -- what a range of salaries are they in? what about the people making well under $50,000? guest: we made a statistical

definition for a family of three just under $40,000 at the lower end. when we asked people to self- defined class therein, about 40% of the people at the lower end to make less than $40,000 per year say they are in the middle class and almost 40% to make more than $120,000 say they are in the middle class. money is not the in, is not the only indicator of class -- income is not the only indicator of class. host: can viewers to go to read the record -- where can viewers go to read the report? thank you for sharing the statistics and conversation.

mark coverage as the candidate's hit the camp came trail. go back to speeches from last night by the vice president, at his acceptance speech and president obama. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [cheers]

>> thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you so much. thank you. [chanting "four more years!"] thank you. thank you so much. thank you very much, everybody.

[cheers] thank you. thank you. michelle, i love you so much. a few nights ago, everybody was reminded of just what a lucky man i am. [cheers and applause] melia and sasha, we are so proud of the. -- of you. [applause] yes, you do have to go to school in the morning. [laughter] joe biden, thank you for being the very best vice-president i could have ever hoped for. and be in a strong and loyal friend it.

-- friend. [cheers and applause] madam chairwoman, delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states. [cheers and applause] [chanting "four more years!"] now, the first time i addressed this convention in 2004, i was a younger man. [laughter] a senate candidate from illinois who spoke about hope.

not blind optimism, but hope in the face of difficulty. hope in the face of uncertainty. that faith in the future that pushed this nation forward even when the odds are great. even when the road is long the. -- long. eight years later, that hope has been tested. tested by the cost of war, one of the worst economic crises in history, and by political gridlock that left us wondering if it is possible to tackle the challenges of our time. i know campaigns can seem small and even silly at times. trivial things become big distractions. serious issues become sound bites. the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. if you are sick of hearing me

approve this message, believe me, so am i.. [laughter] [applause] but when all is said and done, when you pick up the ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. over the next few years, the -- big decisions will be made in washington on jobs, the economy, taxes and deficits. energy, education, war and peace. decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and on our children's lives for decades to come. on every issue, the choice you face will not be between two candidates or parties. it will be a choice between two different paths for america. a choice between two

fundamentally different visions for the future. ours is a fight to restore the values that built the largest middle-class and the strongest economy the world has ever known. [applause] the values my grandfather defended as a soldier. the values that grow my -- that drove my grandmother to work on a bomber assembly line while he was gone. they knew they were part of something larger. a nation that triumphed over fascism and a depression. a nation where the most innovative businesses turned out the world's best products. everybody shared in the pride and success. from the corner office to the factory floor. my grandparents were given the chance to go to college by their ownby home, and fulfil the basic

bargain at the american story. responsibility will be rewarded. everybody gets a fair shot. everybody plays by the same rules from main street to wall street to washington, d.c. [applause] and i ran for president because i saw that basic bargain slipping away. i began my career helping people in the shadow of a shuttered steel mill at a time when too many good jobs began to move overseas. by 2008 we saw nearly a decade where families struggle by paychecks that did not rise with costs that kept rising. folks racking up more and more debt -- people racking up debt to pay the mortgage, tuition, gas in the car, or food on the table. when the house of cards collapsed, millions of innocent americans lost their jobs,

homes, life savings, a tragedy from which we are still fighting to recover. now, our friends down in tampa at the republican convention where more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with america. they did not have much to say about how they would make their -- make it right. they want your vote, but they do not want you to know their plans. that is because all they have to offer is the same prescriptions they have had for the last 30 years. have a surplus? try a tax cut. the deficit too high? try another. feel a cold coming on? take two tax cuts, rollbacks of regulations and call us in the morning. [cheers and applause]

now, i have cut taxes for those who need it. middle-class families, small businesses, but i do not believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to the shores or pay down deficits. i do not believe firing teachers or kicking students off of financial aid will help the economy. will help us compete with the scientist coming out of china. after all we have been through, i do not believe rolling back regulations on wall street will help the small business woman expand or the laid-off construction worker keep his home. we have been there. we have tried that. we are not going back. america.ving forward, i [cheers and applause]

now, i will not pretend the path i am offering is quick or easy. i never have. you did not elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear, you elected me to tell you the truth. [applause] the truth is it will take more than a few years to solve challenges that have built up over decades. it will require shared responsibility and the bold persistent experimentation that franklin roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one. and by the way, those of us to carry on his party's legacy should remember not every problem can be remedied from another government program from washington. know this, america --

our problems can be solved. our challenges can be met. the path reoffer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. i am asking you to choose that future. and goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security and the deficit. real achievable plans that will lead to new jobs, more opportunity and rebuild on a -- and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. that is what we can do a in the next four years and that is why i am running for a second term as president of the united states. [cheers and applause] we can choose a future where we export more products and outsource fewer jobs.

after a decade that was defined by what we bought and borrowed, we are getting back to basics and doing what america has always done best. we are making things again. [cheers] i have met workers in detroit and toledo who feared they would never build a another a american car. today they can not rebuild them fast enough because we reinvented an auto industry that is back on top of the world. [cheers] i have worked with business leaders who are bringing jobs back to a america not because our workers make less pay but because we make better products. because we work harder and smarter than anybody else. i signed trade agreements that are helping companies sell more goods to millions of customers. goods stamped with three proud words "made in america." [cheers]

[ crowd chanting "usa!"] after a decade of decline, this country created over half of a million of manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years. now you have a choice. we can get more tax breaks to corporations to ship jobs overseas or reconsider rewarding companies that create new jobs and train new workers here in the united states of america. [cheers and applause] we can help small businesses, double their exports. if we choose this path we can create 1 million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years. you can make that happen. you can choose that future. you can choose the path where we can control more of our own energy.

after 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so by the middle of the next decade cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. [cheers] we have doubled our use of renewable energy. thousands of americans have jobs building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries. in the last year alone, we have cut will imports by 1 million barrels a day, more than any administration in recent history. today the united states of america is less dependent on the foreign oil than at any time during the past two decades. [cheers and applause] now, you have a choice between a strategy that reverses the process or one that builds on it. we have to open millions of new acres for oil and gas

exploration in the last three years and we will open more. but unlike my opponent, i will not let oil companies right to this country's energy plan or in danger coastlines or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from tax payers. we are offering a better path. [cheers and applause] we are offering a better path where we -- a future where we invest in the wind, solar, clean coal, with farmers and scientists harnessing biofuels. constructor workers build homes and factories. farms and factories that weighs less energy where we develop 100 years' supply of natural gas right beneath our feet. we can cut oil imports in half by 2020 and support more than 600,000 new jobs in natural gas alone. [applause]

yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet because climate change is not a hoax. more drought, floods, and wildfires are not a joke. they are a threat to our children's future, and in this election you can do something about it. [cheers and applause] you can choose a future where more americans have a chance to build the skills they need to compete. no matter how old they are or how much money they have. education was the gateway to opportunity for me. it was the gateway for michelle. it was the gateway for most of you. now, more than ever, it

is the gateway to a middle-class life. for the first time in a generation nearly every state has answered the call to raise the standards in teaching and learning. some of the worst schools have made gains in math and reading. millions of students are paying less for college today because we finally took on a system that wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on the banks and lenders. [cheers] now you have a choice. weekend that education, or we -- we can gut education, or we can decide in the united states of america no child should have dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school. no family should set aside a college acceptance letter because they do not have the money. no company should look for workers overseas because they cannot find somebody with the right skills at home. that is not our future. [cheers and applause] that is not our future.

a government has a role in this. but teachers must inspire. principles must lead. -- principals must lead. parents must instill a thirst for learning. students, you have to do the work. together i promise you we can out educate and out compete any nation on earth. [cheers] help me recruit 100,000 a math and science teachers within 10 years and improve early childhood education. [cheers] help give 2 million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a better job. help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next 10 years. we can meet that goal together. you can choose that future for america. [cheers and applause]

that is our future. in a world of new threats and new challenges, you can choose leadership that has been tested and proven. four years ago i promise to end the war in iaq. we did. [cheers and applause] we promised to refocus on the terrace to actually attack us on -- on the terrorists that attacked us on 911, and we have it. we have stopped the taliban's momentum, and in 2014 our longest war will be over. [cheers] a new tower rises over the new york skyline. al qaeda it is on the path to defeat and osama bin laden is dead. [cheers and applause]

tonight we pay tribute to the americans who still served and -- serve in harm goes away. 's way.s we are forever in debt to a generation that made this country safer. we will never forget you. so long as i am commander in chief. we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known. when you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you have served us because nobody who fights for the country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their head or the care that they need when they come home. [cheers and applause] around the world we have strengthened old alliances and

forge new coalitions to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. we reasserted our power across the pacific and stood up to china on behalf of our workers. from birth to libya -- on burma to libya -- from burma to lib ra, we have advance the rights and dignity of all human beings, men and women, christians and muslims and jews. terrorist plots must be disrupted. you're opposed the crisis must be contained. crisis must be contained. our commitment to israel's security must not waver and neither must our pursuit of peace. the iranian government must face a world united against its nuclear ambitions. the historic change across the arab world must not be defined by the age of extremists but by the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people reaching for the same rights we celebrate here today.

now, we have a choice. my opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy. [cheers] from all that we have seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost america so dearly. after all, you do not call russia our number one enemy unless you are still stuck in a cold war mindset. [cheers] you might not be ready for diplomacy with beijing if you cannot visit the olympics without insulting our closest ally. [cheers and applause] my opponent said it was tragic

to end the war in iraq. he will not tell us how he will end the war in afghanistan. well, i have, and i will. [cheers] while my opponent will spend more money on military hardware and that our joint chiefs do not even want, i will use the money we are no longer spending on were to pay down debt and put more people back to work, rebuilding roads, bridges, and schools. after two wars, it is time to do some nation building right here at home. [cheers and applause] you can choose a future where we reduce our deficit, without sticking it to the middle class.

independent experts say my plan would cut the deficit by $4 trillion. last summer i worked with republicans in congress to cut $1 billion of in spending. those of us to believe government can be a force for good should work harder than anybody to reform it so it is leaner, more efficient, and more responsive to the american people. [applause] i want to reform the tax codes so it is simple, fair, and asks the wealthiest households to pay more at over $250,000. the same rate we had when bill clinton was president and our economy created millions of jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a whole lot of millionaires to boot. now, i am still eager to reach an agreement based on the principles of my bipartisan that -- debt commission.

no party has a monopoly on wisdom. no democracy works without compromise. i want to get this done, and we can get it done. but when gov. romney and his friends in congress tell us, we can lower the deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy, well, what did bill clinton call it? you do the arithmetic. you do the math. [applause] i refuse to go along with that. as long as i am president, i never will. [cheers and applause] i refuse to ask middle-class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire's tax cuts. [cheers] i refuse to ask students to pay more for college or kick children out of head start programs to eliminate health insurance for millions of americans who are poor and elderly or disabled, all so

those with the most can pay less. i am not going along with that. [cheers and applause] and i will never turn of medicare into a voucher. [cheers] no american should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies. they should retire with the care and dignity that they have earned it. yes, we will reform and strengthen medicare for the long call, but we will do it by reducing the cost of health care, not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more. and we will keep the promise of social security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it, not by turning it over to wall street. [applause]

this is the choice we now face. this is what the election comes down to. over and over we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way. since government cannot do everything, it should do almost nothing. if you cannot afford health insurance, hope that you do not get sick. [laughter] if a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children burry, that is the cost -- your children br eather, that is the cost of progress. if you cannot afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent's advice and borrow money from your parents. [laughter] [applause] you know what? that is not who we are.

that is not what this country is about. as americans we believe we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away. we insist on personal responsibility and we celebrate individual initiative. we are not entitled to success, we have to earn it. we honor the strivers, the risk takers, the of entrepreneurs who have been the driving force behind the free enterprise system. the greatest engine of growth the world has ever known. but we also believe in something called citizenship. [cheers and applause] citizenship. a word at the very heart of our founding. a word at the essence of our democracy. the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and

to future generations. we believe when a ceo pay is a bottom workers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does matter. -- automobile workers enough to buy the cars they build, the whole company does better. a family is projected to so was the value of other people's homes and so is the economy. we believe the little girl offered any escape from poverty by a great teacher or grant for college could become the next steve jobs, or the president of the united states. it is in our power to give her that chance. [cheers and applause] we know that churches and charities can often make more of a difference then a poverty

program a lawn. -- alone. we do not want handouts for those who refuse to help themselves and we do not want bailouts for banks that break the rules. [applause] we do not think government can solve all of our problems. we do not think that the government is the source of all of our problems any more than our welfare recipients or corporations or unions or immigrants or gays or any other group we are told to blame for our troubles. [cheers and applause] because america, we understand this democracy is ours. we, the people, recognize that

we have responsibilities. as well as rights. our destinies are bound together. a freedom that asks only what is in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others without love or charity or duty or patriotism is unworthy of our founding ideals and those who died in their defense. [cheers and applause] as citizens we understand that america is not about what can be done for us, it is a about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self governance. that is what we believe it. so you see, the election four years ago was not about me. it was about you.

[cheers] my fellow citizens, you were the change. [cheers] you are the reason there is a little girl with a heart disorder in phoenix that will get the help she needs because an insurance company will not limit her coverage. you did that. [applause] you are the reason a young man in colorado of who never thought he would be able to afford his dream of earning a medical degree is about to get that chance. you made that possible. [cheers and applause] you are the reason a young immigrant who went to school here and grew up here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer get deported from the only country she has ever called home. [cheers] our soldiers will not be kicked out of the military because of who they are or who they love,

how thousandof families have been able to see if loved ones that served as, welcome home. welcome home. you did that. you did that. you did that. if you turn a way now, if you turn away now and you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for is impossible, well, change will not happen. if you give up on the idea of your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void that. lobbyists, special interests, people with $10 million checks trying to buy this election and make it harder for you to vote, washington politicians who want to decide who you can marry or control health care choices women should be making for themselves. [cheers and applause]

only you can make sure that does not happen. only you have the power to move us forward. you know, i recognize that times have changed since i first spoke at this convention. times have changed, and so have i.. i am no longer just a candidate, i am the president. [cheers and applause] and -- and that means i know

what it means to send young americans into battle. i have held in my arms mothers and fathers of those who did not return. i have shared the pain of families who have lost their homes in the frustration of workers who have lost their jobs. if the critics are right that i made all my decisions based on polls, i must not be very good at reading. [laughter] while i am very proud of what we have achieved together, i am far more mindful of my own feelings, knowing exactly what lincoln meant when he said i have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that i have no place else to go. [applause]

but as i stand here tonight, i have never been more hopeful about america. not because i think i have all of the answers, not because i am not even about the magnitude of -- naive about the magnitude of the challenges, i am hopeful because of you. the young woman i met at a science fair to one national -- who won national recognition for her biology research while living with her family and a homeless shelter, she gives me hope. the auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed but kept coming to work every day toought flags for his whole town. one of the cars he built to surprise his wife. he gives me hope. [cheers] the family business in minnesota that did not lay off a single one of their 4000

employees when the recession hit, even when their competitors shut down dozens of plants. even when the owner gave up some perks, because they understood the biggest asset was the community and the workers who helped build-business. they gives me hope [applause] -- they give me hope. i think about the young sailor i met at walter reed hospital still recovering from a grenade attack that caused him to have his leg amputated above the knee. give we would watch him walk into a white house dinner honoring those who serve in iraq, a tall, 20 pounds heavier, dashing in his uniform with a big grin on his face, and i remember how i would watch

him on a bicycle, racing with his fellow wounded warriors on a sparkling spring day, inspiring other heroes who had just begun the hard path he had to travel. he gives me hope. [applause] he gives me hope. i do not know what party these men and women belong to. i do not know if they will vote for me, but i know their spirit of finds us. -- defines us. they remind me that ours is a future filled with hope, and if you share that faith with me, if you share that hope, i ask you tonight for your vote. [applause] that this nation's promise is reserved for the few. your voice must be heard in

this election. if you reject the notion that our government is beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election. [cheers] if you believe is a new factories, new energy and power our future, new schools can provide ladders of opportunity to this nation of dreamers, if you believe in a country where everyone gets a fair shot and everyone plays by the same rules, i need you to vote this november. [applause] america, i never said this journey would be easy, and i will not promise that now. yes, our path is harder, but it leads to a better place.

our road is long but we travel it together. we do not turn back to oregon we leave no one behind. we draw strength from our victory, and we learn from our mistakes, and we keep our eyes focused on a distant horizon, knowing that we are blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on earth on earth. thank you. god bless. god bless each and every state. [applause]

i've been knockin' on the doori've been lookin' for the map that leads me home i've been stumblin' on good hearts turned to stone those good intentions have gone dry as bone we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag's flown we take care of our own we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own ♪

>> ♪ the sun is coming up over new york city ♪ ♪ school bus driver in a traffic jam ♪ ♪ staring in her rearview mirror, looking have the promise of the promised land ♪ ♪ the world dreams of fame and fortune ♪ ♪ one could end up going to prison ♪ ♪ 1 inches might be president

-- on e just might be president ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ streaming in red white and blue ♪ ♪ we all get a chance, everyone gets to dance, only in america ♪ [cheers]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> only in america only in america we'll get a chance everybody gets to dance only in america ♪ >> that is in summit, please welcome the vice president of the united states, joe biden.

♪ your love is lifting the higher higher and higher ♪ >> hello, my fellow democrats. [cheers] and my favorite democrat.

i want you to know that we're so incredibly proud of you. we admire the way with every young person and they're not all young walking to a classroom, you teach them and give them confidence. you give me confidence and the passion she brings to trying to ease the burden on the families of our warriors. they know you understand them and that makes a gigantic difference. [cheers] and, folks, i tell you what. there was once a trick to hear my wife say what i never heard her say before the. she

has always loved me. [laughter] if that's the case, why did it take five times of asking you, and that is true. five times. i do not know what i would have done if he said no the fifth time. i love you. you are the love of my life and the life of my love. we have three incredible kids. i want to thank you for putting my name in nomination to be vice president of the united states. i exceptaccpet. a great honor and pleasure, i accept. thank you.

thank you, my fellow democrats. and i say to my fellow americans, my fellow americans, four years ago a battered nation turned away from the failed policies of the past and turned to a leader who is they new would lift our nation out of the crisis. a journey we have not finished yet. we know we still have more to do, but today i say to my fellow citizens in the face of the deepest economic crisis in our lifetime, this generation of americans has proven itself as worthy as any generation before us. [cheers] we present that same grit and

determination and courage that has always defined what it means to be an american, has always defined all of you together. we're in a mission to move this nation forward from down to promise and prosperity. a mission i guarantee you we will complete. emission we will complete -- a mission will complete. [cheers] tonight i want to tell you about my friend barack obama. [cheers] no one could tell it as well as michelle obama, as you did last night, on monday night. i know him from a different

perspective. i know him and i want to show you the character of a leader who had what it took when the american people stood on the brink of a new depression. a leader who has what it takes to lead us over the next four years to the future as great as our people. i want to take you inside the white house to see the president as i see him every day. i didn't see him and sound bites. i walked 30 paces down the hall and i see him. i watch him in action. four years ago, the middle class was already losing ground and then the bottom fell out. the financial crisis hit piece sledgehammer. all the people i grew up with.

you remember the headlines. you saw some in the previews. highlight, highest job losses in 60 years. headlines, economy on the brink. it's plummet -- markets plummeted worldwide. he knew he had not only to restore the confidence of a nation but he had to restore the confidence of the whole world. [cheers] and he also knew that one false move could bring a run on the banks or or a credit collapse to put another several million people out of work. america and the world needed a

strong president with a steady hand with the judgment to see us through. day after day, night after night, i sat beside him as he made one gusty decision after another to stop the slide and reverse it. i watched him stand up. i watched him stand up to intense pressure and stared down enormous challenges, consequences of which were awesome. but most of all, i got to see firsthand what drove this man -- his profound concern for the average american. he knew that no matter how tough the decisions, he had to make war in that oval office, he knew that families all over america sitting at their kitchen

tables were making decisions for those families that were equally as consequential. throughnd i, we've been a lot together in these four years and we learned a lot about one another. one thing i learned about barack is the nominee of his heart and i think he learned about me, the depth of my loyalty to him. [cheers] [laughter] [inaudible] [applause] and another thing. we had a pretty good idea what all those families, all you americans in trouble were going through, in part because our own families had gone through

similar struggles. barack as a young man had to sit at the end of this mother's hospital bed and watched her fight with her insurance company at the very same time she was fighting for her life. when i was a young kid, i remember my dad up the stairs where we were living, sitting at the end of my bed and saying, i have to leave for a while, down to delaware with uncle frank. they're good jobs down there. i'll be able to send for you and mom and jimmy and everything is going to be fine. for the rest of our lives, my sister and brothers, my dad never failed to remind us that a job is about a lot more than a

paycheck. it is about your dignity. it is about respect. it is about your place in the committee. it is about booking your child in the eye and saying that it will be ok and knowing it is true. barack and i were growing up, there was an understanding in america that if he took responsibility you would get a fair shot at a better life and the values behind that bargain were the values that have shaped both of us and many of you. and today, those same values are .arack's guiding star i have watched him.

he has never wavered. he always steps up and asks the same fundamental question -- how is this going to affect the average american? how is this going to affect people's lives? that is what is inside this man. that is what makes him tick. who he is. he i and, folks, because of the decisions he has made, and the incredible strength of the american people, america has turned the corner. the worst job loss since the great depression we have created 4.5 million private- sector jobs in the past 29 months. [cheers]

look, folks, president obama and governor romney are both loving husbands. they are both devoted fathers. but let's be straight. they bring a vastly different vision and a vastly different value set to the job. and tonight, i will talk about two things from a different perspective. from my perspective. i like to focus on two crises and show you the character of the leadership that each man will bring to this job. i've had a ringside seat. first, a lot has been talked about and god love jennifer granholm. wasn't she great?

i love jennifer. [applause] but the first story i want to talk to you about is the rescue of the automobile industry. and let me tell you, from this man's ringside seat, let me tell you about how barack obama saved more than 1 million american jobs. in the first holidays that we took office, general motors and chrysler were literally on the verge of liquidation. if the president didn't act immediately, there wouldn't be any industry left to save. so we sat hour after hour in the oval office. we sat, hour after hour. listen to senators, congressmen, outside advisers, and we listen to some of the following things.

which shouldn't step up. the risks were too high. the outcome was uncertain. and the president patiently sat there and he listened. but he didn't see it the way they did. he understood something they did not get and one of the reasons i love him. he understood that this wasn't just about cars, it was about the people that built and made those cars. and about the america that those people bill. -- built. [applause] in those meetings, i often thought about my dad. he was an automobile man. he would have been one of those guys all the way down the line, not on the factory floor, but one of those guys selling american cars to american

people. i thought about what this crisis with of meant for the mechanics and the secretaries and the salespeople my dad managed for over 35 years. i know for certain that my dad, were he here today, he would be fighting for the president because the president fought to save the jobs of those people my dad cared so much about. ladies and gentlemen, my dad respected barack obama, would have respected barack obama had he been around. for having had the guts to stand up for the automobile industry when so many others were prepared to walk away. when i look back now, on the president's decision, i think of another son of an automobile

man. governor romney. he grew up in detroit. my data managers and his dad ran the entire automobile company. american motors. int i don't understand, spite of that, he was willing to lead detroit go bankrupt. i don't think he is a bad guy. no, i don't think he is a bad guy. i am sure he grew up loving cars as much as i did. what i don't understand and i don't think he understood that saving the automobile worker, saving the industry, what it meant to all of america. not just autoworkers. i think he sought it in terms of balance sheets and write offs. folks, the bain way they bring

the firm the highest profits but it is not the way to lead our country from the highest office. when things hung in the balance, literally hung in the balance, the president understood that this was about a lot more hope than the automobile industry. this is about restoring america's pride. he understood why it would mean to leave 1 million people without hope or work if he did not act. yet he also knew and understood the message that was sent around the world.

the united states gave up on an industry that helped put america on the map and the first place. conviction, resolved. the barack obama. that is what saves the automobile industry. [applause] conviction, resolved. barack obama. -- look. this president has shown the same result, the same steady hand in his role as commander in chief. that brings me to the next illustration. the next crisis he had to face. in 2008, before he was president. barack obama made a promise to

the american people. he said, if i have bin laden in our sights, we will take him out. he went on to say that it has to be our biggest national security priority. barack understood that the search for him was about a lot more than taking a monstrous man off the battlefield. it was about more than that. it was about correcting an unspeakable wrong. literally, it was about healing unbearable wounds, a nearly unbearable wound in america's heart. and he also knew the message we had to send around the world. if you attack innocent

americans, we will follow you to the end of the earth. [applause] most of all, president obama has an unyielding faith in that capacity and the capability of our special forces. literally, the finest warriors in the history of the world. the finest warriors in the history of the world. [applause]

we said a originally, only five of us. we sat in the situation room and the year before, how we listen, talked, we heard, and he listened to the risks and reservations about the raid. he asked the tough questions and listen to the doubts that were expressed. the admiral looked him in the eye and said, sir, we can get this job done. i sat next to him and i looked your husband. i knew, at that moment, he had made his decision. and his response was decisive. he said, do it, and justice was done. [applause]

folks -- governor romney did not see things that way. when he was asked about it in 2007, he said it is not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars just to catch one person. but he was wrong. he was wrong. if you understood that america's heart had to be healed, you would have done exactly what the president dead and you would move heaven and earth to hunt him down and to bring him to justice. [applause] four years ago, the only thing missing at this convention is my mom.

she was still with us, sitting in the stadium in denver. [applause] i quoted one of her favorite expressions. she said, joey, bravery reside in every heart and the time will come when it must be summoned. ladies and gentlemen, i am here to tell you what i think you already know. i watched it up close. and bravery reside in the heart of barack obama. i witnessed him some and its. this man has courage in his soul, compassion in his heart, and they spite of steel. -- spine of steel. but because of all the actions they tuck, because of the determination of american workers and the unparalleled bravery of special forces, we

can proudly say what you have heard me say the last six months. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. [applause] that's right. one man. we know we have more work to do. we know we are not there yet. but not a day has gone by in the last four years when i haven't been grateful, as an american, the barack obama is our president because he has the courage to make the tough decisions. speaking of tough decisions, last week, we heard at the republican convention, we heard

the opponent pledge that they, too, had the courage to make the tough calls. that is what they said. but folks, in case you didn't notice, i say to my fellow americans, they didn't have the courage to tell you what calls they would make. they never mentioned any of that. [applause] mrs. robinson, you watched from home, i guess. you heard them talk about how they cared so much about medicare. how much they wanted to preserve its. that is what they told you.

let's look at what they didn't tell you. what they didn't tell you is that the plan to have already put down on paper would immediately cut benefits of for more than 30 million seniors already on medicare. what they didn't tell you what is the plan they are proposing would cost medicare to go bankrupt by in 2016, and what they really didn't tell you is that if you want to know, they are not for preserving medicare at all. there for a new plan called voucher care. look, folks. that's not courage or truthful. in tampa, they talked with great urgency about the nation's debt and the need act, to act now. not when one single time did they tell you that they

rejected every plan put forward by us, by the bipartisan some symbols commission. or by any other respected group. they are not for any of them. why? because they are not prepared to do anything about the debt if it contained even $1. i am not exaggerating. $1 or 1 cent in new taxes for millionaires. that is not courage and that is not fair. [applause] in a sense, this can be reduced to a single notion. the two men seeking to lead this country over the next four years have fundamentally different divisions and have completely different value sets.

governor romney believes that the global economy and it doesn't matter much where american companies invest or where they create jobs. as a matter of fact, in his budget proposal and his tax proposal, he cause for a new territorial tax. the experts have looked at it and they acknowledge it will create 800,000 new jobs, all of them overseas. all of them. and what i found fascinating, the most fascinating thing i found last week was when governor romney said that as president, he would take a job is to work. it is going to have to be a foreign trip. [laughter] [applause] it will. president obama knows that creating jobs in america,

keeping jobs in america, bringing jobs back to america is what his job is all about. that is what presidents do, or at least supposed to do. the governor believes it's ok to raise taxes by $2,000 and ordered to pay for another $1 trillion tax cut for the very wealthy. president obama knows there is nothing decent or fair about asking people with more to do less and with less to do more. governor romney believe that kids like our dreamers, those immigrants' children were brought to america's shores through no fault of their own, he thinks they are a drag on the american economy. president obama believes those kids did not choose to come here, but they have chosen to do right by america and it is time for us to do right by them.

[applause] governor romney looks at the notion of equal pay in terms of the company's bottom line. president obama knows that making sure our daughters and sons is the fathers bottom line. i kind of expect that all that from you, but one thing truly protect me at their convention purine -- perplexed me at their convention. they seem to think that you create a culture of dependency when you provide a young

qualified kid from working class family a loan to get to college or the job training program in a new industry for dad that lost his job because of outsourcing. folks. that is not how we look at it. that is not how americans ever looked at it. what he does not understand is that all of these men and women are looking for is a chance to acquire the skills to provide for their families so they can hold their heads high and a lead independent lives with dignity. that is all they are looking for. look. [applause] it literally amazes me they do not understand that. you know, i told you at the outset the choice is stark. two different visions and a value sets.

the difference is reduced to be a fundamental difference at its core. you, we, most americans have incredible faith in the decency and hard work of the american people. we know what has made this country. it is the american people. four years ago we were hit hard at. you saw your retirement accounts drained, jobs lost a round the line. what did you do? what you have always done. you fought back. you did not give up, you got up. you are the ones. you are the reasons why we are still better position than any country in the world to lead the 21st century. [applause] you'd never quit on america. you deserve a president who will never quit on you. [cheers and applause]

there is one more thing that. a america is not a in decline. america is not a in decline. gentlemen, never, ever -- it has never been a good bet to bet against the american people. never. [cheers and applause] america is coming back. we are not going back. we have no intention of downsizing the american dream.

[cheers and applause] never. never a good bet. ladies and gentlemen, in a moment we are going to hear from a man whose whole life is a testament to the power of that dream and whose presidency is the best hope to secure the dream for our children. you see, we see a future -- we really honest to god do. we see a future where everybody does their part and has a part. a future where we depend more on clean energy. a future where we are number one in the world again and college graduation.

we promote the private sector, not to the privileged sector. [applause] and a future where women once again control their own choices, their destiny, and their own health care. [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, barack and i see a future where nobody is forced to live in the shadows of intolerance. [cheers and applause] folks, we see a future where america leads not only by the example of our power, but the power of our example. where we bring our troops home

from afghanistan just as we probably did from iraq. a future where we fell the only truly sacred obligation we have as a nation. the only truly sacred obligation we have is to prepare those who we send to war and care for them when they come home from war. tonight i want to acknowledge -- i want to acknowledge as we should every night to the incredible that we owed to the family of those 6473 fallen angels. those 49,746 wounded.

thousands critically. thousands who will need help for the rest of their lives. folks, we must never, ever forget their sacrifice. always keep them in our care and prayers. my fellow americans, we now find ourselves at the hinge of history. the direction we turn is literally in your hands. it has been a truly great honor to serve p.o. and to serve with barack who has always stood up with you. i have seen him tested and i

know his command and faith. i also know the incredible confidence he has in all of you. i know this man. yes, the worker recovery is not yet complete, but we are on our way. the journey of hope is not yet finished, but we are on our way. the cause of change is not fully accomplished, but we are on the our way. i say to you with absolute confidence, in america's best days are ahead and, yes, we are on our way. [cheers and applause] in that light of that, for the values that defined as, for the ideals that inspired as, there is only one choice. that choice is to move forward and finish the job and re-elect president barack obama. [cheers and applause]

god bless you all. may god protect our troops. god bless you. thank you. [cheers and applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator john kerry of massachusetts. ♪

>> thank you. thank you. in this campaign, we have a fundamental choice. will rate protect our country and our allies, advance our interests, the battle where we must, and make peace where we can? or will we entrust our place in the world to someone who has not learned the lessons of the last decade? we have all learned mitt romney does not know much about foreign policy. he has all these advisers who know all the wrong things about foreign policy. he would rely on them. after all, he is the great outsourcer. i say to you, this is not the time to outsource the job of commander in chief. [applause] our opponents like to talk about american exceptional some.

all they do is talk. they forget that we are exceptional, not because we say we are, but because we do exceptional things. we break out of the great depression, not win two world wars, save lives, pull people out of poverty, defend freedom, go to the moon, and produce exceptional people who give their lives for civil-rights and human rights, despite what you heard in tampa, an exceptional country does care about the rise of the oceans and the future of the planet. that is a responsibility from the scriptures. that is a responsibility of the leader of the free world. the only thing exceptional about today's republicans is that

without exception, they oppose everything that has made america exceptional in the first place. an exceptional nation demands exceptional leadership. it demands the leadership of an exceptional president. my fellow americans, that president is barack obama. [applause] just measure the disaster and disarray he inherited. a war of choice and iraq had become a war without end. a war of necessity in afghanistan had become a war of neglect. our alliances were shredded. our moral authority was in tatters. america was isolated. our military was stretched to the breaking point. iran, marching towards a nuclear weapon, unchecked. osama bin laden was still plodding. it took president obama to make america lead like america again.

[applause] it took president ama to restore our moral authority. it took president obama to end torture. the president understands that our values do not limit our power, they magnify it. he showed that global leadership is a strategic imperative for america, not a favor we do to other countries. president obama kept his promises. he promised to end the war in iraq. he has. our heroes have come home. [applause] he promised to end the war in afghanistan responsibly, he is. our heroes are coming home. he promised to focus on al qaeda, he has. our forxes have a limited to more of its leadership in the last three years than all eight years that came before.

[applause] after more than 10 years without justice, for thousands of americans murdered on 9/11, after mitt romney said it would be naive to go into pakistan to pursue the terrorist, it took president obama, against the advice of many, to give that order and finally rid of this earth of osama bin laden. [applause] ask osama bin laden if he is better off now than he was four years ago. [applause] barack obama promised to stand with israel, to tighten sanctions on iran, and take

nothing off the table. the other side has lied about where this president stands. the prime minister set the record straight. he said, our two countries have the same policy. our security corp. is unprecedented. when it comes to israel, i will take the word of israel's prime minister over mitt romney any day. [applause] president obama promised to work with russia, to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. to sign a historic treaty that does just that. he promised to lockdown nuclear materials around the world. he has done just that. he refused to accept the false choice between force without

diplomacy and diplomacy with of force. when a brutal dictator promised to hunt down and kill his own people like rats, president obama enlisted our allies, build the coalition, shared the burden, today, without a single american casualty, gaddafi is gone and the people of libya are free. [applause] on one side, on one side of this campaign, we have a president who has made america lead like america again. what is there on the other side? an extreme and expedient candidate who lacks the judgment so vital to the oval office. the most inexperienced foreign policy to some to run for president and vice president in decades.

it is not fair to say that mitt romney does not have a position on afghanistan, he has every position. he was against setting a date for withdrawal. then he said it was right. then he left the impression, maybe it was wrong. he said it was tragic to leave iraq. then he said it was fine. he said we should have intervened in libya sinner. then he ran down a hallway to run away from reporters. then he said the intervention was too aggressive. then he said the world was a better place because the intervention succeeded. talk about being for it before you were against it. [applause] mr. romney, mr. romney, here is a little of vice.

-- advice. before you debate barack obama on foreign policy, you better finish the debate with yourself. [applause] now, president mitt romney, three very hypothetical words that alienated our allies. it is what to call an overseas trip is when the trip all over yourself overseas. it was not a goodwill mission, it was a blooper reel. but, a romney-ryan foreign policy would be anything but funny. every president of both parties has worked for nuclear arms

control. not mitt romney. republican secretaries of state from kissinger to powell to rise, president bush, 71 senators, all supported president obama's new treaty. not mitt romney. he even blurted out the notion that russia is our number 1 geopolitical foe. sarah palin said she could see russia from alaska. mitt romney talks like he has only sin russia from watching -- seen russia from watching "rocky iv." [applause] here is the choice in 2012, mitt romney, out of his depth abroad, out of the mainstream. barack obama, a president who is giving new life and truth to

america's indispensable role in the world. a commander in chief who gives our troops the tools and training they need. the honor and help they have earned when they come home. a man -- [applause] a man who will never ask other men and women to fight a war without a plan to win the peace. [applause] let me say, let me say something else. let me say something else. no nominee for president should ever fail in the midst of a war to pay tribute to our troops overseas in his acceptance speech. mitt romney was talking about america. they are on the front lines every day defending america and

they deserve our thanks. [applause] some of us, some of us from a prior war remember coming home was not 0 is easy. president obama has made it his mission that we welcome our troops home with care and concern and the respect they deserve. that is how an exceptional nations says thank you to its most exceptional men and women. [applause] mitt romney says he believes in america and that he will restore american exceptional osama. i have news for him, we already have an exceptional american as president. we believe in barack obama.

thank you and god bless america. [applause] >> jennifer granholm. [applause] >> good evening. i'm jennifer granholm the great state of michigan, where the trees are just at the right height. [laughter] let me tell you a story about the dark days in my home state. toward the end of my time as governor, ford closed when its

biggest factories, -- one of its biggest factories, and the plant had employed thousands of middle-class men and women in neighborhoods near and worlds away from the place mitt romney was raised. when the decision hit, i went to the local union hall. it was almost empty. a few workers were milling about in a state of shock and grief, and i spoke to a 45-year- old guy who told me this was the only place i ever worked. i have been loyal. i have done everything ever ask, and just like that, it is gone he looked -- it is gone, and he looked around the hall and he said so, governor, is it over for august? he said is the american auto

industry dead? honestly, at that moment, i did not know. that was just the beginning. when the financial crisis hit it, things were worse and fast, and the lives of over 1 million americans teetered on the brink of collapse, and with it the entire manufacturing sector in this country, and we looked everywhere for help. almost nobody had the guts to help us -- not the banks, not the private investors, and not bain capital. [applause] but, in 2009, the cavalry arrived, and our new president barack obama came in. [applause] he organized a rescue. he made the tough calls, and he saved the american auto industry. [applause]

now, you know mitt romney, he saw the same crisis, and you know what he said -- led detroit go bankrupt. now, sure, mitt romney loves our lakes and our trees. he loves our cars so much they even have their own elevators. [laughter] but the people who design, build and make those cars? in mitt romney's world, the cars hit the elevator, and the workers get the shaft. [applause] you know what i am saying. you know what i am saying. mitt romney, he says that his business experience qualifies him to be president.

sure, he has made a lot of money. good for him. good for him. or maybe i should say good for -- him -- but how did he make that fortune? at whose expense? on the backs of middle-class americans. year-after-year, it was on the backs of american people, but president obama, you know he saved more than 1 million american jobs. it was not just michigan, my friends. in colorado, the auto rescue saved more than 9000 jobs. in virginia -- virginia, more than 19,000 jobs. in north carolina, 25,000 jobs. in wisconsin, wisconsin -- 28,000 jobs. in pennsylvania, 34,000 jobs.

in florida, 35,000 jobs. in ohio, 150,000 jobs. in the great state of michigan, 211,000 good-paying american jobs. all across america, manufacturing is rebound in. why? [applause] you know what i am saying. [applause] [chanting] >> usa. usa. usa.

>> all right, now. when mitt romney said let detroit go bankrupt, who took the wheel? barack obama. when america was losing 750,000 jobs a month, who gave us a lift? barack obama. when american markets broke down, who just started the engine? barack obama. when america needed it the most, who got us rolling again on the road to recovery? barack obama. america, we need to ramp up our engines and our ballots. the d for drive 4. the -- forward. the r is for reverse. let's reelect president barack

obama. >> speakers from last night's democratic national convention wrapped up including acceptance speeches. you can watch speeches from both conventions any time at our convention hall, and the latest from social media including tweets at c-span.org. we will take you live to portsmouth, new hampshire, where in just a few minutes president obama and joe biden will be there. we'll have live coverage coming up for you, scheduled to start at 12:20 p.m. eastern. we will have it when it starts. also, later, republican nominee an mitt romney is speaking in orange city, iowa, and we will have that live. after mr. romney speaks, we will open up phone lines. his wife, ann romney recently

campaign in ohio and a rally. she is introduced by the ohio lieutenant governor, mary taylor. this is about 25 minutes. [applause] >> well thank you. thank you for being here. i heard we love mitt. how about we love ann? >> we love ann. >> great. did she not do a fantastic job last week at the convention? [applause] it is great to be here with all of you in thinly, ohio, and as usual, you make ohio proud with your warm welcome today.

it is great to be here with dr. katherine bell, and, of course, my good friend tammy. talk about a success story, an american success story, an ohio success story and a woman success story, can he really represents that. -- tammy really represents that. [applause] in ohio, we're working really hard to get our state back on track, to recover jobs and rebuild our economy, but the country as a whole under president obama is not better off than it was four years ago. under obama's administration, there is the chronic unemployment. gas prices have doubled women that are trying to feed their families on a restricted range,

they see the price of food going up, and everything they want for their kids is more difficult than it was nearly four years ago, and, of course, we know the national debt will haunt all of us for years to come. as women, we hold ourselves accountable for the opportunities to create for our children and our children's children. we have responsibilities to our family, community and state, and of course, our country. we all agree with that, do we not? [applause] but, our country has a responsibility to us. the obama administration has shirked its duties, and, quite frankly, they have let us down. marcia has shared the unemployment statistic statistic many are facing today, not to

mention we have nearly 5.9 million women unemployed in our country, and 401,000 women have lost their jobs under this administration. that is not acceptable to us as women or families. after three and a half years of obama's failed record on the economy, i do not think women could afford four more years of obama. do you agree? mitt romney has a plan that will make america its best for all of us, and also for women. it will help us find a job, started business, or hire a worker. just like any young entrepreneur wants to be successful, women and entrepreneurs wants to also. we need mitt romney to give us the peace of mind that as women things that we worry about we

would like to say that is taken care of and i can focus on my family or job. we worry about making ends meet and our children's future, and constantly about the rising cost of groceries, gas and health- care. [applause] you know, you hear this phrase used often -- we are at a crossroads, and we need mitt romney to lead us in a direction of economic stability and job creation. [applause] you know, in ohio, governor john case it -- kasich and die hard leading the way to resolve our budget without raising taxes on all high winds, and i am leaving the common sense initiative to make it easier to create a job,

start a business and employ more of ohio. [applause] we do have a plan in ohio, and we are implementing that plan. we need the support of the federal government, not more barriers and hurdles that stand in our way. mitt romney has a plan to restore america. [applause] in his first term as president, mitt romney's plan for a stronger middle-class will lead to a recovery that creates 12 million jobs. [applause] and grows our economy on average by 4% a year. those are numbers and statistics that every american and every one in ohio should be proud of them look forward to. [applause] leadership,omney's

we can all be rest assured that our future generations will have all of the same opportunities henry single one of us in this room has had here in the -- every single one of us in this room has had here in ohio and the country. as a little girl growing up, and my grandmother who passed away a couple of years ago and 96 used to say to me, you are willing -- you are able to be anything you want to be in this country if you are willing to work hard, and you know what? that is what mitt romney believes. [applause] so, all of you in this audience today, especially the women, we are asking you to help for the next eight weeks to get our message out, and to tell people we must get our country back on track. we must elect mitt romney the next president of the united states. [applause]

[chanting] mitt. mitt. >> after returning from the convention last weekend, there is excitement in the air, and i think you will feel that excitement as i have the great privilege and honor of introducing our honored guest, ann romney. [applause] ann romney is the mother of five sons and grandmother to 18 grandchildren. i know -- she asked marcia, who has six children? how many children? two. was she talking to? our president. you have six? she has six kids, and ann romney says how do you do it?

i think we could ask for the same question, right? she has been married to mitt romney for 43 years, and you probably have heard this, mitt romney calls her his soul mate. despite health challenges in recent years with multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, ann romney continues to be their rock and inspiration to all who know her. ann romney has served on boards for the ms society, massachusetts general hospital, and the united way of massachusetts bay. she is a strong believer that faith-based in community organizations can reach many members of the committee more sell and better than government can. -- morsel and better than government can. [applause] she has worked to focus her attention on challenges facing

at-risk youth and has faced a lifetime achievement award from operation kids, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of america's children. s. first lady, ann romney will continue to focus attention on the challenges facing at risk is, raise a wilmot -- awareness for been debilitating diseases, and compassionate plea served those in need. she will commit to demonstrate how strong families are vital to our community and our country. ladies and gentlemen, i am pleased to announce the next first lady of the united states of america, ann romney. [applause] ♪ if i do not survive i was born free i was born free i was born free

born free free like a river raging strong >> wow. [laughter] thank you. thank you. what an honor to be here. how many people? this is fabulous. we had a great time at the convention last week, and it was an honor to represent the voice of so many women across america. i will remind you, however, of a fact he may have heard of before. four years ago, after john mccain got the nomination and we were done, i turned to mitt romney, i got a camera and recorded this -- i'm never doing this again. [laughter] i showed it to mitt, and he

laughed and said you say that after every pregnancy. [laughter] which is true, especially each one comes out and it is another downturn -- darn boy. it was a privilege to have my son speak of the convention. when that fifth boy came out, i had to say you are kidding, but what enjoy these children bring. why would i say that i would never do this again? i think every woman in this room or any spouse of a person that has run for a political office will tell you that it is very tough on the family. and, my husband was being demonized, lied about, and now, we are really getting it, as you know.

i was so grateful for the convention when we had the opportunity for some people in our past, our very distant past, to stand up and say excuse me, this guy is unbelievable. i love told a story about his son david who was dying from leukemia. we were just in our 20's. we were struggling with raising those little boys, working hard. there were no cameras are around, but where was mitt? he was at the bedside of david. where was mitt when david was dying? he was there with the family. that is the man that i know. the family that talked about that, talk about how mitt was there for them in their hard

times. then another person, a good friend, talked about when her baby was born prematurely three months, where was mitt? he was at a hospital with her. where was he on thanksgiving day when she was at the hospital care for this sick child? he was making her thanksgiving dinner and bringing it to her. those are the stories about who this man really is. i know he has been demonized by the other party, but guess what? i am so grateful that people are now standing up and saying, this is the guy that has integrity, decency, business, and this is the guy that cares about you. that is why we are running. we are not running to make our lives better. we are running for you. [applause]

if you really look at how mitt has lived his life, you have seen him do this over and over again. he takes control of the situation and sees the problem and goes out and fixes it. he is a can-do kind of guy. [applause] and i will tell you the voices that we here, because we have been across this country for the last two years. we have been in every state and we have heard a lot of your voices. and by the way, there are a lot of women in this room. i have especially heard those women's voices.

we have heard how many women are we havestruggling in thisthan m. women, you need to wake up. [applause] economy, more i can promise you, i know that mitt will be there for you. he will stand up for you, he will hear your voices. he knows how to fix an economy. he is a can-dowould have to ask, who is going to have and be there for you? he is a turnaround kind of guy. [applause] i saw him do it when he was successful in business. you have all heard his success stories. by the way, when did it become unpopular in america to be successful? kind of guy. [applause] we are not going to apologize for our success. [applause]

and we are not going to apologize for america. [applause] so mitt was successful in business. i know they have been criticizing him for that. but then he also did something amazing. he was very successful but he walked away from that and he went to salt lake city to rescue the winter olympics. [applause] again, he took no pay, he worked for three years with no pay. he turned around and had the most successful games. it was an extraordinary experience for both mitt and myself. [applause] i will tell you another store that was going on at the same

time. i was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. anyone in this room that has a family member or themselves are suffering from this disease, they will tell you it is very debilitating. i was in their early diagnosis, progressing very quickly, lost the use of my right eye, very sick and frightened. at the same time, we decide it was important to go to salt lake and do this and completely change our lives, which was an amazing thing, thinking back, i was crazy. it ended up being such a positive thing in our lives. sometimes when you take a risk like that and you do what you know is the right thing to do, sometimes god look over you. and certainly, god look over me those three years i was there and i made a remarkable recovery.

by the way, i have been in remission ever since. [applause] but when people say that we have lived a charmed life and we do not relate to people having trouble, i want to remind you, i have been in a very dark place and i know what it is like to have no hope. so believe me when i tell you these words, we are there for you, because we know what it feels like. [applause] we had that amazing experience in salt lake. and then another miracle happened. mitt was elected governor of massachusetts. there was no one more stunned on election night than me. massachusetts is 13% registered republicans. that was an amazing thing.

wait a minute, that really happened? that was another very positive experience because, again, you start to have a sense that there are millions of people counting on you and the need to do the right thing at the right time. mitt make tough choices. i saw him do it in business, at the olympics, and in government. he has a track record that is unbelievable, people counting on a track record of success. in america right now, what do we need? someone who knows how to fix things. [applause] >> mitt, mitt, mitt! >> this is going to be fun. we need to win ohio, and i think we can, if we keep getting all

of you out. [applause] what i like to tell people, it is not enough that you just get out and vote. you have to find someone that voted for obama last time and take them with you to the polls and have them vote for mitt. [applause] we are looking at an interesting time in our country. i am so glad that before i came here you heard about how hard this economy has been on women. women have been hit the hardest in this economy, and guess who else? kids coming out of college. for all of those that voted for obama, all those kids that are now unemployed, i am saying this, wake-up. thank you. anything else? heard aboutit is time to fire .

[applause] we are 0 and 23 million. that is the score. those kids, i promise you, you will have a better future if mitt is the president. [applause] and women, if you want a better future, a better job, better hope, you better vote for mitt. i think everyone recognizes that this is an important election. it was brought home to me by barbara bush. she was introducing me at a fundraiser in houston which was a thrill. i love her. she stoodit up and said somethig interesting. she said, you know, i have been

married to a president, have been the mother of a president, but this is the most important election of my lifetime. [applause] and she is not young, she is 86 or 87. she has lived a long time. but she knows this election is a very important election because it will determine the course of america. all of you get it right here. we get how important this election is. we have to make sure our friends and neighbors understand as well. this is what i want you to understand as well. mitt will be there for you, he will work harder than anyone. and you know what else? he will not fail. [applause]

>> mitt, mitt, mitt! >> there are some beautiful women standing behind me. i love the women of america. we have come a long way, baby, we really have. [applause] we work harder than most of you guys out there, i think you know that. our work is never done. and -- i think you kind of know that i work hard, too, even though i have been told that i have not. >> we love ann! we love ann!

>> we will make you proud. we will work very hard. and we will not forget all the sacrifice from all the men and women in uniform. we will not forget -- [applause] we will not forget the sacrifice of our ancestors that came here for a better life for us. [applause] this is the first time, ever, in america, that people are saying the next generation will not be better off. that is not the american way. that does not have to be the way it is, and it will not be the way it is if we do the right thing in november and a lack mitt romney as the next

president of the united states. thank you very much. thank you. [applause] ♪

thank you very much. ♪

♪ >> i want c-span, c-span2, and about portion. it is important to be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world, and i feel that c-span gives the most

information about what is going on with some specific subjects were a lot of people do not -- station do not do that. >> c-span, created by america's cable companies in 1979, brought to you as a public service by your television provider. >> during the republican and democratic conventions, we're asking middle and high school student to send a message to the president as part of this year's c-span studentcam documentary competition. in a short video, students will answer the question, what is the most important issue the president should consider in 2013? there is $50,000 in total prize is available. c-span's studentcam competition is open to students grade 6 through 12. for complete details and rules, go online. >> just after 12 hours of

giving his acceptance speech in charlotte that the democratic national convention, president obama and vice-president biden are in portsmouth, new hampshire, this is the strawberry bank newseum. they are set to speak to this large crowd here shortly, their first post convention appearance and the beginning of a busy day of campaigning for a the president and vice-president. also in new hampshire and iowa, mitt romney will be hosting a rally at the -- in orange city in iowa. we will have that for you live as well. mitt romney is also in new hampshire later today just after 7:00 eastern. we are expecting president obama and vice-president biden. it is possible they will talk about the jobs number released for august, the unemployment rate falling from 8.3% to 8.1%. we will have their comments once we get under way.

♪

♪ ♪

>> this is the strawberry bank museum in portsmouth, new hampshire. the first top of the campaign for president obama and vice- president biden. they will be in iowa later today. mitt romney will be in new hampshire this afternoon. we will have that for you in just a bit as well. waiting for president obama and vice-president biden. now a look at some of our programming on the c-span networks. >> the thousands of new college students who will arrive on college campuses are beginning an acute phase of their

development. over the course of the coming years, they will cultivate their belief about honor and integrity that will guide their behaviors for the rest of their lives. today's college students are tomorrow's business leaders, teachers, investment bankers, and politicians. so this is an opportune moment for our college and university leaders to take the necessary steps to create a culture of honor. >> the n.c.a.a. is a cartel in the sense that it has artificial rules agreed to by the schools to penalize anybody, any athlete who receives or any perversity who grants one nickel of -- above the agreed stipend, which is the scholarship rule. that is enormously significant. yes, it is true. only 1% of college athletes ever go pro, but the flip side of that is 99% of the athlete to

have been devoting their lives to the sports, and their bodies, the college experience when they are generating money for clemson or produce, is the only opportunity in their whole lifetime to get a nest egg out of the value they are creating. and it is enormous. i do not feel too sorry for the student-athletes. when i talk to the athlete in my class, we talk about the way in which it is structured for student-athletes, i say, what you think about that structure? you get to participate in these extra curricular activities. what do you think about that? they all think it was a pretty damn good deal and they wish they had it. it is a very good deal. >> there is more from this discussion on student athletes and the n.c.a.a. on saturday night. we will also show you more of the university of president's speech on cheating. >> the conventions are over.

it is eight weeks until the election. our road to the white house coverage continues and gets under way in earnest today with president obama. his first post-convention campaign appearance this afternoon. this is portsmouth, new hampshire. the location is the strawberry bank museum. they are way to hear from president obama and vice- president biden. mitt romney is campaigning in orange city, iowa. we will have that sometime after 1:00 eastern. and then they switch places. mr. romney heads to new hampshire and the president and vice president will have to iowa for a campaign event later today. ♪

♪

>> the start of a long day of campaigning for president obama and vice president biden, who are arriving as we speak. this is portsmouth, new hampshire, the location is the strawberry bank museum. the president heading to iowa from here, an event this evening at the university of iowa in cedar rapids. after that, the president flies on to florida appeared on the

republican side, mitt romney this afternoon is in iowa in orange city. we will have that event for you live as well. mitt romney will be here in new hampshire later today. he will be campaigning in new hampshire. ♪

♪

>> this is the strawberry bank museum in portsmouth, new hampshire. president obama and vice president biden, their first campaign stop today. it is possible we will hear about the unemployment number dropping from 8.2% to 8.1%. mitt romney telling fox news that it was a continuation of very bleak news on the unemployment front. mr. obama, however, has not commented so far. his economic adviser alan krueger did say this 8.2% mornig that the august jobs report was

"further evidence that the u.s. economy is continuing to recover from the worst downturn since the great depression." we will have the president's comments live and vice-president biden, too, with the get underway. if you missed any of the speeches last night or from the republican convention, we have them all on line on our video library and more on the convention hub at c-span.org. you can also find these new 15- second clips from delegates. >> my name is genet, i am from michigan. i support barack obama. the issue most important to me is health care. it is important for the american people. >> i am from east providence, rhode island. my message for america is we're at a critical junction. if we do not let this man, we will report not recognize amerin this is done. vote obama. >> my name is maria.

my experience here at the convention has been very powerful for getting voters to the poll. i support barack obama. >> i am a delegate from charles county, maryland. my experience here at the convention has been just great. i have enjoyed every minute of it. i am looking for to obama's speech this evening. >> ocean city, maryland. conspicuously lacking in this convention is talk about the environment and how important that is too many americans. let's talk about it. >> here on c-span, back live to portsmouth, new hampshire. live coverage here on c-span. >> the vice-president joe biden. [applause] and jill biden. [applause] to the greatest state in the nation.

[applause] we are so excited to have the fab four in new hampshire, and they have come here fresh off of their fantastic speeches in charlotte. [applause] this week in charlotte reminded us again how very proud we are to have barack obama as our president and michelle obama as our first lady. [applause] you know, president obama is fighting for what democrats have always fought for, an economist grounded in middle-class prosperity, an economy that is built to last.

president obama knows that this is a make or break moment for the middle-class, and in order for the middle-class to thrive, we need to restore the basic values of fairness and balance that have made this country so great. [applause] values that say, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, you should be able to afford to buy a home, send your kids to college, have a secure retirement, to know that the next generation is going to be better off than this generation. [applause] president obama's that these are our values, and this president has had the courage to tackle some really tough issues. he ignored the critics and he

stepped up and rescue the auto industry. [applause] saving over 1 million jobs, 26,000 jobs right here in new hampshire depended on the auto industry. [applause] and he repealed don't ask, don't tell. [applause] so that you never again have to lie in order to serve the country that you love. [applause] he tackled immigration reform and he made the tough decision to allow children who have grown up in the united states who have been educated in our schools, to give them the opportunity to stay here. you know, wouldn't we rather be known as a country of dreamers,

than a country of illegal aliens? [applause] and as we saw last night, this is the commander in chief who finally brought osama bin laden to justice. [applause] now that is presidential leadership. but even before barack obama was elected president, we knew he was going to be a great leader. we knew it when he chose joe biden as his running mate. joe was the perfect choice, because like the president, he had lived the american dream, going from humble middle-class

roots, to the united states senate, to the vice presidency of the united states. [applause] and we all know from his incredible speech last night that he has been side by side with the president's, fighting to make sure that we open the doors of opportunity for all americans, working to create good jobs and to invest in education, to make health care and retirement and schools affordable for everyone. it is what he has fought for his entire career. [applause] and we know joe biden is also a very smart guy. we know this because we have met the woman that he married. great?den, isn't she

[applause] when she and michelle got together to support military families, they made this country so proud, and they have made such a great difference for military families across this country. [applause] now, i do have to tell you that i do have one problem with barack obama's choosing joe biden as his vice president, and that was that i never got to serve with him in the united states senate. but i am very proud to be here, to introduce our vice president, a person that is one of new hampshire's greatest friends, who has been a great vice- president, joe biden. [applause]

♪ >> hi, everybody! hello, new hampshire. >> joe, joe, joe! >> thank you. i just want to say one thing that you already know. this woman is everything anyone could hope for a senator to be.

[applause] and besides, she is my friend. i love you. thank you. billy, where are you? there he is. if i got to be in a foxhole, i want him in there with me. it is good to be back. wasn't the president incredible last night? [applause] proud to beake you an american? [applause] folks, the president and i have become friends. i know this guy. he has courage in his soul, compassion in his heart, and he has a spine of steel. [applause] and there is not a day that i can say this with all honesty -- not a day that has gone by in

the last four years and i have not been grateful, not as a vice president, but as an american, that this man had been our president. [applause] and there is a simple reason why. i was asked after i spoke last night why? because guy has the courage to make the tough calls. almost all the calls today are tough. ladies and gentlemen, whether it is education, health care, medicare, ending the war in iraq, bringing an end to the war in afghanistan, we need a man with a steady hand in good judgment. folks, the president is going to level the playing field and get the middle class back in the game. [applause] it has already started. because he knows in his gut, and this is not hyperbole, the middle-class is what built this

country and what made it great. he knows. and he knows something our opponents either have forgotten or never knew. america is not in decline. [applause] let me say again to our opponents. gentlemen, it is never ever been a good bet to bet against the american people. [applause] i have learned about this guy, which you already know, he only knows one speed, one direction, forward. ladies and gentlemen, speaking of moving forward,, to introduce a friend of mine. a guy for whom i have an enormous amount of respect for his integrity and ability. he also has had to make and has made the tough calls for new

hampshire, and new hampshire is much better off because of him. folks, the guy i'm about to introduce has a lot in common with the man he will introduce. new hampshire is better off because of the governor, and america is better off because of the president. ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to john lynch and the first lady of new hampshire, dr. susan lynch. give it up for them. [applause] ♪

>> good afternoon, everybody. what a great crowd. susan and i are delighted to be able to join you today. hi. [laughter] and we are very honored to have president obama and our terrific first lady michelle obama here with us as well. [applause] and you have heard from vice- president joe biden, and although his great white dr.

jill biden is also with us today, here in portsmouth. now, i am sure they like north carolina, but we know they love new hampshire. [applause] new hampshire is a key to the reelection of the president and vice-president. and we will again show this nation that new hampshire knows how to pick presidents of the united states. [applause] this upcoming election is so important to our state and to our nation, but before i talk about the election, i just have to say it again. in new hampshire, we live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world.

[applause] we are the safest state in the nation, one of the most livable states, and the best state in the country in which to raise children. [applause] we have one of the lowest unemployment rates, one of the most highly educated work forces, and we are one of the healthiest states in the country. [applause] and we are a great state, because over the decades, we have worked together, democrats, republicans, independents, to craft a successful economic strategy that has made as a national leader in almost every area. we have worked together to move new hampshire for word. president barack obama understands that america works best when we all work together. [applause]

and over the last two years the spirit of cooperation has been largely missing from public discourse. partisan bickering is at an all- time high in washington. vigorous debate is important, but our citizens expect all of us to behave with dignity and with respect. [applause] president obama understands that the people expect their elected officials to work together, to make progress on the issues that matter most to them, it -- improving education, increasing access to health care, and getting more of our people back to work. [applause] and that is why we need to work hard, to ensure that we reelect

president barack obama. [applause] what makes the president such a strong leader is that he cares about people. he understands, as a leader, you treat people with dignity and respect. he understands the value of honesty and integrity. he understand that america should be a place of opportunity for all of our people, and not just a few of our people. [applause] and that is why his strategy for moving our country forward is focused on investing in our greatest asset, our people. he wants to insure everyone who wants a job can get a job here in america up in mi.

[applause] that you can get the health care you need when you are sick. that your kids get the best education possible, and that the american dream continues to be in the reach of everyone who has the desire to want to work hard to reach that american dream. [applause] making smart investments in our people will help continue to lift this nation out of the economic recession and continued to move us forward. president obama has a clear vision for america and he has the passion, commitment, and leadership to get the job done. [applause] now nearly five years ago, our nation began to experience the worst economic crisis since the

great depression. think about it. the worst economic crisis since the great depression. make no mistake, this recession was devastating to families and businesses across our great nation. our workers lost their jobs, companies shut their doors. to many families lost their homes, their health insurance, and their savings. we were hurting, and we were searching for hope. and here is where the president made a tough decision and provided the leadership that not only rescue the nation from the brink of economic disaster, but now has us moving forward. the president's economic policies cut taxes for the middle-class, ensuring every working family in america received a tax cut. [applause] he worked to extend much-needed and unemployment benefits. his actions helped 1 million

families avoid foreclosure and allow them to stay in their homes. he took action to save the american auto industry, and just look at the results today. [applause] and he made a tremendous investment in our nation's infrastructure. all of these policies kept people working, kept economic disaster at bay, and begin the recovery. because of president obama's leadership, we have come a long way in just four years, but we have a long way to go. is there more work to be done? of course there is more work to be done. that is why we need president obama to continue the job he started and keep working for us for the next four years.

[applause] >> four more years! four more years! >> president obama will make sure that we have a strong middle-class. president obama will keep investing in our workers to grow our economy and middle-class. president obama will insure we are caring for our most vulnerable citizens, children, those with disabilities, and seniors. president obama will make sure our children see the best education possible. president obama will continue to ensure anyone who wants to work for it can still reach the american dream. [applause] now, first lady michelle obama, who gave a great speech at the

convention -- [applause] she said so well, she said, the president believes that when you work hard and have done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. he reached back and you give other folks the same chance of that help you succeed. i say we keep that door open by reelecting barack obama. [applause] and now, it is our pleasure and our honor to introduce the 44th president of the united states of america, president barack obama. [applause] ♪

>> hello, new hampshire! [applause] it is good to be back in

portsmouth. it is great to be with your outstanding gov. don lynch -- john lynch. who, like me, had the good judgment to marry up. we love susan as well. one of the best centers in the country, jeanne shaheen. your mayor eric spear. and your next congresswoman carol j. porter and and the customer. it is good to see all of you. [applause] it is great to be back in portsmouth. i was telling john -- i love you back. [applause]

i was telling john i will always have great memories of portsmouth because one of the things that happens as you are running for president is the bubbles start closing in on you. i still remember some of the last places where i got to take a walk with nobody around. portsmouth, in 2007, was one of those places. it was a gorgeous day, like today. we walked and we came right down here. there was a theater, an improv thing going on. i think i may have bought some ice cream. which reminds me, by the way, the leanne and sasha love new hampshire, not only because this is where they go to camp. but it is also where they first campaigned with us, and i think the first day of campaigning, and they got ice cream four times in a row.

[applause] today, they turned to michelle and me and said, we love this campaigning thing. we want to campaign with you all the time. [laughter] now, i have just come from charlotte, where we had a great convention. [applause] folks down there could not have been more welcoming. michelle was amazing. [applause] president clinton -- [applause] made the case in the way that only he can. somebody e-mail me after the speech and said, you need to appoint him secretary of explaining stuff. [laughter]

that is pretty good. i like that. secretary of explaining stuff. splainin'. joe biden was fired up. [applause] and i meant what i said at the convention. i could not have a better vice- president. as importantly, i could not have a better and more loyal friend and joe biden. he is a wonderful, wonderful man. [applause] and last night i did my best to lay out the stakes in the selection. you see, now that both sides have made their argument, there is a big choice to make. and i honestly believe this is the biggest joys, the clearest choice of any time in our generation. because it is not just a choice between two candidates or two political parties, it is a

choice between two different paths for america. two fundamentally different vision for how we move forward. ours is a fight for the basic bargain that build the largest middle-class and the strongest economy the world has ever known. the promise that hard work will pay off, that responsibilities will be rewarded, that everyone gets a fair shot, everyone doing their fair share, everyone playing by the same rules, from wall washington, d.c. that basic bargain is why i ran for president and why i am running again. that is what this election is about.

that is what this election is about. i mentioned last night, i got my start in service because i worked with folks who had been laid off from a steel plant when jobs started getting shipped overseas. over the last 10 years we have seen that happen more and more, too many families struggling, costs keeping rising even when paychecks to not. people have to use their credit cards or home equity loans to make the mortgage or pay tuition or put gas in the car or food on the table. that is why this house of cards collapsed in the great recession. millions of innocent americans losing their jobs and their homes, folks losing their life savings. we are fighting to recover from that. it is a long, tough journey.

but our friends at the republican convention, they talked a lot about what they thought was wrong with america. they did not tell you what was right. they did not tell you what they would do to make it right. they want your vote, but they do not want to show you their plan. that is because they know their plan will not sell. because all they have to offer is the same prescriptions they have had for the last 30 years. tax cuts, tax cuts, but some regulations. and more tax cuts. tax cuts when times are good, tax cuts when times are bad. tax cuts to help you lose a few extra pounds. tax cuts to improve your love life. it will cure anything, according to them.

now, let me tell you something. [cheers and applause] listen, i have cut taxes for people who need it, middle-class families. small-business owners. in 2008 i promised that i would/ taxes for middle-class families. i kept that promise. we have cut taxes for small businesses 18 times. but i do not believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires is what is going to bring good jobs back to our shores or pay down our deficit. i do not believe firing teachers or taking students off financial aid will grow our economy, not when china is producing more engineers and science, and we have to compete with them.

after we were on the brink of financial meltdown because of irresponsible decisions made on wall street, i do not believe rolling back regulations is somehow going to help small businesswomen and businessmen expand, or lay off construction workers, -- or laid-off construction workers get back to work. we have been there. we have tried what they're selling. it is not going to work now, we are not going back, we are moving forward. that is why you are all here today. i am not going to pretend that this path is quick or easy. by the way, i never have. as bill clinton reminded us on wednesday night, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that were

building up over decades. we know that. today we learned that after losing 800,000 jobs a month when i took office, business once again added jobs for the 30th month in a row, a total of 4.6 million jobs. but that is not good enough. we know it is not good enough. we need to create more jobs faster. we need to fill the hole left by this recession faster. we need to come out of this crisis stronger than when we went in. there is a lot more that we can do. when congress gets back to town next week, you need to send the message, go ahead and give middle-class families and businesses the confidence of knowing that their taxes will not go up next year. everybody agrees that we should not raise taxes on the middle class. let's go ahead and get that done now.

by the way, if the republicans are serious about being concerned about joblessness, we could create 1 million new jobs right now if congress would pass the jobs plan that i sent to them a year ago. jobs for teachers, for construction workers, jobs for folks who have been looking for work for a long time. we can do that. but i need your help. i need your voices. i appreciate that. i need you to get your cousins and your friends and your co- workers. look, i am not just asking for your vote, i am asking the entire country to rally around a set of goals for our country. goals of manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit. this is a real achievable plan.

it will lead to new jobs and more opportunity and rebuild its economy on a stronger foundation. that is what we can do in the next four years. that is why i am running for second term as president to finish the job, to keep moving forward. to build on the progress we made. so let me be a little more specific. i have got a plan to export more products. not outsource jobs. after a decade of decline, this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last 2.5 years. we have reinvented a dying art of industry that is back on top of the world. now americans, -- a dying auto industry that is back on top of the world. we can start rewarding country -- companies putting americans

back to work, selling products around the world. [applause] we can help factories and small businesses double their exports. we can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years. you can make that happen, but i will need your help. second, i have a plan to control more of our own energy. after 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so by the middle of the next decade, your cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. that will save your money -- that will save you money. that will save you money. we have doubled our use of renewable energy -- solar, wind, biofuels. tens of thousands of americans have jobs today because they are building wind turbines, --

lasting batteries. -- long-lasting batteries. they did not mention the united states of america is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly two decades. the other side wants to reverse that progress. i want to build on it. i'm not going to let oil companies dictate the country's energy plan. i do not want them to keep collecting $4 billion a year in corporate welfare from our taxpayers. we have a better plan. we want to keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal technology. we want to see farmers and scientists harness biofuels to power our cars and trucks. i want construction workers

sitting at home right now building homes and factories retrofitting those that are are rebuilt to save energy. we can develop a 100-year supply of natural gas right beneath our feet. if we choose this task, which can cut oil imports in half by 2020. we can support 600,000 new jobs in natural gas development alone. that is how we move forward. third, let's do it. let's do it. we can do this. we can do this. but, third -- i have got even more. [laughter] i have got a plan to give more americans the chance to gain the skills they need to compete. education -- i would not be

standing here if i had not gotten a great education. michelle would not be here without the opportunities she had. we did not come from wealth or fame or power, in this country we have always made a commitment that if you have talent and are willing to work hard, somebody is opportunity to get a great education, and then you can go as far as your genes can take you. it is the gateway to a middle- class life in the 21st century. what have we already done? the average state has entered our call to raise the standards of teachers and learning. some of the worst schools in the country have seen real gains in math and reading. millions of students are paying less for college because we took on a system where money was

going to the banks and lenders. we said cut out the middleman and give the money directly to students so they get a better de. so now you have got a choice. we can cut our commitment to education like the other side's budget would end up doing. or we can decide here in america, no child should give up grades because the classroom is overcrowded. no family should set aside the college acceptance letter because they figure they cannot afford it. and no company should be looking for the workers they need overseas because they cannot find them at home. new hampshire, i need you to help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers and improved

early childhood education and get 2 million workers the skills they need at community colleges and help colleges and universities cut tuition in half over the next 10 years. we can meet these goals together. that is the america that we want for our kids. forward, forward. i need four more years, and we are going to move forward. my plan would reduce our debt without sticking it to the middle class. the debt and the deficit are real medium and long-term problems, and we will have to address it. i want to get working. independent analysis shows my plan would cut our deficit by $four trillion. i have worked -- by $4

trillion. \ i want to reform our tax code so it is simple and fair, and so it asks the wealthiest households in america to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000. even well-to-do folks would keep their tax breaks up to $250,000, but after that we want to go back to the same rates we had when bill clinton was president, our economy created 22 million new jobs then. we had the biggest surplus in history and created a lot of new millionaires to boot. we created an environment with greater success all across the economy. that is what we are fighting for.

you know, my opponent says he wants to reduce the deficit, too. but, as was pointed out at the convention, there is a basic component missing from his plan -- math. arithmetic. when governor romney tells us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks skewed towards the wealthy, the math does not work. you cannot dig yourself a deeper hole, take $5 trillio dollan ouf the treasury and make that work. most of them involve sticking it to the middle class. i refuse to ask middle-class

families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising kids just to pay for another millionaire's tax cuts. i refuse to ask students to pay more for college or kick children out of head start programs, eliminate health insurance for millions of americans who are poor, elderly, or disabled. also, folks like me and mr. romney can pay less -- all so folks like me and mr. romney can pay less. you should not have to spend your golden years -- you should retire with dignity and respect. you have earned it. yes, we need to reform and strengthen medicare for the long haul, but we have to do it by reducing the actual cost of health care, not by dumping

those costs on to seniors who pay thousands of dollars more. that is not how we are going to do it. and we will keep the promise of social security by taking responsible steps to strengthen it, but we will not privatize it or turn it over to wall street. we're not going to do that. rebuilding the economy is essential, but our prosperity at home is linked to what we do abroad. four years ago i promised to end the war in iraq, and it would -- and we did. i said we would wind down the war in afghanistan, and we are. a new tower rises above the new york skyline. we have decimated al qaeda's leadership and osama bin laden.

now moving forward, as commander in chief, i will sustain the strongest military world has ever known. we are going to make sure we have a strong navy, and what goes on here, all across the country, where we have people not only in uniform but also folks who are working -- we have to make sure they have our support. when our troops take off their uniform, we are going to serve them as well as they have served us. because nobody who fights for this country should never have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads or the care they need when they come home. my opponent said it was tragic, the war in iraq. i disagree. he will not tell us his plan for

the war in afghanistan. i have and i will. while my opponents would say they would spend more money than the joint chiefs would say, i will use that money that we are no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work -- rebuilding our roads, bridges, schools, runaways. it is time to do more nation- building right here at home. right here in new hampshire. that is the choice that we now face. that is what this election comes down to. we keep on getting told that bigger taxes and fewer regulations are the only path to prosperity. i do not believe that. i do not believe that if you cannot afford health insurance,

you are on your own. companies that released toxic pollution in the air that your children brief, that somehow that is a requirement for economic growth. i do not believe that if you cannot afford to go to college, that the best we can do is tell you to borrow money from your parents. that is not who we are. that is not what this country is about. we insist on personal responsibility, on individual initiative. we know we are not entitled to success. we know we have got to earn it. we honor entrepreneurs and business people, the strivers, researchers, and dream takers. -- risktakers. the idea that we have obligations to each other and that when we work together, we all do better could we have

obligations to future generations. that america is not just about what can be done for us, it is about what can be done by us, together, as one nation and one people. new hampshire, the election four years ago was not about me, it was about you. it sounds like you're listening because you are here. you are the change, the reason there is a little girl with a heart disorder who will get the surgery she needs because now the insurance companies cannot limit her coverage. you are the reason some young person out there is going to be able to go to medical school, because now they can afford it. you made that possible. you are the reason a young

immigrant who grew up here and pledged allegiance to our flag will not be deported from the only home they have ever known. you are the reason why we are able to end don't ask, don't tell. you are the reason why thousands of family have been able to welcome brave troops, saying, "welcome home." you did that. and so now you cannot turn away. we cannot turn away now. you cannot buy -- you cannot give up on the idea that your vote does not make a difference because if you do give up, the lobbyists, the special interests will fill the void. the folks riding the $10 million checks, the folks running all these superpac adds, telling you

who you can marry, saying to women that -- that is who will fill the void if you are not in this, if you are not engaged, if you are not focused, if you are not fighting. we are going to have to work because this is going to be a close election. only you can make sure that we do not go backwards. only you have the power to move us forward. but i am asking you to use that power. i am asking you to use that power, i am asking you for your help. i need you to make some phone calls for me. i need you to knock on some doors for me. new hampshire, i need you to tell your friends and neighbors and co-workers what is at stake in this election.

if you are not registered to vote, i need you to register right now, and i need you to turn out in november because if you do, we will finish what we have started. we will create more good jobs, we will generate more home- grown energy, we will hire more good teachers, more young people to college, bring our troops home, open up the doors of opportunity to everybody who is willing to work hard. we will win rockingham county. we will win new hampshire. we will finish what we started and will remind the world why the united states of america is the greatest nation on earth. thank you, god bless you, and god bless america. [music plays]

been knocking on the door on the path that leads me home we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever the flag is flown, we take care of our own from chicago to new orleans

we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own ♪ ♪ for the eyes, the eyes with the will to see where the hearts, that run over with mercy for the love has not forsaken me were the work that sets my

hands, my soul for a where is the spirit that will rain, rain over maine where is the promise, from sea to shining sea wherever this flag is flown wherever this flag is flown wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own we take care of our own we take care of our own where this flag is flown we take care of our own ♪

>> ♪ the sun coming up over new york city school bus driver in a traffic jam.

looking at the promise of the promised land one kid dreams of fame and fortune one kid helps pay the rent one could end up going to prison one just might be president only in america dreaming in red, white, and blue ♪ >> president obama breeding the crowd. michelle obama with him, the vice-president joe biden there

-- president obama greeting the crowd. michelle obama with him, the vice-president joe biden as well. as you see on your screen, where opening up your phone lines to get your thoughts here for democrats, 202-585-3885. for republicans, 202-585-3886. for independents, 202-585-3887. you can tweak us. we are taking a look at twitter this afternoon. c-span2012 is the hashtag to use. mitt romney is speaking and we are streaming that live on c- span or. here is what we're planning to do once he wraps up in orange city, iowa. we will air that for you. it is kind of interesting, the president here in new hampshire, and then he heads off, he and the vice president, to iowa.

they will be in cedar rapids later today. mitt romney in orange city, he will fly east and be in new hampshire this evening. first up on our democrats line is debbie in wilson, north carolina. go ahead. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] caller: i would like to say that after what i have seen today i will support him 100%. because i'm a college student. i think we should give him four more years. host: a republican line, blandon, bloomington, go ahead. -- brandon, bloomington, go ahead. caller: this year i see a stark difference between mitt romney and barack obama, meaning they

do not want as big government, and that is what i usually ascribed to. but this year i think i'm going to lean towards voting for barack obama. i am a middle-class worker. i have been working hard my whole life. he seems to focus on the middle class, especially the french right, the really far right. and it has kind of disenchanted me in that regard. host: last time around, 2008, how did you vote? caller: i actually voted for john mccain. i saw a lot of charisma in barack obama. no doubt he is a great speaker, but at that point i thought it was a lot of glitter and glamour. at this point, i really have seen some of the things that went on with the republicans, some of the things that were

discussed at the democratic convention, focused more toward my way of thinking, actually living. host: a large crowd gathered here in portsmouth, new hampshire, for president obama as they work the crowd. we will show you mitt romney's if then. he is speaking now in orange city, iowa. we are streaming it live at c- span.org. you will see that on c-span. iowa city. caller, help me with your name. go ahead. caller: i used to be in louisiana in 2008. when barack obama became the president, i -- looking at the conventions and the debates, i realize that with barack obama continuing at the p-- as the

president, mitt romney i don't think will represent people like me. i am trying to -- i believe this time around i am going to vote for president barack obama. host: how did you vote in 2008? caller: i did not vote in 2008. host: so this will be your first go at it. thanks for calling in. this is the first campaign stop for the president and vice president and their wives. a reminder, if you missed any of the speeches at the democratic or republican conventions, they are on our video library, c- span.org. we will show you mitt romney in a bit, hazel township. caller: thanks so much for c-

span. we watched both conventions on c-span and the pundits talking afterwards. i supported the president in 2008 and am supporting him again. he does look forward. lots of the stuff republicans are talking about is looking backward. i have several nieces and nephews in the military. my brother was in the military. he wants to bring the troops home and do it in a fair and honest way. i appreciate that consideration. doing it at the right time. i am a middle-class person, just retired. we need somebody out there thinking for us. i am one of the people that the health care act will help because i myself have four operations in 10 years, had cancer. who is going to want to insure me? now at least i know somebody has to take me. host: we are keeping our eye on

twitter and c-span 2012 is the hashtag. here is one from right wing radical. "the democratic party is about poor people and rich people embarrassed because they were given all their money. " another one says, "thinks mr. speaker, for no help from congress. we can do better." good afternoon. caller: good afternoon, sir. i wanted to talk about the vetting of the presidential candidates. specifically this year, i am concerned because this week' i saw a report on the news that someone was blackmailing or sending in a blackmail threat to the romney campaign because they have a hold of his income tax documents.

it is concerning to me that if we have a president that is undervetted -- because as you know, for the general public we have to take drug tests, interviews, and answer to the question of our employers what they will ask us. host: what do you think needs to be further vetted for mr. obama or mr. romney? caller: the income tax that mr. romney has not shown the public because he says he will show us they wait until october 15 to do that, a couple of weeks before. i do not see why we have not seen that yet. we have seen everything, the convention. i am considering not voting for the guy. if something happens and he gets blackmailed while he is president, it is going to be a

big embarrassment for the country. mccain asked him for 23 years of tax reports and looked at it and then chose pailin. -- and then chose sarah palin. he only wants to show us two years. that is concerning to me because i think anybody -- republican, democrat, independent -- wants to be president of the united states, you should show us 25 years of your tax returns. host: franklin in brooklyn, new york city. watching the president as he makes his way through the audience in portsmouth, new hampshire. he and vice president biden head off to iowa. meanwhile, wrapping up in orange

city, iowa, is mitt romney. our independent line in atlanta. go ahead. caller: my name is august tina. -- is augustina. i worked for john mccain because i like his principles and everything. this time i was so confused, but i think i know whom i am going to vote for. he cannot relate to anybody because he, in his speech, he does not care about poor people. nobody wants to be poor.

it comes because of circumstances. based on me reading and doing all my homework, i think barack obama now is the best person i have to work for. i'm not certain 100% yet. i will compare and contrast because -- before i cast my vote. host: three presidential debates coming up in october, the third, the 16th, and the 22nd. all of those debates live on c- span. ronnie is in gulstan, alabama. welcome, on our republican line. are you there? caller: yes. well, i like barack obama because i think in four more years he can do more.

for mitt romney, he is, "i am for the rich." he does not want to help the social security people or nothing like that. obama does, so that is all i got to say. host: president obama working his way through the crowd. a couple of weeks here -- t.j. williams asks us why we do not show the full run a crowd. just to let you know, we are streaming that live online and will show it to you in its entirety. the comment there from the j -- greg in camilla, georgia, on our independent line.

i do not have greg. virgil in hampton, virginia, independent calling for it -- caller: my problem with mitt romney, they are asking for two years tax returns, and he refuses. number two, he will send jobs from here overseas. he wants to be president of the united states? i do not understand. all the money he puts out has switched banks. how do you want to be president of the united states? host: a busy day for president obama, vice president biden, and for mitt romney. looking ahead to next week, the spokesman, jay carney, for the president, laid out plans for next tuesday, september 11.

the 11th anniversary. president obama will be in washington attending the memorial service at the pentagon. vice-president biden will be in somerset county, pennsylvania. janet napolitano will be at the events at ground zero, the world trade center site. next up, a republican line. caller: hi there. i have a statement, especially to the gentleman earlier about the tax returns. my statement is, if mitt romney has to produce his tax returns, then the president should have to show proof of his applications to the college of how he checked on his applications as foreign student or not. and also, if the people in

washington are not allowed to owe back taxes, why are there so many that owe back taxes? you are not allowed to owe back taxes and hold public office? they should be thrown out. host: next up, independent line. this is when, as we can to it -- glenn. go ahead, glenn. caller: i think president obama is as much in the pocket of big corporations, corporate america, the 1%, whatever cliche you would like to use, as governor romney. it does not make any difference who you vote for, between romney and obama. they are opposite sides of the

same coin. host: does this mean you will not vote for president this time around? caller: i might vote for a third-party candidate or something like that. that is what i would recommend everyone do because the republicans and democrats, these people who think president obama is any better or any less in the pocket of big corporations then governor running, they are really missing the boat. i was watching a program on one of your networks last weekend, and they had a couple of guys, pulitzer prize-winning reporters. they wrote the book "the betrayal of the american dream." there were one of these masters of the universe types, and he told them that if you make $200,000 a year, you do not

count any more for all practical purposes because you cannot contribute big money to the campaigns. you cannot go to these $25,000 plate fund raisers that both obama and romney have that basically your only function is to rubber-stamp one of the major parties, so-called major party candidate. host: glenn from michigan was watching that program last week on booktv, hours of nonfiction books on c-span2's booktv. caller: i am a registered democrat because in georgia you have to pick a party. but i often cross party lines on issues. what i like about president

obama is that he has an elegant way of speaking, he makes it seem hopeful, but i think he has a plan to get this country back on track. to me, an economy built slower but steady is worth fighting four more years to see where it goes. an economy that shoots -- than an economy that shoots to the top and crumbles in eight years. i do not think people look at that -- they say that he is doing the job but not too fast. you do not want it too fast or it will be unstable. host: jobless claims dropping from 8.3% to 8.1%. we will hear from mitt romney on that he spoke a while ago in orange city, iowa. we will show you that now.

[music plays] >> thank you. ["battle hymn of the republic" plays] thank you so much. thank you.

thank you so very much heard what a welcome. i one knows how to do it right, i will tell you that. thank you, orange city. mr. mayer. thank you, northwestern college. mr. president, thank you for letting me be on your campus today and bringing some of your students today. how many here are going to northwestern college? [cheers] thank you to governor terry branstad. is it to record, a guy who was governor before, moved to the private sector, enjoying his career teaching and guiding a

great institution of higher learning -- he came back and ran for governor. top of the charts of best places to do business with jobs being created. thank you, governor terry branstad. thank you to orange city for doing such a great job of electing people who believe in conservative principles, who love the constitution who will fight for the principles america was founded on. thank you. there is a lot of bad news out there, but i'm looking over the hill to see what is happening down the road a bit. what will happen as america is about to come roaring back.

this is the greatest nation in the history of the earth. the principles upon which this country was founded, those principles are continuing to guide and inspire the people of america. and people around the world. if we restore those principles, you will see the economy come roaring back. with a strong economy, we can maintain the strongest military in the world. the world depends on a strong america. i was in poland some weeks ago and met with lackluster -- with lech walesa. he said sit down and i will talk. he began to speak and what he said for about 15 minutes was, it boiled down to this -- "where is america's leadership? america must lead." and there is no question of the principles of freedom and personal responsibility and dignity that has always formed

the basis of america. those principles need to be demonstrated on the world stage, and i will do it again. yesterday, you had the chance, if you wanted to, to watch the president of the united states address the people of america in his acceptance speech. i read that this morning. you perhaps got a chance to do that. if you did, perhaps, like me, you found it extraordinarily disappointing, surprisingly disappointed. his speech? for years ago, he laid out a series of lofty goals. unfortunately, he was unable to meet them. i can think of very few of the promises he made that he has kept. he said he would raise income for people. they have gone down by $5,000 per family. he said he would create more new business, people who wanted to

start a business would be encouraged to do so but in fact we are at a 30-year low in new business start-ups. he was going to get people back to work. remember his stimulus plan? if we let him borrow $787 billion, he would hold the unemployment below 8%. it has been 43 straight months above 8%. there are 23 million americans is a national tragedy. he said he would cut the deficit and after he double that. one promise he kept. he said if his energy costs were put it -- his energy plan was put in place, the cost of energy will skyrocket, and that has happened. i was surprised by his address because i expected him to

confront the major challenge of the last four years, which is an economy that has not produced the jobs american people need. i expected him to talk about 23 million people or about the unemployed of america. as expected him to talk about the number of families have a hard time making ends meet, the middle class families who see the cost of health insurance go up, the cost of food go up, the cost of gasoline go up. even as their incomes have gone down. i expected him to talk about those things, but he did not. instead, it was a series of new promises, which he also will not be able to keep. the policies he believes in and the direction he is pulling will not make america strong there. if president obama were reelected, will have four more years of the last quarter years, and the american people will say no to that.

there is something else you watched in the president's campaign over the past several months, and that is an increasingly divisive and dismisses approach to the american people. it has been a campaign of pitting one american against another, and it is so contrary to our national history and our national spirit. the story of america has been one of the many becoming 13 the story of america is a united people coming to build the strongest economy in the history of the world. the story of america is a united people that has confronted unspeakable darkness, stopping it from spreading across the earth in the second world war. fighting it time again when evil rears its head around the world.

as lech walesa indicated, america's leadership is needed today. if i am president, i will do everything in my power to unite the american people. now, you might have expected the president of the united states to lay out a plan for what he would do to get the economy going again -- going again and getting people working again. again, that was surprising to me. i laid out the things i will do to get this economy going. let me tell you what they are. five things. i want to talk about them some more because i want you to know i am not just talking about 12 million new jobs. i know how to get the private sector to create 12 million new

jobs. i know what it will take to do that. let me tell you what they are. number one, i will take full the advantage of our energy resources -- coal, oil, gas, nuclear, renewables. i am doing that, -- by doing that, we become energy independent by 2020. you take advantage of what is known as tight oil, in tight formations and a pump in fluid to get more oil out. it takes taking advantage of that pipeline coming out of canada. it means turning the gulf of mexico back on. over the last four years the president has cut the number of permits and licenses on federal

land and in federal waters in half. i will double the number of licenses so we get more oil and energy. and natural gas is our big ace in the hole. we have a lot of natural gas being brought to our transportation hubs, being brought to places where now they do not have it, particularly in the manufacturing sector, that will bring jobs back to america. number one for me is taking advantage of energy resources, and that will put millions of americans back to work. number two -- i am looking here at steve kane. this man needs to be your congressman again. -- steve king. this man's needs to be your congressman again. i want to make sure that our workers have the skills for the

jobs today and that young people have the skills for the jobs of tomorrow, and that request and demand needs to make sure that we put the students and their parents and the teachers first, and the teachers union will have to go behind. we have to have at our schools run for our kids. let me mention a third. the third thing i'm going to do is take advantage of trade opportunities. america is the most productive nation on the planet, of the major economic powers. we make more stuff person than any other nation. because we make more stuff per person, we are the most productive, and it is good for us to trade with other nations. as we do, we will create more jobs. you know that here in iowa. you know that here in iowa.