that means we have to stop giving a free pass to the bullies of wall street whenever they try to run roughshod all over our national economy. [cheers and applause] gov. o'malley: i have never represented wall street, and i sure will not be taking economic orders from wall street when i am working for you and your white house. [cheers and applause] gov. o'malley: and as you are president, i will have the independence and i will have the backbone to fight for you. and if a bank is too big to fail, too big to jail, and too big to manage, then it is to dampen and he needs to broken up before it breaks our national economy again. that is just common sense. tell me how it is. tell me how it is, but not a single wall street ceo was ever convicted of a single crime related to the 2008 economic

meltdown. not a single one. what do we come to? what have we come to as a country that you can get pulled over for having a broken till light, but if you wreck the nations economy you are totally untouchable? presidential leadership is about the good of the many, not the greed of the few. [cheers and applause] that is why i and also say that we have to stop sending american jobs and american profits overseas with bad trade deals like the transpacific partnership. [applause] gov. o'malley: many of us in this room remember nafta. intentions, we traded away good manufacturing in towns liketags

newton, and in return, we got back into promises and empty pockets. adamantlymentally, opposed, as an american, to secret trade deals that are congress has forced to vote on before the rest of us even have a chance to read them. what have we come to as a nation? [applause] gov. o'malley: and it is not what the other countries are doing to us, we can trade and we should trade. it is not what the other countries are doing to us, it is what we are not doing ourselves. we need to build up our own american economy again, don't we? [applause] and finally, we must have the courage to put our children safety, each and every day ahead of the morally bankrupt interests of the

national rifle association. [cheers and applause] [chanting o'malley] has onealley: the nra goal. it is one goal only. and it is selling as many guns as possible, no matter the cost in american lives. well, that might be their interest, but that is not what is in the best interest of the united states of america, is it? [cheers and applause] gov. o'malley: for 40 years, the nra and its muscle has dictated to our congress what laws they can write, what laws they can pass, and what laws they can ead -- i think it is time that we find our backbone and stand up and

say no to the national rifle association and start saving lives. [cheers and applause] gov. o'malley: i am passionate about this because i have been to a lot of funerals, and as president obama said, if terrorists had killed 400,000 americans since 9/11, we would be moving heaven and earth to stop them, wouldn't we? but americans have killed 400,000 americans with guns and we cower in the political power of the national rifle association. enough is enough. it does not have to be this way. [cheers and applause] there is a couple with us here tonight, and they are sandy and lonnie phillips. jessiest their daughter, , in the incident in aurora, colorado.

it is unfathomable. courage andthere their resolve, because they set out to transform the grief of their daughters off into real action and they went to court. true story. they wanted to hold accountable those who recklessly armed a mass murderer by selling him 4000 rounds of ammunition. no questions asked. they said the man that so that ammunition in the attack, and what happened when they went to court? case thrown out of court, then they were slapped with $200,000 in court costs. why? because of the special immunity to lawsuits that the nra managed to muscle out of our own congress. it does not have to be this way. congress should work for us, not for the nra. [cheers and applause]

lives, weley: to save know what to do. common sense tells us what to do. to save lives and must require universal background checks. we must ban the sale of combat assault weapons. we must use the buying power of our own federal government, the biggest customer gun have, to refuse to buy guns from any company that does not use the latest and the best safety technology. [cheers and applause] to savealley: and lives, we have to stop giving immunity to gun manufacturers and gun dealers who sell weapons of mass murder to criminals and psychopaths. it is only common sense. [cheers and applause] sanders, join me now, secretary clinton, join me now, and together in this campaign we can forge a new consensus for change.

we can save lives, because one american life is worth more than all of the gun sales in america. [cheers and applause] and so it is. and so it is. in 100 days, the people of iowa will decide, new leadership, or the same old past you --? actions or words? doing want to get things done or do we want to keep shouting past each other? it is not about and pendants. it is about you. you decide whether we move forward or whether we move back. thomas jefferson once said, in matters of fashion, swim with the current. but in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

[applause] fast,'malley: in these and rapidly changing times, america needs a president who will stand like a rock. a weathervane shifts positions every time the wind changes. effective leaders, do not. i know who i am. i know what i believe. and i am willing to fight for it. [applause] gov. o'malley: think about it yourselves. think about it yourselves. we cannot move beyond today's gridlock politics by returning to the divisions of our past. i am not about that. i believe that we are all in this together. i believe that to solve our problems, we must face tomorrow. we need new leadership and new ideas. similar to courage to stand up

for what is right, even when is not yet popular. none of us have all of the answers to all of the problems that we face. none of us can predict the future. but i can promise you this, i can govern. i can lead. and i can do so with heart and with skill. a lot of people tell me in this race, they say you are up against tough odds. this is a tough fight. and there are also a lot of people who would look you in the eyes, and would tell you that you have a tough fight. you have a tough fight being able to pass on to your children a better quality of life and what you have enjoyed. you know what? i kind of like the tough fights. i have always been drawn to the tough fights. and perhaps, it is the toughness of the fight that is the way the hidden god has of telling us that we are actually fighting for something worth saving. the american dream is worth saving. our children's future is worth saving. our country is worth saving.

our planet is worth saving. it is time to stand up, it is time to join the fight, i am in is to win this, i need your help, and together we can, and together we will rebuild the american dream. may god bless iowa. and may god bless the united states of america, on this journey we take forward, together. thank you much. [cheers and applause] [cahnting o'malley] ] [chanting o'malley]

>> thank you governor o'malley. [applause] you know, i know these candidates. they are firing you up, so make sure you fill out those caucus cards. we need you. [cheers and applause] >> hillary clinton has been listening to people all over iowa. [applause] >> iowa has been the heart and soul of her campaign. she has heard from middle-class families, worried that the deck

is stacked in favor of those at the top. so she has created a plan to raise middle-class wages and help working parents get ahead. she has heard from people suffering ram -- suffering from abuse. to came up with a plan tackle it. she has heard from young people struggling with student debt. makereated a plan to college more affordable and student debt easier to pay off. is fighting for others. as a senator, she has --

state, she has led. she is for women's rights and lb gt right. [applause] >> now, she is fighting for all of us. she is fighting for our children and for our future. she is fighting to stop the republicans from making their agenda a reality. determined,, she is and she is in our corner. ladies and gentlemen, hillary clinton. [cheers and applause] ♪

[cheers and applause] ♪ sen. clinton: thank you so much. iowa democrats. it is great to be back. i want to thank andy and who is helping to try

to rebuild the iowa democratic party from the ground up. i want to acknowledge and thank my friends tom and ruth harkins. tom and christie. leonard and dodi boswell. and your congressman freilich, -- congressman for iowa. [applause] sen. clinton: and i have to give a special shout out to somebody really special. somebody whose birthday is tomorrow. someone who reminds us that sometimes you just have to let them hear you are. katy perry, thank you for being here. [cheers and applause]

sen. clinton: did any of you see our debate in las vegas? [applause] sen. clinton: you know, when republicans debate, they compete to insult each other, demean women, and they double down on trickle-down. actually, it is reality tv. with a cast of characters who do not care much about actual reality. but, there is a big difference. when we, democrats debate, you see something. you see us tackling the hard issues. looking for solutions to our biggest challenges, facing our families and our country. how are we going to raise wages and create more good jobs?

how will we respond to climate change and lift up our economy by investing in clean energy? how will we make college affordable and get parents to pay believe that they need? how will we, working with our teachers and our families, help our kids get ready to succeed in school? [applause] sen. clinton: and how are we going to rain and wall street and lift up main street? waithow much longer can we to stand up to the gun lobby and keep our kids and our communities safe and america? [cheers and applause] you see.ton:

we democrats are offering real solutions. like president obama has done for the past 6.5 years. and by his side, every step of the way, has been vice president joe biden. [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: he has fought passionately for middle-class families and middle-class values. let's show him how much we appreciate vice president joe biden and all he has done for our country. let's give it up for the vice president. [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: you know, i think

it is really important in this whation to remember president obama inherited. the republicans would like us all to forget. but he inherited the worst financial crisis since the great depression. 800,000 jobs a month. right after that election, he called me and asked me to come see him in chicago. i did not know why, it turned out he want me to be secretary of eight, but when we got there -- [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: it was just the two of us. and we were just talking and he was talking about what he was facing. he said, it is so much worse than they told us. we were losing 800,000 jobs a month.

9 million americans ended up losing their jobs. and 5 million lost their homes. and listen to this. $13 trillion of family wealth was wiped away. i don't think president obama gets the credit that he deserves for rescuing our economy from falling into a great depression. [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: he saved the auto industry. he imposed tough, new rules on wall street. and he extended health care to 18 million americans. [applause] sen. clinton: that is what you can expect when you vote for democrats.

[applause] when there is a democrat in the white house, america creates more jobs. the economy grows faster. and deficits are smaller. it when ih they hate fourhis, recessions happen times more frequently under republican presidents. [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: so, we cannot afford to go back to the republican failed policies. i am not running for my husband's third term, and i'm not running for barack obama's third term, i am running for my first term -- [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: and, i am running

as a proud democrat. [cheers and applause] we need to defend the progress that we have made under president obama. and we need to build on it, until the recovery is secure, and all americans have a chance to raise their income. and to believe, once again, in the basic bargain of america. you know what it is. if you work hard, and you do your part, you should be able to get ahead and stay ahead. [cheers and applause] but, for far too long, republicans and their allies have stacked the deck for those at the top. there is something wrong when

the top 25 hedge fund managers the more in a year than all kindergarten teachers in america combined. [cheers and applause] when top ceosor, make 300 times what a typical worker does, or when corporate profits soar, but employees do not share in those profits. when it is easy for a big corporation to get a tax break, but it is still too hard for a small business to get a loan. when the ceo of a drug company jack's up the price of life-saving medicine by 5000% overnight -- [cheers and applause] and, when the

governor of this state vetoes a bipartisan compromise to fund schools and to keep mental health facilities open. [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: and now, now you're governor is threatening to privatize medicaid. [booing] sen. clinton: and the hawk eyed children's health insurance program, something that i helped to start in the 1990's. [applause] sen. clinton: and thousands of islands are -- and thousands of people from iowa are standing up and saying enough, and i am standing with you. [cheers and applause]

i have to tell you. [chanting] know that theyou republican candidates cannot help themselves. [laughter] sen. clinton: they are pushing the same failed policies that crashed our economy before. you know what they are. cutting taxes on the super wealthy. letting big corporations write their own roles. busting unions. ignoring the middle class. we have heard all of this before, and we know what it does. and, of course, none of them is serious about climate change. i love it. when they are asked about it.

you know it there answer is? i am not a scientist. well, why don't they start listening to those who are scientists, and understanding what we're up against around the world? [cheers and applause] sen. clinton: and republicans in congress have now voted more than 50 times to repeal or weaken the affordable care act. they want to force americans -- [booing] sen. clinton: that is worthy of a big lunch of boos. because they want to force americans to start a contentious health care debate all over again. i believe that we can improve the affordable care act, but we are not going to let them take us back to insurance companies

writing their own rules again. [cheers and applause] you know what that was like. they even charged women more for our coverage, then men. [booing] sen. clinton: and we sure can't let them take us back to the wild west on wall street. repeal. frank. destroy the consumer financial protection board. we are going to stand firm. that is why i propose tough action to end the abuses by the big banks, and the excessive risk in the so-called shadow banking system. we are going to stop wall street hurting mainstreet. [cheers and applause] and here we are, everyone here is here because

you know what is at stake in this election. no matter who you are for, and that is pretty clear standing up here, and seeing who is sitting where, but we all agree on this -- we cannot let republicans keep raking our elections with -- rigging our elections with secret unaccountable, dark money. [cheers and applause] we need a supreme court that the tax the right of every citizen to vote, not the right of every corporation to buy elections. [cheers and applause] and i said from the very beginning of my campaign, even if it takes a constitutional amendment, we will overturn citizens united once and for all. [cheers and applause]

sen. clinton: and i sometimes wonder whether you sign up to be a republican candidate for they put you into some kind of time a sheen. and they take you back 50 or 70 or 100 years, because they keep saying the same out of date, out of touch things. we will never let the republicans cut or privatize social security or and medicare as somehow now promising -- some are now promising. [cheers and applause] i will tell you something else. i am going to back and support what president obama has done to

protect dreamers and their families, to use executive action to prevent deportation. said that if we cannot get comprehensive immigration reform as we need and as we should, with a real path to citizenship that will actually grow our economy -- then i will go as far as i can, even beyond president obama, to make sure law-abiding, decent, hard-working people in this country are not ripped away from their families. [cheers and applause]

sen. clinton: and don't you wonder, don't you wonder? claimow, for people who the defeat big government -- they hate the government, republicans love using government to make decisions for women about our bodies and our rights. [cheering] well, i will tell you, i will tell you, i will do everything that i can to protect a woman's right to choose and to defend planned parenthood. [cheering] now --inton:

[chanting] sen. clinton: now i know -- [chanting] sen. clinton: i know when i talk about these things, republicans say that i am playing the gender card. i know. equalif talking about pay, paid family leave: affordable childcare, and women's health, is playing the gender card, the only end -- paid family leave, affordable childcare, and women's health is playing the gender card, deal me in. [cheering] [chanting] knowclinton: i know, i

and you know, it is not enough l against the republicans and the billionaires. we actually have to win this election in order to rebuild the middle class and make a positive difference in people's lives. we have to build in america measuredre success is by how many people work their way into the middle class, not how many ceos get bonuses. by how many children climb out of poverty, how many families can afford health care, many young people can go to college without taking on years of debt. [cheering] that is how we should measure success in this country. as i said at the debate in las

vegas, i am a progressive who likes to get things done. [cheering] sen. clinton: and i still onceve, as a smart man said, there is nothing wrong with america that cannot be fixed by what is right with america. when her donald trump says we have to make america great again. here is what i said. america is great. we just have to make it fair and just. we have to make america work for everyone, not just those of the top. -- at the top. [cheering] sen. clinton: because i know that when americans come come up with smart solutions, and fight to get results, there is no challenge

we cannot meet. and at the top of my list of fights we have to wage and win, it is this. americans need a raise. that is why we must raise the minimum wage for it. nobody who works full-time should live in poverty. and i want companies to have incentives to share more profits with employees who hope to make the profits in the first place -- help to make the profits in the first place. andcompanies that ship jobs profits overseas should not get tax breaks. you should get tax breaks again. [cheering] sen. clinton: i said i want to be the small business president and i mean it. because small businesses will create most of the good new jobs of the future and should have less red tape, easier access to and tax relief. to create those jobs, we have to

get back to investing in science and medical research. we should establish an infrastructure bank to put americans to work building our roads and bridges and airports and rails and broadband networks. [cheering] sen. clinton: and i believe we can make america the world's clean energy superpower by setting and reaching goals again. [cheering] sen. clinton: how about this? panels inlion solar four years and enough renewable energy to power every home in f arica in 10 years -- hal billion solar panels in four years and enough renewable energy to power every home in america in 10 years. [cheering] sen. clinton: i know that we can do this because iowa is leading the way. you are producing half of your power from wind and renewables. i want the rest of the country to follow your lead. [cheering]

sen. clinton: and if we want our economy to grow like it should, we have to make sure that women who still earn less than men on the job and women of color who rn thee least of all -- ea least of all finally get equal pay for equal work. [cheering] because when you shortchange women, you shortchange families and you shortchange america. and my new college compact will help students and graduates refinance debts, just like you can with a mortgage rate heart alone -- mortgage or a car loan. and nobody will have to borrow a sent to attend a public college or university. [cheering] sen. clinton: but let me say this.

while we fight for a growth unfairness economy that fights for everyone, we cannot forget the quieter problems that often do not make the headlines. i am also fighting for the grandmother who told me she is becauseher grandchild of her daughter's struggle with drug addiction, for the mom who asked me what she is going to do when her child with autism gets older, for every family trying to cope with untreated mental illness. i am fighting for the man i met whose mother has holes i mers. he cannot afford a full-time caregiver, so do you know what he does? he is a teacher. he takes his mother to work with him. despite americans who all of our progress, and get married on saturday and fired on monday in a lot of states just

because of who they are and who they love. veterans of all ages who served our country with honor and courage and deserve the benefits that they have earned without delays and abuses. [applause] i am fighting to reform criminal justice for every mother and father who worry every day that their child will be stopped by the police just for being african-american, because yes, black lives matter. [cheering] sen. clinton: and i am fighting to protect our kids in communities from the plague of gun violence. he should be safe when you go to school, when you go to the movies, when you go to church --

you should be safe when you go to school, when you go to the movies, when you go to church. that is why i am proposing common sense gun safety measures like universal background checks, closing loopholes, and repairing the law that shields gunmakers and sellers from accountability. [cheering] now, i have been told to stop shouting about ending gun violence. well, i have not been shouting but sometimes when a woman speaks out some people think it is shouting. [cheering] sen. clinton: but -- [cheering] sen. clinton: i will not be silenced and i hope you will not be either. how many more people have to die before we take action? folks, i have been at this effort to change and reform our country for a long time, and i have not won every battle. i am learned from each one.

-- but i have learned from each one. i know how to stand my ground and how to find common ground. [cheering] sen. clinton: that is how i worked with a republican congress to help create the children's health insurance around which covers a million kids. that is why as a senator i worked with the republicans to expand health benefits for the national guard and reserve and for the firefighters and police towards who rushed danger on 9/11 and later grew sick after their time at ground zero. and as your secretary of state, i fought for human rights, women's rights, lgbt writes, internet freedom, american jobs, and security. lgbt rights, internet freedom, american jobs, and security. but i also find common ground,

persuading russia to join in the strictest sanctions against iran in history. life working for children, women, families, and the country, from the kitchen table to the peace table, trying to even the odds for people who have the odds stacked against them and i am just getting warmed up. [cheering] sen. clinton: so i want you to know, i am listening to you. i am fighting for you. and with your support, iowa, i am going to deliver. and i did not learn about fairness, justice, and the american dream from politics. ownarned about it from my family. my father who ran a small business printing drapery fabrics taught me that anything

worth it is worth fighting for. and my mother, working as a maid at the age of 14, told me that at crucial moments, people showed her kindness, with that first grade teacher who made sure she had enough to eat when her parents did not even care enough to make sure of that. it is one of the many reasons i am grateful for educators instead of becoming better or broken, she became resilient -- educators. tertead of becoming bit or broken, she became resilient. get back up, face your challenges, solve your problems. do not just complain about them. [cheering] so, let me tell you, i am the granddaughter of a factory worker and the grandmother of the most wonderful little girl in the world. and bill and i will do

everything that we can to ensure that she has every opportunity to succeed in life. but i do not think you should have to be the granddaughter of a former president to share in america.se of the granddaughters and grandsons of factory workers and truck drivers and nurses and farmers should have the same chance, too. [cheering] sen. clinton: everyone of america's children and grandchildren should have the opportunity to live up to their god-given potential. that is what i am fighting for, struggling and striving. i am fighting for everyone who is ever been knocked down but refused to be knocked out. and together, we're going to build an america where there are no ceilings for anyone. behind orne gets left left out. and yes, where a father can tell

his daughter you can be anything includingo be, president of the united states of america. thank you and god bless you. [cheering] [applause] >> thank you, secretary clinton. you know, what a night. and what an amazing group of democrats we have running for president. are you fired up, iowa? [cheering] >> iowa democrats, let's welcome

back all of our amazing presidential candidates to the stage, and their families. [cheering] ♪ heaven knocking on my door 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 from the muscle to the bone from the shotgun shack to the superdome the right no help, but calvary's state home there ate nobody hearing the vehicle blown we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag's loan we take care of our own -- flag's flown we take care of our own

where the eyes, the artist with the will to see -- the highest with the well -- eyes with the will to see where the hearts, that run over with mercy where's the love that has not forsaken me ♪ >> it all starts with the iowa caucuses on february 1 so make sure you drop off your cards on the boxes on the way out. we are going to turn iowa blue next november. get out safely, and good night wherever this flag is flown we take care of our own we take care of our own wherever this flag is flown e take care of our own

we take care of our own we take care of our own flown r this flag's we take care of our own ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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announcer: for more coverage go to our website at c-span.org. there you will find many of the speeches and event featuring both democratic and republican presidential candidates as well as other related programs and discussions on the 2016 presidential campaign. that is at our website at c-span.org. now we are going to show you speeches tonight from the democratic presidential candidates. at the annual jefferson jackson dinner in des moines, iowa. we begin with vermont senator, bernie sanders. >> i am now honored to welcome our featured speaker this evening. [applause] our democratic presidential candidates. [applause]

>> who here watched the debates last week? wasn't a nice to hear people who knew what they're talking about? we are so honored to have them all here tonight. it is us, tonight, iowa democrats who are going to make sure we keep the white house blue,nd can continue -- and continue to move the country forward. let's get started. [applause] , bernie sanders has been fighting for justice and with an unwavering --lingness to stand up

[applause] [cheers] [whistles] an unwillingness -- unwavering willingness to stand up for what is right, instead of what is politically experienced, holding wall street accountable, and taking on the billionaire that costde deals american jobs, and eating out against disastrous wars. this is bernie sanders. the of ouric declining middle class, and honest assessment of the rigs economy responsible for the decline is what is fueling bernie's call for a political revolution. [applause] over 300 and 50 -- 350,000 people have come to hear him

speak. 750,000-breaking individuals have made more than one million contributions, averaging about $30 per donation. [applause] hundreds, hundreds of volunteers and thousands have already nine organize across the nation -- one thing is clear, the revolution starts here. please join me in welcoming bernie sanders. [applause] [guitar plays] i was walking down the street in the town where i was born. i was moving to a beat i had never felt

i took a look around i saw it across the sky, the ,evolution comes around yeah the revolution starts now bernie sanders: thank you. [applause] thank you, iowa. [applause] now, we just heard from president obama who reminded me of something i think we should think about. that is to reach out to our public and friends and

colleagues who are suffering from a very, very serious illness. they suffer from amnesia. [applause] world lookswhat the looked like seven years ago. they forgot that a hundred thousand people a month -- 800,000 people a month from losing their jobs. they forgot that the world's financial system was on the verge of collapse. forgot that we ran -- up thergest largest deficit in the history of the united states in the last year of george bush. [applause] wish our republican friends well on the road to

recovery. what every them american knows, yes we have problems today, but everybody knows, thanks to the president and vice president we have made real progress in improving the economy. [applause] and we have done that despite unprecedented obstructionism from right-wing republicans. [applause] me begin by thanking all of you for being here tonight. i think dr. acquire for her great work as chair of the island democratic party -- iowa credit party.

i want to thank you for your patriotism. for your love of our country. today what too few americans of are not doing -- americans are not doing. you are not standing on the sidelines complaining. you are not turning your backs on the political process. up, andstanding fighting back. [applause] is what this campaign is about. and it is what the political revolution is about. when you see the middle-class of

this country disappearing. and when you see people you know working two or three jobs, trying to cobble together some income and health care, you do not just shrug your shoulders and say, that is the way it is. you fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. [applause] $15 an hour. [applause] and we fight for pay equity for women workers. [applause] when millions of americans today do not have jobs. for a massive federal

jobs program to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. [applause] millions of our people back to work. [applause] fight for an economy that americans and not just the wealthiest people in this country. [applause] when you see -- when you see that the united states has more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on , and when you see that

almost all of the new income being generated today is going know -- you%, you know and the american people know that that is not moral, not sustainable, and you demand that the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations start paying their fair share of taxes. [applause] when you see that here in the united states, we have more people in jail than any other on earth,nor -- disproportionately black and latino, you know that what we have got to do is invest in jobs

and education, not more jails and incarceration. [applause] when you saw the united states supreme court in one of the worst decisions in the history of our country past the citizens united case. [booing] which allows the wealthiest people in this country to a socially elections, and by ssentially buye candidates,d buy you voted to overturn citizens united. i promise you that no nominee of mine to the supreme court will be voting to support citizens

united. they will be voting to overturn citizens united. [applause] now while many in the republican party continue to deny the , youty of climate change have demanded that we lead the international effort in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. [applause] and you understand the moral imperative -- moral imperative

that we leave this planet in a way that is healthy and habitable for our children, and our grandchildren. [applause] you are not on the sidelines of the struggles. you are in the middle of this fight. and that is what our campaign is all about. [applause] six months ago when i began my campaign for president of the , andd states of america when we announced that we were going to take on the political and economic establishment of this country very few people

knew who i was. that is a fact. i may have a be -- big ego, but that is a fact. we worried -- we were at about 3% in the polls. we had no money. we had no political organization. well, and the last six months things have changed. [applause] -- in the last six months things have changed. [applause] yes they have. hundreds of thousands of volunteers in every state in this country are working hard, including 7000 right here in iowa. [applause] out to ourught rallies and town meetings, over

300,000 americans. [applause] and we have drawn some of the largest turnout of any campaign. campaign.s of any and today i can tell you, and i am proud of this, that we have raised more individual contributions than any candidate in the history of our country at this point in the campaign. [applause] and the average contribution is $30 apiece. [applause] now the pundits, the great political experts have said that

in this day and age you cannot win a campaign unless you have a super pac. unless you go -- [booing] unless you go to the millionaires and billionaires and you back for money -- beg for money. [booing] democraticthe only candidate for president who does not have a super pac. [applause] and we are going to prove the experts wrong. because we are going to win this campaign. [applause] and by the way, just to remember -- about eight years ago all of the political experts talked

about how another democratic candidate for president just could not win. he was unelectable. the remember that guy? what is his rename -- his name? it is president obama. [applause] well iowa, i think we are going to prove the pundits wrong again. i believe we are going to make history one more time. now i know that my political well-known as some other candidates. let me just take a brief moment in the remaining time i have to talk to you about some of the difficult choices, decisions,

that i have had to make. some of the forks of the road -- in the road that i have encountered in my career as a u.s. congressman, as mayor, and as a united states senator. [applause] when i was elected mayor of the largest city in my state by 10 , i think it is fair to say that it was a shock to the establishment. nobody thought we could win that election. and i was opposed by the entire political establishment. that is the way it was. i faced the fork in the road. either capitulate to be special interest in my city, any political establishment while we

stand -- or we stand up and fight back. that is what we did. [applause] two years later in the next election we doubled the voter turnout. we elected progressive candidates, and we made profound changes to make burlington one of the most livable cities in the united states of america. [applause] in --learned a lesson is, if youe lesson stand with the people, if you prepare to take on big money --erests, you know what ordinary people will get involved in the political risk process -- political process. they will come out and vote. [applause] and that is a lesson we have got to learn today. republicans when when voter

when voterwin turnout is low, we win when people come out and voter turnout is high. iname to congress, elected 1990. street and the administration, and virtually all of the corporate media said, you have to vote for this nafta trade agreement. [booing] it is wonderful, it is great. i did not believe their arguments. i voted against nafta. [applause] --oted against cap the kafta. i voted against the npr with china. ustory has proven those of who opposed those agreements were right.

last 14 years this country has lost 60,000 factories and millions of decent paying jobs. about theclear cut current trade deal that we are debating and congress -- the transpacific partnership. not now, nort is has it ever been the gold standard of trade agreements. [applause] not supported yesterday -- support it yesterday, i do not it today, and i will not support it tomorrow. [applause] in 1996 i faced another fork in the road, another very difficult

political situation, it was called the defense of marriage act. brought forth by republican-led congress and its purpose was againsto discriminate gays and lesbians and to the war. that gay andmember lesbian rights were not popular then, as they are today. it was a tough vote. i am sorry to have to tell you by anill won overwhelmingly majority in the house of 342-56. that was not a political easy vote.

today some are trying to rewrite history by saying they voted for one anti-gay law, that is not the case. there was a small minority in the house opposed to discriminating against our gay brothers and sisters. and i am proud that i was one of those members. [applause] climate change -- climate change is real. climate change is caused by human activity. alreadyate change is causing devastating damage in america and all over the world. it is a very sad moment in american history when almost all republicans running for president reject science, and

the need for bold action to combat climate change. [applause] preferthese republicans to take super pac contributions from the koch brothers, and the fossil fuel industry rather than to protect the planet for our kids and our grandchildren. about theee with me urgent need to address climate change then you know, immediately what to do about the keystone pipeline. [applause] not a complicated issue. should we support the construction of a pipeline across america? andlerating the extraction

transportation of some of the dirtiest fossil fuel in the world. to me, it was a no-brainer, that is why i have opposed the keystone pipeline from day one. [applause] let me now take you back to a very eventful year, and a decision in the modern history of our country. the year is 2002, the issue is whether congress should vote to invade iraq. public opinion and most of the media were for the war. that big majorities in congress were for the war as well. in thelming support house and senate for the war. i listened carefully to what bush, cheney, and rumsfeld had to say. i said no.

they are not telling the truth. [applause] and i was right. [applause] brothers and sisters, >> bernie, bernie,. bernie sanders: it gives me no joy to tell you that much of what i predicted about iraq turned out to be right. it does not give me any joy at all. that was a tough vote. i came to that fork in the road, as i took the right road, even though it was not popular at the time. [applause] throughout my time in congress i , drainime and time again in wall street.

, it bank is too big to fail is too big to exist. [applause] we need to reestablish and bring back glass legal legislation. and we need to break up these huge banks. [applause] let me conclude, because i see andy doing it she -- getting itchy. let me conclude by saying this -- enormously a nation, difficult and complex problems, that is the truth. aveelieve now, and i h always believed from the bottom of my heart, yes, these guys have the money am a they have the power.

but when people stand together, black and white, hispanic, gay and straight, young and old, men and women, when we stand together there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. day ige to you that every will fight for the public interest, not the corporate interest. i will not abandon any segment of american society whether you are gay, black, latino, poor, or working-class. just because it is politically expedient at a given time. [applause] so let us go forward together. let us tell the republicans that agenda mightnary work for the millionaires, but not for ordinary americans, and we are going to defeat them. thank you all very much.

[applause] andy: i would like to say throughout his 15 years of elected executive experience -- martin o'malley has established andelf as a principal progressive leader, eager to solve big problems facing communities. the baltimore city council, then as mayor of baltimore, and finally as governor of maryland, governor o'malley brought people together to get things done on progressive issues.

wage,aising the minimum to freezing college tuition, to passing the dream act, and investing in public education to make maryland's public schools number one in the country five years in a row, governor o'malley has led with action, not words. [applause] no matter the role, governor o'malley has always put working families first, and fought for the american dream. please join me in welcoming governor o'malley. ♪

gov. o'malley: thank you. ♪ gov. o'malley: thank you very, very much. wow. good evening, iowa. thank you. [chanting o'malley] gov. o'malley: thank you very, very much. dr. mcguire, i want to say thank you. and let me say what a great honor it is to come before you on the stage and to do so along with secretary clinton and senator sanders, two people for whom i have a tremendous amount of respect. [applause] gov. o'malley: my name is martin o'malley. former mayor of baltimore, former governor of maryland. i'm a lifelong democrat, and i'm runnfo