o) this is joy on current tv. >>if mitt romney treats his magic underwear the same way as his tax returns, then he's been going commando for the past 10 years. >>since when do you get to say stuff like that on tv? >> listen, if you'd read your email once in a while, you'd know i have a new show. (vo) always outspoken. >> sometimes i feel like i don't even know you. >> just stay on your side of the screen, ok?

>> we're back. current tv coverage of the last night of the democratic convention. the president will accept the nomination and give you a speech slated for 45 minutes. he will compete with president clinton in terms of length and wisdom. what happened was joe biden put on the ticket a second time, nominated by his son a very moving and touching moment. vice president gore, you were just looking at an article from tennessee which said that al gore senior, your dad was instrumental in getting joe biden started in politics. >> it's a story i know well, but i was surprised to see it be the lead story for the tennesseeen in my hometown of nashville. it's a true story. my father was defeated for his fourth term in the senate in 1970, because he was opposed to

the vietnam war and supported the voting rights act and opposed mandated prayer in school and so fort. soon afterwards, he got involved with a progressive group and he met young joe biden when joe was just 28, 29 years old in june of 1971. he was a county councilman in delaware, and was thinking about running for the senate. my father and mother encouraged him to run raised fully one third of all of his campaign budget, which was not a lot back in those days, $89,000 for a $290,000 total budget, and he won by 3,000 votes. and joe has told me that story personally quite a few times and when he always enjoyably.

he came and spoke in nashville several times in the last four years. on one occasion, he told the whole audience that story and i guess that's what the newspaper this morning was recounting. >> two things that are amazing your dad having been in the fat for 18 years having lost because he took such wonderfully important progressive positions. that's why his name and your name are iconic in our politics. it's the right thing to say and recognize, that he would still be motivated to reach down and help a kid who was at that point essentially unknown and put that much energy into that race. that itself is a manifestation of real caring and concern which is remarkable. >> it formed a bond between joe and me that has lasted all these years. i love joe biden and think he's done a terrific job. there's hardly anybody better to speak to particularly to blue collar working families, that's his background. he feels it in his bones.

he tells a story of how his father lost his job and what that meant emotionally to his dad and to the entire family. really gets it. when he tells these audiences that mitt romney doesn't get it, it's coming from a deep well. >> it's funny, being met joe biden when i was young and it's a little different story. it was my first week at penn, going to school at the shop at the bookstore getting tee shirts and i see senator biden and i said amazing what a school! it turned out he was taking his son for his first week at school. >> was that beau? i don't know. i never met the son only senator biden at the time. what was funny senator biden's tall and looking around, looking around. when i came over, i said senator biden, what brings you here. he was ecstatic. he's like well, how are you

young fella? >> i could point out right now on stage foo fighters performing. he got his start as the drummer in nirvana and 18 years art kurt cobain's death, we see dave singing at the democratic national convention. we'll leave you with some of this and be right back with more of current's coverage. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ special event is brought to you by communications workers of america. bringing jobs home now.

(vo) this is joy. >>who the heck does mitt romney think he is? (vo) this is joy on current tv. >>if mitt romney treats his magic underwear the same way as his tax returns, then he's been going commando for the past 10 years. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> you're watching and listening to the foo fighters there a significant step up from g.e. smith, an angry g.e. smith.

>> he was not happy last week at all. >> big step up from taylor hicks, too. >> and james taylor singing carolina on my mind. i think these people in the audience got their money's worth. >> i'm not much of a music guy but i do enjoy awkward convention dancing. >> do you? >> you see democrats rocking out to acoustic music tonight they're doing a pretty good job. >> republicans were more fun but there's been plenty of awkward stuff here. >> let's get a social media update here, how did people react to president clinton's speech last night and what are they buzzing about today in regards to expectations. >> chenk, if we were going to base the election on twitter then the winner would be michelle obama. the most tweets her minute. she had 28,000 tweets per minute during we are speech, mitt

romney in comparison was 14,000 tweets per minute. bill clinton did go up against football. we have to take that into consideration. we haven't even heard joe biden or president obama speak so far and already we're at 6.3 million tweets, far surpassing where the republican national convention was. what do we expect from obama tonight. >> i think it's going to be bigger than all of this, although they are going up against the music video awards on mtv. i wouldn't want to stack him against justin bieber. we saw obama for america had their first hash tag today strangely not highjacked. >> they've been highjacked by progressives. the obama campaign bought their first hash tag not highjacked.

>> we saw that trending today bill clinton talking about that. i think what's been really interesting is new numbers from a pew study that came out today. how are we going to translate this, 16% have changed their mind about a political issue after social media. that's a big number. democrats use social media more than republicans but also african-americans use social media much more than white people do. >> which we think is going to have an impact when it comes to the voting process and the topics and issues that matter. interesting how social media is playing a role not only in the convention coverage but in people researching and getting information. >> that was almost a stunning fact. 16% is a pretty high number to

change your mind on an issue based on social media. i'm blown away by that. >> an issue. >> an issue. 28,000 for michelle, 22 for bill clinton, but he spoke twice as long. i don't know if i'm running the math. >> he spoke against the nfl during the nfl game. >> >> you know the expert on that? >> people would say they didn't want to tweet when president clinton was speaking. there's always that lookic. >> we're going to the convention next. what are you guys, what do you have for us, guys? >> i just found out that michael shure is a fan of the foo fighter. >> not a crazy fan. >> you're a fan. >> i'm a fan. they were good. >> we got a little more information about president obama's speech tonight. the democrats at the obama campaign point out if you want

to condense bill clinton's speech to the issue of needing more time, that time is something they want people to take away watching t.v. that president obama has so many challenges, he needs more time. one thing they want to get without with the speech tonight one of the things they think they can do to change the economy is provide detail. we may get some pretty specific policy details, policy proposals tonight, such as on the housing crisis what he would do as far as further stimulus. again, they are thinking about the idea that providing these details and at least americans might reward president obama for providing more details than mitt romney. >> he's going to emphasize that this is a job that's sort of halfway done. he never promised it was going to take a short period of time. he needs to continue this.

it's not going to happen overnight. >> michael and i were having chuckle. they stopped letting you into the arena unless you are a delegate. it's difficult to find a seat. the delegation from rhode island, every seat is taken and then white house democratic senators looking for a seat with his family. he looks around, asks the people, nobody would move. he had to walk back up the stairs and take the standing room only. >> he has worse seats than we do. >> there's something i like about that story, in the sense here he is as a regular guy and having trouble. >> and he is a very self efacing demure individual. he is almost a gentle soul, and yet a spectacular senator who's been carrying some great legislation. >> he's one of my favorite

senators and one of the many reasons why is he is terrific on the issue of global warming. he's eloquent about it. he's got some hard-hitting proposals. i really like him. >> there are not a lot of bullies named sheldon. [ laughter ] >> how about adelson? >> i have a question for you since you mentioned climate change. are you surprised we haven't heard more mention of the topic or do you think the democrats are playing it safe and are afraid that that's a losing proposition to talk about pollution is harming the planet we live on? >> i would point out that there are 18 mentions of it in the platform and the language in the platform is very strong and very good, so i'll leave it at that. >> ok. >> i would like to hear a lot more about it, yes and i hope we'll hear about it tonight. >> i would think it's a winning proposition for them. >> i think so, too.

>> can i sort of suggest a way in which it maybe could be mentioned. mitt romney mocked president obama. >> right. >> for having said earlier that he was going to save the planet and confront the issue of global warming as if to say i'm going to help your family, do what you care about. i think this is a way for the president to say we've got to care about that too and put aside the rhetoric he wants to mock. >> how do you think this helps your family? >> let's keep it real, they're not going to mention it. patrick said we've got to stand up for our principles. overall, they've done a great job at the this convention, but not on climate change. i'd be very surprised if the president spoke at length about it, let alone mentioned it, to be frank. we got to go to the break and when we come back, of course, huge speech is coming up tonight. in a little bit we've got governor granholm. how's that? we'll be right back.

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this is joy on current tv. >>if mitt romney treats his magic underwear the same way as his tax returns, then he's been going commando for the past 10 years. >>since when do you get to say

stuff like that on tv? >> listen, if you'd read your email once in a while, you'd know i have a new show. (vo) always outspoken. >> sometimes i feel like i don't even know you. >> just stay on your side of the screen, ok? >> exceptional leadership. it demands the leadership -- >> senator john kerry speaking to the convention. was the democrat's nominee in 2004. let's take a listen. >> just measure the disaster and disarray that he inherited. the war had become a war without end and 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 in the world. our military was stretched to the breaking point.

iran marching toward a nuclear weapon unchecked. and osama bin laden was still plotting. it took president obama to make america lead like america again! it took president obama to restore our moral authority. it took president obama to ban torture. the president understands that our values don't limit our power. they magnify it. he showed that global leadership is a strategic imperative for america. not a favor that we do to other countries. and president obama kept his promises. he promised to end the war in iraq and he has. and our heroes have come home. he promised to end the war in afghanistan responsibly and he is and our heroes are coming

home. he promised to focus like a laser on al-qaeda and he has. and our forces have eliminated more of its leadership in the last three years than in all the eight years that came before. and after more than -- after more than ten 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 terrorists, it took president obama against the advice of many to give that order and finally rid this earth of osama bin laden! [ cheers & applause ] ask osama bin laden if he is better off now than he was four years ago.

[ cheers & applause ] barack obama promised always to stand with israel, to tighten sanctions on iran and take nothing off the table. again and again the other side has lied about where this president stands and what this president has done. but prime minister netanyahu set the record straight. he said our two countries have exactly the same policy. our security cooperation is unprecedented. and when it comes to israel, my friends, i'll take the word of israel's prime minister over mitt romney any day! president obama promised to work with russia to reduce the threat

of nuclear weapons and sign an historic treaty that does just that. he promised to lock down nuclear materials around the world and he has done just that. he refused to accept the false choice between force without diplomacy and dip diplomacy without force. when a brutal dictator promised to hunt down and kill his own people like rats, president obama enlisted our allies. built the coalition. shared the burden. so that today without a single american casualty, moammar gadhafi is gone and the people of libya are free. >> the many success of foreign policy under president obama. quite a remarkable series of accomplishments. entirely taken the issue from the republican party and it is, of course, the republicans who say the president's apologized

again. silly false claim they've been making. john kerry -- >> al: i was so happy he took on the comment in tampa about the rising seas and healing the planet and john kerry has been a terrific advocate for solving the climate crisis. and one of our nation's foremost foreign policy experts he may be one of the leading contenders to be the next secretary of state. >> cenk: one quick note here as we go to break bin laden dead. gadhafi dead. sure bush can say hey i got saddam. look at the price we paid for that. whereas the price we paid for bin laden and gadhafi not anywhere near that high. >> eliot: before we go to break. the bumper sticker you hate to reduce things. bin laden dead, g.m. alive. in a way that captures the ethose of what we've been talking about tonight.

go time. you know what time it is. go time. it's go time. it's go time. what time is it rob? here comes the young turks go time! it's go time. oh is it? then it's go. go. go. go. go. go. go. go time. anybody? anybody? what time is it? oh, right. go time! only on current tv.

>> john: this is current's coverage of the 2012 democratic national convention. it is a whole lot more brain matter going on this evening. i'm joined of course by the great cenk uygur, vice president al gore, governor eliot spitzer

and the heroic star of the evening, governor jennifer granholm who is with us right now live from the convention. can you hear us, governor? >> jennifer: i can hear you yes. >> john: what i loved most about your speech, as much as i love the words, i love the numbers. i love that you called out all of those states, the exact number of jobs that were saved because of the government's working with business to rescue the auto industry. did you have any idea when you walked -- you knew the speech was good but did you have any idea when you walked on stage the amount of power that those figures would generate in that room? >> jennifer: well, you know, it is kind of a key -- to call out a state in a convention but when you're able to do it with specificity, with some data, that means something to them, then it is even better. i know we just finished listening to john kerry. i just have to comment about the feel in the hall for him. there is a way the speakers have

been aligned tonight. obviously the people who get the longest amount of time who have the deepest respect in this hall. there is a real sense of respect and affection for him. when he talked about, obviously is heroism. he is someone who is -- i don't know if he's auditioning but i bet you he will be in the number one or two spot for the secretary of state position. but the amount of applause that he got delivering a very serious and substantive speech. it was very indicative is there a great deal of affection for him. >> eliot: can i disagree with you about something you said. there was nothing cheap about the lines listing the number of jobs. there's nothing cheap about saying the number one issue in the nation is job creation. this president saved those jobs in that industry. it is real. it is tangible. it is not a afemoral. you put out real facts. the audience reaction based upon

that and your brilliant performance. it was great to see. >> jennifer: i appreciate, eliot. i don't mean to diminish what it means to the states to have jobs saved. that is something that is very deep for them. that's why to the extent that the speech resonated in those states. that's exactly why. their neighbors know what it's like to have the jobs be on the brink of being lost and they were saved because of the president. >> cenk: governor granholm, i'm curious as to how it is behind the scenes. do you guys hang out play dominoes? [ laughter ] did you give john kerry a high-five after the speech? >> jennifer: it is kind of interesting tonight because behind the stage and this is a very -- it is a very small green room that they have because the president's team has taken up half of the backstage and the other half the backstage is pretty much for all of the other speakers so they've got it pretty much in an assembly line.

and in fact, today because the speeches went over last night they told us all that we had to cut a significant amount out of our speeches and so they had one room back there, they called the slashing room which was where everybody had to get their speeches whacked a bit. but in the lead-up to it, everybody is back there in the same room. you're greeting everybody. you see john kerry. you see gaby giffords, you see eva longoria, all of the people who are lined up to speak. so there is a real sense of camaraderie. it is not posh in any way. there's a plate of grapes and some water. but other than that, really, it is all about what's happening on stage. not what's happening backstage. >> cenk: one more question along those lines. you said that speeches get slashed because of time reasons. is there one line or direction you were going to go in the speech that got cut that you could share with us here with our audience? >> jennifer: well, i did have a really good line that you know, i talked about the solo at

ford and how the rest of the story or the rest of the line was it is unfortunate that that guy at ford and workers like him weren't able to pull themselves up by their father's bootstraps. i think the guys would have liked that. i didn't have a chance to say that. >> eliot: that's a great line. save it and use it some other time. >> jennifer: thanks. don't tell anyone. >> cenk: all right. governor granholm will be with us for the next hour. i want to ask everybody here, if you're senator kerry being secretary of state is fantastic. that's a no-brainer. but if you're a senator is a cabinet position always a no-brainer? >> al: no, it is not at all. there are many senators who have turned down cabinet positions. but as is always the case, their personal factors are involved. i've inform really talked to john about this but i know that his father who he respected so greatly was career foreign

service officer and he grew up with a tremendous amount of respect for that profession. and i think that he has always thought about the possibility of being secretary of state. i'm not psychoanalyzing him. i'm just telling what you his friends believe about him. >> cenk: i think that makes all of the sense in the world. as you say, it has to be much tougher in other circumstances. >> eliot: senator kerry is standing in for mitt romney to help the president prepare for the debate which is often another sign of closeness and respect for the individual whom you ask to do that. there is another factor. i met senator kerry back in 1984 when i was in law school. he was senator from massachusetts obviously. had enormous respect for him. the one factor that may be a problem is if elizabeth warren wins the united states senate seat as i certainly hope she does and the senate is almost in equilibrium. if he were to leave the senate and then that seat would be up for election at the next cycle

and scott brown would want to come back and run for it, the prospect he might be able to re-claim the seat because he's a popular guy in massachusetts might weigh heavily on whether or not you could take away a popular democratic senator. i hate to do it because i would love to see john kerry as secretary of state. this is the second tier consideration you have to think about. >> cenk: that's a really interesting dynamic. we'll talk more about that because i'm curious to see who others would do at the table in a similar situation. we also have vice president joe biden coming up soon as well. come right back here to current's coverage of the democratic national convention. america. bringing jobs home now.

>> cenk: we're back on current's coverage of the democratic national convention and right now on stage, you're looking at 51 veterans who are talking about, of course their experience. the veterans segment of the broadcast here and obviously this was preceded by senator kerry's foreign policy speech which got us into an interesting conversation. vice president gore, you had a point to make. >> al: well, you know, the senate has been referred to as a club. 100 people. not that many people have served in our nation's history. we've talked previously about how the nature of american politics has changed and the influence of big money. those changes have also had an

impact on the experience of serving in the senate. and this is not in any reference to anything john kerry has said. he probably doesn't feel this. but i will tell you that privately, a lot of the long-time senators and members of congress in both parties who originally came to serve their country and make democracy work the way it's supposed to would love to find a way to get out of there without seeming like they turned and ran but rather stepping up to something that is an honorable exit. but the experience of spending four or five hours a day raising campaign money and putting up with the dysfunctionality of the senate is a deadening experience for many of them and they would like to leave. >> cenk: i think a lot of people at home have no idea about that experience. to me, being a united states senator would be amazing.

>> al: and it is. it is. but it's different now. >> cenk: but it's different. the idea of being on the floor for four or five hours to raise money is horrible. >> al: it is not just the time spent. it is -- you know, the nature of those conversations, you know. everybody handles it in a different way. and you just push back. but they have to push back all the time. i've heard them talk and it's gotten a lot worse since i left the senate. >> bizarre segue maybe. i've always saw three types of fund-raising. the worst is fund-raising for politics. give the money to me so i can be a candidate. just so self-grandizing and egotistical about it. second worse is raising money to make money for other people. invest with me. funds, the whole bit. the best, the one that's pure is raising money for -- they have a distinctly different feel to them and the political fund-raising hands down the

worst. >> cenk: some people want something in return for that money. it is not a quid pro quo but it is, to me, it is a very unfortunate system that we've gotten used to but we shouldn't be used to. >> al: the donors have gotten a lot more brazen. >> i want to go to governor granholm now. what's your thoughts on this? >> jennifer: i just have to jump in on this because it is such an abysmal thing to have to be on the phone for hours every day raising money when you could be serving. and really that's -- when these guys are thinking about a cabinet position, you have to go through the rigors of being confirmed but you don't have to go through spending hours in a small room. usually across the street in some way from your official office because you can't be doing it on site at the same place. you have to book these hours away. you're going through a stack of papers of call sheets, one after another getting either not having your calls returned or just begging people for money. it is the worst part of being in

office. it just is. >> cenk: wow. i think it is a really illuminating conversation. now let's have a little bit of fun. eliot, i'm going to put you on the spot. >> eliot: don't we have to go to break? >> cenk: no. secretary of commerce or secretary of new york? -- senator from new york? >> eliot: that would be easy for me. senator from new york in the tradition of a patmon happen or -- pat moynihan. we're looking for john kerry in the senate. people who want to talk to ideas. secretary of commerce is a great position but you're marketing for business overseas by in large. senator from new york has a stature, the capacity if you fulfill it to actually be a voice on substantive issues. >> cenk: secretary of labor changing it up on you or senator from wyoming. >> john: can i be an ex-president? that seems like the most fun.

>> cenk: george w. bush would definitely agree with you. >> john: i would say senator from wyoming but i think dick cheney pretended to be one. he was a texas resident when george w. bush asked him to be the running mate and had to change his residency to wyoming. but i guess -- i would go for a senator from wyoming because i know there are a lot of good progressives in wyoming who deserve a voice. >> cenk: i hear you on that. of course, cheney, congressman for wyoming and by the way had some -- even when he was old not so bad cheney, had some really bad votes. >> al: cenk uygur. senator from new jersey or secretary of housing and urban development? >> cenk: no no-brainer. senator from new jersey. >> eliot: we've ignored -- h.u.d. has been the most important, least-observed cabinet position. we have no urban policy these days.

i shouldn't say this. president obama of course has a great one. we have been not funding our housing policy the right way in urban centers, a lot of the mortgage side, nothing in terms of urban centers. >> cenk: governor granholm real quick. >> jennifer: you're asking me? i am an executive by nature. i like to run things and i think i would be enormously frustrated in a legislative body. >> cenk: we have a cabinet secretary in the bunch. that's terrific. we're going to take a quick break. >> al: that could happen by the way. >> john: they would be great. >> cenk: that's the only one that's not quite the hype -- quite a hip thetical. joe biden will -- jill biden will come and introduce joe biden. come right back for that. if you have copd like i do you know how hard it can be to breathe and what that feels like.

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>> cenk: back to current's coverage of the democratic national convention. jill biden is speaking right now. she will be introducing joe biden. let's listen in for a little bit here. >> four years ago both stood on this stage to introduce his father and soon afterwards, he deployed to iraq for a year with the delaware army national guard. [ cheers & applause ]

tonight, thanks to the leadership of president obama and my husband joe the war in iraq is over! [ cheers & applause ] i'm also -- students like angie who work so hard to create a better life for themselves and their families. i've been a teacher for more than 30 years. and to this day i continue to teach full time at a community college in northern virginia. [ cheers & applause ] not long after joe was elected vice president people started questioning whether i could keep teaching. not joe.

he was there standing by my side saying of course you should! it's who you are jill. for me, being a teacher isn't just what i do. it's who i am. [ cheers & applause ] these issues are personal to me. and for the more than 37 years that i've known joe i have seen firsthand just how personal they are to him too. joe often tells people that i didn't agree to marry him until the fifth time he asked me. the truth is i loved him from the start. i saw in him then the same character that i see in him today. i've seen joe's character in his optimism. for families who have lost a

loved one. kids struggling to find their way. workers out of a job. joe always works to give people a sense of hope. [ applause ] i've also seen joe's character in his determination. two decades ago when joe started working on the violence against women act domestic violence -- [ cheers & applause ] domestic violence was often treated as a private family matter rather than the crime it is. but know -- joe knew he had to bring this issue out into the open. and in the year since that bill has passed, i've had women tell me that their sisters or their friends wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for joe. [ cheers & applause ]

finally, i've seen joe's character in his heart. when i first met him joe had already seen just how fragile life could be. when he was 29 years old joe lost his first wife and baby daughter in a tragic car accident while they were out getting their christmas tree. and their boys were critically injured. joe's life was shattered. but through his strong catholic faith and his fierce love for our boys, joe found the strength to get back up. that's joe. [ cheers & applause ] >> cenk: moving speech by dr. jill biden in favor of her husband who is going to be speaking in about ten minutes. you know she mentioned something there that's really important. sometimes it doesn't happen

often but sometimes congressmen senators politicians make a difference. even if they're not president. >> al: oh, yeah. >> cenk: i had an interesting conversation with alan grayson about this. was in congress, now out, going to come back in. there's so much you can do. are you sure you want to go back into congress? he said cenk you don't understand, when we pass a bill he said we're helping people. that makes a difference. there's nowhere else i would rather be. that was an interesting comment. >> al: it used to happen a lot more than it does now. and remember joe biden was in the senate since 1972. he became chairman of the judiciary committee where he did this wonderful work on law enforcement, public safety and lots of other issues. then chairman of the foreign relations committee -- he knew jim there. he's passed lots of legislation. yes, that's very satisfying and

in the days when they really did a lot in the senate, it was particularly gratifying. >> cenk: all right. now we're going to hear from joe biden himself in just a little bit. we're going to take a quick break here and come back and listen to the vice president. think he is? (vo) this is joy on current tv. >>if mitt romney treats his magic underwear the same way as his tax returns, then he's been going commando for the past 10 years. >>since when do you get to say stuff like that on tv? >> listen, if you'd read your email once in a while, you'd know i have a new show. (vo) always outspoken. >> sometimes i feel like i don't even know you. >> just stay on your side of the screen, ok?

gaeme inc. thank gaemezilinsky, thank you for joining

>> cenk: we're back on current's coverage of the democratic national convention. vice president will speak momentarily. not this one. vice president biden the current vice president. although this vice president will speak while we -- of course talking about foreign policy there and you know, one of the notes about all of the speeches is the number of times president obama is mentioned. i know we've made note of this before but at the republican convention, mitt romney hardly ever mentioned. i hope someone does a count because i think it might be at least 10 to 1 difference. >> al: someone will be able to do the count quickly. >> cenk: i'm sure of that. there was a discussion of iraq. now, president obama said we got out of iraq. but let's also be realistic

about this. george bush signed the exit treaty in the first place. now you would have had to get a new one -- the agreement actually to stay in iraq. how much credit does he deserve for getting us out of iraq? >> al: i think he deserves enormous credit. in his campaign four years ago he clearly differentiated between the war in iraq and the war in afghanistan. of course, the war in iraq was launched on completely false premise and by launching it, the last administration pulled most of our troops out of afghanistan, gave up on the hunt for bin laden. but afghanistan by contrast, was in immediate and direct response to the people who actually did launch 9-11 and president obama was clear that he wanted to honorably end the first and pursue the second until they got bin laden.

and until they could leave in a way that allowed the afghans to have a chance of making it on their own. >> cenk: you know, that's all true. i just -- you know, toward the end there, there was a disagreement as to whether we can stay a little longer or not stay a little longer. i know there is a show about how we wanted to stay a little bit longer and able to have immunity for our troops and i wish they hadn't gone through that. dpoar when a country goes to war, we went through this in vietnam, the involvement in the war becomes an issue in and of itself. how can you leave? honorably? unless some of your goals are accomplished. i think that dispute with the government in baghdad don't have firsthand information on this but i would not be at all surprised if they weren't actually let off the hook a little bit when the iraqi government refused to give us

the status of forces agreement that we were insisting upon and so nobody was in a position back here in the united states, not even any of the republican hawks to say oh, you have to stay even under these conditions. so it was something they may actually have welcomed. >> let me go to governor granholm. >> jennifer: actually, i was just going to say cenk, just a quick observation here at the convention about this issue of the war. and about the troops. obviously there was a lot of criticism in the republican convention for them not talking about that. certainly mitt romney's speech. but here tonight, we've had several segments that have either certainly not -- more than mentioned honored the troops. even the lead-in here, obviously we had all of those service members on the stage. it was a tribute to them. john kerry's speech.

i think we're about to hear from the vice president of the united states. [ cheers & applause ] ♪ higher and higher ♪ [ cheers & applause ]

>> hello my fellow democrats! and my favorite democrat, jilly i want you to know that bo and hunt and ashton and i are so incredibly proud of you. we admire the way -- when every single solitary young person, they're not all young walk into your classroom you not only teach them, you give them confidence. you give me confidence. and the passion the passion she brings to trying to ease the burden on the families of our warriors jilly they know you understand them and that makes a gigantic difference. [ cheers & applause ] folks, i tell you what.

it was worth the trip to hear my wife say what i've never heard her say before. she's always loved me. [ laughter ] if that's the case, why in the heck did it take five times of asking you? and that's true! five times! i don't know what i would have done kiddo had you on that fifth time said no. i love you. you're the love of my life and the life of my love. [ cheers & applause ] you've got three incredible kids. bo, i want to thank you for putting my name in nomination to be vice president of the united states. i accept! [ cheers & applause ] i accept!

[ cheers & applause ] with great honor and pleasure, i accept! thank you! thank you my fellow democrats! 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 turn to a leader who they knew would lift our nation out of the crisis. a journey -- a journey we haven't 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.

for we possess the same grit, that same determination that same courage that is always defined -- that has always defined what it means to be an american, has always defined all of you. together, we're on a mission. we're on a mission to move this nation forward! from doubt and downturn to promise and prosperity. a mission i guarantee you we will complete. a mission we will complete. [ applause ] folks, tonight what i really want to do is tell you about my friend, barack obama. [ cheers & applause ] no one could tell it as well or as eloquently as michelle as you

did last night michelle. monday night. but i know him to state the obvious, from a different perspective. i know him and i want to show you -- i want to show you the character of a leader who had what it took when the american people literally stood on the brink of a new depression. a leader who has what it takes to lead us over the next four years to a 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 because i don't see him in sound bytes. i walk 30 paces down the hall into the oval office 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 like a sledgehammer on all the people i grew up with. you remember the headlines... you saw some of them in the previews. highest job losses in 60 years. headlines, economy on the brink. markets plummet worldwide. from the very moment president obama sat behind the desk resolute in the oval office, he knew, he knew he had not only to restore the confidence of the nation but he had to restore the confidence of the whole world. [ applause ] he also knew -- he also knew that one false move could bring a run on the banks 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 and with the judgment and vision to see us through. day after day night after night, i sat beside him as he made one gutsy decision after the other. to stop the slide and reversing. i watched him. i watched him stand up -- i watched him stand up to intense pressure. and stare down enormous, enormous challenges. the 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 -- he knew that no

matter how tough the decisions were he had to make in that oval office, he knew that families all over america sitting at their kitchen tables, were literally making decisions for their family that were equally as consequential. barack and i, we've been through a lot together these four years. and we learned about one another, a lot about one another. and one of the things i learned about barack is the enormity of his heart and i think he learned about me, the depth of my loyalty to him. [ applause ] and there's another thing. another thing that's bound us together these past four years. we had a pretty good idea what all of those families, all of

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 his mother's hospital bed and watch her fight at the end of his -- at the very same time she was fighting for her life. when i was a young kid in third grade, i remember my dad coming up the stairs at my grand pop's house where we were living, sitting at the end of my bed and saying joey, i'm going to have to leave for awhile. go down to wilmington, delaware with uncle frank. the good jobs down there, honey. in a little while little while i'll be able to send for you and mom and jimmy and val. and everything is going to be fine. for the rest of our lives my sister and my brothers, for the

rest of our lives my dad never failed to remind us that a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. it is about -- it is about your dignity. [ applause ] it is about respect. it is about your place in the community. it's about being able to look your child in the eye and say "honey, it's going to be okay and mean it and know it's true." barack and i -- barack and i were growing up, there was an implicit understanding in america. that if you took responsibility, you get a fair shot at a better life. and the values, the values behind that bargain were the values that shaped both of us. and many, many of you.

and today those same values are barack's guiding star. folks, i've watched him. he has never wavered. he never never backs down. he always steps up and he always asks in every one of those critical meetings, the same fundamental question. how is this going to affect the average american? how is this going to affect people's lives? that's what is inside this man. that's what makes him tick! [ cheers & applause ] that's who he is. folks, because of the decisions he's made, and the incredible strength of the american people, america has turned a corner. the worst job loss since the great depression. we've since created 4.5 million

private sector jobs in the past 25 months. president obama and governor romney they're both loving husbands. they're 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 tonight although you've heard people talk about it, i want to talk about two things from a slightly different perspective. from my perspective. i would like to focus on two crises and show you the character of the leadership that each man will bring to this job. because as i said, i've had a ringside seat. the first of these a lot's been

talked about and god love jennifer granholm. wasn't she great? [ cheers & applause ] but the first story i want to talk to you about is the rescue of the automobile industry. and let me tell you let me tell you from this man's ringside seat, let me tell you about how barack obama saved more than a million american jobs. in the first days -- the first days that we took office, general motors and chrysler were literally on the verge of liquidation. if the president didn't act if he didn't act immediately there wouldn't be any industry left to save. so we sat hour after hour in the oval office. michelle remembers.

we sat. we sat hour after hour. we listened to senators, congressmen, outside advisers, even some of our own advisers. we listened to them to say the following things. we shouldn't step up. the risk the risk is too high. the outcome was too uncertain. and the president, he patiently sat there and he listened. but he didn't see it the way they did. he understood something they didn't get. one of the reasons i love him. he understood. it was about the people who built and made those cars. and about the america those people built! and those meetings -- [ cheers & applause ] in these meetings in these meetings i often thought about

my dad. my dad was an automobile man. he would have been one of those guys all the way down the line, not on the factory floor, not along the supply chain but one of the guys selling american cars to american people. i thought about -- i thought about what this crisis would have meant for the mechanics and the secretaries and the salespeople who my dad managed for over 35 years. and i know for certain, i know for certain that my dad, were he here today, he would be fighting like heck 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 -- 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 just were prepared to walk away.

you know, when i look back -- when i look back now -- when i look back on the president's decision, i think of another son of another automobile man, mitt romney. no no. mitt romney, mitt romney grew up in detroit. my dad managed his dad owned -- my dad managed. his dad ran an entire automobile company. american motors. yes, but i don't understand, in spite of that, he was willing to let detroit go bankrupt. i don't think he's a bad guy. no no. i don't think he's a bad guy. i'm sure he grew up loving cars as much as i did. what i don't understand, what i don't think he understood, 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 saw it the bain way. i mean this sincerely. he saw it in terms of balance sheets and write-offs. folks, the bain way may bring your firm the highest profits. but it's not the way to lead our country from the highest office. [ cheers & applause ] >> when things hung in the balance, when things hung in the balance, i mean literally hung in the balance the president understood this was about a lot more than the automobile industry. this was about restoring america's pride. he understood. he understood in his gut what it would mean to leave a million people without hope or work if

he didn't act. and he also knew -- he also knew intuitively understood the message would have sent around the world if the united states gave up on an industry that helped put america on the map in the first place. [ applause ] conviction resolve, barack obama. that's what saved the automobile industry! conviction resolve, barack obama. look, you heard my friend john kerry. this president this president has shown the same resolve the same steady hand in his role as commander in chief. look. which brings me to the next

illustration i want to tell you about. the next crisis he had to face. in 2008, 2008, before he was president, barack obama made a promise to the american people. he said "if i have -- if we have bin laden in our sights, we will -- we will take him out." he went on to say that has to be our biggest national security priority. look barack understood that the search for bin laden was about a lot more than taking a monstrous leader off the battlefield. it was about so much more than that. it was about writing an unspeakable -- it was about righting an unspeakable wrong. literally. it was about healing. an unbearable wound. a nearly unbearable wound.

in america's heart. and he also knew -- 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! [ cheers & applause ] [crowd chanting u.s.a.] >> most of all -- most of all president obama had an unyielding faith in the 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. so we sat originally, five of us. we sat in the situation room beginning in the fall of the year before. we listened. we talked. we heard. and he listened to the risks and reservations about the raid. he asked again the tough questions. he listened to the doubts that were expressed. but when admiral mccraven looked him in the eye and said "sir, we can get this job done." i sat next to him. i looked at your husband. and i knew at that moment he had made his decision. and his response was decisive. he said do it and justice was

done. [ cheers & applause ] [crowd chanting u.s.a.] >> governor romney didn't see things that way. when he was asked about bin laden in 2007, here's what he said. he said it's not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars just to catch one person. [crowd booing] he was wrong. he was wrong. because if you understood that america's heart had to be healed, you would have done exactly what the president did and you would move heaven and earth to hunt him down! and to bring him to justice.

look, four years ago -- four years ago only thing missing at this convention this year is my mom. four years ago my mom was still with us, sitting up in the stadium in denver. i quoted her -- her favorite expressions. she used to say to all of her children, she said joey, bravery resides in every heart. and the time will come when it must be summoned. ladies and gentlemen i'm here to tell you what i think you already know. i watch it up close. bravery resides in the heart of barack obama and time and time again, i witnessed him summon it. this man has courage in his soul. compassion in his heart and a spine of steel!

and because of all of the actions he took, because of the calls he made, because of the determination of american workers and the unparalleled bravery of our special forces, we can now proudly say what you've heard me say the last six months... osama bin laden is dead. and general motors is alive! [ cheers & applause ] that's right! one man. folks, we know we have more work to do. we know we're not there yet! but not a day has gone by in the last four years when i haven't been grateful as an american that barack obama is our president because he always has the courage to make the tough decisions.

speaking of tough decisions speaking of tough calls last week we heard at the republican convention, we heard our opponents -- we heard them pledge that day two they, too had the courage to make the tough calls. that's what they said. folks, in case you didn't notice -- i say to my fellow americans, in case you didn't notice, they didn't have the courage to tell you what calls they would make. they never mentioned any of that. mrs. robinson, you watched from home, from the white house you heard them talk so much about how they cared so much about medicare.

how much they wanted to preserve it. that's what they told you. but let's look at what they didn't tell you. what they didn't tell you is that the plan they have already put down on paper would immediately cut benefits for more than 30 million seniors already on medicare. what they didn't tell you -- what they didn't tell you is the plan they're proposing would cause medicare to go bankrupt by 2016. and what they really didn't tell you is they -- if you want to know -- if you want to know -- they're not for preserving medicare at all. they're for a new plan. it is called voucher care. look folks, that's not courage. that's not even truthful. that's not even truthful. in tampa they talked with great

urgency about the nation's debt. and the need to act. to act now. but not once, not one single time did they tell you that they rejected every plan put forward by us, by the bipartisan simpson bowles commission they referenced or by any respected group to reduce the national debt. they were not for any of them. why? because they're not prepared to do anything about the debt. if it contained even one dollar i'm not exaggerating, one dollar or one cent in new taxes for millionaires. folks, that's not courage and that's not fair. look look, in a sense this can be reduced to a single notion. the two men seeking to lead this

country over the next four years, as i said at the outset have fundamentally different visions and completely different value set. governor romney believes in this global economy. it doesn't matter much where american companies invest and put their money or where they create jobs. as a matter of fact, in his budget proposal, in his tax proposal, he calls for a new tax. it is called a territorial tax which the experts have looked at. and they acknowledge it will create 800,000 new jobs, all of them overseas! all of them! and what i found -- what i found fascinating, most fascinating thing i found last week was when governor romney said that as president, he would take a jobs tour. with his support for outsourcing, it is going to have to be a foreign trip. [ cheers & applause ]

look president obama knows that creating jobs in america keeping jobs in america bringing jobs back to america is what the president's job is all about. that's what presidents do. or at least supposed to do. folks, governor romney believes it is okay to raise taxes on middle class by $2,000 in order to pay for another literally another trillion dollar tax cut for the very wealthy. president obama knows that there's nothing decent or fair about asking people with more to do less and with less to do more. governor romney believes -- he believes that kids, kids like our dreamers, those immigrant children those immigrant children were brought to america's shores through no fault of their own. he thinks they're a drag on the american economy. president obama believes that

even though those dreamers, those kids didn't choose to come here they have chosen to do right by america and it is time for us to do right by them. >> governor romney looks at the notion of equal pay in terms of the bottom line. president obama knows that making sure our daughters get the same pay as their sons is every father's bottom line! [ cheers and applause ] >> i kind of expected all of that from him, but one thing truly perplexed me at their convention.

the thing that perplexed me most was this idea they kept talking about the culture of dependency. they seem to think you create a culture of dependency when you provide a bright young qualified kid from a working class family a loan to get to college or provide a job-training program in a new industry for a dad who lost his job to outsourcing. folks, that's not how we look at it. what he doesn't understand is all these men and women are look for is a chance, just a chance to acquire the skills to be able to provide for their families so they can once again hold their heads high and lead independent lives with dignity. that's all they are look for. [ cheers and applause ] >> and it literally amazing me

they don't understand that. you know, i told you the outset the choice is stark, two different visions, two different value sets but at its core the difference is reduced to a fundamental difference. you see, you, we, most americans have incredible faith in the decency and hard work of the american people, and we know what has made this country. it's the american people. as i mentioned at the outset four years ago we were hit hard. you saw -- you saw your requirement accounts drained the equity in your homes vanished, jobs lost around the line. but what did you do as americas? what you have always done. you didn't lose faith. you fought back, you didn't sit down, you got up! you are the ones! you are the reason why we are still better positioned than any

country in the world to lead the 21st century. you never quit on america and you deserve a president who will never quit on you. [ cheers and applause ] >> folks, there's one more thing, one more thing. our republican opponents are just dead wrong about. america is not in decline. america is not in decline! i have got news for governor romney and congressman ryan gentlemen, never, ever -- it never makes sense. it's never been a good bet to bet against the american people! [ cheers and applause ] >> never! >> my fellow americans, america

is coming back and we're not going back! [ cheers and applause ] >> and we have no intention of downsizing the american dream! [ cheers and applause ] >> never! never a good bet. ladies and gentlemen, in a moment -- in a moment we're 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 that dream for our children. for you see -- you see, we see future. we really honest to god do. we see a future where everyone rich and poor does their part and has a part.

a future where we depend more on clean energy from home and less on oil from abroad, a future where we're number one in the world again in college graduation, a future where we promote the private sector, not the privileged sector, and a future -- [ cheers and applause ] . >> -- and a future where women once again control their own choices, their destiny, and their own health care! [ cheers and applause ] >> and ladies and gentlemen, barack and i see a future where no one is forced to live in the shadows of intolerance. [ cheers and applause ] >> folks, we see a future where

american -- where america leads not only by the power of -- the example of our power, but by the power of our example where we bring our troops home from afghanistan just as we proudly did from iraq. [ cheers and applause ] >> a future -- a future where we fulfill 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, and tonight -- and tonight -- [ applause ] >> -- tonight i want to acknowledge -- i want to acknowledge, as we should every

night, the incredible debt we owe to the families of those -- 6,473 fallen angels and those 49,746 wounded thousands critically thousands who will need our help for the rest of their lives. folks [ clearing throat ] we never -- we must never ever forget their sacrifice, and always keep them in our care and in our prayers. my fellow americans, we now -- when -- we now find ourselves at the hinge of history, and the direction we turn not figuratively literally in your hands.

it has been a -- a truly great honor to serve you and to serve with barack who has always stood up with you for the past four years. i have seen him tested. i know his strength his commands, his faith, and i also know the incredible confidence he has in all of you. i know this man. yes, the road to 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. and the cause of change is not fully accomplished but we are on our way! so i say to you tonight with absolute confidence america's best days are ahead, and yes, we are on our way! [ cheers and applause ] >> and in light of that horizon for the values that define us

for the ideals that inspire us, there is only one choice. that choice is to move forward, boldly forward, and finish the job, and re-elect president barack obama! [ cheers and applause ] >> god bless you all and may god protect our tours! god bless you! thank you! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ remember when it was late september ♪ [ cheers and applause ]

♪ on and on ♪ ♪

>> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator dick durbin of illinois. >> cenk: that was of course vice president joe biden basically vying for the president in a more aggressive way. president obama in a little bit we'll go right to a break here. >> cenk: we are back on current's coverage of the

democratic national convention. senator dick durbin is speaking now. vice president what did you think of joe biden's speech? >> al gore: i thought he was terrific. i love joe biden. he is a close friend and i think he has done a great job as vp. somebody was saying on twitter, the gaffes -- he is just saying things everybody else wants to say. and the republicans will jump on him for it. it just washes right off of him like a duck's back. people know he has this emotional connection to middle income families. when his father was laid off when he was a kid, that was a lifelong experience that he still feels deeply and you could tell that in his speech. >> eliot: i think he is norman rockwell. when you see the norman rockwell

paintings, that's joe biden. and he has a reaganesque way of connecting with his audience. you know he is telling the truth. you just want to be with him. >> cenk: okay. >> eliot: i love the guy. i don't know him, but i think he is genuine real -- >> cenk: he seems like a lovable old uncle. >> john: he is uncle joe. and he is the real american right next door. i think he literally gets a pass on using literally when he means figuratively, because we have had to endure this republican rather ugly smear of him as a gaffe machine. we have got a of people say they can't wait for paul ryan take him on and tear him apart in the

debates -- >> al gore: i want to take joe's side and dampen the expectations. that's part of the game there. >> john: you are right. i don't want to give away the play book. >> al gore: i got away with saying before the debate i said well, i think the one thing that jack and i can agree on is he is a much better debater than me. and they went and asked his people, and they were like yeah yeah, that's right. [ laughter ] >> cenk: the vice president there is being more aggressively -- you know, proud of their record. this is what president obama did. got bin laden, kept gm alive, and bragging in a way that the president would have a more awkward time bragging about. even though at times i thought it was a bit much.

>> eliot: on the economy, the auto industry is the metaphor for this administration, and with foreign policy bin laden is that. you just look at that bumper sticker, bin laden is dead gm is alive. i want this guy for four more years. >> al gore: and by the way that was not an easy decision for president obama to make. that was a very risky call. >> cenk: i want people to understand why because of course you think i want to get bin laden, but there were considerable risks if that depreciation went wrong. both george w. bush and mitt romney said that's not that important. bush said i'm not that concerned about him. and biden was right to point out, mitt romney said it's not worth moving heaven and earth to get him. now we're going to the video of

president obama here. ♪ >> we have been through a lot together. ♪ >> but we have known tough times before. ♪ >> what carries us through? ♪ >> helps us endure? what are the qualities so essential to us? and the leaders who have occupied this office? ♪ >> he did some things knowing that they wouldn't be popular in

the short run that would lay the foundation for recovery. no other country in the world would give up the capacity to manufacture cars. so he did what the government is supposed to do in a case like that. >> do not rescue the automobile industry. it was overwhelming. >> a country in the midst of a financial crisis that no one really, you know, new the depths of the challenges that were coming. i think he -- he had a sense. >> my grand parents came out of the depression. they knew what it was like for people not to have work. we all understand work as something more than just a paycheck. what gives you dignity. it gives you a sense of purpose. >> he said you guys have got to work together and come up and everybody has got to have some skin in the game here. you have got to modernize the automobile industry. >> everybody said it is never

going to work. guess what. >> 80,000 more people working in the car business than we did before the restructuring was passed. >> they are middle classed jobs. >> we went from an economy that was shredding jobs to one that is creating jobs in every sector. every night he is up until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, with his big stack of briefings and he reads letters from people all over america. as he put it they are the pieces of information that keep him grounds. the truth is when you have children, no matter what you do they are the most important people in the room. we sit around the dinner table and he is the last person to be asked, oh, yeah how was your day, dad? i mean, really he is an

afterthought. >> he never starts a conversation by saying what is the best political decision here? what will help us the most? never. >> so he wasn't going to back out just because it got hard just because it didn't poll well. that just has never been who he is, and it is certainly not how he will ever govern this country. >> when my mom got cancer she wasn't a wealthy woman, and it pretty much drained all of her resources. >> watching your mother die of something that could have been prevented, that's a tough thing to deal with. >> the reason he pushed ahead knowing there could be horrible political consequences for him just as there was for me is healthcare has gone up three times the rate of inflation. this is a huge economic issue. we spending 17% of our fundamental on health care.

>> imagine working class moms opening up that kind of bill. you know? with -- with somebody sending that to her with a straight face. that understanding of that kind of reality for millions of americans drove him to make sure this legislation got passed. it takes a conscious effort to stay connected with what is going on in people's lives. >> this was a matter of principle for him. he ran on it. he said he was going to do it, and he did it. >> you hire the president to make the calls when no one else can do it. ♪ >> he had to decide. that's one thing george bush said that was right. the president is the decider in chief. >> we were only about 50% sure

that bin laden was in that compound. i had 100% confidence in our navy seals. >> i sat in that room with him when we were getting feeds on what was going on at the time. he sat there resolute concerned, just watching. you got him? confirm it. just boom boom boom and then came and explained to everybody in the cabinet room what hand. is a guy who has a backbone like a ramrod. >> good evening, tonight i can report to the american people and to the world -- >> he took the harder and the more honorable path and the one that produced in my opinion the best result. ♪ >> when i saw what had hand i

thought to myself, i hope that's the call i would have made. it was just the right thing to do. ♪ >> we have a long way to go. ♪ >> but with every new beginning, every new coming every step forward, we remember who we are. ♪ >> what is really allowing this economy to heal and get us moving again is the resilience strength and character of the american people. they don't quit. they don't give up. ♪ >> partly because of family, partly because of the sense of community, patriotism in this country, they keep going. ♪

>> that's the incredible gift that the american people keep giving back to me in this job. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you so much. tonight i am so thrilled and so honored and so proud to introduce the love of my life, the father of our two girls, and the president of the united states of america, barack obama. [ cheers and applause ] ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> thank you! [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you!

thank you! [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you so much. [ chanting four more years ] >> thank you. thank you so much. [ chanting continues ] >> thank you. thank you very much, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. michelle, i love you so much. [ cheers and applause ] >> a few nights ago everybody was reminded just what a lucky man i am. [ cheers and applause ] >> malia and sasha, we are so proud of you.

[ cheers and applause ] >> and yes you do have to go to school in the morning. [ laughter ] >> and joe biden, thank you for being the very best vice president i could have ever hoped for. [ cheers and applause ] >> and being a strong and loyal friend. [ cheers and applause ] >> madam chair woman, delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ]

[ chanting four more years ] >> now, the first time ied a depressed this convention in 2004, i was a younger man. [ laughter ] >> a senate candidate from illinois who spoke about hope. not blind optimism, not wishful thinking, but hope in the face of difficulty. hope in the face of uncertainty. that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward even when the odds are great, even when the road is long. eight years later -- that hope has been tested by the cost of war, by one of the worst

economic crises in history and by political gridlock that has left us wondering whether it is still even possible to tackle the challenges of our time. i know campaigns can seem small, even silly sometimes. trivial things become big distractions, serious issues become sound bites. the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. if you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me so am i. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] >> but when all is said and done, when you pick up that ballot to vote you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. over the next few years 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. and on every issue, the choice you face won't just be between two candidates or two 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. [ cheers and applause ] >> the values my grandfather defended as a solder in patton's army, the values that drove my grandmother to work on an assembly line when he was gone. they knew they were part of

something larger. a nation that triumphs over fascism and depression. and everyone 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 buy their own home, and fulfill the bargain at the heart of american's story, the promise that heard work will pay off, that responsibility will be rewarded, that everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules from main street to wall street to washington, d.c. [ cheers and 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 were starting to move overseas and by 2008 we had seen nearly a decade in my families struggled with costs that kept rising and the paychecks that didn't. folks racking up more and more debt, and when the house of cards collapsed in the great recession, millions of innocent americans lost their jobs homes, life savings, a tragedy from which we're still trying to recover. our friends down in tampa at the republican convention, were more than happy to think about everything they think is wrong with america, but they didn't have much to say about how they would make it right. they want your vote but they don't want you to know their plan. and that's because all they had to offer is the same

prescriptions they have had for the last 30 years. have a surplus, try a tax cut? deficit too high? try another. [ laughter ] >> feel a cold coming on take two tax cuts roll back some regulations and call us in the morning. [ cheers and applause ] >> now i have cut taxes for those who need it. [ cheers and applause ] >> middle class families small businesses, but i don't believe that another round of tax cuts to millionaires will bring jobs to our shore or pay down our deficit, i don't believe that firing teachers will help us

complete with the scientists and engineers coming out of china. [ cheers and applause ] >> after all we have been through, i don't 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, and we're not going back. we are moving forward, america! [ cheers and applause ] >> now i won't pretend the path i'm offering is quick or easy. i never have. you didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. you elected me to tell you the truth. [ cheers and applause ] >> and the truth is it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades. it will require common effort and shared responsibility and

the kind of bold persistent policy that franklin roosevelt pursued. and those of us who carry on his legacy should remember that not every problem can be solved with another government regulation, but our problems can be solved, our challenges can be met. the path we offer may be harder, but it leads to beater place, and i scheming you to choose that future. i'm asking you to rally around a set of goals for your country. goals in manufacturing, energy education, national security and the deficit. real achievable plans that will lead to new jobs more opportunity and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. that's what we can do 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're getting back to basics and doing what america has always done best. we are making things again. [ applause ] >> i have met workers in detroit and toledo who feared they would never build another american car, and today they can't build them fast enough, because we reinvented a dying auto industry that is back on top of the world. i have worked with business leaders who are bringing jobs

back to america, not because our workers make less pay, but because we make better products. [ cheers and applause ] >> because we work harder and smarter than anyone else. i have signed trade agreements that are helping our companies sell more goods to millions of new customers, goods stamped with three proud worded made in america! [ cheers and applause ] [ chanting usa ] >> and after a decade of decline, this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years, and now you have a choice. we can give more tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and train new

workers, and create new jobs here in the united states of america [ cheers and applause ] >> we can help big factories and small businesses double their experts, and if we choose this path, we can create a 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 control more of our own energy. after 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. we have doubled our use of renewable energy and thousands of americans have jobs building wind turbines and long-lasting % batteries. we cut oil imports by 1 billion barrels a day.

more than any administration in recent history, and today the united states of america is less dependant on foreign oil than at anytime in the last two decades. [ cheers and applause ] >> so now you have a choice between a strategy that reverses this progress or one that builds on it. we have opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration in the last three years, and we'll open more. but unlike my opponent i will not let oil companies write this country's energy plan or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayer! [ cheers and applause ] >> we're offering a better path! [ cheers and applause ] >> we're offering a better path. a future where we keep investing in wind and solar, and clean

coal, where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks where congress workers build homes and factories that waste less energy where we develop natural gas right beneath our feet. if you choose this path we can cult our oil imports in half by 2020 and create more than 600,000 new jobs in alternative evengy alone. climate change is not a hoax. more floods droughts and wild fors 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 the chance to gain 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, and now more than ever it is the gateway to a middle class life. [ cheers and applause ] >> for the first time in a generation, nearly every state has answered our call to raise their standards for teaching and learning. some of the worst schools in the country have made real gains in math and reading. millions of students are paying less for college today because we finally look on a system that wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on banks and lenders. [ cheers and applause ] >> and now you have a choice. we can gut education or we can decide in the united states of

america, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school. no family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don't have the money. no company should have to look for workers overseas because they couldn't find any with the right skills here at home. that's not our future! [ cheers and applause ] >> that is not our future! >> a government has a role in there, but teachers must inspire, principals must lead parents must instill a thirst for learning, and students you got to do the work. and together i promise you we can outeducate and out-compete any nation on earth. so help me help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers within ten years, and

improve early childhood education! [ cheers and applause ] >> help give 2,000 workers the skills at their community college that will lead to a good paying job, help us cut in half the cost of tuition over the next ten years. we can meet that goal together. you can choose that future for america. [ cheers and applause ] >> that's our future! you know, in a world of new threats and new challenges, you can choose leadership that has been tested and proven. four years ago i promised to end the war in iraq. we did. [ cheers and applause ] >> i promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and we have.

[ cheers and applause ] >> we have blunted the tally ban's hold in afghanistan, and in 2014 our longest war will be over. al al-qaeda is on the path to defeat and osama bin laden is dead. [ cheers and applause ] [ chanting usa ] >> but tonight we pay tribute to the americans who still serve in harm's way. we are forever in debt to a generation who's sacrifice has made this country safer and more respected. we will never forget you, and so long as i'm commander in chief, we will sustain the longest military the world has ever

known. when you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you have served us because no one who fights for this country, should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads, or the care that they need when they come home. [ cheers and applause ] >> around the world we have strengthened old alliances, we have reasserted our power across the pacific, and stood up to china on behalf of our workers. we have advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings. men and women, christians and muslims and jews but for all of the progress we have made challenges remain. terrorist plots must be disrupted. europe's crisis must be

contained. our commitment to israel security must not waiver and neither must our pursuit of peace. the iranian government must face a world that stays united against its nuclear ambitions. the historic change sweeping across the arab world just be defined by the hopes and aspirations of ordinance people who are reaching for the same rights that we celebrate here today. [ applause ] >> so now we have a choice. my opponent and his running mate are . . . new to foreign policy. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> but 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 don't call russia

our number one enemy, not all all -- al-qaeda russia. you might have a problem if you can't visit beijing without insulting our closest ally. [ cheers and applause ] >> my opponent said that it was tragic to end the war in iraq and he won't tell us how he'll end the war in afghanistan. well i have, and i will. and while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our joint chiefs don't even want, i will use the money we are no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work rebuilding roads, and bridges and schools and runways because

after two wars that cost us thousands of lives, and over a trillion dollars, it's 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. [ cheers and applause ] >> independent experts say that my plan would cut our deficit by $4 trillion. and last summer when i worked with republicans in congress to cut a billion dollars in spending because those of us who believe government can be a force for good should work heard than anyone to reform it that it's leaner and more efficient and more responsive to the american people. [ applause ] >> i want to reform the tax code so that simple fair and asks

the wealthiest households to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000, the same rate we had when bill clinton was president, the same rate we had when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs the biggest surplus in history and a whole lot of millionaires to boot. now i'm still eager to reach an agreement. 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 governor romney and his friends in congress tell us we can shallower our deficits by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy. well, what did bill clinton call it? you did the arithmetic. you do the math. [ applause ] >> i refuse to go along with that. and as long as i'm 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 and applause ] >> 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'm not going along with that. [ cheers and applause ] >> and i will never -- i will never turn medicare into a voucher. [ cheers and applause ] >> 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. yes, we will reform and strengthen medicare for the long haul, but we'll 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. [ cheers and 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; that since government can't do everything, it should do almost nothing. if you can't afford health

insurance, hope that you don't get sick. [ laughter ] >> if a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well that's the price of progress. if you can't afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent's advise and borrow money from your parents. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> you know what? that's not who we are. that's not what this country is about. as american's we believe we are endowed by our creator with certain inalien able rights. we insist on personal responsibility, and we celebrate individual initiative. we're not entitled to success. we have to earn it. we honor the strivers the dreamers, the risk takers the entrepreneurs who have always been the driving force behind

our free enterprise system. 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 very 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 that when a ceo pays his auto workers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does better. [ applause ] >> we believe that when a family can no longer be tricked into signing a mortgage they can't afford, that family is protected, but so is the value of other people's homes, and so is the entire economy. we believe the little girl who is offered an escape from

poverty by a great teacher or grant from college could become the next steve jobs or the scientist who cures cancer, or the president of the united states, and 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 than a poverty program alone. we don't want handouts for people who refuse to help themselves, and we certainly don't want bailouts for banks that break the rules. [ cheers and applause ] >> we don't think the government can solve all of our problems, but we don't 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're told to blame for our troubles. [ cheers and applause ] >> because -- because america -- we understand that this democracy is ours. we, the people recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which asks only what is in it for me a freedom without commitment to others without love, 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's about what can be done by us. together. through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self government. that's what we believe. so you see the election four years ago wasn't about me. it was about you. [ cheers and applause ] >> my fellow citizens, you were the change. [ applause ] >> you are the reason there is at little girl with a heart disorder in phoenix who will get the surgery she needs because an insurance company can't limit her coverage. you did that. [ cheers and applause ] >> you're the reason a young man in colorado who never thought he

would be able to afore 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 grow up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she has ever called home. why selfless soldiers won't be kicked out of the military because of who they are and who they love, because we will be able to say welcome them to to the thousands that served us so bravely. you did that! you did that! you theyed? -- you did that. if you turn away now, if you turn away now, if 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 that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void the lobbyists, and special interests, the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are trying to make it harder for you to vote. washington politicians who want to decide who you are marry, or decide health care choices that women should be making for themselves. [ cheers and applause ]yez >> only you can make sure that doesn't happen. only you have the power to move us forward. you know, i recognize that times have changed since i first spoke to this convention.

times have changed, and so have i. i'm no longer just a candidate. i'm the president. [ cheers and applause ] >> and -- and then -- and that means i know what it means to send young americans into battle, for i have held in my arms the mothers and fathers of those who didn't return. i have shared the pain of families who lost their homes and the frustration of workers who lost their jobs. if the critics are right that i made all of my decisions based on polls, then i must not be

very good at reading them. [ laughter ] >> and while i'm very proud of what we have achieved together i'm far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what lincoln meant when he said i have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that i had no place else to go. [ applause ] >> but as i stand here tonight, i have never been more hopeful about america. [ cheers and applause ] >> not because i think i have all of the answers, not because i'm naive about the magnitude of our challenges. i'm hopeful because of you. the young woman i met at a science fair who won national recognition for her biologist research while living