i want to welcome debbie wasserman schulz. let me also think president obama once again for picking charlotte to host this convention. and want to thank my host committee cochairs. within the next has 65 days, there of the democratic national convention here in charlotte. did you hear that? i have been asked whether i was surprised that charlotte was selected. the answer is no. i was not surprised. yes, we are a southern city filled with the southern charm one would expect. minoan mistake about it. -- make no mistake about it. we refuse to take no for an answer when we set our eyes on a goal. we like to believe you never had a choice. un three process. one year from now, our fellow americans and their neighbors around the world learn a lot about our city, about our region. one thing they will learn is that nothing we have done in the way of achievements have occurred by accident. like our nation, charlotte in north carolina has been built by hard-working men and women, many times against the odds to dare to reach for a better