Barack Obama

nineteen month_ago __PUNCT__ on a cold __DATE___dai right here on the step of the old state_capitol __PUNCT__ i stood befor you to announc my candidaci for presid of the unit_state of america __PUNCT__

we start thi journei with a simpl belief __PUNCT__ that the american_peopl were better than their govern in washington __PUNCT__ a govern that ha fallen prei to special_interest and polici that have left work_peopl behind __PUNCT__

as i travel to town and citi __PUNCT__ farm and factori __PUNCT__ front_porch and fairground in almost all fifti_state __PUNCT__ that belief ha been strengthen __PUNCT__

becaus at thi defin moment in our histori __PUNCT__ with our nation at war __PUNCT__ and our economi in recess __PUNCT__ we know that the american_peopl cannot afford four more year of the same fail polici and the same old polit in washington __PUNCT__

we know that the time for chang ha come __PUNCT__

for month __PUNCT__ i search for a leader to finish thi journei alongsid me __PUNCT__ and to join in me in make washington work for the american peopl __PUNCT__

i search for a leader who understand the rise_cost confront work_peopl __PUNCT__ and who will alwai put their dream first __PUNCT__

a leader who see clearli the challeng_face america in a chang world __PUNCT__ with our secur and stand set back by eight year of a fail foreign_polici __PUNCT__

a leader who share my vision of an open govern that call all citizen __PUNCT__ democrat __PUNCT__ republican and independ __PUNCT__ to a common_purpos __PUNCT__

abov all __PUNCT__ i search for a leader who is readi to step in and be presid __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ i have come back to springfield to tell you that i found that leader __PUNCT__ a man with a distinguish record and a fundament decenc __PUNCT__ joe_biden __PUNCT__

joe biden is that rare mix __PUNCT__ for decad __PUNCT__ he ha brought chang to washington __PUNCT__ but washington hasn't chang him __PUNCT__

he an expert on foreign_polici whose heart and valu ar root firmli in the middl_class __PUNCT__

he ha stare down dictat and spoken out for america cop and firefight __PUNCT__

he is uniqu suit to be my partner as we work to put our countri_back on track __PUNCT__

now i could stand here and recit a list of senat biden achiev __PUNCT__ becaus he is on of the finest public_servant of our time __PUNCT__

but first i want to talk to you about the charact of the man stand next to me __PUNCT__

joe_biden mani triumph have onli come after great trial __PUNCT__

he wa born in scranton __PUNCT__ pennsylvania __PUNCT__

hi famili didn't have much monei __PUNCT__

joe sr __PUNCT__ work differ job __PUNCT__ from clean boiler to sell car __PUNCT__ sometim move in with the in __PUNCT__ law or work weekend to make end meet __PUNCT__

but he rais hi famili with a strong commit to work and to famili __PUNCT__ to the cathol faith and to the belief that in america __PUNCT__ you can make it if you try __PUNCT__

those ar the core valu that joe biden ha carri with him to thi dai __PUNCT__

and even though joe sr __PUNCT__ is not with us __PUNCT__ i know that he is proud of joe todai __PUNCT__

it might be hard to believ when you hear him talk now __PUNCT__ but as a child he had a terribl stutter __PUNCT__

thei call him __PUNCT__ bu __PUNCT__ bu __PUNCT__ biden __PUNCT__ but he pick himself up __PUNCT__ work_harder than the other gui __PUNCT__ and got elect to the senat __PUNCT__ a young_man with a famili and a seemingli limitless futur __PUNCT__

then tragedi struck __PUNCT__

joe wife neilia and their littl girl naomi were kill in a car_accid __PUNCT__ and their two boi were badli hurt __PUNCT__

when joe wa sworn in as a senat __PUNCT__ there wa no ceremoni in the capitol __PUNCT__ instead __PUNCT__ he wa stand by hi son in the hospit room where thei were recov __PUNCT__

he wa __NUM___year old __PUNCT__

tragedi test us __PUNCT__ it test our fortitud and it test our faith __PUNCT__

here how joe_biden respond __PUNCT__

he never move to washington __PUNCT__

instead __PUNCT__ night after night __PUNCT__ week after week __PUNCT__ year after year __PUNCT__ he return_home to wilmington on a lone amtrak train when hi senat busi wa done __PUNCT__

he rais hi boi __PUNCT__ first as a singl dad __PUNCT__ then alongsid hi wonder wife jill __PUNCT__ who work as a teacher __PUNCT__

he had a beauti daughter __PUNCT__

now hi children ar grown and joe is bless with 5grandchildren __PUNCT__

he instil in them such a sens of public_servic that hi son __PUNCT__ beau __PUNCT__ who is now delawar attornei_gener __PUNCT__ is get readi to deploi to iraq __PUNCT__

and he still take that train back to wilmington everi night __PUNCT__

out of the heartbreak of that unspeak accid __PUNCT__ he did more than becom a senat __PUNCT__ he rais a famili __PUNCT__

that is the measur of the man stand next to me __PUNCT__

that is the charact of joe_biden __PUNCT__

year later __PUNCT__ senat biden would face anoth brush with death when he had a brain aneurysm __PUNCT__

on the wai to the hospit __PUNCT__ thei didn't think he wa go to make it __PUNCT__

thei gave him slim odd to recov __PUNCT__

but he did __PUNCT__

he beat it __PUNCT__

and he came back stronger than befor __PUNCT__

mayb it thi resili __PUNCT__ thi insist on overcom advers __PUNCT__ that account for joe biden work in the senat __PUNCT__

time and again __PUNCT__ he ha made a differ for the peopl across thi countri who work long_hour and face long odd __PUNCT__

thi work_class kid from scranton and wilmington ha alwai been a friend to the underdog __PUNCT__ and all who seek a safer and more prosper america to live their dream and rais their famili __PUNCT__

fifteen_year year_ago __PUNCT__ too mani american_commun were plagu by violenc and insecur __PUNCT__

so joe_biden brought democrat and republican togeth to pass the __NUM__ crime bill __PUNCT__ put __NUM__ cop on the street __PUNCT__ and start an eight year drop in crime across the countri __PUNCT__

for far too long __PUNCT__ million of women suffer abus in the shadow __PUNCT__

so joe biden wrote the violenc against women act __PUNCT__ so everi woman would have a place to turn for support __PUNCT__

the rate of domest_violenc went down dramat __PUNCT__ and countless women got a second chanc at life __PUNCT__

year after year __PUNCT__ he ha been at the forefront of the fight for judg who respect the fundament right and liberti of the american_peopl __PUNCT__ colleg_tuition that is afford for all __PUNCT__ equal pai for women and a rise minimum_wage for all __PUNCT__ and famili_leav polici that valu work and famili __PUNCT__

those ar the prioriti of a man whose work reflect hi life and hi valu __PUNCT__

that same strength of charact is at the core of hi rise to becom on of america lead voic on nation_secur __PUNCT__

he look slobodan milosev in the ey and call him a war_crimin __PUNCT__ and then help shape polici that would end the kill in the balkan and bring him to justic __PUNCT__

he pass_law to lock down chemic_weapon __PUNCT__ and led the push to bring europ newest democraci into nato __PUNCT__

over the last eight year __PUNCT__ he ha been a power critic of the catastroph bush __PUNCT__ mccain foreign_polici __PUNCT__ and a voic for a new direct that take the fight to the terrorist and end the war in iraq respons __PUNCT__

he recent went to georgia __PUNCT__ where he met quietli with the presid and came back with a call for aid and a tough messag for russia __PUNCT__

joe_biden is what so mani other pretend to be __PUNCT__ a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep america strong __PUNCT__

joe won't just make a good vice_presid __PUNCT__ he will make a great on __PUNCT__

after decad of steadi work across the aisl __PUNCT__ i know he be abl to help me turn the page on the ugli partisanship in washington __PUNCT__ so we can bring democrat and republican togeth to pass an agenda that work for the american_peopl __PUNCT__

and instead of secret task energi task_forc stack with big_oil and a vice_presid that twist the fact and shut the american_peopl out __PUNCT__ i know that joe_biden will give us some real straight talk __PUNCT__

i have seen thi man work __PUNCT__

i have sat with him as he chair the senat foreign_relat committe __PUNCT__ and been by hi side on the campaign_trail __PUNCT__

and i can tell you that joe_biden get it __PUNCT__

he that uniqu public_servant who is at home in a bar in cedar rapid and the corridor of the capitol __PUNCT__ in the vfw hall in concord __PUNCT__ and at the center of an intern crisi __PUNCT__

that becaus he is still that scrappi kid from scranton who beat the odd __PUNCT__ the dedic famili_man and commit cathol who know everi conductor on that amtrak train to wilmington __PUNCT__

that the kind of fighter who i want by my side in the month and year to come __PUNCT__

that what it go to take to win the fight for good_job that let peopl_live their dream __PUNCT__ a tax_code that reward work instead of wealth __PUNCT__ and health_care that is afford and access for everi american_famili __PUNCT__

that what it go to take to forg a new energi_polici that free us from our depend on foreign_oil and __MONEY__ gasolin at the pump __PUNCT__ while creat new job and new industri __PUNCT__

that what it go to take to put an end to a fail foreign_polici that base on bluster and bad judgment __PUNCT__ so that we renew america_secur and stand in the world __PUNCT__

we know what we go to get from the other side __PUNCT__

four more year of the same out __PUNCT__ of __PUNCT__ touch polici that creat an econom disast at home __PUNCT__ and a disastr foreign_polici abroad __PUNCT__

four more year of the same divis polit that is all about tear peopl down instead of lift thi countri up __PUNCT__

we can't afford more of the same __PUNCT__

i am run for presid becaus that a futur that i don't accept for my daughter and i don't accept it for your children __PUNCT__

it time for the chang that the american_peopl need __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ with joe_biden at my side __PUNCT__ i am confid that we can take thi countri in a new direct __PUNCT__ that we ar readi to overcom the advers of the last eight year __PUNCT__ that we won't just win thi elect in __DATE__ __PUNCT__ we restor that fair shot at your dream that is at the core of who joe biden and i ar as peopl __PUNCT__ and what america is as a nation __PUNCT__

so let me introduc you to the next vice_presid of the unit_state of america __PUNCT__