Barack Obama: “We are here today for a simple reason: at a time when we face not only a fiscal crisis, but also a host of difficult…”

People need to “rediscover what’s the story we tell about how we’re going to live together, and see each other, and recognise each other, and disagree, and yet, still care for each other”.

And I will fight for that, even if I don’t always think it’s going to win.

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.

I’m going to insist that we can do better than we’re doing right now.