On the recordJanuary 15, 2013
It is an honor to be here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, I rise in defense of the American people. I believe that we are at a tipping point in our history. I really believe that we are at one of those inflection points at which we will decide our future, at which we will decide who we are as a people, at which we will decide the America that we leave to our children in a way that hasn't been decided before. This is a generational moment. This time is that important. At its heart, I think the debate comes down to this: Will we reclaim the moral and fiscal discipline that created the American Dream? Will we reclaim the moral and the fiscal discipline that created the world's first and the world's greatest middle class? Will we reclaim the moral and fiscal discipline that made us, as Abraham Lincoln described us, the last best hope on Earth? That is the essence of our challenge. That is the great and defining argument of our day. In this debate, I'd like to remind all of us of a few critical facts. One of them is that this Nation, a Nation that is bankrupt, cannot provide for the security of its people. A Nation that is bankrupt cannot provide for the needy or for the poor among us. A Nation that is bankrupt cannot provide for the future of their children. Yes, during these challenging times, it will require a commitment to fairness, and it will require a commitment to compassion. It always has. There has always been compassion in this Nation.…





