The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
He's still speaking to our Catholic friends - who are holding up a consistent ethic of life that goes beyond abortion - one that includes a respect for life and dignity whether it's in Iraq, in poor neighborhoods, in African villages or even on death row. Ironically, this quintessentially American - and yes, conservative - notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles.
Now, as children of God, we believe in the worth and dignity of every human being; it doesn't matter where that person came from or what documents they have. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld - whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt.
And it's a testament to what we can achieve when good people with strong convictions stand up for their beliefs. But at the end of the day, we cannot walk away - not for the sake of passing a bill, but so that we can finally address the real concerns of Americans and the persistent hopes of all those brothers and sisters who want nothing more than their own chance at our common dream. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back." When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.
"I'm here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. I know there is debate about this issue. Fear that because of modernity we will lose of control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly our identities - those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.
I have a plan that would have already begun redeploying our troops with the goal of bringing all our combat brigades home by March 31st of next year. In fact, it isn't even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. It's because John McCain doesn't get it. This is not simply about America's interests.
Thank you.