Vice President Biden speaks

By GottaLaff

Keith: A lion of a speaker.

"Barack and I share an American story. He was raised by a single mom. She taught him to work hard and fight for it. I was an Irish Catholic kid from Scranton, but I was taught to believe, it's not how many times you get knocked down, but how quickly you get up. That's your story, America's story."

"The American Dream under Bush/McCain is slipping away."

"We as a nation can afford 4 more years of this."

"Middle class families are falling behind. ... [talking about home values falling, economy, etc.]

"McCain doesn't have to worry about paying his bills... he has to worry about which of his kitchen tables to sit at."

He's talking about oil companies, foreign policy.

"We believe with every fiber of our being, that there isn't a single solitary challenge we can't face if we level with the American people... When have Americans ever, ever, ever, ever let their country down when they had a leader to lead them?"

"There's a missing piece: Leadership. I have never seen Washington so broken, so many dreams denied... politicians escaping accountability. The reckoning is now... these times call for a total change... more than a good soldier: a wise leader... who can deliver the change we need. "

McCain is a friend of mine. The harsh truth is you can't change America when you agree with Bush [quotes McCain agreeing with Bush]. He said, "We've made great progress economically." You can't change America doing that... [lists other ways, like outsourcing. He's quoting McCain, using his own words against him.] [Pushing the Same as Bush line... crowd broke into "yes we can"]

[Crowd is chanting "Obama!"]

"You learn a lot about a man when you debate him 12-13 times... Campaigns test and challenge... I've watched Barack meet those challenges.. with steel in his spine. He's inspired millions to this new cause. During those 18 months, I've been disappointed in McCain who gave in and yielded to the Swiftboaters he deplored. This is a test of character and leadership, and ONE candidate has passed that test. Barack has a vision, but he has the COURAGE to make this a better place. He's a clear-eyed pragmatist who will get the job done."

"He made his mark in the Senate from Day One, reached across the aisle, passed ethics reform... I watched him spontaneously focusing on the shameful neglect of wounded at Walter Reed Hospital. There's something about this guy, that allows people to come together... that if they make compromises, they can make things better.. but that's the story of his whole life."

[telling Obama's life story]

"We share the same values, passed on by our parents, that we pass on to our children. I'm here for their future, the future of your kids... I'm here for the ones who have been forgotten, whose lives are the measure of the American Dream... This is no ordinary time, this may be the last chance to restore America's soul... It's time for all of us, Lincoln said, to put our feet in the right place. It's time to make Barack Obama president."