All right, a couple of people I want to acknowledge. First of all, please give Jason and his wife Ali a big round of applause. (Applause.) They are...

Starcevich.

Starcevich.

I want to acknowledge our outstanding MC, Peggy Whitworth. (Applause.) Great friend. Great friend of mine. And one of my dearest friends here in...

And Abraham Lincoln is in the house! (Applause.) My homeboy from Illinois -- (laughter) -- and an outstanding Republican endorsee. (Laughter and applause.)...

So I know that sometimes it can be tempting to lose interest and to lose heart and to get a little cynical. And frankly, that's what a lot of people...

And, Cedar Rapids, the choice that we make that will help determine our direction for years to come -- that choice is going to be up to you.

That’s a good choice. (Applause.)

And what’s amazing, though, when I think about it was how many people you’d meet from every walk of life all across Illinois in big cities, small...

We love you!

And the first stop was Cedar Rapids. And then we went on to Waterloo. That was the first time I had campaigned as President, and I was kind of nervous....

I thought about my grandparents whose service in World War II was rewarded -- when my grandfather came back from the war and my grandmother worked on...

And we thought about how far we had come, and the fact that our lives were a testament to that fundamental American ideal that no matter who you are,...

I was telling folks in Ohio the other day, I remember my favorite vacation when I was 11 years old, traveling the country with my grandmother and my...

And so those shared memories, those shared stories -- that was the basis of our campaign when I ran for President. That's why I talked about the first...

But the basic idea of why I ran in 2008, the reason you're here today, is because that crisis did not change who we are. It did not change our character....

That’s what this campaign is about, Iowa. That’s what I've been fighting for, for the last three and a half years. And that's why I’m running...

This election will determine our economic future for the next generation. And, frankly, the choice could not be clearer. My opponent, his allies in...

They believe that if we spend trillions of dollars more on tax cuts -- mostly for the wealthy -- that it will somehow create more jobs, even if we have...

-- raising middle-class taxes.

They believe that if we roll back regulations that we put in place on banks and insurance companies and oil companies, all meant to protect our people...

And I think they're wrong. I think they're wrong. (Applause.)

We fought two wars on a credit card; still paying for trillions of dollars in tax cuts that didn't lead to more jobs or better wages for the middle...

So I was over at Jason and Ali’s -- and wonderful, wonderful story, really nice family. Jason is the new principal over at Central City High. Ali...

And they’ve said that’s made a real difference in their lives. It’s helped them pay their bills; helped them get day care for Cooper. We were...

Yesterday I called on Congress to stop any tax hikes for the 98 percent of Americans who are just like the McLaughlins -- just like you. (Applause.)...

Like your mom. (Laughter.)

It would be not only a huge blow to those families, it would be a big blow to our entire economy at a time when we need all the help we can get.

So anybody making over $250,000 a year, including me, we’d go back to the tax rates that we were paying under Bill Clinton, which, by the way, was...

No!

So this has nothing to do with me wanting to punish success. We love folks getting rich. I hope Malia and Sascha go out there and if that’s what...

But in the meantime, doesn’t it make sense for us to agree to keep taxes low for 98 percent of Americans who are working hard and can’t afford a...

Compromise!

Let’s not hold the vast majority of Americans hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the other 2 percent. In other words, let’s...

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

When the American auto industry was on the brink of collapse and more than one million jobs were on the line, Governor Romney said we should "let Detroit...

I refused to turn my back on a great American industry and great American workers. (Applause.) I bet on American workers. I bet on American manufacturing....

Governor Romney has experience owning companies that were called "pioneers" in the business of outsourcing. My experience has been working with outstanding...

I want to help our schools hire and reward the best teachers, especially in math and science. (Applause.) I want to give 2 million more Americans...

I’m running because I believe that nobody in America should go broke just because they get sick. (Applause.) Our health care law was the right thing...

We’re not going to refight political battles from two years ago or three years ago. We’re going to move forward, and help every American make sure...

I know we’ve got some trades here in the house. These guys, they’re ready to work. They’re ready to put a hardhat on. They’re read to rebuild...

AUDIENCE Be sure you help our vets!

But in order to bring down our debt and our deficits in a responsible way, it means cutting out things we can’t afford. Not every government program...

All of these things -- whether it’s bringing manufacturing, or getting construction workers back on the job, or protecting your health care, or saving...

So over the next four months, you’ll see the other side spending more money than we’ve ever seen before. And even though there will probably be...

So let me tell you, we have been outspent before, we’ve been counted out before. But through every one of my campaigns, what’s always given me...

And they knew that being middle class wasn’t just about having a certain amount of money in your bank account. It was about the values you cared...

We're not buying it!

When I told you in 2008 that I was running for President, I told you, look, I’m not a perfect man -- Michelle tells me that. (Laughter.) And I wouldn’t...

God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)