And it’s a choice between taking on John McCain with Republicans and Independents already united against us，or running against him with a campaign that’s united Americans of all parties around a common purpose.
There is a reason why the last six polls in a row have shown that I’m the strongest candidate against John McCain. It’s because we’ve done better with Independents in almost every single contest we’ve had. It’s because we’ve won in more Red States and swing states that the next Democratic nominee needs to win in November.
Virginia Democrats know how important this is. That’s how Mark Warner won in this state. That’s how Tim Kaine won in this state. That’s how Jim Webb won in this state. And if I am your nominee，this is one Democrat who plans to campaign in Virginia and win in Virginia this fall.
We are here to make clear that this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor；young versus old；and it is not about black versus white.
It is about the past versus the future. The Republicans in Washington are already running on the politics of yesterday，which is why our party must be the party of tomorrow. And that is the party I will lead as President of the United States.
I know what it takes to pass health care reform because I’ve done it — not by demonizing anyone who disagrees with me，but by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to provide health insurance to 150，000 children and parents in Illinois.
And when I am President，we’ll pass universal health care not in twenty years，not in ten years，but by the end of my first term in office. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Senator Ted Kennedy recently said that he wouldn’t have endorsed me if he didn’t believe passionately that I will fight for universal health care as President. And if there’s someone who knows something about health care，it’s Ted Kennedy.
My plan would bring down premiums for the typical family by $2500 a year. We’d ban insurance companies from denying you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. We’d allow every American to get the same kind of health care that members of Congress get for themselves. And the one difference between my plan and Senator Clinton’s plan is that she said she‘would go after’ your wages if you don’t buy health care. Well I believe the reason people don’t have health care isn’t because no one’s forced them to buy it，it’s because no one’s made it affordable - and that’s why we bring down the cost of health care more than any other plan in this race.
It’s also time to bring the cost of living down for working families who are struggling in this economy like never before. They’re facing rising costs and falling wages，and we owe it to them to end the Bush-McCain tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% and put a tax cut into the pockets of the families who need it.
That’s what I did in Illinois when I brought Democrats and Republicans together to provide $100 million in tax relief to working families and the working poor，and that’s the kind of tax relief I’ll provide as President.
I will end the tax breaks for companies who ship our jobs overseas and give a middle-class tax break to 95% of working Americans. And homeowners who are struggling. And seniors who deserve to retire with dignity and respect. And I won’t wait another ten years to raise the minimum wage in this country - I will raise it to keep pace with inflation every single year.
It’s also time to give every child，everywhere，a world-class education，from the day they’re born to the day they graduate college. I am only here today because somebody，somewhere，gave my father a ticket to come study in America. Because my mother got the opportunity to put herself through graduate school. Because even though we didn’t have much growing up，I got scholarships to go to some of the best schools in the country. That’s the chance I believe every child should have.
When I am President，we will give our children the best possible start by investing in early childhood education. We’ll stop talking about how great our teachers are，and start rewarding them for their greatness，with better pay and more support. And we will provide every American with a $4，000 a year tax credit that will finally help make a college education affordable and available for all.
And when I am President，this party will be the party that finally makes sure our sons and daughters don’t grow up in a century where our economy is weighed down by our addiction to oil；our foreign policy is held hostage to the whims of dictators；and our planet passes a moment of no return.
