The President-elect also named Karen Mills as Administrator of the Small Business Administration and former Mayor Ron Kirk as United States Trade Representative.

Hilda has always been an advocate for everyday people. When she received an award several years ago, she said, “Fighting for what is just is not always popular, but it is necessary.” And that is exactly what she has done throughout her career, blazing new trails every step of the way. Whether it’s creating green jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced or expanding access to affordable health care or raising the minimum wage in California, Hilda has been a champion of our middle class. And I know that Hilda will show the same kind of leadership as Secretary of Labor that she showed in California and on the Education and Labor Committee by protecting workers’ rights – from organizing to collective bargaining, from keeping our workplaces safe to making our unions strong. [...]

Few understand our infrastructure challenge better than the outstanding public servant I am asking to lead the Department of Transportation – Ray LaHood. As a Congressman from Illinois, Ray served six years on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, leading efforts to modernize our aviation system by renewing our aging airports and ensuring that air traffic controllers were using cutting edge technology. Throughout his career, Ray has fought to improve mass transit and invest in our highways. But he has not only helped rebuild our landscape, he has helped beautify it by creating opportunities for bikers and runners to enjoy our great outdoors. When I began this appointment process, I said I was committed to finding the best person for the job, regardless of party. Ray’s appointment reflects that bipartisan spirit – a spirit we need to reclaim in this country to make progress for the American people.

Governor Richardson was re-elected to a second term in 2006. He previously served as a member of the House of Representatives for fifteen years, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and as Secretary of Energy during the Clinton administration.

Check out pictures from this historic announcement.

Half (50%) of all Latinos say that the situation of Latinos in this country is worse now than it was a year ago, according to a new nationwide survey of 2,015 Hispanic adults conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center.

This pessimism is especially prevalent among immigrants, who account for 54% of all Hispanic adults in the United States. Fully 63% of these Latino immigrants say that the situation of Latinos has worsened over the past year. In 2007, just 42% of all adult Hispanic immigrants -- and just 33% of all Hispanic adults -- said the same thing.

Hispanics, also, view Senator Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in a much more positive light than John McCain and the rest of the Bush/McCain Republicans.

About half (49%) of all Latinos say that the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics, while just 7% say the Republican Party has more concern. Since 2004, the share of Hispanics who say that the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics has increased by 14 percentage points. Most of this gain for the Democrats comes from a reduction in the share of Latinos who say there is no difference between the parties.

Among Hispanics who are registered voters, a majority say that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is the better candidate for Hispanics (55%) and for immigrants (50%). Just 11% of Hispanic registered voters say that Republican presidential nominee John McCain is better for Hispanics, and just 12% say he is better for immigrants. The remainder see no difference between the two candidates on this front. Overall, Hispanic registered voters support Obama over McCain by 66% to 23%. [emphasis added]

"We're honored to join millions of Americans in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanics have made great contributions to our country in everything from serving proudly and honorably in our armed forces, to agriculture, to business to the arts. 

"In the upcoming presidential elections, Hispanics will play a pivotal role.

"Hispanics have been particularly hard hit by eight years of failed Republican policies in Washington. Hispanics are more likely to have seen their incomes decline, are more likely to be among the uninsured, and are among the hardest hit in the mortgage crisis that has cost so many Americans their homes. And John McCain's Republican Platform, written by the far right, fails to speak to or about the middle-class, families or women, and treats immigrants as criminals. Hispanics know first hand we just can't risk more of the same failed policies from John McCain for four more years.

"This Hispanic Heritage month, the Democratic Party renews our commitment to fighting to provide opportunities for every American, and to deliver the change America needs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will fight to get our economy working for most Americans again, lowering taxes on middle-income Americans, not just the few already at the very top. They'll fight for health care for every American, and for comprehensive immigration reform that both secures our borders and also provides hard working, law-abiding immigrants a path to earned legalization. That's what's at stake, that's real change."

My name is Roy Gross. I’m a proud member of Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit, Michigan.

When I was a young man and wanted to start a family, I went to Detroit and landed a job as an automobile transporter. I delivered new cars from the assembly plants to dealerships around the country.

It was a great job, a Teamsters union job. You worked hard and it paid good wages, plus health care and pension. I worked there for 18 years. Working class families were doing well in Detroit until the Bush Administration took office, then everything changed.

Manufacturing jobs were exported by the hundreds of thousands and replaced with minimum-wage jobs in the so-called “New Economy.” I’m one of the lucky ones; I still have a job. But many of my friends and co-workers have lost their jobs and their homes.

If you ask me, this so-called “New Economy” is not working. We need a renewed economy. That’s why I’m seeing so many of my friends in Michigan - Democrats, Republicans and Independents - putting aside their differences to join this campaign.

Barack Obama will enact fair trade policies and work just as hard for us as we work for America. I will do everything I can, from now until Election Day, to put Michigan in the Obama column.

Monica Early, Ohio

I’m Monica Early from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Last January, someone sent me an e-mail containing so-called “facts” about Senator Obama. The e-mail painted a scary picture, questioning his faith and patriotism. I decided to do some fact-checking on my own and learned the truth.

What I discovered is that Barack Obama is a man of faith, a man of values and a man of action—someone who has shown his love for America by fighting for our people, helping communities left behind on Chicago’s South Side, fighting today for working families and the tax breaks we need to purchase a home, pay for college and save for retirement.

I am grateful for the e-mail that tried to scare me. It brought me here, an ordinary citizen, empowered by a leader who told me I could make a difference. Ohio is home to four of the fastest-dying cities in America. John McCain promises to continue the Bush economic policies that got us there.

Einstein said a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. If we elect John McCain, then, according to Einstein, we surely would be insane.

We need change. We need President Barack Obama!

Wes Moore

Hi, my name is Wes Moore. Twelve years ago, I took an oath on the Bible to defend, support and protect the United States of America. Today, I cannot fathom a more perfect expression of my allegiance as a soldier and citizen than giving my full support for Barack Obama to be my next commander-in-chief.

Before I deployed for Afghanistan, my grandparents gave me a Bible. Inside, they wrote four simple words: have faith, not fear. Those words protected and guided me and the soldiers under my command during some of the most trying days of my life.

I want a president who has a comprehensive strategy for Iraq and Afghanistan, and who can rally young people to serve, both in and out of uniform, and sees these as complementary, not contradictory goals. I want a president who believes in supporting our troops while we are fighting overseas, and supporting us with proper health care and education when we come home.

This election is not about history. Nor is it about making history. It’s about seizing history.

The charge my grandparents gave me—have faith, not fear—is the same challenge I issue tonight. A faith that this nation can rise to meet any challenge.

Tonight, Senator Obama is not asking you to have faith in him. He is asking you to have faith with him. Let’s make Barack Obama our next president.

The Honorable Janet Monacco, Florida

I’m Janet Monaco from Rockledge, Florida, by way of Long Island, New York. Fourteen years ago I moved to Florida to pursue my vision of the American dream. Within five years, I had bought a house and opened two pet stores. I was living well.

Then disaster struck: back-to-back hurricanes, and rising costs of food and gas. Today, I’m a struggling small-business owner who is diabetic and without health insurance. I work 70-hour weeks at the store and more hours in a part-time job and still can’t afford insurance.

I don’t tell this story to get sympathy. Everyone has challenges. But what gets me angry is that George Bush and John McCain have done nothing for people like me—and, in fact, have done plenty of things that make it even harder to get by. Huge tax breaks for those at the top. Looking out for the lobbyists and not the little guy. And billions spent in tax cuts for big corporations, but not enough for small businesses like mine.

I’m supporting Barack Obama, because we can’t afford four more years of the same. Yes, we can make a change!

Nathaniel Fick

Good afternoon. I’m Nathaniel Fick. My Marine platoon landed in Afghanistan on a moonlit night in 2001. A little more than a year later, we rolled into Iraq. I’ll never forget one dawn after a vicious gun battle. We’d just medevaced one of our wounded Marines, and I turned to see a small American flag hanging from a humvee’s antenna. For a second, it reminded me of the line we all know so well: “And our flag was still there.”

I registered as a Republican at 18 and voted for John McCain in 2000. It took seven years of hard experience to get me on this stage. But we cannot afford more of the same. That’s why we need Barack Obama and Joe Biden to lead us beyond the tired divisions of the past. They have the judgment to make the right decisions, leading our military, and uphold our highest ideals.

Everyone who fought in Iraq or Afghanistan has left something: a friend, a limb, a piece of their youth. In those palm groves and on those ridge lines, this is personal for us. I don’t want to retreat; I want to win.

The past seven years have been hard, often heartbreaking. Our flag, however, is still there. Let’s move forward in our quest to live up to the idea of America.

Teresa Brito-Asenap, New Mexico

Buenas noches, good evening.

I am Teresa Brito-Asenap from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first nine years of my life my grandparents worked with me to study and learn. They always talked about the importance of education. But it was not until third grade that I realized that mi abuelita, my grandmother, could neither read nor write.

But because of them, today I hold a doctorate in education. I owe them and my parents everything. Strong families raise strong students. All they need are world-class schools and dedicated teachers. Yet because of George W. Bush and John McCain, our schools don’t have the resources they need to meet the high standards of No Child Left Behind.

We don’t need four more years of the same. We need to turn the page and put our kids at the head of the class. Barack Obama will invest $10 billion a year in early education funding and give any student who wants to go to college a $4,000 tax credit. That’s the change we need and the change Barack Obama will bring as president of the United States.

Arriba y adelante – si se puede!

Pamela Cash-Roper, North Carolina

I’m Pam from Pittsboro, North Carolina. Wait till you hear what’s happening to me.

You might find my story familiar. Maybe it’s happening to you.

My husband, Keith, and I used to have a modest home we could afford, cars, money in a 401(k) plan, health insurance, and our health. We educated ourselves, got good jobs with benefits, worked night and day, raised four happy children, and saved some money.

It was the American dream. We did everything we thought you were supposed to do to live it. We really felt America was working for us.

Then, eight years ago, our American dream turned into a nightmare. Keith needed open-heart surgery. He lost his job and with it the family’s health insurance. I couldn’t afford to pay for health insurance on my nurse’s income, so we don’t have any.

Having no health insurance works – as long as you stay healthy.

Five years after Keith’s surgery, I had a quadruple bypass, and our medical expenses grew.

I’m a lifelong Republican who voted for Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and Bush. But I can’t afford four more years like this.

That’s why I am supporting Barack Obama as my president.

Barney Smith, Indiana

My name is Barney Smith.

For most of my life, I was a proud Republican.

Growing up in the Indiana heartland, America was a place of boundless opportunity. You could go to the town factory and get a job the same day. You could start a family and buy a house with your salary.

My father started at Marion’s RCA plant in 1949, manufacturing picture tubes for TV sets.

I started in 1973. My wife worked in a high school cafeteria. Together, we made a living and raised a family.

Then, in 2004, the plant closed. Today, a foreign worker does my job.

After 31 years, I received 90 days’ severance pay and was unemployed.

Thirteen months later, I got a job at a distribution center.

Republicans talk about putting “country first,” but tell that to Marion, Indiana. They sent my job overseas.

America can’t afford more of the same. We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys.

I’m going to put country first by voting Barack Obama for president.

The heartland needs change. And with Obama, we’re going to get it.

Because at a time when young men and women are dying for our country overseas, America faces a question worthy of silent reflection. And the American people are watching to see how we answer it. What is the best measure of a person's capacity to protect this country? There are often moments of great importance that go unnoticed in the unruly course of history.

And six years ago, there was a moment of great clarity and foresight. And if the world had known to listen, perhaps today there would be less heartache and sorrow. In October 2002, on a small stage before a small crowd, Barack Obama gave a speech that was barely noticed at the time.

In the midst of great fervor—brought about by an administration that questioned the patriotism of anyone who disagreed with it—Barack Obama called the coming war what it was: “a war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.” He was right!

Barack's words were prescient and brave. “I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East—and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al-Qaida.” He was right!

He said: “a successful war against Iraq would require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.” He was right!

Instead, Barack Obama urged President Bush—who’s never in the mood to be urged in a direction other than his own folly—to finish the fight with bin Laden and Al-Qaida. He was right!

Six years ago, in this simple but forceful speech, Barack Obama did more than just challenge President Bush. He offered a detailed vision for foreign policy—including the vigorous enforcement of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty—condemnation of human rights abuses even among our allies—and a commitment to reconciliation between Pakistan and India. He was right!

At the same time, there was another voice. After 9/11, John McCain turned his sights toward Iraq—a country that had nothing to do with 9/11—and called for a full-scale invasion. Barack Obama foresaw chaos. John McCain said we'd be welcomed as liberators, and that Iraq would pay for its own rebuilding. John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right!

Barack Obama was among the first to call for a timetable for responsible withdrawal. But John McCain, to this day, condemns the idea. The Iraqis are calling for a withdrawal timetable, but John McCain would keep us in Iraq for 100 years. John McCain is wrong. Barack Obama is right.

And Barack Obama saw the foolishness of embracing Pakistan’s Musharraf. John McCain thought we should support the dictator and let him take care of the Pakistani terrorists. Musharaff is now gone, and the terrorists are stronger than ever. John McCain was wrong. Barack Obama was right.

With America fighting two wars, the 9/11 terrorists still at large, Iran pursuing nuclear weapons

and Russia in Georgia, America needs a president who gets it right the first time. That president will be Barack Obama. With a vision of foreign policy that has ranged far beyond Iraq, Barack Obama has found a kindred spirit in another leader of great strength and wisdom—Joe Biden.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe we must fight the terrorists—not where we imagine them to be, but where we know them to be—like Afghanistan and Pakistan. We must lead a global effort to secure loose nuclear materials, not where we imagine them to be, but where we know them to be, in Russia, and the countries of the former Soviet Union.

It's time we had a president committed to fighting poverty in the Third World and ending the genocide in Darfur; who leads international efforts to stop global warming, strengthens our friendship with Mexico and Latin America, and stands behind Israel with full-time diplomacy to achieve peace in the Middle East; a president who ends the global scourge of AIDS in our time and sets an example of moral leadership by following our constitution, shutting down Guantanamo, and ending torture.

We must do all of this, not because we imagine these are American ideals, but because we know they are.

And ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe it’s time to finish the job and get bin Laden. We don’t need another four years of more of the same. It’s time for the change America needs. This is the judgment and vision of Barack Obama. This is the preparation he has to be President of the United States. And this is the man we need to return our country into the goodwill of other nations and the grace of history. Thank you, and God bless our country.

If you want change, it is time for Latinos and for immigrants to rally behind the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. Tonight, I ask my friends in the Latino community, in the immigrant community, please join me, because Barack Obama is the change we need.

John McCain? McCain means more of the same, the same failed policies and empty promises for Latinos. I remember when John McCain said he would stand up for immigrants, until right-wing extremists told him to sit down. So he sat down.

That's why I have stood up for immigrants, from Mexico and Central America and Poland and Korea and every nation around our world, who come to America because we represent hope, and freedom, and opportunity.

I know, and you know, that immigrants come to our great nation to work the hardest jobs, for the longest hours, for the lowest pay – all because they believe in what makes us Americans. That if you work hard, you'll get ahead. That you put your family first. That to succeed all you need is an opportunity.

Hard work. Family. Faith. That's the America I know. That's the immigrant community I know.

But most important, when Barack Obama occupies the White House, that is the community our president will defend and respect by fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. Reform that keeps mothers and children and families together. Reform that brings hard-working people out of the shadows of disgrace and into the sunlight of dignity. That enforces our laws, keeps our borders secure, and our nation safe.

For immigrants, for Latinos, for all of us, the time for reform, the time for change, the time for Barack Obama is now. Tonight, no matter where you come from, or the language you speak, I am asking you: elect Barack Obama president because he will fight for us. He will bring the change we need, change now, change for everyone, justice for all, real change to make America as great as we can be.

I could not vote in the United States, but for 20 years as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, I served the United States. Like others who have worn the uniform, I know what it is like to serve in harm’s way—you need the right leadership, the right equipment. And I know that after eight years of George Bush, our military cannot afford being overstretched and underequipped. And John McCain is more of the same.

Our military cannot afford more of the same. They need a Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama who had the judgment to oppose the Iraq war from the start and is determined to end the war and bring our troops home and win the fight against the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.

I know how hard it is to serve your country while raising your family, in my case, a daughter and stepdaughter. At times, duty took me away. Other times, I stayed at home when my husband, David, also in the Coast Guard, deployed overseas. And I know that after eight years of George Bush, our military families cannot afford the long, repeat deployments and short visits home. And John McCain is more of the same.

Our military families need a change. They need a Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama who will ease the burdens on their families, support spouses back home and ensure that military paychecks can support military families.

Barack Obama is the change we need. Now that both my husband and I are retired, we know it is not enough for a president to simply be a veteran; we need a president who truly serves veterans.

We cannot afford John McCain. He thought a new GI Bill for today’s veterans was too generous. He wants to limit health care at the VA to only combat injuries.

We need a commander-in-chief Barack Obama committed to a world-class education and affordable health care for every veteran. As a veteran, I know something else—true patriots, like Barack Obama, never challenge the patriotism of others for political gain.

For America, the stakes are high. For us veterans, the choice is clear. We need Barack Obama as the next commander-in-chief, the next President of the United States of America.

Thank you, gracias.

I believe in the American dream because I am a product of it. This is the only country in the world that inspires a dream; we provide refuge to those seeking freedom, hope to those seeking opportunity.

Our nation’s history is built on the stories of men and women who, from many, have become one. It does not matter what your name is, where you came from or what language your ancestors spoke. We are all Americans.

We all want the dignity that comes from a hard day’s work. We all want the freedom from worry when a loved one gets sick. We all want schools where our children can learn what is needed to succeed. We all want the opportunity to dream. En America - de muchos somos uno - y es nuestro deber proteger el sueño americano para todos.

The past eight years have placed this dream in jeopardy. Today, we must defend the dream for all Americans. Para esto, necesitamos un cambio. For this, we need change. Change to restore faith in our country and faith in ourselves. We stand on the foundation of hope built by those who came before us. We have a duty to keep the dream alive for our children, and their children.

When the voices of fear and doubt say we cannot, we must answer: yes, we can. Sí se puede. We can end the era in which Americans have come to believe that getting by is good enough. We can end the era in which we dreamt small, or failed to dream at all.

Now is our time to restore the dream. A nation where you are not judged on the language you speak, but the words spoken; not by the color of your skin, but the content of your character; a nation where a 6 year old, like Barack, like Manuel, can have access to opportunity, the audacity of hope, the reality of the dream. A nation where future generations will be able to proclaim that we left them a world better than we received.

Shelley, a single mother from Tennessee, writes, “I’m having to cut down on food just to cover gas prices. I had to figure out a way to even buy my daughter school clothes this year.” That’s a choice that no mother should be forced to make.

It’s time to stop sending our money to foreign countries to buy oil when we have all the sun and wind we need right here at home. Barack Obama will lead the transition to home-grown renewable fuels that will lower gas prices and create good-paying, green jobs. Big oil and John McCain want more of the same. Working-class mothers like Shelley can’t afford more of the same.

No podemos seguir con lo mismo! Necesitamos un cambio!

I am so honored to be here today, representing the diversity of our Democratic Party and the coalition of 18 million people of all backgrounds and all walks of life that stood with Hillary and never gave up. This primary season, the Hispanic community participated in historic numbers. Hispanics will be a pivotal voice and vote in electing the next president. Together, we have made history this year—and it is only the beginning.

Now, I want to say a few words in Spanish: en esta primaria electoral nuestre communidad participomos con numerous historicos. Nosotros vamos a ser la voz decica en elegir el próximo presidente de los estados unidos, y estamos muy orgullosos que hicimos historia. Y apenas estamos empezando! Sí se pudo!

I am a fourth-generation American from New Mexico. My father, Juan Fernandez, was a miner, field worker, and union activist and state assemblyman. My mother, Alicia Chavez, was a feminist and small business owner. My parents instilled in me the importance of hard work, determination and putting one’s neighbor before oneself. Hillary’s values are the values of my family and of our community.

When César Chávez and I first organized farm workers and immigrants over 40 years ago, it was not easy. But we persevered, and we made progress. We believed that those who do backbreaking work for low wages, often in a dangerous workplace, deserve a champion, someone who will fight for them.

That is why I love and respect Hillary. She has stood with hardworking people and knows how important it is to keep fighting—and keep going. For many in America, working people are invisible. For Hillary Clinton, no American is invisible.

I stand with Hillary as she stands with Barack to take our country back. But now, Mrs. Chairman, on behalf of all woman and working families, I have the great honor to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton, my friend, our champion, for President of these United States of America.

The Bush Administration still refuses to implement laws on the books that give women access to the federal marketplace—costing them billions in lost opportunities. We cannot afford more of the same.

John McCain has already proven to be more of the same. He has consistently opposed opportunities for women in the workforce, saying they just need, and I quote, “training and education.” Senator McCain should know that women already earn more advanced degrees than men. Senator McCain should know that we deserve–and will demand–a level playing field.

John McCain would not just hold back female entrepreneurs, he would hurt all small businesses. He has pledged to continue the Bush tax cuts that favored Fortune 500 companies over entrepreneurs. In fact, only four percent of small firms saw a penny more. It’s this practice of neglecting small businesses—that has resulted in unemployment rates skyrocketing to a four-year high. We can’t afford more of the same.

Leave it to the Republicans to serve a big business agenda and call it a small business plan. They may not know the difference between Wall Street and Main Street, but Barack Obama knows that small business is big business in America.

Barack Obama will provide small-business tax incentives to encourage investment and spur innovation. He’ll introduce a health care plan that addresses the unique challenges to small firms. He’ll give entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed through programs in the Small Business Administration. Most importantly, he will break the cycle of Republican cronyism that has American business in a chokehold, and renew the country’s promise so that every American can live the beauty of their dreams.

From the single mom in rural Appalachia who wants to move from welfare to business ownership, to the Latino in the barrio who is making minimum wage but wants to be an entrepreneur, to the African-American business owner here in Denver, who can barely make ends meet. These people can’t afford more of the same from John McCain.

My sisters, my friends, Barack Obama knows that the face of American business is changing. He knows that the entrepreneurial spirit on which this country was built is now the backbone of our economy—and he will deliver the change our country needs, to make that backbone stronger than ever before. Si se puede. A votar por Barack Obama noviembre cuatro.

When I became mayor of Denver in 1983, everyone knew we had a serious problem with air pollution. On a bad day, you could barely see our magnificent mountains. Some people said we couldn’t fix it. Our economy was in a recession, and we were struggling with the shock of an energy crisis. Sound familiar? But we knew we couldn’t afford more of the same and we made a decision to change.

We started using cleaner fuels. We invested in mass transit. Everyone chipped in and did their part. And a funny thing happened. Our city got cleaner and our economy started to grow. We took our future into our own hands. We built a new airport for the new century.

Today new energy companies are coming to Colorado and building wind turbines and solar plants. We’re creating more and more engineering and manufacturing jobs and paying good wages. But we meet here today in the shadow of a greater challenge, a challenge that goes far beyond Colorado.

Today, our nation faces yet another energy crisis. Every day, Americans all across our land are wondering how they can afford to pay for the gasoline they need to get to their jobs, how they can afford to pay their light bills, their heating and cooling bills. They wonder if there will be anything left for a college education, for a medical emergency or for their retirement. And they wonder: how did this happen?

Our addiction to oil, our dependence on imports and our greenhouse gas pollution are all getting worse every year. America is on a liquid leash, a leash that’s choking our paychecks and the prosperity of our nation. For eight years now, President Bush and Dick Cheney have rubber- stamped an energy policy written by big oil companies and their lobbyists in Washington.

And what does John McCain want to do now? The same old things that keep on failing: more of the same tax breaks for big oil companies making record profits. More of the same roadblocks in front of fuel-efficient vehicles. More of the same refusal to support advanced, renewable energy. Americans who had to pay $4 dollars a gallon for gas this summer know we can’t afford more of the same.

Barack Obama will bring the change we need. To reduce our dependence on foreign oil, to increase our use of home-grown clean fuels, to create 5 million new green-collar jobs. He’ll invest $150 billion over 10 years to build new energy technologies here at home and then export them around the world. He’ll raise mileage standards so our cars can go farther on less gas. He’ll help American industry retool to build the cars of the future and give tax credits to Americans to buy them.

These aren’t just dreams. This is America’s future: taking back our own energy destiny. Putting the best minds of our great universities and research centers to work—just as we did when John Kennedy, a Democratic president, committed us to putting a man on the moon. American energy, American technology, American jobs, ready to be created, right now. That’s the change we need.

And to those who doubt we can solve our energy problems and create new American jobs and economic growth at the same time, I say: come to Denver. Come to states like Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Colorado, all being transformed by Democratic governors building new green economies.

So tonight, I ask each of you, as well as Americans across our great land, to believe that we can wean ourselves off foreign oil. We can create millions of jobs in green industries. We can develop our own energy sources. With Barack Obama as our president, a president who has challenged us to believe in ourselves, we will get the change we need, we will transform our future, and power this country for generations to come.