Transcript of Barack Obama's Speech

(CBS)  What follows is the complete text of Sen. Barack Obama's speech before the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., in which the Illinois Democrat officially announced he was running for president.

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Thank you so much. Praise and honor to God for bringing us together today. Thank you so much. I am so grateful to see all of you.

Let me begin by saying thanks to all of you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today.

I'm fired up.

We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling to see a crowd like this , but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me. No, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe that we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union.

That's the journey we're on today. But let me tell you how I came to be here. As most of you know, I am not a native of this great state. I moved to Illinois over two decades ago. I was a young man then, just a year out of college; I knew no one in Chicago when I arrived, was without money or family connections. But a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for the grand sum of $13,000 a year. And I accepted the job, sight unseen, motivated then by a single, simple, powerful idea — that I might play a small part in building a better America.

My work took me to some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. I joined with pastors and lay-people to deal with communities that had been ravaged by plant closings. I saw that the problems people faced weren't simply local in nature — that the decision to close a steel mill was made by distant executives; that the lack of textbooks and computers in schools could be traced to the skewed priorities of politicians a thousand miles away; and that when a child turns to violence, I came ot realize that there's a hole in that boy's heart no government could ever fill.

It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had, and where I learned the meaning of my Christian faith.

After three years of this work, I went to law school, because I wanted to understand how the law should work for those in need. I became a civil rights lawyer, and taught constitutional law, and after a time, I came to understand that our cherished rights of liberty and equality depend on the active participation of an awakened electorate. It was with these ideas in mind that I arrived in this capital city as a state Senator.

It was here, in Springfield, where I saw all that is America converge — farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. I made lasting friendships here — friends that I see in the audience here today.

It was here we learned to disagree without being disagreeable — that it's possible to compromise so long as you know those principles that can never be compromised; and that so long as we're willing to listen to each other, we can assume the best in people instead of the worst.

It's why we were able to reform a death penalty system that was broken. That's why we were able to give health insurance to children in need. That's why we made the tax system right here in Springfield more fair and just for working families, and that's why we passed ethics reforms that the cynics said could never, ever be passed.

It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people — where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America.

And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.

Now listen, I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness — a certain audacity — to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.

The genius of our founders is that they designed a system of government that can be changed. And we should take heart, because we've changed this country before. In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an Empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard a King's call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more — and it is time for our generation to answer that call.

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[luciatol]

If I am not mistaken, Obama's last words-- after "Let's get to work" were "I love you," directed toward the crowd and presumably the American electorate. This is a very different sentiment than that with which other Presidential candidates are ending their speeches. If those were indeed Obama's words, shouldn't they be included in the transcript (and hopefully repeated)?

[luciatol]

If I am not mistaken, Obama's last words-- after "Let's get to work" were "I love you," directed toward the crowd and presumably the American electorate. This is a very different sentiment than that with which other Presidential candidates are ending their speeches. If those were indeed Obama's words, shouldn't they be included in the transcript (and hopefully repeated)?

[ausguy-2009]

Many, many people outside America worry about the direction that your politics are taking you, the aggression towards all non-Americans, the eagerness to use violence to try (very unsuccessfully) to solve the middle east situation. It would be a great day if we could finally look at your country with pride and respect and think "I'm glad those guys are on our side". I think Senator Obama may actually be the man to start that process.

[mtb0220]

It is inspiring to listen to a politician saying what's on his mind & telling the truth as he sees it rather than addressing America in party-speak slogans. I trust this man and appreciate his freshness and honesty, and I hear in his voice a deep respect fot the average American voter.

I'm a 60 year old white woman from the south who grew up in a segregated America. I cannot tell you how proud I am of my country to see the change that makes it possible for Senator Obama to be a serious Presidental candidate.