New Obama Ad: Defining Moment

The Obama campaign has released a new, two-minute television ad, "Defining Moment," in which the Democratic nominee summarizes his proposals and makes his case for the presidency. The spot, which features Obama speaking directly to the camera, will air in "key states," according to the campaign.

"At this defining moment in our history, the question is not, 'are you better off than you were four years ago?'" Obama says as the ad opens. "We all know the answer to that. The real question is will our country be better off four years from now? How will we lift our economy and restore America's place in the world?"

"Here's what I'll do as President," Obama continues. "To deal with our current emergency, I'll launch a rescue plan for the middle class that begins with a tax cut for ninety-five percent of working Americans. If you have a job, pay taxes and make less than two hundred thousand dollars-a-year, you'll get a tax cut.
I'll end the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and give them to companies that create jobs here in America. And I'll make low-cost loans available to small businesses."

"To build our economy for the future, I'll focus on our urgent national priorities: reducing the cost of health care, breaking our dependence on foreign oil, and making sure that every child gets the education they need to compete," he says. "How will I pay for these priorities? First, we've got to stop spending ten billion dollars a month in Iraq – while they run up a surplus. I'll end this war responsibly, so we can invest here at home. We'll monitor the Wall Street rescue plan carefully, making sure taxpayers are protected and CEOs don't game the system. I'll let the temporary Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% expire and close the corporate tax loopholes the lobbyists put in. I'll order a top-to-bottom audit of government spending and eliminate programs that don't work."

Concludes the Democratic nominee: "We face real challenges, and they won't be easy to solve. But we can do it if we end the mindless partisanship, the divisiveness, curb special interest power and restore our sense of common purpose."