Tag Archives: Biden 2020

Joe Biden on July 4th: ‘The liberal idea is the American idea; the liberal idea is what built the Free World’

Vice President Joe Biden campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President in Iowa.

Celebrating the Fourth of July with Iowans in Marshalltown, Vice President Joe Biden, campaigning for the Democratic nomination for President, expressed what the holiday is really about and how Donald Trump doesn’t get it. Here is his speech, as prepared for delivery, with segments highlighted:

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s great to be back in Iowa celebrating the independence of our country and the incredible promise of the American future. 

243 years ago, a group of rebels in Philadelphia pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to a revolutionary idea—to the self-evident truth that all men—and women—are created equal. 

And ever since then presidents and patriots have gathered together on the 4th, as we are gathered today, to reflect on the greater meaning of our American experiment. 

In 1821, just decades after revolution, John Quincy Adams proclaimed: “[America’s] glory is not dominion, but liberty. Her march is the march of the mind.”

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln invoked the Declaration to make the case for the Civil War, reminding Congress that it would be: “a struggle for maintaining in the world that form and substance of government whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men; to lift artificial weights from all shoulders; to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all.”

In 1962, deep in the grip of the Cold War, Kennedy made the pilgrimage to Independence Hall to declare that: “this Nation—conceived in revolution, nurtured in liberty, maturing in independence—has no intention of abdicating its leadership  in that worldwide movement for independence to any nation or society committed to systematic human oppression.”

Three different presidents, of three vastly different eras, united by their faith in the power of the idea that is America. Constant in their dedication to the pursuit of humankind’s highest ideal—liberty. 

What, I wonder, will Donald Trump say this evening when he speaks to the nation at an event designed more to stroke his ego than celebrate American ideals?

Will he speak to the example America must set to inspire the world? Will he offer a robust defense of the democratic values that have always been our strength in times of crisis? 

We all know the answer to that. Donald Trump is incapable of celebrating what makes America great—because he doesn’t get it. 

He cannot distinguish between our Allies and our adversaries—because he does not grasp that America is the “march of the mind” toward greater openness, greater understanding, greater human freedom to pursue lives of meaning and fulfillment. 

And if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. We can’t let that happen.

Trump’s embrace of dictators and strongmen is a fundamental rejection of everything our founders wrote into their Declaration. 

Vladimir Putin in Russia, Kim Jong Un in North Korea, Mohamad bin Salman in Saudi Arabia—their drive to concentrate greater and greater power in their own hands and to silence their opposition, including through brutal assassinations—that is the death of liberty. 

Last week, Putin gave an interview where he crowed: “the liberal idea has become obsolete.” 

Trump thought he was talking about Democrats in California. Not a joke.  

Our president does not understand the difference between liberal as opposed to conservative politics, and liberal as opposed to autocratic systems of government. 

Well, I’m here to tell Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump, and anyone who needs to hear it:the liberal idea is the American idea. And it will never be obsolete—not as long as there remain patriots committed to the higher ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The liberal idea is what drives innovation and entrepreneurship. The liberal idea is what inspires art and exploration and human curiosity. And—critically—the liberal idea 
is what built the Free World. 

The Free World is an American design. We created it, together with our democratic allies in Europe and in Asia after World War II, to hold in check the abuse of power by any one nation, and to affirm a collective defense, open economies, and human rights. 

The Free World drove the march of democracy, prevented a third great war, protected the territorial integrity and sovereignty of small states, allowed unprecedented economic growth and development, and advanced basic human rights and fundamental freedoms in every corner of the world. 

Ours is a community of values that stands in opposition to all who seek to profit by the oppression of others.  

That’s why Putin wants to see it destroyed. That’s why he’s actively working to tear apart our democracy. 

Ladies and gentlemen – America is the heart of the Free World—and we must defend it. 

That is how the Fourth of July is best honored – by remembering that our Declaration is first and foremost a call to arms, in defense of liberty.

But we must also remember, as JFK put it, that ours is: “not the individual liberty of one 
but the indivisible liberty of all.”

Donald Trump doesn’t get that either. 

My liberty, depends on yours. Our liberty as a nation rests on our ability to ensure equal access, equal opportunity – not just for our own children, but all our children. 

We have to take on the inequalities in our system that are causing too many today—
in America and around the world—to question their faith in the ability of democracy to deliver for them. 

It’s not enough to be for political equality—we have to be for economic fairness as well.  

It’s not enough to be against the way Donald Trump conducts himself—the way he assaults the dignity of women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals—we have to be against his policies that are further entrenching economic inequality in this nation. 

That are rigging the system against the middle class.

That too is an attack on our democracy—on our liberty. 

That’s the message I’ve been taking all across this nation.  

And it’s all the more clear today – on the day we celebrate our independence—this country wasn’t built by Wall Street bankers and CEOs and hedge fund managers. 

It was built by you. By ordinary Americans – given half a chance – doing extraordinary things. That’s the history of the journey of America.

My dad used to have an expression. He’d say a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about one’s place in the community. It’s about being able to look your child in the eye and say everything is going to be ok.  And mean it.

But today so many people can’t do that. That’s what we have to change. That is my north star.

The moral obligation of our time is to rebuild the middle class. And this time, everybody comes along – no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, religion,who they love or where they live or whether they have a disability. 

For me, it’s all about restoring the dignity of work – being able to provide security and joy for your family.

But how can a person’s dignity be maintained if they can’t afford to care for a sick child  or a family member because of a pre-existing condition – or because they’ve reached a point where their health insurer says “no more?”

I can’t imagine what Jill and I would have done with Beau if we couldn’t get the best care to ease his pain and suffering while dealing with an incurable disease.

How can a parent maintain their dignity if their talented and qualified child wants to go beyond high school to trade school or community college or college, but they can’t afford to get them there?

I remember how my father felt when he told me the bank wouldn’t give him a loan to help me go to college. He said, “I’m so ashamed.” I got there – but I’ll never forget that look on his face. 

Today’s corporate culture and this Administration don’t care about your dignity. They don’t care about economic fairness.

They’re squeezing the life out of workers. They’re making it harder for you to bargain for your personal worth as well.

40% of workers have to sign non-compete clauses at some point in their careers. 

These non-compete agreements have one purpose: to hold down the ability of workers 
to bargain for themselves and to keep their wages low. 

And why do companies classify so many low-wage workers as managers? 

So they can get out of paying overtime and take more in profits for themselves. That cost more than 4 million hourly workers $1.2 billion in lost wages last year.

And speaking of overtime – it’s long past time we make a $15 minimum wage at the federal level. 

It’s time we started to reward work over wealth in this country. 

Let me ask you something. 

The stock market is roaring. Do you feel it?

Or how about that big tax cut passed by Trump and the Republicans? Did you feel it?

That tax cut exploded the deficit by some $2 trillion – and now the Republicans are using it as an excuse to go after the social safety net. 

Let’s not kid one another. If Trump and the Republicans win in 2020 – they’re coming after Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security. 

They’ve already said it.  And we can’t let that happen. 

So, we need to reverse the Trump tax cuts on the super wealthy. And then we need to get rid of the capital gains loophole. 

A just economy—an economy that advances liberty for all—isn’t one where the super wealthy pay lower tax rates than teachers and firefighters.

The Fourth is also a reminder of an important lesson we learned early in this county.

As Benjamin Franklin supposedly said at the signing: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

Folks, we need to unify this country. We have to overcome this status quo of division—that’s the only way we’ll be able to get anything done. 

And we can do it without compromising our principles. Marshalltown knows that better than anyone—what do you do when disaster strikes? You come together.  

Mr. Mayor, how did you begin rebuilding after that God-awful tornado? By working together with the city council and the local businesses. 

It didn’t matter whether folks were Democrats or Republicans then—all that mattered was getting Marshalltown back up and running.

You made that happen—you’re still making that happen.  

It goes to show that all that stands in our way is a broken political system.

Folks, for all our problems, I’m more optimistic today than when I got elected to the United States Senate as a 29-year old kid. 

And here’s why: We’re better positioned than any nation in the world to lead the 21st Century. 

We have the strongest military in the world. We have led not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. The most productive workers among major world economies. North America is energy independent. We have the world’s greatest research universities. 

No other nation in the world can match us. The only thing that can tear America apart is America itself. 

The only thing that would make the liberal idea obsolete is if Americans walked away from liberty itself. 

Everybody knows who Donald Trump is. 

This July 4th, let’s remind the world who we are.

This is the United States of America.  

This is the nation that willed ourselves into existence with nothing but faith in ourselves and in the power of an idea. 

There’s not a single thing we can’t do – together.

God bless all of you. May God protect our troops.

Biden Opens 2020 Campaign for President with Pledge to Unify Country: ‘Let’s stop fighting and start fixing’

Former Vice President Joe Biden officially launches his 2020 Campaign for President at a rally in Philadelphia. “Let’s stop fighting and start fixing.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, News & Photo Features

Joe Biden, two-term Vice President under Barack Obama, officially launched his own campaign for 2020 at a rally in Philadelphia, his wife, Dr. Jill Biden’s hometown and the city where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, were birthed and for the first time, structured a government around “We the people.”

“I am running for three basic reasons,” he declared. “I want to restore the soul of this country…I want to rebuild the backbone of this country, this time bringing everyone along, the middle class — the middle class that built this country. And thirdly I want to unite the country.”

“In 1776, the Declaration of Independence: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident.’ Those words formed the American creed. Equality. Equity. Fairness. America didn’t live up to that promise for most of its people, for people of color, for women.

“But we are born of the idea that every single person in this country — no matter where you start in life — there’s nothing that’s beyond your capacity if you work hard enough for it.”

Unity – one America united around common values and a belief that each is entitled to the same opportunity – is a big theme for Biden, who blasted the divisiveness, the dysfunction of government, starting with Donald Trump.

“Some say Democrats don’t want to hear about unity. That they are angry– and the angrier you are – the better. That’s what they are saying to have to do to win the Democratic nomination. Well, I don’t believe it. I believe Democrats want to unify this nation. That’s what we’ve always been about. Unity.

“If the American people want a president to add to our division, to lead with a clenched fist, closed hand and a hard heart, to demonize the opponents and spew hatred —  they don’t need me. They already have a President who does just that. I am running to offer our country – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – a different path.”  

“I know how to make government work. I’ve worked across the aisle to reach consensus. And I can do that again with your help,” he said, often having to speak over a heckler and whistles.

“Compromise is not a dirty word; consensus is no a weakness – the founders designed constitution to require consensus – it’s what I did as Senator, what I did as vice president working with Barack Obama…

If I’m elected your president, I will do whatever to make progress on matters that matter most – civil rights, women’s rights, climate change policy that will save our children, grandchildren.

“I know there are times when only a bare knuckle fight will do –I can take on Republicans. That’s what took to pass the Affordable Care Act – it was a big… deal…

“Barack Obama was an extraordinary man…. Someone your children looked up to…I’m proud to have served as his vice president [and proudest of] passing health care. Past administrations tried and failed; it was done by Obama without a single Republican vote.

“The Recovery Act [at the time of America’s biggest economic crisis] was a big reason we have had 10 years of uninterrupted economic growth…

“Trump likes to take credit for economy and economic growth – but look at facts, not alternative facts- he inherited a strong economy from the Obama-Biden administration.

“The Recovery Act helped save the country from economic ruin –  we had to get the work done – if we hadn’t, we could have had another Great Depression . Working together matters. The American people want government to work.

“The country is sick of division, sick of childish behavior – there isn’t a single person in this country who could get away with that in their job. All people want is for their senator, their congressman to do their job, and above all, a president who measures the day by people he brings together rather than division he sows…a president obsessing over personal grievance.

“The rest of the world isn’t waiting. China not waiting – they’re building 5G, mastering AI, rewriting the rules of the internet, moving into areas that shouldn’t be abandoned by us. The rest of the world isn’t abandoning the Paris Climate Accord…

“The greatest challenge we face will be over technology, intellectual property, clean energy, a warming planet – and not a single thing that building a wall [or attacking immigrants] can address….

“We have to focus on the future .. we will invest in educational assistance our people need to succeed in 21st century because any country that out-educates us will out compete us.”

He declared. “Let’s stop fighting and start fixing,” prompting cheers of “We want Joe. We want Joe.”

On health care, he said that instead of starting over, certainly not tear down, “we need to go to the next step” with the Affordable Care Act.

On infrastructure, he said, “Highways, ports, airports need to be greener, more rational. No one should have to drink poisoned water; protect the nation from cyber attack [and bring] solar and wind energy across the same lines.

“We know what we have to do.That’s why I’m running – stop fighting, start fixing… together.

“There is not much time left,” he declared. “We need a clean energy revolution, starting now. Clean energy and jobs creation go together…

“We have to work together to get it done….We need a president who will lead.”

Getting down to brass tacks, he said, “The single most important priority on my list: defeat Donald Trump…

“I’ve watched [Trump] for 3 years instilling fear, undermining every institution designed to check abuse of power- all to solidify his base and expand power.

“Attacks on free press as the enemy of the people is nothing to be dismissed – tyrants, dictators all over the world use the same [rhetoric]. Attacking the independence of courts – saying he cannot trust a judge because of his Mexican ancestry, that’s not America, Democrat or Republican.

“Attack on Congress to legitimately engage in oversight a without whimper of Republicans in Congress who should know better…

“This undermines our standing around the world.

“Are we a nation that believes in the moral equivalent between neo-Nazis and the KKK, and those with courage to stand against them? We don’t but Trump does.

“Are we a nation who believes it’s okay to tear children from the arms of parents at the border? We don’t but Trump does.

“Are we a nation that [coddles up to] a tyrant like Kim Jong Un? We don’t but Tump does.

“Remember who we are, what we stand for, what we believe. Every day I am reminded nothing is guaranteed by our democracy, we have to fight for it, earn it.”

Biden cited Lincoln’s Gettsburg Address, saying, “the great task remaining before us, that government of, by, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

“That challenge has been handed down to every generation. That challenge is now handed to us, that future generations will measure us by. Will we be the ones to let government of, by, for the people perish from the earth?

“We will not, I will not, you will not let perish on my watch or yours.

But while we confront “the biggest threat any of us have faced in our entire lifetime,” he added, “on other hand, we‘ve never had a future more promising.

“I’m more optimistic about America’s future today, than when I was first elected, too young to be sworn in. We are in a better position to lead in the 21st century. Our workers are 3 times as productive, we have the biggest economy in the world, the strongest military in the history of the world. Entrepreneurs…there are more great research universities in this city, this state, this country than all the world combined..

“We lead by the power of example not by the example of power. The only thing to defeat America is America itself and we cannot let that happen.

“Let them know who we are, what we stand for – unity over division.”

__________

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