Good one! Barack, however, needs more "bark" in his sound "bites." (groan). May I add on a little? . . .
...,but an American health plan. Our health care system is the best in the world until you have to pay the bills. Quality health care must be made available and affordable to those who need it. Not a Democratic or Republican policy to deal swiftly and ruthlessly with the terrorists who threaten us, but an American one. At the same time, we extend our hand to help free our fellow citizens of the world from the tyranny of dictatorships. America will not stand idly by and watch as basic human needs are denied and trampled upon.
We need to expand the American dream. We need to include persons of all colors who have come to our land as did the native populations and our forefathers - to seek a better life for themselves and their families. We must encourage those who are now undocumented to come forward and work with us in helping them contribute to America's success story. We must revitalize our manufacturing base and service sectors. We need to create new jobs and make available new opportunities for our families and communities. We must have an educational system that nurtures and enables our children to fulfill their potential to the best of their abilities. We must have a criminal justice system that places the emphasis on rehabilitation and not just on punishment. If a criminal offender had been on drugs when he committed the crime for which he is charged, we must get them off drugs to help prevent their committing any more crimes. The Civil Rights acts of the 1960s grew to include voting rights, fair housing, equal access and non-discrimination in employment. We need to take the spirit of our existing civil rights legislation and translate them into the realities of everyday life. While we have a long way to go, we have already come a long way.
While we cannot do all that needs to be done in the next four or eight years, I ask the American people to give us a chance. As we proceed in our new century, let us begin to put into place and practice realistic, workable solutions for those issues we've mentioned. My administration will use listening tours, electronic town meetings and other ways to have a government in contact with the people. We cannot tell you what to do. We can tell you only what we can do.
You know, the other week I was watching that wonderful ...
