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But here's what I won't do. I won't support ideas that sound good, but aren't paid for -- ideas that weaken the progress we've made in the previous two years for working families; ideas that hurt poor people who are doing their dead-level best to raise their kids and work their way into the middle class; ideas that undermine our fight against crime, or for a clean environment, or for better schools, or for the strength and well-being of our Armed Forces in foreign policy. In other words, we must be straight with the American people about the real consequences of all budgetary decisions. My test will be: Does an idea expand middle class incomes and opportunities? Does it promote values like family, work responsibility and community? Does it contribute to strengthening the new economy? If it does, I'll be for it, no matter who proposes it. And I hope Congress will treat my ideas the same way. Let's worry about making progress, not taking credit. But our work in Washington won't be enough. And that's where you come in. This all starts with you. Oh, we can cut taxes and expand opportunities, but governments can't raise your children, go to school for you, give your employees who have earned it a raise, or solve problems in your neighborhood that require your personal commitment. In short, government can't exercise your citizenship. It works the other way around. The problems of this new world are complicated, and we've all got a lot to learn. That means citizens have to listen as well as talk. We need less hot rhetoric and more open conversation; less malice, and more charity. We need to put aside the politics of personal destruction and demonization that have dominated too much of our debate. Most of us are good people trying to do better. And if we all treated each other that way, we would do better. We have got to be a community again. Yes, some people do take advantage of the rest of us - - by breaking the law, abusing the welfare system, and flaunting our immigration laws. That's wrong, and I'm working to stop it. But the truth is that most people in this country, without regard to their race, their religion, their income, their position on divisive issues, most Americans get up every day, go to work, obey the law, pay their taxes and raise their kids the best they can. And most of us share the same real challenges in this new economy. We'll do a lot better job of meeting those challenges if we work together and find unity and strength in our diversity. We do have more in common, more uniting us than dividing us. And if we start acting like it, we can face the future with confidence. I still believe deeply that there is nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed by what's right with America. This is not about politics as usual. As I've said for years, it's not about moving left or right, but moving forward; not about government being bad or good, but about what kind of government will best enable us to

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    "ocrText": "But here's what I won't do. I won't support ideas that\nsound good, but aren't paid for -- ideas that weaken the progress\nwe've made in the previous two years for working families; ideas that\nhurt poor people who are doing their dead-level best to raise their\nkids and work their way into the middle class; ideas that undermine\nour fight against crime, or for a clean environment, or for better\nschools, or for the strength and well-being of our Armed Forces in\nforeign policy. In other words, we must be straight with the\nAmerican people about the real consequences of all budgetary\ndecisions.\nMy test will be: Does an idea expand middle class\nincomes and opportunities? Does it promote values like family, work\nresponsibility and community? Does it contribute to strengthening\nthe new economy? If it does, I'll be for it, no matter who proposes\nit. And I hope Congress will treat my ideas the same way. Let's\nworry about making progress, not taking credit.\nBut our work in Washington won't be enough. And that's\nwhere you come in. This all starts with you. Oh, we can cut taxes\nand expand opportunities, but governments can't raise your children,\ngo to school for you, give your employees who have earned it a raise,\nor solve problems in your neighborhood that require your personal\ncommitment. In short, government can't exercise your citizenship.\nIt works the other way around.\nThe problems of this new world are complicated, and\nwe've all got a lot to learn. That means citizens have to listen as\nwell as talk. We need less hot rhetoric and more open conversation;\nless malice, and more charity. We need to put aside the politics of\npersonal destruction and demonization that have dominated too much of\nour debate. Most of us are good people trying to do better. And if\nwe all treated each other that way, we would do better. We have got\nto be a community again.\nYes, some people do take advantage of the rest of us -\n- by breaking the law, abusing the welfare system, and flaunting our\nimmigration laws. That's wrong, and I'm working to stop it. But the\ntruth is that most people in this country, without regard to their\nrace, their religion, their income, their position on divisive\nissues, most Americans get up every day, go to work, obey the law,\npay their taxes and raise their kids the best they can. And most of\nus share the same real challenges in this new economy. We'll do a\nlot better job of meeting those challenges if we work together and\nfind unity and strength in our diversity.\nWe do have more in common, more uniting us than dividing\nus. And if we start acting like it, we can face the future with\nconfidence. I still believe deeply that there is nothing wrong with\nAmerica that can't be fixed by what's right with America. This is\nnot about politics as usual. As I've said for years, it's not about\nmoving left or right, but moving forward; not about government being\nbad or good, but about what kind of government will best enable us to"
}