John McCain

thank you __PUNCT__

it good to be with you __PUNCT__

i want to speak veri briefli __PUNCT__ and then take your question __PUNCT__

i have the privileg todai of speak befor my oppon __PUNCT__ senat_obama __PUNCT__ whose talent as an orat __PUNCT__ as you might notic __PUNCT__ is somewhat greater than mine __PUNCT__

i will not overemphas that fact by indulg your patienc with a lengthi speech __PUNCT__

fortun for me and you __PUNCT__ i enjoi listen and respond to my audienc question more than i do deliv formal remark __PUNCT__

so __PUNCT__ i want to share just a few thought with you __PUNCT__ and then move_quickli to your question __PUNCT__ comment or insult __PUNCT__

we meet after anoth week of rise gasolin_price __PUNCT__ anoth stock_market sell __PUNCT__ off __PUNCT__ more mortgag foreclosur and the increas loss of the american_peopl confid in the economi __PUNCT__

the question of how govern should respond to these troubl develop will shape much of the debat in thi elect __PUNCT__ and i want to offer a few thought about what i believ we should do and not do __PUNCT__

it is a terribl_mistak to rais_tax dure an econom_downturn __PUNCT__

increas the tax_burden on american imped job_growth __PUNCT__ discourag innov and make us less competit __PUNCT__

small_busi ar the biggest job creator in our economi __PUNCT__

keep individu tax_rate low isn't intend as a favor to wealthi american __PUNCT__

most small_busi busi_owner pai those rate __PUNCT__ and take more monei from them depriv them of the capit thei need to invest and grow and hire __PUNCT__

there ar two million latino own busi in america __PUNCT__ a number that is grow veri rapidli __PUNCT__

the first consider we should have when debat tax_polici is how we can help those compani grow and increas the prosper of the million of american_famili whose econom_secur depend on their success __PUNCT__

govern should be on their side __PUNCT__ not in their wai __PUNCT__

our current busi tax_rate __PUNCT__ the second highest in the world __PUNCT__ will postpon our recoveri from thi downturn and make us increasingli less competit in the world_economi __PUNCT__

when a corpor plan to expand and hire more worker __PUNCT__ thei face a choic between build a new plant here at home and build it in a countri like ireland where thei will pai less than half the tax_rate thei now pai __PUNCT__

employ can hire more peopl __PUNCT__ or thei can pai more tax __PUNCT__

we can no longer afford the luxuri of nostalgia for past time when american_busi face littl seriou competit in the world __PUNCT__

the global_economi is here to stai __PUNCT__

we cannot build wall to foreign competit __PUNCT__ and why should we want to __PUNCT__

when have american ever been afraid of competit __PUNCT__ america is the biggest export __PUNCT__ import __PUNCT__ produc __PUNCT__ saver __PUNCT__ investor __PUNCT__ manufactur __PUNCT__ and innov in the world __PUNCT__

american don't run from the challeng of a global economi __PUNCT__

the courag __PUNCT__ patriot __PUNCT__ ingenu and industri of our forbear earn the rever we hold for our stori past __PUNCT__

but we have never been a countri that substitut nostalgia for optim __PUNCT__

we have never been a countri that would rather go back than forward __PUNCT__

we ar the world_leader __PUNCT__ and leader don't fear chang __PUNCT__ hide from challeng __PUNCT__ pine for the past and dread the futur __PUNCT__

we make the futur better than the past __PUNCT__

that why i reject the fals virtu of econom isolation __PUNCT__

ani confid __PUNCT__ compet govern should embrac competit __PUNCT__ it make us stronger __PUNCT__ not hide from our competitor a nd cheat our consum and worker __PUNCT__

we can compet and win __PUNCT__ as we alwai have __PUNCT__ or we can be left behind __PUNCT__

lower barrier to trade creat more and better job __PUNCT__ and higher_wage __PUNCT__

it keep inflat under control and interest_rate low __PUNCT__

it make_good more afford for low and middl incom consum __PUNCT__

protection threaten all those benefit __PUNCT__

open new market for american good and servic is indispens to our futur prosper __PUNCT__

but in the global_economi what you learn is what you earn __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ half of latino and half of african_american enter high_school will never graduat __PUNCT__

by the __NUM__ grade __PUNCT__ u. __PUNCT__ student in math and scienc score near the bottom of all industri_nation __PUNCT__

as bill_gate said __PUNCT__ thi isn't an accid or flaw in the system __PUNCT__

it is the system __PUNCT__

mani parent fear their children won't have the same opportun thei had __PUNCT__

that is simpli unaccept in a countri as great as our __PUNCT__

in mani school __PUNCT__ particularli where peopl ar struggl the hardest __PUNCT__ the situat is dire __PUNCT__ and i believ pose the civil right challeng of our time __PUNCT__

we need to shake up fail school bureaucraci with competit __PUNCT__ hold school account for result __PUNCT__ strengthen math __PUNCT__ scienc __PUNCT__ technolog and engin curriculum __PUNCT__ empow parent with choic __PUNCT__ remov barrier to qualifi instructor __PUNCT__ attract and reward superior teacher __PUNCT__ and have a fair but sure process to weed out incompet __PUNCT__

i have spent the last two week address the problem that is caus american the most pain right now __PUNCT__ our depend on import oil __PUNCT__ and how to free ourselv from a situat that threaten our economi __PUNCT__ our environ and our nation_secur __PUNCT__

obvious __PUNCT__ the crisi most acut affect lower incom_american __PUNCT__ who often drive the furthest to work and own the oldest car __PUNCT__

there ar a few __PUNCT__ but not mani __PUNCT__ thing we can do in the short_term to allevi the econom distress american ar feel as thei pai more and more of their incom for gasolin __PUNCT__ and higher_price for groceri and almost all good that ar affect by spiral increas in the price of oil __PUNCT__

but we must commit ourselv to address thi problem as quickli as humanli possibl __PUNCT__ and we must commit thi countri to the great_nation caus of break our strateg depend on foreign_oil __PUNCT__

to do that __PUNCT__ we must address both the suppli and demand side o f the problem __PUNCT__

we must produc more oil at home __PUNCT__ and while explor and product will take some time __PUNCT__ it will have an earlier effect on the oil futur_market __PUNCT__

when futur trader believ the suppli of oil will increas in the year_ahead and the cost of a barrel of oil will be lower __PUNCT__ it will help curb some of the specul in those market that ar drive price so much higher todai __PUNCT__

but the last solut to all the problem associ with our depend on foreign_oil is to begin in the term of the next presid the most ambiti program ever to reduc our demand for the fuel that is a power inflationari forc in our economi __PUNCT__ is caus our climat to chang with all the unimagin problem that creat __PUNCT__ and is ransom our futur to regim that care littl for our valu or our secur __PUNCT__

we need to unleash the competit forc of the free_market to encourag clean altern __PUNCT__ wind __PUNCT__ solar __PUNCT__ tide __PUNCT__ nuclear __PUNCT__ and clean_coal __PUNCT__

but to realli achiev energi_secur __PUNCT__ we must address the area where the demand for oil is the greatest the wai we fuel our transport_system __PUNCT__

i have promis a plan __PUNCT__ which i call the lexington project __PUNCT__ for the place where america war for independ began __PUNCT__ which will encourag the invest and innov necessari to wean our car __PUNCT__ buse __PUNCT__ and truck off of our complet depend on gasolin __PUNCT__

thi will take time __PUNCT__ but the longer we wait to begin __PUNCT__ the longer it will take to achiev __PUNCT__

it is an ambiti plan __PUNCT__ but i am confid that our industri and entrepreneur __PUNCT__ and all american ar up to thi next great_challeng in our histori __PUNCT__

the geniu __PUNCT__ hard_work and courag of american have never fail us __PUNCT__ and will not fail us now __PUNCT__

let me close by talk briefli about my respect and gratitud for the contribut of hispan __PUNCT__ american to the cultur __PUNCT__ economi and secur of the countri i have serv all my adult_life __PUNCT__

i repres arizona where spanish wa spoken befor english wa __PUNCT__ and where the charact and prosper of our state ow a great_deal to the mani arizonan of hispan descent who live there __PUNCT__

and i know thi countri __PUNCT__ which i love more than almost anyth __PUNCT__ would be the poorer were we depriv of the patriot __PUNCT__ industri and decenc of those million of american whose famili came here from mexico __PUNCT__ central and south_america __PUNCT__

i will honor their contribut to america for as long as i live __PUNCT__

i and mani other colleagu twice attempt to pass comprehens_immigr legisl to fix our broken border __PUNCT__ ensur respect for the law of thi countri __PUNCT__ recogn the import econom necess of immigr labor __PUNCT__ apprehend those who came here illeg to commit_crime __PUNCT__ and deal practic and human with those who came here __PUNCT__ as my distant ancestor did __PUNCT__ to build a better __PUNCT__ safer life for their famili __PUNCT__ without excus the fact thei came here illeg or grant them privileg befor those who did __PUNCT__

mani american __PUNCT__ with good caus __PUNCT__ did not believ us when we said we would secur our border __PUNCT__ and so we fail in our effort __PUNCT__

we must prove to them that we can and will secur our border first __PUNCT__ while respect the digniti and right of citizen and legal_resid of the unit_state __PUNCT__

but we must not make the mistak of think that our respons to meet thi challeng will end with that accomplish ment __PUNCT__

we have econom and humanitarian respons as well __PUNCT__ and thei requir no less dedic from us in meet them __PUNCT__

when i wa in prison in vietnam __PUNCT__ i like other of my fellow pow __PUNCT__ wa offer earli releas by my captor __PUNCT__

most of us refus becaus we were bound to our code of conduct __PUNCT__ which said those who had been captur the earliest had to be releas the soonest __PUNCT__

my friend __PUNCT__ everett alvarez __PUNCT__ a brave american of mexican descent __PUNCT__ had been shot down year befor i wa __PUNCT__ and had suffer for hi countri much more and much longer than i had __PUNCT__

to leav him behind would have shame us __PUNCT__

when you take the solemn stroll along that wall of black granit on the nation mall __PUNCT__ it is hard not to notic the mani name such as rodriguez __PUNCT__ hernandez __PUNCT__ and lopez that so sadli adorn it __PUNCT__

when you visit iraq and afghanistan you will meet some of the thousand of hispan __PUNCT__ american who serv there __PUNCT__ and mani of those who risk their live to protect the rest of us do not yet possess the right and privileg of full_citizenship in the countri thei love so well __PUNCT__

to love your countri __PUNCT__ as i discov in vietnam __PUNCT__ is to love your countrymen __PUNCT__

those men and women ar my brother and sister __PUNCT__ my fellow_american __PUNCT__ an associ that mean more to me than ani other __PUNCT__

as a privat_citizen or as your presid __PUNCT__ i will never __PUNCT__ never do anyth to dishonor our oblig to them and their famili or to forget what thei and their ancestor have done to make thi countri the beauti __PUNCT__ bounti __PUNCT__ bless place we love __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__