Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation – not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago. – Barack Obama
So while I will never minimize the costs involved in military action, I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America. – Barack Obama
But if you – if what – the reports are true, what theyre saying is, is that as a consequence of us getting 30 million additional people health care, at the margins thats going to increase our costs, we knew that. – Barack Obama
I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, weve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. Weve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions. – Barack Obama