"A mighty woman with a torch"

[grantcart]

The President gave a brilliant speech on immigration today and if you have the chance to see the tape do it.

He went through the policy parts, the benefits through history and sweeping historical perspective.

But the most interesting part of the speech is where he said that basically there were Republicans who were on the train and were no off of it and everybody else is ready to go so now is the time for Republicans to get back on the bus.

It will add fueld to the Tea Party/Republican feud and cause more inter party fighting among the Republicans.

Right now McCain is not feeling very 'Mavericky' at all.

[quiet.american]

1. Thanks for bringing this up Grantcart - looking forward to watching it. nt

[berni_mccoy]

2. Thanks for the heads up. I missed the speech, but will be sure to check it out.

[NJmaverick]

3. I like that- "A Might Woman with a torch"

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

[Kind of Blue]

6. My dad and his buddies got passage on a

cargo ship on its way to the U.S. back in the early '60s. They memorized that poem as boys in Africa. I remember him telling me that when Liberty was in site, the European captain called the-then young men up on deck and they recited the poem as if saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

He's an old dude now and cries even at a glimpse of her at anytime. And that's why he's a Democrat.

Thanks for posting.

[Hekate]

4. I caught that this morning. He's such an excellent speaker--heart and brains and all...

I don't know about anyone else, but I thought his analysis was excellent, and then to follow to the conclusion with Emma Lazarus's poem brought me completely to tears. 4th of July is around the corner, what could be a better topic?

Hekate

[Cha]

5. Transcript of President Obama's remarks at American University..

<snip>

"I want to thank American University for welcoming me to the campus once again. Some may recall that the last time I was here I was joined by a dear friend, and a giant of American politics, Senator Edward Kennedy. (Applause.) Teddy's not here right now, but his legacy of civil rights and health care and worker protections is still with us.

I was a candidate for President that day, and some may recall I argued that our country had reached a tipping point; that after years in which we had deferred our most pressing problems, and too often yielded to the politics of the moment, we now faced a choice: We could squarely confront our challenges with honesty and determination, or we could consign ourselves and our children to a future less prosperous and less secure.

I believed that then and I believe it now. And that's why, even as we've tackled the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, even as we've wound down the war in Iraq and refocused our efforts in Afghanistan, my administration has refused to ignore some of the fundamental challenges facing this generation.

We launched the most aggressive education reforms in decades, so that our children can gain the knowledge and skills they need to compete in a 21st century global economy.

We have finally delivered on the promise of health reform -– reform that will bring greater security to every American, and that will rein in the skyrocketing costs that threaten families, businesses and the prosperity of our nation."

<more>
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/07/01/transcript-of-obamas-immigration-speech/