“Thank you, Wisconsin.

“Every week, the message is ringing out loud and clear: change is coming to America. 

“Everywhere I have been in this campaign, I have seen the hurt of workers without work, of families without healthcare, of Americans whose savings have been swept away by corporate scandal – so many dreams deferred or denied.  But I have also seen a sense of hope and a resolve to make a new future, to lift our country up, to reach for the America we can become.

“A land of opportunity not just for some, but for all.

“A nation respected in the world not just for its missiles and its might, but for the even greater power of its ideals.

“We reject the view that the job of a President is just to drive up the stock market.  We believe the job of a President is to put America back to work. 

“We will insist on worker and environmental protections in every trade agreement – because on a fair playing field, Americans can compete with anyone in the world.

“We will repeal the tax loopholes and benefits that reward Benedict Arnold CEOs and companies for shipping American jobs overseas.  Instead, we will provide new incentives for good companies that create and keep good jobs here in America.

“And I’ll tell you what we will outsource.  We will outsource the Bush tax cut for the wealthy.  We will repeal it so we can invest in health care and the education of our children.

“And we will create 500,000 new jobs by putting this nation on the road to energy independence – so that young Americans in uniform will never have to fight or die for Mideast oil.

“We will stand up to the HMOs and the big drug companies to make health care a right and not a privilege – and to hold down the soaring costs of health insurance and prescription drugs.  The members of Congress, the President, and the Vice-President give themselves great health coverage at your expense.  We see an America where every family’s health care is just as important as any politician’s in Washington.

“We see an America where every child can go to a good school, every teacher is respected for doing one of the most important jobs in our country, and the doors of higher education are open to all.

“We see an America that cuts the poverty of millions instead of cutting taxes for millionaires.

“We see an America where all of us have something to contribute – and each of us is challenged to serve and give something back to our country.

“We see an America of civil rights and civil liberties – with an Attorney General who is not named John Ashcroft

“And we see a stronger America in a safer world.

“Our opponents say they want to campaign on national security.  Well, I know something about aircraft carriers for real.  And if George Bush wants to make national security the central issue in this campaign, we have three words for him we know he understands: Bring it on.

“I ask all Americans who have not yet joined us to go to johnkerry.com.  Share your ideas, make your voice heard, join with us to change the direction of our country.

“Let me thank my amazing wife Teresa and my family – and so many across Wisconsin and America who have given this campaign their help and their hearts.

“Tonight, we say to all of America:  Get ready – a new day is on the way.”