Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong.

May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here.

How can we not believe in the greatness of America? How can we not do what is right and needed to preserve this last best hope of man on Earth? After all our struggles to restore America, to revive confidence in our country, hope for our future - after all our hard-won victories earned through the patience and courage of every citizen - we cannot, must not, and will not turn. We will finish our job. How could we do less? We're Americans.

I have learned that one of the most important rules in politics is poise - which means looking like an owl after you have behaved like a jackass.

Trust the people -- that is the crucial lesson of history.

Our goal is peace. We can gain that peace by strengthening our alliances, by speaking candidly about the dangers before us, by assuring potential adversaries of our seriousness, by actively pursuing every chance of honest and fruitful negotiation.

By working together, pooling our resources and building on our strengths, we can accomplish great things.