Independence Day

“Loving your country shouldn’t just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July:

Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it.

If you do, your life will be richer,
and our country will be stronger.”

This speech in Colorado Springs was part of a week-long effort to highlight Obama’s values and biography. A campaign aide said the speeches underscore what makes up Obama’s “moral compass.”

Obama also spoke about September 11th: He was deeply critical of the Bush’s policies after 9/11, criticizing the Administration for not using the attacks to inspire American’s to serve.

“Instead of a call to service, we were asked to go shopping. Instead of a call for shared sacrifice, we gave tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans in a time of war for the very first time in our history."

“Instead of leadership that called us to come together, we got patriotism defined as the property of one party, and used as a political wedge to take us into a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged.

Barack Obama and his family are spending July 4th this year in Butte, Montana. Today is his daughter Malia's 10th birthday, so the "family picnic" (watch it live) is part campaign rally, part birthday party. You can read more about the local reaction from The Montana Standard.

Barack spoke at the family picnic. Watch this three-minute video: