The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. America, our work will not be easy. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, and to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist.
But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side
I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. It comes from Deuteronomy 30 when Moses talks to his followers about the challenges they'll find when they reach the Promised Land without him. Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.
A nation of whiners?
Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made.
Because it's not who we are
This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world - tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The obligations that the parties have agreed to under the Road Map are clear.