President Barack Obama outlined his Veterans Jobs Corps today. The proposed Corps will hire Veterans to work in our National Parks rebuilding roads. Police and fire stations will also prioirtize Veterans as workers. And a network will match skill sets with jobs. Here are highlighted segments of his speech:

“The war in Iraq is over. The war in Afghanistan is moving to a new phase — we’re transitioning to Afghan lead. Over the past decade, nearly 3 million service members have transitioned back to civilian life, and more are joining them every day. . .

“Our veterans are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we’ve got. These are Americans that every business should be competing to attract. These are the Americans we want to keep serving here at home as we rebuild this country. So we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that when our troops come home, they come home to new jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve their country.

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President Obama in Maine in 2010 photo by duhoux

THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought — and several thousand gave their lives.

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. (Applause.) For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. (Applause.) For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. (Applause.) Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

President Obama delivers his third State of the Union. courtesy photo

Martin Luther King Jr. public photo

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Take a moment of time to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by reflecting upon how he helped in America’s struggle for equal rights for all. They are your rights, too. Think of how you can make his shared American dream come true.

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Former Governor John E. Baldacci talks with Bill Sullivan at the JFK Recognition dinner where they, along with former Bangor Mayor Gerry Palmer received awards for their public service. photo by Ramona du Houx

“John F. Kennedy always gave us hope and opportunities. He made us realize that every one of us can make a difference — we all can. He made us see we can make positive changes and that those changes are greater and last longer when we work together, because no one can do it all by themselves,” said Governor John Elias Baldacci, after he received an award at the Penobscot County Democratic Committee’s first President John F. Kennedy Recognition Dinner last October. “He reminded us of the greatness of America. He inspired us to do more for community and country. For we as a country have no choice but to try and achieve greatness as a county.”

The event commemorated the 48th anniversary of a speech President Kennedy made at the University of Maine on Oct. 19, 1963.

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President Obama gives historic economic speech

As many of you know, I have roots here. (Applause.) I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Obamas of Osawatomie. (Laughter.) Actually, I like to say that I got my name from my father, but I got my accent — and my values — from my mother. (Applause.) She was born in Wichita. (Applause.) Her mother grew up in Augusta. Her father was from El Dorado. So my Kansas roots run deep.

My grandparents served during World War II. He was a soldier in Patton’s Army; she was a worker on a bomber assembly line. And together, they shared the optimism of a nation that triumphed over the Great Depression and over fascism. They believed in an America where hard work paid off, and responsibility was rewarded, and anyone could make it if they tried — no matter who you were, no matter where you came from, no matter how you started out. (Applause.)

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Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen: I would like to talk to you about a subject that is at the heart of the United Nations – the pursuit of peace in an imperfect world.

War and conflict have been with us since the beginning of civilization. But in the first part of the 20th century, the advance of modern weaponry led to death on a staggering scale. It was this killing that compelled the founders of this body to build an institution that was focused not just on ending one war, but on averting others; a union of sovereign states that would seek to prevent conflict, while also addressing its causes.

No American did more to pursue this objective than President Franklin Roosevelt. He knew that a victory in war was not enough. As he said at one of the very first meetings on the founding of the United Nations, “We have got to make, not merely a peace, but a peace that will last.”

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Excerpts of the President’s Speech on the American Jobs Act

Obama talking about his American Jobs Act. courtesy photo

The people of this county work hard to meet their responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours. The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy; whether we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning.

Those of us here tonight cannot solve all of our nation’s woes. Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington, but by our businesses and our workers. But we can help. We can make a difference. There are steps we can take right now to improve people’s lives.

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THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Nearly 10 years ago, America suffered the worst attack on our shores since Pearl Harbor. This mass murder was planned by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network in Afghanistan, and signaled a new threat to our security –- one in which the targets were no longer soldiers on a battlefield, but innocent men, women and children going about their daily lives.

In the days that followed, our nation was united as we struck at al Qaeda and routed the Taliban in Afghanistan. Then, our focus shifted. A second war was launched in Iraq, and we spent enormous blood and treasure to support a new government there. By the time I took office, the war in Afghanistan had entered its seventh year. But al Qaeda’s leaders had escaped into Pakistan and were plotting new attacks, while the Taliban had regrouped and gone on the offensive. Without a new strategy and decisive action, our military commanders warned that we could face a resurgent al Qaeda and a Taliban taking over large parts of Afghanistan.

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Former Gov. John Baldacci, left, and Master of Ceremonies Dr. Ralph Carmona listen as former Portland legislator Herb Adams presents a copy of the book “Bold Vision” at the annual Truman Dinner hosted by the Portland Democratic City Committee. Photo by Ramona du Houx

“It’s great to be back in Maine. I love his state; it’s where my heart is. I’ve been privileged to be able to serve as a congressman, and as governor for the great state of Maine. The people of Maine are the best anywhere — and they demand the best,” said Governor John Baldacci in a brief interview at an event in Portland in his honor. “For eight years I tried to make changes to progress the state for all the people of Maine, and we had successes. The last couple of years we were in some of the most difficult economic times — being in the worst recession since the Great Depression — it was challenging.”

The event was the annual Truman Dinner, at the Italian Heritage Center, hosted by the Portland Democratic City Committee where about 200 Democrats turned out on May 13th to celebrate Baldacci’s eight years in office.

“Apparently there’s nothing like honoring a former governor to really increase turnout, and there’s nothing like our current governor to increase turnout,” said Jill Barkley, chair of the Portland Democratic committee, as she welcomed a room full of Democratic dignitaries.

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Pres. Obama at a health care event in photo by Ramona du Houx

The State Department is a fitting venue to mark a new chapter in American diplomacy. For six months, we have witnessed an extraordinary change take place in the Middle East and North Africa. Square by square; town by town; country by country; the people have risen up to demand their basic human rights. Two leaders have stepped aside. More may follow. And though these countries may be a great distance from our shores, we know that our own future is bound to this region by the forces of economics and security; history and faith.

Today, I would like to talk about this change – the forces that are driving it, and how we can respond in a way that advances our values and strengthens our security. Already, we have done much to shift our foreign policy following a decade defined by two costly conflicts. After years of war in Iraq, we have removed 100,000 American troops and ended our combat mission there. In Afghanistan, we have broken the Taliban’s momentum, and this July we will begin to bring our troops home and continue transition to Afghan lead. And after years of war against al Qaeda and its affiliates, we have dealt al Qaeda a huge blow by killing its leader – Osama bin Laden.

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