It is indeed a pleasure and an honor for me to be here today at the University of Maine in Augusta to deliver your Commencement Address. Augusta is a city where I have spent at least half of my adult life, more time than in any other place in Maine except the town of York where I have had my home since 1962. Well do I remember the first time I came to Augusta – it was on a campaign trip with Ken Curtis, who was running for Governor, in 1966. We went downtown to Water Street and Water Street was living up to its name: it was under water. The Kennebec, in the midst of a spring freshet, had overflowed its banks. Since we were distinct underdogs in that political campaign, I never did say to myself: “well, here’s a place where I’ll be spending a lot of my time in the future.” Yet that’s what happened.

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Last week, I laid out a plan to get America’s finances in order. It was a plan for shared prosperity through shared sacrifice and shared responsibility. So before I take your questions, I want to talk a little bit about this plan briefly, because it goes to the heart of what’s happening at this campus and schools like it all across America. And my plan does two big things: First, it cuts spending and it brings down the deficit. We all know how important that is. Just like any student on a tight budget — and I’m assuming there are a few students on a tight budget here. Let’s see a show of hands. Any students on a tight budget? (Laughter.) I’ve been there. Just like you, America has to start living within its means.

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This debate over budgets and deficits is about more than just numbers on a page, more than just cutting and spending. It’s about the kind of future we want. It’s about the kind of country we believe in. And that’s what I want to talk about today.

From our first days as a nation, we have put our faith in free markets and free enterprise as the engine of America’s wealth and prosperity. More than citizens of any other country, we are rugged individualists, a self-reliant people with a healthy skepticism of too much government.

But there has always been another thread running throughout our history – a belief that we are all connected; and that there are some things we can only do together, as a nation. We believe, in the words of our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, that ‘through government, we should do together what we cannot do as well for ourselves.’

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Good evening. Tonight, I’d like to update the American people on the international effort that we have led in Libya – what we have done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us.

I want to begin by paying tribute to our men and women in uniform who, once again, have acted with courage, professionalism and patriotism. They have moved with incredible speed and strength. Because of them and our dedicated diplomats, a coalition has been forged and countless lives have been saved.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011. As Prepared for Delivery—

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th Congress, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this Chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague – and our friend – Gabby Giffords.

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To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.

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Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, delivered an address at the Center for American Progress Action Fund on January 12, 2011, on political gridlock, the urgent need to restore a sense of purpose and civility to the U.S. political process, and the global economic consequences of the breakdown in Washington. This is his speech:

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I just had a terrific meeting with the former President, President Bill Clinton. And we just happened to have this as a topic of conversation. And I thought, given the fact that he presided over as good an economy as we’ve seen in our lifetimes, that it might be useful for him to share some of his thoughts.

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You know, in the fall of 2008, one of the last rallies of my presidential campaign was right here in the Cleveland area. (Applause.) It was a hopeful time, just two days before the election. And we knew that if we pulled it off, we’d finally have the chance to tackle some big and difficult challenges that had been facing this country for a very long time.

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“Next week, I’ll be traveling to Eastport to visit Ocean Renewable Power Company. The company is operating the largest ocean energy “power plant” ever installed in U.S. waters. The prototype machinery produces grid-compatible power from the tidal currents in Cobscook Bay.

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