benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly， and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough， direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century： terrorism and nuclear proliferation； poverty and genocide； climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing， so that America is once again that last， best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom， who long for lives of peace， and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead， I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other s character and patriotism.

The times are too serious， the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country， and so do you， and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents， but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America