From the President

This was reported by Politico as part of the President's speech.
PRESIDENT OBAMA , at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty military members, in the East Room this a.m.: "Looking back, it was an act of extraordinary audacity -- a few dozen delegates, in that hall in Philadelphia, daring to defy the mightiest empire in the world ... Two hundred and thirty-six years later, we marvel at America's story. From a string of 13 colonies to 50 states ... From a fragile experiment in democracy to a beacon of freedom that still lights the world . From a society of farmers and merchants to the largest, most dynamic economy in the world. From a ragtag army of militias and regulars to you -- the finest military that the world has ever known. From a population of some 3 million -- free and slave -- to more than 300 million Americans of every color and every creed."