installment of Candidates at Google. For those of you who don't know me, I'm David Drummond,

Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, the company's Chief Legal Officer. I'm very

pleased and distinctly honored here to welcome back to Google Senator Barack Obama. I say

welcome back because for those of you who were around in the summer of 2004, you may

remember at TGIF in which I joined Larry and Sergey on this stage and introduced to the

assembled Googlers then senate candidate Obama. And Barack had been in the Bay Area and he

wanted to come down and see what we were up to here at Google, see what this Google thing

was all about. And he had a great visit. He came and did the tour. He saw the GeoDisplay,

the Search Traffic, and he saw the servers, and everything we had at Google. We sat down

with Larry and Sergey. We had a great talk about innovation, about policy, and he later

wrote about that in his book, The Audacity of Hope. And I know all of you have a copy

of that. And all in all a great visit. And, you know, while it was a fantastic visit,

I now realized that we made a grave error that day at TGI, we didn't let him speak.

So, ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to rectify that error. We are thrilled that

Senator Obama has chosen Google to unveil his innovation agenda. And you're going to

hear that today and we're very, very excited about what that means for the country and

I think you will be too. Following that, Eric's going to come up on the stage and do a Q&A

with Senator Obama. And following that, you'll have your chance to ask your question. So,

without anything further, please join me in giving an enormous Google welcome back to

Senator Barack Obama. Thanks. >> OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,

every body. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. What a--what a wonderful reception.

I am so grateful to all of you for showing such interest in taking the time to be here

today. I want to thank Larry and Sergey and Eric and, obviously, David for helping to

set this up. I am extremely grateful to all of them for their leadership and their friendship.

And I also want to acknowledge state Senator Elaine Alquist who is here. This is her district,

and since I used to be a state senator I always want to give her, her props, so it's wonderful

to see her as well. So, thank you. Well, it is wonderful to be back. As David said I was

here about 3 years ago and had just a wonderful visit. It was such a striking visit for me.

It made such an impression that I ended up writing about it in my book. And so it's always

good to be back in Mountain View and it's good to see that Google is maintaining its

strict dress code.

When you stop to think about it, there is something improbable about this gathering.

After all it wasn't much more than a decade ago that Larry and Sergey got together in

a dorm room as graduate students, with a big idea to organize all of the world's information

into an accessible form. And at that time, I was an Illinois state senator doing my best

to help people get a better shot at their dreams. What we shared is a belief in changing

the world from the bottom-up, not the top-down. That a bunch of--that ordinary people can

do extraordinary things. We shared that. We also shared a bunch of student loans that

still needed to be paid off. And you would have found it hard to predict that Larry and

Sergey would now be the co-founders of one of the most successful companies in recent

history and that I would be standing on this stage today as a candidate for president of

the United States. But this is where improbable journeys have led. This is where the moment

finds us. And I'd like to say a few words about what I believe we have to do together,

to seize this moment with a sense of purpose and a sense of urgency. We know how the first

chapters of the Google story have turned out. After all, all of you have good jobs. But

we also know that the Google story is more than just being about the bottom line. It's

about seeing what we can accomplish when we believe in things that are unseen, when we

take the measure of our changing times and we take action to shape them. And that's why

we're here today, that's why many of you decided to work here instead of someplace else. Technology

and innovation have reshaped our economy and our lives at breathtaking speed. America's

been fighting to figure out how to tap this awesome new resource that we have, and Google

has helped to show us the way. But the story is far from over. Google’s story is far

from over. The story of how we shaped our changing times is far from over. What comes

next depends on the choices that we make right now, at this moment, in this election. We

could see the spirit of innovation that started this company be stifled. We could see the

internet divided up to the highest bidders. We could see a government that uses technology

to shut people out, instead of letting them in. Tax break shuffled to special interests

while the next start-up, the next Google can't get a fair shot. Challenges like healthcare

and energy that hold our country back while competition from other nations picks up. That's

one alternative. Another alternative is for us to unlock a new future of opportunity.

Together we could open up the government and invite all citizens in while connecting all

of America to 21st century Broadband. We could use technology to help achieve universal healthcare,

to reach for a clean energy future, and to ensure that young Americans can compete and

win in the global economy. If America recommits itself to science and innovation, then we

can lead the world to a new future of productivity and prosperity. That's what we can do if we

seize this moment. That's the choice we face. And as president, I intend to work with you

to write the next chapter in the story of American innovation. That's part of the reason

why I'm running for president of the United States. To seize this moment, we have to ensure

free and full exchange of information, and that starts with an open internet. I will

take--I

will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality, because once providers

start to privilege some applications or websites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed

out and we all lose. The internet is perhaps the most open network in history and we have

to keep it that way. To seize this moment, we have to connect all of America to 21st

century infrastructure. As president, I will set a goal of ensuring that every American

has Broadband access, no matter where you live, no matter how much money you have or

don't have. We will raise the standards for Broadband speed. We will connect schools and

libraries and hospitals. And we’ll take on the special interest so that we can finally

unleash the power of wireless spectrum for our safety, our security, and our connectivity.

To seize this moment, we have to use technology to open up our democracy. It's no coincidence

that one of the most secretive administrations in our history, has favored special interests

and pursued policies that could not stand up to the sunlight. As president, I'm going

to change that. We will put government data online in universally accessible formats.

I'll let citizens--I'll let citizens check federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbying

contracts. I'll let you participate in government forums, ask questions in real time, offer

suggestions that will be reviewed before decisions are made, and let you comment on legislation

before it is signed. And to ensure that every government agency is meeting 21st century

standards, I will appoint the nation's first chief technology officer to coordinate and

make certain that we are always at the forefront of technology and that we are incorporating

it into every decision that we make. And if you want to know how I'll govern, just look

at our campaign. We’ve received over 370,000 donations online, half of which have been

under $25. Nearly 300,000 Americans have their own accounts on BarackObama.com. They’ve

created—they’ve created thousands of grassroots groups. They've offered up over 15,000 policy

ideas, because we believe the real change can only come from the bottom-up, and technology

empowers people to come together to make that change. Because at this moment, I think we

have to do more than to get our house in order, the opportunity in front of us is bigger than

that. Seizing this opportunity is going to depend on more than what the government does

or even what the technology sector does. It's going to depend on how together we harness

technology to confront the biggest challenges that America faces. Just imagine what we could

do. If we commit ourselves to electronic medical records, then we can lift up the quality of

healthcare and reduce error and dramatically lower costs. If we take on--if we take on

special interests and make aggressive investments and clean a renewable energy like Google has

done with solar here in Mountainview, that we can end our addiction to ore, create millions

of jobs and save the planet in the bargain. If we make technological literacy a fundamental

part of education then we can give our children the skills they need to compete and ensure

the next generation of scientists and engineers as being educated right here in America. We

can do this, but we can't wait because Silicon Valley is not the only corner of innovation

in the world. If America doesn't seize this moment, then we will face only more competition

from Dubai and Dublin, from Shanghai and Mumbai. So, instead of George Bush's policy of undermining

science, I intend to double federal funding for basic research and make the R&D tax credit

permanent. To keep--to keep the door open for the next generation of start-ups, I'll

enforce tough anti-trust laws, and to ensure that America continues to track the world's

best and brightest, we need comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens permanent

resident visas like the H-1B program. We need to make sure that the next success story,

the next Google, happens here in America. The Google stories about what can be achieved

when we cultivate new ideas and keep the playing field level for new businesses. But it's also

about not settling for what we've already achieved, it's about constantly raising the

bar so that we're more competitive. And so we use technology to reach ever expanding

horizons. You know, the first time I was back here in 2004, Larry showed me the image that

tracks all the internet searches taking place in the world. I wrote about this in my book.

And I saw the earth rotating on a flat panel monitor with the different lights for different

languages marking all the traffic on this wondrous network, the network that didn't

even exist when almost all of us here were born, almost. But what struck me wasn't the

light on that globe; it was the darkness. Most of Africa, chunks of Asia, even parts

of the United States, the disconnected corners of our interconnected world where the promise

of the 21st century is being eclipsed by peril. You and I must not settle for anything less

than an America that replaces that darkness with a new light, because the promise and

prosperity of the new economy must not be the property of the few. It must be a force

that lifts up our entire country and ultimately lifts up the entire world. We have the privilege to live in a transformational

moment, a moment when an idea can change the world, a moment when technology empowers us

to come together as never before while letting each of us reach for our own individual dreams,

a moment when we can finally progress and move beyond the huge challenges that have

stood in the way of progress for far too long. We cannot and we must not look back and regret

that we settled for anything less. And that's why I'm asking you to join me in seizing this

moment, I'm asking you to join me in changing the world. Thank you very much everybody.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Eric, come on up. Thank you.

>> SCHMIDT: Brilliant. Brilliant. >> OBAMA: Thank you so much.

>> SCHMIDT: Thank--thank you, Senator, for such a strong message about innovation.

>> OBAMA: Thank you. >> SCHMIDT: Senator Obama, the product of

a Kansas mother and a father from Kenya, born in Hawaii; your history, of course, Columbia,

Harvard, state senator, now, senator running for president, welcome to Google.

>> OBAMA: Thank you so much. Thank you. >> SCHMIDT: When you see yourself in the presidency

in 2008, 2009, and for many years, what is it that you're going to do that's exceptional?

What is your fundamental reason why you think this company--this country, excuse me, is

going to be--is going to be a great country? And by the way...

>> OBAMA: Is this the kind of interview that you guys want too?

>> SCHMIDT: And your book is really extraordinary, its title is The Audacity of Hope.

>> OBAMA: Yeah. Well, Eric, first of all, thanks, thanks for letting me be here, and

the reason that book is called The Audacity of Hope is it captures an idea that got me

into politics in the first place, which is that part of what has been great about America

is there’s a certain audacious quality, this belief that this ragtag bunch of revolutionaries

can overthrow the greatest empire on earth, start a government that we've never seen operate

before, spread across the continent, create the greatest economy and the greatest democracy

in our history, and then overcome barriers, both internal and external that would prevent

us from making progress. There's a certain confidence and boldness to the idea of America.

And the reason I'm running for president right now, because oftentimes people ask me, "Why

now?" You know, if I waited 10 years, I'd be still younger than most of the other candidates,

that's true. It is because I think we are at a defining moment in our history, our nation

is at war, the planet is in peril, ordinary Americans are working harder for less. They

feel as if the dream that generations fought for is slowly slipping away. There are costs

for everything, from healthcare to college have gone up. They're finding it more difficult

to save, difficult to retire, and they don't feel as if anybody in Washington is listening

to them. And when I made the decision, I sat down with my wife, and I asked myself three

questions: One, could my family survive the rigors of presidential campaign? And because

my wife is exceptional and my children are above average, we figured we could do it,

and they’ve been great. That's also true. The second question we asked was, "Could we

win?" And we determined that we could. But the third question was, I asked myself the

question you asked, because I think so much is at stake right now that running for president

can't be about just ambition this time, there's got to be a rationale. And what I concluded

is this; I believe I can more effectively bring this country together to solve problems

than on the other candidate. And, yeah, we have seen a gridlock where 45% of the country

is on one side, 45% of the country is on the other, we've got 10% in the middle, they all

live in Ohio and Florida apparently, and so, political contest just become beating down

the other side and eking out of victory one way or the other, but you can't govern. And

the problems we face, whether it's climate change or healthcare or our standing in the

world are so enormous that we have to govern, we have to make good decisions, so that's

number one. Number two, is I--I have taken on the special interest in the past and of

one and I've got an instinct of bias to push against the status quo, which I think is really

needed right now because Washington has become captive of special interest that are making

decisions not based on reason, not based on competition, not based on innovation, but

all too often based on who's got the most juice, who's got the most clout, and that