Obama in 2007: I Will Unite America in New Era of Bipartisanship

MALVEAUX: “Senator Obama, you said in a TV interview just this past weekend you didn't believe that Senator Clinton was able to unite this country. Why do you believe she can't?”

OBAMA: “No, that's not what I said. What I said was I thought I could do it better. That's why I'm running for president. (Applause) If I didn't think I could do it better, then I wouldn't be running for president, because the stakes are too high, just as we heard. Here's what I would do immediately. I would convene a continuous advisory meeting with, not just Democrats, but Republicans, specifically on national security issues. Because there is a long tradition that our differences in foreign policy should end at the water's edge. And we have lost that tradition. And there are some wonderful Republicans -- Dick Lugar, Chuck Hagel… -- there are a group of them who have continued that tradition, but we have lost it because of the polarization of the Bush administration. So, I want Republicans and Democrats and independents to understand that as president, I am going to want to go before the entire world and say, America's back, we are ready to lead. But we're not just going to lead militarily, we're going to lead by building schools in the Middle East that teach math and science instead of hatred of Americans. We're going to lead by shutting down Guantanamo and restoring habeas corpus in this country so that we offer them an example. We're going to lead by talking to our enemies and not just our friends. And I believe that there are a lot of Republicans who hunger for that kind of bipartisan approach. That's what I will offer as president of the United States.”