THE UNITED STATES. [CHEERS AND

APPLAUSE] (music) >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HOW DO YOU LIKE MY

NEW ENTRANCE MUSIC? [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] RUSH LIMBAUGH WARNED

YOU ABOUT THIS. SECOND TERM, MAYBE. [LAUGHTER] -- SECOND TERM,

BABY. [LAUGHTER] WE ARE CHANGING THINGS AROUND HERE A LITTLE

BIT. ACTUALLY MY ADVISORS WERE A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE NEW

ENTRANCE MUSIC. THEY ARE LITTLE BIT MORE TRADITIONAL. THEY

SUGGESTED I SHOULD START WITH SOME NOTES AT MY OWN EXPENSE JUST

TO TAKE MYSELF DOWN A PEG. I WAS LIKE, AFTER FOUR AND A HALF

YEARS, HOW MANY PEGS ARE THERE LEFT? [LAUGHTER] I WANT TO THANK

THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS. ED, YOU ARE DOING AN ASTOUNDING

JOB. [APPLAUSE] WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE. FOR

ALL OF THE DIGNITARIES WHO ARE HERE AND EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR

THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE IN

UNIFORM EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND OF COURSE, OUR EXTRAORDINARY

FIRST LADY, MICHELLE OBAMA. [APPLAUSE] EVERYBODY LOVES

MICHELLE. SHE IS ON THE COVER OF VOGUE. HIGH POLL NUMBERS.

DON'T WORRY. I GOT MY OWN MAGAZINE COVER. [LAUGHTER] I GET IT.

I LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND I HAVE TO ADMIT I'M NOT THE STRAPPING

YOUNG PERSON I USED TO BE. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] TIME PASSES.

YOU GET A LITTLE GRAY. AND YET, EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME, I

STILL MAKE ROOKIE MISTAKES. I'M IN CALIFORNIA AT A FUNDRAISER

AND HAVING A NICE TIME. I HAPPEN TO MENTION THAT A WOMAN IS

THE BEST LOOKING ATTORNEY IN THE COUNTRY. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I

GOT TROUBLE WHEN I GOT BACK HOME. [LAUGHTER] WHO KNEW ERIC

HOLDER WAS SO SENSITIVE? [LAUGHTER] THEN THERE IS THE EASTER

EGG ROLL. LOOKS LIKE A NICE, FUN EVENT WITH THE KIDS. I GO TO

THE BASKETBALL COURTS. I TOOK MONEY TO SHOTS -- 22 SHOTS. MADE

2. 2 HITS. 20 MINUTES. THE EXECUTIVES AT NBC ASKED, WHAT IS

YOUR SECRET? [LAUGHTER] SO, YES, MAYBE I HAVE LOST A STEP, BUT

SOME THINGS ARE BEYOND MY CONTROL. THIS WHOLE CONTROVERSY ABOUT

DAISY GOING TO CUBA -- JAY-Z GOING TO CUBA. [LAUGHTER] OF

COURSE, EVERYONE HAS GOT PLENTY OF VICE. -- ADVICE. ONE SAID I

COULD SOLVE ALL OF MY PROBLEMS IF I WAS JUST LIKE MICHAEL

DOUGLAS IN THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. MICHAEL, WHAT IS YOUR

SECRET? COULD IT BE THAT YOU WERE AN ACTOR IN AN AARON SORKIN

LIBERAL FANTASY? [LAUGHTER] MIGHT THAT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO IT?

I DO NOT KNOW. CHECK IN WITH ME. MAYBE IT IS SOMETHING ELSE.

ANYWAY, I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS JOB CAN TAKE A TOLL ON YOU. I

UNDERSTAND SECOND TERM YOU NEED A BURST OF NEW ENERGY. TRY SOME

NEW THINGS. WE ARE WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING. WE BORROWED ONE OF

MICHELE'S TIPS. [LAUGHTER] I THOUGHT THIS LOOKED PRETTY GOOD,

BUT NO BOUNDS -- BOUNCE. ANYWAY, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO

CONAN O'BRIEN. [APPLAUSE] I WAS TALKING TO ED. I UNDERSTAND

WHEN THEY ARE CONSIDERING OWN AND O'BRIEN FOR THE GIG, THERE

WAS THE AGE-OLD DILEMMA TO OFFER IT TO HIM NOW OR WAIT FIVE

YEARS UNTIL THEY GIVE IT TO JIMMY FALLON. [CROWD OOHS] THAT WAS

A LITTLE HARSH. I LOVE CONAN. OF COURSE, CNN HAS TAKEN SOME

KNOCKS LATELY. I ADMIRE THEIR COMMITMENT. MY FORMER ADVISERS

THAT HAVE SWITCHED OVER TO THE DARK SIDE, DAVE OLDID AXLE RIGHT

-- AXELRODE. THE HISTORY CHANNEL IS NOT HERE. I GUESS THEY ARE

EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE WHOLE OBAMA IS THE DOUBLE THING. -- DEVIL

THING. THAT NEVER KEPT FOX NEWS FROM SHOWING UP. THEY THOUGHT

THE COMPARISON WAS NOT FAIR TO SATAN. [LAUGHTER] THE MEDIA

LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. YOU CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE. --

WITH IT. I REMEMBER WHEN BUZZ FEED WAS SOMETHING I DID AROUND 2

A.M. IT IS TRUE. [LAUGHTER] RECENTLY I FOUND A NEW FAVORITE

SOURCE FOR POLITICAL NEWS. THESE GUYS ARE GREAT. EVERYONE

SHOULD CHECK IT OUT. IT IS CALLED WHITEHOUSE.GOV. I CANNOT GET

ENOUGH OF IT. THE FACT IS, I REALLY DO RESPECT THE PRESS. I

RECOGNIZE THAT THE PRESS AND I HAVE DIFFERENT JOBS TO DO. MY

JOB IS TO BE PRESIDENT. YOUR JOB IS TO KEEP ME HUMBLE. FRANKLY

I THINK I'M DOING MY JOB BETTER. [LAUGHTER] PART OF THE PROBLEM

IS THAT EVERYONE IS SO CYNICAL. WE ARE CONSTANTLY FEEDING

CYNICISM AND CONSPIRACIES. REMEMBER A FEW MONTHS AGO PRIME

MINISTER SHOULDN'T PUT OUT A PHOTOGRAPH OF ME GOING -- SHOOTING

AT CAMP DAVID? A NUMBER OF PEOPLE INSISTED THIS HAS BEEN

PHOTOSHOP. TONIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO CONFESS -- YOU ARE RIGHT.

CAN WE SHOW THEM THE ACTUAL PHOTO? [LAUGHTER] WE WERE TRYING TO

TONE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THAT WAS AN AWESOME DAY. [LAUGHTER]

THERE ARE OTHER NEW PLAYERS IN THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE AS WELL LIKE

SUPER PACS. DID YOU KNOW THAT SHELDON SPENT $100 MILLION OF HIS

OWN MONEY LAST YEAR ON NEGATIVE ADS? HE MUST REALLY DISLIKE ME.

TO SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY. THAT IS OPRAH MONEY. YOU COULD BUY

AN ISLAND AND CALL IT NOBAMA FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY. SHELDON

WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF OFFERING ME WHEN HUNDRED MILLION

DOLLARS TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] I

PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN IT, BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

[LAUGHTER] MICHELLE WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT. [LAUGHTER] YOU THINK

I'M JOKING. [LAUGHTER] I KNOW REPUBLICANS ARE STILL SORTING OUT

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2012. WHAT THEY ALL AGREE UPON IS REACHING

OUT. CALL ME SELF CENTERED, BUT I COULD THINK OF WHEN MINORITY

THEY COULD START WITH. [LAUGHTER] HELLO. [APPLAUSE] THINK OF ME

AS A TRIAL RUN. SEE HOW IT GOES. [LAUGHTER] IF THEY WON'T COME

TO ME, I WILL COME TO THEM FOR STOP -- COME TO THEM. I RECENTLY

HAD A DINNER WITH A NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN SENATORS. I WILL ADMIT

IT WAS NOT EASY. A PROPOSED -- I PROPOSED A TOAST. OF COURSE,

SOME FOLKS STILL DON'T THINK I SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH CONGRESS.

WHY DON'T YOU GET A TREAT -- DRINK WITH MITCH MCCONNELL, THEY

ASKED? REALLY? WHY DON'T YOU GET A DRINK WITH MITCH MCCONNELL?

[LAUGHTER] I'M SORRY. I GET FRUSTRATED SOMETIMES. [LAUGHTER]

I'M NOT GIVING UP. IN FACT, I'M TAKING MY CHARM OFFENSIVE ON

THE ROAD. SECOND BARBECUE WITH TED CRUZ. KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS

CONCERT WITH RAND PAUL. AND A BOOK BURNING WITH MICHELE

BACHMANN. [MIX OF LAUGHS AND OOHS] MY CHARM OFFENSIVE HAS LET

ME LEARN SOME INTERESTING THINGS GOING ON IN CONGRESS. IT

TURNS OUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT THE POINT OF MY CHARM

OFFENSIVE IS SIMPLE. WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON SOME IMPORTANT

ISSUES. REPUBLICANS FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SEQUESTER AND NOW

THEY CANNOT STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY HATE IT, LIKE WE

ARE TRAPPED IN A TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM. [LAUGHTER] ONE SENATOR WHO

HAD REACHED ACROSS THE AISLE RECENTLY IS MARCO RUBIO. I DON'T

KNOW ABOUT 2016. HE HAS NOT FINISHED A SINGLE TERM IN THE

SENATE AND HE THINK HE IS READY TO BE PRESIDENT. KIDS THESE

DAYS. ON THURSDAY, I WENT TO THE OPENING OF THE BUSH

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY IN DALLAS. WONDERFUL EVENT. THAT GOT ME

INSPIRED TO GET STARTED ON MY OWN LEGACY. IT WILL BEGIN BY

BUILDING ANOTHER EDIFICE RIGHT NEXT TO THE BUSH LIBRARY. CAN

WE SHOW THAT? [LAUGHTER] I'M ALSO HARD AT WORK ON PLANS FOR THE

OBAMA LIBRARY. SOME HAVE SUGGESTED WE PUT IT IN MY BIRTHPLACE,

BUT I WOULD RATHER KEEP IT IN THE UNITED STATES. [LAUGHTER]

[APPLAUSE] DID ANYONE NOT SEE THAT JOE COMING? -- JOKE COMING?

[LAUGHTER] ONLY GALLUP? DICK MORRIS? [LAUGHTER] SPEAKING OF

PRESIDENTS AND THEIR LEGACIES, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A

WONDERFUL RUN, AND STEVEN SPIELBERG AND DANIEL DAY-LEWIS WHO

ARE HERE TONIGHT. WE HAD A SCREENING OF THEIR MOST RECENT FILM

"LINCOLN." EXTRAORDINARY FILM. I'M NERVOUS ABOUT STEPHEN'S NEXT

PROJECT. I SAW A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK ON HBO. LET'S CHECK IT

OUT. ROLL THE TAPE. >> I WAS THRILLED THAT LINCOLN WAS A

SUCCESS. I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT. IN THE MIDDLE OF

THE NIGHT I WOKE UP AND IT HIT ME. OBAMA. WHY WAIT? PICKING THE

RIGHT ACTOR TO PLAY OBAMA, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE. WE NEVER GOT

HIS TRANSCRIPTS. THEY SAY HE IS KIND OF ALOOF. I NEED SOMEONE

TO BECOME BARACK OBAMA. IT TURNS OUT THE ANSWER WAS RIGHT IN

FRONT OF ME ALL ALONG. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS. [LAUGHTER] HE NAILED

IT. >> IT TOOK A WHILE. HELLO, OHIO. I LOVE YOU BACK. LET ME BE

CLEAR ABOUT THAT. [LAUGHTER] >> ONCE WE HAD DANIEL TO PLAY

OBAMA, WE HAD TO GUESS THE REST OF THE TEAM. >> WORKING WITH A

LEGEND MIKE DANIEL IS INTIMIDATING. HE MAKES EVERYONE BETTER.

WITHOUT THEM, I NEVER COULD HAVE PLAYED JOE BIDEN. LITERALLY.

I AM JOE BIDEN. >> THE HARDEST PART, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HIS

MOTIVATIONS. WHAT MAKES THEM TICK? WHY DOESN'T HE GET MAD? IF I

WAS HIM, I GET MAD ALL THE TIME. BUT I AM NOT. I AM DANIEL

DAY-LEWIS. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] >> REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATION.

DO I REALLY SUMMIT THAT? -- SOUND LIKE THAT? RACHEL MARX ONCE

SAID -- GROUCHO MARX ONCE SAID, SENATOR CRUISE, THAT IS GROUCHO

MARX, NOT CARL. THE OTHER GUY. HE ONCE TOLD AN AUDIENCE, BEFORE

I SPEAK COME A I SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY. ALONG THOSE SAME

LINES, I WANT TO CLOSE ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE. THERE HAS BEEN

NO SHORTAGE OF NEWS TO COVER OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. THE

SUSPENSE AND VERY HARD DAYS FOR MANY OF OUR CITIZENS. EVEN AS

WE GATHER HERE TONIGHT, OUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT FAR FROM THE

PEOPLE OF BOSTON AND THE PEOPLE OF WEST, TEXAS AND THE FAMILIES

IN THE MIDWEST COPING WITH SOME TERRIBLE FLOODS. WE HAVE HAD

SOME DIFFICULT DAYS. BUT EVEN WHEN THE DAYS SEEMED DARKEST, WE

HAVE SEEN HUMANITY SHINE AT ITS BRIGHTEST. WE HAVE SEEN FIRST

RESPONDERS AND NATIONAL GUARDSMEN WHO DASHED INTO DANGER.

LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO LIVED THEIR OATH, TO SERVE AND

PROTECT. AND EVERYDAY AMERICANS OPENING THEIR HOMES AND THEIR

HEARTS TO PERFECT STRANGERS. WE ALSO SAW JOURNALIST THAT THEIR

BEST. ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT TOOK THEIR TIME TO WAIT UPSTREAM

THROUGH THE TORRENT OF DIGITAL RUMORS TO JUST FAMILY DIDN'T

VERIFY FACT -- VERIFY LEADS AND FACT. IF ANYONE WONDERS WHETHER

NEWSPAPERS ARE A THING OF THE PAST, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PICK

UP OR LOG ON TO PAPERS LIKE "THE BOSTON GLOBE YURIKO -- "THE

BOSTON GLOBE." [APPLAUSE] WHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THE WIDER

WORLD NEEDED THEM MOST, THEY WERE THERE. MAKING SENSE OF THE

EVENTS THAT MIGHT, AT FIRST BLUSH, SEEM BEYOND OUR

COMPREHENSION. THAT IS WHAT GREAT JOURNALISM IS. THAT IS WHAT

GREAT JOURNALIST DO. THAT IS IP WILLIAMS NUDE NICKNAME AROUND

THE NBC NEWSROOM IS BIG HAPPY -- THAT IS WHY PETE WILLIAMS' NEW

NICKNAME AROUND THE NBC NEWSROOM IS BIG PAPI. I GOT A CHANCE TO

MEET MANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND POLICE OFFICERS WHO RACED TO

HELP WHEN HARDSHIP HIT. I WAS REMINDED, AS I ALWAYS AM WHEN I

MEET OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM, WHETHER THEY ARE ABROAD OR

HERE BACK HOME, OUR WALTER REED. THEY DON'T DO IT TO BE

HONORED. THEY DON'T DO IT TO BE CELEBRATED. THEY DO IT BECAUSE

THEY LOVE THEIR FAMILIES AND THEY LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND

THEY LOVE THEIR COUNTRY. THESE MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD INSPIRE

ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM TO LIVE UP TO THOSE SAME STANDARDS. TO

BE WORTHY OF THEIR TRUST. TO DO OUR JOBS WITH THE SAME

FIDELITY AND THE SAME INTEGRITY AND THE SAME SENSE OF PURPOSE

AND THE SAME LOVE OF COUNTRY. IF WE ARE ONLY FOCUSED ON

PROFITS OR RATINGS OR POLLS, THEN WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE

CYNICISM THAT SO MANY PEOPLE FEEL RIGHT NOW. [APPLAUSE] AND SO

THOSE OF US IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT, WE ARE INCREDIBLY LUCKY. THE

FACT IS, WE CAN DO BETTER. ALL OF US. THOSE OF US IN PUBLIC

OFFICE, THOSE OF US IN THE PRESS, THOSE WHO PRODUCE

ENTERTAINMENT FOR OUR KIDS, THOSE WITH POWER, THOSE WITH

INFLUENCE, ALL OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, WE CAN STRIVE TO VALUE

THOSE THINGS THAT I SUSPECT LED MOST OF US TO DO THE WORK THAT

WE DO IN THE FIRST PLACE. BECAUSE WE BELIEVED IN SOMETHING THAT

WAS TRUE. WE BELIEVED IN SERVICE. IN THE IDEA THAT WE CAN HAVE

A LASTING, POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AROUND

US. THAT IS OUR OBLIGATION. THAT IS A TASK WE SHOULD GLADLY

EMBRACE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE COUNTING ON

US. ON BEHALF OF THIS COUNTRY THAT HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH. THANK

YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU DO. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, MAY GOD

BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK

EARLIER,

BRIDGE