A dream fulfilled: Obama evokes King as he lays out his goals

DENVER — Barack Obama reached for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Dream" Thursday night, telling Americans that we are a better people than seen these last eight years of the Bush administration.

And Obama said it's time for America to live up to the ideals, the hopes, of King.

"Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less," said Obama in a nomination acceptance speech before an estimated 84,000 people in INVESCO Field at Mile High.

"More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach," he said. "These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush. I say enough!"

By coincidence, it was 45 years ago to the day that King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., proclaiming in a speech later titled "I Have a Dream."

King said: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Obama, calling his speech "The American Promise," hopes that dream will carry over into November's ballot box.

Introduced by a moving video about his parents and grandparents, and chants from the crowd of "yes we can," he summed up his story in his speech: "a brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to."

And while King and others may believe it came too late, history was made at Mile High when a man of color accepted the nomination of a major party in the race president of the United States of America.

The 84,000-strong who filled the Denver Bronco's football stadium were not disappointed. Known for his speech-making, Obama heard yells as loud as any heard by legendary quarterback John Elway — ovations that occasionally drowned out what the Democratic nominee said.

Obama hit a number of issues where Republicans say he is weak.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home," he said. "I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.'