9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Off voice] Please welcome Kal Penn... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Applause and cheers] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Kal Penn] Thank you - thank you guys 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I am honored to accept your nomination for president of the United States! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Wait, this isn’t my speech. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Prompter guy, can we pull up my speech? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 While we’re waiting: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a special message for those of you at home who have recently turned 18. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Good news. I can now legally register you to vote. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I’ve worked on a lot of fun movies, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but my favorite job was having a boss who gave the order to take out bin Laden 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and who’s cool with all of us getting gay-married. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you, invisible man in the chair, for that, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and for giving my friends access to affordable health insurance 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and doubling funding for the Pell grant. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I started volunteering for Barack Obama in 2007. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But nothing compares to what I saw behind the scenes at the White House, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when I had the honor to serve for two years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as President Obama’s liaison to young Americans. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I saw how hard he fights for us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One of the most special days was a Saturday in 2010. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Senate repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell,” 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so anyone can serve the country they love, regardless of whom they love. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But that same day, the Dream Act was blocked. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That bill would give immigrant children 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 - who’ve never pledged allegiance to any flag but ours - 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the chance to earn their citizenship. Simple. Important. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was in a small office on the second floor of the West Wing with eight other staffers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We’d worked our hearts out and cared deeply about 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what this would mean for other young people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, tears of joy for the history that was made, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but also tears of sadness because some American dreams would still be deferred. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Five minutes later, President Obama walked in, sleeves rolled up. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He said to us, “This is not over. We’re gonna keep fighting. I’m gonna keep fighting. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I need young people to keep fighting.” 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That’s why we’re here! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A few months later, President Obama fought to keep taxes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from going up on middle-class families. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Our Republican friends said, “Sure you can do that.” 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But one of the things they were willing to trade 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is a little item called the college tax credit, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which today is saving students up to $10,000 over four years of school. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, President Obama paid off his own student loans not too long ago. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He remembers what it is like. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He said making it easier to go to college and get technical training 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is exactly how we grow our economy, create jobs and out-compete the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So he stood firm. And that tuition tax credit is still here. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But, if we don’t register, if we don’t vote, it won’t be. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I volunteered in Iowa in 2007 because, like you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I had friends serving in Iraq, friends who were looking for jobs, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 others who couldn’t go to the doctor because they couldn’t afford it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I felt that had to change. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I knocked on doors. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I registered voters. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I’m volunteering again now 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because my friend Matt got a job at a Detroit car company that still exists, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and Lauren can get the prescription she needs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I’m volunteering because Josiah is back from Iraq, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Chris is finishing college on the GI Bill, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and three weeks ago, my buddy Kevin’s boyfriend was able to 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 watch him graduate from Marine Corps training. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That’s change! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we can’t turn back now. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So before I close 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 - and as I wonder which Twitter hash tags you’ll start using when I’m done talking 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (hash tag sexy face) - 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I ask all you young people to join me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You don’t even have to put pants on. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Go to commit.barackobama.com and register right there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And the oldies out there, you can do it, too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let’s keep fighting for a president who’s never stopped fighting for us! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Go online. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Find your local campaign office. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Call your friends. Call some strangers. Volunteer. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That’s how we’re going to win this thing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I really enjoyed listening to Rahm’s speech. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But he’s a mayor now, so he can’t use four-letter words. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I’m no mayor. So I’ve got one for you: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Vote. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (English captions based on the script in http://www.demconvention.com/pressrelease/2012-democratic-national-convention-remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-by-kal-penn-actorproducer-former-associate-director-of-the-white-house-office-of-public-engagement/) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000