We all knew this. We all knew that it would take more time than any of us want to dig ourselves out of this hole created by this economic crisis.

If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost.

I know that campaigns can seem small, and even silly. Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. And the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. If you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me - so am I.

Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did. I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have. We've blunted the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over. A new tower rises above the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead.

The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.