Caroline Kennedy sent an email to supporters earlier today, remembering the moment her uncle Ted Kennedy lent his voice to President Obama’s campaign:

Four years ago today, I joined my Uncle Teddy and thousands of excited students at American University to endorse Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Barack Obama had stirred something in young people and the young at heart. I saw the passion in my own teenage children, and I heard it from a different generation of people who said they felt like they did when my father ran for president.

We felt strongly that we needed to elect a President who urged us to believe in ourselves, who could tie that belief to our highest ideals, and who understood that together we can do great things.

Four years later, as I think about what first inspired me to support Barack Obama, I'm proud we have a president who has fought hard for the values Teddy held dear, and stood up on issues that matter, regardless of the consequences.

Will you join me by saying what first inspired you to stand with Barack Obama?

Teddy understood that the challenges of health care aren’t political—they are personal. That’s why Teddy fought for 40 years to make health care a right and not a privilege for American families.

How proud he would have been to see his candidate sign the Affordable Care Act into law as president, giving all Americans the security of knowing that their health care will be there when they need it most.

In his speech four years ago today, Teddy reminded us all of that bright light of hope and possibility that shines even in the darkest hours. He knew that with Barack Obama as president, America would shine again. I don’t think he would be surprised to know that four years later, this president would have ended the war in Iraq, repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and guaranteed women the right to equal pay for equal work.

The 2012 election will be harder than the last. And as you think about what role you can play this time, I want you to remember that when Teddy joined this campaign, it wasn’t just Barack Obama who drew him in.

It was you.

The possibility of a campaign run by ordinary people who are determined to change our country for the better and who are willing to work as hard as necessary inspired him then, and it’s what inspires me today.

Thanks for all you do. I'll see you out there,

Caroline

P.S.—If you'd like to take some time to watch that speech, it's here.

“We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back.”
—President Obama at the State of the Union

Our new chart shows job growth in the auto industry over the past three years, with over 170,000 new jobs.

In 2009, the major American auto manufacturers were in danger of collapsing, and President Obama made the tough call to provide emergency loans to Chrysler and GM. Today, Chrysler, GM, and Ford are profitable and hiring again for the first time in years.

The auto industry turnaround is part of the steps President Obama’s taking to rebuild an economy based on American manufacturing and American energy, from producing more domestic oil to creating more clean energy jobs.

Share this chart and spread the good news about the auto industry’s recovery.

Meet Edith Childs, the South Carolina volunteer who first shouted “Fired up, ready to go,” way back in 2007:

Now, exactly four years after South Carolina chose Barack Obama as its Democratic nominee for President, Mrs. Childs is still as fervent as ever in her support of President Obama and her belief in what he stands for. “I was with him, and I’m still with him,” she told the South Carolina team during a recent visit. She hasn’t forgotten one minute of the history-making election she was a part of, and she reflects on trips to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration and visits to the White House with pride and passion. “It was worth every minute of it,” she said. “I wouldn’t change anything.”

Mrs. Childs put a lot of herself into the 2008 election—registering voters, making calls, and knocking on doors in her community—all in support of Barack Obama. And 10 months out until the 2012 election, she is gearing up again to help ensure he stays in the White House. Reconnecting with her team from 2008, Mrs. Childs plans to get back out into her Greenwood community over the coming months and encourage folks to talk to their families and people in their neighborhoods and churches about President Obama and all that he has accomplished over the last three years.

For news of all the good work Mrs. Childs and her South Carolina team are doing, check out the state’s blog or follow @OFA_SC on Twitter.

With a little over a month to go until the deadline to apply for a summer internship at Chicago HQ, some of our current interns offered advice to anyone who's still deciding whether to submit an application:

"Definitely apply! I’ve done a few political internships before and none have had the quality and energy of people at the campaign. I’m learning so much and enjoying every minute of being here."
—Elizabeth

"First, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a great campaign for a great President. Second, there is so much work here to be done that you will be doing necessary, meaningful work right away."
—Warren

"This internship is hardcore, but worth every second!"
—Emma

"I highly recommend doing this internship for three reasons: First, you will be doing service to your country. This President represents the values of the common American who just wants to live with dignity and security. Second, the experience and behind-the-scenes insight that you get here is priceless. Third, you will be doing something good for yourself! Being an intern here will develop your professional skills and give you new ones."
—Irving

"Apply, apply, apply—you will feel motivated and excited every single day!"
—Beatrice

"If you’re thinking about applying, be clear about why this campaign is important to you. You could have one reason or many, but what’s important is to really embrace it because it is the energy behind the sacrifices you might make to be here, and the work you will do every day. Why this campaign matters to you is what makes this campaign special."
—Denise

"Do it! Be the change you want to see!"
—Ethan

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a movement that will protect real American values. Maybe you could be making more money, maybe you could be working a cushier job, but decades from now when you’re sending your kids to a college they can afford, when your retired parents are healthy because they can go to a doctor, and when you look back at your own life spent living the American dream, you’ll know that this was the time when you made all of that possible."
—Alex

Submit your application today—and check back between now and the March 1st for more from the Obama 2012 spring interns.

Today, President Obama visited the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor to recap the plan he set out in his State of the Union for college affordability: expanding aid for students and making sure colleges and universities prevent tuition hikes. Speaking to a crowd of college students and supporters, the President said:

Higher education is not a luxury. It's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford. And when I say higher education, I don't just mean four-year colleges and universities; I also mean our community colleges and providing lifelong learning for workers who may need to retrain for jobs when the economy shifts. All those things cost money, and it's harder and harder to afford.

Here at Michigan, you’ve done a lot to find savings in your budget. We know this is possible. So from now on, I’m telling Congress we should steer federal campus-based aid to those colleges that keep tuition affordable, provide good value, serve their students well. We are putting colleges on notice … you can't assume that you’ll just jack up tuition every single year. If you can’t stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down. We should push colleges to do better. We should hold them accountable if they don’t.

The bottom line is that an economy built to last demands we keep doing everything we can to bring down the cost of college.

The President’s plan for college affordability is just another step in his commitment to break down the barriers to higher education. Visit our State of the Union page for more information on the President’s plan.

This week’s Friday Facts takes a look at President Obama’s State of the Union address, where he laid out his blueprint for an America built to last: one based on American manufacturing, American energy, the skills of American workers, and a renewal of American values.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the proposals he outlined in his speech:

• Train and place 2 million Americans in good jobs through partnerships between businesses and community colleges that give workers the skills employers need.

• Lower tax rates for manufacturing companies that create jobs in the United States.

• Promote the safe and responsible development of natural gas, which will support more than 600,000 jobs while ensuring public health and safety.

Download the fact sheet to get the whole State of the Union overview, then share it with your family and friends.

President Obama used his State of the Union address to urge Congress to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and put people to work doing it:

In the next few weeks I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest of it to do some nation-building—right here at home.

Watch the full clip, then share it with your friends.

Here’s something that President Obama laid out in his State of the Union that I think deserves special attention:

Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow. Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa—an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.

Recent news reports have raised questions about whether members of Congress are profiting from inside information about the very businesses they’re supposed to be regulating—information about pending legislation that could move markets and generate investor profits.

The President offered one simple fix: end insider trading by members of Congress, extending the rules that apply to anyone else whose jobs give them access to sensitive information about businesses.

If you think this simple effort at good government should be a priority during this campaign, it’s up to you to speak out. Say you support the President and spread the word.

President Obama visited Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado yesterday to talk about investing in clean, American-made energy sources:

The less we depend on foreign oil, the more secure we become as a nation. That's why in December, the Navy made the single largest purchase of biofuel in government history. This summer, that fuel will power ships and subs during the world’s largest naval exercise. By the way, two years ago, I got a chance to see a Navy F-18 Green Hornet that flies on biofuel. It was a pretty impressive sight. They wouldn’t let me fly it. But it was impressive to see.

The rest of the military—including here at Buckley—is doing its part as well. In 2010, you started installing thousands of solar panels here on the base. That same year, the Air Force flew an A-10 Thunderbolt entirely on alternative fuels, a first for the military. Overall, the Air Force is on track to save $500 million in fuel costs over the next five years because you guys have changed the way you operate. Think about that—half a billion dollars.

Reducing our dependence on oil is going to strengthen our national security. It will make our environment cleaner for our kids. It will make energy cheaper for our businesses and for our families. And doubling down on a clean energy industry will create lots of jobs in the process.

Read the President's full remarks for more on why the Department of Defense is making a historic commitment to clean energy.