Joe Biden: We'll create jobs, restore security

• President Obama has spent the past four years fighting for the middle class.
• Governor Romney will take us back to the same policies that crashed the economy.
• You can't afford to stay home on Election Day.

President Obama has brought our economy back from the brink of collapse, our auto industry back to life, our heroes back from war, and our enemies to justice. But this election is not just about how far we've come; it's also about where we're going.

The president has outlined specific, achievable steps to continue creating jobs and restoring middle-class security. It's not just a detailed plan — it's the right plan. Unlike Governor Mitt Romney, the president has been consistent and clear since Day One about what he believes:

First, President Obama will help create a million new manufacturing jobs and double our exports so we sell more products around the world stamped "Made in USA." That means ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and rewarding those that bring them home. And it means lowering taxes on manufacturers, and enforcing trade laws against China.

Second, we'll cut our oil imports in half and make our cars and trucks go twice as far on a tank of gas. We'll produce more homegrown energy — oil, clean coal and natural gas, as well as wind, solar and biofuels.

Third, to maintain the best workforce in the world, we'll recruit and train 100,000 math and science teachers, train 2 million Americans at our community colleges, cut tuition growth in half over the next decade and expand student aid to help Americans afford college.

Fourth, we'll reduce our deficit in a balanced way. President Obama has outlined a detailed plan to cut the deficit by $4 trillion. He makes tough choices to cut spending, and he'll ask the wealthy to pay a little more, at the same rates they did when Bill Clinton was president and the economy created 23 million jobs.

Fifth, after a decade of war, it's time to do some nation-building here at home. We'll use half the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to help pay down our debt and invest the rest in fixing American roads, American bridges and American schools.

When you step into the voting booth, consider which candidate you trust. Who understands the challenges and choices your family faces? And who has a clear plan to lead us forward?

President Obama has spent the past four years fighting for the middle class, and if given the privilege, he will spend the next four years fighting just as hard.

Governor Romney will take us back to the same policies that crashed the economy and crushed the middle class, whether it's letting the banks write their own rules again or continuing massive tax cuts for the very wealthy.

We can't afford to go back — and you can't afford to stay home on Election Day.

Joe Biden is vice president of the United States.