News

April 21, 2008

Believing in Obama

Illinois senator makes another stop in area, only days before Tuesday’s state primary.

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Bill O'Boyle on Facebook   |   @TLBillOboyle on Twitter

SCRANTON – The more than 2,000 supporters inside the Riverfront Sports Complex in Scranton were getting impatient waiting for their candidate Sunday evening.

But when Sen. Barack Obama finally made his way to the stage, they gave him a resounding welcome.

With hundreds of signs that read “Change We Can Believe In” waving before him and with chants of “O-bam-a” echoing through the building, the delegate leader in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination made his third stop in Northeastern Pennsylvania just two days before the Pennsylvania primary.

As he started his speech, Obama was interrupted by shouts of “We want change,” and he gave them what they wanted.

“I know you want change,” Obama said. “We want change; we’re working for it. I’m comin’.”

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, introduced Obama and compared him to her father.

“Barack Obama instills the same hope and inspiration that my father did to so many Americans,” Kennedy said. “Together we can make great things happen for the country.”

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was on hand, and he said Obama will “lead us, heal us and rebuild America.”

Obama wore a dark blue suit, white tie and a dark blue tie. He thanked the Casey and Kennedy families for their support before he got on with the business of campaigning.

“Just the other night I was in Philadelphia with 35,000 of my closest friends,” Obama said, referring to his rally in the city in front of Independence Hall. “I thought of the Founding Fathers and how they stood up to the British. They fought for equality, liberty and opportunity.

“You have to decide on Tuesday – do you want the same old politics or do you want to try something else? We have to take back our country – block by block, county by county, state by state. Scranton, this is our time. If we win in Pennsylvania, we will win this nomination and we will win the election and we will change the world.”

Obama spoke for about 40 minutes.

“We can no longer afford to wait,” he said. “The country is at a crossroads. We are in a war that should never have been authorized that is costing us billions of dollars and thousands of lives. The economy is in a shambles and we are paying $3.50 per gallon at the pumps. Millions of people are without health care, and millions of our children are getting an education that doesn’t equip them for the 21st century.”

Obama cited several businesses – like Sallie Mae and JCPenney -- that recently have been hit with layoffs. He said 2008 is the year to declare independence from the old politics of Washington, D.C.

“We need to get away from the politics of tearing each other down and start building each other up,” Obama said. “We have to stand up the way those Founding Fathers stood up. Now is that time, and that’s why I’m running for president of the United States.”

Obama said Republican John McCain is running for “George Bush’s third term.” Obama said McCain will be defeated no matter whose name is on the Democratic ballot. Obama said he respects McCain and his record in the armed services, but he said his ideas differ in many ways from McCain’s philosophies.

Obama said McCain has said the U.S. should have a presence in Iraq for the next 100 years. He said McCain claims the country has made great progress economically under Bush.

“We can’t afford four more years of George Bush,” Obama said. “That’s why John McCain must be defeated.”

Obama said Washington hasn’t been listening to the people.

“They aren’t listening to the single mom who needs health care,” Obama said. “They aren’t listening to the people who have lost jobs their jobs to overseas companies. They have had their five-point plans and their 10-point plans that haven’t worked. There’s been no fix and the lobbyists keep giving them their money.

“Not this time, not this election. Not this year.”

Obama then spelled out the differences between himself and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Obama said Clinton claims Obama is wrong when he says he can change the politics of Washington. He said she has claimed she’s better equipped for the job because she knows her way around Washington.

“Sen. Clinton has said that lobbyists are real Americans,” Obama said. “She’s said I have taken money from lobbyists. She ignores the facts. But what is she really saying? She’s saying, “Yeah, I’m bad, but he’s just as bad’ What kind of inspirational message is that?”

Obama said he has and will continue to speak open and honestly with the American people. He said he will go after price gouging by gas companies. He said he will keep fighting with automakers to manufacture more fuel-efficient vehicles.

“You solve problems by facing them honestly,” he said. “I just don’t want to tell you what you want to hear. I want to tell you what you need to hear.”

Obama said there are two Democrats left in the race for the nomination. He said either he or Clinton will do better than McCain.

“But if we’re going to solve big problems, we can’t just be a little bit better,” he said. “I’m not going to play the game a little bit better. I’m running to put an end to the game-playing.”

Obama said he will fight for the middle class to get affordable health care, education and better paying jobs.

“It won’t be easy,” Obama said. “But if you don’t try to be better; if you don’t have hope, you won’t change anything.”

Tweet	Follow @TLnews

This story also appears on the following websites...