Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
|
As the case with many of the presidential hopeful’s speeches across the United States, his message seemed to sit well with the 2,000 citizens in attendance. The usual, “Yes, we can. Yes, we can,” was heard often in the auditorium.
Issues the Illinois senator discussed were: the war in Iraq, poverty, economy, healthcare and politicians taking money from lobbyists.
At the moment, Obama currently holds a slight lead in delegates over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will speak today at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, following appearances in Fayetteville and Raleigh. The two will face off in North Carolina’s May 6 primary for 158 delegates, which is considered to be the last prize on the way to the Democratic nomination.
When the opportunity presented itself Monday, Obama blasted his opponents.
“I honor John McCain’s service to our country, but when he starts talking about staying in Iraq for 100 years,” the 46-year-old senator exclaimed. “That tells me he wants to continue the George Bush failed policies of the past. We don’t need another George Bush.”
Obama said he wanted to make sure the tone between Clinton and himself stays positive, so either can win the November election. However, he pointed out one stark difference when comparing himself to his rival.
“Sen. Clinton is a smart person,” he said. “She is capable … She said a while back that she thinks that lobbyists are not a problem. She thinks lobbyists ‘are real people,’ but they don’t represent you.”
The audience responded with laughter and applause.
“She takes more money from lobbyists than any candidate, including John McCain,” Obama said. “That shows that she doesn’t know that we need to change how business is run in Washington.”
Emphasizing that he wants the troops out of Iraq, Obama said he was against the War in Iraq in 2002.
“We have to start drawing our troops out [of Iraq],” he said. “We should divert them to be in Afghanistan. We have to go after Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, who killed thousands of Americans. We have to stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, which could be spent right here in Greensboro. We need to get people back to work and give them health care.”
Following the set format, the last 30 minutes of the Town Hall meeting was a question-and-answer session.
The first question came from a gentleman who asked, “What are you going to do about poverty in the United States?”
In response, Obama said he started his political career because of the civil rights movement and poverty.
“The first thing we need to do is to realize there shouldn’t be impoverished people,” he said. “The poorest person in this country should have a roof over their head and their children should be able to go to school.
On fighting poverty, Obama said the government can provide health care and make sure schools are ensuring children are going to be globally competitive.
“We are going to have to create jobs [to fight poverty],” he said. “It used to be where you can have a high school diploma and get a job easily.”
Other questions concerned providing breaks for students who pay out-of-state tuition, immigration, as well as his religious beliefs. Despite constant rumors filtering through the Internet, Obama emphasized he is a Christian.
“I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and through him I can achieve ever-lasting life,” he said. “I believe in doing right on earth and treating people with respect.”
Concluding the meeting Obama said, “I’m not a perfect man, but I will always tell you where I stand. I will be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. Most importantly, I will wake up every morning in that White House thinking on how to make your life better. I will carry your voices and your stories when I go to the white house. I will be fighting for you.”
Staff Writer Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 231, or ignasiak@tvilletimes.com.