Obama Kicks Off Pennsylvania Tour

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

PITTSBURGH -- Barack Obama kicked off a six day tour of Pennsylvania today by nabbing his first major endorsement in the state. Sen. Bob Casey Jr, D-Pa., a superdelegate, announced his endorsement at a community gathering here. Obama said the endorsement came as somewhat of a surprise to him.

"I told him I'd love to have his support but I understood that we're behind in the Pennsylvania polls," Obama said.

"It would have been easy for Bob just to stay out of it, just to stay neutral. I think everybody would have accepted that."

Casey said he called Hillary Clinton last night to inform her of his decision and described her as being very "gracious." However, he said he was impressed by Obama's compassion, ideas, and by his ability to handle a tough campaign.

"He has appealed, as Abraham Lincoln asked us to do many years ago, to the better angels of our nature, and we appreciate that as he's campaigning," Casey said.

In his remarks, Obama disputed Clinton's argument on electablity. He said that her claim that she is more likely to beat John McCain in a general election is falsely based on longevity in Washington.

"Look if the contest between McCain and the Democratic nominee is who's been there longer, John McCain wins," Obama said.

"If the argument is who is going to pursue a foreign policy like George Bush's, then John McCain wins. If that's the criteria for being tough, if that's the criteria for answering the 3 o'clock phone call, that you voted for the war in Iraq, that you went along with George Bush's policies when it came to Iran and not talking to leaders that we don't like, then John McCain wins that fight."

The six-day bus tour is Obama's first major campaign push in the Pennsylvania, a state which Clinton argues is pivotal to securing the Democratic nomination. Casey will be campaigning with Obama for the full duration of the tour.

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by illinoisvote March 29, 2008 9:23 PM EDT: http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/01/31/obamas-african-hubris-2/

%u2026Leader of Kenyan Orange Democratic Movement opposition leader, Raila Odinga, is Barack Obama%u2019s cousin%u2026wants to be president%u2026two of Kenya%u2019s tribes%u2026are killing each other over a disputed election Odinga, claims was stolen from him%u2026Former Clinton aides currently working for Obama%u2026directed *** Morris to Kenya to advise the Odinga campaign in Nov. 2007, after Odinga visited Obama in America. Morris was an extremely divisive factor in Kenyan elections%u2026Kenya currently on edge of political chaos & civil war%u2026

Which Democratic presidential candidate has positive & effective foreign policy experience?; Reply to this comment


by obama8years March 29, 2008 7:09 PM EDT: This is incredible , did Obama do Crack Cocaine in 1999.

youtube.com/watch?v=sVeFVtcdSYY; Reply to this comment


by illinoisvote March 29, 2008 4:40 PM EDT: Obama Knows His Way around a Ballot by David Jackson & Ray Long, Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,0,1843097.story?,page=1
Some say his ability to play political hardball goes back to his first campaign%u2026.His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer%u2026Obama%u2019s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career%u2026first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it%u2026; Reply to this comment


by obama8years March 29, 2008 4:23 PM EDT: Obama refused to vote for a bill in the Illinois State Senate that would have increased penalties for drug traffickers.

Obama voted against a bill that would have delivered the death penalty to gang members who murder first responders.

He sponsors the Illinois Senate Bill 750 creating the %u201CHalal Food Act,%u201D providing for inspections by the Department of Agriculture to ensure that all food labeled Halal is prepared according to Islamic law.

The most horrifying thing out of all this is his child hatred. He not only supports abortion; he supports partial birth abortion. He supports leaving a surviving baby to his/her death if he or she fights for life after being subjected to the atrocities of the abortion clinic.

Of course it%u2019s all bad and there%u2019s lots more at the source.

This is an incredibly bad person with a smile like an angel. BEWARE.; Reply to this comment


by jack3213 March 29, 2008 1:16 PM EDT: You are being dupped by Obama who gives a very good speech- being articulate and saying you have experiance to change things is not having actual experiance to do so. Obama may have been at that Church and so was his family, and now he is back tracking and making excuses. I don''t believe him, for what it is worth, it is a lie that a person who does not come clean on day one to explain fully everything he did and didn''t do or should have done. Human psychology 101. He might inspire alot but he does not have the ability to lead a country, good words and dramatics are signs of hiding something deeper and less credible. Haven''t we learned this already from the Clintons?; Reply to this comment


by obama8years March 29, 2008 1:14 PM EDT: OBAMA TIES TO HAMAS TERROR

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Barak Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''''''s Page." The op-ed piece justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Barak Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasn%u2019t in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin,%u201D Obama added.

Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obama''''''''s response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''''''t know, that he wasn''''''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House, will he be in similar ignorance about the goings on of his administration ?; Reply to this comment


by obama8years March 29, 2008 12:34 PM EDT: The Jewish Telegraphic Agency today reports that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., long-time pastor of Barak Obama, published an op-ed piece signed by a Hamas leader. The item appeared in the July 22, 2007 edition of his Trinity United Church newspaper on the "Pastor''''s Page." The op-ed piece justifies attacks on Israeli civilians, and carries a supporting introduction by Mr. Wright.

Barak Obama issued a statement strongly condemning these views of his pastor. "I certainly wasn%u2019t in church when that outrageously wrong [Hamas] piece was re-printed in the bulletin,%u201D Obama added.

Obama is a long-time member of Trinity United, and his financial contributions to his church are reported to be substantial ("All told, the [Obama] couple gave $27,500 to [Trinity United] in 2005 and 2006," according to the New York Times of March 26). His moral support to the church has been unwavering. As more and more and more details of the extremist political positions of the church are revealed, Obama''''s response has been to distance himself from these, but also to repeat, over and over, that he didn''''t know, that he wasn''''t there.

I find it very difficult to believe that an intelligent, energetic, and very political man like Obama is perpetually ignorant about what goes on in the church to which he devotes so many of his resources. If he does get to the White House, will he be in similar ignorance about the goings on of his administration ?; Reply to this comment


by jesterbelle March 29, 2008 11:52 AM EDT: OBAMA PEOPLE,BACK OFF THE HILLARY KRISHNAS.HERE''''S WHY.

I''''m beginning to think Rowdy and the other Clinton people are right about Hillary needing to stay in the race.In fact,it could end up being one of the best things that ever happened to the democratic party.To get rid of the Clintons once and for all.She is already losing on every front that counts inspite of what some people say.The longer she stays in,the more it distracts attention from Obamas'''' so called racism/anti-americanism,the more people get fed up with her,and there''''s a better than 50/50 chance that she or Bill will end up making more blunders,since neither one of them can keep their mouths shut.Obama has more than proven that he can handle her attacks,and even beat her at her own game.If it goes through the whole process,and Obama wins,the Hillary Krishnas have nothing to whine about,and most will still vote for Obama.The rest that threaten to vote for McCain will be insignificant,and shouldn''''t make any difference in the outcome.-----Continued below.; Reply to this comment


by jesterbelle March 29, 2008 11:50 AM EDT: Continued from above.

Hillary will look like the stupidest person in history to everyone if it goes all the way to the convention and she loses,although most of us already know she is stupid,LOL.She is already perceived as being harmful to the party,and when you total it all up,it could very well end her career,and we''''d never have to put up with her again.Me,I''''m pulling for Hillary now.I want her to keep on with her blundering and take it all the way to the convention.Lose,lose,lose,and keep on with your idiotic persistance.Ruin your chance for ever being president,and make yourself so much of a laughingstock that New York is ashamed of you,LOL!Go Hillary!On to your ultimate destruction and political ruin!Hillary in...well,never.LOL!; Reply to this comment


by liberty4you March 29, 2008 8:11 AM EDT: America asked after the attacks in NY and DC, why do they hate us?

Well, it is not just because we are free and we can go to the post office and mail a letter to our grandparents.; Reply to this comment