Obama Draws Record Crowd in St. Louis

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(ST. LOUIS) Barack Obama's rally in St. Louis today drew a record crowd with the local police estimating 100,000 people in attendance.

Obama spoke on a small stage underneath the Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in the middle of a sea of supporters who waved signs and cheered through out the 35-minute speech.

"I think the winds of change are blowing all across America," Obama told the crowd. "They're blowing here in Missouri, they're blowing in Michigan, they're blowing in Illinois, they're blowing in Virginia, and they are blowing in Ohio."

The last time Obama has seen a crowd this big was at Denver's Invesco Field on the night of his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, when 80,000 attended. Last May, Obama drew a crowd of over 70,000 in Portland, Oregon.

Obama a blasted back at John McCain today for calling his tax policy "welfare," accusing him of being out of touch with the middle class.

"Let me repeat this - I'm not giving tax cuts to folks who don't work, I'm giving tax cuts to people who do work," Obama said.

"John McCain is so out of touch with the struggles you are facing that he must be the first politician in history to call a tax cut for working people "welfare."

He added, "Let's just be clear here George Bush and John McCain are out of ideas, they are out of touch, and if you stand with me in 17 days they'll be out of time."

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded to Obama's charges by describing his plan as socialism. "Barack Obama would give tax cuts to Americans who don't pay any income taxes – it's a policy Democrats used to call welfare, what Barack Obama calls 'spreading the wealth around,' and what Joe the Plumber calls socialism."

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by mrmazerati October 19, 2008 12:23 PM EDT: McCain accuses Obama of being socialist. The Republicans have proven themselves to be socialist. Which one do you believe?; Reply to this comment


by specialty8 October 19, 2008 12:20 PM EDT: Obamas big $1000 dollar tax cut for people who work is so nice. I can see him and Rev. Wright,Jessie and Al in the oval office now and he has a brain cramp trying to figure out how to pay for all these things he has promised to every group in the world.Well we can''t get it from the rich or big business, they don''t need my handouts. That just leaves the working people. If they believed all the BS I told them they will be to dumb to look at their paycheck stubs anyway when we raise the tax rate.Good job guys,case solved. Where was Ayers anyway? He is the college professor and the has the brains to figure this out. By the way, you guys use the back door,make me look bad if anyone saw you here.; Reply to this comment


by simplemind2 October 19, 2008 12:06 PM EDT: JFK - "Ask NOT what the country can do for you. Ask what YOU can do for your country".
MLK, JR. - "I have a DREAM, one day...".
Let the freedom bell ring!
Let the crooks all go under!
Amen!; Reply to this comment


by tishpearl October 19, 2008 11:48 AM EDT: Why are so many people still afraid of the word "socialist?"
Good lord,certain forms of so-called socialism ( socialized medicine, for example) work very well indeed in western and Northern Europe. The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, etc. are some of the most literate and civilized countries on the planet. Time and again polls have also shown how happy the populations of those countries are as well. Come on, my American comrades, educate yourself about socialism before bringing forward these knee-jerk reactions.The Republicans are w/out ideas so they use scare tactics. Don''t buy into them!; Reply to this comment


by strangeworld October 19, 2008 11:26 AM EDT: Obama''s economic plan would return us to the balance of taxation that we enjoyed before the republicans started redistributing the wealth from the middle class to the richest among us. Under Reagan and the bush family, wealthy friends and campaign contributors stocked away record wealth while most of the rest of us actually saw a decrease in wages. If you look back, America did best when the tax rate for the wealthy was the higer than it is today. While the GOP keeps endorsing tax cuts and corporate welfare for the richest Americans, there''s no evidence that trickle down economics works...every example of trickle down economics has resulted in the American middle class losing ground and the American taxpayer left with the bill for republican greed. It''s time that we voted out the republicans from the courthouse to the Whitehouse.; Reply to this comment


by wherenextnow October 19, 2008 10:37 AM EDT: Hay this was a lot of fun don''''t forget a lot of us go to Obama''''s events to have a good laugh at what socialism looks like and just how blind people are to what is really going on. Oh well if he gets in make sure you are stocked up on ammo we may need it to protect our freedoms.

Posted by robert2237 at 07:36 AM : Oct 19, 2008
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Socialism? You must have been at a McCain Rally. He rushed to Washington to BEG for the $700 Billion Socialist Bailout.

No denying Republicans are Socialists.; Reply to this comment


by robert2237 October 19, 2008 10:36 AM EDT: Hay this was a lot of fun don''t forget a lot of us go to Obama''s events to have a good laugh at what socialism looks like and just how blind people are to what is really going on. Oh well if he gets in make sure you are stocked up on ammo we may need it to protect our freedoms.; Reply to this comment


by irmcvet97 October 19, 2008 9:51 AM EDT: Why don''''t you take your stupid azz and crawl back under the rock you''''ve been hiding under you IDIOT!

Posted by abmitus at 03:00 AM : Oct 19, 2008

Why say something like this? The poster had an HONEST and REAL concern shared by MILLIONS of American''s.; Reply to this comment


by irmcvet97 October 19, 2008 9:50 AM EDT: especially when you offer free rock concert like MUSLIM BARRACK HUSSEIN OBAMA does.

Posted by BagdadsHere5 at 05:50 AM : Oct 19, 2008

Uh Huh!? So in your poor uneducated mind people are going to undergo the crush, traffic AND security to see warm up bands for Obama!? LOL Sparky YOU need to change that foil on your head... BIG TIME!! LOL; Reply to this comment


by dbaecht October 19, 2008 6:38 AM EDT: "people are dead because of the lies of the republicans. people i know are dead and their families are left without their fathers because of a war based on lies.

it is time for us to say ENOUGH! true americans need to send john and his wife cindy the princess diana wanna be back to their mansion and palin back to face the piper for her illegal acts in alaska.

sing along fellow americans, enough is enough is enough, i can''''''''t go on, i can''''''''t go on no more now.

vote obama/biden and let the last thing in pandoras box free, HOPE!

Posted by ricmarc"

Don''''t worry it will happen soon.
I don''''t think the repugs are dumb enough to believe they can steal this one.
Obama/Biden 08; Reply to this comment