Obama to Clinton: "Rocky Was a Movie"
PHILADELPHIA -- After days of making only subtle references to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama ratcheted up his rhetoric against her on the last day of his statewide bus tour. While addressing the state AFL-CIO convention, Obama turned Clinton's Rocky metaphor into a jab against her.
"I know there's been some talk about Rocky Balboa over the last couple of days. We all love Rocky. And last time I checked, I was the underdog in this state. But we've got to remember that Rocky was a movie. And so is the idea that somebody can fight for working people and at the same time, embrace the broken system in Washington, where corporate lobbyists use their clout to shape laws to their liking."
Obama assured union workers that the Democratic Party will not be divided by the lengthy primary. "America can't afford another four years of the Bush policies and that's what John McCain's offering," he said. However, he was quick to liken Clinton to George W. Bush, accusing her of supporting unions only because she is running for president.
"It's time we had a president who didn't choke saying the word union," Obama said. "It's time we had a Democratic nominee who doesn't just talk about unions during the primary."
He spoke about the economy at length, calling the "system broken" and assuring workers that he will fight on their behalf. Obama said he is tired of playing "defense" and ready to playing "offense" on issues.
"I'm tired of playing defense. I know the AFL-CIO is tired of playing defense. We're ready to play some offense. We're ready to play offense for a decent wage. We're ready to play offense for retirement security. We're ready to play offense for universal health care."
Obama has a hodgepodge of events scheduled in the Philadelphia area today, including a live appearance on MSNBC's "Hardball."
