Obama Reaches Out To Religious Voters

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(CHICAGO) Barack Obama will deliver a speech on religion today as he continues to reacquaint voters with his biography and reaches out to demographics who typically do not vote Democratic. He will emphasize his work as community organizer in Chicago, and present a plan to get religious groups more involved in government programs.

Obama has been cleaning up the remnants of the often contentious primary season by trying to put an end to rumors which may be lingering in the minds of some voters.

Questions about his religious beliefs and church affiliations have remained despite repeated efforts by the campaign to clarify misperceptions. For his part, Obama has been reaching out to voters who may not be as familiar with him. His message today is targeted to the Evangelical community, who has historically sided with the Republican Party.

According to prepared remarks obtained by the Associated Press, Obama will express his support for George Bush’s programs to give federal funding to religious groups.

He's expected to say, "The challenges we face today, from putting people back to work to improving our schools, from saving our planet to combating HIV/AIDS to ending genocide, are simply too big for government to solve alone. We need all hands on deck."