Obama Thanks Illinois Delegation, Receives Unlikely Praise from McCain
(DENVER) Just hours before officially becoming the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama paid a visit to the women's delegation from Illinois to thank them. "I have not forgotten where I came from," Obama said, "I haven't forgotten who got me here. It's because of all of you."
The delegation was having lunch at the Marriott Hotel when Obama made the surprise stop. "It's very emotional," Delores Register, a delegate from Oak Park, said. "Here we were eating lunch, and it was like the clouds parted and the sun was shining in."
Obama joked that he had stopped by to practice his speech on friends, but he took a more serious tone as he spoke of how the delegation has influenced his career. "It's because of all of you that Michelle and I have this great honor of helping to lead this party and take back this White House," he said.
"Everything I do, I do because of what I've learned from you, because of the support you've given me."
Meanwhile, John McCain released an ad today congratulating Obama on securing the nomination.
"I wanted to stop and say, congratulations. How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day," McCain said adding, "Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight Senator, job well done."
The ad will air on cable and in battleground states. The Obama campaign has not yet responded to the ad.