Obama positions himself as candidate of change at Madison rally
The Associated Press | October 15, 2007
By RYAN J. FOLEY
MADISON, Wis. - Democrat Barack Obama told a ballroom packed with young supporters on Monday that he was the presidential candidate who can bring the most change to politics.
Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, said he is best positioned to reform the health care system, end the Iraq War and help rid the nation of its dependence on foreign oil.
"I am confident in my ability to lead the country in this new direction," said Obama, who said he would usher in a "new generation of leadership."
Obama used the rally to try to draw a contrast with his main rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, without even mentioning her by name.
Obama said he would stand up to special interests, take unpopular stands when necessary and work with Republicans to accomplish reforms. He said voters have had enough of "triangulation," a political style associated with the Clintons in which politicians split the difference with opponents on policy issues.
He also noted he spoke out against the war in Iraq as a state senator in 2002. Clinton voted for a resolution that authorized the war that year.
Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said more than 4,000 people attended the event and over half of them were University of Wisconsin-Madison students. Students paid $15 for tickets to the low-dollar fundraiser while adults paid $30.
The fundraiser was initially scheduled to be held at a theater with 1,500 seats but interest was so high that the campaign relocated the event to the much larger ballroom.
After the public event, Obama was heading to a private fundraiser at the Madison home of supporters. A campaign invitation said guests were to raise at least $500.
LaBolt said he did not know how much the campaign was expected to raise Monday in Madison.
Wisconsin has so far been nearly ignored by presidential candidates but that's starting to change. Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to arrive in Milwaukee on Thursday for a fundraiser.
Still, the candidates appear to be betting their party's nomination will be locked up by Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary. It comes more than a month after key early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire and two weeks after several states vote on Feb. 5.
Obama's campaign aides were urging students to volunteer to canvass for Obama in neighboring Iowa.
Many students said they were skipping class to be at the event, where the crowd burst into applause as Obama railed against "this disastrous war" in Iraq. They said they liked Obama's message, even if he was short on specifics.
Molly Corrigan, 18, said Obama won her support on Monday.
"It was amazing," said Corrigan, who skipped three classes to be at the event and carried a "Bucky 4 Obama" sign. "He's a really good speaker."
