Barack Obama Tells Erie: "We like beer."

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Fri Apr-18-08 02:14 PM
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Barack Obama Tells Erie: "We like beer."

Senator Barack Obama picked up comments Senator McCain made yesterday on Bloomberg TV that economic progress has been made under George W. Bush. “I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there’s been great progress economically over that period of time,” McCain said. (http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/04/18/obama-says-mccain-is-disconnected-on-economy/)

Today Obama read the quote to voters in Erie, PA, and incredulously wondered how McCain made such statements. ”Here’s what happened since George Bush took office, here’s what John McCain calls great progress — we went through the first period of sustained economic growth since World War II that saw incomes drop. Eleven million more Americans don’t have healthcare, two million more Americans are out of work, millions of families are facing foreclosure, the poverty rate has gone up, you are working harder for less, you are paying more for tuition, you’re paying more for groceries, more at the pump, that’s what John McCain calls great progress,” Obama said.

“Only somebody who spent two decades in Washington could make a statement as disconnected from the hard times that people are facing all across the america. Only somebody whose campaign is run by Washington lobbyists could think we’re making great progress while so many Americans are struggling,” Obama said.

Sen. Obama jabbed at McCain’s use of the word “progress,” asking the crowd, “How could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, Pennsylvania, and say we’ve made great progress?”

Obama called McCain “disconnected” from voters, an assertion that both Clinton and McCain made about him after the “bitter” controversy broke a week a go.

Obama did admit that the economy has expanded under Bush, but with a caveat. “Our economy actually expanded over the past seven years, that’s true,” Obama said. “But here’s the thing, this was the first economic expansion in which average families incomes actually went down, not up. It’s never happened before.”

from the Swamp: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obama_we_like_beer.html

With his favorite Pennsylvania traveling companion in tow, Sen. Barack Obama visited the Erie Bolt Co. today as he sought to promote his regular-guy image.

For about 15 minutes, Obama and Sen. Bob Casey toured the plant, which has been in business for 95 years, now making bolts for commercial and military applications.

Obama and Casey emerged from the factory to find a crowd of about 30 people gathered across the street at the Erie Beer Co.

"The steel was interesting, but beer!" Obama exclaimed before crossing the street, according to a pool report of the event.

"What's selling best right now?" Obama asked the group.

"Bud Light!" most responded.

"We like beer," Obama declared, gathering everyone around him for a photo with his buddy "Casey."

from yesterday in Raleigh, North Carolina: (http://media.www.technicianonline.com/media/storage/paper848/news/2008/04/17/News/Obama.Yet.To.Confirm.Debate.Appearance-3334256.shtml)

Kameryn Garel-McCullough, a 9-year-old fourth-grade student from Green Hope Elementary, stole the show for a couple minutes when he told Obama he had won an elected position in his class, then asked the candidate how he could become president one day.

"You're a very well-spoken young man, and I may need some tips from you because you've already won the election," Obama told the boy.

Garel-McCullough said it was a great experience to speak with Obama.

"It was so nice to talk to a senator who has a good chance of being the president of the United States," he said.