Barack Obama and the Great Pumpkin

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SARASOTA - Right after Barack Obama's speech at Ed Smith Stadium, he went pumpkin shopping downtown. He made a surprise stop at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Sarasota and their pumpkin patch.

"Okay I think these are the modest sized ones." Barack Obama squeezed another campaign stop and photo op into his brief Sarasota visit, picking out pumpkins.

Obama bought three; two modest sized ones for himself, and another for some needy children at a church who wouldn't have had a pumpkin otherwise this Halloween.





The Democratic presidential candidate opened his wallet and gave the church $37. That's money for the three pumpkins, plus a donation.

The youth minister, Mike Dull, showed Obama around and made the sales. He also got a brief chance to talk to Obama personally. "I told him we are praying for the best man to win for the country, and he asked me to also pray for wisdom for the winner of the election," says Dull.

The church will use the money from their pumpkin sales to help with their mission trip. The youth of the church will be going to Texas or Louisiana to help hurricane victims.

read: http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=9268768&nav=menu577_2_1





Obama tried to talk the pool into making a donation. "Anybody else want a pumpkin?" he asked. "For a good cause, guys." Although your pooler had $10 at the ready, there was no time to shop.

"You can also donate to the church and not take a pumpkin," Obama advised while settling the tab.

A woman in black yelled to him: "You're awesome!"

Obama then posed a Zen-like riddle to the press: "What's bigger, Reggie's head or a pumpkin?" He was of course referring to smooth-scalped aide Reggie White, who played along.

As Obama walked off toward his SUV with a pumpkin in hand, your pooler asked whether Obama was going to bring one to John McCain in Arizona as a "surprise present" -- a reference to the tightening polls there on a day when his aides haven't ruled out a trip.

Obama seemed to like the question, but didn't answer it. "How's that for a segue? That wasn't bad there," he said.


read more: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/10/obama_shops_at_a_pumpkin_patch.html






photos: REUTERS/Jason Reed (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

[Maven]

1. "How's that for a segue? That wasn't bad there."

:rofl:

[bigtree]

2. kick

:kick: