From the Boston Globe:
Barack Obama didn't back down yesterday in his opposition to a so-called gas tax holiday this summer, becoming more vocal in calling it political pandering [from] John McCain and Hillary Clinton for proposing it. He told voters in Winston-Salem, N.C., that suspending the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day would save them only about $25 to $30. Some economists, he said, believe the proposal could backfire and actually raise prices by increasing demand. "We don't know that the oil companies will actually pass on the savings," he added. And by taking revenue away from the Highway Trust Fund, which finances road and bridge repairs, the gas tax holiday could delay badly needed improvements and cost thousands of construction jobs, including 7,000 in North Carolina, he told voters. "This is the problem with Washington," Obama declared. "We're arguing over a gimmick that will save you half a tank of gas. It's not an idea to get you through the summer. It's an idea to get them through an election."
From the Rocky Mount Telegram:
With his jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up, Barack Obama asked a crowd of about 1,500 somewhat-soggy Eastern North Carolinians on Monday to believe in the potential of the middle class ... Despite heavy afternoon rains, most of those in attendance waited more than two hours outside Beddingfield High School to hear the Democratic presidential hopeful. Taking several minutes during his speech to focus on issues faced by small towns throughout the eastern part of the state, Obama pledged to restore the U.S. economy by returning order to the job market. "Unemployment here in Wilson is outpacing the rest of the county," Obama said after referring to a few local plants that moved overseas in recent years. "And folks here in Wilson are making about $11,000 less on average than the rest of the country. Meanwhile, gas costs $3.58." Part of the problem, Obama said, is with leaders in Washington, D.C., who answer to special interests instead of the average U.S. resident. ... "I've got big plans and Sen. Clinton has big plans, too," Obama said. "The question is, what's it going to take to come through on those plans? And that's the question you'll be answering next Tuesday. You have to ask yourself, are you going to change things in Washington or are you going to vote for more of the same? We need a leader who doesn't answer to special interests." ... Touching on several issues during a 40-minute speech followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session, Obama said he wants to seek energy independence and enhance the green job market. He said he wants to revamp early childhood education and redo No Child Left Behind so teachers aren't forced to "teach for a test." And he said he wants to return the U.S. to a position of respect around the globe. "In such circumstance we cannot afford to wait," Obama said, people in the crowd beginning to rise to their feet. "We can't wait to fix our schools. We can't wait to fix out health care systems. We cannot wait to bring back good jobs and good wages. We can't wait to rebuild our infrastructure. We can't wait to develop a solid energy policy. We can't wait to bring the war in Iraq to a close. We cannot wait, and that is why I decided to run for president of the United States of America."
From the Hendersonville Times-News:
Marty Tinkler supports Sen. Barack Obama for president. As an older woman, she fits the demographic of a Hillary Clinton supporter. "I am a gray-haired old woman, and I am not supposed to support Obama," Tinkler said. She, along with her husband, Jim, attended the opening of an Obama campaign office in Hendersonville on Monday, Obama's 34th in North Carolina. The crowd filled the office and flowed out into the parking lot. Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus represented Obama at the event. He said Obama's appeal is the diverse group of people that support him. Mabus said Obama will make the Democratic Party competitive in states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia, . "In Barack Obama, we have somebody who is going to break those divides," Mabus said, adding, "Look at the crowd. It is so inclusive." Gary Pichard heads Henderson County United for Barack Obama. He said the office is important to the campaign, because the location gives Obama a physical presence in the county. "It provides the opportunity for local people to meet local people who are really concerned about where this country is going," Prichard said. He said the campaign office will do canvassing and make phone calls. Prichard said Henderson County is changing, and he believes there is a lot of support for Obama. Hendersonville resident Irene Brinegar said she is excited that North Carolina is playing such an important role in the presidential election. "I think it is wonderful that we are not at the end," she said. "And what we do will have a big impact on how we move forward."
From the Rapid City Journal:
Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle saw the face of a nation Tuesday in a campaign rally for Barack Obama at the Black Hills State University student union in Spearfish. There were plenty of fired-up college students, of course. But the 120 to 150 people assembled in support of Obama cut across lines of age, gender and race in a human mix that Daschle - a national co-chairman for Obama's presidential campaign - has seen time and again across the nation. "It really looked like America," Daschle said. "And it looked like South Dakota." South Dakota is a more prominent part of America than usual these days, as Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton slug it out for the Democratic nomination for president. The state's end-of-the-line June 3 primary, previously expected to be an as-usual afterthought in world of national politics, is enlarged this year by the nearly neck-and-neck campaign. ... Ben Mincks, a 19-year-old BHSU freshman from Rapid City, is looking forward to that with an excitement about politics that he couldn't have imagined a year or two ago. Mincks represents the wave of newcomers attracted to politics by Obama. Politically disengaged last year, Mincks happened to watch an Obama speech on television. Now, he's president of the BHSU Democrats who helped organize Tuesday's rally and plans to continue volunteer work for the Obama campaign. "It's definitely because of Obama," Mincks said. "I've never been interested in politics. There was just something about Obama that inspired me."
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