PRIMARY COVERAGE: Obama rallies at Pitt on election eve

About 10,000 people spent the final hours before the Pennsylvania primary in the Petersen… About 10,000 people spent the final hours before the Pennsylvania primary in the Petersen Events Center last night to see Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama in the final fight for Pittsburgh before the Pennsylvania primary election today. Students and community members arrived at the Pete as early as 11 a.m. to claim their seats for the event, which began at 7:30 p.m. The line snaked from the entrance at the top of the hill, past Pennsylvania Hall and Panther Hall, down the hill past the Chevron building and all the way to Fifth Avenue. Obama said that in the past six weeks on the campaign trail, he played basketball with his supporter Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., fed a calf and learned how to use a train whistle. He also said he was a Steelers fan while he grew up in Hawaii, although he has since converted to the Chicago Bears. The Pennsylvanians he has met reflect a core of decency, generosity and desire for togetherness that exists across the United States, he said. “At the heart of the American idea has always been the notion that we don’t have to settle for what is,” Obama said. “That’s why the spirit of this democracy has survived from generation to generation.” Obama said 232,000 Americans have lost their jobs this year, 8,300 of whom live in Pennsylvania. Combined with the housing crisis and recession hurting the economy, Obama said he felt no need to wait any longer to run for president. “I was convinced that the American people wanted a change,” he said.

He said the American people need to unite despite divisions. “I was convinced they want black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, young, old, rich, poor, gay, straight people to stand together shoulder to shoulder,” he said. Thousands of people waved “Change we can believe in” signs as Obama rallied for the issue at the forefront of his campaign – changing the political culture in Washington. “Change does not come easy because the status quo does not relinquish power,” he said. “So we’re going to have to fight for it.” He called his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, a “formidable adversary,” saying that although they share some policy goals, Clinton was “more committed to the status quo.” Obama explained that his campaign was dedicated to changing the political model, so it pledged to reject funding from lobbyists that he said run Washington. But the main point of unity for Obama and Clinton was to beat the de facto Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, who Obama said plans to perpetuate President George W. Bush’s failing economic and foreign policies. “We can’t have the third term of George W. Bush,” Obama said to a standing ovation. “John McCain believes [the Iraq War] is a success and believes in perpetuating a war with no exit strategy.” Obama said that under his health care plan, the uninsured will be able to get coverage “at least as good as a member of Congress,” while those with insurance could lower their premiums by $2,500 per year. Obama pledged to stop giving tax breaks to companies that shift jobs overseas and to protect interests of working class citizens. He compared his plans to invest in projects to President John F. Kennedy’s Apollo project, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System and Abraham Lincoln’s intercontinental railroads. “If we can go to the moon, we can replace the internal combustion engine. If we can go to the moon, we can build windmills and solar panels. If we can spend $10 billion in Iraq, we can spend $10 billion in the United States of America,” Obama said. For college students, Obama said he plans to give $4,000 tuition credits to students who volunteer at places like homeless shelters, which is similar to the AmeriCorps program initiated by the Clinton administration. “We invest in you, you invest in America,” Obama said. Obama said that although he “won’t hesitate to strike” against foreign enemies, ending the Iraq War will constitute a top priority in his office. “When I get that phone call at 3 in the morning, you should want someone who’s read the intelligence reports,” he said, asserting his “No, 1 task” to keep America safe. But Obama said the war has cost trillions of dollars, thousands of lives and distracts from the war on terrorism in Afghanistan, along with improperly training and equipping the military. “That’s why I opposed it in 2002, and that’s why I will end it in 2009,” Obama said. “We will bring our troops home.” Obama referenced the criticism he said he received for being a candidate with the message of “hope.” “My opponents have said these are just pretty words,” Obama said. “But the reason you need hope and faith is because things are tough.” He said his work as a community organizer and civil rights attorney in Chicago along with serving in Illinois state legislature and on the U.S. Senate has prepared him for fighting for these changes to a government “that we feel isn’t listening to us.” Casey and Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., along with Obama’s wife, Michelle, campaigned with Obama. U.S. Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire and former Pittsburgh Steelers Franco Harris, Edmund Nelson and Robin Cole also arrived at the Pete to support the candidate. Students for Barack Obama, Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers, and other organizations also showed up to endorse Obama. Jerel Lewis, an Obama supporter from Duquesne University, said he was “very surprised” at how well Obama handled the crowd. He said the current election was close, and he wasn’t sure about the outcome. “It’s a close race, but hopefully he’ll get the extra edge at the end,” Lewis said. “I’m a believer.” Huy Nguyen, a Pitt student who ran into rally traffic trying to get from Sutherland Hall to the Hillman Library, said that if “circumstances were different,” he’d consider voting for Obama – but as a conservative, he supports McCain. “I think it’s good people really support [Obama] like that,” Nguyen said. “He has a lot of support from young people.” Sandra Avery, a representative from SEIU from Flinto, Mich., said the union was one of the largest in the country. SEIU, which represents janitors, nurses, doctors, and other service employees, endorsed Obama because he “hears the pain of the working class people,” she said. “He’s able to bring change for younger generations as well as old,” Avery said. Pitt sophomore Jamillia Kamara said as a “die-hard” Obama supporter and volunteer, she thought students seem excited by Obama’s “passion” and “charisma.” “I don’t think students have been so excited by a candidate in a long time,” Kamala said. “It’s revolutionary. Something like this will never happen again. “We shouldn’t have to study for finals,” she added.