Bob Collins
Barack Obama’s trip to La Crosse, Wisconsin today counts as a trip to Minnesota in our “We Matter Index.” It has now been updated.
On the economy, Obama used the stump speech for a few specifics. (Here’s the transcript of the speech)
** He said he’ll stop giving federal money to banks to lend to students for college loans and have the government lend it directly.
** He said he’d go over the budget line item by line item and get rid of programs that don’t work “starting with the war in Iraq.” He noted Iraq has a budget surplus while the U.S. is checking the couch cushions (my characterization, not his) for quarters.
** He said he’d cut Medicare and Medicaid fraud and eliminate overpayments.
** He called on Democrats to vote for the bailout package (is that directed to Rep. Tim Walz?)
Generally, it seemed like the “old Obama”, the ‘feel-good’ Obama with a few more specifics. It did not focus on McCain-Palin at all.
“There’s been a backlash on the negative campaigning on both sides and he’s trying to take the campaign to a different level,” said David Canon, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on MPR’s Midmorning.
There were also references from Obama’s 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, which you can hear here.
Audio from today’s speech coming soon.
On the poll front, a Quinnipiac poll finds Obama gaining traction in three key states.
