Baltimore Sun: Obama invokes spirit of MLK, RFK

[TeamJordan23]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.kane21jul21,0,7147952.column?coll=bal_news_local_util

Obama invokes spirit of MLK, RFK

Obama did more than invoke King. For the duration of his 20-minute speech at the Town Hall Education, Arts & Recreation Campus in the nation's capital. Obama seemed to channel the very spirit not only of King but also of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

And if you're a liberal Democrat who's running for president and giving a speech about how to help lift up America's urban poor, you can't do much better than to channel the spirits of King and Kennedy.

Obama started his speech by telling the audience about Kennedy's memorable trip to the Mississippi Delta in the 1960s. Kennedy saw firsthand the poverty that Mississippi's blacks had endured for decades. According to Obama, a teary-eyed Kennedy looked at reporters traveling with him and asked, "How can a country like this allow it?"

In Southeast D.C., Obama continued, poverty still exists.

"Here, on the other side of the , ... every other child in Anacostia lives below the poverty line," Obama said. "Too many do not graduate and too many more do not find work. Some join gangs, and others fall to their gunfire. ... How can a country like this allow it?"

Obama answered his repeat of Kennedy's question of 40 years ago the way Kennedy would have: "We can't," the senator said to cheers from the crowd. Then he outlined the details of how an Obama administration would fight its own war on poverty.

If elected president, Obama said, he would sign legislation raising the minimum wage; fund programs that support poor families with children; fund not only job-training programs but programs that help workers get promotions; give incentives to bring businesses back to the inner cities; and make affordable housing more accessible in "mixed-income neighborhoods."

[TwilightGardener]

1. Proud of Obama! Thanks for the article. I wish he could pull ahead of

Hillary--not because I don't like her, but because I think he's our best shot against the R's in addition to being the allover best Dem candidate.

[Kingstree]

4. I agree with you. He is what this country needs.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

2. He is right. It is great to see Obama now speaking out on poverty

Let's hope this was not a one-off thing and he continues to do it before all audiences. The anti-poverty message needs to be heard by all Americans, not just the poor or urban audiences.

[Kingstree]

3. More and more people are beginning to see Obama is what this

country needs.

[illinoisprogressive]

5. Obama has the same spirit and soul.

[Ethelk2044]

6. Obama gets it. It is about the people

MLK and RFK cared about the people.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. And all three connected with the people and their hopes and dreams

[eweaver155]

8. American people want to feel someone cares about their issues

You can see he actually cares about people and want the best for them. It has been his life's work.

[Grandrose]

9. K&R

MLK and RFK and their work to be done is inspiring...way to go Sen. Obama!:applause: :kick:

[elizm]

10. Obama is our hope...

...to anyone who is willing to listen.