Democrats at the Urban League. Obama got warmest applause

[illinoisprogressive]

ST. LOUIS - As the race to be the next president of the United States heats up, four Democratic candidates spoke here about issues concerning the black community.

In a presidential forum this morning at the 2007 National Urban League Conference in St. Louis, Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Barack Obama, D-Ill., former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, outlined plans encouraging change in American policy.


Obama took the stage to a thunderous roar of applause from the audience, the warmest reception any candidate received.

After thanking the Urban League and some of its members in his opening remarks, Obama told the crowd he stood before them with a great deal of humility “because I know my story would not be possible without all these things the Urban League has done to open up the doors of opportunity to all Americans.”

Candidates addressed a number of issues, including:

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/07/27/candidates-unveil-plans-urban-league/

[msongs]

1. ohmigosh, whatta surprise! nt

[EffieBlack]

5. What's your point?

[Ethelk2044]

2. Good Article

[Peregrine Took]

3. Shockaroo!

[illinoisprogressive]

4. Love it. he also wowed the college Democrats of America yesterday.

[Grandrose]

6. Great job illinoisprogressive...

Thank you so much for all of the great positive articles! You are making this Illinoisan very happy!:hi: :kick:

[sandnsea]

7. Urban America speech last week

Probably similar to the speech he gave today, which I haven't seen yet.

He clearly gets it, and is one of the few I've heard refer directly to Reagan's bullshit, "Ronald Reagan launched his assault on welfare queens"

"What's most overwhelming about urban poverty is that it's so difficult to escape - it's isolating and it's everywhere. If you are an African-American child unlucky enough to be born into one of these neighborhoods, you are most likely to start life hungry or malnourished. You are less likely to start with a father in your household, and if he is there, there's a fifty-fifty chance that he never finished high school and the same chance he doesn't have a job. Your school isn't likely to have the right books or the best teachers. You're more likely to encounter gang-activities than after-school activities. And if you can't find a job because the most successful businessman in your neighborhood is a drug dealer, you're more likely to join that gang yourself. Opportunity is scarce, role models are few, and there is little contact with the normalcy of life outside those streets."


http://www.barackobama.com/2007/07/18/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_19.php