Barack at Bethlehem Brew Works - Democratic Underground

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Mon Apr-21-08 08:53 AM
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Barack at Bethlehem Brew Works

Bethlehem got a double dose of the action as Obama strode down Main Street and sat for a snack at Bethlehem Brew Works during an unscheduled visit just hours after Clinton filled a gymnasium worth of cheering supporters at Liberty High School.

Inside Bethlehem Brew Works, Obama sat for a snack with the restaurant's founder, Michael Fegley, Fegley's mother and two others. As he sipped a beer, he was asked what he'd learned about the Pennsylvania economy over the past several weeks.

''Pennsylvania has sort of turned the corner,'' he said. ''It is not complete yet. We can still make some important investments that will take it all the way to a really robust economy. I think what we are starting to see is a lot of creative energy and a lot of job creation.''

As he walked inside he joked to onlookers, “Alright, I’m gonna go sample the beers in here. I’ll be out in a sec. No shots. Just a sip!” He was, of course referring to Senator Clinton’s Crown Royal moment, where the senator downed a shot on camera. (http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/04/21/no-shots-just-a-sip/)

Inside, he noted that he’d have just one beer, but not a whole one since he had an event in Scranton later. He was presented with a half dozen beer samples, ranging from dark to light. With a smile, he said, “This is what I’m talkin’ about here!”

A table-mate presented the senator with the lightest beer on the sampler tray - a beverage garnished with a piece of fruit. “No, no no – I think that one looks too fancy,” Obama exclaimed, instead opting for a darker beer, what someone said was an ESB - an Extra Special Bitter. “That’s a tasty beer there,” Obama said upon taking a sip.

Despite being urged to “chug it” by one of the reporters watching, Obama left the brewery having finished just half of the sample.

The more than 2,000 supporters inside the Riverfront Sports Complex in Scranton were getting impatient waiting for their candidate Sunday evening.

As he started his speech, Obama was interrupted by shouts of “We want change,” and he gave them what they wanted.

“I know you want change,” Obama said. “We want change; we’re working for it. I’m comin’.”

Obama wore a dark blue suit, white shirt and a dark blue tie. He thanked the Casey and Kennedy families for their support before he got on with the business of campaigning.

“Just the other night I was in Philadelphia with 35,000 of my closest friends,” Obama said, referring to his rally in the city in front of Independence Hall. “I thought of the Founding Fathers and how they stood up to the British. They fought for equality, liberty and opportunity.

“You have to decide on Tuesday – do you want the same old politics or do you want to try something else? We have to take back our country – block by block, county by county, state by state. Scranton, this is our time. If we win in Pennsylvania, we will win this nomination and we will win the election and we will change the world.”

“We can no longer afford to wait,” he said. “The country is at a crossroads. We are in a war that should never have been authorized that is costing us billions of dollars and thousands of lives. The economy is in a shambles and we are paying $3.50 per gallon at the pumps. Millions of people are without health care, and millions of our children are getting an education that doesn’t equip them for the 21st century.”

“We need to get away from the politics of tearing each other down and start building each other up,” Obama said. “We have to stand up the way those Founding Fathers stood up. Now is that time, and that’s why I’m running for president of the United States.”

After speaking Sunday at Riverfront Sports, Sen. Barack Obama spoke with The Times-Tribune political reporter Borys Krawczeniuk. The following is a transcript: http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19502572&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6

Q: If there was only one thing you could accomplish to improve the economy,

Q: You talked about in your speech about changing the way Washington does politics. … But the fact is it takes 60 votes to get anything done in the Senate. So how, if you’re elected, how do you get those 60 votes?

A: I do think the Democrats have an opportunity to pick up anywhere from five to seven seats. And I will work as hard as I can to pick up those seats. And I actually think I can do a better job than Sen. (Hillary) Clinton of expanding the electorate to elect new senators. We’ve been attracting new people to the process that I think will give an edge to whoever is running in some of those targeted states. If we get to 55-56 then the question is: how on any given issue can you appeal to four or five or six Republicans? And one of the things I’ve been very good at doing is working with the Republican side of aisle. That’s been true since I was in the state legislature (in Illinois). I’ve got the chairman of the Republican Party in DuPage County, the most Republican county in Illinois, who is also one of (presumptive Republican presidential nominee) John McCain’s co-chairs in Illinois in a TV commercial for me here in Pennsylvania. The reason is I listen to him. I don’t try and demonize my opponents and I try to solve problems and I think that on a lot of these big issues like health care, energy and housing we can arrive at some sensible compromises that are good for the American people. But it requires a president who is not playing the usual political games.

Q: What do you think your chances are of actually winning on Tuesday and do you believe if she doesn’t win overwhelmingly or if you win that she should get out of the race?

A: I completely leave it up to her how long she wants to stay in this race. Look she’s been a terrific opponent and she’s the heavy favorite here in Pennsylvania. I don’t know what our chances of winning are. I know that we’ve picked up a lot of ground since we started here. When you and I first talked, I think we were still down by 15 points, maybe 20, and obviously it’s closer than that now. Whether we can close that gap entirely is going to depend on how undecided voters go in these last couple days. I would still give her the significant advantage but as I said in the rally tonight, if people are recognizing how big a job we have ahead of us, and that just tinkering around the edges isn’t going to be enough than I think I’m the better choice.