Obama Makes 'Closing Argument' in Clinton Country

Barack Obama

Obama Makes 'Closing Argument' in Clinton Country

By Shailagh Murray
SCRANTON, Pa. - Sen. Barack Obama campaigned through the heart of Clinton country Sunday, courting the working-class voters of Reading and Scranton in an effort to close the gap with his Democratic opponent in the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday.

Here in the birthplace of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's father, a stronghold in a state where the New York senator has held a steady lead, Obama rolled out some heavy artillery: Sen. Robert Casey Jr., his mother, Ellen, and assorted relatives, representing the first family of Scranton; and Caroline Kennedy, whose endorsement of Obama in January touched off a wave of high-profile Democratic support.

Obama's 30-minute stump speech -- his "closing argument," as he called it in Reading - was a rapid-fire denouncement of Clinton, Sen. John McCain, the special interests that Obama asserts are now running Washington, and a "petty and trivial" political process.

When Obama brought up Clinton in Scranton, some in the audience booed to express their displeasure with his rival - an unusual reaction. "This is a feisty crowd," Obama remarked. "No, no," he hushed. "She's run a tough race, and I admire her." Then he delivered a 15-minute series of blows.

Obama addressed a negative ad Clinton is running in Pennsylvania that accuses him of hypocrisy in his refusal to accept campaign donations from federal lobbyists and political action committees. The Illinois senator is running a response ad that accuses Clinton of "eleventh-hour smears, paid for by lobbyist money."

He told the raucous Scranton crowd, "She's essentially saying, 'I'm bad, but he's just as bad.' What kind of argument is that? What kind of inspirational message is that?" And he sought to stir doubts about Clinton's trustworthiness, her biggest vulnerability with undecided voters, Obama advisers believe.

"You've got to be able to speak honestly with the American people about the challenges we face," Obama said.