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Warner welcomes Obama in Martinsville
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http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/southside/article/mccain_and_obama_supporters_make_voices_heard/15911/
http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/barack_rocks_glass/7610/http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lynchburg_youth_come_out_to_support_democrat/7611/
http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/liberty_blocks_the_plaza_from_those_wishing_to_park_to_see_obama/7606/
Register & Bee staff writers
Published: August 21, 2008
6:10 p.m.
If you want to know what Obama ordered at Short Sugars, and how many other people’s tabs he picked up, grab a copy of tomorrow’s paper.
5:58 p.m.People from advertising are chiding us for leaving them hanging with that last entry. So while we write up our stories for tomorrow’s paper and put together photogalleries for online viewing delight, I’ll try to quickly recap. Where did we leave off? Ah, yes, I was talking with supporters of senator John McCain before the Obama rally started. And I have to apologize, upon reviewing the pictures I realized that the the two signs I was talking about earlier were actually one that said “NObama” and the other had a header of “Obama’s resume” with the rest of the sign blank.
Averett University student Walter Bondurant said he “sincerely believed” if Barack Obama became president “it would be chaos for this country…he has no economic programs that make any sense…and his moral and ethical stances are atrocious.“
Others around him agreed. Shirley Foster, whose husband used to work Fieldcrest Mills added that John McCain was a “real American hero (who) deserves to be president.“ When talking about the trade policies that led to her husband’s lay-off she pointed out that “Democrats had a hand in it, too.“ Bill Clinton signed the NAFTA treaty afterall, she said.
None of the McCain supporters said they tried to get tickets for the event, but many said they expected that a lot of people came out just for curiosity’s sake.
On the other side of the road were a group of Obama-ed-out people. I’m talking t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, signs, and everything. Irving Carter, with an imprint of the Illinois Senator on his shirt said that he was dissapointed that he didn’t get tickets, but very pleased that Obama was taking time to visit the area.
On the way down to the sign-holders, I ran into Laurie Moran, president of the Danville-Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce. She was there as part of the Workforce Investment Initiative.
“I’m excited,“ she said. ‘I think it’s important that all candidates have the opportunity to learn about issues in this area.“
There was obviously a lot that happened that we didn’t get a chance to put on this blog—I’ll try to do a quick rundown.
About half an hour before the event there were nearly a dozen people before the ticket-check point present to express their support for John McCain. Most of them were from Henry County and Martinsville. Signs ranged from “McCain : Ready to lead on day one” to a woman holding two signs, one that said Obama’s resume and another that was blank.
..They’re here. More later…
3:25 p.m.: Bernard is on the official press bus, and I’m sitting here at Short Sugars on Riverside Drive where we’re pretty sure Obama will make his unscheduled stop. It would explain all the secret service agents, anyway. 12:55 p.m.: A.C. Richardson of Martinsville asked a question about what Obama thinks about veterans’ benefits and what he thinks about the United States having the highest incarceration rate of any industrialized nation, and that most of those are drug related. Hs grandfather was a veteran and his grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line. Obama said he used to watch veterans in Chicago have to drive hours to get care and service. “It offended me—I believe if you serve your country, your country should serve you just as well.“ John McCain finally came around because he didn’t really have much of a choice, Obama said. McCain initially opposed Senator Jim Webb’s bill, saying the benefits outlined in it would encourage those serving in the military to leave because. Democrats have consistently been fighting for full funding for benefits services. Shouldn’t be a partisan issue, Obama said, “it should be an American issue.“ “Government cant’ do everything, Obama says about drug use and incarceration. “In the Afican American community it’s an epidemic,“ Obama said, “Father’s not looking after their kids. You have fathers not spending time with their kids. Can’t blame George Bush for that.“ Mark Warner chimes in: “I don’t care how you feel about the war…we owe world class education to all these veterans who are returning.“ 1. I completely agree about the critical role of parenting. “I’ve got three teenage daughters—pray for me, please” 2. Really difficult in Virginia to get those rights restored. 3. We’ve got ito invest inot those programs that are successful to reentry—“this is being hard headed,“ Warner said. “It’s a heck of a lot cheaper to get somebody to reneter into society and become a law-abiding citizen.“ —Sarah 12:18 p.m.: Back from the photographer’s risers, which always have a lot of elbowing involved. Presidential candidates certainly have an entourage, so it’s not only other local photographer you have to fight against, but you’ve the got the New York Times and Fox News cameras to shoot around, too. Mr. Obama’s going on now about how his economic plan will work, and how it’s going ot help bring jobs in Henry County and Martinsville. “I’ll go boy girl boy girl,“ he said when opened the floor to questions. Then he backtracked, “Wait, I’ll go girl boy - girl boy,“ he and the crowd laughed. “I’m not stupid.“ Employee free choice act?—I’m a strong supporter of it, says Obama. “says (people cheer) if you as aworker want to join a union than you can join a union, and organize a union. “A little bit of sharing in the prosperity—that’s what a union is there for.“ Obama says we need to think about we set up our tax structure in how to bring jobs here. His plan, he says, will encourage innovation. He waved his hands and referened the empty warehouses and tobacco farms. These, he says under his administration would be building wind turbines and solar panels. “Basic research, basic science—I don’t know what kind of mileage these (racecars) get…“ Obama trails off, the crowd laughs. George Bush has been flatlining on funding for basic research. Got to create cars that get higher fuel efficiency standards, he said. And we want them manufactured here. Debra Buccannan, a Henry County supervisor asked what Obama plans to do about immigration. “Let’s remember that we’re a nation of immigrants,“ said Obama “...and also a nation of laws.“ He said his mother’s side is Scotts and Irish—“ya’ll didn’t know it, but we may be cousins.“ People laugh. And that his father came here from Kenya. Number one: Protect our borders. Also, he says “we should crack down on employers..they’re giving a magnet.“ to illegal immigrants. Fix the legal immigration system. Pay a fine. learn English. Go to the back of the line. But if they do all those things, but over the course of let’s say 10 years, they can earn citizenship, Obama says. —Sarah 11:48 a.m.: Obama and Warner take stage to cheering crowds. Labor leader Brian McGee said he used to vote Republican - not anymore after losing his job. McGee wants candidates who will support policies that won’t hurt American workers. McGee wants ending tax breaks for corporations that send jobs overseas. We’re not a nation of whiners, McGee said, they want a level playing field. Warner said he want to see the jobs sent overseas to come back to Southside.
Blogs and related from News Partners NewsAdvance.com and WSLS.com
From Andrew Jackson to George H.W. Bush, Lynchburg played host
E.C. Glass will be double-booked for Obama visit
Obama heading to the Hill City on Wednesday
Related stories & features Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign stops in Martinsville, Danville and Lynchburg brought the national spotlight on southern and southwestern Virginia. Here are a few excerpts showing how national journalists described our area. The Associated Press had perhaps the most colorful description. Writing ahead of Obama’s talk in Martinsville, the AP described the city south of Lynchburg as “on the western edge of a region of south-central Virginia dotted by small factory and farm towns whose culture is distinctively Dixie. Sundays are all about church, Saturdays are for hunting and fishing, Fridays in the fall are for high school football, and Wal-Mart is the big retailer seven days a week.“ Apparently the number of people gathered at E.C. Glass High School made an impression on at least a couple of journalists. The Web-only Washington Independent described the gathering place as “a school gymnasium literally shaking from the rafters with a racially mixed crowd of 2,200” while the New York Times noted it was “a more raucous crowd” than the one in Martinsville. A number of political stories emphasized Virginia’s traditional conservatism while noting its importance in this year’s election. Obama considers it, as the Los Angeles Times wrote, one of “three Southern states he hopes to color blue in November.“ CNN said “Virginia has become a battleground state after years of being reliably Republican.“ A McClatchy Newspapers story called it “a conservative stretch of this swing state that’s key to his election strategy.“ Finally, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell’s legacy is still well-known outside the Hill City. McClatchy’s story defined Lynchburg as “the hometown of the late televangelist Jerry Falwell and his Liberty University.“
11:14 a.m.: Barack Obama and Mark Warner about to go on stage. One national journalist asks, “Is this Martinsburg?“ 10:38 a.m.: Local chamber director Laurie Moran showed up. There’s Tim Davis from the Star-Tribune. Chris Agee from WBTM is ready to go. Bright and hot TV lights were fired up as show is expected to get underway soon.
10:20 a.m.: We’re in. State police dogs have confirmed that we and the other reporters are not carrying suspicious equipment, and we’ve been through the metal dectors. (Bernard had to go through three times: He bumped it one time and forgot to empty his pockets the second.) While waiting we ran into five members from the Steel Worker’s union local 831, and we were happy to see some familiar Danville faces.
Byron Taylor, the chairman of the political education committee told me that he got a call last night from the president of USWA saying there were five tickets available for Danville. Taylor said he was surprised and very pleased and guaranteed he could find people to go.
Politicians spotted so far include: State senator Roscoe Reynolds, Martinsville mayor Kimbell Reynolds (no relation), 5th district Congressional candidate Tom Perriello and Henry County supervisor Jim Adams.
I was hoping to see some protestors, but because the Obama staffers are checking invitations, there aren’t any close by. I’m going to go down the road and see if I can’t find some.
Wednesday 9:35 a.m. : Sarah here. Bernard and I are sitting in a sliver of shade while looking at other, presumabley print, reporters try to figure out how to use their handheld camcorders. So far we’ve identified our colleagues as Star News, ABC 13, NBC 12 from Winston Salem and our own Media General cohorts WSLS channel 10.
The won’t give us press credentials yet, so we’re just watching the line get longer. And longer.
On the ride up, we thought it would be fun to play “I Spy Candidate Signs” Bernard pointed out that this has been “Goode Country” since the early 70s. And he knows these things. We counted four Goode signs, two McCain signs and one for Perriello. And one each for Kate Berger and Teresa Easley, running for Pittsylvania treasurer, but Bernard says the don’t count.
Oops, we just realized we picked the Will-Call table, which is proving to be confusing for people looking for their tickets.
Wednesday, 9:31 a.m. posting: “We’ll see…we’ll see” joked the Rev. John Tinsley, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Pittsylvania County. Tinsley’s been selected to deliver the opening prayer. Just minutes ago he jokingly deliclined to say, however, what he is going to pray for.
Wednesday, 9:15 a.m. posting:
People are lined up at the Arrington Manufacturing Center at Patrick Henry Community College. Democratic signs line one side of the street. Collinsville Printing boasts signs for John McCain and Virgil Goode. Stay tuned!!
What question should we ask Barack Obama Wednesday? Send your question via the Comment feature below.
Reader Reactions
Mr.Pollock do you really believe that any rich person is going to pay more taxes or vote for someone like Obama unless they are getting something in return? Patriotic rich people voting for Democrats? No such thing. The tax laws have many loopholes for the rich. If Obama had any idea he would be pushing an across the board tax. The way Obama became rich through affirmative action wasjust a legalized descrimination trying to atone for past sins. It does not make him any better it just means he took advantage of a program. Obama intends to change tax laws where it will appear that someone is getting something back but those of us below 200,000 will end up taking the worst hit because 3% of the population cannot pay for the other 97%. Even Bill Gates would go broke doing this. Mr. Pollock did you realize that a woman with two kids making 13,999 a year gets back 4300 from the govt as a refund after only paying in about 1200? We cannot afford to keep giving this out and have the top 3% pay the bill. They do not make enough money. Plus they have tax shelters. Bush Sr. comprimised with the Dem congress. One of the biggest mistakes he ever made. No one ever claimed that a Bush could equal a Reagan.
Quatar. How long have John and Cindy been married? OK . . . long enough for each to at least be aware of each other’s assets. If John doesn’t know how many homes Cindy owns, he is not much of a partner in that marriage. One could even say that he is a wuss to not be man enough to know his own family’s finances. If he can’t keep up with his own family’s finances and properties, how can you expect him to manage the federal government (especially when he admitted in March that he didn’t know much about economics). Mrs. McCain will not divulge her tax records to the public; does she divulge them to John?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being rich, but the way John McCain became rich and the way Barak Obama became rich are two different stories. Senator McCain came back from Vietnam to a heavier and sick wife. He met Cindy, saw she was young, healthy and rich, had an affair, and kicked his first wife to the curb, securing his wedding license for himself and Cindy before he was legally divorced from his first wife.
Senator Obama and his wife both came from very humble homes. They worked for all they earned and are models of the American dream that every American, no matter how humble ones roots are, can succeed. They prove that this actually works in America and is not just a fairy tale told to us when we were younger.
Senator McCain and his party want to cut social programs (including higher education money and social security) to keep all, but the wealthy “down.“ It was with programs like federal loans and affirmative action that the Obamas had a chance for success. It is because of a father who was a Navy admiral that John Mccain got into the Naval Academy, graduating 894th out of a class of 899.
As for your comment “the rich hire people.“ No, my friend. The rich become richer while shipping jobs off to China, Mexico, Vietnam (wow . . . that war worked out nicely for us, didn’t it?), and anywhere else there is cheap labor. Wind fall taxes is a very responsible move to impose upon a company like Exxon recording record profits, in the billions, while Americans are paying $4.00 a gallon at the gas pumps. When a multi-national company pays less taxes, percentage wise, than the average working person, something is wrong.
And Oprah is an Obama supporter even though she knows that her taxes may go up. She is a patriot who is willing to pay for a government that works. Even Warren Buffet, the second or third richest person in America is willing to pay more taxes. He was appalled when he discovered that percentage wise he was paying less than his secretaries. That, my friend, is patriotism. These are Americans who want to do their part to make this the best nation in the world, again. We have probably never really ever deserved that title, but we have certainly fallen back from even being close to that during the past 8 years.
Unless a person makes $200,000 a year or more, that person would not find much help from Senator McCain and the GOP. Economically, the nation is in a mess as the result of Bush-onomics. McCain in 2000 opposed the tax cuts for the rich; now, because his political base demands it, he if not only in favor, but wants to expand it. Where will the money come from to carry out the works of the government? Either from the middle class or from future generations. Look at what Senator McCain is promising Americans. How can he pay for all of this without raising taxes (rememeber George H. W. Bush’s promise, “Read my lips. No new taxes?“ It didn’t happen), and if he is set upon lowering the taxes of the rich, guess whose taxes will go up. Think about it. Peace.
McCains wife owns the homes Mr. Pollock. What is wrong with being rich? Obama made how much last year? If all of Obama’s supporters are poor where is he getting his money? Obama wants windfall taxes and raising taxes on the rich. Two things that Carter did and look how well it worked. The rich hire people. Carter was bad and if you want the real dark ages let Obama in for the Carter second term. Afterall Mr. Pollock would it not be better to have a flat tax across the board? The rich will find loopholes regardless of the party which seems to be more rich Dems these days. If you were as rich as Opera would you vote in someone who will cost millions more in taxes. Also Obama wants 3% of the population to pay for everyone. He says he wants to give the middle class a tax break. The numbers do not add up. So Mr. Pollock you crunch the numbers and tell me if Obama is not being less than truthful.
Beijing can also be spelled Peking, but that is the archaic spelling of China’s capital. Notwithstanding the spelling, any comments you could make about Senator Obama pale compared to the GOP candidate’s problem of dealing with knowing what he needs to know to be President - like how many homes he owns. I’m sure Senator McCain will continue to make verbal pratfalls throughout the campaign which will make him look like the sad old man that he is. Senator Obama, with Senator Biden, will be the ones to bring this nation out of the Eight Year Dark Ages under Bush and make us a nation we can look upon with pride. Peace.
Mr. Pollock you are for a candidate that has visited 57 of the 59 states. You should not make fun of my name. I am an Arab American. If you are smart you will put the spelling in to a search and you may find out that it is spelled two ways. Just like center and centre. But I should not expect you to look before you leap since you are supporting Obama. Google it and scroll down. Be sure to inflate your tires.
Oh . . . and by the way quatar. “incline” should be past tense, with a “d”. Let’s get off the typos and grammar comments and stick with substance.
If I were running for president you might have a reason to point this out; however, if I were running for President, I do know that there is no longer a Czechloslovakia, I do know that Iraq and Pakistan do NOT share a border, and I know how many houses I own. That already puts me ahead of Senator McCain. Peace.
qatar. A Middle-Eastern Country. Are you an American quatar (I assume you misspelled the country) or one of them there furriners? Sounds like it to me. The “Democratic Congress” has only been that for less than 2 years. The GOP controlled congress for the first 6 years under Bush are the ones who have spent our country into a multi-trillion dollar deficit; Clinton left us with a surplus. So, don’t blame the Democrats; everything they have sent to Bush, with few exception, has been vetoed. With a Democratic president and a Democratic congress, things should be a great deal better for all Americans (except Bush’s toadies and the greedy rich). And after Bush-onomics, I can’t even afford to buy a bike. Shalom.
FYI Bob Dole came to Martinsville when he was a candidate for President.
I don’t want to spark any big debates about race, but what I do want is for people who don’t want Barack Obama to be elected President simply because he is a black man to step up and be a man (or a woman) and say so. Stop using excuses and say what you really mean.
So if Hitler would have come to town Jalaal you would be incline to vote for him? If you think McCain is Bush you really need to stop listening to just Obama and find another source.Just driving through and eating a pork sandwich is not a good reason to vote for him. I guess if you want Obamachange go buy a bike because if Obama gets in you will not afford to buy gas. You can wait for months to get a medical appointment. Some good change there. Congress has a much lower rating than Bush. They are mostly Democrats they had a higher rating before Pelosi took over.
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