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Obama spreads the word
U.S. Senate candidate makes local stops to address issues
staff writer
LISLE — The country is at a crossroads, according to Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama. "I think it is at a crossroad internationally, and I think it at a crossroad domestically," he said Tuesday. That, he said, is why he is running for U.S. Senate. Obama spent part of Tuesday afternoon addressing about 1,100 students and community members at Benedictine University in Lisle as part of the Jim Ryan Symposium on Public Affairs. He then traveled to First Congregational Church in Naperville, where he spoke to about 550 as part of a forum on faith and public policy. His opponent, Republican Alan Keyes, spoke at Benedictine University on Monday. Although Obama was met with support as he traveled through the area, his appearance at Benedictine University also sparked some protests over his support of abortion rights. A group of anti-abortion protesters stood along College Road in front of the Catholic university with signs reading, "Abortion Kills Children." He was also questioned by audience members on his views. "This is an extraordinary difficult moral issue," he said. "None of us are pro-abortion." What legislators have to figure out is who makes the decision about the viability of the fetus and also take into account the personal and religious beliefs of the mother, he said. "Is it appropriate for me, as a matter of public policy, to dictate to her (what to do)?" he asked. Questioned on the issue of same-sex marriage, Obama said he opposes it but does not believe a constitutional amendment is necessary. "This is something that's left to the states," he said, adding gays and lesbians should not be discriminated against when it comes to matters such as hospital visitation, fair housing and transfer of property. Obama said as he has traveled throughout the state he has noticed a common experience among residents. "What I've been struck by is the fact that people are struggling," Obama said. "It's not Bush-bashing, it's not class warfare, it's simply the facts." He said there are families that are bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy as the result of someone getting sick. "We may be the first generation in a very long time to pass along a world to our children that's a little bit meaner and a little bit poorer than the one we inherited, and that's unacceptable, and it's un-American." Throughout his presentation, Obama spoke of changing tax codes and looking for ways to keep jobs in the country. He also advocated expanding the Kid Care program to help provide health care coverage for all children at a cost of $37 billion a year. "That's less than half of the Bush tax cut to the top 1 percent," he said. He also discussed education and the No Child Left Behind Act, saying there should be standards that measure progress as opposed to absolute standards. Obama, who is Christian, was asked to address the issue of faith and public policy. "Probably the single guiding principle for me is the principle that I think is contained in all religions ... is the golden rule," he said. "The essence, I think, of ethics is empathy." While faith may guide in some decisions, the danger is when it becomes absolutist, he said. "I can't simply assert my faith as justification for my position on public policy," Obama said. Although some at the Benedictine forum spoke in opposition to Obama's views, many spoke highly of him. Benedictine University junior Maria Gooch attended both the candidate forums. "I did like his one better than I liked Keyes'," she said. "Obama is less conservative than Keyes is." Barrington resident Nancy Lashbrook said Obama has "a real sense of dignity and respect" and "a very hopeful vision for the future." As a teacher, she is impressed with his views on education. "I heard him say some real concrete things," she said. |
• Copyright © 2007 First Congregational Church |
