Dem contender outlines plan to expand military and civilian opportunities for service In this bastion of Rocky Mountain conservatism, Sen. Barack Obama sounded a lot like the liberal icon to whom he is often compared as he asked a new generation of Americans to ask themselves anew what they can do for their country.
A call for public service -- both military and civilian -- is the latest larger-than-life theme expanded on this week by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as he seeks to introduce himself to voters, especially in places that were overlooked during the primary but are of increasing importance as the general election heats up.
"Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," Obama said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it."
Before a boisterous University of Colorado crowd, Obama said the quiet following Friday's Independence Day celebrations would be a good time to consider how to contribute "to our most pressing national challenges," whether in the military, overseas or just next door.
"When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community, or simply your neighbor -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans," Obama said.
Incorporating some of the lofty rhetoric from stump speeches past, and offering specific plans to increase and expand service opportunities at home and abroad, Obama, who worked as a community organizer on Chicago's south side before attending law school, promised to back up this challenge by expanding government service programs.
One new piece announced Wednesday would create a new "Green Vet Initiative" offering counseling, job placement and mediation with industry for veterans wanting to enter the rapidly expanding renewable energy field.
Other highlights include: increasing the all-volunteer military, expanding AmeriCorps, doubling the size of the Peace Corps, expanding service programs involving retired people, and creating a tax credit making the first $4,000 of college tuition free for students who conduct 100 hours of public service a year.
The cost of expanding those programs: $3.5 billion a year. Obama's campaign said he would fund this effort with savings from ending the war in Iraq and by canceling a new tax break for multinational corporations.
According to Obama, Americans not only need more opportunities to serve -- they need to be called upon to do so. Without mentioning President Bush by name, Obama offered a none-too-subtle indictment of how the White House squandered an opportunity to sound such a call following the attacks of 9/11.
"Instead of a call to service, we were asked to go shopping," Obama said. "Instead of a call for shared sacrifice, we gave tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans in a time of war for the very first time in our history. Instead of leadership that called us to come together, we got patriotism defined as the property of one party, and used as a political wedge to take us into a war that should have never been authorized and never been waged."
Not far from the Air Force Academy, Obama was introduced by a local woman whose fiancé is about to be deployed to Iraq for a second tour of duty. And, in his prepared remarks, Obama made a promise to all who wear -- and will wear -- the uniform.
"A young person joining our military must know that we'll only send them into harm's way when we absolutely must," Obama said. "That we'll provide them with the equipment needed to complete their mission safely, and deployments that allow adequate time back home."
But, Obama recognized that civilian service is just as important as military service in keeping the country safe and strong.
"The future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but it also depends on the teacher in East LA, the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans," Obama said.
Many of the young people invited to the event have already heeded Obama's call.
"To have someone who recognizes other types of service as being as patriotic as serving in the military,that's refreshing," said Michelle Rappaport, a Salt Lake City native working through Teach for America at an inner-city school in Denver.
Following the 30-minute speech, Obama later paid a private visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Force Base -- both were officially Senate visits, not campaign activities, his staffers pointed out -- and, Wednesday evening, raised money for his campaign at a $1,000-per-person event at the Broadmoor Hotel.
Obama's decision to spend an entire day in Colorado Springs, the so-called "Vatican City" of the evangelical Right, underscores not only the importance of Colorado come November, but the degree to which Obama is courting Republican religious voters who are less than enamored with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
In fact, a campaign advertisement touting Obama's Christian faith is now running on radio stations in Colorado Springs.
Poster Comment:
"A young person joining our military must know that we'll only send them into harm's way when we absolutely must," Obama said. "That we'll provide them with the equipment needed to complete their mission safely, and deployments that allow adequate time back home."
This Obama punk is such a phoney baloney, I can't stand it. He's every bit the warmonger as McCain only he pretends different. Poor white males are going to fight and die in useless foreign wars just like before. But hey - Obama is going to bring in FREE healthcare stateside! Wowsers! Praise the Lord.
"The cost of expanding those programs: $3.5 billion a year. Obama's campaign said he would fund this effort with savings from ending the war in Iraq and by canceling a new tax break for multinational corporations."
Rigggghhht...LOL! What a card Big O is. Same old same old Dimwit formula - tax and spend - only this time round, with the US economy tanking that dog don't hunt no more. Tax corporations more and they set up digs in Taiwan or Kuwait. Hey, Big O, we're living in a global economy - companies don't need to hang around stateside and be taxed to the hilt. The Chicoms and Indians are very smart and they work twice as hard, moron.