Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Obama jabs McCain over economy in Nevada speech

Obama speaks at Elko

AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a rally in Elko on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008.

ELKO -- Sen. Barack Obama today attacked his Republican presidential rival over the economy, touted his own plan and implored an Elko crowd estimated at between 1,500 and 1,800 to help him get elected.

In the nearly 30-minute speech, Obama hit Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, for Washington lobbyists on his campaign and McCain's 26 years in office.

"He said he's going to fight the good old boys network," Obama said. "The old boys network? In the McCain campaign, that's called a staff meeting."

He focused his speech on the economy, and mocked McCain's statement earlier this week that the fundamentals of the economy were strong.

In the end, he asked the Elko audience to work to help get him elected.

"There's a reason we keep coming to Elko. In the past, presidential candidates didn't come up here," he said. "This place is like places all across country, with people giving back to communities. But the people feel forgotten, left out, haven't been listened to."

He asked them to knock on doors and make calls, and to argue with friends and neighbors.

This was Obama's third trip to Elko, and first since becoming the Democratic Party's nominee.

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