From the Washington Post:
Sen. Barack Obama wrapped up his week-long foreign tour Saturday by meeting at length with past, present and possibly future British prime ministers. The Democratic presidential candidate met for breakfast with former prime minister Tony Blair before going to see Prime Minister Gordon Brown at No. 10 Downing Street and later visiting with David Cameron, the leader of Britain's Conservative Party. ...Obama spent more than two hours with Brown, including an hour alone on the patio overlooking the prime minister's garden. Obama said later that the two discussed the importance of the transatlantic relationship -- the theme of Obama's speech in Berlin on Thursday night -- as well as the Middle East peace process, climate change and other topics. ...The crowds in London were no match for those that greeted Obama in Berlin and Paris, but a cluster of people gathered outside the wrought-iron security gates of Downing Street, hoping to catch a look at the senator from Illinois. Patricia Griffin, a 47-year-old teacher from Glasgow, spotted the commotion on the street while riding the London Eye Ferris wheel across the Thames River. "Who else would it be?" she said, referring to Obama. Griffin said she came to stand outside Downing Street in the hope that one day she could say she saw the first black president of the United States. Elaine Ferguson, a 45-year-old teaching assistant from England's Lake District, said Obama was on the "tick list" of celebrities she was hoping to see while on vacation. Obama addressed the controversy over his planned trip to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to visit wounded U.S. service members. The Pentagon had raised concerns that aspects of the visit were campaign-related, and on that basis Obama decided not to go. "I was going to be accompanied by one of my advisers, a former military officer," he said. "And we got notice that he would be treated as a campaign person, and it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but he wasn't on the Senate staff. "That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political, and the last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns."
From the Los Angeles Time:
Barack Obama turned his attention back to the stalled U.S. economy today as he wrapped up an eight-country trip abroad with a stroll through the gardens of 10 Downing St. with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. ...Obama described his talks with foreign leaders as relevant to the U.S. economic downturn. Cooperation with allies in settling conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, could free up money spent by the U.S. military each month on waging war. "That's $10 billion, $15 billion that we can't spend at home to rebuild our economy," Obama said. ...On a sunny and warm London morning, Obama and Brown chatted for more than an hour on a patio at 10 Downing St. They sat in well-padded wicker chairs amid an array of flower boxes, with two glasses of water, lemon slices and cookies on a table between them. Brown appeared to do much of the talking; Obama listened, hand on cheek. The pair also walked the gardens of the residence, having an animated conversation along the way, and spent some time in state rooms inside. They discussed Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism, climate change, world financial markets and peace efforts in the Middle East, Obama said. Afterward, the Illinois senator emerged alone from the famous black front door labeled "10,".... Over the last week, he has met with heads of state in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany and France. A spokesman for Brown called today's talks "warm and engaging."
From the Times Herald:
Barack Obama is the first presidential candidate to establish a foothold in St. Clair County this year, and he's rented a storefront in downtown Port Huron. Starting today, Obama's Campaign for Change -- a coordinated effort between the Obama campaign and the state's Democratic Party -- will have a regional headquarters at 221 Huron Ave., formerly Unique Boutique. To kick off the Blue Water Area campaign, state Rep. John Espinoza, D-Croswell, will speak at 2 p.m. today in the office, followed by meetings for interested volunteers and information about a voter drive. Other presidential candidates -- including Republican John McCain, Libertarian Bob Barr, Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney and independent Ralph Nader -- have no plans for Blue Water Area offices or paid staff. "We think it's important we have a presence across the state, not just where Democrats have traditionally done well," said Brent Colburn, Obama's Michigan spokesman. "We anticipate doing better than people expect us to." ...Obama's campaign has hired seven paid staffers for the Port Huron office. One employee, Mike Stroyan, is a Port Huron native. Stroyan, 23, is a graduate of Port Huron High School and currently is attending Michigan State University. "We're really putting an emphasis on hiring Michiganders as much as possible," Colburn said, adding that the campaign has brought in two campaign veterans who have worked across the nation to lead the county effort. "I'm really excited to know that Barack Obama is investing in St. Clair County," Susan Alderman said. Alderman is a member of the local Democratic organization, Blue November. "He's reaching out and showing that we have shared interests."
From the Tribune Star:
Live music and sunshine greeted local Democrats at the newly opened Indiana for Change campaign headquarters in downtown Terre Haute. While a band played outside, Democrats gathered inside the new campaign headquarters Saturday at 509 Wabash Ave., hoping to help deliver Vigo County for local party candidates and the U.S. presidency to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. “We could win this state,” said former Indiana House of Representatives speaker John Gregg, who spoke at the office’s grand opening. The new Indiana for Change office in Terre Haute will remain open until the November election, said Lauren Kelly, deputy regional field director for Indiana for Change. “We have a big opportunity in Indiana in this election,” Kelly told the gathering. That’s not always been the case, she said. Dozens of people, including volunteers, local politicians and party leaders, crowded into the small campaign headquarters for a brief rally at noon Saturday. Some people carried away Obama for President yard signs. Many people said they will volunteer to help Sen. Obama in the upcoming presidential race. “I think [Obama] is the right choice,” said Ora Martin of Terre Haute. Martin, who was attending the Indiana for Change grand opening with family, has already been an Obama volunteer and plans to remain one, she said. ...“We’ve got something to rally around this time,” said Todd Nation, president of the Terre Haute City Council and a speaker at the grand opening. Nation urged Democrats to support local candidates as well. “This office is not just about the top of the ticket,” he said. Obama “gets people excited,” said Fouad Nassiri of Terre Haute, an Obama supporter and volunteer who was at the open house. Karen Henman, another Obama supporter at the event, volunteered for the Illinois senator during the Democratic primary and is now coaxing her sister, a past Hillary Clinton supporter, into the Obama camp, she said. “He seemed very impressive,” Henman said of the first time she saw Obama when he spoke at the 2004 Democratic party convention. Obama brought to mind John Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., she said. Henman then read Obama’s books and has been “totally excited ever since,” she said. There are 15 Indiana for Change offices across Indiana, according to a media statement issued by the organization. There are 100 Obama staffers working in Indiana as well, Gregg said. “We can win” in Indiana, Gregg said. "The Hoosier state doesn’t have to be the first state to go Republican on election night," he said. “We could light up blue.”
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