I The Behrend Beacon
Kennedy stumps for'6bama at Behrend
Jeremy Korwek/THE BEHREND BEACON
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) spoke with passion about his support for Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) run for president.
By Lenny Smith
news editor
lrsso46@psu.edu
As students and community members
packed McGarvey Commons for Sen.
Ted Kennedy’s (D-MA) rally in support
of Sen. Barack Obama, (D-IL) many
were hoping to find a deciding factor to
help them make up their mind about the
upcoming primaries.
A roar erupted from the audience as
Kennedy began his rally.
“Well, I bring you wonderful good
news,” Kennedy yelled. “Nine months
from now George Bush will not be
President of the United States.”
"I understand there are two important
dates left in the calendar,” he joked.
"One is April 22, because its primary
day. And the other is May 9. Does any
one know what May 9 is? Last day of
classes."
Kennedy continued the connection to
college-age students in a one-on-one
interview with The Behrend Beacon,
Kennedy said that the biggest difference
between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton
(D-NY) is difference between the past
and the future.
"Senator Clinton has been there and
done it," he said. "But it represents the
past. I think Barack Obama represents
the future, represents the young people,
represents a sense of hope and idealism
that young people have.”
Kennedy got down to business and did
not waste time telling the crowd that
Obama is different and represents the
future of American politics.
“I think we have a candidate that is
bringing a new opportunity and a new
vision,” Kennedy said. “As I travel
across the nation, people ask me ‘does
Barack Obama have the experience?’ ”
A committee to name the best presi
dents in United States history made a list
of credentials that each president would
be evaluated by. These criteria, posed as
questions, are who really had a vision for
this country and our country in the
world, who was able to make decisions
and make them effectively well, who
was able to bring inspiration to the pres
idency of the United States in order to
bring people together from different
parts of this nation, and who was able to
select good people in their organization
that will do a good job in the presidency.
“And as I listened to that criteria,”
Kennedy said. “I kept saying ‘Barack
Obama, Barack Obama.’”
Kennedy said that Obama has vision
about what we are going to do.
“He understands that one of the central
challenges of "this nation, whether it is in
“We have enough
political theater in
this country; we
need to talk about
things that matter.”
- Sen. Kennedy
Erie, Pennsylvania or so many parts of
this state is we are going to have to
restore our economy,” he said.
“And then 1 remembered being in the
United States Senate just a few days
before the Senate made its judgement to
go to war in Iraq,” Kennedy said. “There
were only eight of us that were omitted
to voting against going to war in Iraq
when the target should have been going
to war in Afghanistan and going after
Osama bin Laden. We heard that voice
that came from Chicago, Illinois.”
People ask if Obama really has the
judgment and maturity, Kennedy asked:
“Are they looking at the judgment and
maturity of a Don Rumsfeld or a Dick
Cheney? How many years have they
Primary Co
been in Washington? How many years
have they been a part of the Washington
scene?”
People yelled from the audience, “Too
many.”
“And look at the disaster,” Kennedy
said. “Look what we needed. We needed
clear judgment. We needed the judgment
of Barack Obama.”
“We have Barak’s opponent talking
about elitism and I look out there and I
see a Barack Obama that grew up under
a single mom,” Kennedy said. “A Barack
Obama that lived on food stamps, a
Barack Obama that just paid off
his student loan. We have enough
political theater in this country; we
need to talk about things that mat-
Kennedy called his attempts to
get a universal and comprehensive
health care system the passion of
his life.
“My friends, we must do that,”
he said. “It is essential that we do
that. And the person to do it is
Barack Obama. He will get the job
done.”
Kennedy went on to briefly
explain the health care program
that all federal government
employees receive. In his attempts
to make this coverage available to
everyone, Kennedy said, the
republicans fight back because they do
not want socialized medicine or want the
federal government to be involved.
“And I say to them,” Kennedy said.
“The federal government is already pay
ing your premium, Mr. Republican. It’s
already paying your premium on your
health insurance and if it’s good enough
for the president and if it’s good enough
for the members of Congress, it’s good
enough for everyone here in Erie,
Pennsylvania.”
“This is a person that is going to bring
a new kind of leadership,” he said. “This
is person that is going to turn the page.
This is choice, my friends, between the
past and the future and the person that
represents the future is Barack Obama.”
Chelsea Clinton spoke at Edinboro University in support of her mom
Chelsea Clinton campaigns
at Edinboro for her mom
By Lenny Smith
news editor
Irsso46<p psu.cdu
Chelsea Clinton is trying to increase
support for her mother. Sen. Hillary
Clinton’s (D-NY) presidential campaign
by stopping at colleges across the state.
On April 11. Chelsea made a stop at
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
“I’m excited to talk with all of you
about what's important to you. your fam
ilies and your friends, as you think about
who to support in this election." Chelsea
said. “I'm a passionate supporter of my
mother’s [campaign], not only because
she is my mom."
Chelsea, who said she was glad to be
in “Edinbara.” was quickly corrected by
the audience of nearly 300 people in the
multipurpose room of Lawrence Towers.
In her question and answer session
that lasted approximately 80 minutes,
Chelsea touched on a wide range of sub
jects including the economy, health care,
the war in Iraq, and funding for higher
education.
In an early question about the econo
my, Chelsea said, “My mother said one
year and one month ago that we were
going to have a housing crisis and asked
the [Bush] administration to act.” She
said the current administration still has
n’t acted on her mother’s concerns, but
her mother has a plan. “People remem
ber the Clinton «ars because of our
Saturday, April 19, 2008
economy." she added.
“I have fond memories of growing up
with [former President! Bill |Clinton| in
the White House." Behrend senior Rlton
Armandy said.
Universal health care coverage was
the topic of several questions. "We need
someone to stand up and fight for univer
sal health care." Chelsea said. "She's
been fighting for it for half of my life."
Chelsea said her mother was fighting
for universal health care in 1993 and
1994 before it was popular. "She under
stands what we need to do." she said.
A fire alarm that sounded about
halfway through the question and answer
session put a brief hold on questions.
One student yelled from the back of
the room, "It happens everyday."
To which Chelsea said. "It happens
everyday? So 1 shouldn't take it person
ally? Okay, thanks, that's good."
An affordable college education was a
hot topic in a room that was filled by
mostly college students.
My mother wants to double the
amount of the Pell Grant from $5,400 to
$lO,BOO and expand the eligibility."
Chelsea said. "She also wants to double
the tax credit to $3,500. including
[money for] grad students.
“We need to get the federal govern
ment back in the business of direct stu
dent lending.” she said.
See CHELSEA on page 3.