Barack Obama

Obama pledges to improve schools, health-care access

Friday, February 25, 2005

By Steve Silverman
The Bloomington Pantagraph

BLOOMINGTON -- The expectations are high for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who's been looked to as a future presidential candidate before he even took office in January.

But Obama reminded a town hall meeting Thursday at Lincoln College that he ranks 99th in seniority in the Senate and -- as a Democrat -- belongs to the minority party. He said he can't set the agenda in Washington, D.C., but pledged to work to improve schools, preserve Social Security and increase access to health care.

"If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress," he said.

Obama drew a lengthy standing ovation upon entering the gymnasium and waded slowly through the crowd after the hour-long event, shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures with elated supporters.

He touched on a wide range of topics during a question-and-answer session, including the strike that began in November at MII Inc., in Lincoln. The company has broken off talks with striking workers.

"You can't have a situation in which one side just refuses to talk," Obama said. "That's not bargaining in good faith, so I hope they move forward on it."

Asked about the Iraq war, Obama said poor planning by the Bush administration has left Iraq woefully incapable of handling its own security. He expressed hope that more intensive training will be provided for Iraqi forces, saying such measures could allow most American troops to return home next year.

While Obama said the recent Iraqi election is an encouraging sign for democracy, he questioned Bush's rationale for the Iraq invasion.

"I didn't see the weapons of mass destruction at the time, I didn't think there was an imminent threat from Saddam Hussein," Obama said.

He dismissed the possibility of an invasion of Iran, which is under scrutiny for a nuclear program that critics say seeks to develop nuclear weapons.

"We can rattle our sabers all we want but, realistically, we don't have troops for an invasion and surgical strikes aren't going to work," Obama said.

Turning to domestic issues, Obama said he opposes creating private accounts for Social Security recipients. He said stock market losses could wipe out savings, and instead called for giving people an opportunity to put away more money in safe investments.

Obama also called for expanding grants for college students, saying some young people are discouraged from going to college because they don't want to take on heavy debt.

He added that a "first-class" education system will be critical for staying competitive in a global economy. But he said Bush has failed to adequately fund his top education initiative.

"The president left the money behind for No Child Left Behind," Obama said.