Obama counters with own 'Rocky' jab
Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 1:13 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
PHILADELPHIA -- Speaking to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO convention here, Obama referenced Clinton's comparison yesterday of herself to Rocky, telling the audience not to confuse fact with fiction.
"I know there’s been some talk about Rocky Balboa over the last couple of days. And you know, we all love Rocky. We all love Rocky,” he said. “And last time I checked, I was the underdog in this state. So, so, the uh, so, so you know, I like the Rocky story. But we got to remember that Rocky was a movie. And so is the idea that somebody can fight for working people and at the same time embrace the broken system in Washington, where corporate lobbyists use their clout to shape laws to their liking.” (It's also worth noting, as many have, that Rocky actually lost in a split decision in the original movie.)
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Returning to the themes of his economic speech in New York, Obama told the crowd that “pain trickled up,” and the country was relearning that “what was bad for Main Street was bad for Wall Street.” He railed against the Bush Administration, which he called the most anti-union movement in history, and he promised that he wouldn’t distance himself from labor should he become the Democratic nominee.
“It’s time we have a Democratic nominee who doesn’t just talk about unions in the primary,” he said.
Focusing on McCain, Obama also took advantage of the Arizona senator's admission that he wasn’t the best on the economy. “Now, John McCain said a few weeks ago that 'the issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should' -- and that’s clear since all he’s offering is more of the same Bush policies that have put the American Dream out of reach for so many Americans,” Obama said.
*** UPDATE *** Upon reading this post, RNC spokesman Alex Conant emails First Read this response: “It’s clear Obama lacks experience on economic issues, but that does not excuse his irresponsible calls for higher taxes on individuals and small businesses during economic challenges. Rather than mislead people about McCain’s positions, Obama should honestly describe his own calls for higher taxes and spending.”
