Clinton, Obama speak at VCU’s Siegel Center

Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama and Sen.
Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd of more than 5,000 people at
the Stuart C. Siegel Center Saturday night.

Aiming to sway Virginia voters before Tuesday’s presidential
primary, the candidates delivered speeches at the Democratic
Party of Virginia’s 2008 Jefferson-Jackson dinner.

Siegel Center’s Alltel Pavilion transformed from a sporting
arena into a banquet hall for the event. Hundreds of tables lined
the pavilion floor, and the stadium was packed with Clinton
and Obama supporters waving signs and chanting catchphrases,
such as “We will Barack you” and “Go Hillary.”

“I will be among those happy to see the moving van leaving
the White House,” said Clinton, who delivered her speech first.
“The era of cowboy diplomacy will be over.”

More than an hour after Clinton left, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine
introduced Obama as the “main event.” Kaine endorsed Obama’s
presidential campaign last year at the 2007 Jefferson-Jackson
dinner, at which Obama had been the keynote speaker.

“You’ve got that Barack Obama feeling,” Kaine said. “I did
an endorsement because I had a feeling . America would want
someone to make America proud again.”

In his speech, Obama said Sen. John McCain, the Republicans’
probable presidential nominee, has embraced President George
W. Bush’s failed policies. Obama criticized McCain’s plan to
keep U.S. troops in Iraq for up to 100 years.

“Somewhere along the line, the wheels came off the ‘straighttalk
express,’ ” Obama said. “I’m looking forward to having a
debate with John McCain over foreign policy.”

In her speech, Clinton said “change,” which is one of the Obama
campaign’s buzz words, requires experience to achieve.

“The next president will face tremendous challenges,”
Clinton said. “I do have the strength and experience to
lead this country.”

Although he has been called na’ve, Obama said, he
knows how difficult it will be to bring about change.

“Hope is not blind optimism,” he said. “The notion
is somehow that if you’re realistic, you set your sights
low.”

Other major talking points for the candidates were
enacting health care reform, ending the War in Iraq,
combating climate change and eliminating U.S. dependence
on foreign oil.

Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and former Gov. Mark
Warner also spoke at the event. Warner is seeking to fill
the seat of Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, who is retiring
this year. Warner did not endorse either candidate.

“Both of them have energized our party,” Warner
said. “We salute them both.”

Before the event, hundreds crowded Broad Street to
seek entrance to the Siegel Center and to show support
for candidates Warner, Clinton and Obama.

University of Virginia student Naomi Huntington,
20, was among a crowd of U.Va. students who drove
from Charlottesville to support Clinton.

“I like her experience and I like her ideals,” Huntington
said.

VCU student Peter Szijarto, 23, distributed Obama
T-shirts. Szijarto said he supports Obama because he
is more radical than Clinton. He also likes Obama, he
said, because of his personality.

“He even jokes with the other candidates,” Szijarto
said.

But College of William and Mary student – and
Republican – Steve Harrison, 21, came to the event to
support Clinton.

“I trust her to take the country in the right direction.”