Obama addresses 35,000 in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS- Democratic nominee Barack Obama won’t give up on Indiana.

The Illinois senator addressed 35,000 cheering Hoosiers on Thursday in his seventh visit since the May primary, promising voters that if elected he would fix the economy.

Hoosiers turned out in sub-40 temperatures, some waiting since 7 a.m. for the rally at the Thursday at the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis.

The speech was set to begin at 11 a.m. Obama arrived about an hour late, but apologized during his speech. The stop was his first and last of the day, before heading to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother.

With 12 days before the general election, Obama urged Indiana voters to vote early and fight to move the country in a new direction during the economic crisis.

“It’s not going to be easy, but I’m thrilled about the outcome,” he said. “But we cannot let up. And we won’t. One of the things we know is that change never comes without a fight.”
Obama addressed the same pitch he’s been throwing out for more than a year now: relief for the middle class.

Obama said he knew they couldn’t wait any longer. He attacked his opponent, Republican nominee John McCain, for giving tax cuts to big corporations and the “average Fortune 500 CEO.”

McCain’s mentality has been, “Wall Street first, Main Street last,” Obama said. “That’s fundamentally wrong.”

See tomorrow’s IDS for more.