In a giant rally in the backyard of Senator Hillary Rodham, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, drew distinctions between himself and his leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, insisting that only a fresh candidate could truly change Washington. Twice, he singled out Mrs. Clinton.
“Even your senator from New York wasn’t clear about the Yankees,” he said, laughing at his own joke. “I know who I’m rooting for!”
Mr. Obama was referring to a moment in the debate Wednesday when Mrs. Clinton, who grew up in Illinois, said she would alternate sides between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs should they ever face each other in a World Series. He broadened his criticism, suggesting voters should be dubious of any candidate who declined to acknowledge the prospect of raising taxes to fix Social Security.
Mr. Obama, bathed in bright flood lights as he stood on a stage before a crowd stretching across Washington Square Park, struck a sharper tone than he has through much of his campaign, particularly when he stands alongside his Democratic rivals. The arguments he made, before an audience of supporters, were not articulated during a debate one night earlier.
“There were folks on the stage that said Social Security is just fine, we don’t have to do anything about it,” Mr. Obama said last night. “There are those who will tell you that getting out of Iraq will be painless, we’ll do it in a snap, not acknowledging that there are no good options in Iraq. There are folks who will shift positions and policies on all kinds of things depending on which way the wind is blowing. That’s not the kind of politics that will deliver on the change we are looking for.”
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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/28/us/politics/28obama.html?ref=nyregion