Obama at the Midwest Airlines Center

Yesterday morning, thousands attended a Barack Obama rally at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee.

According to the Obama campaign, 6000 people were there to bask in Obama's glory.

Musings of a Thoughtful Conservative was at the rally and provides a good account of the event, including photos.

Samantha Hernandez notes: "Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, and Oprah Winfrey's mother, Vernita Lee, were also at the rally."

Oprah's mom? Is Oprah's mom supposed to qualify as a celebrity endorsement? I mean no offense to Vernita Lee, but it seems the Obama campaign didn't feel the need to bring the big guns to Milwaukee.

From WISN:

In a speech punctuated by chants of "Obama, Obama!" the U.S. senator from Illinois told a crowd of hundreds that change in America happens from the bottom up and not the top down. Obama said that it starts first with hard work by the American people.

Responding to criticism from rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, he said that just because he has hope doesn't make him naive.

Speaking at the Midwest Express Center downtown, Obama said that he's running for president not because it's owed to him, but because of the urgency of our times, with a nation at war, a planet in peril and the lagging economy.

He said that he knows it will take hard work to address problems in health care, the economy and Iraq, but he's hopeful he can.

The senator also said that the country must do "whatever it takes" to eradicate gun violence, but he believes in the right to bear arms.

...The senator, a former constitutional law instructor, said that he believes the Second Amendment to the Constitution grants individual gun rights, he believe it's subject to commonsense regulations like background checks.

Same old, same old.

Obama trotted out his "whispering Republican for Obama" shtick again. That one has got to go.

I don't hear Republicans going around whispering their support for Obama. I don't doubt that some Republicans support Obama, but I question how a committed Republican could back Big Government, socially liberal, weak on defense Obama. I also question how frequently Republicans approach Obama and whisper to him. Did it happen once? Did it happen at all?

I'm somewhat surprised that Obama chose to discuss his support for the right to bear arms at his Milwaukee rally.

In the exceedingly liberal Milwaukee, he didn't need to pander to the gun crowd. Tom Barrett must have been squirming.

I wonder if Obama was aware of how hostile Barrett was to the NRA when the group held its national convention in Milwaukee in May of 2006.

I also wonder if Obama has a clue about the severity of the crime crisis in Milwaukee. It's too bad he didn't toss in a few lines that directly addressed the gangs and the shootings and the crime in the city.

Obama has his stump speech down pat. I think he could deliver it in his sleep. It's not good to appear to be on autopilot.

From TMJ4:

Obama expressed urgency, and said these changes need to happen now.

“We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait to fix our healthcare system. We cannot wait to put an end to global warming. We cannot wait to get young people off the streets and end the senseless violence. We cannot wait to bring the war to a close,” Obama said.

Time to chant!

YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

Wait...no. That doesn't work. OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

According to a friend in attendance, the crowd wasn't as fired up as he expected.

People listened and responded very positively to Obama, but they weren't whipped into a frenzy.

At one point, a squeaky-voiced young woman blurted out, "We love you."

There was a smattering of applause, but Obama didn't break stride.

A strange sight at the rally was a young mother with a baby. It's not unusual to see babies at political rallies. Politicians have been kissing babies for generations.

It wasn't the baby that stood out. It was the baby's attire. The little one, pacifier in mouth, was wearing a bright red t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Question Authority."

Question Authority?

Whose authority?

Parental authority?

Governmental authority?

How weird for the mother to dress her baby that way! Really weird.

Apparently, she wants her sweet little baby to be a rebel.

I bet the baby has a Che Guevara t-shirt, too.