Obama's Reno speech draws more than 10,000

RENO " Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told more than 10,000 people who jammed the University of Nevada, Reno campus today that he needs Nevada's help to win the White House.

"I need you Nevada," Obama said at the end of a fiery, 30-minute campaign speech that focused on the economy.

"And if you go to work with me and organize with me, we will not just win Nevada, we will win this general election. And you and I together will change the country and change the world," he said to loud cheers.

Nevada is considered one of about eight tossup states that could help swing the election in November. Republican President George Bush carried Nevada the past two elections after Democrat Bill Clinton won it twice before.

Thomas P. Lean, UNR's assistant director of facilities operations, estimated there were as many as 12,000 on the university Quad to hear Obama's speech. Lean based his estimate on seating at spring commencement exercises.

That would triple the estimated 4,000 who turned out in September 2004 for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards.

"I was at the Edwards event and it was nothing compared to this," Lean said. "They were jammed in there like sardines."

It was Obama's 19th visit to Nevada since he began his campaign.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain had planned to campaign in Reno on Thursday but canceled the visit.

Rick Gorka, spokesman for McCain's campaign in Nevada, said the state is "obviously important" to both candidates.

"Unfortunately for Obama, higher taxes and growing an already bloated bureaucracy are not a recipe for winning a state like Nevada," Gorka said.

Obama used his speech to urge Republicans and Democrats alike to get behind attempts to salvage a $700 billion rescue plan for the financial sector, saying that if Wall Street fails ordinary people also will be hurt.

His prepared text made no specific reference to Nevada, but he departed from it several times, including referring to how the state leads the nation in home foreclosure rates.

"Because of the housing crisis " and nobody has been hit harder by mortgage foreclosures than Nevada " we are now in a very dangerous situation where financial institutions across this country are afraid to lend money," Obama said.

Several times the crowd of mostly college students broke into chants of "Obama, Obama," and let loose with a loud "boo" when he said the economic crisis stemmed from a philosophy that "says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else."

He got another loud cheer when he mentioned he had discussed the rescue plan earlier in the day with President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. He happens to come from Nevada," he joked.

Later, Obama outlined his plan to spend $150 billion over the next decade to develop affordable renewable energy.

"Not only can we end our dependence on Middle Eastern oil in 10 years, but we can also finally deal with the critical issue of global warming. Because Nevada you are hot enough, you don't want to be hotter," Obama said.

He also said that if critics claim "we can't afford to rebuild America and put people back to work, you remind them we are spending $10 billion a month in Iraq.

"If we can spend $10 billion in Iraq, we can spend it right here in Nevada," Obama said. "We can spend it right here in Reno putting people back to work."