Campaign '08

Obama: "I Want People To Study The Issues"

(KDKA) While Governor Palin was prepping for her speech to the Republican Convention on Wednesday, Sen. Barack Obama was campaigning at a barbecue at a nearby farm.

And he seemed to have a sense about what was coming.

"What they're going to try to do in this election and they do it every four years is they're going to make you scared of me," said Sen. Obama.

He says that's a typical Republican tactic, especially this year when he says Republicans don't want to talk about the failure of the last eight years.

"I'm running against John McCain, and I believe he wants to continue on the same path that we've been on for the last eight years," added Sen. Obama. "I think we need a fundamental change and I've laid out a very specific plan on how to do it."

In a one on one interview with KDKA's Jon Delano, Sen. Obama said he knows the attacks will continue like the one leveled by Republican Lynn Swann at a McCain rally last Saturday.

"I will always cling to my faith, and I will always cling to the Second Amendment right to be able to bear arms," said Swann.

"I used to just love Lynn Swann's football, he's one of my favorite players," said Obama, "but obviously he hasn't been studying politics the same he was studying his routes."

Obama said Swann ignored his real position.

"If you are a hunter or sportsman legally bearing arms, you will not lose your firearms under an Obama administration. The Second Amendment will be protected," he said.

As for Palin's assertion that she and McCain are the real change artists for Washington, Obama said, "It's going to be pretty hard for them to make that argument. John McCain by his own admission voted for George Bush's policies and plans 90 percent of the time."

And on the night McCain accepts the Republican nomination, Obama, who had 40 million Americans watch his acceptance speech adds, "I want as many people watching John McCain's speech … because I want people to study the issues, study the candidates. I think there's a clear choice in this election. The more people know, the better we'll do in Pennsylvania."

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

---