Photos: Barack Obama speaking at Tulane University

[flpoljunkie]

Staff Photo by Michael DeMockerA line of supporters stretches around Fogelman Arena before dawn in anticipation of a speech by Democratic candidate Barack Obama.


Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at Tulane University in New Orleans, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Sen. Barack Obama entered Tulane's Folgerman arena to chants of "Yes we can" and cries of "I love you, Barack," after addressing an overflow crowd of about 500 supporters outside who couldn't get a seat for the morning rally.

In his address outside, the Democratic presidential hopeful said: "We are in the elction of a lifetime. We are in a defining moment in our history."

"The dream that so many generations had fought for is in danger of slipping away. We've got to create a new kind of politics. We've got to work together... we can't be divided. I hope you decide this is the time to make up your mind that we can't wait to fix the health care system, we can't wait to fix the levees, and we have to bring the war in Iraq to an end. We can't wait to see that young people are going to college instead of going to prison."

A crowd of mostly students waited as long as two hours this morning to gain entrance to a rally at the arena.

At 8 a.m., the line extended across the entire campus, down Willow to Calhoun. The 3,500-seat arena was full by 9:15 a.m., leaving many waiting outside.

Mike Strecker, Tulane University's director of public relations, said he expected 7,000 people total. Less than two hours after the university sent an e-mail Wednesday morning notifying faculty and staff of Obama's visit, 2,000 people reserved seats for the event, Strecker said.

Campaign officials said Obama will lay out a program to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and help make the region a model of what can be achieved when the nation unites around a common purpose. His proposal includes ways to protect against future storms, enhance basic infrastructure and services, and invest in education.

[Unsane]

1. Hope is on the march.

[Neecy]

2. terrific

Thanks for posting this.

[Frustratedlady]

3. The link doesn't work.

Great article. Amazing crowds...over and over and over again.

[flpoljunkie]

5. Try it again.

[Frustratedlady]

6. Nope. I wanted to send the article to a friend. I'll check back.

[flpoljunkie]

9. I don't know what to say. It works for me.

[DS1]

4. Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh .. .LEADER!

[doc03]

7. CNN ran it for him, more free air

time from his MSM backers. Hope change hope change hope change hope change heard it before.

[Adelante]

8. This is great

He also committed to wetlands restoration and a restructuring at the Federal Emergency Management Agency to have the FEMA director report directly to the president, as was the case before Bush took office. He took it a step further, saying he would give the FEMA head a fixed term, beyond the president's, so that the director has no political concerns when responding to a disaster.

He got a loud response when he took shots at Bush's appointment of Michael Brown, a friend with no emergency management experience, as FEMA director.

"No more Brownie, no more heads of the Arabian horses association in charge of FEMA," he said.

[flpoljunkie]

10. A few more photos from Tulane...

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at Tulane University in New Orleans Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


The crowd applauds Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., as he speaks at Tulane University in New Orleans Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


A supporter of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) cries as she listens to him at the Tulane University during a campaign event in New Orleans February 7, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Barria