North Carolina Association of Teen Democrats

ASHEVILLE – Sen. Barack Obama told 28,000 people gathered in and around Asheville High School Memorial Stadium that his proposals would ensure affordable health care for all Americans while Sen. John McCain’s plan would put health care further out of reach.

Speaking for 40 minutes while in Asheville for debate rehearsal Sunday afternoon, Obama sought to tie health care problems to the broader economic slowdown and the collapse of Wall Street titans.

Economic woes have helped Obama climb into a lead in national polls and a tie in North Carolina. But Obama said McCain wants to change the subject to “Swiftboat-style attacks on me.”

“They’d rather tear our campaign down than lift this country up,” he said. “That’s what you do when you’re out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time.”

The McCain campaign is seeking to spotlight Obama’s connections to unsavory Chicago characters, including William Ayers. Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin accused him of “palling around with terrorists” for having once traveled in the same political circles as Ayers, who admitted to setting bombs while with the Vietnam-era Weather Underground.

But Obama spent most of his time on health care, which hit home with voters like Becky Pitts, who works at Mission Hospitals.

“I’ve been a nurse for 40 years and have struggled with the way we mistreat people because we don’t provide them what we need,” said Pitts, of Asheville. “I think his plan is wonderful, especially compared to McCain’s.”

Story by: Jordan Schrader | Asheville Citizen-Times