Obama blasts McCain at Congressional Black Caucus forum

Washington -- Senator Barack Obama blasted Senator John McCain Saturday night at the annual Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference.

The Democratic presidential candidate hammered rival Senator John McCain on his debate performance the night before. "On issue after issue, from taxes to health care to the war in Iraq, you heard John McCain make the case for more of the same," Obama said.

"The same policies that got us into this mess. A continuation of the disastrous war in Iraq. A continuation of tax cuts for those who don't need them and weren't even asking for them. But just important as what we heard from John McCain is what we didn't hear. We talked about the economy for 40 minutes, and not once did John McCain bother to talk about the struggles of middle class families, of working class families, what they are facing each and every day."

Obama said McCain "defended his plan to give $300 billion in tax cuts to big, wealthy corporations, but he had nothing to say about the fact that wages have flatlined and jobs are being shipped overseas."

The Democratic nominee said McCain "railed against some study about bears in Montana. He's really hung up on those bears. But he had nothing to say about the fact that more and more Americans can't afford to pay for college, can't afford health care for their families, and can't afford a retirement that is dignified and secure."

The Illinois senator also blamed McCain for his willingness to spend $10 billion a month in the war in Iraq, but Obama said the GOP nominee is unwilling to spend $10 billion rebuilding American cities, roads and bridges and training young men and women to get good jobs.

"Through 90 minutes of debate, John McCain had a lot to say about me, but he had nothing to say about you," Obama said. John McCain "didn't even mention the middle class," the Illinois senator said, adding, "Senator McCain doesn't get it."

The Democratic candidate told the CBC about his guiding principles for a financial bailout plan. Obama said it is "unacceptable...to expect the American people to hand this administration, or any administration, a $700 billion blank check with no conditions and no oversight when lack of oversight is what got us into this mess into the first place."

Obama received the Harold Washington Award from the group and also discussed the impact of Republican policies on the black community. 

"In the past year, African Americans have lost their jobs at a faster rate than at any time in a quarter century," said Obama. "That's a wrong that needs to be made right," he said. Citing a litany of issues, including the home mortgage crisis and declining incomes, Obama said "Those are wrongs that need to be made right."

Underscoring the importance of the economy in the campaign the past few weeks, Obama quoted Dr. King, who said, "Economic justice is the inseparable twin of racial justice." Obama continued: "It makes little difference if you can sit at the lunch counter, if you can afford the lunch. It makes little difference if you can sit at the front of the bus, if you can't afford the bus fare. It makes little difference if a neighborhood integrates, if you can afford a home there, if you can't send your child to school there. What Dr. King understood is that so long as economic justice is denied his dream would be deferred."