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Obama supporters rally at new Ferndale office

FERNDALE –
It was all cheers, smiles, dignitaries giving speeches, and the promise of hard work ahead at the grand opening of Barack Obama's newest campaign office, located in downtown Ferndale. About 150 enthusiastic supporters and volunteers rallied for Obama at the little office on Nine Mile Road, with many spilling out onto the street into the Funky Ferndale Art show going on throughout the downtown area.
Ferndale's openly gay mayor Craig Covey welcomed the crowd, and encouraged everyone to do what they can to elect Barack Obama as president. "Obama will carry Ferndale by a landslide, I'm sure. But we have to make sure he also wins in Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Oak Park and everywhere else in Oakland County," said Covey.
Many people wore LGBT for Obama pins or other gay-positive pins and buttons. David Coulter, an openly gay Oakland County Commissioner, introduced U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.
"McCain is daily trying to remake himself," said Stabenow, who charged her fellow senator with flip-flopping on the need for regulating the financial markets. "Our current financial crisis is a very serious thing that didn't come about by accident. McCain has always been for 'step back and let the greed roll.' Now he is mad and wants to regulate. It is not an accident that health care is a privilege – not a right, it is not an accident that we haven't invested in education like we should, and it is not an accident that Wall Street was deregulated. The Republican-controlled White House – and John McCain – are responsible for those decisions," said Stabenow.
She suggested harsh treatment for any Democrat that is still undecided.
"If you come upon any Democrat that doesn't know yet what they are going to do on voting day, slap them upside the head!" she roared.
"And I am particularly thrilled that Barack is from Illinois. In fact, Barack Obama can actually look across the lake and see Michigan. He's an expert on Michigan!," joked Stabenow, taking a political jab at the Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who has said that her home state of Alaska's proximity to Russia has given her unique insight into foreign relations.
Actress Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Motown's legendary Diana Ross, said that Obama's candidacy has catapulted her into the political arena. "I used to just yell at the TV and complain to my friends. But I realized that this election is the most important one in my life, and I am enough to make a difference," said Ross who plays the main role of Joan Clayton on the hit UPN TV series "Girlfriends."
The new Ferndale office is the 46th one opened by the Obama for President campaign in Michigan, indicating the important role Michigan is expected to play in the general election. Obama's Michigan spokesman said Democrats opened 20 campaign offices for Kerry in the state in 2004.
Republicans have ramped up their ground game too, opening 22 offices statewide, including two in the Upper Peninsula. McCain's Michigan campaign has announced they will increase the total number of offices to 30 within the next two weeks.

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Topics: News
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