The Brown & White

Sen. Barack Obama's first stop in the Lehigh Valley drew more than 3,500 residents, college students, activists and supporters to Muhlenberg College's Memorial Hall Monday night.

The stop was part of Obama's six-day tour of Pennsylvania in his effort to win the state's April 22 primary.

The Democratic candidate pledged to address the nation's most pressing concerns, from making health care and college education affordable for all people, to ending the U.S. military's involvement in Iraq.

Although Obama was more than an hour late to the speech, the crowds cheers grew louder after each promise.

"Real change in America happens from the bottom up," Obama said. "We can be the agents of change."

Obama vowed to eliminate corrupt practices by big businesses and promised to put money back into the hands of families and workers.

"If you work in this country, you should not be poor," Obama said.

Obama said 47 million Americans aren't receiving proper health care and his proposals will remedy the situation.

If elected, he said he will guarantee health care eligibility to all Americans. He said the health care crisis has been discussed for decades, but nothing has been accomplished because of lobbying on behalf of corporations.

"We must change how politics is done in Washington," Obama said. "We have to shake it up."

Addressing criticisms from Clinton and McCain concerning his relative lack of experience in Washington, Obama stressed that his campaign relies on the people's support and refuses to accept donations from political action committees and lobbyists.

"I'm not running to fit into the Washington mold ? I'm running to break the mold," Obama said. "You're paying for this campaign. Nobody's listening to the common people, and that's what's at stake. If your voices aren't heard, there won't be a change."

Obama urged the audience to join him in making sure democracy is working.

"Don't be distracted by politics," Obama said. "[Lobbyists] won't run my White House, and they won't drown out your voice."

Obama spoke of his plan to improve foreign policy by withdrawing all troops from Iraq over a 16-month period. His promise to end a war "we shouldn't have been in the first place" drew the night's biggest applause.

"[Clinton] and [McCain] had the chance to make the right decision … but they got it wrong," Obama said, referring to Clinton and McCain's congressional votes to invade Iraq. "Only one candidate is left who made the right decision. I opposed the war in 2002, and I'm going to end it in 2009."

Referring to the recent Clinton ad that questioned his decision making skills as a would-be president, Obama offered criticism.

"Here's who you want [answering the phone] at three in the morning: someone who can make good judgment," he said.

Obama said although McCain is an undisputed "American hero" for serving his country as a prisoner of war, his policies are merely a continuation of Bush's, and it is time for change in the political mind-set of America.

"We've got other responsibilities around the world and at home," Obama said. "McCain is looking backward, and we are looking forward."

Obama said his political experience and presidential campaign in particular has been governed by one principal factor: hope.

It has afforded him the opportunity to right past wrongs, he said, and to work hand-in-hand with the public to do so.

"You and I together," he said "we will change this country; we will change the world."

Jason Kramer, '10, attended the speech and said Obama nailed what many Americans are feeling right now - an overall distrust in the current government.

"I think most students here at Lehigh are old enough to understand what is going on in politics and unfortunately young enough to only really remember the Bush years," Kramer said. "Students from our school want to chart a different course than the one our country is on and I think that's what draws so many students to Barack Obama."

Becky Montes De Oca, '09, organizer for Lehigh Students for Obama, said she felt inspired by the senator's words.

"I think it really hit home with a lot of students," Montes De Oca said. "Many that I spoke to afterwards said that they were still on the margin as far as who to vote for and that what Obama said was so moving they've decided that he's definitely the best candidate. I think it's nearly impossible to hear him speak and not be excited about Barack Obama as the next president."

Presidential candidates, senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain have not yet made stops in the Lehigh Valley.

However, Clinton spoke in Philadelphia Tuesday, and McCain visited the city March 13.