Obama Speaks at Wesleyan Commencement
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN's "Ballot Bowl." I'm Suzanne Malveaux in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is really your opportunity for the next couple of hours to follow the candidates live and unfiltered to get a sense of what they are saying to the voters to make up your own minds. We're following many different events that are taking place this afternoon, but one of them here in Puerto Rico, Senator Hillary Clinton making several stops throughout the day. One at a church. One at a restaurant. Let's take a quick listen here, just quickly turn this tape. This is an event that ended just moments ago.</s>SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have outlined a very specific agenda to help mayors, like Mayor Torres. To create jobs here by helping to extend all of the economic incentives that are in the states to Puerto Rico. [ speaking in Spanish ] I also believe in equal treatment for the Puerto Rican people when it comes to programs like Medicare and Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. [ being translated into Spanish ] I will also work with mayors and other elected officials and leaders to bring more help to fight crime. [ being translated into Spanish ] and to encourage manufacturing. [ being translated into Spanish ] and that means that in a city like this, we must clean up the old manufacturing facilities from the petro-chemicals and the others with the brown fields and the superfund sites. [ being translated into Spanish ] and the government in Washington must be your partner to do that. [ being translated into Spanish ] I also want you to be part of the energy revolution I intend to lead. [ being translated into Spanish ] look at this sun, feel the wind. There is so much that can be done right here in Puerto Rico to help you become energy independent by harnessing the sun and the wind. [ being translated into Spanish ] You need a president who believes that we should not be dependent on foreign oil, and here in Puerto Rico, 70 percent of your energy comes from oil, that you cannot any longer afford, especially when we have alternatives we should begin working on right now. [ being translated into Spanish ] I also believe strongly that all people are entitled to a representative form of government that represents them at all levels of government. [ being translated into Spanish ] and I will, as your president, on day one, work with all the factions here in Puerto Rico. [ being translated into Spanish ] and with the Congress to enable you to determine your status by majority vote among all of the options that are available to you.</s>MALVEAUX: Senator Hillary Clinton basically going after those 55 delegates of Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans will be voting in their own primary a week from today. Puerto Rico, a commonwealth, not a state, so she's obviously addressing the number one issue for Puerto Ricans and that is the issue of statehood, saying she would make it a priority in her first administration, her first term as president, if she becomes president to go ahead and leave it up to the Puerto Ricans to decide what is the best plan for their own status. So, addressing that as well as issues of education and health care. Barack Obama was here in Puerto Rico just yesterday. But Senator Hillary Clinton spending a good couple of days really through the weekend to try to get those 55 delegates as well as those popular - the popular votes or try to convince the superdelegates to go to her side. I want to bring in my co-host, Mary Snow, who is out of Sedona, Arizona, who is following all of the things that are taking place on the republican side. Hi, Mary.</s>MARY SNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. A very different scene here in Sedona, Arizona. This is where Senator John McCain has a home. He's not on the campaign trail with his -- he's the presumptive republican nominee, inviting three men, talked about as potential vice presidential candidates, although they say it's just a social gathering. We'll talk about that later today. Also the libertarian party is holding its convention in Colorado, in Denver, Colorado. Later today we may hear - which choice of delegates for their presidential choice. And whether that will impact the election in November. But first we want to head on back to Connecticut. Senator Barack Obama taking a departure from the campaign trail today. Filling in for Senator Ted Kennedy at Wesleyan University, this after the sad news earlier this week that Senator Kennedy has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Jim Acosta is with Senator Obama and attended the graduation ceremonies. Jim, I imagine it was pretty emotional.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Mary, it was emotional at times and Senator Barack Obama tried to lighten the mood here, relaying a message from Senator Ted Kennedy, essentially saying that he's still got some of that fight left in him. And to those out there who would like to see Senator Kennedy depart the scene, Barack Obama has this very funny part about his commencement address. He relays a message from Senator Ted Kennedy essentially saying don't get your hopes up just yet. So Barack Obama filling in for Senator Ted Kennedy today. There were some 15,000 people on hand for this commencement address and to get to that emotional aspect of this speech that you mentioned, Mary, I should note that Vicki Kennedy, Senator Kennedy's wife, and Patrick Kennedy, the congressman from Rhode Island who is also Senator Kennedy's son, they became quite emotional during this address from what we understand from various reports. But without further adieu, here's a portion of that speech from Senator Barack Obama. He touches on not only his own biography, but the Kennedy legacy of national service.</s>SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have the distinct honor today of pinch-hitting for one of my personal heroes and a hero of this country, Senator Edward Kennedy. Ted is at home getting some much-needed and deserved rest. And we are so pleased to see many of his family here today, including his wonderful wife, Vicki. He called me up a few days ago, and I said that I'd be happy to be a stand-in, even though there was no way that I could fill his shoes. I did, however, get a chance to glance at the speech he planned on delivering today, and I'd like to start by passing along a message from Ted. To all those praying for my return to good health, I offer my heartfelt thanks. And to any who'd rather have a different result, I say, don't get your hopes up just yet. So we know that Teddy's legendary sense of humor is as strong as ever, and I have no doubt that his equally legendary fighting spirit will carry him through this latest challenge. He is our friend. He is our champion. And we hope and pray for his return to good health. Now, the topic of his speech today was common for a commencement. We heard some of the themes from President Roth, but one that nobody could discuss with more authority or more inspiration than Ted Kennedy, and that is the topic of service to one's country. A cause that is synonymous with his family's name and legacy. I was born the year that his brother John called the generation of Americans to ask their country what they could do. And I came of age at a time when they did. They were the peace corps volunteers who won a generation of goodwill towards America at a time when America's ideals were challenged. They were the teenagers and college students not much older than you who watched the civil rights movement unfold on their television sets who saw the dogs and the fire hoses and the footage of marchers being beaten within an inch of their lives who knew it was probably smarter and safer to stay home, but decided to get on those buses and get in their cars and get on those trains anyway and take those freedom rides down south, who still decided to march. And because they did, they changed the world. I bring this up today because you are about to enter a world that makes it easier to get caught up in the notion that there are actually two different stories at work in our lives. The first is the story of our everyday cares and concerns, the responsibilities we have to our jobs and our families, the bustle and the busyness of what happens in our lives. The second is the story of what happens in the life of our country, of what happens in the wider world is the story you see when you catch a glimpse of the day's headlines or turn on the news at night, the story of big challenges like war and recession, hunger and climate change, injustice and inequality. It's a story that sometimes can seem separate and distant from our own. A destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control. And yet the history of this nation tells us that it isn't so. It tells us that we are a people whose destiny has never been written for us but by us, by generations of men and women, young and old, who have always believed that their story and the American story are not separate but shared. For more than two centuries they've served this country in ways that have forever enriched both. I say this to you as someone who couldn't be standing here if it were not for the service of others. And wouldn't be standing here today if it were not for the purpose that service gave my own life.</s>ACOSTA: And so there you have it, you get a sense there of the close political relationship that has developed between Senator Kennedy and Senator Obama. Ted Kennedy calling Barack Obama to say hey I got this commencement speech up in Connecticut, do you think you can fill in for me, Barack Obama? And the response from the Illinois senator, essentially yes, I can, Mary. And just to squeeze in a little of political news. We should note that Senator Obama on his campaign plane last night essentially decided to give Senator Clinton a pass on this controversy that developed on Friday when Senator Clinton invoked the assassination of Robert Kennedy when she was talking about the timeline as to when these nomination contests wrap up. Obama saying that essentially this matter is over and finished with as far as he's concerned. But he did take a shot politically at Senator Clinton over the issue of the disputed delegates from Florida and Michigan, calling it a last sliver of hope for Senator Clinton to remain in this race. And he accused her of stirring up anger on the democratic side and that is a side show that I know the republicans, Mary, has been watching with some delight.</s>SNOW: Oh, certainly, Jim. And they certainly want that side show to go on for a long time. And, you know, Jim, as you mentioned, Senator Clinton's remarks, we're going to take a look in a little bit at what she told "The Daily News" today about why she's staying in the race. But those remarks came at a time when there was a lot of speculation about whether or not Barack Obama would consider her as a vice presidential candidate. So, a lot of questions about whether or not those remarks, while he's putting them aside, will eventually quash that talk about whether they will be on the same ticket. Jim, thank you very much.</s>ACOSTA: Yes.</s>SNOW: We'll get back to you later.</s>ACOSTA: You bet.</s>SNOW: All right, coming up, we're going to take a look at a brewing feud between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. This over benefits to veterans. Stay with us. We'll take a quick break.