MADISON - Barack Obama arrived in Madison on Tuesday night riding a wave of primary victories.
He left riding the momentum of a rally which drew more than 17,000 people to the Kohl Center.
Obama shook hands with well-wishers as he approached the stage, and after taking a couple minutes to quiet the raucous crowd, many donning University of Wisconsin-Madison red, he said thank you.
"Wow, this is how they do it in Madison, huh?" Obama said.
Obama spoke sharply against the Iraq war and Republican Sen. John McCain during the rally, focusing on the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination rather than his Democratic opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Obama criticized McCain's support for the Iraq war, tying his backing of that and other policies to the Bush administration.
"It is time to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history," Obama said to loud applause.
Obama claimed a trio of primary victories Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He said they were part of a new majority of drawing people from every region and every group to his campaign.
"Where better to affirm our ideals than here in Wisconsin, where a century ago the progressive movement was born?" the Illinois senator asked near the close of his 25-minute speech. "It was rooted in the principle that the voices of the people can speak louder than special interests."
Despite UW students attending en masse, the crowd was a cross-section of Wisconsin. It included people of many races, ethnicities and ages, including Jessica Caruso of Monroe, a volunteer with the Obama campaign.
The rally marked the first time a candidate for president stepped foot in Wisconsin to campaign for next week's primary. Clinton announced she won't arrive in the state until Saturday, but she'll keep campaigning here until the morning of Feb. 19 - primary election day.
Obama backers cheered as results showing his Virginia victory were displayed on the big screen TV over the arena's center court. Cheers also erupted when a projection of delegates won showed Obama moving ahead of Clinton.
The Associated Press count of delegates showed Obama with 1,223. Clinton had 1,198, falling behind for the first time since the campaign began. Neither was close to the 2,025 needed to win the nomination.
Obama's victories Tuesday were by overwhelming margins - 75 percent of the vote in the nation's capital, nearly two-thirds in Virginia and approximately 60 percent in Maryland.
Obama moved past Clinton in the delegate chase on the basis of the Tuesday's primaries and newly released results from last Saturday's Washington caucuses. Additional delegates still to be allocated from his new victories are certain to add to his lead.
There was more to cheer about than results, however.
Obama scored some of the largest applause of the night when he said the Iraq war should never have been authorized or waged.
"We need to end the mindset that got us into war," he said. "And that's the choice in this primary. It's whether we choose to play the game or we choose to end it."
Wisconsin's primary is the next on the calendar for the Democratic rivals for the party's presidential nomination.
As has become common with Obama rallies across the country, Tuesday's event was part political rally, part rock concert. A band warmed up the crowd that appeared to contain thousands of college students. Obama campaign signs shared space with college basketball and hockey championship banners.
Gov. Jim Doyle introduced Obama, saying he has waited a long time for a politician who can bring the country together. Doyle urged people to get involved in the campaign.
Obama made a stop at the GM plant in Janesville this morning to deliver a major economic policy address in which he laid out his comprehensive agenda to "restore economic balance and fairness, reclaim the American dream and create millions of new jobs," according to a news release.
"We are not standing on the brink of recession due to forces beyond our control," Obama said, in excerpts of a speech. "The fallout from the housing crisis that's cost jobs and wiped out savings was not an inevitable part of the business cycle. It was a failure of leadership and imagination in Washington.
"For our economy, our safety, and our workers, we have to rebuild America."
Obama's plan includes creating a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over 10 years, passing the Patriot Employer Act, which ends tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas and an energy plan that would invest $150 billion over 10 years to establish a green energy sector.
Clinton's camp said the New York senator plans to campaign Saturday through Tuesday but didn't provide details. She has committed to attend a Democratic dinner in Milwaukee on Saturday night, and Obama also plans to be there.
McCain planned to be in Wisconsin on Friday. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who remains in the race against McCain for the Republican nomination despite long odds, scheduled appearances in the state Wednesday and Thursday. And former President Bill Clinton was going to be on the state campaign trail as well on Thursday.
Obama's wife, Michelle, campaigned across the state Tuesday.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report
He left riding the momentum of a rally which drew more than 17,000 people to the Kohl Center.
Obama shook hands with well-wishers as he approached the stage, and after taking a couple minutes to quiet the raucous crowd, many donning University of Wisconsin-Madison red, he said thank you.
"Wow, this is how they do it in Madison, huh?" Obama said.
Obama spoke sharply against the Iraq war and Republican Sen. John McCain during the rally, focusing on the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination rather than his Democratic opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Obama criticized McCain's support for the Iraq war, tying his backing of that and other policies to the Bush administration.
"It is time to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history," Obama said to loud applause.
Obama claimed a trio of primary victories Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He said they were part of a new majority of drawing people from every region and every group to his campaign.
"Where better to affirm our ideals than here in Wisconsin, where a century ago the progressive movement was born?" the Illinois senator asked near the close of his 25-minute speech. "It was rooted in the principle that the voices of the people can speak louder than special interests."
Despite UW students attending en masse, the crowd was a cross-section of Wisconsin. It included people of many races, ethnicities and ages, including Jessica Caruso of Monroe, a volunteer with the Obama campaign.
The rally marked the first time a candidate for president stepped foot in Wisconsin to campaign for next week's primary. Clinton announced she won't arrive in the state until Saturday, but she'll keep campaigning here until the morning of Feb. 19 - primary election day.
Obama backers cheered as results showing his Virginia victory were displayed on the big screen TV over the arena's center court. Cheers also erupted when a projection of delegates won showed Obama moving ahead of Clinton.
The Associated Press count of delegates showed Obama with 1,223. Clinton had 1,198, falling behind for the first time since the campaign began. Neither was close to the 2,025 needed to win the nomination.
Obama's victories Tuesday were by overwhelming margins - 75 percent of the vote in the nation's capital, nearly two-thirds in Virginia and approximately 60 percent in Maryland.
Obama moved past Clinton in the delegate chase on the basis of the Tuesday's primaries and newly released results from last Saturday's Washington caucuses. Additional delegates still to be allocated from his new victories are certain to add to his lead.
There was more to cheer about than results, however.
Obama scored some of the largest applause of the night when he said the Iraq war should never have been authorized or waged.
"We need to end the mindset that got us into war," he said. "And that's the choice in this primary. It's whether we choose to play the game or we choose to end it."
Wisconsin's primary is the next on the calendar for the Democratic rivals for the party's presidential nomination.
As has become common with Obama rallies across the country, Tuesday's event was part political rally, part rock concert. A band warmed up the crowd that appeared to contain thousands of college students. Obama campaign signs shared space with college basketball and hockey championship banners.
Gov. Jim Doyle introduced Obama, saying he has waited a long time for a politician who can bring the country together. Doyle urged people to get involved in the campaign.
Obama made a stop at the GM plant in Janesville this morning to deliver a major economic policy address in which he laid out his comprehensive agenda to "restore economic balance and fairness, reclaim the American dream and create millions of new jobs," according to a news release.
"We are not standing on the brink of recession due to forces beyond our control," Obama said, in excerpts of a speech. "The fallout from the housing crisis that's cost jobs and wiped out savings was not an inevitable part of the business cycle. It was a failure of leadership and imagination in Washington.
"For our economy, our safety, and our workers, we have to rebuild America."
Obama's plan includes creating a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over 10 years, passing the Patriot Employer Act, which ends tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas and an energy plan that would invest $150 billion over 10 years to establish a green energy sector.
Clinton's camp said the New York senator plans to campaign Saturday through Tuesday but didn't provide details. She has committed to attend a Democratic dinner in Milwaukee on Saturday night, and Obama also plans to be there.
McCain planned to be in Wisconsin on Friday. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who remains in the race against McCain for the Republican nomination despite long odds, scheduled appearances in the state Wednesday and Thursday. And former President Bill Clinton was going to be on the state campaign trail as well on Thursday.
Obama's wife, Michelle, campaigned across the state Tuesday.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report