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Michelle Obama rallies Colo. voters
Associated Press Writer
Photo by ED ANDRIESKI/AP
"I remember when we began, they said don't count on the young people," Obama said to cheers at the Colorado Springs Auditorium. "That is absolutely not true. We have seen so many young people. We're so proud of our young people. I have a renewed faith in the next generation."
Obama said she also has been surprised at the numbers of senior citizens energized by Barack Obama's campaign. She noted many have staffed rope lines while she shook hands with well-wishers.
"They're going to get their picture," she said. "They're going to stare the Secret Service in the eye." Obama shook hands with about 300 people who could not get into the auditorium after the fire department limited attendance to 2,500 people.
Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter joined Obama at the rally. Early voting in Colorado, which has nine electoral votes, ends Friday.
Both parties are urging early voting and voting by mail because of expected heavy turnout and long lines at the polls on Election Day. As of Monday, more than 652,000 Coloradans had voted by mail, and 161,456 more had voted early in person.
Top Democrats have expressed concern that Obama supporters are paying too much attention to the polls and not enough to their individual ballots.
Shirley Kircher, 84, rocked back and forth to music while waiting to see the woman she believes will be the next first lady in the White House. She said she'd never been as energized about a presidential candidate.
"I liked John Kennedy, and I voted for him, but I've never been this excited," Kircher said.
Security in Colorado Springs was tight a day after two white supremacists were charged with plotting to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Barack Obama.
The two men, whom officials described as neo-Nazi skinheads, planned to kill dozens of people, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn.
Colorado Springs police also were investigating a deer head found Saturday night in a parking lot outside an Obama campaign office.
"We're certainly concerned that someone would do something so ridiculous," said police Lt. David Whitlock. Whitlock said the deer's antlers were cut off to make the head resemble a donkey, the Democratic Party's emblem.
Regional McCain spokesman Tom Kise called the incident "despicable."
"Hopefully, we can continue to have a constructive dialogue and not have it digress into this hate speech," Kise said.
Police said they have no suspects. Whitlock said police will increase patrols around the city's campaign offices in the week before Election Day.
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