5:25 PM — Pix coming shortly…
5:23 PM — Someone is shouting — no, screaming — “He’s coming!” Methinks Obama is here. Oh, yes. He is here.
5:21 PM — Tick, tock. Still waiting. But something’s happening. F&M president John Fry is on the scene.
5:07 PM — Keep hitting refresh. Obama will be here soon.
5:05 PM — It’s packed. And there are still people — lots — in line. Obama nears.
5:01 PM — Gray is giving a shout out to Democratic congressional candidate Bruce Slate and state Senate candidate Jose Urdaneta, both Democrats on the ticket this fall. He also acknowledge Rep. Mike Sturla.
4:53 PM — Gray says Obama is on his way, and U.S. Sen Bob Casey is with him
4:50 PM — Gray says he’ll be watching the Redskins and the Giants tonight (not John McCain’s acceptance speech). Says McCain has not yet expressed a vision for his campaign, then makes a crack about McCain’s many houses. Gray criticizes McCain campaign for criticizing media and “Washington establishment.” “They’re going to bash the Washington establishment? Folks, they are the Washington establishment.
While George Bush has been in power for the last 8 years, John McCain has supported Bush’s failed policies more than 90 percent of the time.” Gray’s best line so far: “I’m Rick Gray, and I know about mavericks. Let me tell you folks, John McCain is no maverick. John McCain is a rerun. He is a seasoned repeat.” Gray’s off the stage.
4:45 PM – Democratic Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman introduces Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray.
4:39 PM — Field organizers for Obama’s Lancaster County office are introduced. Speaker Leah Akins, of Strasburg, a chief field officer, is talking about health insurance and her mother’s illness. Said they’ve registered 2,000 new voters since the primary. “Some to the office, amke phone calls, go door to door…whatever it is, we need you. And for the young people in this crowd, we need you especially.”
4:36 — Prayer of invocation by the Rev. David Bushnell, of the Hamilton Park United Church of Christ.
4:16 PM — New Era reporter Ad Crable hears the line to get in is still backed up on Race Avenue. One estimate of the expected crowd is 4,000. There’s going to be way more than that here, it seems.
4:05 PM — Here’s an Andrew Blackburn (yes, he knows how to work this camera better than I do) shot of the arriving crowd.
3:51 PM – The Revs. Louis Butcher (left) and Ed Bailey (right) are chatting up this Obama supporter.
3:42 PM — Hello all. We’re getting ready for Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama’s appearance at Buchanan Park, near Franklin & Marshall College here in Lancaster. The program starts in a little over an hour from now, at about 5 p.m. Obama is expected to talk about the economy and, we’re hoping, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s remarks at the GOP convention Wednesday night. Stay tuned. Check back often. Send some water. It’s hot.
