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By Caren Bohan
BRISTOL, Virginia (Reuters) - Barack Obama enjoyed his first campaign swing as the likely Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday, visiting the election battleground of Virginia to mock Republican foe John McCain's health care proposals.
Obama, who clinched the nomination on Tuesday, put his stamp on the party by instituting a new ban on donations from lobbyists at the Democratic National Committee, making it comply with the policy for his campaign.
He picked up more support from Democratic officials as the party began to rally around its new leader and look toward November's match-up with McCain. Hillary Clinton, his last remaining Democratic rival, plans to end her campaign and endorse Obama on Saturday.
Obama said special interests in Washington, represented by the influence of lobbyists, had blocked progress on issues like health care for too long.
"We won't take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs," the Illinois senator said in Bristol on a campaign swing in Virginia, a traditionally Republican state that has drifted Democratic in recent years.
"They will not fund my party. They will not run our White House. They will not drown out the voices of the American people," he said.
Obama attacked McCain's health care plan for weakening the employer-based insurance coverage system. McCain's plan would use tax credits to help shift from that system to a more open-market approach where people could choose from competing policies.
The approach is similar to one offered by President George W. Bush that did not gain traction in Congress. Obama's plan would keep the existing job-based system and expand government involvement with the aim of covering all 47 million uninsured Americans.
"Like George Bush, Senator McCain has a plan to only take care of the healthy and the wealthy," Obama said, calling McCain's plan "Bush-lite."
"Instead of offering a comprehensive plan, like I have, to cover all Americans, and control rising costs, he's offering a tax cut that doesn't even amount to half of the cost of an average family health care plan, and won't make health care affordable for the hard-working Americans," he said.
OBAMA TAKES OVER
On the day after Clinton announced she would drop the last remaining challenge to Obama's nomination, he began to take over party operations. He dispatched adviser Paul Tewes to the DNC to begin organizing the fall campaign.
DNC chairman Howard Dean will remain in place, and welcomed Obama's team.
"Our presumptive nominee has pledged not to take donations from Washington lobbyists and from today going forward the DNC makes that pledge as well," Dean said.
Clinton told supporters in a letter she would publicly back Obama on Saturday and also pledge to work for party unity in the general-election race against McCain.
"On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy," the New York senator and former first lady wrote.
"I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise."
Clinton's supporters have pushed Obama to make Clinton his No. 2, but her campaign issued a statement backing away from any effort to pressure Obama on the decision.
"While Senator Clinton has made clear throughout this process that she will do whatever she can to elect a Democrat to the White House, she is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her," spokesman Phil Singer. "The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."
Obama said the choice of a vice president would be the biggest decision he makes before he enters the White House and he would not be rushed into a decision.
"I will meet with a range of people and I'll ultimately make a decision. Senator Clinton would be on anybody's short list," Obama told CNN, adding he would not be rushed into a choice.
"I am a big believer in making decisions well. We want to catch our breath."
Obama will be joined at a later event in Virginia by two other prospective running mates from the state -- Gov. Tim Kaine, an early supporter of Obama, and U.S. Sen. James Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy.
Obama, the first black candidate to lead a major U.S. party into a White House race, announced a three-member team to head his search for a vice president.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Donna Smith; Editing by David Wiessler)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
BRISTOL, Virginia (Reuters) - Barack Obama enjoyed his first campaign swing as the likely Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday, visiting the election battleground of Virginia to mock Republican foe John McCain's health care proposals.
Obama, who clinched the nomination on Tuesday, put his stamp on the party by instituting a new ban on donations from lobbyists at the Democratic National Committee, making it comply with the policy for his campaign.
He picked up more support from Democratic officials as the party began to rally around its new leader and look toward November's match-up with McCain. Hillary Clinton, his last remaining Democratic rival, plans to end her campaign and endorse Obama on Saturday.
Obama said special interests in Washington, represented by the influence of lobbyists, had blocked progress on issues like health care for too long.
"We won't take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs," the Illinois senator said in Bristol on a campaign swing in Virginia, a traditionally Republican state that has drifted Democratic in recent years.
"They will not fund my party. They will not run our White House. They will not drown out the voices of the American people," he said.
Obama attacked McCain's health care plan for weakening the employer-based insurance coverage system. McCain's plan would use tax credits to help shift from that system to a more open-market approach where people could choose from competing policies.
The approach is similar to one offered by President George W. Bush that did not gain traction in Congress. Obama's plan would keep the existing job-based system and expand government involvement with the aim of covering all 47 million uninsured Americans.
"Like George Bush, Senator McCain has a plan to only take care of the healthy and the wealthy," Obama said, calling McCain's plan "Bush-lite."
"Instead of offering a comprehensive plan, like I have, to cover all Americans, and control rising costs, he's offering a tax cut that doesn't even amount to half of the cost of an average family health care plan, and won't make health care affordable for the hard-working Americans," he said.
OBAMA TAKES OVER
On the day after Clinton announced she would drop the last remaining challenge to Obama's nomination, he began to take over party operations. He dispatched adviser Paul Tewes to the DNC to begin organizing the fall campaign.
DNC chairman Howard Dean will remain in place, and welcomed Obama's team.
"Our presumptive nominee has pledged not to take donations from Washington lobbyists and from today going forward the DNC makes that pledge as well," Dean said.
Clinton told supporters in a letter she would publicly back Obama on Saturday and also pledge to work for party unity in the general-election race against McCain.
"On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy," the New York senator and former first lady wrote.
"I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise."
Clinton's supporters have pushed Obama to make Clinton his No. 2, but her campaign issued a statement backing away from any effort to pressure Obama on the decision.
"While Senator Clinton has made clear throughout this process that she will do whatever she can to elect a Democrat to the White House, she is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her," spokesman Phil Singer. "The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."
Obama said the choice of a vice president would be the biggest decision he makes before he enters the White House and he would not be rushed into a decision.
"I will meet with a range of people and I'll ultimately make a decision. Senator Clinton would be on anybody's short list," Obama told CNN, adding he would not be rushed into a choice.
"I am a big believer in making decisions well. We want to catch our breath."
Obama will be joined at a later event in Virginia by two other prospective running mates from the state -- Gov. Tim Kaine, an early supporter of Obama, and U.S. Sen. James Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former secretary of the Navy.
Obama, the first black candidate to lead a major U.S. party into a White House race, announced a three-member team to head his search for a vice president.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Donna Smith; Editing by David Wiessler)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
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