Lawton again pledges support to Obama

While taking time to praise Hillary Clinton for her presidential campaign, Lt. Gov. Barb Lawton again pledged her support of Barack Obama this fall, saying Dems could not afford to allow John McCain to become president.

Lawton, who co-chaird Clinton's Wisconsin and Midwest campaigns, said Obama wants to restore the promise of a great democracy, while portraying McCain as a continuation of the failed policies of the Bush Administration.

"We can't have four more years with a president that thinks the economy is a faith-based initiative," she said.

Lawton got a dig in on GOP Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to start her speech. Van Hollen was criticized in recent weeks after his staff discussed whether he should have a security detail during the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis later this summer. After the news broke, Van Hollen said he did not plan to have any security accompany him to the convention.

DPW Chair Joe Wineke got the joke rolling by telling the crowd, "I can't blame him. I wouldn't trust those damn Republicans anyway."

Lawton came to the stage to the "Pink Panther" theme, accompanied by a "security detail." Lawton said she thought he'd need security for his trip to "Lake Wobegon, Minnesota."

"My staff wanted nothing less for me," she said.

Listen to Lawton's speech

-- By JR Ross