State Sen. Barack Obama held a rally for supporters at Garcia's Pizza in Campustown sponsored by the College Democrats on Friday, the night before announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate in 2004.

Obama, a Democrat from Chicago, discussed the conflict in Iraq, affirmative action, President Bush's tax cuts and his plans to help Illinois if elected to U.S. Senate. Obama has served in the state Senate since 1997 and is chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

He said the Senate race in Illinois is important because it is the only state where a Democrat is expected to win. He said in 2004, the Democrats can regain the U.S. Senate and be a counterweight to the "misguided agenda" of the Bush administration.

Three executive members of the College Republicans declined to comment on Obama's allegations and his campaign for U.S. Senate.

In response to the growing national budget deficit, he said, "At least half of this deficit is a consequence of very specific strategies on the part of the Bush administration to reward the wealthy at the expense of the poor and the middle class."

To stop the trend, Obama said the tax cuts should be reversed.

He blamed the budget cuts at the University partly on the economy, and partly on the federal government.

"The federal government hasn't been fulfilling its obligations in other areas," he said. "For example, in health care the government reimburses Illinois at one of the lowest rates of any state in the nation."

These costs are a burden on the state's budget and cause cuts in other areas, Obama said.

"The more we do in the federal government to fully fund healthcare costs, the more money that will be freed up to assist students at the university level," he said.

He said he is a supporter of higher education, and focused this year on stopping cuts to the Monetary Award Program, which is a grant given to Illinois residents who cannot afford college.

"What government can do is make it easier for families that want to succeed, who believe in education, but don't have the means or knowledge," he said.

Obama also emphasized the importance of younger voters in the election because voters 40 and under account for only 10 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary.

Young people don't vote because politicians don't respect and listen to their ideas, he said.

"My hope is my campaign doesn't make those same mistakes," he said.

Jeff Stephens, a sophomore in LAS, said Obama's background in legislature and civil service is "outstanding."

"He's a very intelligent guy. I hope his race and his name don't hurt his chances," Stephens said of Obama, who is black.

Lauren Kidwell, president of College Democrats and senior in LAS, said she is confident that Obama will do well in the Senate race.

"It's just a matter of getting out, getting people excited and talking to people about Senator Obama."