Obama pool report East Norriton, Pa.

WASHINGTON– Apples, cheese curls, and locally produced pretzels and chocolate cupcakes; that’s what Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) bought during a stop at a store in East Norriton, Pa.

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EVENT: Obama Stop at the Shop Rite in East Norriton, PA

Note: Local pool report also attached below

Sen. Barack Obama rolled through a Shop Rite in East Norriton, PA this

afternoon around 4pm to a crowd of shoppers who gathered outsidesome

with signs, and stickers, and Obama books. They cheered, took

pictures with cell phones and cameras bought on the spot, and stuck

out store circulars for him to sign. Store manager, John Flickenger,

led Obama around the store through a crowd of fans who followed the

presidential hopeful from produce through frozen foods and finally to

the check out. His haul? A couple of Apples, cheese curls, and

locally produced pretzels and chocolate cupcakes. Along his shopping

route, as people yelled out for autographs and pictures, he talked

about the rising cost of foodspecifically wheatwith the store

manager, John Flickenger. Wendell W. Young, president of one of the

local chapters United Food and Commercial Workerswhich has 23,000

members in Eastern, PAsaid the more people hear about Obama, the more

they like him.

“The majority of our members are for him,” Young said. “And more and

more people are moving in the direction of Barack Obama. He’s the

right person at the right time.”

Deborah O’Connor, of East Norriton, PA told Obama about her son and

daughter-in-law, who are in the Air Force, being deployed.

He patted her on the shoulder and said”I want to bring ’em

home.we’ll be thinking of you.”

Recent polls show Obama gaining ground on Sen. Hillary Clinton in the

April 22 PA primary.

Local pool report

Larry Eichel, leichel@phillynews.com

Obama spent about half an hour yesterday afternoon at the Shop-Rite supermarket on Germantown Pike in East Norriton Township.

The site was chosen on the recommendation of Wendell W. Young IV, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 which represents the workers there.Young picked it because its middle-class, blue-collar neighborhood and because, he said theres a good relationship between labor and management.

Upon arrival, Obama was greeted by about 100 people who had gathered outside in the parking lot. When he entered the store, he picked up a red plastic basket, the kind you use when youre picking up a few items, and said: I was going to stop by a grocery store and somebody organized a rally out there.

Once inside, he did a lap of the store, down the produce aisle on the left, across the back of the store, and up the right side. He picked up a few gala apples, a bag of cheese curls, a bottle of water and a box of Tastykake butterscotch krimpets. All of this cost $9.40, which he paid in cash. At check out, he was also given a bag of pretzels and another box of Tastykakes by Young. These were gifts and he didnt pay for them.

Along the way, he was mobbed by adoring fans.

Obama, please touch my hand, a woman shouted. I love you, I love you.

One woman asked him to sign her hand, and he did. Another woman who shook his hand had an Obama sticker on her forehead. He signed autographs, posed for pictures.

He also made a point of checking out the price of milk and eggs and asking store managers about rising prices.

Paul Brauer, director of operations at the store, told him that wheat prices are up 20-30 percent.