Obama stumps for 3 Democratic House candidates

INDIANAPOLIS -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party, helped raise money Monday for three Indiana congressional candidates who have high hopes of knocking off Republican incumbents as Democrats try to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.\nThe fundraiser was closed to the media, but the senator from Illinois appeared at a news conference afterward and spoke highly of Brad Ellsworth of the 8th District, former Rep. Baron Hill of the 9th and Joe Donnelly of the 2nd.\nObama, who is featured on the cover of Time magazine this week for an article about his prospects of running for president in 2008, said Americans were in a serious mood about the challenges the nation faces, including affordable health care, education, alternative fuels and the war in Iraq.\nHe said Democrats represent hope, optimism and hard work and said the three Indiana candidates seen nationally as very serious contenders exemplify that.\n"I think they are folks who (have) common sense, Midwestern values, that hope to build bridges and look to solve problems, and that style of governing I think is something that America is hungry for," Obama said. "So all we need to do now is make sure we are competing financially with the Republicans."\nThe Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not immediately say how many people attended the fundraiser at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets for the luncheon were $250 per person or $1,000 to attend a special reception with Obama, who is the lone black senator. The money was to be split evenly among the three candidates.\nEach of the three Democratic candidates has raised more than $1 million, and two of the three Republican incumbents - Rep. Mike Sodrel in the 9th and Rep. Chris Chocola in the 2nd -- have easily topped that mark. Rep. John Hostettler in the 8th had raised about $448,000 as of Sept. 30, according to campaign finance reports due Oct. 15.\nThe national parties have also spent millions on the three races, primarily to run television ads. Democrats need to pick up 15 seats to win back the House, and six seats to gain a majority in the Senate.