Posted by Rick Pearson and Pete Souza at 10:34 am, updated at 3:52 pm CST
As the circus that is attending to the Barack Obama presidential announcement on Saturday begins rolling into Springfield, Ill., even Illinois’ downtrodden Republican Party wants into the act.
Andy McKenna, the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and a group of GOP state senators are making themselves available “to respond to Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign announcement.”
But it is questionable just what they really can say. After all, Republicans played a significant role in helping Obama get to the cusp of a White House bid.
Setting the stage at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., for Sen. Barack Obama's expected announcement Saturday that he is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 2008, Brian Knox signals to other workers. Tribune photo by Pete Souza.
McKenna was one of the unsuccessful primary candidates for the Republican nomination for the 2004 U.S. Senate seat that Obama eventually won.
And, while McKenna wasn’t in the state GOP hierarchy at the time, it was the state’s Republican leadership that ensured an Obama victory in the U.S. Senate race when the Republican State Central Committee decided to import conservative firestarter Alan Keyes from Maryland to serve as the GOP nominee to replace tarnished primary winner Jack Ryan.
Keyes vowed to stay on in Illinois after losing the U.S. Senate race to help rebuild the Illinois Republican Party. But there has been no sign of Keyes since then, the GOP suffered tremendous losses at the state level last year and the struggle continues for ideological control of the party.
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Comments
Chicago area bus leaves @ 8:00 am from Paulo's house in Crestwood.
ALL ABOARD....................
Posted by: Raving Loon | February 9, 2007 10:40 AM
So how many times is he going to announce, anyway?
Posted by: Leo T | February 9, 2007 10:43 AM
Oh, and looking at the picture, I've gotta say Barack looks great in that hat!
Posted by: Leo T | February 9, 2007 10:45 AM
Is that worker pointing toward heaven, where the new Messiah has come down from?
10:34 and the first Obama posting of the day. Expect more. After all, reporters don't get to attend the Second Coming all that often.
Posted by: bruce | February 9, 2007 10:49 AM
burce we don't agree on much. But the Obama treads I wonder who works for him.
Paulo Bus will leave your House at 0600 hours. You better have coffee and donuts waiting. Paulo going to use his loan money to Pay LOL
Posted by: Dale Peters | February 9, 2007 10:57 AM
Obama will be in Chicago at the University of Illinois campus. Show your face and bring you message of hate, Paulo.
Posted by: jethro | February 9, 2007 11:47 AM
Paulo....Wear you fake big ears and put some parenthesise' around your head.
Posted by: bill r. | February 9, 2007 12:08 PM
*****National Polls****
Dems:
Clinton 37.4
Obama 17.8
***************
Barak "Messiah" Obama should bring a Roman Cross with him,the Clinton's have the nails and hammer.
Loon,Jethro,Peters....bring post-hole digger and a shroud.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 9, 2007 12:20 PM
Paulo,
There is a lot of time between now and the election. Hillary (UGH) should be keeping her pantyhose on. I really feel that between now and the election, her numbers will drop.
Posted by: Rob S | February 9, 2007 12:52 PM
I'm glad to see that you're a Hillary supporter Paolo.
The Democrats have a stellar group of candidates for this election and one of them will be our next Prez.
Posted by: John E. | February 9, 2007 1:15 PM
A stellar group of candidates among the Democrats? Who are they? We have a blind woman who ignores her husband's shoddy treatment and hasn't really accomplished much without that husband. We have the junior senator from Illinois who's name to fame is a trip to Kenya, two books and fawning Teen Beatized media. We have a trial lawyer who didn't seek re-election in his own state cause he knew he would lose, and he didn't do anything in six years anyway.
The two most qualified Democrats don't get any press coverage: Bill Richardson and Tom Vilsak. They won't get any votes either.
Posted by: John D | February 9, 2007 2:45 PM
Barak "Messiah" Obama should bring a Roman Cross with him,the Clinton's have the nails and hammer.
Posted by: Paulo | Feb 9, 2007 12:20:19 PM
Today is a great day: Paulo used quotation marks correctly!
Posted by: Jeff C. | February 9, 2007 3:22 PM
*****National Polls****
Dems:
Clinton 37.4
Obama 17.8
***************
Barak "Messiah" Obama should bring a Roman Cross with him,the Clinton's have the nails and hammer.
Loon,Jethro,Peters....bring post-hole digger and a shroud.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | Feb 9, 2007 12:20:19 PM
+++
What the matter Paulo, did you forget to mention the kerosene for burning the cross? And what about your sheets for Bruce?
Posted by: mg | February 9, 2007 4:22 PM
I love when the Swamp reports on Obama. Gives all the rightwing nutters a chance to come out of their Foxholes and stink up the place with thier lame, neutered, ideology. How does fresh air feel guys???
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | February 9, 2007 5:09 PM
To Paulo & Bruce; Who's the Republican messiah?
Go ahead, entertain us swamp bloggers.
Enlighten us on who you beleive the next Republican president should be & why.
By the way, it will be understood if you can't come up with anyone better then Obama.
Posted by: RomanB | February 9, 2007 5:13 PM
Barack Obama is the best candidate in this race for the presidency. I will continue to be a foot soldier for his campaign, getting people to register to vote and assist in getting donations to help along the way. Don't be shocked when he is sworn in as our next President....I sure won't be!
Posted by: Derilyn | February 9, 2007 5:15 PM
Bruce, I kind of feel like every time you complain about how much coverage Obama gets, you're just adding to the "legend". It's like, I saw this headline, and then looked forward to hearing you complain about how he's overexposed. If you keep calling him the Second Coming, even in sarcasm, people might start believing it.
Fight the Youth
Posted by: Reed | February 9, 2007 5:34 PM
I need a simple answer to what should be a simple question...what makes this guy so special and so qualified? He is just getting started in the grinder. To hear some people speak you would think he was the best thing since sliced bread. I want some proof. And the statement "He's better than anything we have now!" will not fly with me. Anyone?
Posted by: Confused Voter | February 9, 2007 6:29 PM
Rick, I like your behind-the-scenes look into what will no doubt be an interesting campaign. I don't understand why a bunch of (presumably) adults chose to use your blog to toss around 3rd grade insults at eachother. This isn't the future of journalism, this is a day care center.
As for the issue at hand, Obama doesn't talk like a Democrat, so I wonder if the IL GOP will know how to respond to him. Obama doesn't use Democratic buzz-words, or the liberal talking points. Interesting to see of the Republicans will have a way to refute rhetoric that no one's used to hearing. I'll be interested to hear both sides.
Posted by: Jeff | February 9, 2007 6:37 PM
There's one good thing we can't overlook about Obama. His wife has a more appropriate background to help him with healthcare reform than President Clinton's wife did...
Posted by: Nunu | February 9, 2007 7:04 PM
I renew my appeal to the webmasters of this blog to screen out all of the regulars. All of the retarded back and forth dialogue betweeen regulars does not befit one of the great newspapers of this country. The dialogue here better fits someone's personal blog.
Bruce, Paulo, Dale, Loon, Reed....boring, boring, boring, boring boring!
The newspaper reaches a half-million people a day, and yet the same dozen people congregate here to flip boogers at each other...and with bad spelling and grammar, to boot!
Somebody do something!
Posted by: Sancho | February 9, 2007 7:57 PM
Sancho lighting up
Posted by: Dale Peters | February 9, 2007 8:35 PM
One More Thing Sancho you went after everyone from the left or middle. You just showed who and what you are. A Plant from the Hard Right
Posted by: Dale Peters | February 9, 2007 8:42 PM
who takes such a ridiculous pic of this set-up...it's chicago's view of the rest of the state...and it's very ignorant!!! Maybe Obama can clean up some of the filth that roams around in Chicago's urban politics and takes all the money for the roads and IDOT for Chicagoland and leaves the rest of the state relying on grants and other minor money.
Posted by: something better | February 9, 2007 8:55 PM
Whether he winds up going the full course to the steps of the Capital in 08 or not, O.B brings a breath of fresh air people should be grateful for. Most of the other candidates in both parties are tired old farts who have been fouling the air for a long time. I was all for Hillary until she started being Little Miss Careful. What this country does not need is another Clinton in the White House. John Edwards might have been a good candidate before he started pinging off the walls during his campaign with Kerry. I hope Gore has sense enough to keep doing what he's doing. By the time Vilsack and Richardson become household names they might be able to imagine up some style or charisma to complement their other qualifications. People of Illinois should be proud to have one of their own running for president. We know all the negative old grunts and farts out there don't give a poot, but most progressive people will cheer him on.
Posted by: GW | February 9, 2007 9:07 PM
Good God does Karl Rove know about this latest
Barack Obama Nonsense? How can Barack Obama be
"The Messiah" when Karl Rove already convinced
George W Bush that he is the one,who is sitting
at Karl Rove's Right Hand?
After all there is noway The Great White Father
Almighty God Of Politics And All Republicans,Karl Rove can be wrong about George W Bush being The
Son Of God,not after Karl Rove got George W Bush
to sign one of his Signing Statements that loudly
Proclaim George W Bush Is The Second Coming!
Sorry Barack Obama,The Position Of "Messiah"
has already been filled on you!
Posted by: Ralph | February 9, 2007 9:15 PM
Dale,
Thanks for standing your ground with this creep, Sancho.And I'm upset that he called you and Bruce retarded,bad spellers and have bad grammar to a boat!
(I think it means,you're spelling and grammar don't float well?)
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 9, 2007 9:33 PM
He has about as much chance of becoming President as a snowball in hell.
Posted by: Eugene Young | February 9, 2007 9:37 PM
I am NO Repuglicrite (aka Republican), but
a lifelong admirer/reader of Mr. Lincoln.
This Obama shtik, given the location (Springfield
& Old State Capitol) and timing (two days prior
to Abraham Lincoln's birthday), truly STINKS!!!
Posted by: ABE | February 9, 2007 10:11 PM
obama for president of kenya since he spent more time there in the last 3 years tracing his roots than he spent in his home state od illinois.
Posted by: mark | February 9, 2007 10:13 PM
Confused Voter,
Obama voted "NO" on a bill in the Il. State Senate that would allow a Medical Doctor to care for a fetus,that was still alive,after a botched abortion.
Obama also voted "NO" on a bill that would that would allow a home owner to use the self defense plea (In Chicago),if that home owner had to use a gun to protect his family.
In other words...The new born have no rights and the criminals will have more rights than you do,thanks to Barack.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 9, 2007 10:23 PM
Urkel is all grown up, and he bought contacts!
"Did I do that?"
Posted by: Michael Spurlock | February 9, 2007 10:39 PM
Sancho, "...and with bad spelling and grammar, to boot!"
With all do respect, have you looked at your own post.
"All of the retarded back and forth dialogue betweeen regulars does not befit one of the great newspapers of this country."
Look most of us make mistakes in grammar and spelling from time to time. Where I come from between is spelled with the letter e three times not four. Ease up turbo!!! p.s. people who post here feel passionate about their viewpoint, no matter how misguided.
Posted by: Dunny Rummy | February 10, 2007 12:11 AM