AP: Illinois Speaker Wants to Help Obama (Feb. 5 primary date)

[Eugene]

Illinois Speaker Wants to Help Obama
Illinois House Speaker Wants to Help Obama by Changing Primary Date

By CHRISTOPHER WILLS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Jan 10, 2007 (AP)— The powerful speaker of the Illinois House
said Wednesday he wants to help Sen. Barack Obama's possible presidential bid by
moving up the state's primary, figuring it will give the Democrat an early win.

Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan proposed moving the March 18 Illinois primary
to Feb. 5. A long list of states have primaries scheduled that day, but only four
states Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina would be earlier than Illinois.

"These states are not representative of mainstream America. They're clearly not
as representative of America as Illinois would be," Madigan said. "But if Barack
is a candidate, recent history tells us the selection process may be finished before
it reaches the Illinois primary."

Madigan said he has not spoken to Obama nor his aides about the proposed change.
He also denied any inside knowledge about whether the freshman Illinois senator
has decided to run.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2785677

[tritsofme]

1. It would be nice to have a real vote in a presidential primary for once.

Lately things have been all wrapped up by the time we vote in March.

[Bjornsdotter]

3. Yeah

So often it's already decided by the time it's our turn.

Cheers

[Hippo_Tron]

4. You guys are the most important state in the general election, though

Some of us are irrelevant in both.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. I wish Ohio could be moved up.

Kerry already had the nomination wrapped up before we got a chance to vote.

[KingofNewOrleans]

5. Nobody would compete in Illinois

They would basically concede it to Obama. Not sure if that would help him.