IL Senate endorsement:

[Padraig18]

I have given my vote great thought, and my decision has been difficult to reach, mostly because we have two GREAT candidates in the field--- Barak Obama and Dan Hynes. Having now weighed the various pros and cons of both, my endorsement goes to...

































the next US Senator from Illinois, BARAK OBAMA!

:D

[Bombtrack]

1. hey, we agree

Obama is the right kind of candidate to take on Jack Ryan, who should not be underestimated. I've never heard him personally on TV, but I've read about him and he sounds like a very impressive person. A scholar of sorts.

It would be a mistake to run an establishment aand/or milquetoast candidate in this kind of race

[Padraig18]

2. Ryan is no lightweight, certainly.

He's articulate, and WELL-financed. Nonetheless, Obama is equally-impressive, has a SOLID progressive record and is a WONDERFUL speaker. Additionally, he has that whole 'handsome/looks-like-a-senator' thing going on....

[NNN0LHI]

3. Obama appears to be a good man and I hope to vote for him soon n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Will wonders ever cease!

We agree on a candidate!;) :bounce::bounce: I think Obama is going to win....at least, I HOPE he does. It's looking good for him. He's a very impressive candidate.

Have you seen Sheila Simon's commercial about her dad, Senator Paul Simon and his intent to endorse Obama? VERY nice ad. She looks just like her father!

From an email:

Elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, Obama has led the fight for death penalty reforms, a ban on racial profiling and a higher minimum wage. As Chairman of the Senate Health Care Committee, Obama wrote and passed a law extending health care coverage to 20,000 more children and 65,000 more families.

The first African-American President of the Harvard Law Review, Obama could likely have chosen a career at any number of pinstripe law firms. Instead, he chose to serve the community; first organizing voter registration in Chicago as Director of Project Vote and later as a civil rights attorney.

Obama is the kind of proven legislator we need in the U.S. Senate. A professor of constitutional law at University of Chicago, Obama is a passionate fighter for civil liberties against the threats posed by John Ashcroft and the right-wing judicial nominees of the Bush Administration.

For all these reasons, the Independent Voters of Illinois, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Congressman Lane Evans, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., Congressman Danny Davis and thousands of activists are supporting Barack Obama.

The late columnist Steve Neal of the Chicago Sun-Times may have said it best: "Before he died earlier this month, former Sen. Paul Simon had decided to endorse Obama . Obama is the most legitimate heir to Simon's legacy of doing good." (Chicago Sun-Times, December 31, 2003)

Together, we can give Barack Obama a boost that helps change America. Please get involved in Barack's campaign. You can read more about his positions on issues important to you at:

[chiburb]

5. It's about time you came around!

From the Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn:

Democrats:

The Journal-Star , Post-Dispatch and Champaign News-Gazette endorsed State Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primary.

The J-S wrote:
(Obama's) positions are nuanced; he demagogues nothing, and that is rare....Obama would bring to the Senate the wisdom and knowledge of America gained from being a community organizer, civil rights lawyer and head of a statewide voter registration drive. If elected to the U.S. Senate, he would be its only African-American, a welcome, if token, representation of America's diversity.

He would also bring a proven ability to pass legislation that meets broad needs and a willingness to say no to laws intended to protect special interests..... His was among the few principled votes against two of the most reprehensible pieces of legislation to make their way through Springfield recently - the Wirtz bill to protect liquor distributors from competition and the effort to do something similar for SBC Communications.
The P-D added that Obama "has a deeper, more nuanced grasp of the issues than (Ill. Comptroller) Dan Hynes," who was their No. 2 choice.

The Daily Herald also put Obama just ahead of Hynes, saying "both have a gift for public service," but---
when you talk with Obama, you can't help but admire his intellect, confidence, ease in accepting challenges and compassion. Very few candidates for public office have impressed us in this way. Paul Simon comes to mind.

Obama has a solid state legislative track record..... He knows how the political system works; how to cajole but yet compromise. That's senatorial stuff....We also find refreshing his evident sense of decency and justice when so many phonies and fools - if not felons - are giving governing a bad name.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ericzorn/chi-zornlog.story

[Bombtrack]

6. Michael Jordon contributed 10 thousand to his campaign

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/030504_ap_ns_obama.html

[Tim_in_HK]

7. I agree!

Although I'm no longer registered in Illinois, so my support obviously don't matter much. But I think Obama's the best of the people running and I sent him some cash a couple weeks back.

[davsand]

8. I LOVE Obama!

He is a MOST amazing man. His stump speeches are passionate, literate and incredibly well done, but what really touched me about him is his sincerity in a one on one conversation. He is the "real deal" to rip off an overused phrase. I have not spoken to anybody that has met him that doesn't like and respect him.

The Champaign Urbana News Gazette endorsed him yesterday as well as the Peoria Journal Star. Chicago Trib and Sun Times BOTH have endorsed Obama as well...

The way it looks like it is shaping up is that the progressives downstate seem to be trending strongly to Obama, and he's spent a lot of time up in Cook and the collar counties. IF his polling data up north is any indicator, he's doing well up there as well.

It all is coming down to both the strength of the Progressives (and their organizing) along with the minority vote statewide -v- Hynes and his established moderate campaign and labor.

Hull has a HUGE campaign statewide (the best money can buy!) but his message is, IMO, weak and his support with woman HAS been impacted by the disclosure of the divorce testimony. (You should SEE the mailing we got late last week from some women here in Illinois--it just rakes Hull over the coals.)

I'm not minimizing the impact of Chico and Washington and Skinner's campaigns, but they really are seen as Chicago candidates.

Don't get me wrong--I'll work whoever comes out of this primary--because the Dems are blessed with several excellent candidates this time--but i do think it is all coming down to Obama and Hynes.

On a side note, Sen Durbin was at our Dem dinner last night, and i am still very much in love with him. He spoke beautifully about all that is going on right now in DC, and even talked about Paul Wellstone (there was a genuine affection there.)

WE have an extraordinary opportunity here in Illinois to have TWO Senators we can be most proud of. All we have to do is be sure and win in November. I firmly think Obama will do that.

Laura