by Christi Parsons
Barack Obama will tour flooding in downstate Illinois on Saturday, joining local officials for a briefing and then volunteering at a sandbag station.
The stop was added to the Democratic presidential candidate's schedule this morning, as residents along the Mississippi River prepare for flooding expected to hit historic levels.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was in Quincy on Friday to declare a pending disaster for seven Illinois counties along the river, projected to crest next week.
Sen. Obama and Sen. Dick Durbin, his fellow Illinois Democrat, joined other members of the Illinois delegation this week in calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help the state get ready.
The expected flood, due to recent heavy rainfall and current storms in Iowa and Wisconsin, is "greater than our capacity to prepare for a disaster of this size," the lawmakers wrote in their joint letter.
The area suffered a devastating damage in 1993, when flooding isolated some river towns and left crops under water for weeks.
Blagojevich will meet Quincy mayor John Spring and state Sen. John Sullivan to tour the area.
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Comments
Senator Obama isn't even President, yet, and already he is doing more things Presidential than the preceding administration has done, just concerning the good citizens of New Orleans, alone !!! If there is one thing I respect and admire in a candidate, especially a presidential candidate, is the showing of concern for all of our citizens. Senator Obama is doing just that !! Keep up the good work, Senator Obama.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | June 14, 2008 3:06 PM
Senator Obama is going to make for a great president and in comparison, here's what McCain and Bush were doing when Hurricane Katrina was pounding New Orleans:
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http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk178/Lava200/?action=view¤t=012490134208_6f820acd47.jpg
Posted by: John E | June 14, 2008 3:07 PM
Barck Obama and his message of enabling people to change their lives is consistent with his campaign using their lists of volunteers to rally people to help those in need like he's doing with these flood victims..
Now if we can just overcome hundreds of years of racism, the entire Rightwing noise machine backing John McBush, and the legions of Swiftboaters who will appear on Faux News, we can have a real good person for President and take back our country.
Obama-08!
Posted by: md patriot | June 14, 2008 3:20 PM
Did someone have to get him a road map on how to get back to the state that he "represents"?
Posted by: Terry | June 14, 2008 4:42 PM
He tried to borrow President Bush's map of America, but the Commander-in-Chief said, "Where" !!? Never heard of it or New Orleans !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | June 14, 2008 7:15 PM
It's about time Obama got back to Illinois to see the suffering of his home state!
He probably ran out of [change] ideas and decided to do what he should of been doing 5 days ago.
I guess corn, wheat,soybeans and white people don't matter to Obama.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | June 14, 2008 8:50 PM
To end racism is going to take a miracle. It starts with a change of heart and then the mind follows to do the right thing. It actually begins with a full conversion to salvation with Jesus Christ, the master of the universe. Then and only then will equality reign in America, the land of the free world.
Posted by: valjean | June 14, 2008 10:34 PM
So how long will he be in the sandbag line? 5 minutes? Enough for a photo op?
what a panderer...
Posted by: Beth | June 14, 2008 11:40 PM
It is the public duty of a sitting Senator representing the State of Illinois to act on behalf of his constitutents, His concern for the welfare of citizens of that state is appropiate and has less to do with him running for president. Senator Obama doesn't want a Katrina floodlike situation to impact his state.You need to know what the functions of a Senator are before you write something stupid.
Posted by: JackieSea | June 15, 2008 2:25 AM
It is the public duty of a sitting Senator representing the State of Illinois to act on behalf of his constitutents, His concern for the welfare of citizens of that state is appropiate and has less to do with him running for president. Senator Obama doesn't want a Katrina floodlike situation to impact his state.
Posted by: JackieSea | June 15, 2008 2:28 AM
Candidate's responces to the mid-West flooding is in: Obama organized people to help and pitched in himself. McCain talked about running for president.
The difference between the two candidates in their response to this tragedy is stark. As stark as Obama using his campaign to help those effected, to McCain using those effected to help his campaign.
We don't need another president who thinks of himself first, we need Obama to lead the way to a better day.
McCain website disaster response
Obama website disaster response
Posted by: DiegoUK | June 15, 2008 6:34 AM
McCain gave a statement. yay.
Posted by: Kathy | June 15, 2008 10:00 AM
The Obama Fellows/Campaign in Iowa spent today helping clean up debris in devastated Parkersburg, Iowa.
We were stunned at the destruction and glad to lend a hand or fifty.
It surprises me not at all to come home tonight and see Senator Obama filling sandbags. The point is not that he filled them for 5 minutes or 5 hours. The point is that he is there, he is aware, and he cares. That's a change from the last 8 years, and if it doesn't make you hopeful for a President Obama, I'd like to hear your reasoning. Not smears, ad hominem personal attacks, propaganda, or detached sound bites. Reasoning, please and thank you.
Posted by: Michael | June 17, 2008 9:23 PM