Barack Obama is heading to Omaha (Ne. caucus Saturday is in play)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

BY ROBYNN TYSVER

Presidential candidate Barack Obama is heading to Omaha to woo Nebraska Democrats.

The Illinois senator will make a late afternoon appearance Thursday at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Details of his visit, including the exact time, are still being worked out, Obama spokesman Charlie Ellsworth said today.

Obama is the first presidential candidate to commit to a Nebraska visit in advance of the state Democratic Party's first-ever caucuses on Saturday.

There was no immediate word whether New York Sen. Hillary Clinton also would visit Nebraska. Her staff has said her schedule for the rest of the week will not be finalized until Wednesday morning, after Super Tuesday's voting.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10250825

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This is the first time Ne. has been in play since Senator Frank Church kicked off his campaign here in May 1980. He upset the eventual nominee James Carter. I'll be at the rally.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I will try to be there! Looking forward to caucusing for him on Saturday, too.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Live music by Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes

This was BEFORE it was announced today that Senator Obama is on the way. At a free concert two years ago, Conor told the crowd "President Bush is an idiot". I was just told plans are for Conor to be with Senator Obama at his rally. Tickets for the later event are all gone.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10250349

Published Monday | February 4, 2008
Bright Eyes to play at Obama rally
BY SUSAN SZALEWSKI
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Barack Obama supporters who happen to be fans of the indie-rock band Bright Eyes are in luck.



Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes

The Omaha band will perform Thursday at a rally for Obama at Slowdown, a rock club near the Qwest Center Omaha.

Democratic presidential candidate Obama was not scheduled to appear at the rally as of Monday evening, said Charlie Ellsworth, a spokesman for the Obama campaign.

M. Ward, a folk-rocker who has made several appearances with Bright Eyes, also will perform at the 8 p.m. rally, along with opening acts Jim Ward of Sparta and Secret Life of Sparrows.

Free tickets are available at Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., starting at 4:30 p.m. today for those 18 or older. A maximum of two tickets per person are available for those who will either register to vote on the spot or sign a card pledging to support Obama, said Brian Allen, a manager at Slowdown.

The tickets are expected to be snapped up quickly. Supporters should anticipate a long line today, Allen said, and should arrive early for the rally on Thursday. A ticket is not a guarantee of admission if the club reaches its capacity of 640 people, he said.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Bright Eyes' lead singer, Conor Oberst, also performed at an Obama rally last month in Iowa.

World-Herald staff writer Niz Proskocil contributed to this report.

[lurky]

8. Obama's got indie cred!

That's pretty cool, actually.

[jasmine621]

3. I thought it was said that "desperation" was driving Hillary to the next states?

Is this the same thing?

[Alexander]

4. Church ran in 1976, not 1980.

But this is a good move for Obama.

[Omaha Steve]

5. OOPS

I was so excited by the news I made a mistake. Many people actually say first time since 1968 and RFK. Thanks for the correction.

[David Zephyr]

6. Thanks for the news. I'm happy to see Obama still working it.

Come on Nebraska!

[MaineDem]

7. I'm hoping he comes to Maine for our caucuses on Sunday

That would be awesome.

[StClone]

9. Beating the Republican Strategy now off to the Red States!

I finally found the reason Obama is important!: He can beat the stranglehold of the Repugs Southern Strategy by appealing to many whites and a strong showing of Blacks!

Woo the Husker state and I think he'll have a leg up on Hillary and sure thing in the General Election over the Repiggy's man.

[The Croquist]

10. No rest for the weary

I wonder how much sleep these two are getting?

[Omaha Steve]

11. he next four days will be busy. The political calendar is filling up:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10250825

snip

• Obama plans a late Thursday afternoon rally at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Singer Conor Oberst and his indie band, Bright Eyes, will perform at the rally. Oberst said he expects to go on about 4:15 p.m. and play two or three songs.

• Bright Eyes will play a free concert for Obama at 8 p.m. Thursday at Slowdown, a rock club near the Qwest Center Omaha. Oberst said it was unlikely that Obama would attend the concert.

Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, is expected to visit Lincoln on Friday. Details of her visit were still being worked out.

• Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey and U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson planned to be in Omaha on Saturday for the caucuses. Kerrey planned to campaign for Clinton, while Nelson will stump for Obama.

• Clinton's schedule was in flux, but her Nebraska campaign director was hoping for a visit by the candidate or someone close to the campaign. Judy Monaghan said Clinton or a family member, such as former President Bill Clinton, was likely to fly into the state.

Besides the rallies, the campaigns plan to have staff members on the ground organizing their supporters.

Obama staff members arrived in the state last week. State party officials say Obama has about seven staffers in Nebraska, but Obama's campaign declined to confirm that number.

The Obama campaign is working across the state to identify supporters, hold caucus workshops and get their supporters to the caucuses.

"This is going to be a delegate-by-delegate fight, and every delegate matters," said Rory Steele, an Obama spokesman in Nebraska. "We're playing that way, and Nebraska is an important state for our campaign."

Isaac Baker, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, declined to say how many Clinton staffers were being sent to Nebraska, but he said they planned to aggressively compete in the state.

"We will definitely have a presence on the ground in Nebraska," Baker said.