Obama, who began his day campaigning in Pennsylvania, flew into Quincy Regional Airport a little after 2 p.m. and took a motorcade to the Oakley-Lindsay Center. He was briefed by local and county officials before walking out the southeast door at about 2:40.
Flanked by state Sen. John Sullivan and Quincy Mayor John Spring, Obama strode to the parking lot to greet those working outside. Dressed in blue jeans and a blue shirt, he put on a pair of gloves and began filling sandbags.
Obama filled more than 20 bags with the help of Spring and Sullivan, and then Muldoon, as he talked with workers and members of the local and national media that surrounded him. […]
Obama then headed inside the Oakley-Lindsay Center, where about 500 people were patiently waiting in front of huge piles of sand. A huge roar erupted when he walked through the large garage door and began shaking hands.
The chant “Yes we can” erupted minutes after he walked into the building.[…]
At about 3:15, he posed for several photos and finally was whisked away by motorcade to the airport.
Senator Barack Obama plans on touring the Illinois community of Quincy to see flooded areas along the Mississippi River for himself.
The Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to visit the area Saturday afternoon to tour the region and help fill sandbags.
* 12:05 pm - Levee breaks in and near the Mississippi River town of Keithsburg, IL…
Illinois emergency authorities said a levee along the Mississippi River in far western Illinois burst Saturday and voluntary evacuations were under way in the small community of Keithsburg.
Officials with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department said the Pope Creek Levee burst around 8:45 a.m.
Keithsburg, a community of 700 residents, sits along the Mississippi River about 35 miles southwest of Moline. It is located across the river from Iowa, where massive floods have swamped towns and were being blamed for at least two deaths.
“The levee broke in two places,” said Alderman George Askew, 76, who has been in Keithsburg since 1943. “We’re getting under water.”
* This info is from a Gov. Blagojevich press release…
The American Red Cross has established shelters for flood victims at the Keithsburg Christian Church, 2002 Main Street in Keithsburg, Eliza Community Center in Eliza, and the Mediapolis Elementary School, 725 Northfield, Mediapolis, Iowa.
On Friday, the Governor declared seven counties along the Mississippi River as state disaster areas, including Adams, Calhoun, Hancock, Henderson, Mercer, Pike and Rock Island counties allowing the state to expedite assistance to help with the flood fight in those areas along the Mississippi River. The state disaster declaration makes available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from flooding.
Gov. Blagojevich also activated 200 troops from the Illinois National Guard to help communities that are threatened by rising floodwaters.
The Governor also sent a letter Friday to President Bush requesting an expedited federal major disaster declaration. If granted, the declaration will make available potable water, generators, technical assistance for debris removal and other resources that may be determined necessary as flooding progresses.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich visited Quincy Friday, praising those filling sandbags and pledging to help them flight the flood.
“You see the best of people” during a disaster, Blagojevich said during a visit to the Oakley-Lindsay Center, where about 600 volunteers had filled more than 60,000 sandbags between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Quincy Mayor John Spring told Blagojevich that river crest predictions have reached 32 feet by the end of next week, which would nearly match the record level of 1993.
As of 10 p.m. Friday, a new report had the river cresting at 32.2 foot –matching the record set in 1993.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich toured portions of Lawrence County on Friday afternoon that were affected by recent flooding before announcing during a press conference, “I’m hopeful and optimistic that we’ll overcome this.”
In Northern Illinois, the Rock River in Winnebago County had reached flood stage at 12.5 feet. It was expected to reach its crest of 15.2 feet on Monday and begin falling back.
“We are working for the worst, planning for the worst, but hoping for the best,” said Dennis Lolli, head of the county’s Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. “We are not anticipating any huge troubles.”
Officials were also preparing for the Fox River to rise further with heavy rain forecast for Thursday afternoon.
With an estimated 100 homes already damaged by floodwaters along the Fox River and Chain O’ Lakes near Antioch—and more flooding forecast for early next week—officials on Friday issued a disaster declaration for northwest Lake County.
* Related…
* Parts of waterlogged Midwest getting a break - but Indiana, southern Illinois and Michigan are next in line for the rains (the bad news). Those areas, too, desperately want dry weather.
* NY Times: “Right now, we can’t see anything as devastating as 1993 along the Mississippi, but we’re gearing up,” said Ron Fournier, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers’ district in the central Midwest, which just ordered three million more sandbags, 25 large pumps and a vast array of extra supplies. “The hard part is as simple as not knowing how much rain we’ll get,” Mr. Fournier said. “Beyond what we saw 24 hours ago, and what we predict in the next 24 hours, we just don’t know what’s coming. We want the rain to stop.”
* It’s really slow around here today. Weather got you down or what? Anyway, in an admittedly desperate attempt to spark some comments, let’s have a go at this one…
Way back in the autumn of 1994, as the national Republican tsunami was just becoming evident, House Speaker Michael Madigan ordered some of his more vulnerable incumbents to run away as fast as they could from their party’s doomed gubernatorial candidate.
Every poll showed that the hapless Dawn Clark Netsch was being pulverized by Republican Gov. Jim Edgar. So, after Madigan issued his edict, several House Democrats sent out campaign mailers with big photos of their new best pal, Jim Edgar.
The ploy didn’t work. Madigan lost 13 seats and his majority that November.
But that bit of history clearly shows how far Madigan will go to win. That’s really what he’s all about.
Winning.
Maintaining control.
Holding onto power.
Maybe now you’ll understand why Madigan’s staff drafted a brutal and ham-handed 14-page memo for some House Democratic candidates outlining how best to call for impeachment proceedings against Gov. Blagojevich. It’s the winning, stupid.
Blagojevich is probably the most unpopular governor this state has ever had. A Glengariff Group poll taken weeks before administration insider and campaign fund-raiser Tony Rezko was convicted on 16 felony corruption counts showed that 59 percent of registered Illinois voters want impeachment proceedings to begin against Blagojevich. A clear plurality want Blagojevich removed from office — 45 percent to 35 percent.
If that’s what voters want, well, then that’s what Madigan’s candidates will give them.
Most of Madigan’s candidates are running against Republican incumbents who represent Republican-leaning, independent-minded districts. According to that Glengariff Group poll, 73.5 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents want to start the impeachment process and large majorities of both groups want Blagojevich removed from office.
House Republican Leader Tom Cross has tried to make the memo itself the main issue rather than address impeachment.
Cross has a point. Madigan’s impeachment memo is certainly way over the top. It includes a harsh litany of Blagojevich’s alleged “misdeeds” that have nothing to do with impeachment, like the gross receipts tax and free mass transit rides for senior citizens. The memo encourages Madigan’s candidates to avoid answering the question if asked whether Madigan or his staff helped them prepare their positions.
Cross’ candidates will claim that the Democrats trying to defeat Republican incumbents are just Madigan robots doing what they’re told. But that, itself, is a dodge, because an overwhelming majority of Cross’ own party members clearly want impeachment proceedings to begin. Cross is in serious danger of positioning his own candidates on the wrong side of history in what will likely be a big Democratic year in Illinois. That combination could be politically lethal.
Cross and others also claim that Madigan is using the impeachment issue to divert attention from the fact that he is the lone man opposed to a multibillion-dollar capital construction plan.
“Never mind those 500,000 new jobs! Look over there at that bright, shiny impeachment ball!” Madigan appears to be saying.
His critics are right. Madigan’s venom and hatred for Blagojevich are getting the better of him. But the massive construction plan is loaded with opportunities for corruption, and voters clearly believe this governor is corrupt. In my mind, it’s a toss-up.
There are also those who think that the possible impeachment of a governor is too important an issue to be “politicized” by cynical attempts to win campaigns. But that ignores an important fact: We live in a democracy.
If candidates are elected on vows to begin impeachment proceedings, then that’s a good indication of what the public wants. Election results validate issues as much as individual candidate personalities or partisan strength.
In other words, goofy memo aside, this issue is too important not to be “politicized” by candidates. Let’s get on with it.
* Related…
* Four unions send critical letter over impeachment memo: It was signed by leaders of the Service Employees International Union, Teamsters Joint Council 25, UNITE HERE and the Midwest Region of the Laborers International union.
* WSJ John Fund: All this sounds like an issue voters both inside and outside Illinois would want to hear from Mr. Obama on. Does he side with those Democrats who want to move aggressively against a governor who appears to be corrupt – or with his old Chicago buddies who prefer to wait?
* Southern Illinoisan: Thumbs down to the higher level of dysfunction among our state’s top elected leaders that emerged this week through the public release of a secret, talking points memo compiled on House Speaker Michael Madigan’s behalf.
* Impeachment By Mail? The Committee for Legislative Action is sending out letters to area residents asking for your input in the ongoing impeachment talks.
