I was interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine last week about Obama’s time in the Illinois Senate, and one thing I said was that while he certainly voted like a liberal, he went out of his way to establish friendships and introduce legislation with conservatives and Republicans. From what I can tell, he’s doing the same thing in the US Senate.

As a result of this, one of Obama’s biggest Illinois cheerleaders is Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard, who is also chairman of the DuPage County GOP, the state’s most powerful Republican organization. Dillard had this to say to the Naperville Sun:

“I believe Obama is one of the smartest people ever to sit in the state Senate,” Dillard said.

And Republican state Sen. Pam Althoff told the Daily Herald that “she’d consider voting for the Chicago Democrat.”

OneMan, a blogger’s blogger, is also a Republican, but he posted an interesting piece last night talking about this phenomenon and warning national Republicans about what they faced.

Like it or not, even large numbers of Illinois Republicans who dealt or knew Sen. Obama back when he was in the state senate describe him a likeable. They may say he is a screaming liberal, but they felt he was likeable. That is something that is going to be hard to overcome. Mocking his last name and his faith is not going to be the way to do it.

Mark Brown strikes some of the same notes:

As people are exposed to him, they come to like him. It’s a combination of intelligence and speaking ability and friendliness and looks and charisma, the same characteristics that bring most of our leading politicians to the forefront these days.

Lynn Sweet looks at the reasoning for the Springfield announcement:

A kickoff in the Illinois capital will serve to marry the Obama political narrative with that of Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, like Obama, was a member of the Illinois General Assembly, before his election to Congress and then the White House. Like Obama, Lincoln didn’t have much experience before becoming president and leading the nation through a turbulent era. Obama, the son of a Kenyan father, will kick off his quest at or near the home of the man who freed the African slaves.

That Lincoln was a Republican will only underscore one of Obama’s refrains: The great issues facing the U.S., such as the Iraq war, are not Republican or Democratic problems, but American problems.

…As does Bernie Schoenburg:

So, what does Springfield have to offer U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as a backdrop for his presidential campaign announcement Feb. 10?

Plenty of symbolism of middle America and the good done by Abraham Lincoln, some colleagues and observers say.

…And so did the AP’s Nedra Pickler:

For all those historians and political naysayers, Sen. Barack Obama’s allies like to point out that Abraham Lincoln served just two years in the House before becoming president.

It’s a comparison certain to be repeated as Obama, with slightly more than two years in the Senate, continues to align himself with the Civil War president. The senator’s expected campaign kickoff is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Lincoln’s hometown of Springfield, Ill. where both men served in the state legislature.

One final thing. Yesterday in comments, I had this to say about all those people who think the Clintonistas will eat Obama alive:

Here’s something that really bothers me about some of the comments on Obama. Not just today, but every day we have something about him.

“Just wait until Clinton, Gore, etc. start going after him.”

This assumes that Obama’s people can’t fight back, or that they have no Oppo team. Who the heck do you think tubed Blair Hull? These same guys.

And do you really think people like Axelrod and Giangreco don’t know how to play with the big boys and girls? Think again.

Political battle is almost never a one-way street. You’re all forgetting that.

Try to come up with something new and original for a change, please.

I’ll reiterate that for today’s discussion. Please, come up with something new and original.