Des Moines Register
02-07-07
Obama plans events in Iowa this weekend
THOMAS BEAUMONT
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination from his home state of Illinois on Saturday before traveling to Iowa for a series of events in the lead-off caucus state.
Obama plans to headline events Saturday in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo and in Ames on Sunday.
The Iowa stops will be Obama's first since announcing last month the establishment of a presidential exploratory committee. He had set Saturday as the day he would announce whether he planned to launch an all-out bid for the White House.
Obama has had key staff in Iowa since last week, leaving little mystery to Saturday's planned announcement in Springfield, Ill., where the former law professor represented Chicago in the Illinois Senate for eight years.
The news comes as the campaign for the 2008 Iowa caucuses, scheduled to launch the sequence of presidential nominating contests for Democrats and Republicans, has begun heating up.
Last month, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton announced her plan to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. The news was followed by a highly publicized two-day swing through Iowa the following weekend.
Clinton and Obama rank first and second in most national polls of Democrats' presidential preference.
They are among at least 10 Democrats who have taken steps toward running.
Obama visited Iowa three times last year, most notably as the guest of Sen. Tom Harkin at the Democrat's annual outdoor fundraiser in Indianola. Since then, Obama has burst
Obama plans to headline a forum at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids before heading to Waterloo for a reception at Central Middle School. He plans to cap his Iowa swing Sunday in Ames with a rally at Iowa State University.
The events are free and open to the public. For details, go to the Iowa Caucuses Backstage blog, DesMoineRegister.com/blogs.
GOP's Romney, Thompson plan Iowa visits
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney plans to campaign in central Iowa on Thursday, with stops planned for Boone, Ames, Montour and Marshalltown.
His schedule:
8 a.m.: Breakfast with activists, Boone Country Club, 601 S. Cedar St., Boone
10:15 a.m.: Private tour of Iowa State University Bio-Renewable Energy Research Facility in Ames.
12:15 p.m.: Luncheon with activists, Rube's Steakhouse, 118 Elm St., Montour
1:30 p.m.: Visit Lillie Mae Chocolate, 23 West Main St., Marshalltown
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, also exploring a bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, plans to campaign in central Iowa on Saturday.
His schedule:
9 a.m.: Marshall County reception, Best Western, 3303 S. Center St., Marshalltown
11 a.m.: Story County reception, Comfort Suites, 2609 Elwood Drive, Ames
1 p.m.: Polk County reception, Pagliai's Pizza, 5312 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines