A five-member campaign staff for Sen. Barack Obama is on the ground in Nebraska preparing for the state's first Democratic presidential caucus on Feb. 9.
Don Walton | Posted: Monday, January 28, 2008 6:00 pm
And so it begins.
A five-member campaign staff for Sen. Barack Obama is on the ground in Nebraska preparing for the state’s first Democratic presidential caucus on Feb. 9.
“We’re laying the groundwork to ensure that we’re competitive in post-Feb. 5 contests,” Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said Monday night in an e-mail confirming the Obama team has arrived.
The thrust into Nebraska is evidence the Obama campaign is moving aggressively into states that follow the mega-Tuesday Democratic showdown in nearly two dozen states a week from today.
“You can’t build a caucus organization overnight,” LaBolt said. “And we’re in the process of educating undecided Nebraskans and training our supporters on the caucus process.”
The staff is headed by Rory Steele, who spearheaded Obama’s western Iowa caucus campaign earlier this month.
Obama team members are located in both Lincoln and Omaha.
Sen. Ben Nelson endorsed Obama earlier this month, handing the Illinois senator the support of Nebraska’s highest-profile Democrat.
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York is expected to contest Obama in Nebraska, but there has been no word yet of campaign staffing here.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards also remains in the Democratic race.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Monday it is unlikely the Democratic contest will be resolved on Feb. 5.
“Therefore, we are also organizing and planning for the rest of the February states,” Plouffe said in an e-mail assessment of the race.
“We have, or will have, staff in all nine of those states by mid-week. We believe these states offer real opportunity for Senator Obama and believe if Feb. 5 is roughly a split verdict, we can win the majority of the states and delegates over those next two weeks.”
Democrats in Louisiana and Washington will make their decisions on the same day Nebraska Democrats caucus.
Among the larger states that follow in February are Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Nebraska Republicans will vote in a presidential primary election on May 13.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.