News

Obama campaigns in Wisconsin

Sen. Barack Obama and his wife will be visiting several different Wisconsin cities today.

Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, will hold a campaign event in Green Bay, and his wife Michelle will hold three separate events in Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau. This will be Obama’s third visit to the state in the last month but his wife’s first since Wisconsin’s Democratic primary in February.

Obama’s campaign event will be at the Resch Center in Green Bay, the same place where Sen. John McCain and running mate Gov. Sarah Palin spoke last Thursday evening.

Michelle Obama will host Wisconsin Women for Obama rallies in both Madison and Milwaukee. She will also host an economic roundtable discussion with working women in Wausau.

“This is part of the Women’s Week of Action,” said Phil Walzak, Wisconsin communications director for the Obama campaign. “She’s going to be addressing issues that are of interest [to women].”

According to the campaign, the purpose of the Women’s Week of Action is to emphasize the choice women have when voting about issues that matter most to them. These issues include equal pay for equal work, family leave and other pocketbook issues.

“[This will be] a conversation on the economy and for working families in general, and Sen. Barack Obama’s vision and plan for sparking economic growth,” Walzak said.

Michelle Obama began holding the roundtable discussions a year and a half ago to hear the economic concerns of women across the country. In addition to the discussion held in Wausau, Michelle Obama will be traveling to Richmond, Va., and Charlotte, N.C.

The rally in Madison will be held at the GAR Memorial Park at Camp Randall.

Students for Obama and College Democrats will be present at the rally in Madison, said Students for Obama Chair Ami ElShareif. She said other Students for Obama chapters will be present at the other events around the state.

Mark Bednar, co-chair of Students for McCain, said the Obamas’ appearances show that Wisconsin is going to be a battleground state.

“The most important thing is that them coming here certainly shows that they’re concerned about Wisconsin being a competitive state,” Bednar said. “It’s an exciting place to be on either side.”

He said he hopes the campaign visits motivate students to become active in the campaigns.

“It just really heightens the electricity that is in the air, and I guess I’m hoping that students all across the campus and all across the state get a little more involved and a little more interested in what’s going on,” Bednar said.

Barack Obama’s event will begin at noon, with doors opening at 9 a.m. Michelle Obama is planning to start speaking at 10 a.m. with doors opening at 9 a.m. Both events are free and open to the public.