President Barack Obama sought to help U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias on two fronts Thursday, raising much-needed campaign cash and reassuring voters that the Democrat is a trusted ally who can be counted on to help advance a progressive agenda.
The nearly $1 million fundraising event at the Palmer House Hilton highlighted a quick visit by Obama back home to Chicago that also included a tour of a Southeast Side Ford plant and a 49th birthday dinner Wednesday night with friends including Oprah Winfrey.
Speaking Thursday afternoon to more than 400 donors, Obama and Giannoulias each sought to label November’s mid-term elections as a stark choice for the public between the economic policies of the previous Bush administration and efforts by the Democratic White House — admittedly not always popular — to reverse the recession.
Full Story: Barack Obama raises nearly $1 million for Alexi Giannoulias – chicagotribune.com
CANDIDATE CONVERSATIONS: ALEXI GIANNOULIAS