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News Washington Springfield

Air Force One landed in Springfield; Obama speaking to Illinois General Assembly

By  Lynn Sweet
   
SHARE Air Force One landed in Springfield; Obama speaking to Illinois General Assembly
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Then-Sen. Barack Obama is shown arriving at the Old State Capitol to announce his candidacy for president. Obama will return to Springfield next month to address state lawmakers who are locked in a battle over the Illinois budget. | Associated Press file photo

UPDATED.. WASHINGTON – Air Force One landed in Springfield, where President Barack Obama delivers a speech about bi-partisanship to the gridlocked, polarized Illinois General Assembly this afternoon. The greeters at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport are Gov. Bruce Rauner and Springfield Mayor James Langfelder.

Who from the White House is on the trip with him: Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who was in Springfield nine years ago today when Obama officially kicked off his presidential campaign; White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anita Decker Breckenridge, who met then state senator Obama when he was a state senator in 2003 – and who managed the 2007 announcement event. Also on board AF1: Deputy Communications Director Elizabeth Allen, Political Director David Simas and Joe Paulsen, a staffer in the Advance Office.

ALSO: Former advisor David Axelrod and Illinois Democrats Sen. Dick Durbin and Reps. Mike Quigley, Robin Kelly and Tammy Duckworth.

CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO MY POSTS FROM OBAMA’S 2007 LAUNCH

CLICK HERE FOR OBAMA’S DETAILED SCHEDULE IN ILLINOIS TODAY

CLICK HERE FOR MY COLUMN ON HOW OBAMA IS CALLING FOR AN END TO GERRYMANDERING IN ILLINOIS IN HIS SPEECH – AND HOW TWO ILLINOIS GOP HOUSE MEMBERS ARE ON THE AF1 NO-FLY LIST.

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