Springfield Springboard

All eyes turn to Springfield, Illinois, a sleepy backwater sort of town when compared to Chicago. Near the steps of the old State Capitol building, Senator Barack Obama will try very hard to get everyone to see him as the next Abraham Lincoln. Just look at all the analogies.

Like Father Abraham, Barack served in the state legislature. Of course, that august body is not what is was in Lincoln's day, when the two party system was in effect. Nowadays, we have what columnist John Kass calls the "Combine", a machine that rakes in cash for the benefit of its members. Robert Kjellander is a fine example; the man who runs the Republican Party in Illinois has taken payments from Democrat governor Rod Blagojevich for some lobbying work. Why split the take when cooperation goes a long way on the bottom line? Perhaps Senator Obama could point to this as an example of reaching across party lines. Blur the lines, more like it, and count up the profits.

Lincoln freed the slaves, and there's our Senator, more African American than any other person of color. His father was African, so there, Jesse Jackson. Mr. Obama never had to grow up in a drug-infested ghetto or anything like that. And when it comes to racism, he's got a long way to go to beat Condeleeza Rice, who knew the four girls murdered in their church by a KKK bomb. Better for Barack to play up his blackness and avoid too much of that 'I feel your pain' rhetoric when speaking to those who actually are descended from slaves.

Look at that lack of experience, some might say, and wasn't Lincoln equally fresh? Sooner or later, someone is bound to point out that the world is vastly different today than it was then, and trying to draw parallels to Lincoln's resume is a foolish exercise in hubris. Even so, he will channel the late president, wrapping himself in the whole national crisis thing, calling for new direction. Kind of reminds me of General McClellan, but that's just my impression.

Let's see, Lincoln was in office when an unexpected attack precipitated a war. The war was grossly unpopular, and most people wanted him to pull out and give it up. He struggled to find competent generals to lead, and when he did, more blood than ever was spilled, even though it brought about a winning end to the conflict. Yes, that sounds about right, Senator Obama. The Republicans, the party of Lincoln, will love it if you make their job easier.

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