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• Wednesday, June 18, 2008 05:06 PM

  from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/06/18/obama_cuts_an_ad_to_help_john.html

  Obama cuts an ad to help John Barrow in his primary fight
  Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 07:02 PM
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has taped a radio commercial on behalf of U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah, who faces a July 15 primary challenge.

  It’s the first case of Obama involving himself in a local race in Georgia.

  Details of when the ad will start airing and where it will be broadcast — the 12th District covers much of east Georgia, including portions of Augusta and Savannah — were not immediately available Wednesday.

  But the Obama campaign made clear to my colleague Aaron Sheinin that it sees Barrow, a two-term Democrat, as an important ally. We’ve got calls into the Barrow campaign, but haven’t heard from them yet.

  “Senator Obama believes that Congressman Barrow has worked hard to bring change that families in his district deserve, and we’ll work hard to help John Barrow win in November,” Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.

  In the ad, Obama asks voters to join him in supporting Barrow. “We’re going to need John Barrow back in Congress to help change Washington and get our country back on track,” Obama says in the 60-second ad.

  Barrow beat a Republican incumbent in 2004 and had tough GOP opposition in 2006. But this April, Barrow picked up unexpected opposition from Regina Thomas, a well-known African-American state senator based in Savannah. Barrow is white, and In past primaries in the 12th District, black voters have cast nearly 70 percent of the ballots.

  Barrow had endorsed Obama in late February, a few weeks after the Illinois senator won the Georgia primary. And within weeks of Thomas joining the race, Barrow, a conservative Democrat, was placed at the top of a list of 14 national co-chairs for Obama’s massive, 50-state voter registration drive — along with the likes of singer Melissa Etheridge and the Rev. Joe Lowery.

  Barrow has plenty of cash to make use of the Obama ad. He reported $1.3 million in cash on hand this spring.

  - - Jim Galloway, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  —sysprog Read sysprog's other letters
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