[AuH2ORepublican]

Dr. Barthwell, Bush's deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, is very anti-drug, and may be able to cut into Obama's margins among inner-city blacks, since drugs have done so much damage to black ghettoes and since she is a black woman from Chicago (as opposed to Obama, who barely knew his black Kenyan father and who was raised by his white mother and grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia--- see http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040531fa_fact1 ).

Dr. Barthwell is an intriguing candidate, whose lack of name ID would quickly change if she was the GOP nominee. But since her position on issues other than drugs is still a mystery, I don't think we should jump on her bandwagon just yet.

[AuH2ORepublican]

*ILLINOIS SENATE PING*

Do any of you know anything about Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell? Other than the fact that she's a black physician from Chicago, Bush's deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and is strongly anti-drug, I know nothing about her.

[ChuckK]

From www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=17492 .....

"[Barthwell] has been politically active over the past few years and has financially supported at least two Democrats -- $250 to Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2001 and $1000 in 2000 to Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman, and one Democratic organization, the 8th Ward Regular Democratic Organization. Illinois State Board of Election records show no contributions to Republicans.

At the federal level, she financially supported Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. with a donation of $1500 in 2000."

I'd hope that even the Illinois GOP could find a better candidate than this.

[rhinohunter]

http://www.draftditka.com

[GiveEmDubya]

Doesn't matter. If Ditka's out, Obama's in and that's it. His advantage is too big for a no-name to come back.

I'm still hoping to be pleasantly surprised.