Barack Obama's background in the Illinois Senate has focused more national attention than usual on the Illinois legislature and Illinois politics, as an article in the November 2, 2008, State Journal-Register reports.
UIS Professor of Public Affairs Reporting Charles Wheeler, a former newsman who covered the Statehouse for many years, weighs in on what Obama's record of voting "present" really means.
Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney notes that he had expected Obama to face much more and much harsher criticism because of the current investigation into charges of corruption in Illinois government and the federal conviction of one-time Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko.
Download a pdf file of the article
20081102-sjr-ObamaDrawsSpotlighttoIllLegislature.pdf
