Obama, McCain HQs gearing up

With Sen. John McCain’s offices already opened in Pittsburgh, Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential… With Sen. John McCain’s offices already opened in Pittsburgh, Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign expanded its efforts this month. The Democrat’s office in Pittsburgh opened its doors to the public on Aug. 7 during a grand opening Downtown. Though the campaign’s Pittsburgh headquarters were formerly located in East Liberty, the campaign took the opportunity to move into a spacious office complex at 213 Smithfield St. after Sen. Hillary Clinton’s primary presidential campaign vacated the building. ‘It’s a more central location,’ said former intern Roy Carlson, a senior studying political science at Duquesne University. The grand opening was part of a statewide kickoff that had every major Obama campaign office celebrating. On Smithfield Street, blank white rooms were organized primarily according to voting wards. There were also rooms that partially represented nearby neighborhoods such as Oakmont. Volunteers and staff members from their respective locations worked in the office to sign up volunteers and discuss Obama’s presidential campaign. Although Carlson said the campaign office has been open for approximately two weeks, much of that time has been spent setting up the office for business. At Obama’s opening event, campaign support materials were available for free for supporters. At the opening, assembled spectators crammed into a central room and fanned themselves to fight off the heat while they listened to speeches. Speakers at the opening included Allegheny County Democratic Party chair James Burn Jr. and former City Council member Sala Udin. Burn emphasized unity between Obama’s and Clinton’s supporters in the face of McCain’s opposition for the presidential office, which Burn strongly criticized. ‘They are still trying to rub salt in our wounds,’ said Burn of the Republicans’ campaign. Acknowledging the sharp words between the two Democratic contenders, Burn said, ‘That was not a fight, that was a debate,’ during the primary campaign season. Udin chose to emphasize what he saw as supporters taking McCain’s defeat for granted. McCain’s local campaign offices are located in Greentree. Although the office did not return calls, Pitt’s chapter of the College Republicans is planning events of its own that will not leave Obama’s campaign actions unanswered. A McCain campaign office Downtown would be an asset, said College Republicans President Patrick Graham. ‘For Pitt Students, it would be easier ‘hellip; whereas getting to Greentree is a little tougher,’ he said. Graham said that he is not worried about the McCain headquarters being far away from potential student volunteers. ‘I don’t know that the fact that the office is in Greentree puts any more pressure on us,’ he said, citing plans to supply free tickets and bus rides to college students for a McCain rally in nearby Washington, Pa., on Aug. 30. On-campus events for the College Republicans include an upcoming documentary movie night planned to emphasize weaknesses of the Obama campaign and tabling in Towers Lobby.