Mike Allen

Politico



We get ’em both?

Yep, the state of Minnesota — and the city of St. Paul — will not only host the McCain Republican coronation in September, but apparently also a big Obama Democratic victory rally on Tuesday.

Sen. Barack Obama will declare victory as the Democratic nominee for President at 8 p.m. Tuesday night in St. Paul, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak told the Pioneer Press this evening. It’ll be free, open to all, and, organizers hope, big.

Of course, there is no way to know if he’ll actually have the delegates in hand to secure the nomination Tuesday. But the symbolism is clearly there: Sources say Obama will declare victory at Xcel Energy Center — the same building where Sen. John McCain is expected to be nominated as his party’s candidate at the Republican National Convention in September.

Tuesday’s the night of the final Democratic primaries, in South Dakota and Montana. Rybak, who chairs Obama’s Minnesota campaign, said Tuesday’s event is not contingent on how Obama fares at the polls against his opponent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“He is the nominee,” Rybak said. “He will be coming here.”

The Minnesota GOP reacted quickly, with party Chairman Ron Carey issuing a statement that attacked some of Obama’s foreign policy positions. “I couldn’t be happier,” Carey said of Obama bringing the battle to St. Paul. And Matt Burns, spokesman for the Sept. 1-4 convention, said, in part, “We remain focused on planning the best possible convention – where Sen. McCain will share his positive vision with the American people.”

Obama’s campaign contacted the Xcel Energy Center to see if the arena is available, Xcel spokeswoman Kathy O’Connor said tonight.

“Nothing is confirmed yet … but obviously we’re very excited,” O’Connor told the Pioneer Press. “We would be thrilled to host. If anything happens, we’ll be prepared.”

The choice of venue is a mischievous, aggressive way for the Illinois Democrat to unofficially kick off the general election campaign against McCain, a Republican from Arizona. The location gives huge meaning to the moment, with Obama likely to frame a tough case against his new opponent in the very hall where McCain will accept his party’s nomination.

Rybak said the choice to give St. Paul a two-for was made by senior officials inside Obama’s campaign.

“They looked all over the country, and we’re proud they picked Minnesota,” Rybak said. “It symbolizes how important Minnesota has been through this whole process and the Obama campaign.”

Minnesota looks to be a natural choice.

No other state has voted as consistently Democratic in presidential races as Minnesota— even with the close races in 2000 and 2004.

Eleven of the last 12 Democratic presidential candidates carried the state. It last went Republican in 1972.

The news of Obama’s visit has created a rapidly spreading buzz among political circles, as observers mull the possibilities of what could be a historic speech — the first black nominee of a major party launching his de facto presidential run — on the banks of the Mississippi River in the Upper Midwest.

Buck Humphrey, chair of the Clinton campaign in Minnesota, was contacted and said he needed to review the Pioneer Press story before commenting.