Sioux Falls Obama Rally: McGovern Opens

George McGovern opens for Senator Obama at the Sioux Falls rally tonight (see the live feed at KELO), in front of an audience KELO's Lou Raguse estimates at 5,000 (o.k., it's Lou Raguse counting -- your grains of salt are acceptable). McGovern notes that after he endorsed Senator Clinton last October in Iowa, his four kids and ten grandkids all enlisted in the Obama campaign. "Shows how much influence I have at home," joked McGovern. He compliments the Clintons, acknowledges how they "worked their hearts out" on his 1972 campaign, and says they will always remain close friends. But now, says McGovern is time to unite behind Obama and make the charge for change in November.

McGovern repeats his suggestion that in Obama, Illinois may be producing its "second Lincoln." He points to his impression that Obama may help bring back the ability of the two parties to cooperate, as McGovern recalls they could during his own tenure in the Senate, when he could work easily with Kansas Senator Bob Dole on veterans issues and reach across the aisle to start WIC. Obama also "consistently appeals to the better angels of our nature. he is our best hope, in Lincoln's words, for a just and lasting peace among ourselves and for with all nations."