Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Obama Laundry 101

university of wisconsin rally tonight.
the students for obama campaign is working out of Laundry 101, a coin operated laundrymat with a bar in madison. Wisconsin votes feb. 19.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Barack Obama has promised a new kind of politics, and based on the look of his campaign headquarters here, he's delivering.

Obama's campaign is working out of a small space in a coin-operated laundry that has a full bar, a dry cleaner, arcade games and television sets. It's a far cry from the storefronts and offices that campaigns typically call home.

The business, Laundry 101, is popular with University of Wisconsin-Madison students and has won national attention as an interesting place to do laundry and - this being Wisconsin - have a beer. Owner Zach Brandon is a city council member and Obama supporter.

"It has to be the most unique campaign headquarters anywhere in the United States," Gov. Jim Doyle said during a news conference there Monday. "It's the most unique Laundromat anywhere, and it's the most unique headquarters."

Doyle spoke near an arcade hunting game called "Call of the Wild." Behind him, students volunteering for Obama typed on their laptops.

Niel Moser, a campaign volunteer who was painting signs Tuesday afternoon, said he enjoyed the atmosphere.

"This is amazing. You've got everything you could want: a Laundromat, a bar and a dry cleaner," he said. With a laugh, he added: "When I walked in here, I said, 'We're going to have a clean sweep.'" madison daily

governor jim doyle at the laundry room 101