Dispatches from Springfield I

Springfield, Illinois
We just arrived at the state capitol. We're told Biden is en route and on the plane Obama spokeswoman Linda Douglass told us that Obama called Biden Thursday night to offer him the job

It is literally 90 degrees warmer than it was on February 10, 2007. The lectern's all set up with the new Obama/Biden logo. Obama's plane wasn't changed – the tip that broke Kerry's choice of Edwards in 2004 -- it simply reads “Change We Can Believe In; www.barackobama.com"). A significantly smaller crowd has turned up for this event than the 17,000 for Obama's presidential roll out. I guess the hearty people of Illinois will brave the cold but not the heat. Still, there are several thousand here (count to come). And it's a gorgeous day. More coming…