By Christi Parsons
There are thousands of union members gathering for a candidates’ forum at Soldier Field this afternoon, and the hometown candidates are making the most of their local connections.
As the crowds are assembling for the AFL-CIO event, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be holding a rally for anybody who cares to show up early.
Never one to put off her homework, Hillary Clinton will have volunteers working on a campaign to-do list. As the union members spill out of the stadium, supporters of the Park Ridge native will greet them with clipboards in hand, kicking off her signature drive to put herself on the Illinois ballot.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney at Soldier Field: His coalition of unions was unable to agree on one Democrat to endorse during the 2004 primaries, and withheld its nod until Feb. 19 that year, when John Kerry was on his way to nomination. A similar scenario is expected this time around. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)