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Trolling For Votes. How Many Are Employed?

Earlene Franks of Kansas City takes a yard sign at the local Obama office opening. She says she'd like to volunteer her time as well.
KCUR photo by Dan Verbeck
Earlene Franks of Kansas City takes a yard sign at the local Obama office opening. She says she'd like to volunteer her time as well.

By Dan Verbeck, KCUR news

Kansas City, Mo. – Missouri State Senator Yvonne Wilson as well as better and lesser known democratic politicos maneuvered for room around an outside microphone, as the presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama opened it's Kansas City campaign office, fishing for volunteers. There are disputed reports on how concentrated the state campaign will be. Field staff passed through the crowd of more than a hundred asking for names and phone numbers of people who will help. Senator Wilson told the crowd:
" I can feel the energy out here, can you feel it. It's here Kansas City. And we're going to keep the energy flowing until the very end of this campaign."
Obama's Missouri campaign executive Melissa Liddy says reports of 150 campaign workers being hired in the state were leaked by a consultant. And the campaign will not confirm the huge number of workers. Senator John McCain staffers have not returned calls asking about the strength of local paid staff. It's reported to be much smaller than Obama's, at a dozen to 14.

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