Illinois Education Association Recommends Obama

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The governing board for
Illinois' largest education employees' organization is recommending Sen.
Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to its members for the Feb. 5, 2008 Democratic
presidential primary.

The Board of Directors for the Illinois Education Association-NEA (IEA) voted
to concur with the decision by the organization's political action committee
(IPACE) to support the Illinois senator.

"We have long been impressed with the ability of Sen. Obama to bring people
together. As both a state senator and as a member of the United States
Senate, Sen. Obama has shown a unique ability to unite people regardless of
party politics," said IEA President Ken Swanson.

"No candidate running today has been a better friend to public education
employees and the students they serve than Barack Obama. IEA enthusiastically
supports Sen. Obama in the Illinois Democratic primary election."

The Illinois Education Association-NEA is the largest education employees'
organization in Illinois. IEA represents more than 130,000 Illinois
elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff,
educational support professionals, retired educators and college students
preparing to become teachers.

SOURCE Illinois Education Association

Charles McBarron of the Illinois Education Association, +1-217-544-0706