This is actually a much bigger machine than I had imagined.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Conventional wisdom was that Indiana's 15 minutes of political fame were over when the frenzied Democratic presidential campaign rolled out of the state after the May 6 primary.
But Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee-in-waiting, is retrenching in Indiana in hopes of keeping a traditional stronghold for Republican presidential candidates in play heading toward the November general election.
Some Republicans say Obama is simply trying to get Republican rival John McCain to spend significant resources in a state he otherwise would largely bypass. The Obama camp dismisses that.
"It's about competing in a state we can win and his commitment here," said Jonathan Swain, who recently left his post as press secretary to Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh to become Obama's communications director in Indiana.
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Obama also has opened an office at state party headquarters and plans to add at least 20 regional offices around the state in the coming weeks.
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As of the end of May, Obama had substantially out-raised McCain both nationally and in Indiana this election cycle. He had taken in about $1.2 million from Indiana, while McCain had received about $587,000.
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