Barack Obama to Halt Campaign to Visit Ailing Grandmother

Photo from source, MSNBC

Yikes. The breaking news in the last few minutes says that Barack Obama will be "suspending" his campaign (or at least his own participation in it) later this week to visit his ailing grandmother, whose health has taken a turn for the worse. I can't imagine that there is a particular downside to this, but in our wacky political environment, who knows?

I would think that John McCain would likely issue a very hasty "we wish the Obama family well" type statement. It remains to be seen whether they'll halt their "pallin' around with terrorists" rhetoric, or if they'll somehow try to turn this to their advantage. So, while it is a dicey proposition to pull out of your own campaign in the last two weeks, it is equally so to try to use such a serious event to either side's advantage.

Here's hoping his grandmother has a turnaround, and that the politics can be reigned in for a time.

[Excerpt]

Obama to take break to see sick grandmother

Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama is canceling nearly all his campaign events Thursday and Friday to fly to Hawaii to visit his suddenly ill 85-year-old grandmother, his spokesman said. . .

Read more at: MSNBC