Breaking: Obama makes surprise visit to Altoona (Updated)

I never thought I'd do a "breaking" diary. But, this is too great to pass up the opportunity.

Moments ago, Altoona CBS affiliate WTAJ had a screen crawl during the tip-off of the NCAA nightcap game. The crawl announced that Obama had made a surprise visit to Altoona.

Obama was in Johnstown earlier today, and Altoona is in Blair County, along the route to State College, where a huge outdoor rally is scheduled tomorrow.

Why this surprise visit is especially sweet tonight over the bump....

Earlier this week, I saw a post on the Altoona Mirror message board bemoaning the fact that no candidates had yet appeared in Altoona.

Then, today, there was this story in the Mirror:

Presidential candidates ignore Blair

By Jessica VanderKolk, [e-mail]

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will visit Johnstown today and State College Sunday, but Altoona is not on his ‘‘Road to Change’’ campaign bus tour schedule.

Former President Bill Clinton stumped for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Johnstown March 12 and State College Thursday. Altoona also was not on his latest campaign schedule.

Blair County Democratic chairman Frank Rosenhoover can’t recall a presidential candidate ever stopping in the county.

‘‘Some of their surrogates have come,’’ he said, mentioning Tom Delay and Newt Gingrich. ‘‘I traveled to Indiana and shook hands with John Kennedy back in those days.’’

http://www.altoonamirror.com/...

Well, tonight all that has changed forever.

Obama the Closer does it again.

Update: Webcast here:
http://wearecentralpa.com/...