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The Obama campaign announced a presidential advisory committee for West Virginia Monday.  It includes two former superdelegates for Hillary Clinton, Pat Maroney and Marie Prezioso.  It also includes former Cabell County delegate Arley Johnson, who according to an Associated Press account told the Obama camp not to even bother bringing the candidate to the state.

This is the line from an AP story recently on a conference on racism at Marshall University -- "Former state Delegate Arley Johnson is convinced racism was a factor in Obama's loss, and has told the campaign that sending Obama here would be a waste of time."

Now this group is charged with coming up with a strategy for the final weeks of the 2008 election. 

They meet for the first time Tuesday.

Other members include...

Advisory Committee Members by county:

·         Kanawha County:

o   Pat Maroney, past chair, West Virginia Democratic Party; Democratic National Committeeman

o   Sally Richardson, past chair, West Virginia Democratic Party

o   Arley Johnson, former state delegate from Cabell County

o   Marie Prezioso, Democratic National Committeewoman 

·         Gilmer County

o   Marge Burke, former state delegate

o   Billy Burke, former state delegate 

·         Mercer County

               o   Joe Franklin Long, Bluefield attorney 

·         Marshall County

o   State Senator Jeff Kessler, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee 

·         Hardy County

o   Clyde See, former Speaker of the House 

·         Mingo County

o   Tish Chafin, attorney and wife of Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin