Obama apprears in Foster ads

Barack Obama is lending his high-wattage support to fellow Illinois Democrat Bill Foster in his bid to win former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s seat in Congress.

Obama appears in a new TV spot for Geneva businessman Bill Foster in advance of Saturday’s special election to choose Hastert’s replacement, after a nasty campaign that has drawn the attention of both candidates’ national parties.

“You may think you have to wait until November to vote for change, but here in Illinois you can start Saturday, March 8th; that’s when you can vote to send Bill Foster to Congress,” Obama says in the ad.

Foster’s campaign is counting on Obama’s message of change — which has resonated with voters across the country — to appeal to a wide range of voters in the traditionally Republican district that stretches from Aurora almost to the Mississippi River.

The campaign staff of Foster’s Republican opponent, Aurora businessman Jim Oberweis, discounted any Obama impact on the race.

“Barack Obama’s not on the ballot,” Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe said.