Pardon me for not joining the growing throngs on the bandwagon, but I just don't get it when it comes to the media fascination with U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Let me preface my comments by saying I met Sen. Obama last year and had a lengthy conversation with him. I found the only African-American in the Senate to be articulate, charming and personable. Additionally, he's well-educated. But, beyond that, he's still a rookie in Washington, and more importantly he's a freshman senator.

I bring these things up today, not to sound like a naysayer, but because of an Associated Press story that hit the state wire this week. Written by Dennis Conrad, the story had a headline reading: "Obama: The senator with the Midas touch."

In the event you missed the story, here's how the first lines read:

"Barack Obama has shown a Midas touch in so many ways that it's easy to forget he's just another new senator. In the past year, the freshman from Illinois has become a best-selling author, a millionaire, a Grammy Award winner and an important fundraiser for Democrats."

The story went on to say Obama has helped raise more than $6.5 million for his political action committee and other Democratic candidates and party committees "as he crisscrosses the country." Obama also is credited with raising more than $800,000 for the re-election bid of 88-year-old West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, through an e-mail message he sent out through MoveOn.org.

As I read the accolades - "a best-selling author, a millionaire, a Grammy Award winner and an important fundraiser for Democrats" - the thought crossed my mind: how exactly does that help me, or for that matter, anybody else in the Land of Lincoln?

Ironically, on the same day the glowing AP story appeared about our senator with the Midas touch, I happened to read another story that illustrated how the hard-working folks in Illinois have not enjoyed nearly as good of a year as Sen. Obama.

Let me explain.

During the past year while Obama was busy becoming a millionaire, penning a best-selling book, winning a Grammy and raising $800,000 for Sen. Byrd, Illinois residents were slowly sinking a little deeper into the hopeless poverty abyss.

The 2006 Report on Illinois Poverty continues to be a hot topic throughout the state. A story released this week by the bipartisan Illinois Poverty Summit once again repeated that Illinois has the highest poverty rate in the Midwest and also ranks dead-last among states in the region on 15 key poverty indicators, including employment outlook, housing affordability and education spending.

According to the report, Illinois holds unflattering position of having the highest poverty rate for adults and children of eight Midwestern states, and the report also shows that 12.5 percent of Illinois residents - more than 1.5 million in all - live below the federal poverty level and nearly 30 percent of all state residents live at what the report calls "near poverty." In addition, you're more apt to have a payday-loan store in your community because the through-the-roof interest facilities now outnumber state-chartered banks.

The report also said one out of every four Illinois workers earns less than $9.28 per hour, which puts a single-income family of four below the federal poverty level. Think about that salary for a moment. Even though some people earn less, let's use the $9.28 figure, which translates to $371.20 for a 40-hour week or $19,320 annually, before taxes.

Pardon me for seeming a little cynical, but I'm sure those trying to figure out a way to feed a family of four on $19,320 per year find real comfort in the fact it took Sen. Obama only one year to become a millionaire.

Or, think of the warm glow those 1.5 million Illinois residents living in poverty will feel when they hear "Sen. Midas" raised nearly $1 million for Sen. Byrd, a former Ku Klux Klan member.

Other key poverty indicators on which Illinois ranks worst in the Midwest include:

- Overall poverty rate, deep poverty rate, child poverty rate

- Overall rate of uninsured people

- Home ownership rate

- Rate of children in a household where the head of household did not finish high school

- Reading and math achievement gap between poor and non-poor (worst in nation)

Of course when factoring in the Grammy Award that Obama brought back to Illinois, I'm sure all those things can be overlooked by those wallowing in poverty.

I truly believe Sen. Obama, if he can dislodge himself from fringe Democrats and the MoveOn.org crowd, has the potential to become a proven lawmaker and an advocate for Illinois residents and taxpayers. However, it seems to me the only thing Obama has proven is that he can market himself.

Perhaps some day in the future Sen. Obama can spin his "Midas touch" into something golden that will help replace the increasing poverty in the state of Illinois.

JIM MUIR is a columnist for The Southern Illinoisan and can be reached at writeon1@shawneelink.net.