Kerry event in Madison tomorrow won't be downtown.

John Kerry was going to have an event up at the Capitol Square tomorrow at noon and I was going to head up there after class and see if I could get some interesting photos or other bloggable tidbits. But I found this announcement:

Due to inclement weather, please note the change in venue for the Madison rally

Join our campaign today! Fill out the form below to print out your complimentary ticket(s).

What:
Rally with John Kerry in Madison with a live performance by Sheryl Crow

When:
Wednesday, September 15
Gates open at 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison, WI

Details:
Parking is extremely limited. Please use public transportation (Metro Route 5) or carpool.

There is a forecast for thunderstorms later in the day, but it's terrible to miss out on the beautiful Capitol Square backdrop and the vital crowd that will be on the street at lunchtime. And why are they further discouraging attendance by saying "Parking is extremely limited" at the Alliant Center? The Alliant Center is a big concert and sports venue, with a parking lot designed to accommodate the crowds that fit in the buildings. The only reason to have this at Alliant, as opposed to some place in town, like the Kohl Center, is so that people can drive there. Well, I suppose they will get their indoor crowd for the free Sheryl Crow concert, and you wouldn't want Sheryl to get caught in the rain. But I bet the real reason for the move was that the City told the Kerry campaign they'd have to pay for the security. Anyway, I won't attend.

UPDATE, WEDNESDAY MORNING: Actually, the whether does look pretty threatening.

ANOTHER UPDATE: There actually is something of a parking problem today, with some paving being done on part of the lot. But the event is at the Exhibition Center, which seats 7,000, not the much larger arena, so it still wasn't a great idea to discourage people from driving.