Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell Endorses Barack Obama

"I’m proud to support Barack Obama for President. Senator Obama and I worked together last year to improve care for our soldiers and veterans in the wake of the scandal at Walter Reed, and I know that, as President, he will work hard for our men and women in uniform. Like the primary voters of my congressional district, which Senator Obama carried, I am inspired by Barack’s vision for America, his ability to unify our country and bring much-needed to change to Washington."

Widow of Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers, Endorses Barack Obama

"I am deeply honored to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. Over the course of this campaign, I have watched with pride as Barack Obama has inspired a new movement for change. Countless Americans of every race, economic and political background are engaged in our democracy with a passion and commitment not seen for generations.

Like my husband Medgar Evers and other great leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Barack Obama embodies a deep well of courage, integrity, compassion, strength and sound judgment. He offers the kind of leadership that we need in the White House as our nation grapples with chronic issues like rising gas and food prices, skyrocketing healthcare costs, a flagging housing market, job insecurity and a misguided Iraq war.

America is again at a crossroads, and at this moment Medgar’s words speak to me with a fierce urgency, ‘Is there anything that you believe in strongly enough to stand up and fight for?’ Barack Obama is a living testament to Medgar’s work. He is the strongest candidate to unite our country around the common challenges we face. That is why I support Barack Obama for president."

"I am honored to have the support of Mrylie Evers-Williams. Along with her husband Medgar, she laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and did so much to advance the cause of equality and justice in this country. Mrylie’s tireless efforts to keep her husband’s legacy alive and to open up opportunity for all Americans has been a light upon my path as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and state and U.S. Senator — and their example is one I’ll continue looking to in the months ahead and beyond."

Ohio Superdelegate and Labor Leader, Dave Regan Endorses Obama

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Obama picked up an Ohio add on, AP reports: “Ohio labor leader Dave Regan, who was selected as a superdelegate Saturday, told the AP that Obama is ‘the candidate that can unite the country and move beyond the divineness and gridlock that we have today.’ Regan recognized that Clinton won the Ohio primary March 4. ‘But that was two months ago. I think as the campaign has unfolded, Obama is looking like a stronger and stronger candidate,’ Regan said. ‘I think it's very likely he will be the nominee.’”

The campaign confirms Regan as well. Regan is the fourth Obama has picked up today. Clinton today gained one, but lost two for a net of negative one.

Of Course, Edwards Voted for Obama

posted by John Nichols on 05/10/2008 @ 4:10pm

Appearing Friday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," former U.S. Senator John Edwards was pressed by co-host Mika Brzezinski to discuss who he had voted for in last Tuesday's North Carolina primary.

"You're saying that this candidate you voted for will be the candidate that you potentially endorse, that it looks highly likely, if I can use your words?" asked Brzezinski.

"I'd say that's very likely," replied Edwards.

"Okay, well, I'm close," said Brzezinski.

"I just voted –- I just voted for him on Tuesday, so..." said Edwards, in an apparent slip.

"So it was a him or a her that you voted for?" interjected another MSNBC host, David Schuster, seeking to clarify that Edwards had just acknowledged that he had voted for Obama.

"No, no," said Edwards, laughing off the question.

An Edwards spokesman tried to suggest that the former presidential candidate, whose endorsement is still being sought by both Obama and Clinton, didn't say "him" but instead said "'em" -- suggesting that this is southern drawl for "them" and maintaining the facade of impartiality.

Don't take the drawl seriously.

Listen to the tape.

Edwards clearly said "him."

He voted for Obama.

While he is not saying so formally quite yet -- though he does say he's "highly likely" to endorse the candidate he voted for -- the 2004 vice presidential nominee will, in reasonably short order, formalize that support with an endorsement of the senator from Illinois.

Naive observers are suggesting that the Edwards endorsement no longer matters because Obama has things wrapped up -- the Illinoisan is collecting super-delegate endorsements at a steady clip and closing in on the numbers he'll need to end the race by early June if not sooner.

But don't fall for the "too-late" argument.

In fact, Edwards has played the endorsement game smart. Both Obama and Clinton have continued talking with the former candidate, continued involving him in their calculations and continued treating him as a necessary -- perhaps even defining -- player in the process.

Obama's camp sees the Edwards endorsement as a critical step in the reintroduction of their candidate in the post-primary period before the Democratic National Convention in August. When Edwards does finally step up, it will be a high-profile event, aimed at garnering maximum media attention.

With his appeal to the working-class Democrats and white rural voters Republican John McCain will be targeting this fall, the North Carolinian will not cease to be an essential player after the primary fight is done. Indeed, he will be more essential.

Of course, his backing will not come as a surprise when it is finally announced.

The word "endorsement" won't be used. The buzz is that Obama and Edwards will talk about a partnership -- with a focus on economic issues in general and poverty in particular.

Watch for Edwards to deliver a prime-time speech at the convention -- after which he will emerge as an integral player on Barack Obama's campaign team and in the broader Democratic strategies for the fall.

Edwards may have dropped out of the presidential race in the dead of winter. But he will be in the fight by high summer. And come next January, if there is an Obama administration, John Edwards will be in the thick of it.

Two More Obama Superdelegates From the Virgin Islands - Both Defections From Hillary

Former Clinton Superdelegate Kevin Rodriquez switches to back Obama Chicago, IL – Virgin Island superdelegates Carole Burke and Kevin Rodriquez endorsed Barack Obama today.

Rodriquez switched his endorsement citing Obama's ability to unite the Democratic Party and win the White House:

"While I have great respect for Senator Clinton, today I am announcing my support for Barack Obama. Senator Obama has brought a new generation and energy into the democratic process and the Democratic Party. He has shown he can connect with Democrats, Republicans and Independents across this country, whether we live on the mainland or an island. Senator Obama's judgment to lead, courage to tell the truth and commitment to working men and women make him the best candidate to lead this country forward."

Obama Picks Up Utah Add-On Superdelegate

Utah selected it’s add-on superdelegate last night -
Kristi Cumming, an Obama supporter.

So Long, Hillary ...

Obama Rises from Political Obscurity to Verge of History

Barack Obama's 4-year rocket ride leaves fans and rivals marveling, and Americans reassessing

CHARLES BABINGTON | Associated Press Writer | May 10, 2008

The amazement was on their faces. Hundreds waited for Barack Obama on that evening in South Carolina, 15 weeks ago, to claim victory — a surprising victory, surprisingly large.

And amazing it was. It made it possible for him to stand today on the verge of being the first black person ever nominated for president by a major party.

One could guess the thoughts of the blacks and whites in that crowd: Can you believe that our state — South Carolina, first to secede and first to open fire in the Civil War — is now catapulting a black man to the front of the presidential contest in a year that bodes well for Democrats?

"Race doesn't matter," some began to chant. "Race doesn't matter!"

The cry soon gave way to more familiar chants of "Yes we can," and everyone in the auditorium surely knew that race does still matter in so many ways. But in a pinch-me moment, they seemed to realize that a barrier had been broken with a swiftness and certainty that even they had not foreseen.

Even more astounding, the man vaulting ahead of the universally known former first lady, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, had been a state legislator only four years earlier — a lawyer with no fame, wealth or family connections.

Now, the entire nation and countless foreigners are absorbing a moment that had seemed decades away, if possible at all. Smart strategists and rank-and-file voters ponder how Obama rose so far so fast, and theories abound. Historians will sort it out someday, but Obama's blend of oratory, biography, optimism and cool confidence come to mind most immediately.

It's not just about him, of course. If America can seriously think of putting a black man in the White House, surely it must also profoundly rethink the relevance of race, the power of prejudice, the logic of affirmative action and other societal forces that have evolved slowly through the eras of Jim Crow, desegregation and massive immigration.

Maybe the toughest question is this:

Is Obama, with his incandescent smile and silky oratory, a once-in-a-century phenomenon who will blast open doors only to see them quickly close on less extraordinary blacks?

Or is he the lucky and well-timed beneficiary of racial dynamics that have changed faster than most people realized, a trend that presumably will soon yield more black governors, senators, mayors and council members?

Presidential campaigns have destroyed many bright and capable politicians. But there's ample evidence that Obama is something special, a man who makes difficult tasks look easy, who seems to touch millions of diverse people with a message of hope that somehow doesn't sound Pollyannaish.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, a black Maryland Democrat who endorsed Obama early, says the Illinois senator convinces people of all races that Americans as a society, and as individuals, can achieve higher goals if they try.

"He says we can do better, and his life is the epitome of doing better," says Cummings, noting that Obama was raised by a single mother who sometimes relied on food stamps. "He convinces people that there's a lot of good within them."

And why should they believe such feel-good platitudes? "Because he's real and he has confidence in his own competence," Cummings says.

Without question, Obama is an electrifying speaker. At virtually every key juncture in his trajectory, he has used inspirational oratory to generate excitement, buy time to deal with crises, and force party activists to rethink their assumptions that a black man with an African name cannot seriously vie for the presidency.

A prime-time speech at the Democratic convention in Boston catapulted him to national attention in 2004. When his presidential campaign badly trailed Clinton's high-flying operation, he gave it new life with a timely Iowa speech that outshone her remarks moments earlier on the same stage. And a heavily covered March 18 speech about race relations calmed criticisms about his ties to his former pastor, although Obama had to revisit the matter when the minister restated incendiary remarks about the government.

Obama has a compelling biography, too. The son of a black African father he barely knew, and a white Kansan mother who took him from Hawaii to Indonesia, he was largely raised by his white maternal grandparents. He finished near the top of his Harvard law class, then rejected big firms' salaries to work as a community organizer in Southside Chicago, where he found a church, his wife and a place that felt like home.

But all those attributes don't explain the Obama phenomenon.

Other great orators have fallen short of the presidency, including Daniel Webster and William Jennings Bryan.

Plenty of brilliant people have tried and failed, too. Bill Bradley was a Princeton graduate, basketball star and Rhodes Scholar.

Intriguing biographies aren't enough, either. John Glenn was an astronaut and American hero, but he couldn't get off the presidential launchpad.

Jim Margolis, a veteran campaign strategist now working for Obama, thinks it is his blend of all these traits, wrapped in "authenticity," which makes Obama's message of hope and inclusion seem plausible, not pie in the sky.

Margolis interviewed many of Obama's Harvard classmates for TV ads and documentaries. They told him Obama "was wise beyond his years, and never talked down to people," Margolis said.

"He has this amazing ability to connect with people and understand their problems," he said. "And through it all, there is this optimism."

For a politician with only four years of experience at the federal level, Obama also has spot-on instincts, associates say, and a steely confidence in his convictions, in good times and bad. His roughest patch came after Clinton revived her campaign with wins in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and a renewed uproar over Obama's former pastor threatened to consume his campaign.

Obama rejected advice to criticize Clinton more fiercely, and went back to his themes of political and racial reconciliation. His solid win in North Carolina and near miss in Indiana confirmed his judgment.

Obama and his small core of longtime advisers also outsmarted the vaunted Clinton team by focusing early on small caucus states, where he racked up important wins. His fundraising has been nothing short of astounding, with millions of dollars pouring in via the Internet from people who never gave a politician a dime.

Obama fans often search for words to express their attraction.

"He just really electrifies you when you are listening to him," said Lena Bradley, 78, a beauty salon owner in Washington. "He has something that's leading him."

As ephemeral as "something that's leading him" sounds, it's hard to explain in more clinical terms his impact on people. But it's there.

As recently as June 2006, a lone reporter could travel with Obama in cars and small planes as he campaigned for other Democrats in state after state. On one such visit to Massachusetts and New Jersey, his charm was on full display before crowds of various size, age and ethnic makeup. He made teenagers guffaw by saying people pronounced his name "Yo Mama." He quoted scripture in a black church, and set every head nodding.

On a plane ride he talked with the reporter for an hour, on the record, with barely a hint of the nervousness or hedging that most politicians understandably display to someone with a pen, pad and tape recorder.

Before an audience of 300 people in East Orange, N.J., Obama spotted local resident and famous singer Dionne Warwick. He smiled impishly and sang, "If you see me walking down the street," the opening line of her hit, "Walk on By." The crowd roared its approval of his on-key ad lib.

Some veteran politicians also see "something that's leading" Obama, whether they can explain it or not.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a longtime friend and supporter, said "nothing was ever the same" after Obama's Boston speech.

Durbin recalls pulling Obama into a vacant meeting room in Chicago's Union League Club, where both had spoken on a Friday afternoon in November 2006. He felt it was time for his young colleague to decide whether to run for the White House.

"There are moments in life when you can pick the time," Durbin said he told Obama. "But when it comes to running for president, the time can pick you. You've been picked. This is your moment."

A short time later, Obama launched his candidacy.

"Only unremitting ambition and an overwhelming desire for power could now be driving Mrs Clinton."

Very good analysis that is, most often, missing from the American media
- zjm



Commentary: Desperate Hillary shows her true colours

Published on Saturday, May 10, 2008 | Caribbean Net News | By Sir Ronald Sanders

It is unlikely that by the time this commentary is read Hillary Clinton would have conceded victory to Barack Obama in the race for the US Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, even though she should.

Mrs Clinton is no longer a credible candidate. The figures speak for themselves: Obama far outstrips her in the popular vote. He now leads her by an insurmountable 715,000. Obama has 1,840 delegates, Clinton has 1,688. The winner needs 2,025 and there is no way that Mrs Clinton could overhaul Obama in the remaining six contests (five states and Puerto Rico) which together will yield only 217 delegates, and from support by the super delegates, only 269 of whom are uncommitted.

Sir Ronald Sanders is a business executive and former Caribbean diplomat who publishes widely on small states in the global community.

Obama needs only 30% of those votes to make him the winner; Clinton requires 70%. And, As the Los Angeles Times editorialised: “Even if Clinton were to win every remaining state by a comfortable margin, she could not amass enough delegates before the convention to pass Obama”.

But, yet, she is remaining in the race and, in the process, creating fissures in the Democratic Party and giving ammunition to the Republican candidate, John McCain, to use against Obama.

Only unremitting ambition and an overwhelming desire for power could now be driving Mrs Clinton.

No greater testimony to this unrelenting resolve could be needed than the fact that while donors have now abandoned the financing of her campaign she has personally loaned it $6.4 million, added to an earlier sum of $5 million that she and her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, made to it.

Whatever her motivation now is, she is demonstrating an almost vicious determination to stay in the campaign to the end, even though it will surely damage the Democratic Party’s struggle against a settled Republican Party candidate.

In recent television interviews she has appeared calculating, even scheming.

When Obama’s views or statements are put to her for reaction, she seems intolerant, bordering on irritated. She seems to draw on great reserves of forbearance just to be civil when Obama’s name is mentioned.

Yet, except in the minds of the most die-hard supporters of Mrs Clinton, there can be no doubt that Obama has beaten her solidly. She can now count only on the backing of less affluent and less educated white voters.

After her very poor showing in North Carolina where Obama won 56% of the vote to her 42%, and her even worse showing in Indiana where she won by only 2% although she was expected to trounce him decisively, the right thing for Mrs Clinton to have done was to concede graciously.

She didn’t. Instead two days later, she played the race card.

Not enough was attention was paid by the main stream media in the US of the spin she put on an Associated Press (AP) exit poll of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries. According to the AP poll, Clinton won about 60 per cent of the white vote in both states. Mrs Clinton interpreted that to mean that “white Americans” are turning away from Obama.

She is reported to have told a reporter for the magazine, USA Today, “I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on”.

What she ignored was the fact that since March 4th in Ohio where she won 65 per cent of the white vote, her support among whites has been declining. In Pennsylvania on April 22nd, she won 63 per cent of the white vote, down to 60% in both North Carolina and Indiana on May 6th.

She was bold, if economical with the truth, by saying that the AP poll “found how Senator Obama’s support among hard working Americans – white Americans – is weakening again and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me”.

But, it was her last assertion about the poll that showed Mrs Clinton’s readiness to use race to frighten Democrats into handing her the Presidential nomination. She said: “These (the whites who had not completed college) are the people you have to win - if you’re a Democrat – in sufficient numbers to actually win the (Presidential) election”.

When, in the past, Mrs Clinton said that Obama was “unelectable”, commentators suggested that she meant he was inexperienced. In the context of the white voters she claims to represent, it looks as if she now means he is also not white.

From the very beginning of this campaign, when I wrote two commentaries entitled, No Black in The White House, my belief had been that race would be used against Obama being elected President of the United States.

But, I have to admit that while I fully expected the Republican campaign to whip it up unmercifully if Obama emerged as the Democratic nominee, I did not expect it to come from Hillary Clinton. Certainly not after the almost blind support that the black American community gave to both she and her husband, not only in his election as US President but also in the travails that followed especially over the Monica Lewinski affair.

What has also been amazing about the Clinton campaign is that it has characterised Obama as having “elitist sensibilities”. This was a turn up for the books –, an African American being elitist while the white American candidate is not. My, how times have changed.

Given all this, it looks as if Hillary Clinton will prolong the campaign for the Democratic nomination to the bitter end.

That end will be one of two: either when Obama gets to the magic figure of 2,025 delegates, or when the leadership of the Democratic Party has enough gumption to tell Mrs Clinton that she has caused the candidacy of the Democrats enough harm, and she should withdraw so that the Party could focus on John McCain.

Barack Obama 'has enough super-delegates to win Democratic nomination'

By Tim Shipman in Washington | Last updated: 1:10 PM BST 10/05/2008

The Illinois senator last week switched his attention to the general election battle against John McCain after locking down more than enough pledges to reach the victory target of 2,025 delegates.

A senior Democrat strategist, familiar with discussions at the highest levels of the Obama camp, has revealed that Mr Obama is now confident of the support of around 120 of the remaining 260 undeclared superdelegates.

His aides believe he will only need between 70 and 80 to be sure of the nomination if he wins the Oregon, Montana and South Dakota primaries as expected ater this month.

The strategist said: "The reason he's behaving like he's won it, is because he thinks he has won it. His numbers man now thinks they have enough firm support to get to 2,025."

Out of respect for Hillary Clinton many have insisted that their allegiance remains private until after the final primary election on June 3. Others will go public to maintain Mr Obama's momentum if Mrs Clinton, as expected, wins a handsome victory in West Virginia on Tuesday.

By one estimate Mr Obama grabbed the lead in superdelegates for the first time on Friday, after picking up seven public endorsements in a day. At one time he trailed Mrs Clinton by more than 100. His lead in pledged delegates, selected by voters, means he now enjoys an insurmountable lead of 160 over the former First Lady.

The strategist said Mr Obama has "no intention" of making Mrs Clinton his running mate, but that he is prepared to offer an olive branch to her supporters by seating delegates from Michigan and Florida, won by Mrs Clinton but excluded because they broke party rules.

A second well placed Democrat, who has discussed tactics with Mr Obama's aides, says they are happy for Mrs Clinton to contest the remaining primaries as long as she does not try to take down Mr Obama with her.

He said: "They are going to concentrate on McCain and just let the psychodrama play itself out to a dwindling audience. They know they have to be respectful of her because they will need her supporters in November."

Chris Kofinis, another Democratic strategist, who was John Edwards' press secretary, warned that Mrs Clinton's claim on Thursday that her rival suffers from dwindling support among white voters went too far.

"That's the kind of divisive talk they can't pursue," he said. "I don't think anyone will have a problem with her staying in unless she goes for a scorched earth strategy. I think Senator Clinton will do what she needs to do when she thinks the time is right. This is now an insurmountable task for her. Most, if not all of the people in her campaign realise that when they're talking honestly."

If Mrs Clinton does try to drag down Mr Obama, his aides will ask the privately pledged superdelegates to go public sooner.

Mr Obama will now sharpen his rhetoric, tackling Senator McCain over Iraq and the economy. And yesterday (SAT), with an eye on November's general election, he began a nationwide voter registration drive to ensure the maximum Democratic turnout.

Obama aides also revealed last week that victory in the Oregon primary on May 20 would give him a clear majority of the elected delegates, a victory they believe superdelegates would not overturn and one they plan to mark with a rally in his home state.

John McCain is working on his own strategy to combat Mr Obama. One adviser to the Republican candidate revealed that he is considering tactics to undermine Mr Obama's claims that he would put an end to politics as usual.

In the coming weeks Mr McCain plans to challenge the Democrat to accept public funding of elections, as he suggested he would before it became clear that he would shatter fundraising records. Refusal to agree terms would undermine Mr Obama's claims to be an ethical new broom. The McCain camp is also examining a suggestion by Mark McKinnon, a media strategist for the Republicans, who has suggested that his boss and Mr Obama agree to campaign together in some states, attending joint town hall meetings and debating each other without a moderator. Again a refusal from Mr Obama could be used against him.

"The town hall meeting is John's best format," the aide said. "He's a natural campaigner up close with the public. That would test Obama's claims that he wants a clean fight on the issues. John is also strong on finance reform. If Obama reneges on public funding it will look bad."

Republican strategist Scott Reid summed up the situation: "This was a pivot week not only for Obama but also for Senator McCain, because it's now really showtime."

Oregon Welcomes Presumptive Nominee, Barack Obama!

SURVEY FIRM POLL-AXES CLINTON

By CHARLES HURT

May 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton may go on to West Virginia and Kentucky in hopes of proving she's a better candidate than Barack Obama, but at least one major national polling firm won't be paying attention.

Rasmussen Reports, which has been tracking the Democratic nomination daily for nearly two years, announced yesterday that it is dropping surveys of Clinton vs. Obama.

"It has become clear that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee," Michael Boniello, Rasmussen's vice president, said in an e-mail yesterday.

The pollster will now focus on the potential general-election matchup of Obama against Republican John McCain

The House Majority Whip Speaks About the State of the Democratic Primary

WASHINGTON - National Journal's Linda Douglass spoke with House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., for the May 9 edition of "National Journal On Air." This is a transcript of their conversation.

Linda Douglass: I'd like to welcome Congressman James Clyburn. He is the Majority Whip of the House of Representatives. Welcome, Congressman.

Rep. James Clyburn: Thank you so much for having me.

Douglass: So, many reporters have been seeking your views because you are one of the top members of the House leadership and, of course, are African-American as well, and we often ask you to weigh in on these ticklish issues of race that have been raised in the campaign, along with other things. So, starting off on that subject, let me ask you this question: Hillary Clinton has been continuing to campaign today, yesterday, throughout West Virginia and the other states that she is seeking to win, making the argument that she wins with certain kinds of voters — blue-collar voters, Catholic voters — and [Barack] Obama does not; do you think that as she continues to press the case that he can't win, that she's doing damage to him as a candidate?

Clyburn: Continuing to press the case seems to me to be in search of a self-fulfilling prophecy here. You know, we all know anything that continues to be reinforced in the minds of voters tends to take on a life of its own. I would hope, as I have said before, that the candidates will continue to press their case on their own behalf. I don't know why it's necessary to talk about anybody else's shortcomings; just talk about your own attributes and what you bring to the table. And it seems to be that that's the better way to go. As I've said before, if we continue to raise these extraneous issues, we can and we will do irreparable harm, not just to our party but to our efforts.

And it would seem to me that we ought to be about bringing this country together. We are fighting an international war on terrorism. We cannot afford for this country to be divided on any front — gender, race, ethnicity — no matter what. This country has to come together, and the extent to which all of our candidates running for office would carry that kind of positive message of unification, I think the better off we are.

Douglass: Well, just one more question on that subject... She was quoted today in USA Today describing her strengths against his weaknesses, and she said about herself — quoting from a news article, she was talking about a news article — but Senator Clinton said the following: that "Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again," and "whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me." "There is a pattern emerging here," she said. What's your reaction to that quote?

Clyburn: Well, I don't think that carries any more weight than anyone who will argue that the fact that she only got 8 percent of the African-American vote in North Carolina indicates that she cannot get African-American votes in the general election. It's one thing for us to measure these two Democratic candidates against each other. It is totally something else again for us to measure a Democratic candidate against a Republican candidate. Those are two different things — apples and oranges — and I do believe it is a stretch for us to consider otherwise. If we buy into that, and we buy into the conventional wisdom that no Democrat wins the presidency getting only 8 percent of the African-American vote, then what does that to say for her prospects in the fall?

So I think that we have to be very, very careful with all of this. And I really believe that this is the kind of stuff that I had been talking about with tamping down the enthusiasm of young people, because scores and scores of non-black young people have gotten involved in this campaign this year. They are very excited about Barack Obama, for whatever reason. A lot of it nobody can really fathom, but it's happened. And I think we would do well as Democrats to welcome the support, welcome the reactivation of African-Americans, welcome the re-involvement of young white Americans, welcome all of these people into our fold and give them some positive messages to carry forward, and not keep talking about what may or may not be the other person's drawbacks.

I saw a Gallup poll today — I saw the results of it, anyway — that said that Barack Obama, at this very moment, is exactly where [John] Kerry was at this point with white voters as well as with black voters. Now, what does that mean? That means, if he maintains that, and he does it in a state like Colorado, that's the difference between winning and losing. Any one of those states — Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona — that had been carried by Kerry would have delivered the presidency. Not to mention these other states — Virginia, for instance. If you look at the white vote that Obama got in Virginia — it was extraordinary. And the same thing, over 40 percent, in Indiana — extraordinary. And so I think that we all really ought to just dial back some of this rhetoric, and let's start talking about what makes us all good Democrats.

Douglass: Well, so I have to ask you, Congressman, because you are one of the most famous and closely watched uncommitted superdelegates... It's been said by many — and I think it's pretty clear, actually — that the only way that Obama, who appears to be on his way to getting the nomination, can get there is with the help of superdelegates.

You certainly sound like you are leaning in his direction; why not just endorse him?

Clyburn: Well, because I'm still House Majority Whip, Nancy [Pelosi] is still Speaker, Rahm Emanuel is the Chair and Steny Hoyer is the Leader, and we've all decided to maintain neutrality.

Now, I think part of the problem that people have with some of what I've been saying, thinking that it's not really the expressions of neutrality — there's a big difference in being neutral in this race and being proud of one's race. I'm very proud of what Barack Obama's done. When I sat in those jails back in the '60s in South Carolina — dreaming about growing up, dreaming about becoming an adult, dreaming about having children and grandchildren — I now have a 14-year-old grandson, and he is very proud of Barack Obama.

I'm not going to sit down and watch anybody marginalize my grandson's dreams and aspirations. And I'm not going to see anybody go out and just absolutely nullify the energy and time that my daughter, youngest daughter, put into Barack Obama's race. This young lady started going to his office at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, every day after work, staying there to 11, 12 o'clock at night, and apologized to me for having to follow her heart for fear that it might disrupt my neutrality.

So when I look at this daughter of mine, I look at this grandson of mine, and see the pride in their faces — I'm just not going to have anybody just tamping that down, and so that's why I spoke up. Because I'm going home on weekends, and I go to these college campuses, as I will be this weekend — I'm going to Voorhees [College] and do the commencement there, I'm going to Tuskegee in Alabama and do commencement there on Sunday — these young people are looking at me, saying, are you graybeards in this party getting ready to go into some room somewhere and nullify everything we did in this campaign?

That's why I started speaking out. I kept saying, let's lower our voices — Bill Clinton, please chill out. Stop saying things that will upset the most loyal constituency that this party ever had, African-Americans.

Douglass: And do you think that there is any way that Hillary Clinton can get the nomination at this point without doing something extraordinary, such as convincing superdelegates that she's the most electable?

Clyburn: Well, it would be very, very, very difficult for that to happen. Is it possible? Yes. It's possible. Is it probable? I don't think it's probable.

Douglass: So what do you think should bring this to a close?

Clyburn: Well, I think that to run out the time — I've been saying to everybody — I don't think that either one of them ought to drop out. I think they ought to keep schedules. They ought to go to West Virginia, they ought to go to Kentucky, go to Oregon, go to North Dakota, go to Montana, go to all of these places, because we've got downballot races. We've got people who are running for congressional seats, for legislative seats, and the more Democrats that we can get to vote in our primary, the better off we are in the general election. I'm afraid that if everybody just cancels out their schedules and go home, then those people who have been turned on to this process and are waiting for our candidates to show up in their states, they may stay at home as well. And that's not good for us.

So I think we ought to stay engaged, but stay engaged in conversations about yourself, about your record, about your party and about the other party and why we are better than they are.

Douglass: Very interesting insights, as always, Congressman. Congressman James Clyburn, Majority Whip of the House of Representatives, thank you so much for joining us, and I hope you will join us again someday.

Clyburn: Well, thank you so much for having me.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24541223/

U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono Backs Obama For President

Brent Suyama, Managing Editor TheHawaiiChannel.com

HONOLULU -- U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono on Friday announced that she is putting her support behind Hawaii-born Sen. Barack Obama for president.Hirono's decision officially puts her with U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie in Obama's camp. It also adds another superdelegate vote to Obama's total.Hirono said it was time to unify the party and focus on defeating Sen. John McCain for the White House.

"Barack Obama can unite our Party and our country and bring about the positive changes Americans want," she said in her written statement.

Count One More Superdelegate for Barack Obama

By David Alire Garcia 05/09/2008

SANTA FE -- If Sen. Barack Obama needs a mere 170 more delegate votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination outright, he just got one vote closer.

That's because Laurie Weahkee, New Mexico's newest -- and most coveted -- superdelegate, just threw her support behind Obama.

"After the primary elections in Indiana and North Carolina, it is now absolutely clear that Barack Obama will be our nominee," Weahkee, lead organizer for the Native American Voters Alliance, writes in a statement e-mailed to the Independent. She adds, "Obama has proven that he can campaign in a difficult environment and still inspire thousands of new voices to take part in the democratic process."

South Carolina Democratic Party Vice Chair and Democratic Superdelegate, Wilber Lee Jeffcoat, Endorses Obama

"Barack Obama inspired thousands of new voters in my state of South Carolina to get involved in our democratic process and I am proud to announce my endorsement today. With Barack Obama as our nominee, we can bring more and more new voters out to become involved and have their voices heard. Obama has worked his whole life to unite people from all backgrounds and walks of life for change, he has done that in this campaign and he will continue to do that as President. I am excited to join his campaign today."

California Superdelegate Endorses Obama

Chicago, IL – Today, California DNC Member and superdelegate Ed Espinoza endorsed Barack Obama, citing his judgment, character, and ability to unite our country for change.

Espinoza is the 268th superdelegate to endorse Barack Obama. Obama is 163 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

Espinoza said, “I am endorsing Barack Obama today because throughout this process I have seen him show a judgment and character that we need in our next president. From day one he opposed the Iraq war and has a plan to end the war in a responsible way and bring our sons and daughters home. He has shown he has the character to lead our great nation, from his choice to spend his career serving people in the poorest communities in Chicago to his commitment to speaking truth to the American people, even when it isn’t politically convenient to do so. To unify the country at this time in our history we need a president who has these qualities, and that is why I am proud to endorse him today. My good friend Bill Richardson, who backed Obama some weeks ago, knows what it takes to lead and I trust his judgment in this decision as well. I look forward to working with this great movement to bring victory in November.”

Quote of the Day

"The Democratic race now moves to West Virginia," Jay Leno noted during his monologue Thursday night on "The Tonight Show.

"Today, Hillary Clinton claimed she always wanted to be a coal miner. But those dreams were dashed when she was forced to attend Wellesley and Yale."

AFGE; Superdelegate Union President Endorse Obama

WASHINGTON (AP) — The American Federation of Government Employees endorsed Barack Obama Friday, giving the Illinois senator fresh momentum toward capturing the Democratic nomination for president.

"Our people, I think, recognize the enthusiasm and vitality behind Senator Obama's campaign," AFGE President John Gage said.

Gage, a previously uncommitted superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, said he is also personally endorsing Obama...

While calling Clinton a friend and saying she has worked hard for federal employees, Gage said some members of AFGE's board also think having Obama as the Democratic nominee would help the Democratic slate as a whole. Obama will do better in "bringing along some of the downticket races," Gage said.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union, representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

Gage also said it's time for Democrats to move beyond the primary and start concentrating on the November contest against certain Republican presidential nominee John McCain. "I think it's time we start really focusing in on McCain, who just has a terrible record when it comes to federal employees," Gage said.

Good Morning, America!

A Moment of Respite

Sometimes even politicians need a break from the game of politics

Sunlen Miller | ABC News

Aboard his 757 airplane en route for five hours from Washington, D.C. to Oregon, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama opted for a new game: Taboo. Obama was challenged to a press corps versus Obama staff game to pass some in flight time.

Called "the game of unspeakable fun, the Hasbro board game is a regular pastime for journalists traveling on Obama's plane, trying to pass the time during the rare moments when blackberry service is out of range. Players have to get their team to guess a secret word without saying the common words usually used to describe it. (For example, how do you get your team to guess the word 'birthday' without saying 'happy', 'anniversary', 'candles, 'presents', or 'cake'?)

The competitive senator quickly got into the game, cheering on staff members, handing out high fives to his team, and checking the score religiously after each turn.

Obama led his team to guess words such as "cockatoo (describing it as something that mimics human sounds, and has plumage) and "throw", jokingly suggesting he'd cut off access to the reporter acting as his Taboo referee.

While Obama was trying to get his staff to guess the word "revolution" he said, "Thomas Jefferson called for this every now and then."

Blank stares from his staff made him rephrase his clues, "Maybe that's a little too obscure" he admitted laughing and opted to describe it as a song by the Beatles, which his communications director quickly guessed correctly.

When the tables were turned, and Obama was guessing the word, the clue given by an Obama staffer was, "This is where gay people shop."

Obama staffers yelled out different stores and Obama guessed the popular teenage clothing store Abercrombie and Fitch. The answer was Gap.

When it was the press' turn many of the clues were a little more political in nature, pointed to the campaign they’d been covering for months.

One reporter, trying to get the team to guess the word "California," used Senator Obama as an example, "This is where Senator Obama said his bitter comments," referring to the controversial remarks Obama made at a San Francisco fundraiser where he said small town Pennsylvania voters are bitter, clinging to guns and religion.

"I came back here to get away from this," Obama retorted in the middle of the round, slightly annoyed at the reprise of the controversy, "You dragged me back to these painful memories."

Another reporter, leading the press team to guess the word "white house" said, "This is where Senator Obama wants to live." The correct guesses enlisted a more favorable response from the Senator.

In the end the Obama campaign beat the press in two games, (25-17, and 20-18).

"And you guys are the wordsmiths?" Obama said ribbing the press for their poor showing as he returned to his cabin at the front of the plane.

Obama Now Takes The Lead in Superdelegates Too!

ABC News' Karen Travers Reports:

For the first time this campaign season, Barack Obama has surpassed Hillary Clinton's support among superdelegates, according to the ABC News delegate estimate ... Obama has the support of 267 superdelegates and Clinton has 265 superdelegates.

Another Super: Oregon Rep. DeFazio Backs Obama

AP |5/8/2008

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sen. Barack Obama's trip to Oregon got off to a good start before he even arrived.

Rep. Peter DeFazio became the third Democratic congressman from the state to endorse Obama's candidacy, saying Obama represents the party's best chance of taking back the White House in November.

"We must not allow Senator McCain to continue the failures of the Bush foreign policy, war in Iraq and disastrous economic policies," DeFazio said in an interview with The Oregonian newspaper, which reported the congressman's decision late Thursday on its Web site.

Congressman Payne, NJ Superdelegate, Switches from Clinton to Obama

Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.), a New Jersey superdelegate who had been supporting Hillary Clinton for president, has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama.

"After careful consideration, I have reached the conclusion that Barack Obama can best bring about the change that our country so desperately wants and needs," Payne told The Star-Ledger for today's editions. It was "one of the most difficult decisions I have made," Payne said. "I've really been mulling it over for quite a while."

With Payne's switch Obama has the backing of five of New Jersey's 20 superdelegates. Clinton has 11, including Gov. Jon Corzine; three are uncommitted and one who has backed Clinton is wavering.

By announcing his support for Obama now, Payne said he hopes to help unite the party so it can focus on defeating Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, in November.

"At this particular time we need to really unite behind one candidate," Payne said. "It's time now for us to pull our party together. The quicker it's over, the better we'll be able to bring all of our forces together."

NBC's Brian Williams Interviews 'Almost' Presumptive Nominee, Barack Obama

Washington State Congressman Rick Larsen Throws Superdelegate Support to Obama

May 8, 2008 | Posted by David Postman

Congressman Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, says he’s a Democratic superdelegate committed to Sen. Barack Obama.

Larsen has been neutral in the race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. He's holding a conference call with reporters right now. Larsen said:

This week Sen. Obama has proven that he is tough and resilient. He has shown that he can take a pounding but come back and communicate with the public to deliver his message of hope and change.

He said that he's been "paritculary impresseed by Senator Obama's truth-telling on the proposed gas tax holiday." Clinton supported a temporary suspension of the gas tax, but Obama called that pandering. Larsen said a tax holiday would "make little or no difference for Americans paying too much at the pump."

Larsen said that “as great as it sounds,” the gas tax holiday would save drivers about 31 cents a day, but take billions away from transportation projects across the country.

By definition, to me, it really looked like someone trying to create voters where votes didn’t exist. … It says to me that at least Senator Obama had the fortitude to call this gas tax holiday what it is, a gimmick.

Larsen said today that he, as well as other superdelegates, were impressed by Obama’s performance in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. It was, he said using a Clinton phrase, a “game-changer” and it “put a lot of uncommitted delegates into head-scratching mode” about what to do.

He met with Obama today in D.C. about an hour before his 2 p.m. conference all began. Larsen had already decided to endorse Obama, but he wanted to talk to the candidate about the state of the race and to raise a few Washington state issues, including the Boeing tanker deal.

Another Super Endorses Obama

Barack Obama's effort to woo superdelegates with a trip to the House of Representatives this morning appears to have already paid off.

Previously undeclared superdelegate Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., said that he would cast his vote at the Democratic convention for the Illinois senator.

Miller made his decision after meeting with Obama in Washington today.

"Senator Obama understands that he has the chance not just to win the election this year, but to be a great president," Miller wrote in his announcement.

"I will cast my vote as a delegate in Denver for Senator Barack Obama. The decision was not easy. Senator Clinton has run an impressive campaign, and has spoken eloquently to the concerns to working and middle class American families. She is one of the great leaders of this generation.

Senator Obama understands that he has the chance not just to win the election this year, but to be a great president. Americans know that Republican policies have failed because their ideas are wrong. Americans know that our government has not acted to use Franklin Roosevelt’s words, as trustees for the whole people, but have taken the side of powerful economic interests on every issue. Americans want a fundamental change in course.

Senator Obama seized that opportunity.

If Senator Obama and Democratic candidates up and down the ticket win this year and then deliver next year, we can build a consensus that will last a generation."

Obama Works the House

May 8, 2008, 12:52 pm | by David M. Herszenhorn

In the great hunt for superdelegates, there’s no better place to look than the floor of the House, and Senator Barack Obama dove right into a sea of them on Thursday morning, shaking hands, clapping backs, doling out hugs and even doing a little curtsy before Representative John M. Spratt Jr. of South Carolina, the chairman of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Obama, who worked the chamber for more than 45 minutes, and even got some handshakes from Republicans, insisted that he just stopped by to say hello, to update his supporters and answer questions for any Democrats who might remain undecided.

“What do you think, I was going after superdelegates?” Mr. Obama joked after leaving the chamber.

But after his commanding victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in North Carolina, and his strong showing in Indiana, Mr. Obama’s triumphant visit to the House floor had all the buzz and excitement of a victory lap.

While Mrs. Clinton has met with superdelegates away from the Capitol since Tuesdays results, a sign of her struggle among Democratic party leaders, Mr. Obama returned with all the subtlety of a rock star.

He started out, shortly before 11 a.m. in the corner of the room with the Pennsylvania delegation including Representative John P. Murtha, of Pennsylvania who has endorsed Mrs. Clinton.

He then moved down the aisle swarmed by well-wishers, through the throng of lawmakers who were milling about for votes on housing legislation. All the while, he was flanked by Representative Steven R. Rothman of New Jersey, who seemed to be serving as bodyguard and ambassador for Mr. Obama who spring-boarded into the Senate without ever serving in the House.

Among the crowd was Mr. Spratt, now in his 13th term, who met on Wednesday with Mrs. Clinton at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and told her that he could not support her because his state had voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Obama.

Standing before Mr. Spratt, Mr. Obama dropped to a bended knee, in what seemed to be some sort of genuflection.

Mr. Obama made his way into the well of the chamber, at one point stopping by Representative Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn, who showed him a copy of New York Daily News, which on Thursday ran his photo on the front page with the headline “It’s His Party.”

Teenage House pages, and some visiting children of lawmakers, squirmed through the crowd to say hello. Mr. Obama then walked up the center aisle of the chamber, where he was even greeted by Republicans including Jerry Lewis and Dana Rohrabacher, both of California, and he even got a warm greeting from Representative Barbara Cubin, Republican of Wyoming, a state whose caucus Mr. Obama won by a comfortable margin.

And while Mr. Obama has largely portrayed himself as an outsider, an agent of change compared to Mrs. Clinton or the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain, he seemed perfectly at home in the House chamber, barely looking up as the crowd of Democrats shouted “Aye” on a vote.

He chatted with Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, said hello to Representative Chris Van Hollen, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and greeted Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who was not in the chamber for most of Mr. Obama’s visit. None of them have officially endorsed.

As Mr. Obama made his way back down the center aisle, Representative Ray H. LaHood, Republican of Illinois, who is retiring after his seventh term, gave chase, and grabbed Mr. Obama’s arm. The senator turned and gave Mr. LaHood a hug.

After leaving the chamber, Mr. Obama posed for a photograph and then made his way back across the Capitol surrounded by a crowd of reporters and photographers, pushing his way forward into the Rotunda, as dumbstruck tourists realized there was something more exciting to look at than the statues and the paintings on the wall. They cheered and shouted.

As he walked, Mr. Obama insisted that the Democratic race would continue. He said he expected Mrs. Clinton to win West Virginia and Kentucky and described her leads in those states as “insurmountable.” He said: “My goal is to bring the party together as soon as possible.

Edwards' Campaign Manager Endorses Obama

May 08, 2008

by John McCormick and Mike Dorning

John Edwards campaign manager and former House Democratic Whip David Bonior endorsed Barack Obama this morning, raising the possibility that the Edwards camp may be about to climb onto the Obama bandwagon.

While Bonior is not likely to have made an endorsement without consulting Edwards, he declined to offer any speculation on a possible endorsement from the former presidential candidate.

"I've talked to him last weekend. I want to keep that conversation private," Bonior said. "He'll make his decision when he's ready."

John Edwards appears on NBC's Today Show tomorrow, when he is sure to be pressed on an endorsement.

Bonior's support brings the Obama campaign not only a high-profile figure from the campaign of his former rival but also a well-liked and well-connected former member of the congressional leadership. Bonior, who as whip was the second-ranking member of the House Democratic leadership, has strong ties with labor unions and liberal interest groups.

"I was waiting for Senator Obama to show me the fight I wanted to see because it's going to be a difficult fight against Sen. (John) McCain (R-Ariz.)," Bonior said in a conference call with reporters.

He noted Obama successfully confronted tough political political challenges in recent weeks, which have featured controversies over incendiary comments from Obama's former pastor and Obama's remarks at a San Francisco fundraiser about "bitter" feelings among small-town Americans.

After losing big primaries in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, Obama rebounded with a decisive victory in North Carolina on Tuesday and held rival Hillary Clinton to a close race in Indiana the same night.

"He's shown great skill, great poise and great fighting spirit. And I was looking for that fighting spirit," Bonior said.