Friday, May 9, 2008

Superdelegate Rick Larsen (D-WA) endorses Obama!

The Associated Press is reporting that Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) has endorsed Barack Obama for President. Senator Obama now needs just 167 delegates to secure the nomination...


"WASHINGTON -- Rep. Rick Larsen said Thursday that he is endorsing Barack Obama for president. Larsen, a four-term Democrat who represents Everett, Bellingham and other areas north of Seattle, said Obama was "the best candidate to turn our best hopes for a better future into reality."

Obama's performance this week in primaries in North Carolina and Indiana show "he can take a pounding and come back strong to deliver his message of hope and change. He is tough as nails," Larsen said.

Larsen joins at least four other Washington "superdelegates" who have endorsed the Illinois senator: Gov. Chris Gregoire; Reps. Adam Smith and Brian Baird, his state chairman; and Pat Notter, a member of the Democratic National Committee."
Read more on barackobama.com...

Nancy Pelosi ditches her schedule to greet Obama

CBS reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi jumped out of her weekly press briefing to greet Senator Obama during his visit to the House of Reps.


Sen. Barack Obama stepped into a swarm of superdelegates yesterday morning when he visited the House of Representatives in the middle of a vote. Obama stayed on the floor for almost half an hour visiting with both Democrats and Republicans who looked completely star struck.

Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi left her weekly press briefing and made a beeline for the House floor to say hello. And the Capitol Hill press corps surrounded the House Chamber to catch him on his way out and fire questions about such an unusual move for a presidential candidate, even if he is a senator.

Obama gains 2 more Superdelegates!

It seems the floodgates are beginning to open. We are seeing a steady flow of superdelegates throwing their support Obama...FINALLY, this primary is coming to an end!!

"The movement of Democratic superdelegates to presidential hopeful Barack Obama gained steam Friday, with endorsements expected from two more congressmen.

Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer said the Illinois senator plans to receive the endorsement of Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon an event Friday in his homestate. Oregon holds it's primary on May 20.
In New Jersey, Donald Payne—a black congressman who had been backing Clinton for the nomination—is switching his support to Obama, Pfeiffer confirmed.

"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 in Newark, N.J. It was "one of the most difficult decisions I have made," Payne said. "I've really been mulling it over for quite a while."

Read more on barackobama.com

Wall Street Journal: Damsel of Distress

Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal speaks out about
Clinton's latest statement to USA Today.

"This is an amazing story. The Democratic Party has a winner. It has a ominee. You know this because he has the most votes and the most elected delegates, and there's no way, mathematically, his opponent can get past him. Even after the worst two weeks of his campaign, he blew past her by 14 in North Carolina and came within two in Indiana.

He's got this thing. And the Democratic Party, after this long and brutal slog, should be dancing
in the streets. Party elders should be coming out on the balcony in full array, in full regalia, and telling the crowd, "Habemus
nominatum": "We have a nominee." And the crowd below should be cheering, "Viva Obamus! Viva nominatum!"

Instead, you know where they are, the party elders..."

Read Peggy's entire article...

Clinton plays the race card AGAIN

I ran across a great article written by Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post today. It discusses Hillary's latest statement to USA Today, in which she basically implies that Obama, as a black man, cannot secure her base of delusional, "hardworking white" supporters. She completely dismisses the importance of the black vote, which is the democratic party's most loyal group of constituents.

If Clinton believes this new argument will help her take the nomination away from Obama, she is sadly mistaken. And more importantly, if the democratic party believes they can somehow take the nomination away from Obama (who is leading in pledged delegates, leading in the popular vote, and has won twice as many states as Clinton) and still have the support of African Americans, they are sadly mistaken.

With that said, here's a little of what Eugene has to say on this topic...



"From the beginning, Hillary Clinton has campaigned as if the Democratic nomination were hers by divine right. That's why she is falling short -- and that's why she should be persuaded to quit now, rather than later, before her majestic sense of entitlement splits the party along racial lines...


If that sounds harsh, look at the argument she made Wednesday, in an interview with USA Today, as to why she should be the nominee instead of Barack Obama. She cited an Associated Press article "that found how Senator Obama's support . . . among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again. I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on."

As a statement of fact, that's debatable at best. As a rationale for why Democratic Party superdelegates should pick her over Obama, it's a slap in the face to the party's most loyal constituency -- African Americans -- and a repudiation of principles the party claims to stand for. Here's what she's really saying to party leaders: There's no way that white people are going to vote for the black guy. Come November, you'll be sorry."


Read Eugene Robinson's entire article here...