This blog is directly addressed to Senator Barack Obama. In the name of GOD and you (Mr. Obama); I am ready to assist in any effort directed by you in this time of major concern. I am an IT specialist with over a decade of management experience that happens to be built like a football player. So I make myself available for anything from assisting in the network and communication efforts to cleaning up debris from the street.
The time is now Mr. President, (to be), to take charge, to lead, to react without haste but with keen foresight, to do what you do best. I'm behind you!!!
213 Preference Unknown
Daniel K. Akaka, Senator, Hawaii Mr. Akaka will not make an endorsement, but is willing to support whoever the Democratic nominee is, according to a spokesman. All the major candidates are qualified, Mr. Akaka said.
Tom Allen, Representative, Me.
Jason Altmire, Representative, Pa. Says that he remains on the fence for now but was wondering whether he had a "moral obligation" to let voters know his preferred candidate.
Max Baucus, Senator, Mont.
Joyce Beatty, Party official, Ohio
Howard L. Berman, Representative, Calif.
Steven Beshear, Governor, Ky.
Joseph R. Biden, Senator, Del.
Donald Bivens, Party official, Ariz.
Anita Bonds, Party official, D.C.
Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Representative, Guam
Dan Boren, Representative, Okla. "I don't think Hillary will carry Oklahoma. I'm not going that far. But if you look at the tide across the country, Democrats rank ahead of Republicans on just about everything except terrorism."
Barbara Boxer, Senator, Calif. Although she does not plan to endorse either candidate as long as both are running, she says she plans to vote for Mrs. Clinton at the convention because Mrs. Clinton won the California primary, saying "the will of the voters is paramount."An aide to Senator Barbara Boxer of California said Ms. Boxer would cast her superdelegate vote for the winner of the California primary.
Nancy Boyda, Representative, Kan.
Bill Bradbury, Party official, Ore.
Robert A. Brady, Representative, Pa.
Donna L. Brazile, Party official, D.C. "I don't want to superimpose my personal views; I want to reflect the will of the voters. Honestly, I don't want to decide this."
Phil Bredesen, Governor, Tenn. Three years ago, he said that Mrs. Clinton would face an "uphill road" to win the White House. "Surely in the United States we can go further than having to have a single family dominate one side and a single family dominate the other."
Scott Brennan, Party official, Iowa
Sherrod Brown, Senator, Ohio
Raymond Buckley, Party official, N.H.
Elsie Burkhalter, Add on delegate, La.
Robert C. Byrd, Senator, W.Va.
Margaret Campbell, Party official, Mont. "I am very interested in endorsing Obama, but party rules preclude me from endorsing." "It's been emotional, it's been frustrating. It has been very frustrating. It is a huge responsibility."
Benjamin L. Cardin, Senator, Md.
Robin Carnahan, Party official, Mo.
Thomas R. Carper, Senator, Del. "I frankly don't care a lot who ends up at the top of the ticket, but I hope at the end of the day they could be convinced to run together."
Jimmy Carter, Party official, Ga. "Obama's campaign has been extraordinary and titillating for me and my family. We have four children with their spouses, we have 11 grandchildren, four or five of them are married, and all of them, except one, are for Obama. I think that Obama will be almost automatically a healing factor in the animosity now and the distrust that relates to our country and its government."
G. Nick Casey, Party official, W.Va.
Don Cazayoux, Representative, La.
Cheryl Chapman, Party official, S.D.
Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Party official, Mo.
Linda Chavez-Thompson, Party official, Tex.
James E. Clyburn, Representative, S.C. "I still remain studiously neutral. I think that the historical significance of so-called superdelegates — these are unpledged delegates — is very, very important for us to maintain. We are in place in order to either extend the wishes of the voters or to try to make corrections if they need to be made."
Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Party official, S.C. "I'm undeclared because I think it's important for the process to play itself out. I don't see inserting myself into the process. I'm not interested in being wooed. I'm not important." "It seems to be making me a pretty popular kind of girl in some circles, at least with the media."
Larry Cohen, Party official, D.C.
Jim Costa, Representative, Calif.
Ed Cote, Party official, Wash. "I am still firmly uncommitted and I am going to stay uncommitted. I do not have to vote until the week of Aug. 25. This is only Feb. 11."
Joe Courtney, Representative, Conn.
Robert E. Cramer, Representative, Ala. Has said that he would not been endorsing anyone in the nomination phase.
C. Richard Cranwell, Party official, Va. "I think the fray will be settled long before the convention starts."
Inez Crutchfield, Party official, Tenn.
John Daniello, Party official, Del.
Susan A. Davis, Representative, Calif.
Lincoln Davis, Representative, Tenn. Says he will head to the convention uncommitted, adding: "Senator Clinton won by a sizable margin in my district, better than 70 percent. I usually try to be sure I represent the wishes of the people in my congressional district."
Ralph Dawson, Party official, N.Y.
Howard Dean, Party official, Vt.
Jennifer DeChant, Party official, Me.
Joseph C. DeCotiis, Party official, N.J.
Nancy DiNardo, Party official, Conn.
Frank Dixon, Party official, Ore.
Joe Donnelly, Representative, Ind.
Wayne Dowdy, Party official, Miss.
Mike Doyle, Representative, Pa.
Nancy Drummond, Party official, Wyo. "I do have a favorite, but I'm remaining uncommitted. If it gets down to the superdelegates as a deciding factor, I want to be sure I represent Wyoming."
Brad Ellsworth, Representative, Ind. "I don't think anyone knows how long the race for the Democrat nomination will go or what role the superdelegates will play. But I am glad that, for the first time in a long time, Indiana will likely have a say on who the nominee will be."
Rahm Emanuel, Representative, Ill. "Everybody knows I worked for the Clintons. I'm very close to the Clintons. And I'm very close to Barack. Let's be honest, does anybody want to pick among friends? It's a human thing, not a political thing. At some point, if I have to make a decision, I will. But I prefer, you know, they've got to go on and develop their campaigns."
Bob Etheridge, Representative, N.C.
Sam Farr, Representative, Calif.
Jimmie Farris, Party official, Tenn.
Russ Feingold, Senator, Wis. "I'm having a hard time deciding between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as are many people. Those are the two I take the most seriously. I go back and forth, to be honest with you. I'm torn on this whole issue of who's more likely to be progressive and really seek change vs. who's ready to do the job today. It really is a true dilemma in my mind."
Bob Filner, Representative, Calif. "It's my dream that each side will get 2,024 delegates, and I'll cast the deciding vote. There seems to be too many delegates this time. Too many people not making decisions who haven't had to be elected in support of a candidate."
Thomas Foley, Party official, Wash.
Carnelia Pettis Fondren, Party official, Miss.
Jim E. Frasier, Party official, Okla.
Lawrence Gates, Party official, Kan.
Yvonne A. Gates, Party official, Nev.
Alice Travis Germond, Party official, W.Va. "We're all hopeful that one way or another it will be resolved without having our first vote at the convention be a test vote or a vote that in any way appears to show Democrats in disarray."
Gabrielle Giffords, Representative, Ariz.
Terry Goddard, Add on delegate, Ariz.
Bart Gordon, Representative, Tenn.
Al Gore, Party official, Tenn.
Jenny Greenleaf, Party official, Ore. "Because I'm an officer of the state party, and we don't want the state party to be seen as providing more or better services to one candidate or another, I plan to stay neutral until Oregon's late primary in May."
Karen Hale, Party official, Utah Has said that she is considering switching her support to Mr. Obama because some party insiders believe the excitement of an Obama candidacy will boost the chances of Utah Democrats running in state races. "I'm conflicted. There has been a lot of pressure to change my vote."
David Hardt, Party official, Tex. Officially uncommitted because he is president of the Young Democrats of America, but plans to vote for Mrs. Clinton after fielding calls from her, Mr. Clinton and Chelsea, who also visited him in Nevada. "It's always shocking when you get a call from someone like that."
Tom Harkin, Senator, Iowa "I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm still neutral in this race, and I intend to remain that way."
Vicki Harwell, Add on delegate, Tenn. "At this point, I'm leaning toward Senator Clinton." She met Mrs. Clinton personally and found her to be a "dynamic, dedicated Democratic woman." "I certainly think she has earned the right to run and certainly to be our nominee."
Kamil Hasan, Party official, Calif. "I think the difference between the delegates for the two candidates will be so small that none of them will have the majority. It looks very likely that the superdelegates will end up deciding who the next Democratic nominee will be."
Alexis Herman, Party official, Va.
Tim Holden, Representative, Pa. "I haven't made a decision on either Obama or Clinton. I usually don't get involved in the primary when there is an open seat. We really haven't talked about it."
Chris Van Hollen, Representative, Md.
Ivan Holmes, Party official, Okla. "My inclination at this point is to stay uncommitted to the end."
Rush Holt, Representative, N.J.
Mike Honda, Representative, Calif.
Steny H. Hoyer, Representative, Md.
William J. Jefferson, Representative, La.
Blake Johnson, Party official, Alaska
Joe Johnson, Party official, Va.
Marcy Kaptur, Representative, Ohio
Awais Khaleel, Party official, Wis. "I don 't think anybody my age, 23 years old, expects to be this deep in the process right now."
Wayne Kinney, Party official, Ore.
Helen Knetzer, Party official, Kan.
Herb Kohl, Senator, Wis.
Debra Kozikowski, Party official, Mass. "I appreciate my position as a party leader and don't shirk those responsibilities. I just don't want to run out on a street corner and scream it out."
Dennis J. Kucinich, Representative, Ohio
Reggie LaFayette, Party official, N.Y.
Nick Lampson, Representative, Tex.
Mary L. Landrieu, Senator, La.
Frank R. Lautenberg, Senator, N.J.
Claude Leach, Party official, La.
Jim Leaman, Party official, Va.
Jerry Lee, Add on delegate, Tenn. Said he intends to "listen very closely" to both Democratic frontrunners in the coming weeks and then vote at the convention "for the one I think is most electable in November."
Belkis Leong-Hong, Party official, Md.
Sam Lieberman, Party official, Nev. "If it had been a blowout for one candidate, I would have probably gone with the Nevada candidate. Because of how close it was ... it will probably play only a small role in my decision."
Pilar Lujan, Party official, Guam
John Lynch, Governor, N.H.
Eileen Macoll, Party official, Wash. "They have so much to offer. It's an amazing experience to be a superdelegate and in this position. I truly am undecided." "I'm going to watch the traffic and watch the flow and see which way it's going. I'll especially be watching how the vote goes in the large states that remain, like Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio. That will perhaps lead me to a decision."
Joe Manchin, Governor, W.Va.
Edward J. Markey, Representative, Mass.
Christine Schon Marques, Party official, Dem. abroad
Jim Marshall, Representative, Ga.
Catherine Cortez Mastor, Party official, Nev.
Jim Matheson, Representative, Utah
Jim McDermott, Representative, Wash.
Dennis McDonald, Party official, Mont. "Out of respect for this process, our superdelegates will not take a position. Certainly not until after the June 3 primary."
David T. McDonald, Party official, Wash. "Delegate-by-delegate fights are very emotionally intense. There is a great risk to all of us that the support base of the two candidates will not be able to work for the other. The single best way for a Republican to win is for us to have a fight that gets out of hand. Whoever we support, the overriding concern is to not have a Republican in the White House next year."
Mike McIntyre, Representative, N.C.
Jerry McNerney, Representative, Calif.
Leila Medley, Party official, Mo. "I still haven't made a commitment, and I still don't know what to do."
Charlie Melancon, Representative, La.
Michael H. Michaud, Representative, Me.
Glenard S. Middleton, Party official, Md.
Carole Migden, Party official, Calif.
Harry E. Mitchell, Representative, Ariz. "I've read the position papers of the candidates, I've been contacted by them and their surrogates and I'm still not committed yet."
George Mitchell, Party official, N.Y.
Heather Mizeur, Party official, Md.
Alan B. Mollohan, Representative, W.Va.
Dennis Moore, Representative, Kan.
Jennifer Moore, Party official, Ky.
Theresa Morelli, Party official, Dem. abroad "The fact that she has devoted her life to helping children and those less fortunate speak volumes about Hillary Clinton’s character. She has not only an incredible grasp of the issues facing America, but a track record of delivering real results. Hillary is the strongest Democratic candidate to beat John McCain in November and restore America’s standing in the world."
Mike Morgan, Party official, Okla.
Bob Mulholland, Party official, Calif.
Phil Murphy, Party official, N.J.
Jay Nixon, Add on delegate, Mo.
Donald Norcross, Party official, N.J. "We need to seize this momentum, attract a new generation of leaders to our party, while rallying behind the candidate who can best unite the country during these uncertain economic times. That candidate is Senator Barack Obama."
Cynthia Nunley, Party official, Wyo. "It's too early in the process to be in the mode of one-candidate-take-all. There are a lot of voices to be heard yet and there are a lot of questions to be asked."
Muriel K. Offerman, Party official, N.C.
John W. Olver, Representative, Mass.
Ben Pangelinan, Party official, Guam
David Parker, Party official, N.C. "Frankly, I'm torn both ways. My mind is with Hillary, my heart is with Obama, and I'm waiting for my gut to report."
Jay Parmley, Party official, Okla. "I guess if it's still undecided at the convention, I'll be free to make a decision one way or the other."
Gregory Pecoraro, Party official, Md.
Christine Pelosi, Party official, Calif.
Nancy Pelosi, Representative, Calif. Ms. Pelosi says she remains neutral in the race and that her "focus is on reelecting a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives".
Dwight Pelz, Party official, Wash.
John A. Perez, Party official, Calif.
Carol W. Peterson, Party official, N.C.
Collin C. Peterson, Representative, Minn.
Roberto Ramirez, Party official, N.Y.
Robert Rankin, Party official, Calif. "I try to listen to everybody. I would like to weigh everything together before I make a decision. We should consider our own people that we feel we represent."
Gail Rasmussen, Party official, Ore.
Richard Ray, Party official, Ga.
Chris Redfern, Party official, Ohio
Jack Reed, Senator, R.I. He has said the votes of Rhode Islanders will be a major factor in his decision about whom to back. He sees both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama as potentially "very capable" candidates and presidents. "But the qualities of the candidates are important, and so is electability." "There's no on-off switch, there's no simple formula."
Harry Reid, Senator, Nev. Says he is "not going to weigh in on this at all" until the states finish voting.
Jeffrey Richardson, Party official, D.C. "The Democratic Party has an opportunity, with the groundswell of support Sen. Obama has built in his campaign with independents and young people, to expand the party long-term."
Betty Richie, Party official, Tex.
Boyd Richie, Party official, Tex.
Bill Ritter, Governor, Colo.
Keith Roark, Party official, Idaho
Kevin Rodriguez, Party official, V.I.
Roy Romer, Party official, Colo.
James Roosevelt, Party official, Mass. "I would urge superdelegates who are undecided to wait and see to get a better gauge of electability of the candidates."
Eliseo Roques-Arroyo, Party official, P.R.
Ken Salazar, Senator, Colo. "How I'm going to decide the question is to look at each and determine who would be best for Colorado. I'll look at their positions on all the issues in detail."
John Salazar, Representative, Colo.
John Sarbanes, Representative, Md.
Gray Sasser, Party official, Tenn. Says he is fretting over the idea that insiders will "get in the back of some smoke-filled room and decide it." "I'm still hopeful this will be decided like every other nomination in recent history."
Brian Schweitzer, Governor, Mont.
Jerome Wiley Segovia, Party official, Va
.Lottie H. Shackelford, Party official, Ark.
Marva Smalls, Party official, S.C
.Nathan Smith, Party official, Ky.
Meredith Wood Smith, Party official, Ore. "We don't have to make a choice right now. It's too early for that. There are still caucuses and primaries going on."
Edward M. Smith, Party official, Ill.
Zack Space, Representative, Ohio
Cindy Spanyers, Party official, Alaska [Referring to the idea that superdelegates may override the decision of the voters] "I had no idea it would come down to this." "I find myself getting a little sickened over the prospect of that being the key decision."
Sam Spencer, Party official, Me. "I want to figure out how to most broadly represent Maine Democrats in the Democratic National Committee." "Superdelegates are sort of outdated; it's not a very democratic way of doing things."
John M. Spratt, Representative, S.C. He is "lying low," according to a spokesman.
Pete Stark, Representative, Calif.
Irene Stein, Party official, N.Y.
Crystal Strait, Party official, Calif. "I saw my role, being one of two women under 30 on the [Democratic National Committee], to advocate for young voters. It's crucial to understand what they think real investment in general election in the youth vote will be. Neither has come forward with that. The Clinton campaign has been much more serious in their delegate outreach. Senator Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have called me. Obama had Governor Napolitano call me."
David Strauss, Party official, N.D.
Robert Strauss, Party official, Tex.
Marie Dolly Strazar, Party official, Hawaii
John J. Sweeney, Party official, Md.
Gene Taylor, Representative, Miss.
Lena Taylor, Party official, Wis.
John Temporiti, Party official, Mo.
Jon Tester, Senator, Mont. "Jon will vote for the candidate he feels would best serve Montana and represents Montana values. But he won't make any decisions about his vote until at least after the Montana primary," Tester spokesman Aaron Murphy said in an e-mail message.
John F. Tierney, Representative, Mass.
Art Torres, Party official, Calif
.Niki Tsongas, Representative, Mass.
Susan W. Turnbull, Party official, Md
.Joe Turnham, Party official, Ala.
Mark Udall, Representative, Colo.
Tom Udall, Representative, N.M.
Keith Umemoto, Party official, Calif.
Peter J. Visclosky, Representative, Ind.
Patricia Waak, Party official, Colo.
Christine Warnke, Party official, D.C.
Vernon R. Watkins, Party official, Calif.
Henry A. Waxman, Representative, Calif.
Jim Webb, Senator, Va.
Yolanda Wheat, Party official, Mo.
Chris Whittington, Party official, La. He has said Mr. Obama's decisive victory in Louisiana will partly influence his thinking, but the main consideration is who looks to be the eventual nominee. "I think we need to go with a winner."
Charlie Wilson, Representative, Ohio
Harriet Smith Windsor, Party official, Del.
Joshua Wisch, Party official, Hawaii
Beverly Withington, Party official, Hawaii [Referring to Mrs. Clinton's plan for troop withdrawal in Iraq] "It can't be done in less than six months, that's for sure. I believe the sentiment of the majority of America is to get the troops out sooner, but everyone understands that can't be overnight because there needs to be a phase-out, but I don't believe anyone should be there until 2013."
Nancy Worley, Party official, Ala.
Ron Wyden, Senator, Ore.
Steven Ybarra, Party official, Calif. "Hillary Clinton's campaign is in trouble and the highest ranking Hispanic in her camp is paying the price. Campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle stepped down this weekend — after Barack Obama beat Clinton handily in four states scattered in different regions of the country."
Paula Zellner, Party official, Wis.
New York Times Count of Superdelegates
265 Supporting Obama*
*One superdelegate who expressed support for Mr. Obama on the telephone poll but wished to remain anonymous is not included in Mr. Obama's total below.
Neil Abercrombie, Representative, Hawaii "I think part of his appeal is the fact that he understands our diversity. He defines us, rather than divides us. And that's a message that I think needs to be taken into this poisonous political atmosphere. I believe he'll do very well. I believe he'll be nominated. I'm certainly going to work very hard for that to take place."
Anibal Acevedo, Governor, P.R. "Not only is he the right leader for Puerto Ricans, but he is the right leader for the Hispanic community and the right leader to unite all Americans. He has the determination to make our collective future great. Senator Obama demonstrates the strongest commitment to Puerto Rico that we have seen in recent times in U.S. politics."
Steven Achelpohl, Party official, Neb. "Sen. Obama continues to transcend 'politics as usual' and focus on the issues that really matter to American families and workers." "Our party can unite behind Sen. Obama and his positive campaign.""I am truly undecided. Hillary is such a lightning rod, and I know she would dampen turnout in our down-ballot races in Nebraska. I know Obama has greater appeal to young people, and I am influenced by the fact that Nebraska went so heavily for Obama."
Steven K. Alari, Party official, Calif.
Yvette Alexander, Add on delegate, D.C.
Joe Andrew, Party official, Ind. [On why he switched his support from Clinton to Obama] "I am convinced that the primary process has devolved to the point that it's now bad for the Democratic Party." "While I was hopeful that a long, contested primary season would invigorate our party, the polls show that the tone and temperature of the race is now hurting us." "John McCain, without doing much of anything, is now competitive against both of our remaining candidates. We are doing his work for him and distracting Americans from the issues that really affect all of our lives.""My commitment to her is profound, but I would be troubled if either she or Barack Obama actually became the nominee because superdelegates decided, opposed to actual voters going to the polls and pulling the lever."
Kitti Asberry, Party official, Okla.
Anthony Avallone, Party official, Conn.
Brian Baird, Representative, Wash.
John Barrow, Representative, Ga.
Willie Barrow, Party official, Ill. "I support Barack because exemplifies a real man. He is a Christian, husband and father. Universal healthcare, employment and education are the primary issues for me. Our children are not going to school and not graduating. The state is closing schools and opening jails. I think that people of faith have to broaden their ministries outside the walls of the church. Anyone can sing in the choir or serve on the deacon board but how many know the level of unemployment in their community or the number of people losing their homes?"
Melissa Bean, Representative, Ill.
Xavier Becerra, Representative, Calif. "Barack Obama is our strongest candidate for president because of his great crossover appeal that spans parties and regions and his unique ability to rally the American people behind a common purpose."
Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Party official, Nev.
Cecil R. Benjamin, Party official, V.I.
Jeremy Bernard, Party official, Calif. "The only way I could honestly sell her to people would be to say she's going to win. What's the point of that? When we started our company, we wanted to pick only candidates we would be enthusiastic about. Obama was that candidate. He absolutely has the best record on gay and lesbian issues."
Judy Bevans, Party official, Vt. "I'm personally very much leaning toward Obama. I'd love to be able to vote for a woman for president ... but I decided Obama represents a fresh start and it's time to be done with the Clinton-Bush years."
Jack Billion, Party official, S.D. "The overall mood of this state probably leans toward Obama."
Jeff Bingaman, Senator, N.M. "To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction. I strongly believe Barack Obama is best positioned to lead the nation in that new direction."
Sanford D. Bishop, Representative, Ga.
Margaret Blackshere, Party official, Ill. "Every day he was in the State Senate, he was standing up for working people. When the steel mills were shutting down, Obama said to me 'You know, I see the difference when someone belongs to a union and when they don't. You're their advocate, and I'm going to be an advocate for all of you.'"
Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor, Ill. "I know that Senator Obama will fight to make sure that working families have access to health care, good paying jobs, and opportunities to provide for their children. Senator Obama supports the very best of these Democratic values; they are values that he and I share, values I know he will fight for. Senator Obama has the vision, skills and dedication necessary to bring people together and make real progress in Washington to help solve our country's greatest and most pressing problems. Senator Obama offers real hope for the American people and I am proud to give him my support."
Earl Blumenauer, Representative, Ore. "Senator Obama is demonstrating a unique ability not just to unite Democrats, not just to bring in the vast pool of independent voters that are ultimately going to play such a critical role, but I'm convinced based on what I have seen, what I've heard, what I know, that Senator Obama can unite America."
Connie Borde, Party official, Dem. abroad
Rick Boucher, Representative, Va. "He has the broadest appeal of any of the candidates." "His positive message and steadfast focus on the future inspire hope and enable him to attract support from Democrats, independents and Republicans in a way that no other candidate can. He presents our best opportunity to win the presidency and to govern effectively with bipartisan support from the Congress."
Bruce Braley, Representative, Iowa "It's hard not to be excited about Barack Obama. On a cold January night, and again during Saturday's First District Convention in Iowa, I saw countless people participating in the political process for the very first time because they were so inspired by Senator Obama's unique ability to transcend the politics of fear and division that have crippled this country for the past eight years."
Gail Bray, Party official, Idaho
Joyce Brayboy, Party official, N.C.
Roy LaVerne Brooks, Party official, Tex. "I have listened to the words of many seeking to lead this Party and to lead this nation and I believe that the words, sincerity, vision and actions of Sen. Barack Obama prove he is the best candidate to lead our nation. Senator Barack Obama has gained my trust in that he, like I, seek to bring a better life to our communities. As I strive to make this a better place for future generations, I stand for a system of inclusion, a system of change and most of all a system of fairness and equality. Senator Obama will provide affordable health care for all Americans, end the war in Iraq and provide the care our veterans deserve, and I am proud to support him today."
Michael Brown, Party official, D.C.
Mark Bryant, Party official, Mo. "If the Missouri primary had been overwhelmingly in favor of Hillary Clinton, I would have felt obligated to support her."
Jeanne Buell, Party official, Idaho Said she backed Mr. Obama because he campaigned in the state. "I was tired of people flying over the state and not stopping." "I promised my support to the candidate, a serious candidate, who would come to Idaho."
Anna Burger, Party official, D.C. "S.E.I.U. members are waging an unprecedented effort to mobilize their co-workers and communities to elect Barack Obama. We are committed to bringing all of our resources to bear to ensure he is our next president."
Grant Burgoyne, Party official, Idaho
Stewart Burkhalter, Party official, Ala.
G.K. Butterfield, Representative, N.C. "In what has become a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, I believe our country needs Senator Barack Obama."
Carol Ann Campbell, Party official, Pa. "This used to be a Clinton city, but I don't know if this is going to be a Clinton city in this election." Referring to Obama, she added, "This is the first person I've seen on the horizon who is a wonderful example for a little black person — to set their goals higher."
Lois Capps, Representative, Calif. "This wasn't an easy decision for me. Democrats were blessed this year with many talented and capable candidates, and I believe both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama would make fine presidents. But Sen. Obama's proven judgment, his hopeful vision for America, and his unmatched ability to motivate millions of Americans eager for change made the choice for me.""As a superdelegate, I have decided to stay neutral in the race for the time being. I deeply respect and admire both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton."
Michael E. Capuano, Representative, Mass. "I wouldn't endorse him if I didn't think he could win in November. I've seen him on the stump and as a member of the legislative body. I think he's shown the ability to be a leader and to put his nose to the grindstone and keep pushing."
Ian Carleton, Party official, Vt. "Vermonters overwhelmingly embraced Senator Obama's message of hope and change in our State's primary earlier this week, and so it is with great excitement and optimism that I pledge my support for Barack Obama. Since the very beginning of his campaign I, along with so many Vermonters, have been deeply moved by Senator Obama's commitment to moving beyond the negative partisan rhetoric that has sadly characterized our nation's politics for so long. His leadership and vision for a more productive and decent future is exactly what this nation needs at this moment in history."
Russ Carnahan, Representative, Mo.
Andre Carson, Representative, Ind. "Senator Obama, I believe, will work day and night to ensure that the U.S. government is fighting for everyday hard-working American families."
Rob Carver, Add on delegate, Del. "I strongly believe that this country needs a leader who can lead and who has a fresh and positive outlook for our future. From what I have seen and heard, Barack has those qualities and that confident outlook we so desperately need!""The more they get to know Hillary, the more they realize she is not the right choice for the Democratic party. On the other hand, Obama is having just the opposite effect. As he continues to meet with and impress the likely voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, people get a real appreciation for his character, his positive message and his compassion and sincerity. He is the Bill Clinton of 1992, not Hillary."
Bob Casey, Senator, Pa. "I believe in my heart that there is one person who's uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama." "I really believe that in a time of danger around the world and in division here at home, Barack Obama can lead us, he can heal us, he can help rebuild America."He said he wants to avoid creating divisions within the party by endorsing a candidate.
Donna Cassutt, Party official, Minn.
Ben Chandler, Representative, Ky. "In these tough economic times, when many in our nation and right here in Kentucky are struggling to make ends meet and to provide for their families, too much is at stake for us to do nothing. I hope all Kentuckians and citizens throughout the nation will join with me in firmly supporting Barack Obama to lead our nation to a better future and to a place of respect for our country around the world."
Will Cheek, Party official, Tenn. "If they use the power to draw the process to a close with the candidate who has momentum, that's fine with me. But if we thwart the electorate, I'm offended by that."
Martha Fuller Clark, Party official, N.H.
William Lacy Clay, Representative, Mo.
Steve Cohen, Representative, Tenn. "Senator Barack Obama is the candidate that I trust to be the agent for change that our nation so desperately needs at this time. Barack Obama is the agent of change. He will demand higher ethical standards so that the government finally belongs to the people once again, and he will bring our troops home. This nation can be proud to have such a candidate running for president."
Brian Colon, Party official, N.M. "I believe that Senator Obama has presented a positive message of change while continuing to focus on our real opponent; a John McCain presidency and another four year term of failed Bush policies."
Toby Condliffe, Party official, Dem. abroad
Kent Conrad, Senator, N.D.
Jim Cooper, Representative, Tenn.
Jerry F. Costello, Representative, Ill.
Jeanette Council, Party official, N.C. "I know that we've got to do more than just talk about solutions. We've got to get people to the point where they work together and they are involved and are inspired enough to come up with solutions."
Michael Cryor, Party official, Md. "I have been inspired by what he represents."
Chet Culver, Governor, Iowa "I believe it's clear that the American people are hungry for change. I believe they're looking for a president to push back on the special interests, and I think it's also time for a fresh new approach to governing in Washington, D.C., and believe Senator Obama represents this new approach. I do think it matters too that Iowans have spoken loudly and clearly. And because of that, in part, I felt compelled to also stand with him."
Elijah E. Cummings, Representative, Md. "This campaign is the audacity of hope. Obama will be the next president of the United States."
Barbara Flynn Currie, Add on delegate, Ill.
Jean Lemire Dahlman, Party official, Mont. "At this point, after thinking about it long and hard, I would like to endorse Barack Obama." "I would just like to honor the Montana primary votes by saying that I would reconsider if there were a significant difference in the outcome on June 3." "I don't feel lukewarm about endorsing Obama. His leadership potential is amazing, and he has brought so many new people into politics."
Richard M. Daley, Add on delegate, Ill. "Of course, I'm endorsing Sen. Obama. He has made that decision and I think this is an exciting time for the country. It brings a new voice in regards to what is taking place far too long in Washington, D.C., the lack of moving the agenda forward in regard to the quality of life for the people of America."
Tom A. Daschle, Party official, S.D.
John Davies, Party official, Alaska [Referring to the role of longtime party activists as unpledged delegates] "The original intent by the party was to provide some long-term perspective on who should be the nominee."
Artur Davis, Representative, Ala. "What tonight shows, in every part of this state, in black neighborhoods and white neighborhoods, in every part of this state, people believed in this man."
Yvonne Davis, Party official, Tex.
Danny K. Davis, Representative, Ill.
Celita Arroyo de Roques, Party official, P.R.
Lois M. DeBerry, Party official, Tenn.
Peter A. DeFazio, Representative, Ore. "Senator Obama has proven he is able to energize young Americans, independents and even moderate Republicans to support his candidacy." "I believe he represents our best hope of winning in November.""You both claim to be better suited than the other to take on the so-called Straight-Talk Express, so prove it. Run the next six weeks of your campaign against McCain, not against the other Democrat. Go after McCain for his policy positions, not the other Democrat for theirs. Allow the Democratic voters to believe in a campaign that can provide a new direction for this country and stop McCain from continuing the failed policies of the Bush Administration. In the end, it is the candidate who can take the fight to McCain and win that deserves my support and, most importantly, the support of the Democratic Party.""This has never come up in my political lifetime. I have no idea how this will play out."
John deJongh, Governor, V.I.
Bill Delahunt, Representative, Mass. "The election of Barack Obama will restore America's image in the world and also reaffirm our claim to moral authority." "It will enhance our national security and our national interest."
Rosa DeLauro, Representative, Conn.
Arrington Dixon, Party official, D.C.
Christopher J. Dodd, Senator, Conn.
Lloyd Doggett, Representative, Tex. "Whether Obama or Clinton lead the ticket, it will be historic. I welcome the opportunity to work with both."
Byron L. Dorgan, Senator, N.D.
James E. Doyle, Governor, Wis. "Obama listens to competing points of view, but makes strong decisions; he identifies problems, and builds coalitions to confront them; and he inspires people to come together behind a vision of change. He has campaigned like he will govern, by bringing people together and inspiring average Americans to participate in the political process so that we can take on the special interests and the great challenges we face."
Martin Dunleavy, Party official, Conn.
Richard J. Durbin, Senator, Ill.
Mary Ellen Early, Party official, Calif.
Al Edwards, Party official, Tex.
Chet Edwards, Representative, Tex. "It's not Senator Clinton's fault, but the baggage she carries is the divisiveness of the 1990s. People are wanting to turn the chapter to the future rather than going back to the last chapter. It's not fair but that is the reality."
Keith Ellison, Representative, Minn. "Obama supporters were ecstatic about the explosion of democracy we saw."
Anna G. Eshoo, Representative, Calif. "Senator Obama's candidacy is historic, and so is the reaction to it. He has brought thousands of disaffected and skeptical people back into the political process, and he has struck a chord with thousands of young voters. Still more are poised to participate in the days ahead. Barack Obama is a true son of America."
Edward Espinoza, Party official, Calif. "This needs to be over and done with by Memorial Day."
Kathleen Fahey, Party official, Neb. "I think he's the one who could come up with something different in terms of being able to handle the nation's problems. It was a difficult decision because if there is any woman so qualified to be a great president, it would be Hillary. But you either love her or you hate her, and I don't think she could get elected in November."
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, Party official, Am. Samoa "I have nothing against Hillary and respect her very much for her leadership and services to our country, but I believe Obama's style of leadership and his ability to bring people from all different walks of life and political persuasions is what our country needs right now."
Chaka Fattah, Representative, Pa. "This is a transformational moment in the history of America." Obama "motivates ordinary Americans to accomplish extraordinary things."
Adrian M. Fenty, Party official, D.C.
Charlene Fernandez, Party official, Ariz. "Senator Barack Obama is strengthening the Democratic Party by bringing in new voters, young and old, into the process. I believe Senator Obama has the best ability to win the White House in November and lead this country forward."
Michael L. Fitzgerald, Party official, Iowa "Endorsing a candidate this early is no ordinary occurrence in the Iowa caucuses — but Barack Obama is no ordinary candidate. He spoke out in opposition to the war in Iraq before it started, and today he has an aggressive plan to redeploy our troops out of Iraq by the end of March of 2008. We believe that Senator Obama has the vision to meet the challenges America faces, and that his message of hope and unity will lead us to a new kind of politics where we are not defined by our divisions but united by our love of country."
Stephen Fontana, Party official, Conn.
Bill Foster, Representative, Ill.
Carol Khare Fowler, Party official, S.C. She said she will base her decision on who she thinks is most likely to win in November, and "I don't have the answer to that yet."
Ken Foxworth, Party official, Minn.
Kalyn Free, Party official, Okla. "Barack Obama is a once-in-a-generation kind of leader and the best hope the American people have to rebuild the erosion our collective foundation has endured the last eight years. In 2008, we must elect a President who will restore our faith in the possibilities of each and every American, including the First Americans."
Dave Freudenthal, Governor, Wyo. "The negativity, partisanship and lack of purpose that characterize our national debate and government are crippling this country." "While no one individual can effect this change alone, the change must begin with someone. Senator Obama is the Democratic candidate with the openness, honesty and skill to end this vicious cycle of business as usual."
John Gage, Party official, Md. "Our people, I think, recognize the enthusiasm and vitality behind Senator Obama's campaign."
Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker, Party official, Calif.
Eric Garcetti, Party official, Calif.
Liv Gibbons, Party official, Dem. abroad
Parris N. Glendening, Add on delegate, Md. "I do not have anything against Senator Clinton. I just think Obama would provide the fundamental change we need."
Lauren D. Glover, Party official, Md. [Saying she based her decision to endorse Obama on his lead in pledged delegates and popular votes, she called him the best candidate to] "move our country past where we are now."
Charlie Gonzalez, Representative, Tex. "I think as people get to see him up close and personal, they will be moved and they will be inspired."
Enid Goubeaux, Party official, Ohio "I am endorsing Sen. Obama because his message, 'Yes we can' has inspired so many voters, especially younger voters, to take part in shaping our country's future."
Al Green, Representative, Tex.
Christine Gregoire, Governor, Wash. "He is leading us toward a positive feeling of hope in our country, and I love seeing that happen. I believe the nation faces significant challenges domestically and internationally and Obama is the person who has the ability to reach across artificial divides and move our national forward. Barack is that kind of leader."
Janice Griffin, Party official, Md.
Raoul M. Grijalva, Representative, Ariz. "The best opportunity to win in November rests with Senator Obama. I am proud to support Senator Obama as we move forward toward the nomination. This election is not merely about moving the pieces around in Washington, D.C., but to fundamentally change the rules of the game. I am proud to help Senator Obama work toward that change."
Stan Gruszynski, Party official, Wis. "Senator Obama will bring the change we need here in Wisconsin and across America to strengthen the middle class and standing for regular Americans." "From saving jobs from being sent overseas and creating new ones for our hard-working families, to creating universal health care and making college affordable to all, Senator Obama is a leader who will change America."
Luis V. Gutierrez, Representative, Ill. "In December of 2006, when he invited me to his office to talk about running for president [Mr. Obama asked] what do you think Luis, would you support me? And I said absolutely."
Dan Hannaher, Add on delegate, N.D. "Because Barack here won with 61 percent of the vote in a February 5th caucus, that brought out unprecedented numbers of new voters to the caucuses. He'll expand the map if he's the nominee and not start discounting the states before the race even starts."
Phil Hare, Representative, Ill.
Fred R. Harris, Party official, N.M. "I'll be [for] Obama for as long as he's in the race, unless he withdraws, which I don't expect."
Inola Henry, Party official, Calif.
Brad Henry, Governor, Okla. "Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to unite our nation and move beyond the divisiveness and partisan skirmishes that too often characterize politics as usual in Washington."
Stephanie Herseth, Representative, S.D. "I hope the superdelegates are not the ones deciding. It should be the pledged delegates who should be deciding."
Baron P. Hill, Representative, Ind. "Some have advised me to be cautious, to wait and see which way the electoral winds may blow. I confess that I have listened to those voices and been tempted by their reasoning. But, the stakes are just too high. We cannot continue to pursue the same politics of personal destruction we have engaged in for a generation, some never-ending 'groundhog day' endlessly playing out the cultural wars of forty years ago." "I believe Senator Obama has the capability to change the tone and tenor of politics in Washington."
Mazie K. Hirono, Representative, Hawaii
Paul W. Hodes, Representative, N.H.
Wayne Holland, Party official, Utah "Sen. Obama has helped to energize our State Party. Obama was clearly the choice of Utah Democrats on Feb. 5 and is the choice of the majority of Utah Democratic candidates to head the ticket in November. While it is not only important for me to reflect the sentiment of our Party, I also have a responsibility to endorse the candidate whom I believe will help unite the many voices of our 'big tent' Utah Party and help us build for the future.""I've always been pragmatic. I'll vote for what I think is best for the party."
Steven Horsford, Party official, Nev. "I think that the majority of the delegates — those that are representative of voters of states — should decide who the nominee is."
Constance Howard, Party official, Ill.
Waring Howe, Party official, S.C. "While I have great respect for the other two major candidates, Barack Obama has consistently demonstrated that he's the one candidate in this race who can move us past a '50 percent plus 1' politics and build a new, working majority to deliver change we can believe in. With him at the top of the ticket, Democrats will have a candidate they can run with, not run from."
Therese L. Hunkin, Party official, Am. Samoa
Thomas C. Hynes, Party official, Ill.
Jesse L. Jackson, Representative, Ill.
Wilber Lee Jeffcoat, Party official, S.C. Has said he could stay unpledged until the convention and that he was concerned about "taking away what the people back home voted."
Ben L. Jeffers, Party official, La.
Tim Johnson, Senator, S.D. "He is bipartisan and insists on bridging the difference between parties. That's what I see in him."
Denise Johnson, Party official, Tex.
Eddie Bernice Johnson, Party official, Tex. "Senator Obama's campaign has generated interest in young Americans who have never before been involved in politics. American needs these young people not only for their vote in this election, but for their continued participation in the future of our country."
Hank Johnson, Representative, Ga.
Emil Jones, Party official, Ill. "Barack Obama has spent 20 years delivering change we can believe in to communities across Illinois." "Every time we needed his help, Barack Obama stood up for us, and we need to stand up for him by voting on Feb. 5 to elect Barack our next president."
Raymond Jordan, Party official, Mass.
Peter Jorgensen, Party official, Wyo. "Having lived over 70 years and been down [in Cheyenne] six years, I know we need to tip the wheelbarrow over." "We need real change." "My inclination is to stick it out to the end." Saying you will support whoever wins your state "is a very popular thing to say until it comes down to analysis of who can win against McCain."
Steve Kagen, Representative, Wis. "What I plan to do is listen to the will of the people in my district. As they go, so will I."
Tim Kaine, Governor, Va. "Barack's success indicates his broad support and his ability to appeal to folks from across the political spectrum."
Edward M. Kennedy, Senator, Mass. "I'm not only supporting Barack because of what he has done. What counts in our leadership is not the length of years in Washington, but the reach of our vision, the strength of our beliefs, and that rare quality of mind and spirit that can call forth the best in our country and our people. That's why I'm most excited about the promise of President Obama."
Patrick J. Kennedy, Representative, R.I.
John Kerry, Senator, Mass. "I believe more than anyone else, Barack Obama can help our country turn the page and get America moving by uniting and ending the division we have faced."
Jane V. Kidd, Party official, Ga. "In Georgia, we're making grassroots voter contact our top priority in 2008, and I'm convinced that Senator Obama shares our dedication to neighbor-to-neighbor contact. I strongly believe that having Senator Obama as our nominee puts Georgia into play, and I know that, as the nominee, he will invest in our efforts to turn Georgia blue this year."
E. Lee Kinch, Party official, Kan.
Ron Kind, Representative, Wis. Has announced that his vote at the convention would go to whoever wins his district. "No person, regardless of position or office, should have his or her vote count more than anyone else's."
Paul G. Kirk, Party official, Mass. "After the attention paid to the poisonous and polarizing diatribe of recent days, Senator Obama's clear and compelling message which appeals to our best instincts as Americans is more important than ever. For all these reasons, I heartily endorse Senator Obama and hope my colleagues will do the same.""Once the contests are over, do the math. By mid-June, we must unite behind the candidate who has won the most delegates under a process we all understood and approved in advance. After eight years of Bush-Cheney, if we cannot unite our constituencies behind the Democratic nominee, shame on us!"
Amy Klobuchar, Senator, Minn. "I am endorsing Barack because he is a new kind of leader -- speaking with a different voice, bringing a new perspective and inspiring a real excitement from the American people. He is able to dissolve the hard cynical edge that has dominated our politics under the Bush Administration." "The energy that Barack has unleashed is impossible to contain."
John Knutson, Party official, Me. "It is clear that this presidential campaign will come down to a race for delegates, and I believe that by pledging to support the winner of Maine's caucuses, I will help to increase Maine's importance in the nomination process."
Frank LaMere, Party official, Neb.
Rick Larsen, Representative, Wash. "For me, what happened in North Carolina and Indiana ended up being a game changer." "Especially in Indiana where he came back after getting hit hard for a couple of weeks.""If I need to exercise my vote as a superdelegate in order to have a nominee this fall, then I will. I believe the grass roots of the party should select the candidate. The grass-roots process is not done. We should let it finish."
John B. Larson, Representative, Conn.
Nancy Larson, Party official, Minn. "I just think they are both wonderful candidates. Its been really difficult for me to make up my mind." "But I think the thing that really swung me over to Obama was his wonderful grassroots type of campaigning and the number of people he's got helping him out and supporting him.""They never anticipated that we would have two superstars locked in a dead heat, so I think there is no playbook for this." She hopes a decision gets made "before we have to step in."
Patrick J. Leahy, Senator, Vt. "Many around the world have lost respect for America and the hope that America once gave them. That's a tragedy. We need a president who can reintroduce America to the world and reintroduce America to ourselves."
Barbara Lee, Representative, Calif. "I am convinced that Senator Obama is the candidate who is a real agent of change; a man who can lead our nation in this young century in a new, progressive and positive direction. This century cries for social, environmental, diplomatic, global, and neighborhood solutions to the misery that confronts far too many people in our own country and around the globe. Senator Obama promises leadership to meet these challenges."
John Lewis, Representative, Ga. "In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit." "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap." "I've been very impressed with the campaign of Senator Obama. He's getting better and better every single day."
Cordelia Lewis-Burks, Party official, Ind.
Daniel Lipinski, Representative, Ill.
Dave Loebsack, Representative, Iowa "In a field of strong candidates, Barack is the strongest. What impresses me about Barack is his commitment to changing the way business is done in Washington. He understands that to pass universal health care, make energy independence a reality, and meet the other challenges we face, we need leadership that can bring all Americans together around a shared purpose."
Zoe Lofgren, Representative, Calif. "This year, above all, we need inspiration. We need a candidate and president who will summon us to unity, who will allow us to believe that America is a country whose ideals and principles matter and a country whose exceptional history can once again serve as a beacon of hope for the world."
Mary Long, Party official, Ga. "After careful thought, it is my honor today to endorse Sen. Barack Obama who day by day and state by state is challenging politics as usual and engaging so many new, diverse, Democratic voters -- voters who will propel Sen. Obama to victory in November and help elect great Democrats at the state and local level. As a delegate in August, I choose to be on the side of Georgians and on the side of history as I cast my vote for Barack Obama."
Leon Lynch, Party official, Pa.
Patrick Lynch, Party official, R.I. "The spirit, energy, intelligence, vision and inspiration that he offers is what our country needs right now."
Richard Machacek, Party official, Iowa "I think it needs to be over, and in good conscience, I can't fly in the face of my precinct, county and district. The raw numbers coming out of the district conventions really sat me down hard."
Michael Madigan, Party official, Ill. "For people who have had an opportunity to work with him and to see him and observe him, they are prepared to trust him with the most important office in the land."
Mark Mallory, Party official, Ohio
Debbie Marquez, Party official, Colo.
Iris Y. Martinez, Party official, Ill. "I really believe that, you know, we are headed towards a change in this country and I think the only one who can lead us there is going to be Barack Obama."
Jim Maxson, Party official, N.D.
Claire McCaskill, Senator, Mo.
Jennifer L. McClellan, Party official, Va. "My role is to vote in what is the best interest for my party as a whole."
Betty McCollum, Representative, Minn.
Rhine L. McLin, Party official, Ohio "I said all along that however Dayton and Montgomery County went, that's how I would use my superdelegate. I'm going with how the area went. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."
Jerry Meek, Party official, N.C.
John Melcher, Party official, Mont.
Brian Melendez, Party official, Minn.
Moses Mercado, Party official, Tex. "I thought he was the right candidate for the country."
Brad Miller, Representative, N.C.
George Miller, Representative, Calif. "Barack has the skills and experience that's necessary to really challenge the status quo in Washington, D.C. I'm very encouraged by the energy of the people responding to him and his vision of how people can come together to solve the problems that confront us."
John A. Millin, Party official, Wyo. "If Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee, we will be the party of new ideas that understands that a united America will be much better able to address the serious problems facing our country than a divided America. If Hillary Clinton is our party's nominee, every Democratic candidate in Wyoming will be painted with that same liberal, big-government brush. We will also be the target of the locker room jokes that rightfully belong to Bill Clinton."
Susan Montee, Add on delegate, Mo.
Dannie Montgomery, Party official, N.C.
Gwen Moore, Representative, Wis.
James P. Moran, Representative, Va.
Mee Moua, Party official, Minn.
Patrick J. Murphy, Representative, Pa. "I am inspired by Senator Obama's call to service and believe he is best suited to bring about the changes we need in our country."
Christopher S. Murphy, Representative, Conn.
Janet Napolitano, Governor, Ariz. "I think we need fresh voices and fresh messages of unity and coming together. I think he's a new, young voice who has new appeal, particularly for those of us in the West."
Sonny Nardi, Party official, Ohio
Ben Nelson, Senator, Neb.
Nick Nemec, Party official, S.D. "South Dakota is a pretty bright red state, and I think a lot of South Dakota Democrats were sick of being beat around the head and shoulders with the Clinton name."
Mary Jo Neville, Party official, Md.
Read More »
TODD SPANGLER
WASHINGTON -- Jeff Radjewski of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is pretty sure he's backing Barack Obama. Same goes for Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Oakland County Commissioner Eric Coleman.
"Probably get the letter out next week," said Coleman.
All three are undecided superdelegates -- a group of Democrats virtually assured of deciding whether Obama or Hillary Clinton becomes the party's presidential nominee. While their support isn't written in stone, it suggests an unmistakable momentum swing.
On Thursday, that shift was evident when former U.S. Rep. David Bonior of Mt. Clemens endorsed Obama. Though he's not a superdelegate, Bonior, who has deep ties to organized labor and ran John Edwards' failed presidential campaign, could help sway those who are.
He called Obama the "one candidate who has proven he can bring the kind of change to Washington that will mean more jobs, better pay for American workers and health care for every single American."
Meanwhile, Michigan party leaders said they would move ahead with a plan to ask the Democratic National Committee to seat their disallowed delegation with 69 delegates going to Clinton and 59 to Obama even though Clinton -- who would have won 73 delegates if the results of the Jan. 15 primary had counted -- rejected it.
Although Obama's 14-point victory in North Carolina this week and the 2-point win Clinton eked out in Indiana appeared to make it almost impossible for her to catch him in the delegate count, many superdelegates still aren't prepared to decide the contest.
Michigan has 29 superdelegates; 27 have been named and two more will be appointed next month by state party Chairman Mark Brewer, if the state's disallowed delegation is reseated. Of those superdelegates, seven have endorsed Clinton, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. John Dingell. Two are backing Obama: Rep. John Conyers and DNC member Virgie Rollins.
Of the undecided, the Free Press found three leaning strongly Obama's way, none who said they were moving toward backing Clinton and many who are outwardly or apparently waiting for more signals or the naming of a nominee.
The UAW, for instance, hasn't endorsed a candidate, and the union's two superdelegates aren't likely to make a pick public until it does. The same is true for other unions represented by superdelegates, like the National Education Association, which represents teachers.
Other superdelegates, such as U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, National Committeewoman Debbie Dingell, Reps. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Bart Stupak, and Brewer weren't expected to make a selection at least until the state's delegation is seated. The state lost its regular delegates because it scheduled an early primary.
"I'm going to wait," Levin said Thursday.
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has a vote, too. His spokeswoman said Thursday, "He's talked to both campaigns and it's not going to be hard for him to make a decision, but he's not ready to make an announcement."
Rick Weiner, former chief of staff to Granholm and former head of the state party, said he has a preference but won't reveal it; not yet, not even to his wife. And Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence said she's close but wants to wait for one more primary -- next Tuesday's vote in West Virginia.
It may have been telling, though, when she said: "The numbers have to be there for a nominee."
Lauren Wolfe, a 25-year-old University of Detroit Mercy law student, is president of College Democrats of America, and she's appealing to students on YouTube.com for advice on who to back.
Radjewski, of IBEW Local 58 in Detroit, said he had been leaning toward Obama and "Tuesday really strengthened that." Making his decision official, he said, was a matter of making sure the people he represents know who he intends to back.
"I wanted to support the candidate who could best win in the fall," he said.
Said Ficano: "It's reaching a point where it seems the math is going to be difficult at best and is looking almost impossible" for Clinton.
The Wayne County executive was waiting to work out details before making an announcement.
As for Coleman, he'd pretty much made up his mind that Obama represents the fresh start the nation needs.
"All you've got to do is add up all the delegates from all the remaining elections and she still comes up short," he said.
• Watch Lauren Wolfe's YouTube video
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.
Sen. Obama, D-Ill., picked up two superdelegates this morning giving him a new metric to tout in addition to his current commanding leads in pledged delegates, popular votes, states won, and money raised.
Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., endorsed Obama. DeFazio was previously uncommitted.
With these endorsements, Obama has the support of 267 superdelegates and Clinton has 265 superdelegates.
Every news organization's superdelegate count is a little different because it is an imperfect science. Since October 2007, the Political Unit has continuously reached out to the nearly 800 superdelegates to determine their candidate preference. We also reach out regularly to the Obama and Clinton campaigns for their superdelegate lists and work to confirm any that they include on their lists.
Clinton’s advantage among superdelegates was once massive and has been dwindling steadily since Super Tuesday, when she was ahead by over 60 superdelegates.
Clinton’s institutional support from within the Democratic Party allowed her to build a commanding lead in superdelegates over Obama in the early part of this nomination battle.
Despite several rough weeks on the campaign trail, Obama has maintained momentum in picking up superdelegates. Obama has outpaced Clinton at every marker of this campaign since Super Tuesday -- after the controversial comments of Rev. Wright came out, after Clinton’s big win in Pennsylvania and after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.
Hi everybody. Sorry I've been out for a while. i've been very busy caring for my 24 year old son. He was critically injured in an accident on his job close to three years ago. A forklift he was driving tipped over onto him. He has been going through surgery after surgery since then. He just recently had another surgery and is schuled for another surgery yet in about a month. Hopefully this will be his last one. I haven't forgot about my blog here on Obama.com, I just haven't had the time or mind set to concentrate on my blog recently. I will attempt to post at lease one blog day for now. Thank you all who read my blog and/or wondered what may have happened to me.
Zax
sTAY iN pEACE
by Mark Silva Posted April 1, 2008 2:40 PM
That sometimes-touted “dream team’’ of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton doesn’t sit well with most Democrats, if Obama is sitting at the top of the ticket. But, if Clinton is topping the ticket, more like Obama as a running mate.
Just 42 percent of Democrats surveyed nationwide say Clinton should be the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, if Obama wins the party’s nomination. Yet 58 percent say Clinton should tap Obama, should she become the party’s nominee.
The reason for “the disparity,’’ the Gallup Poll reports, “is that a relatively small number of Obama supporters -- just 29 percent --favor Obama choosing Clinton as a possible running mate. Seventy percent say they'd rather he choose someone else. And 55 percent of all the Democrats surveyed say he should choose someone other than Clinton.
In contrast, a majority of Clinton supporters – 53 percent -- would want Clinton to choose Obama for vice president if she is nominated.’’
Similar percentages (a majority of both Clinton and Obama supporters) say they would want their own candidate selected for vice president should the other candidate win the Democratic nomination for president.
The findings are based on a survey of 502 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents on March 24-27, with a possible margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Posted April 1, 2008 2:30 PM By Jim Tankersley
First there was a leaked government memo claiming a top economic advisor for Barack Obama had privately assured America's northern neighbor that Obama didn't really mean those nasty things he said about NAFTA (a charge the campaign denied).
Now, it appears a Canadian radio show managed to get a Hillary Clinton surrogate - a member of Congress no less - to say he believes Obama will win the presidency. Even worse for Clinton, the congressman compares her to the anemic Kansas City Chiefs.
Christopher Beam of Slate.com has a post up today on the subject:
"Surrogates seem to think that telling something to a foreign news agency means that their words won’t get back to the United States," he writes. "How else to explain Sam Powers’ 'monster' comment to the Scotsman or a new statement on Canadian radio by Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Clinton superdelegate, that 'Barack Obama is going to be the next president'?
"To call Cleaver’s remarks off-message would be an understatement," Beam continues. "Cleaver goes on to say with brutal, hilarious honesty that '[i]f I do the party line, I'm supposed to say—and maybe I'll say just so if anybody hears it they can say well, "Cleaver did the party line before he told the truth,"—we believe that a contest going all the way to the convention is good for America,' he said. But he calls that scenario a 'tragedy of tragedies.' Cleaver then reveals that he knows he’s supporting the losing team: 'Even though I don't expect the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Indianapolis Colts, I cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs.'"
The audio is here.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, the top Democrat on the Sept. 11 commission, is backing Barack Obama in an endorsement that could boost the presidential hopeful's national security standing, The Associated Press has learned.
The Illinois senator "champions the politics of consensus and not of partisan division," Hamilton said in an interview. "I think he is driven by the search for the common good."
Hamilton planned to announce the endorsement Wednesday.
The former Indiana lawmaker served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee during his more than three decades in Congress and is best known as vice chairman of the panel that investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Hamilton also was co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission that assessed U.S. policy in Iraq.
Although Hamilton is not a Democratic superdelegate, his backing comes on the heels of several high-profile endorsements for Obama, who leads Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in delegates for the party's nomination. Sens. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota endorsed Obama in recent days.
Hamilton is the highest-profile Indiana Democrat to back Obama before the state's May 6 primary. Sen. Evan Bayh and the bulk of Indiana's Democratic Party leadership have campaigned actively for Clinton in a state where neither candidate is regarded as a natural front-runner.
Hamilton, once mentioned as a possible running mate for Bill Clinton, told the AP he believed Obama was the candidate most likely to unite the country.
"I begin by asking myself what kind of leadership the country needs at this juncture and I think, for me at least, the answer is that you want a candidate that will try to bring together a country that is very evenly divided, a country in which partisanship has been very sharp and to try to get a candidate who will create a new sense of national unity and will try to transcend the divisions within the country," he said.
Hamilton spent 34 years in Congress representing a southern Indiana district. He served as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees, and was a Democratic leader on international relations before retiring in 1999.
Hamilton now leads the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. In a speech there last year, written by a longtime aide to Hamilton, Obama warned Pakistan that he would use military force if necessary to root out terrorists.
In Pennsylvania, many young voters are pushing their parents to back Obama.
All over Pennsylvania, parents and their college-age children are battling over the state's Democratic primary. In one dining room in a small industrial town in northeastern Pennsylvania, the animus grew especially strong on Easter Sunday. Over honey-baked ham, Kathleen, 22, a student at a local Catholic college, and her mother, a hairdresser, got into a fight that brought the family dinner to a standstill. Kathleen and her mother have been arguing about the relative virtues of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for months—largely, Kathleen says, because her mother is deeply worried about the economy and doesn't think Obama is capable of fixing it."She says Obama is too idealistic," says Kathleen, who asked to be identified only by her middle name because she's working for a local media outlet that does not permit her to publically express her political views. "And I told her I want someone idealistic. I think she believes he's promising too much." Kathleen said the Easter argument began when her 76-year-old grandfather warned her and her brother that he's never seen the country in such bad shape. "'You and your brother are going to have to work to fix this country'," Kathleen recalls him saying. Kathleen says her mother then provoked her by pointing out that life was great under Bill Clinton. "I don't like my mom equating [Hillary] with her husband," Kathleen said. "I said, 'Her husband's not gonna be president, Mom'." That was enough to send grandpa over the edge. He stopped the conversation and demanded the family get back to eating.
Kathleen's family is not the only one grappling with fierce generational rivalries in this election's Democratic contests. In Pennsylvania—as in Ohio, which Hillary won by 10 percent—Clinton currently has bedrock support from the so-called Reagan Democrats: white, blue-collar, middle-age men and women who defected from the Democratic Party in 1980 and 1984 to vote for Reagan. Many voters fitting this profile are now solidly back in the Democrats' corner but have proven difficult for Obama to win over in Pennsylvania, fueling Clinton's 12-point lead in one recent state poll. But Obama may see his support among that group increase soon, thanks to Sen. Bob Casey's endorsement of him, announced this morning. Against abortion and in favor of gun rights, Casey, a Roman Catholic, is the son of a popular Pennsylvania governor who, like Reagan, succeeded by winning over those blue-collar, socially conservative Democrats.
Casey explained his endorsement by describing the intense enthusiasm his kids feel for Obama. "Let me tell you a little story about my four daughters, one by one," he said. "First of all, my daughter Caroline, our second, she saw Senator Obama speak at the 2004 convention. She was not only listening … by the end of his speech, she was standing on her chair. And that's the same reaction that we've all had about his campaign and about his character. My daughter Elyse was sitting in our home the night of the Iowa caucuses. Senator Obama was speaking, and she was transfixed looking at the television set. And all of a sudden—I was standing there in the kitchen with her—the telephone rang, her cell phone rang. One of her good friends called her, she picked up the phone and she said, 'I can't talk to you now, I am listening to Barack Obama,' and she hung up ... My daughter Julia is reading 'The Audacity of Hope' right now. And my daughter Marena, who's our youngest, is 11, she's been giving me messages for Senator Obama that I'm supposed to impart to him later." Like Casey's daughters, Angie McNie, a 20-year-old sophomore at Penn State and a member of the university's Students for Obama club, has persuaded her dad and stepdad to give Obama a second look. McNie, a student from a blue-collar Pittsburgh family—her dad works as a bus driver—said she's been steadily campaigning to convince her parents to vote Obama. She said she told them that Clinton's universal health-care plan might not be as great as it sounds. "I tried to explain … that if Hillary does institute this it means you are forced to buy this health care, and if you can't afford it for whatever reason they take it out of your wages," she said. "A couple weeks later my dad said, 'I'm sorry, hon. I'm still voting for Hillary.' I said, 'It's OK, but it would be so much better for me if you'd look into both candidates and their platforms instead of just [thinking] their husband was a good president'." McNie says her dad is still leaning toward Clinton, but has promised he'll think about Obama. She said she made inroads with her stepdad by pointing out that Obama doesn't accept money from special-interest groups. "He didn't believe me at first, and then he looked into it and he said, 'I really agree with that'," McNie said. But she said her stepdad still thinks Obama is too young and inexperienced. McNie said she hasn't stopped trying to persuade them, but her parents are tiring of the conversation. "A lot of people don't like to discuss these things with me," she said, "because they know I get so passionate. Especially my parents."
Andrew Craft, a 19-year-old Penn State student from the western Pennsylvania town of Mars, is also passionate. He does volunteer work for the campaign almost daily—even as he juggles exams, parties and a part-time job. His mom, Nancy, a teacher, and dad, Donald, a FedEx carrier, support Hillary Clinton. They think Bill Clinton was a great president and care deeply about health care and other issues they believe Clinton is more qualified than Obama to fix. The debate over which Democrat will make a better president has grown so heated that the family has adopted guidelines to keep their discourse civil. "We have come to a consensus in our family," says Nancy Craft. "Around the country it's very polarized right now. Some [Democrats] are saying they're gonna vote for John McCain … In our house, we've decided that no matter who gets the nomination, we'll support the [Democratic candidate]." The family still debates, Nancy Craft says, but the tone is good-natured and often stems from Andrew's penchant for flaunting Obama gear around the house. "He has Obama pins on his backpack and on his car he has a bumper sticker," she said, adding that her car is adorned with a Clinton bumper sticker. After months of trying to sell his parents on Obama, whom he respects for being a "real, straightforward positive thinker," Andrew says he has pretty much given up on converting them. But that hasn't stopped him from trying. "I give them my little spiel every now and then, but we're both pretty solidly in support of one or the other," he said.
The debate has brought him closer to his parents. Andrew was upset about the negative tenor of the campaign, especially as the scandal surrounding Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, exploded, and he confided in his mom. "We both agreed that both of those are silly talking points," he said of the warfare between the campaigns about Obama's association with Wright as well as Clinton's made-up encounter with sniper fire in Bosnia. Nancy said she comforted Andrew by telling him that negativity is as old as politics. "He was very upset about the Reverend Wright fracas," Nancy recalled, "and I said, 'It's kind of like Monica Lewinsky and the blue dress'." The younger generation is quickly getting wise to the ways of politics—but hasn't given up on getting their elders to try to see things afresh.
Brayboy endorses Obama
Pledged Delegates 1414
Superdelegates 222
Total 1638`
Joyce Brayboy has endorsed Barack Obama. The Democratic superdelegate, whose day job is as a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist, made the decision recently.
Previously, she told Dome that she would study both candidates' electability and their stances on health care and education before making a decision.
U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield and two other superdelegates, Everett Ward and Dannie Montgomery, are also backing Obama, while Charlotte City Councilwoman Susan Burgess backs Hillary Clinton.
Posted by Pam Spaulding, Pandagon at 8:48 AM on March 29, 2008.
High School Kids in the Bronx Reflect on Obama's Race Speech
VIDEO- Listen to these young people.
By Mireya Navarro
Published: March 31, 2008
Jenifer Bratter once wore a T-shirt that read "100 percent black woman." Her black friends would not have it.
"I remember getting a lot of flak because of the fact I wasn't 100 percent black," said Bratter, 34, recalling her college years at Pennsylvania State University.
"I was very hurt by that," said Bratter, whose mother is black and whose father is white. "I remember feeling like, Isn't this what everybody expects me to think?"
Being accepted. Proving loyalty. Navigating the tight space between racial divides. Americans of mixed race say these are issues they have long confronted, and when Senator Barack Obama recently delivered his campaign speech about race in Philadelphia, it rang with a special significance in their ears. They saw parallels between the path trod by Obama and their own.
They recalled the friends, as in Bratter's case, who thought they were not black enough. Or the people who challenged them to label themselves by innocently asking, "What are you?" Or the relatives of different races who can sometimes be insensitive to one another.
"I think Barack Obama is going to bring these deeply American stories to the forefront," said Esther John, 56, an administrator at Northwest Indian College in the state of Washington, who identifies herself as black, American Indian and white.
"Maybe we'll get a little bit further in the dialogue on race," John said. "The guilt factor may be lowered a little bit because Obama made it right to be white and still love your black relatives, and to be black and still love your white relatives: to love despite another person's racial appearance."
Americans of mixed race say questions about whether Obama, with a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, is "too black" or "not black enough," as the candidate himself brought up in his speech March 18, show the extent to which the nation is still fixated on old categories.
"There's this notion that there's an authentic race and you must fit it," said Bratter, now an assistant professor of sociology at Rice University in Houston who researches interracial families. "We're confronted with the lack of fit."
The old categories are weakening, however. The 2000 census counted 3.1 million interracial couples, or about 6 percent of married couples. For the first time, the census that year allowed respondents to identify themselves as of "two or more races," a category that now includes 7.3 million Americans, about 3 percent of the population.
Many people still stick to a one-race label even if they are of mixed descent, sometimes because of strong identification with one racial group, and occasionally because of a conscious effort not to dilute the numbers of the group they most identify with, researchers say.
In interviews, people of mixed race said their decision about how to identify themselves is deeply personal, not political; it is influenced by how and where they were reared, how others perceive them, what they look like and how they themselves came to embrace their identity.
James McBride, who described growing up in a Brooklyn housing project with his Jewish mother in a memoir, "The Color of Water," said that like Obama, he identifies himself primarily as a black man of mixed race. As a child whose father was black, he said, "I really wanted to be like all the other black kids. It was the larger group around me." And through life, because of his brown skin, society has imposed its own label. "If cops see me, they see a black man sitting in a car," he said.
But being proud to call himself black, said McBride, 50, does not negate his connection to his "Jewish part," his mother's heritage. Asked which part of him was dominant, he said, "It's like grabbing Jell-O."
"But what difference does it make?" he asked. "When you're mixed, you see how absurd this business of race is."
McBride and other mixed-race Americans said they took pride that Obama was presenting his biracial identity as an asset for the presidency. Even if he calls himself African-American, and has made a central element of his campaign biography the quest to claim that identity after his father left him, Obama is seen as giving equal weight in his story to his white mother and grandparents.
"He's really having to play the field and know his audience really well," said Phillip Handy, 21, a junior at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, whose mother is white and father is black. "In the end, when I hear his message, I don't think he's bailing out on any of us."
Many mixed-race people described their struggles to decide their own racial identity, often in the face of pressure from others to pigeonhole them. McBride said his books invariably were shelved in the black sections of bookstores. "Why can't I be a white author? I'm half white," he said.
Shafia Zaloom, 36, a teacher in San Francisco who is Asian and white, said she was often asked if her two children, who look like her white husband, were adopted. "Sometimes, when I'm at the playground, people think I'm the nanny," she said.
Zaloom, who gets her looks from her Chinese mother, said she had been on the receiving end of insensitive racial remarks and gestures about Asians. But she fully identifies as being of mixed race. "It's really unfair to expect people to choose," she said. "It's like asking to be loyal to one parent or the other."
Although still small, the mixed-race population is increasingly visible among the young. The 2000 census found that 41 percent of the mixed-race population was under 18.
And at least, many multiracial Americans say, they are no longer seen as oddities. Zaloom expects her 6-year-old daughter's and 4-year-old son's journeys to self-identity will be different from hers. At times while growing up, Zaloom recalled, she struggled with questions about not being white or attractive enough. She rebelled against Chinese language lessons, her mother's Chinese food and eating with chopsticks.
But when her daughter was born, she named her Mei Lan, like her maternal grandmother, to honor her Chinese roots. Her son was named Kyle in deference to her paternal Irish side. Her wish for them, she said, is that they realize the benefits outweigh whatever challenges come with a mixed identity, and "ultimately, to not have to check a box."
VIDEO-Being Multiracial in America
