Prominent Clinton Backer Says He’ll Vote for Obama

[fedupinBushcountry]

Representative John Lewis, an iconic figure from the Civil Rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.


“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”

snip>

Mr. Lewis, an elder statesman of the black civil rights establishment who carries great influence among other members of Congress and in the black community, disclosed his decision in an interview as the Service Employees International Union was on the brink of endorsing Mr. Obama. It also came as fresh signs emerged that Mrs. Clinton’s support was beginning to erode from some African American lawmakers who also serve as superdelegates. Representative David Scott of Georgia, who was among the first to defect, said he would not go against the will of voters in his district who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama last week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html?_r=2&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203042115-YsxsFqHJdJdY8Azmt9Bz7Q">more

[Renew Deal]

1. That's the second or third delegate flip TODAY!

There was a superdelegate and another congressman that flipped.

[sniffa]

14. Who, who, who?

I was away from the computer most of today, so I'm not all caught up yet.

[Renew Deal]

18. Here's the superdelegate

WEST ORANGE, NJ –Christine “Roz” Samuels, a superdelegate from Montclair, New Jersey, who was supporting Hillary Clinton announced she was now supporting Senator Barack Obama for President today, citing his ability to unite the country:

“I now support Barack Obama because he has brought about a new wave of hope and energy to this country, especially among our young people, who represent our future. People want to see change. Barack can help unite this country and help us embrace our diverse nation.

“I am also proud to support Senator Obama because he spoke clearly and forcefully against the war in Iraq from the start. I know he has the leadership to make sure we bring our young men and women home as quickly and carefully as possible, and ensure all Americans have access to affordable health care.”

Samuels served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Newark Teachers’ Union, Local 481 from 1995 until 2007. Samuels is a former Commissioner of the Essex County Board of Elections, a member of the Montclair Democratic Committee, and active in the Montclair and state-wide NAACP.


http://thepage.time.com/obama-release-on-superdelegate

[sniffa]

19. Rock on!

I doubt she'll be the first but this i wonderful to read. :bounce:

[MadBadger]

2. WOW

[rox63]

3. Wow - This is a major super-delegate switch

Lewis had been one of them that Clinton had been touting as part of her civil rights credibilty. And it's a major pickup for Obama.

Edit to add: You should edit your subject line to indicate who it is that's switching over from Clinton to Obama. Lewis is a real icon of the Civil Rights movement.

[karynnj]

21. I remember the nice Boston marrch he made in 2005 with

people like Senator Kerry that some JK Duers went to. He is amazing and I think this is his reaction to the Clinton's attampt to win via superdelegates.

[jackson_dem]

4. How about letting all the votes be counted before we decide if there will be a convention fight?

What if Hillary gets the most votes and Lewis helps Obama win?

[my3boyz]

16. It would be great! I can't stand her!

[MadBadger]

17. Maybe he faced an enormous amount of pressure from his state.

[wndycty]

5. Awesome news

:kick:

[jefferson_dem]

6. This makes me very happy.

John Lewis is personal hero of mine. Nice to see he's doing the right thing!

[yeswecan08]

7. Black America is finally rising up against the Clintons - they know the real truth

[EffieBlack]

22. "Black America" is not rising up against anyone.

Many black people have decided to vote for Obama. It's very simple.

Please don't try to turn it into something more than it is. Your rhetoric is not only inaccurate, it's unhelpful.

[berni_mccoy]

8. Clinton. Is. Toast.

[fascisthunter]

9. wow

[City Lights]

10. And so it begins!

:patriot:

:bounce:

[usregimechange]

11. kick!

[pdxmom]

12. Wow! This is really a big deal. I'm very surprised. Lewis's original

endorsement of Clinton was quite strong. And now she'll have to take it off her website.

[Drunken Irishman]

13. I have great respect for John Lewis.

[alteredstate]

15. This is great!

[Colobo]

20. He's on the right side of history now! Gobama!

[IndianaGreen]

23. This LGBT Latina fully supports Obama

and I am very pleased to see that some superdelegates are beginning to realize, as John Lewis has, that it would be a disaster to go against the will of the voters.

[fadedrose]

24. Lewis is right; something is happening...

The country, as impossible as it seemed when Obama first announed, is ready for a black man.

My first thought was that even tho I might vote for a black man, the rest of the whites wouldn't. Boy was I wrong.

Something is happening. Let's hope it's a good thing. We've needed a good thing for SO long.

[Imagevision]

25. Lewis: "I can't go against the wishes of the voters of my district" who

overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama. Therefore I will be voting for Mr. Obama. The best new of the day!
\gobamagobamagobama...

[flyarm]

26. wonder if he knows Obama broke the Fla rules?

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/30/obama-vows-do-whats-right/?news-breaking
Barack Obama held an impromptu news conference after a Tampa fundraiser Sunday.


By WILLIAM MARCH and ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2007



TAMPA - Barack Obama hinted during a Tampa fundraiser Sunday that if he's the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, he'll seat a Florida delegation at the party's national convention, despite national party sanctions prohibiting it.

Obama also appeared to violate a pledge he and the other leading candidates took by holding a brief news conference outside the fundraiser. That was less than a day after the pledge took effect Saturday, and Obama is the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Florida since then.Obama and others have pledged not to campaign in Florida until the Jan. 29 primary except for fundraising, which is what he was doing in Tampa.

But after the fundraiser at the Hyde Park home of Tom and Linda Scarritt, Obama crossed the street to take half a dozen questions from reporters waiting there.

The pledge covers anything referred to in Democratic National Committee rules as "campaigning," and those include "holding news conferences."

Obama seemed unaware the pledge he signed prohibits news conferences. Asked whether he was violating it, he said, "I was just doing you guys a favor. … If that's the case, then we won't do it again."