WHO IS BARACK OBAMA? Watch the video below. It's adorable!
Listen to Ralph Stanley from West Virginia!
Over the weekend, John McCain's top adviser announced their plan to stop engaging in a debate over the economy and "turn
the page" to more direct, personal attacks on Barack Obama.
In the middle of the worst economic crisis since
the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election. Perhaps because the policies
McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend.
But it's not just
McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption
that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time.
During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive
support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country.
More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail
out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion.
Sound
familiar?
In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately
landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. The McCain campaign has tried to avoid
talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and
voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain.
So
at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating
Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with
background information that every voter should know.
The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain
still hasn't learned his lesson.
And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy
at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.
Watch the video to see why
John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis:
It's no wonder
John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the
top priority issue for voters.
But if we work together, we can make sure the focus stays on the economy -- and
how to fix it.
Please forward this email to everyone you know.
Thanks,
David
David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
P.S. -- The documentary will be live at noon Eastern
on Monday, October 6th at www.KeatingEconomics.com.
Rednecks For Obama
"We've
had many Democratic presidents, and we will still have our guns"
-Tony Viessman
When AllHipHop
was in Denver we quickly stumbled over a base of support for Senator Barak Obama during the Democratic National Convention.
Unable to speak to them at the time, we quickly snapped a picture of these two gentlemen, but they left an impression
on us. After a couple of weeks and a few seconds of searching, we realize these guys are the real deal.
“We
hunt, fish, drink beer and support Barack Obama,” Tony Viessman told the New York Times last month. The 74-year old
former Hillary Clinton supporter hails from from Rolla, Mo and has attended several events supporting Obama.
Right
now, the movement only consists of two members, Viessman and his friend Les. (seen in the picture below). The pair have adopted
the motto "“We Hunt, Fish, Drink Beer and Support Barack Obama.”
Viessman admits most of his hunting/fishing/drinking peers are not Obama supporters (there are some though), but
that hasn’t prevented him from supporting the Democratic presidential candidate.
“Rednecks for Obama”
formally announced its presence outside the Pepsi Center during the Democratic National Convention coupled wth a hug banner
that cause a lot of chatter and questions.
Viessman owns 10 guns, hunts fishes and loves to drink beer, much of
which is contrary to Obama’s ideals. Nevertheless, the Rednecks for Obama can see past these differences.
“I don’t care about his beer, I care about his intelligence,” he said.
Although their formal
ranks are low, Obama appears to have an understated appeal in rural areas. One reader said, “Here in rural Appalachia,
I see Obama stickers on pickup trucks and Obama yard signs on back country roads every single day.” The last word
goes to Tony Viessman.
"He is brilliant. And he's not an elitist, though he has the education to
be"
Obama officially becomes the nation’s first African-American major-party nominee
For a countless number of Americans – particularly older African
Americans and others tired of a social and political system grounded in racial inequality – Sen. Barack Obama’s
historic ascension as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee Wednesday night ignited an emotional explosion.
Many in the
audience at Denver's Pepsi Center held back tears, hardly believing they were watching a Black man have a legitimate
shot at leading the United States of America.
What Obama’s nomination means,
in essence, is that Democrats are trusting this 47-year-old Black man to take America from the malaise of the past eight
years to an era of prosperity, a near-forgotten time last witnessed during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Obama
is essentially the proverbial Moses, chosen to lead his people, all people, to the Land of Milk and Honey.
And, as if that weren’t enough, his worth as a leader with the qualities necessary to handle such a gargantuan task
was trumpeted by the very politicians who had targeted his race and purported inexperience: Bill and Hillary Clinton. The
Clintons’ enthusiastic support for Obama this week invoked yet another biblical analogy – something about how
God makes the enemies of his chosen ones their servants.
“Republicans said I was too young and too
inexperienced to be commander-in-chief,” Bill Clinton said, during his endorsement speech. “Sound familiar? It
didn’t work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won’t work in 2008, because Barack Obama
is on the right side of history.
"Now, Sen. Obama's life is a 21st-century incarnation
of the old-fashioned American dream. His achievements are proof of our continuing progress toward the more perfect union of
our founders' dreams," he continued. "Barack Obama will lead us away from the division and fear of the last
eight years back to unity and hope."
Earlier in the day, Sen. Hillary Clinton, negating
her previous charges against her former rival, said, “With eyes firmly fixed on the future, and in the spirit of unity
with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let’s declare together with one voice right here,
right now that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president,” she said.
”Is
there a second?” fired back Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking the more than 4,000 delegates, who roared
with enthusiastic cheers and applause. ”The motion is adopted,” Pelosi said, beaming.
The
former president also proved to be the perfect set-up man for Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, whom Clinton said
he loved.
In accepting his party’s nomination as vice president, Biden, a Delaware Democrat who brings
decades of foreign policy experience and a history of working with Republican lawmakers to enact a series of progressive legislation,
described Republican John McCain as a friend and patriot, who had endured unthinkable torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
But Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, lambasted the Arizona senator, saying that he
had went along with virtually all of President Bush’s failed policies, which left Americans much worse off than during
the Clinton years.
America now confronts a plethora of challenges that require "more than a good soldier"
in the White House, he said, calling Obama a wise leader who can deliver the change the nation needs.
OBAMA ON "ENERGY" IN LANSING, MICHIGAN
Obama Blasts Bad Hip-Hop Images
Women-hating, money-glorifying lyrics are not positive forces, he says
Sen. Barack Obama,
whose wide-ranging musical tastes include hip hop, took a swipe last week at the less than savory manifestations of the popular
genre. “I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics,” the Democratic presidential
nominee said in his highly publicized interview with Rolling Stone magazine. “It would be nice if I could have my daughters
listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves.” But Obama, who if elected
in November would become the youngest president in history, added that hip hop has also been a positive force in America.
“I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music,” he said, referring
to hip-hop moguls Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and Ludacris” as “great talents and great businessmen.”
Obama Declares Himself Democratic Nominee
Clinton Delays Concession For Another
Day
Before a crowd of cheering thousands, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois laid claim to the Democratic
presidential nomination Tuesday night, taking a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the nation's
first black president. Hillary Rodham Clinton maneuvered for the vice presidential spot on his fall ticket without conceding
her own defeat. "America, this is our moment," the 46-year-old senator and one-time community organizer said
in his first appearance as the Democratic nominee-in-waiting. "This is our time. Our turn to turn the page on the policies
of the past." Clinton was projected the winner in South Dakota but not before the Associated Press and other news
agencies proclaimed Obama had captured enough delegates to clinch the party's nomination. Obama's victory set
up a five-month campaign with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a race between a 46-year-old opponent of the Iraq War
and a 71-year-old former Vietnam prisoner of war and staunch supporter of the current U.S. military mission. Both men
promptly exchanged criticism over the war in Iraq and sought to claim the mantle of change in a country plainly tired of the
status quo. "It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush 95 percent of the time, as
he did in the Senate last year," Obama said in remarks prepared for delivery in St. Paul, Minn. "It's
not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs. ... And it's
not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave young men and women in uniform
and nothing of Iraqi politicians." In a symbolic move, he spoke in the same hall where McCain will accept the Republican
nomination at his party's convention in September. McCain spoke first, in New Orleans, and he accused his younger
rival of voting "to deny funds to the soldiers who have done a brilliant and brave job" in Iraq. It was a reference
to 2007 legislation to pay for the Iraq war, a measure Obama opposed citing the lack of a timetable for withdrawing troops.
McCain agreed with Obama that the presidential race would focus on change. "But the choice is between the right
change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward," he added.
Presidential candidate Barack Obama has decided to leave Trinity United Church of Christ where he was a member for 20
years. Speaking in Aberdeen, South Dakota he said it is a personal decision that he did not come to lightly. ”It
is one I make with some sadness,” he said. The Illinois senator held a press conference after his campaign
released the letter he wrote to the church Friday. He had been discussing the issue with his wife, he said,
since former pastor The Rev. Jeremiah Wright gave a fiery speech at the National Press Club in Washington. ”I’m
not denouncing the church,” he assured, ”and I’m not interested in people who want me to denounce
the church.” Obama added that he comes to his decision mainly because some people will associate every
comment made at the church, even by guest pastors, with him. “The remarks will imputed to me even if they totally conflict
with my long-held views, statements and principles,” he said.
Did Obama make the right decision?
OBAMA RELEASES MEDICAL RECORDS
Obama releases medical
records. Despite an ongoing battle to kick a smoking habit, Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama appears
to be in tip-top shape, according to recently released medical records. The records date back to Obama’s last examination
16 months ago. His campaign released the records shortly after Arizona Senator John McCain, the likely Republican nominee
for President, allowed reporters to briefly review his medical records. In a statement released by his campaign, Obama’s
physician, Dr. David L. Scheiner, said the candidate was in excellent health. Obama’s medical history dated back 21
years. Dr. Scheiner said minor upper respiratory problems were the only significant medical problem Obama has had to deal
with the past two decades. It was noted that Obama exercises regularly and has no excess body fat. His blood pressure was
considered exceptional and he had very healthy cholesterol levels. Obama’s continued smoking is a concern because he
has a family history of cancer. His mother died of ovarian cancer; a grandfather died from prostate cancer. However, Obama’s
doctor noted the candidate is using Nicorette gum with success to help him kick the smoking habit. Does the public
have the right to know a presidential candidate’s medical history?
Election '08: Obama Marches On/McCain Takes Aim
BY THE WOLF-AHH.COM
Like last week, Tuesday’s primary came as no surprise. Hillary took Kentucky, maintaining her stranglehold on the
Appalachian region, while Obama took Oregon, further consolidating his strength in the Northwest.
You can find the exact numbers here, but a quick look shows that Clinton made no gains in either the delegate count or the popular vote. What is probably the
most interesting fact of yesterday is that Clinton’s claim that Obama can’t win working class white voters may
have been exposed as a fallacy.
As Andrew Sullivan noted, statistically there’s not much difference between the white voters in Oregon and Kentucky, and as it’s shaping
up it looks as if the choices they make have more to do with region than with economic factors. Furthermore, Obama’s
momentum continues to flow as can be seen in this video showing a rally he held in Oregon attended by a staggering 75,000
+ people:
In other election news, John McCain had a shakeup in his campaign as a phalanx of his inner circle was shown the door because of their lobbyist connections with some of the worse dictatorships
on the planet. Josh Marshall breaks it down here:
Perhaps that wouldn’t have been too bad on its own, but McCain further
stepped into it further by latching onto President Bush’s unprecedented criticism of a Presidential candidate at a foreign
legislative body, the Knesset in Israel. Bush compared Obama to Neville Chamberlain and claimed that by wanting to negotiate with regimes hostile to America Obama sought to ‘appease’
our enemies. This led to a great Chris Matthew’s smack down over at Hardball, and McCain quickly dove in claiming that he would never open a dialogue
with Hamas and that Obama would speak to Iranian President Ahmadinejad without pre-conditions.
Both of these claims were utterly false. As Klein correctly states, Obama made no such statement and, furthermore, understands that any dialogue would be with the real
power in Iran, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who ultimately makes all the real decisions in Iran, sort of like Dick
Cheney but with a cooler name. And as for talking with Hamas? Well McCain was for it before he was against it:
Finally, in political news outside of the election, over the weekend
Senator Ted Kennedy suffered a seizure and yesterday he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Yeah, we all know
that he was the original party boy of the Senate and jokes can be made (and will be made) but no one can deny that through
it all Senator Kennedy was one of the strongest and most dedicated proponents of the progressive movement in this country
and an ally in the fight for economic and legislative justice in America. When Senator Kennedy goes the left would have indeed
lost its strongest warrior. And on that note I’ll leave you with this clip showing the Senator from Massachusetts taking
the Republican’s to task as he’s done since 1962.
Things
to look forward to next week: Hillary won’t leave the race. Ever.
The Wolf runs a blog on political matters
at www.wordofthepeople.blogspot.com. His first novel, The Intellectual Prostitute, will be dropping this fall.
Family
Says Senator Under Evaluation At Boston Hospital
HYANNIS, Mass. -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport, The Cape Cod Times
reported Saturday. Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30
a.m., the newspaper reported on its Web site. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent
almost two hours in the emergency room he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, reported WCVB-TV in
Boston. Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter
around 10:15 a.m., where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport, the newspaper reported. Kennedy's family released a statement Saturday morning that said the senator was under evaluation at the hospital.
"Senator Kennedy went to Cape Cod Hospital this morning after feeling ill at his
home. After discussion with his doctors in Boston, Senator Kennedy was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital for further
examination. He is currently under evaluation, and information will be released as it becomes available," the statement
said. CNN quoted a source as saying that Kennedy was suffering from "stroke-like
symptoms." CNN also reported that Kennedy himself called another family member around
10:30 a.m. EDT and said he couldn't make a lunch planned for later Saturday. Kennedy
has been in the Senate since his election in 1962, filling out the term won by his brother, John F. Kennedy. The campaign for Sen. Barack Obama, who Kennedy endorsed earlier this year, released a statement from
Obama saying, "My thoughts and prayers are with Teddy; He is one of my favorite people." Arizona Sen. John McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, also released a statement saying, "Sen. Kennedy's
role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we
have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner."
NELLY SPEAKS THE TRUTH BELOW! DAMN THE KLANSERVATIVES! OBAMA IN 08!
EDWARDS ENDORSES OBAMA!
Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer
Posted May 14, 2008 – It looks like the former North
Carolina senator John Edwards has made his presidential pick – and he’s decided it’s Sen. Barack Obama.
This
endorsement is significant because Edwards will release 19 pledged delegates who could decide to follow the former presidential
candidate’s lead. Edwards is seen as a strong advocate for the poor and working class. His endorsement could
be the help Obama’s needs to increase his appeal and help him woo those voters.
Obama and Edwards
are expected to appear this evening during a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Just a reminder, Rep. John
Conyers (D-Mich) told me Edwards would endorse the Illionis senator, he just didn’t know when.
New Orleans Mayor Throws Support
Behind Barack Obama
NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has decided to formally support Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and has pledged his vote as a superdelegate to the frontrunning candidate, sources
on Tuesday told WDSU NewsChannel 6. Nagin last week was chosen as one of Louisiana's superdelegates
to the party convention this summer. Until now, the mayor of the state's largest city has
largely stayed out of the fray, as candidates have jockeyed for support among political leaders. Nagin, a Democrat, has chosen
individuals over party ideology in the past, most notably supporting Republican Bobby Jindal in his first bid for governor.
Nagin was voted a superdelegate by the state Democratic party's central committee. He is one of 11 superdelegates
who will attend the convention under no obligation to support a specific candidate. Nagin has said during the campaign
that he would hold off on declaring his support for either Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton until he determines which would best
serve the needs of the city.
Obama overtakes Clinton in superdelegates
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama
erased Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-imposing lead among superdelegates Saturday when he added more endorsements from
the group of Democrats who will decide the party's nomination for president.
Obama added superdelegates from Utah,
Ohio and the Virgin Islands, enabling him to surpass Clinton's total for the first time in the campaign. He had picked
up nine endorsements Friday.
The milestone is important because Clinton would need to win over the superdelegates by
a wide margin to claim the nomination. They are a group that Clinton owned before the first caucus, when she was able to cash
in on the popularity of the Clinton brand among the party faithful.
Those party insiders, however, have been steadily streaming to Obama since he started posting wins in early voting
states.
IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE AND CHANGE IS GONNA COME!
Obama Blitz: Should Hillary Bow Out?
About two months
ago it seemed apparent that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s run for the Democratic nomination was finished. Sen. Barack Obama
led in elected delegates, races won, and popular vote. But, as the pundits called it, she moved the goal post further and
further back. By the time the Pennsylvania primary rolled around the goal post was in the parking lot.
So last night, as Obama took a decisive victory in North Carolina and Clinton squeaked by in Indiana, her refusal to quit and face reality has a certain Bush-like quality of schizophrenia. The Daily News’ front page
today has the headline ‘Hil Needs A Miracle’ and the NY Post proclaims ‘Toast!’ Even the entire MSNBC crew and Matt Drudge says it’s over, but if her speech last night was any clue to her future plans, Clinton remains committed to seeing
this thing out to what will undoubtedly be the bitter end, pleading with her supporters to send her more money to top off
her second self-loan of 6.4 million dollars.
Regardless, last night seemed to be the
final nail in the coffin. With six more primaries to go, all of which are much smaller than North Carolina (I believe Puerto
Rico is the largest in the rest of the season, with around 50 delegates to be decided), Clinton has zero shot of over taking
Obama in elected delegates and popular vote under the Democratic rules of delegates by proportion. Not only that but it seems
that now Super delegates are rallying to Obama who, according to George Stephanopoulos, are ready to come over ‘three, four, five at a time’.
Really though the story of last night, and ultimately, this Democratic nominating season is that,
as Andrew Sullivan pointed out, the end of the Clintons came at the hands of black voters. While Hillary just narrowly picked up Indiana, Obama’s
huge victory in NC is what shut the door for his opponent and that couldn’t have been possible save for the commanding
turn out of black voters there. By the numbers blacks routed Clinton, giving Obama 91 percent of their vote compared to 6
percent for Clinton. Add that to the fact that whites voted by a much smaller margin for Clinton—59 to 36—and
what you get is blacks, in a rare, rare event actually deciding on the Democratic nominee for President and maybe the President
of the United States.
Obviously,
Obama historically had black support, but I think that Hillary’s complete lack of respect for blacks as shown in her
interview with O’Reilly really brought out the black vote for Obama and on this end she tactically shot herself in the
foot. Among all of the mistakes that a person makes, it’s always the last one that hurts the most and this time she’s
going to look back and realize that when she gave away the black vote to Obama in NC, when she completely ignored that part
of the Democratic constituency, she set herself up to lose. It’s a poetic end to what has been a miserably racially
polarizing race. Hopefully we’ll get something of more substance in the general election…but then again, don’t
bet on it.
Things to look forward to: Hillary
may not exit the race but she will begin to dissolve into obscurity as the media looks forward to the McCain-Obama match up
and she hemorrhages money. She might attempt to stay in till the convention but Obama should take the remaining primaries
simply because he’ll be able to outspend her. By the end of next week Obama will take the lead in Super delegates.
Conyers 'worried' about Clinton's impact on Dems' presidential chances
DETROIT
-- Rep. John Conyers said Saturday he is "very worried" that Hillary Clinton's continued campaign will make
it more difficult to unify the Democratic Party this fall, but told fellow supporters of Barack Obama that the best way to
end the nomination race is with kindness.
"Here's how we close this thing down early,"
the Detroit Democrat told 100 or more Obama supporters. "We are going to be real nice to anybody who did not support
Sen. Obama. Real nice. Super nice.
"It's the most difficult thing one can do in the
political system: Beat the crap out of your opponent, and then be nice and friendly after you do it."
Conyers spoke at a Service Employees International Union near downtown, where Obama volunteers and union members
gathered to kick off a voter registration effort organized by the Illinois senator's campaign. It was the first official
activity for the Obama campaign in Michigan since last summer, as Obama refrained from campaigning here as part of the dispute
over the January primary.
Clinton has remained in the race despite primary results this week
that left her with almost no chance of erasing Obama's delegate lead, and after a slow but steady flow of superdelegates
to Obama's side -- including some former Clinton supporters. Asked if he is worried that Clinton's continued campaign
could damage the party in its efforts to seize the White House this November, Conyers said: "Very worried. But I worry
about a lot of things."
He acknowledged that some Democrats, including many African-Americans,
have been upset by comments Clinton made this week to USA Today. Clinton, citing an Associated Press story, told the newspaper
"Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again" -- remarks
that were taken by many as racially divisive.
But Conyers refrained from commenting on Clinton's
remarks: "I haven't heard it. I haven't read it. Because I have to be nice to her. I just finished telling everyone
that."
Conyers' beat-them-with-kindness strategy mirrors that of the national campaign.
On Friday in Oregon, Obama responded positively to a question from a voter about helping Clinton retire more than $11 million
in campaign debt, and the campaign and top surrogates have been careful to avoid public pressure on Clinton to bow out.
Conyers said he was confident that both candidates want to resolve the dispute over Michigan's Democratic delegates
-- the impasse that has kept Obama out of the state since July. The volunteers on hand Saturday said that has been a source
of frustration.
"You get so disheartened," said Susan Watts, an advertising agency
employee from Detroit. "For me, you've got a mayor you don't want and can't get rid of, and you basically
have government officials that have come up with some cockamamie scheme that has kept you from having a voice in the primary.
You just say, 'If I want to do something, I have to do it myself.' "
The Obama campaign
had at least one staff member from its Chicago headquarters on hand for the voter-registration drive, which is part of a national
effort mounted in all 50 states. For months, Obama supporters have been largely on their own, participating in ad hoc groups
such as Michiganders for Obama.
That group's state coordinator, Christina Montague, said
Saturday that the group at the last minute had added a fifth voter-registration drive, in Canton, to previously scheduled
events in Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids.
"Somebody called, they desperately
wanted to do it, so we sent them out a packet and told them to go after it," she said.
Officials: Clinton Will Concede Delegate Race To Obama
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night that
Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to
be the nation's first female president.
The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending
her race in her speech in New York City. She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all
intents and purposes, the two senior officials said, the campaign is over.
Most campaign staff will be let go and will
be paid through June 15, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge
her plans.
Michigan superdelegates are preparing to come off the fence
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.
