CNN just confirmed that Sen. Obama is currently meeting with Sen. Edwards in North Carolina, likely discussing a possible endorsement.
Sen. Obama took a quiet flight out of Chicago last night and was videotaped by WTVD (a local TV station) meeting Edwards. That video will be broadcast later tonight.
(ABC News).
John, Barack hug as Obama leaves the Edwards' home in Chapel Hill, NC -- I doubt they knew the media was so attentive, or capturing this image, so that's a nice, lil' genuine touch. :)
It is unknown whether Sen. Edwards plans to endorse Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama -- or neither -- but this meeting clearly demonstrates that he has not yet made a decision. And Obama has the ability to make the closing argument with Sen. Edwards.
Given the weather situation in Wisconsin, that seemed to be a clever cover for Sen. Obama canceling his campaigning events there.
Many around Sen. Edwards were predicting that an endorsement would come by yesterday, likely for Sen. Clinton, when she showed up for her first day of campaigning in Wisconsin. That, of course, did not happen. Is it because Sen. Obama rescheduled the meeting, stopping Edwards from endorsing?
Or are the trial (*ahem*) balloons coming out of the Edwards camp intended to demonstrate his genuinely torn stance on the endorsements, allowing his endorsement to 'feel' more genuine?
Update: This is all I have to work off of this far, but WTVD's website has this 'Breaking News' headline: "Obama was in Chapel Hill today meeting with Edwards. See exclusive video on ABC11 Eyewitness News at 6." So, about an hour and a half from now and there'll be video.
Update: Mark Halperin's The Page notes the "Report", in its Drudge-esque "Developing..." fashion.
Update: FirstRead over at MSNBC confirms (hat-tip to Scarce in the comments -- thanks!!):
First Read has learned that Obama and Edwards finally had their meeting this morning in Chapel Hill, NC.
The Obama campaign confirmed the meeting but would not provide any other details.
Update: Alright, here's the best info we have on the subject thus far, from Politico, as noted by Jr1886 in the comments:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) paid a secret visit to his former rival, John Edwards, in quest of his endorsement on Sunday, a Democratic official said.
The meeting in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Edwards lives, is the latest effort by Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to win "the Edwards primary" — the heatedly sought endorsement of the third-place finisher in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination
Clinton also pulled off a secret meeting to the Edwards mansion earlier this month. Speeches by both candidates have been including frequent references to Edwards's message about ending poverty.
In a delegate race that's essentially tied, with Obama in a slight lead, the Edwards nod could be very valuable.
The ABC affiliate in Raleigh-Durham, WTVD Channel 11, said on its Web site that it will air exclusive video related to the meeting at 6 p.m.
Clinton's visit was only reported several days after the fact. It's remarkable that in such an intensively covered campaign, both candidates pulled off clandestine trips.
Interesting that the current meeting was revealed so quickly -- likely an attempt to tip the media scale from its current disposition of clamoring about a potential Edwards-Clinton endorsement. But did the leak come from the Edwards camp or the Obama camp? That would tell you everything about the Senators' motives. If it came from Edwards, he's trying to milk the endorsement for anything he can -- both from Obama/Clinton and from being 'decisive' in the media after carefully weighing his options.
UPDATE: CNN: Elizabeth Edwards was also in the meeting. Obama campaign said it was about the campaign and the issues that are facing America. Edwards looking for two things: who will be most effective in carrying on his message RE: fighting poverty; which of these candidates is most electable? He wants to make sure that whoever he backs can beat a Republican. Notes that Edwards has not committed to endorsing anyone at all -- wanted to keep out of the endorsement business for a long time. Notes that an endorsement from today would make a lot of impact in Wisconsin. Notes that it was planned in advance, not a detour due to the weather (so I was wrong?). Planned in advance to essentially talk about an Edwards endorsement. Notes that endorsement will likely carry either candidate over the top in Ohio.
Note that Elizabeth Edwards was reportedly lobbying her husband in favor of Sen. Obama, per a CNN report which the family later denied.