Al Giordano Reports:
The Field has learned that Cardoza is the first of a group of at least 40 Clinton delegates, many of them from California, that through talking among themselves came to a joint decision that all of them would vote for Obama at the convention. They have informed Senator Clinton that it’s time to unite around Obama, and that they will be coming out, one or two at a time, and announcing their switch between now and the convention if Senator Clinton doesn’t do the same.
Never fear...the end is near.
As Al points out, this is a net gain of 80 for Obama because every one that Obama gains, Clinton loses.
They will be coming out a few at a time until Clinton concedes.
Update [2008-5-23 15:13:10 by MLDB]: I was interrupted with kid duties as I rushed to get this news out. Some context...Rep. Dennis Cardoza was publicly on the record supporting Clinton. Here is his statement (via an Obama campaign release) explaining his switch:
"This is the most important election of my lifetime. While I continue to greatly respect and admire Senator Clinton and feel she has made history with her campaign, I believe that Senator Obama will inevitably be our party’s nominee for President. He has proven himself to be a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and inspirational leader and will take America in a new direction, which we desperately need.
"The Bush Administration has been a huge disappointment. Mr. McCain, while certainly an American hero, represents more of the same failed Bush policies.
"I am deeply concerned about the contentious primary campaign and controversy surrounding the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan – two states Democrats need to win in November. I will not support changing the rules in the fourth quarter of this contest through some convoluted DNC rules committee process. Yet, we must find a resolution to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates so these states’ voters are represented at the Convention. I believe we need to avoid this potentially divisive situation by uniting behind one nominee and bringing the party together immediately. Therefore, I have made the decision to support Senator Obama at the Democratic Convention in my role as a super delegate."
Update [2008-5-23 21:51:11 by MLDB]: A commenter has suggested that Al's source is a random comment from a DKos open thread. Here's Al's response from his blog:
I would never cite an anonymous comment as a "source" on a story. All the sources I have cited in two decades as a journalist have been known to me. It is likely that the same person that made that comment contacted me via email with a tip. That was about a week ago. Obviously, I didn’t then publish this as a "story" based on a single tip. I then spent the week following up with sources that are known to me, and published the story - as always - only after I could confirm it.
I also sign my names to my reports. "Jimmyhoffa2222″ doesn’t, not here, not over on DKos where he has been trolling diaries for two days trying to raise doubts about my reporting. I know Steven, er, "Jimmy’s" name, but it doesn’t really matter, does it?
It also appears Al has responded here at DKos downthread. See also this comment:
I would never cite
...an anonymous comment as a "source".
I did get a tip - about a week ago - from someone that (I've since learned) is a commenter here. It took me a week to confirm the story with enough sources (that are not anonymous to me) because I just wont publish a story without confirming it definitively.
The same thing happened when I published the endorsements by Kerry, Kennedy and Richardson before they were announced. The same has been true of every story I've broken as a journalist over the past two decades.
Send some mojo his way.