4 New Supers for Obama; Clinton leads by 50!

Four more supers for Obama

The campaign releases four low-profile superdelegate endorsements today:

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez
Minnesota DFL Associate Chair Donna Cassutt
DNC Member Renee Pfenning (North Dakota)
Texas State Rep. Yvonne Davis

http://www.politico.com/...

Great news for Obama!!

These endorsements were announced by the Obama campaign, but there is some independent confirmation:

Brian Melendez, the chair of the DFL, and Donna Cassutt the associate chair of the DFL have both announced that they will be supporting Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in August where they will be super delegates.

http://mnpublius.com/...

Chair Brian Melendez said, "Before Super Tuesday, I decided that, as a superdelegate, I would support whichever candidate won the presidential-preference ballot in Minnesota — and Senator Obama and his campaign for change won it decisively. I also decided that I would hold off on announcing this decision in the hope that voters in other states would decide the nomination and that the superdelegates would not affect the outcome.

Associate Chair Donna Cassutt said, "Hope, the passion for change, and the belief in the possibilities for our great nation: the over 214,000 Minnesotans who turned out to the DFL precinct caucuses this year showed that all of these are alive and well in Minnesota. Reflecting the enthusiastic and overwhelming support for Senator Barack Obama at our caucuses, I will gladly cast my vote as a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention for Senator Obama.

Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota's Democratic national committeewoman is endorsing Barack Obama for president.

Renee Pfenning's choice means that six of North Dakota's seven Democratic superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention are backing Obama. The seventh is state party chairman David Strauss, and he has said he's staying uncommitted.

http://www.kxmc.com/...

I could not find an independent confirmation of Yvonne Davis' endorsement.

GOBAMA!!

•  Strauss has major Al Gore connections.

  Interesting fellow to watch.

  by Geekesque on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:28:49 AM PDT

•  4 more

  funny, It's almost like the Supers know something everyone else knows.

  by TekJansen on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:29:31 AM PDT

  •  Glad you said 50

    These numbers are getting easier to understand and now we can all join the countdown.  I, too have been watching them daily, and 50 is a big milestone.  I say it'll be down to 20 on Wednesday.

    by leawood on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:34:45 AM PDT

    •  Isn't it less than 50 now ?

      by RobertInWisconsin on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:36:50 AM PDT

      •  Just responding to the diary

        If you have any different information, please let us know, we'd be thrilled if it were less than 50.

        by leawood on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:54:44 AM PDT

        •  Ah, just heard about Rockefeller

          That's 49!

          by leawood on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:59:11 AM PDT

        •  I heard someone say it was 52 last night

          With 4 today it would make it 48, I believe.

          by RobertInWisconsin on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:59:19 AM PDT

          •  47, including Rockefeller

            by leawood on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:03:40 PM PDT

            •  Your comment made me

              hear the sound of a whistle descending 5 octaves.

              by RobertInWisconsin on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:09:25 PM PDT

    •  If Tuesday

      goes as expected, I wouldn't be surprised to see Obama up in the superdelegate count by Wednesday evening.

      by Same As It Ever Was on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:11:33 PM PDT

•  I was at DFL party convention training

  last night and the leader of the session basically said that Minnesota's superdelegates were heavily for Obama. Don't know if she knew this at the time or not.

  by decembersue on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:32:12 AM PDT

•  Great news!

  However, more superdelegates need to start stepping up to help put a halt to the Clintons' scorched earth strategy. Their ugly desperation tactics are stinking up the Dem Party.

  by peraspera on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:33:03 AM PDT

  •  There may be trouble...

    Some Black backers steadfast for Clinton:

    African-American superdelegates said Thursday that they’ll stand up against threats, intimidation and "Uncle Tom" smears rather than switch their support from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama.

    "African-American superdelegates are being targeted, harassed and threatened," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), a superdelegate who has supported Clinton since August. Cleaver said black superdelegates are receiving "nasty letters, phone calls, threats they’ll get an opponent, being called an Uncle Tom.

    "This is the politics of the 1950s," he complained. "A lot of members are experiencing a lot of ugly stuff. They’re not going to talk about it, but it’s happening."

    After civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) switched his support from Clinton to Obama earlier this week, other black superdelegates have come under renewed pressure to do a similar about-face. A handful have bowed to the entreaties in recent weeks, including Georgia Rep. David Scott, but many say they are steadfast in their support for Clinton and resent strong-arm tactics to make them change.

    Rep. Diane E. Watson (D-Calif.), a black lawmaker and Clinton backer, said the intense lobbying for Obama would not alter her vote.

    "I’ve gotten threatening mail," Watson said. "They say, ‘Your district went 61-29 Obama and you need to change.’ But I don’t intimidate. I can hold the ground. ... I would lose my seat over my principles."

    ...

    by catfish on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:38:28 AM PDT

    •  how is pointing out a fact become a threat

      if people are not representing their constituents then they should be challenged.

      by Tanya on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:41:38 AM PDT

      •  Senators Kerry, Kennedy getting threats?

        I have not heard this.

        by catfish on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:42:29 AM PDT

        •  who are the threats from?

          if it's angry constituents, I don't see how that's Obama's fault.  That's just the breaks. I imagine many representatives who take unpopular positions with their major consituent groups get nasty phone calls all the time. These reps may just not be used to it because they often represent overwhelmingly democratic districts.

          by decembersue on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:50:45 AM PDT

          •  If Obama looks the other way

            and he knows this is going on, he looks bad. I don't remember him defending John Lewis before Lewis switched his vote.

            by catfish on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:56:11 AM PDT

            •  So you're saying he needs to reject

              & denounce every angry constituent who calls up a congressman and says, "why the hell aren't you voting with your district?"

              by decembersue on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:12:07 PM PDT

              •  He doesn't need to reject anything

                But this could backfire on him if voters see too much of this going on on his behalf.

                by catfish on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:55:05 PM PDT

    •  Look, it's their decision

      To stay with Clinton.  I'm fine with that, but she isn't really adding new support from the superdelegates.  That is the problem.  

      by kilgore2345 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:51:35 AM PDT

    •  media and race

      The media are trying to make the superdelegate stories about race, but the fact is that both white and black superdelegates have declared for Obama in recent weeks, and both black and white superdelegates have left Clinton.

      by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:52:20 AM PDT

  •  The Superdelegate tactic

    I see this as Obama turning the screws on her ever so slightly and gently.  This allows her to save face after Tuesday; if she doesn't relent then the drips will become a massive waterfall of superdelegates.  Also right now, if you look at where Clinton is getting  the bulk of her superdelegates from the DNC people.  Now, Obama is starting to tap "demographic."  If it shows anything, at least to me, that there is definitely a strategy at work.

    Looking at this positively, if she doesn't concede it just gives him more of a chance to continue to campaign in other states.  

    Also, one other note:  I was suppose to register voters tomorrow morning in Bloomington, Indiana, however the Obama office canceled it to send the volunteers to Ohio.  Nice strategic use of Indiana volunteers near the border of Ohio in my opinion.  

    by kilgore2345 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:48:55 AM PDT

    •  You mean "automatic delegates," don't you?

      by cas2 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:53:31 AM PDT

      •  Sure, I guess

        However, I am confused by that term.  I don't see how they are automatic, given that they change their mind quite a bit.  Do you know why Clinton refers to them as automatic?

        by kilgore2345 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:57:50 AM PDT

        •  it's spin, nothing else n/t

          by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:17:47 PM PDT

        •  it's Automatic for the people

          Clinton people, that is.

          by cgvjelly on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:19:28 PM PDT

•  yvonne davis statement

  is currently on burntorange report

  by JackDawkins on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:36:23 AM PDT

•  Just heard- Breaking

  Rockefeller for Obama

  by valadon on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:48:16 AM PDT

  •  national security

    I wonder if the Clinton "3 AM" ad pushed him to announce this afternoon.

    by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:53:03 AM PDT

    •  my thoughts too!

      ...brilliant minds etc

      by valadon on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:54:41 AM PDT

  •  Yeah. Rockefeller is a surprise

    by cas2 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:54:12 AM PDT

•  releasing news slowly?

  I wonder if Obama has a whole lot more superdelegate declarations but is releasing these slowly to keep up the drip-drip-drip news that he is gaining and Clinton is losing.

  by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:51:15 AM PDT

•  AP numbers closer

  AP has the superdelegate count closer
  207 for Clinton
  166 for Obama

  http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...

  by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:59:40 AM PDT

  •  That's 41 !

    Does that include Rockefeller ?

    Every time her super-d lead goes down, remember Obama's overall delegate lead goes up by the same margin.

    by RobertInWisconsin on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:13:46 PM PDT

    •  doesn't look like it

      The site I linked to doesn't list any superdelegate commitments from WV, so that doesn't include Rockefeller.

      And as Politco notes, in agreement with me above

      The West Virginia Senator's endorsement is more an establishment credential than a mover of masses, though a pretty useful one on a day that's become about Obama's national security readiness.

      by maineiac on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:17:10 PM PDT

•  It shows KY with 0 supers pledged

  but that's untrue.  Rep. Yarmuth came out several weeks ago and pledged his support for Obama.

  by jstott1701 on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:27:59 PM PDT

•  forgot my tip jar!!

  Tips here :)

  by fcvaguy on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:40:05 PM PDT