Larson (WA-02) Endorses Obama

Just got the following email dump from the Snohomish County Democrats. Thought I would pass it along

Everett, WA – Today U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), who will serve as a super delegate to the Democratic National Convention, endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. Larsen released the following statement:

"Today I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President.  I believe Senator Obama is the best candidate to turn our country’s hopes for a better future into reality.

Full quote below fold

Everett, WA – Today U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), who will serve as a super delegate to the Democratic National Convention, endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. Larsen released the following statement:

"Today I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President.  I believe Senator Obama is the best candidate to turn our country’s hopes for a better future into reality.

"This week, Senator Obama has proven that he is tough and resilient. He has shown that he can take a pounding, come back and continue to communicate with the public to deliver his message of hope and change.

"In my district, Senator Obama has strong grassroots support.  He has inspired and energized my constituents like no other candidate.

"I believe that Senator Obama will be the best President for our country. I have been particularly impressed by Senator Obama’s truth-telling on a proposed gas tax policy – a proposal which would make little or no difference for Americans paying too much at the pump.

"Our country faces great challenges.  As President, I believe that Barack Obama can unite our country to overcome obstacles and deliver real change."

•  Great news! post the tip jar!

  they keep coming in!!!

  by Cronk on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:44:14 PM PDT

  •  The big wins Tuesday moved him to endorse

    From The Hill:

    Larsen had planned to delay an endorsement until after Democrats voted in the last primaries in South Dakota and Montana. But the lawmaker said Obama’s performance in Tuesday’s primaries in North Carolina and Indiana changed his mind.

    "For me, what happened in North Carolina and Indiana ended up being a game changer,". "Especially in Indiana where he came back after getting hit hard for a couple of weeks."

    Working class while voters in the west are solidly behind Obama. Hillary's attempts to sow racial division won't fly out west.

    "We need a change and a clean break,’ said Larsen, adding that Obama’s candidacy represented change to many voters in his district and that his message is one that "people want to be a part of."
    Larsen also noted that Obama won overwhelmingly in his northwest Washington district.

    by FishOutofWater on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:55:07 PM PDT

    •  Link. Yes Indiana was a win.

      LINK  to The Hill.

      He won more delegates and won more votes when Operation Chaos is factored out.

      by FishOutofWater on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:57:31 PM PDT

      •  Great to see the NW getting it right.

        by Intercaust on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:01:41 PM PDT

  •  That drops HRC's lead in supers to single digits

    According to Demconwatch.

    by ATL Dem on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:57:19 PM PDT

•  Hehe. Snomish.

  Funny name.

  One more down!

  by Mikey on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:44:27 PM PDT

  •  SnoHOmish

    sheesh

    by justlen on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:46:55 PM PDT

  •  Snohomish - isnt it?

    by Molly M on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:47:43 PM PDT

  •  FWIW, Its actually Snohomish

    Dunno if that makes it any less giggle worthy to you or not.

    by brklyngrl on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:48:11 PM PDT

    •  He serves both Snohomish and Island County n/t

      by broui on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:54:39 PM PDT

      •  Hey! Don't forget us up in

        Whatcom and Skagit Counties, too.

        by sja on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:21:27 PM PDT

  •  Local stuff

    Snohomish is the name of a local Native American tribe.  Several of our counties are similarly named.

    by noice on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:55:41 PM PDT

  •  If you like funny names

    the district also contains Skagit (it rhymes with Gadget, not Maggot) County and Whatcom (local pranksters during the dot-com era would add dots to county signs so it would read as What.com) County.

    Everyone's favorite Washington town, Humptulips, is in the 6th, however.

    by Crisitunity on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:58:37 PM PDT

    •  I used to live in Seattle,

      one of my favorite names is Mulkiteo, where my aunt used to live.

      by AvoMonster on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:50:43 PM PDT

    •  Puyallup is a great one, too.

      Its pronunciation separates the locals from the tourists. Puyallup = pyu-al-up.

      by sja on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:23:45 PM PDT

•  Drip drip drip

  This is the sound of reality, anyone listening?

  by rdxtion on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:44:55 PM PDT

  •  Give us the superdelegates we crave!

    Yum!

    by creweeny on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:51:11 PM PDT

•  Drip drip drip

  Good news. :)

  by discocarp on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:44:55 PM PDT

  •  jinx nt

    by rdxtion on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:45:11 PM PDT

    •  Same time down to the second

      But I guess you got the tie breaker. :)  

      by discocarp on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:45:47 PM PDT

      •  That is so bizarre

        But at least you conceded ;)

        by rdxtion on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:47:17 PM PDT

        •  Wait wait

          Even though I'm losing I demand you pay off my debt before I concede. :)

          by discocarp on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:48:27 PM PDT

          •  You think my supporters donated to you?

            And, btw, if you were more electable, don't you think you would have won earlier?

            by rdxtion on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:53:47 PM PDT

            •  :)

              Ok, I can't go on. I just can't be as pitiful as Clinton, even in jest. You win. :)

              by discocarp on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:57:59 PM PDT

•  "Endorses" nt

  by Inland on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:45:33 PM PDT

•  Good news!

  But you should correct the spelling of "Endorse" in the Diary's Title..

  by griz4u on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:45:45 PM PDT

•  Very cool. But...

  it's "endorse" not "endorce"...

  (Sorry to the the spelling police.)

  by madame defarge on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:45:51 PM PDT

•  White western working class folks for Obama

  You're not talking tech geek country.

  Hillary's latest campaign theme that she attracts white working class voters is embarrassingly wrong.

  by FishOutofWater on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:46:49 PM PDT

  •  Actually

    Snohomish (not "Snomish," yeesh) (also, it's "Larsen," double yeesh) County has a lot of suburbanites working in tech on the Eastside but priced out of the Eastside or preferring a woodsier setting. But every county in Washington, rural or urban, west or east of the Cascade Curtain, went for Obama, so your point is quite right.

    by Crisitunity on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:50:58 PM PDT

•  Great news

  by Jezreel on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:46:52 PM PDT

•  I guess him going to Captiol Hill

  today definitely paid off. Go Barack!

  by Highwind on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:47:18 PM PDT

•  W00t! nt

  For business reasons, I must preserve the outward sign of sanity.

  --Mark Twain

  by redglare on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:48:39 PM PDT

•  So, how many today?

  It has been such a whirlwind political news day it is hard to keep things straight.

  1. Clinton race gaffe

  2. Obama's rock-star House visit

  3. MI proposal

  4. Clinton rejects MI proposal

  5. Clinton demands Obama agree to seat MI/FL as is

  6. ? How many SDs today? I think I know of three, but more?

  by edgeways on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:48:41 PM PDT

  •  2 Today for Obama (so far)

    5-8-08 - Added Rep. Brad Miller (NC) for Obama - Added Rep. Rick Larsen (WA) for Obama

    by Oreo on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:50:57 PM PDT

•  Obama behind by only 9.5 super votes...

  according to our count.

  That's a double-digit lead for Hillary!

  by Oreo on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:49:26 PM PDT

  •  lol!

    by John DE on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:51:46 PM PDT

  •  Top Comment

    by turneresq on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:00:24 PM PDT

  •  About that .5 Superdelegate vote....

    Robert Reich?

    by Inland on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:01:56 PM PDT

    •  You will hear from the SPLF

      (Short People's Liberation Front) for that comment.

      by yellowdog on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:49:52 PM PDT

  •  I (we) love your site! Keep up the good work!

    by LearningCurve on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:04:14 PM PDT

•  Been emailing him for weeks.

  He was always noncommittal. But that was quite a show on Tuesday.

  He's often voted more conservatively than his base liked. A big Bankruptcy Bill supporter. He fronted that he had to vote conservatively sometimes to defuse GOP attackers. I hope that line of nonsense is going to cease for a while. This is a reality-based district and he has gotten an earful at his meetings with local Dems.

  Obama has to get these people's backs. And I think he will. Please, no more stupidity.

  by CarbonFiberBoy on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:58:53 PM PDT

•  I said in the other thread

  That us Washington folk delivered overwhelmingly for Obama and the Reps should listen. Chris Gregoire was VERY smart to endorse Obama.

  by turneresq on Thu May 08, 2008 at 02:59:39 PM PDT

•  Please change title correct spelling is Larsen

  That puts Obama ahead per the DCW count plus "Pelosi Club" members.

  by egan on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:04:02 PM PDT

•  Glad

  to see Rick go down the Obama path. He was our Rep when we lived in Monroe, WA. Stand-up guy does stand-up thing.

  by RustyBrown on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:08:59 PM PDT

•  Go WA!

  Now--my fellow Washingtonians--please join me in calling Patty Murry, Maria Cantwell, and Jay Inslee and urging them to stay in step with the people they represent.

  by Beekeeper on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:12:16 PM PDT

•  Ka-Ching!

  Ring another one up, Barack!

  by Donkey Underpants on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:15:41 PM PDT

•  Question....

  Whats the SD count for today>?

  Obama: 2
  Clinton: 0

  Is that correct?

  by jbjowe on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:16:29 PM PDT

  •  2-0: a virtual tie, as Wolfson might say.

    by trivium on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:37:33 PM PDT

•  Clinton only leads by NINE superdelegates

  and Obama is just that much closer to claiming victory.

  It would be amazing if Obama could claim a majority of pledged delegates on May 20, and at the same time get enough superdelegates by then to claim a majority of ALL delegates (2025).

  by Skaje on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:24:30 PM PDT

•  Thanks Cong. Larsen,

  I live in Mount Vernon, WA from 1995-2005.  Mr. Larsen's chief of staff knocked on my door during a neighborhood walk around, five years ago.  I gave him an earful about Larsen's support for the repeal of the "Paris Hilton" tax.  Words to the effect of "Quit voting with Republicans!."
  Some day I'll relocate back to my current rental. Scenic country...

  http://www.washoedems.org

  by fgentile on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:20:04 PM PDT

  •  Rick started out with a bang

    by voting against the Iraq war. It was a particularly courageous vote for him since he was in his first term and headed for a tight re-election race. However, since then he's been a real disappointment. I worked my ass off for his first re-election campaign, but after that I told his people up here in Bellingham to count me out.

    by sja on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:28:08 PM PDT

•  Rep. Rick Larson, Senator Patty Murray

  and Governor Christine Gregoire, visited my Union Hall and gave speeches in favor of keeping the Air Force's Tanker Contract in the U.S. to an audience of my union brothers and sisters. It happened to be the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.

  I got to thank Rick Larson for voting against the Iraq War Resolution (something I'd been waiting 5 years to do), and then I told Rich that I was an Obama precinct delegate, and I asked him if he was close to a making a decision on who would get his endorsement as a super delegate. He said he intended to wait until after all of the States held their primary contests. Then I asked Rick if he had seen or read Obama's speech in Philadelphia the day before. He said that he hadn’t. I briefly described the speech and it's profound effect it had on me, ant I urged him to read or watch it. I'll bet he did.

  I also got to thank Senator Patty Murray for her vote against the Iraq War.

  I gotta run. I'm packing for a trip to Portland this weekend to go canvassing.

  by Lefty Coaster on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:21:31 PM PDT