Obama Picks Up Fresh Support

Senator Collects Backing Of Some Delegates, Labor Union Following Endorsement From Edwards

(CBS/AP)  Barack Obama collected the support of seven of John Edwards' Democratic National Convention delegates on Thursday, then gained the backing of four superdelegates and a large labor union as he marched steadily toward the party's presidential nomination.

The fresh support brought Obama's overall delegate total to 1,888, compared to 1,711 for his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to the latest CBS News tally. It takes 2,025 to clinch the nomination at the party convention in Denver this summer.

Edwards, who bestowed his long-sought endorsement on Obama on Wednesday, won 19 delegates before departing the presidential race in January.

Within hours, Obama picked up the backing of three of them from South Carolina and one in New Hampshire.

In addition, three superdelegates - Reps. James McDermott of Washington, and Henry Waxman and Howard Berman of California - endorsed Obama.

“I believe now is the time to unite behind Barack Obama so we can be in the strongest place possible to win in November,” McDermott said.

Waxman said in a statement: “I have the greatest respect and admiration for Senator Clinton and former President Clinton ... It is now clear, however, that the Democratic Party is nearing a broad consensus on our nominee.”

Edwards had been backed by the United Steelworkers Union, which announced it would now support Obama. The union has 600,000 active members, many of them blue-collar workers of the type that have favored Clinton in recent primaries.

Obama also picked up the personal endorsement of superdelegate Larry Cohen, the president of the Communication Workers of America union.

“Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to broaden the Democratic party base and lead the party to election gains at every level this year as well as reclaiming the White House,” said Cohen, who lives in the nation's capital.

The increased support came despite Obama's overwhelming defeat in Tuesday's primary in West Virginia, and suggested that Clinton's argument that she would be a better general election candidate was not finding a receptive audience.

The former first lady is favored to win next week's primary in Kentucky, while Obama is expected to win in Oregon the same day.

The delegates won by Edwards are not bound by his endorsement of Obama, but several said it is important to their decision.

“I will cast my vote for who John Edwards asks me to,” said Robert Groce, a South Carolina delegate won by Edwards.

Iowa delegate Dave Redlawsk said he was not ready to declare for Obama. But, he added, “John's endorsement weighs heavily in a positive way. I take seriously his endorsement, his recommendation in a sense.”

With the primary season winding down, both Clinton and Obama have turned their attention increasingly to the superdelegates, the members of Congress and other party officials who have seats at the convention by virtue of their positions.

Obama long trailed Clinton among superdelegates, but overtook her last week, and has pulled further away despite suffering one of his worst defeats in the campaign in West Virginia.

Clinton spent the day campaigning in South Dakota, one of two states that closes out the primary season on June 3. Obama was home in Chicago.

Both rivals had avidly sought Edwards' endorsement, particularly in the weeks after he dropped out of the race. The former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee had campaigned as a champion of the working class, and in the wake of his departure, Clinton consistently drew more blue-collar votes than Obama did.

“We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I,” Edwards said Wednesday to thunderous applause from an audience in Grand Rapids, Mich. He said Obama “stands with me” in a fight to cut poverty in half within 10 years, a claim Obama confirmed moments later.

Edwards told the rally that “we must come together as Democrats” to defeat Republican John McCain in November.

He also praised Clinton.

“We are a stronger party” because of her involvement and “we're going to have a stronger nominee in the fall because of her work,” he said.

Then as Edwards sat on stage and watched, Obama gave one of his most animated addresses in days, much of it devoted to fighting poverty. In America, he said, “you should never be homeless, you should never be hungry.”

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said in a statement: “We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over.”

[downsteamjim]

I went walking in the cow pasture today. I wasn''t looking where I was walking and I picked up some that support.

[samspade2008]

I am very disturbed that apparently, a large majority of Democrats have no morals today. How can any Democrat support an individual that lies to the American people every day and whose whole platform that they are running on is a total lie? Obama has and does take money from lobbyist and also has lobbyists running his campaign. These are proven facts.
It absolutely amazes me when I tell obama supporters and they just don%u2019t care. They give all kinds of dumb remarks such as %u201Cwell it%u2019s time to get am African American in office%u201D. What is wrong with all of you? Where have the morals of Americans gone? You will blindly ignore the fact that obama lies to you day after day. He has no morals. He will do as he pleases if he is in the white house and he will lie to us every chance he can get.
Apparently he does not care why the democrat people want. He refuses to see that a vast majority of democrat members want Hillary as VP, but he will not even consider it. This is how he is going to bring this country together? He can%u2019t eve bring the democrat party together.
I have morals and one the most important characteristic that I look for in a candidate is their moral fiber. Obama is not an ethical person and he has no morals. I have been a loyal democrat for many years but no longer. My vote will be for McCain in the fall if Hillary is not the democrat nominee. I will not have any parts of obama. I am also very ashamed of any democrat that supports and votes for him.

[sjc_1]

They should wait until after June 3rd when all the votes are cast and the pledged delegates are pledged. The uncommitted and super delegates can then decide who they support. That is the only fair way not to bias the primaries.

[aldon61]

huanaco: Think I''ll explain what David 1737 and Taddles is trying to tell you. 1. You''re not well educated. 2. "looser" is not a word, loser is. 3. You should have said "loss", not "lost". 4. You omit needed words, much like I would imagine a caveman would sound like. 5. The need to use all capitols shows your need to be heard, it''s much the equivalent of shouting, or throwing a tantrum. Don''t get me wrong, you''re entitled to your opinion, but if you wish people to be influenced by your posts, you need to polish up, and in your case, polish up a lot!

[obamaslady]

If you are a Democrat, then you need to stop bickering and support Obama; otherwise, register as a Pug and get on without any change in your life as McSame will just be an extension of Bush. McSame has JUST NOW decided [being as he knows the Dems want this Iraq war ended] that HE TOO can end the war [AND WIN THE WAR] by 2013! Nothing like following the leader! But aside from that, he will not provide healthcare nor will he even begin to know what to do with the economy since he admitted that the "economy is NOT his strong suit]. So if you want to continue along the failed policies of Bush, then change your party affliliation and vote GOP. Otherwise we Dems MUST UNITE NOW. Stop all the infighting and help us win in November. Unless you are BLIND [even then most of the legally blind already see the writing on the wall], you must KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that Obama is our nominee and we need to UNITE NOW to get him elected in the fall! Stop whining and fighting!

[taddles-2009]

"Wow! Your another child that the Republicans left behind.LOL

Posted by david1737 at 01:43 AM : May 16, 2008"



Left WAY behind.

[truthyness]

I''''m sure White Male Sexist love Obama right now.

Maybe Uncle Tom...er, Barack, will bend over for them too.

[david1737]

SO, THE $ 400 HUNDRED DOLLARS HAIR CUT SUPPORT OBAMA. WHO CARES? EDWARDS IS A SORE LOOSER, PERHAPS LOOKING TO BE VICEPRESIDENT CANDIDATE ? REMIND ME OF TED KENNEDY SUPPORT , A TOTAL LOST. WAKE UP DEMOCRATS, OBAMA IS JUST A DARK TROYAN HORSE WHO WILL BE DEFEATED AND DESTROYED BY THE REPUBLICAM SMEAR TACTICS.

Posted by huanaco

Wow! Your another child that the Republicans left behind.LOL

[eddynewhope]

JUST A DARK TROYAN HORSE WHO WILL BE DEFEATED AND DESTROYED BY THE REPUBLICAM SMEAR TACTICS.

Posted by huanaco

Hahahahah - You only wish the GOP could defeat Obama in November. You notice the Mississippi special election? A Dem took a firmly GOP seat in spite of the GOP''s feeble Rev. Wright attacks. I''ll raise a glass to you sore loosers after the general election. LOL

[vincan-2009]

Yahoo!!!!!!!!! I''ll be so glad when Obama is the nominee so he can start ripping McCain to shreads for his flip-flopping, Bush-loving, hate & war mongering ways.

[huanaco]

SO, THE $ 400 HUNDRED DOLLARS HAIR CUT SUPPORT OBAMA. WHO CARES? EDWARDS IS A SORE LOOSER, PERHAPS LOOKING TO BE VICEPRESIDENT CANDIDATE ? REMIND ME OF TED KENNEDY SUPPORT , A TOTAL LOST. WAKE UP DEMOCRATS, OBAMA IS JUST A DARK TROYAN HORSE WHO WILL BE DEFEATED AND DESTROYED BY THE REPUBLICAM SMEAR TACTICS.

[david1737]

I will gladly vote for whoever the Democratic nominee turns out to be.

[karela33]

You''re behind the times. Six of the eight North Carolina delegates that had been pledged to John Edwards endorsed Obama. The other two had not been reached by phone. Also Edwards pledged delegate, Denton of New Hampshire, endorsed Obama today. Along with four super delegates, i.e. Larry Cohen, McDermot of Washington, Waxman of CA and Berman of CA. That''s eleven so far today plus the 600,000 strong United Steelworkers Union endorsement.