Obama Doing A Victory Lap On House Floor

Talk about a good place to do some superdelegate lobbying.

After meeting with a group of Blue Dog Democrats this morning at a Capitol Hill town house, Barack Obama did a victory lap of sorts around the House during a crowded roll call vote.

Instantly, he was mobbed.

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), a Clinton supporter from Fla, gave Obama a big hug. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.) got him to autograph today's copy of the NY Daily News. ("It's his Party" was the headline.) Even Republicans were star-struck. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) crossed the aisle to say hello and brought three children -- in town for a school safety patrol trip -- with her. Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) gave him big hugs on the floor.

Ros-Lehtinen said she was the young students onto the House floor when Obama made his entrance.

She said the children noticed the presidential hopeful first, and screamed "it's Barack Obama!" in unison.

The congresswoman then led the students across the aisle and over to Obama, where they chatted breifly.

"The kids were very excited," said Ros-Lehtinen. "Like rock star excited."

But like any good Republican, Ros-Lehtinen assured the Crypt that the children would have been just as excited to meet presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Twice, it looked like Obama was about to leave the chamber, but he got pulled back in by superdelegates -- both committed and uncommitted -- to talk.

But members weren't the only ones who were star-struck. Obama himself bowed before Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.