Senator Edward M. Kennedy will endorse Barack Obama for president tomorrow, breaking his year-long neutrality to send a powerful signal of where the legendary Massachusetts Democrat sees the party going — and who he thinks is best to lead it.
Kennedy confidantes told the Globe today that the Bay State’s senior senator will appear with Obama and Kennedy’s niece, Caroline Kennedy, at a morning rally at American University in Washington tomorrow to announce his support…
…Kennedy plans to campaign actively for Obama, an aide said, and will focus particularly among Hispanics and labor union members, who are important voting blocks in several Feb. 5 states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona and New Mexico.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) will deliver the Democratic response to the State of the Union on Monday.
And then Tuesday or Wednesday, she plans to endorse Barack Obama, numerous Democratic sources said.
The sources said that Sebelius decided some time ago that Obama was her candidate but decided to wait until after the State of the Union.
U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, says in a statement Sunday that he supports Obama because he can appeal to all sectors of the American public.
Becerra serves on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and, as the assistant to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is the highest ranking Latino in the House.
PHOENIX Arizona’s largest newspaper has endorsed Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Barack Obama of Illinois in the presidential primary race.
In editorials posted early Sunday on its Web site, the editorial board of The Arizona Republic said it chose Obama over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic race and that McCain was “the class of the GOP contenders.”
Add that to Gov. Janet Napolitano’s endorsement last week.
Score a big behind the scenes victory for Obama’s California campaign today. Word is leaking out that CTA’s membership staged an outright mutiny at Los Angeles’ Bonaventure Hotel and bucked its own Board’s attempt to railroad through an early endorsement for Hillary. CTA’s elites apparently got a big wake up call when their effort to crown Hillary as the official choice of California’s teachers was upended by overwhelming resistance from rank and file Obama supporters. The vaunted pre Feb 5th CTA endorsement – which was widely expected to go Clinton’s way – appears to now be postponed to April (when we will all be on the edge of our seats, I am sure).
The Hillary repudiation at CTA is more than just inside baseball. This could portend an erosion of support among powerful constituencies that are supposed to be the bedrock of Clinton’s California operation. Add this development with Obama’s superior California ground game, and a big bounce coming out of South Carolina, and he may have enough steam to pull off a victory in the Golden state.
Chicago Tribune endorses Obama, despite their investigation into Rezko:
As this campaign has progressed, Hillary Clinton in moments of crisis hasn’t been an ennobling sight. Her reliance on her husband, the less-than-presidential Bill, to trash-talk Obama reaffirms that the Clintons do whatever it takes to prevail. Depicting Obama’s record on Iraq as a “fairy tale” is instructive: Think what you will of the war, but Sen. Clinton was an enabler when that was popular…
…But given that you’ve not been accused of any crime or ethical breach, your Rezko history is not a deal-breaker.
Nor do we know of similar lapses during the 12 years we’ve been watching Obama.
To the contrary, the professional judgment and personal decency with which he has managed himself and his ambition distinguish Barack Obama. We endorse him convinced that he could lead America in directions that the other Democrats could not.
Seattle Times endorses Obama, without even mentioning Hillary Clinton:
The Seattle Times endorses Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. He has the grasp, temperament and skills to right our standing in the world. He has broad insight and specific ideas to assuage our own hardworking citizens’ fears of an economy turning sour…
…Obama speaks eloquently about media issues. His positions encourage a public worried about a consolidated media. He supports network neutrality and laments media consolidation. He co-sponsored a bill to stop recent changes to the cross-ownership rule adopted by the Federal Communications Commission. Obama says he would appoint FCC commissioners who will work in the public’s interest and against media concentration.
Obama has the smarts, the plans and, yes, the charisma to capably lead and transform a nation that aches for a new direction.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch endorses Obama:
And we confess to a certain “Clinton fatigue.” The emergence of the former president as the Luca Brasi of the campaign trail reminds us of the worst of the Clinton years: the divisiveness and the bickering; the too-casual, if artful, blend of truth and half-truth. We’re not eager for the replay.
Obviously, some of these endorsements preceded last night’s historic trouncing of the Clintons, but it now appears safe to openly defy the First Family.
We heard in the nineties: “the era of Big Government is over,” Bill Clinton’s movement to the right, and movement away from liberal-socialism, where ordinary people are able to participate in our government and economic system.
Now we can begin to say: the era of Bill Clinton is over. And with him, a prospective Hillary government of more right wing pseudo-Democratic proCorporate politics and hawkish foreign policy.
The Democrats have had enough of the DLC and the CLintons. The country is moving left, Bill, haven’t you heard? The Bush regime is out of touch, and so are you.
Cross your fingers. It ain’t over ’til it’s over.
a long way to go before we can write off the Clinton machine.
But something is clearly happening.
Birmingham, Alabama: (a super Tuesday state)
The Birmingham News
Obama exhorts crowd to change America, – an overflow crowd of 11,000…. many could not get into the arena.
Hopefully, the Obama machine can get working in all of those states so that Big Tuesday will do what SC did, reverse the fat Clinton lead and turn it into a “Democratic” win. If you get my drift.
on the national level, that fat lead has been trimmed, even before the Kennedy’s endorsements became known.
Rasmusen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll,
Things are changing. As Obama moves to actively campaign in each state, the numbers change. In NV NH, Clinton just edged him.
The Kennedy endorsement is a signal that’s it’s OK to support Obama. Kennedy has strong union and Latino support and he’ll be campaigning with Obama..all the way to California. These are voter segments that Obama needs to gain.
we can add to the list the San Francisco Chronicle
They detail the specifics:
Was just pondering the thought of an Arnold endorsement. I know I know, can’t happen.
will Al Gore endorse? Understand relationship between Gore and Clintons ended on sour note.
I would think not. Possible that Gore has plans to engage global warming through a Clinton Whitehouse, which is a possibility, a good one still.
l think it highly unlikely he’ll endorse any candidate. nor do l think he’ll campaign for any of them.
personally, l believe his role, in whatever administration comes forward next year, is going to be that of a gadfly for the issues that he, and many others, believe must be addressed if we are to survive as a democratic republic…a questionable assumption, imo…or in concert with nature…ibid.
if you have not done so, l highly recommend reading his book: the assault on reason. l think it clearly defines the position, vis-a-vis politics, that he espouses.
lTMF’sA
he did endorse Dean in 04
party elders – (Sen. Leahy also endorsed Obama) are attempting to send the Clintons a message. The Clintons, as former president and first lady, have sullied themselves. Raw. naked. shameless. When Bill disrupted that caucus in Nevada, he crossed the line. Scant reporting in the MSM, national rags.
I expect Gore will endorse Obama given his views that we need to turn a new page, a fresh start to restore the republic.
meanwhjle, I find it hilarious that author Toni Morrison, who dubbed Clinton “the first black president” will be endorsing Obama.
Clinton, an honorary brother, no more. imo he never was.. blacks were just a handy kleenex.
Endorsements usually aren’t worth a damn, but in this case they might serve to reassure voters on the bogus electability question. If the old dogs are for him, he must have a good shot — they don’t do this stuff out of sentimental idealism.
It’s also interesting that the newspaper endorsements seem to break for Obama across the ideological spectrum. Don’t quite know what to make of that. The Tribune will endorse the Republican in the general, even if they nominate a convicted serial killer, but their dismissal of the Rezko stuff goes a long way to defang the only known swiftboat slime target that can be aimed at Obama.
I’m thinking it might be all over on Feb 6 after all.
I still doubt it will be over on Feb 6, no matter how things go, since all candidates will be splitting the electoral points of all these states by congressional districts won… And can you even imagine Hillary conceding gracefully? It’s HER TURN, dammit! She’s not gonna quit until the convention.
Above, Booman has given a link to Ambinder. I followed it and read the very thoughtful discussion in the comments section of the value of endorsements. I recommend reading those comments. First of all, endorsements suggest that many in the know believe he’s qualified for the job, undercutting the no experience meme. Secondly, a number of the individuals who are endorsing are superdelegates. Thirdly, some of these individuals have enormous influence over the party apparatus in their own states. Fourthly, some will actively campaign for the person they endorse. And so on.
I am a reader of the Chicago Tribune. And I will say they have been trending a little more left, or shall we say, seeing both sides in recent years.
As to their column on Rezco. Ignore John Kass.
He is a dolt that will say anything to try to arouse something.
They have been investigating Rezco for years. If Obama did anything it would be news by now.
As for Hillary. You saw the picture of her posing with Rezco. Politicians do not just pose with Rezco. I guarentee he raised money for the Clinton slime machine. Nothing illegal, but the same as Obama. Nothing illegal about Obama taking money either.
Which brings up another Clinton lie. She claims Obama was representing Rezco. That is total BS.
There is hope on the horizon that America will see through the Clinton Slime and finally say no to the Rove tactics.
I am rather skeptical about endorsements. It did not do much in the past election cycles. And I am quite cynical when it comes to the state of our politics.
I still believe the country is not yet tired of dynastic politics. Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton. Billary clearly are convinced its their time and we need a 90s redux. And after another 8 years of Billary we’ll get 8 years of Jeb.
I would have expected in the land that fought a monarchy and wrote a constitution limiting the power of government – people would jealously protect their sovereignty. But I guess they miss that monarchy. So we now how the Bush-Clinton dynasty.