OFFICIAL Endorsements Thread

[Tender Branson]

Sen. Feingold (D-WI) and Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI) to endorse Obama.

[Tender Branson]

Obama endorsed by Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro

Sen. Jay Rockefeller has thrown his support behind Obama. Rockefeller is the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

SUPERDELEGATE COUNT (as of 3:40 pm ET, Feb. 29)
Clinton 254
Obama 208

NOTE: Obama has picked up 38 delegates since Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. Clinton has lost a net of 6.

Super delegate numbers reflect totals gathered by the NBC News Political Unit from the campaigns and public endorsements.

The NBC News Hard Count stands at Obama leading Clinton 1,194-1,037.

GRAND TOTAL
Obama 1,402
Clinton 1,291

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/29/717864.aspx

[Tender Branson]

Montana: Missoula Mayor John Engen endorses Obama.

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/29/bnews/br56.txt

[Tender Branson]

With Klobuchar endorsing Obama, he has now more Senate endorsements than Clinton:

Undecided:

Barbara Boxer - CA (won by Clinton)
Ken Salazar - CO (won by Obama)
Joe Biden - DE (won by Obama)
Tom Carper - DE (won by Obama)
Daniel Akaka - HI (won by Obama)
Tom Harkin - IA (won by Obama)
Mary Landrieu - LA (won by Obama)
Ben Cardin - MD (won by Obama)
Carl Levin - MI ("won" by Clinton)
Max Baucus - MT (TBD)
Jon Tester - MT (TBD)
Harry Reid - NV (state won by Clinton)
Frank Lautenberg - NJ (won by Clinton)
Jeff Bingaman - NM (won by Clinton)
Sherrod Brown - OH (won by Clinton)
Ron Wyden - OR (TBD)
Jack Reed - RI (won by Clinton)
Jim Webb - VA (won by Obama)
Robert Byrd - WV (TBD)
Herb Kohl - WI (won by Obama)

So far for Obama (14):

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.)
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.)

So far for Clinton (13):

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)

[Tender Branson]

Fmr Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton has endorsed Obama:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I read it too fast: I thought Lewis Hamilton, the Formula 1 driver, endorsed Obama ...

[Tender Branson]

Obama picked up 26 Oregon endorsements today:

Sen. Barack Obama picked up support Wednesday from 26 Oregon elected leaders including Portland independent Sen. Avel Gordly, who announced she's re-registering as a Democrat so she can give Obama her vote.

When she met Obama in September, Gordly said he told her he needed support from independents like herself. And Gordly has been talking up his candidacy since.

"Barack Obama is a unifier," Gordly said during a press conference on the front steps of the Capitol.

Gordly, who dropped her affiliation with the Democratic Party ahead of the 2007 session, couldn't guarantee that she would remain a Democrat after the presidential election.

"I'll assess where the party is, where the Oregon Party is in terms of leadership," she said.

Joining her for the Obama event were more than a dozen legislators, including House Speaker Jeff Merkley. He wore an Obama button on his blue pinstriped suit and declared that Obama has the vision and experience to fight special interests.

The Obama campaign says they expect to be endorsed by more legislators Oregon elected officials before the May primary. There's one name they probably won't add to their list: Gov. Ted Kulongoski. He's already announced his support for Hillary Clinton.

See below for a complete list of elected officials who officially joined the Obama team Wednesday.


Also supporting Obama:

• Congressman Earl Blumenauer

• State Treasurer Randall Edwards

• Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo

• Senate President Pro Tem Margaret Carter

• Sen. Alan Bates

• Sen.Floyd Prozanski

• Sen. Ben Westlund

• House Speaker Pro Tem Diane Rosenbaum

• Rep. Jeff Barker

• Rep. Phil Barnhart

• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

• Rep. Peter Buckley

• Rep. Ben Cannon

• Rep. Brian Clem

• Rep. Chris Edwards

• Rep. Dave Edwards

• Rep. Larry Galizio

• Rep. Paul Holvey

• Rep. Betty Kimp

• Rep. Tina Kotek

• Rep. Mary Nolan

• Rep. Tobias Read

• Rep. Mike Schaufler

• Rep. Chip Shields

• Rep. Brad Witt

http://blog.oregonlive.com/politics/2008/04/26_oregon_elected_leaders_join.html

[Tender Branson]

PHOENIX, AZ — Today newly elected Arizona Democratic Party First Vice Chairwoman and Superdelegate Charlene Fernandez endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president.

“Senator Barack Obama is strengthening the Democratic Party by bringing in new voters, young and old, into the process. I believe Senator Obama has the best ability to win the White House in November and lead this country forward.”

Fernandez, who was elected as first vice chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party today,  is Senator Obama’s 241st  Superdelegate endorsement. Senator Obama is now 290 delegates away from winning the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

[Tender Branson]

Chicago, IL – Today, United States Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his ability to rise above the issues that divide us, end the war in Iraq, bring universal health care, and make America energy independent.

Senator Bingaman said, “Today, I am announcing my support for Barack Obama for president and declaring my intention to vote for him at the Democratic convention.

“Our nation faces a daunting number of critical challenges: reasserting America’s leadership in the world, meeting our needs for energy independence, addressing global warming, making healthcare accessible and affordable, positioning our economy to effectively compete globally, and extricating ourselves from the war in Iraq, to name a few.

“To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction.

“I strongly believe Barack Obama is best positioned to lead the nation in that new direction.”

[Tender Branson]

Party Chair Brian Colon (NM) backs Obama.

Is this the freaky guy with sun-glasses who gave the press-conference on the caucus results ?

[Tender Branson]

Party Chair Brian Colon (NM) backs Obama.

Is this the freaky guy with sun-glasses who gave the press-conference on the caucus results ?

Exactly what I was wondering...

That'd be a yes.

I unfortunately cannot find a picture online of him giving the results, if anyone has one please post it.

LOL

[Tender Branson]

A promising hint ?

Former VA Gov. Mark Warner, who launched his U.S. Senate bid today but has not endorsed in the presidential contest, came out against the summer gas tax holiday that Hillary Clinton has been vigorously promoting in NC and IN, according to The Roanoke Times.

"I would be concerned about whether those dollars would be replaced," said Warner, who noted that gas tax revenues pay for transportation improvements.

He added, "I think what we need is a solution that goes after the oil speculators to try to bring down the gas price."

Warner has stayed neutral in the presidential contest, cognizant of his own upcoming bid. His former LG and successor, Tim Kaine, is backing Barack Obama.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/05/m_warner_agains.html

[Tender Branson]

Question:

With Don Cazayoux now sworn in and a Travis Childers win on Tuesday, how many superdelegates do we have ?

798 ?

[Tender Branson]

Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th Dist.), a New Jersey superdelegate who had been supporting Hillary Clinton for president, has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/congressman_payne_nj_superdele.html

[Tender Branson]

At-large Democratic National Committee member Vernon Watkins told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that he has decided to endorse Obama.

"The election is over, everybody knows that. Obama has won," said Watkins, a retired union member from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jvzT8keHzVS3YjP8BJDDrf64A_AwD90I881O0

[Tender Branson]

Puerto Rico DNC Ricky Martin for Clinton.