Barack Obama Elected President!

[Roman]

From CNN:

Obama adds two superdelegates, one's a former Clinton backer

Posted: 11:49 AM ET

From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Sen. Obama campaigned in Florida Thursday.

Sen. Obama campaigned in Florida Thursday.

(CNN) – Sen. Barack Obama pocketed two more of his party’s superdelegates Friday.

California congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza are endorsing the Illinois senator, according to a statement released by his campaign.

“While I continue to greatly respect and admire Senator Clinton and feel she has made history with her campaign, I believe that Senator Obama will inevitably be our party’s nominee for President,” Cardoza, who had previously supported Sen. Hillary Clinton, said in the statement.

Cardoza also waded into the controversy over seating the Florida and Michigan delegations at the Democratic convention. “I will not support changing the rules in the fourth quarter of this contest through some convoluted DNC rules committee process. Yet, we must find a resolution” to the situation with Florida and Michigan, Cardoza said. “I believe we need to avoid this potentially divisive situation by uniting behind one nominee and bringing the party together immediately,” he added.

Costa said electability had helped drive his decision. “In my opinion, it is clear that Senator Obama will be the strongest presidential nominee for the Democratic Party,” Costa said in the statement released by the campaign.

Obama leads the delegate race with a total of 1,967 total delegates including 309 superdelegates, according to CNN’s latest tally. Clinton has 1,779 total delegates, including 279 superdelegates. The number of delegates necessary to claim the Democratic nomination is currently 2,026 but that number may change once the Democratic National Committee decides how to resolve the situation regarding the Florida and Michigan delegations.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is set to meet on May 31 and hear appeals from both states that were stripped of all their delegates to the convention because they held their primaries in violation of party rules.

[Ryan]

I've always had respect for Hillary Clinton. I've always been a big fan of hers (and Bill's). I was glad when she ran for Senate and thrilled that she won. As someone who originally supported Hillary Clinton, I can say that I really wanted her to secure the nomination to be President. Did the media already crowning her the nominee get to me? A bit yes. Because I try to see all sides of the equation, and if I was a supporter of one of the other guys, I'd be pissed.

I watched Senator Obama's speech when he kicked off his campaign and I enjoyed what he had to say. I began to learn more about him and what he stands for, and the fact that he, as a politician actually cared about what people in my age group wanted and through, spoke to me. He didn't ignore our group, and wait until September or October before attempting to meet with young adults to beg for their votes. I thought though he didn't have the most experience, he would definitely be a great asset to her campaign and bring in a lot of younger voters. The more time went on, the more I liked what he had to say.

So I switched my support to him. And I'm glad I did because Hillary and Bill's comments began to turn me off to them. The fact that she changes the rules when she doesn't win, has a selective idea of what's important and what isn't, the fact that she feels she's entitled to the White House is a big turn off. It's ok for Obama to consider being her VP, but she doesn't want it? She agreed that MI and FL should be stripped of their delegates and she didn't care. Why? Because she just knew she wouldn't need it. I mean hey, she's the "frontrunner," the American people "love" her, she'll win on the strength of her policies and her name. But she wasn't winning.....Obama's victories was a curveball she wasn't expecting and it changed the game.

Hillary's critics and political enemies have always accused her of being a divisive and polarizing individual. As someone I liked Hillary, I chalked it up to her just feeling very strongly about her causes and people took that the wrong way (or as I've been accused of...wearing rose colored glasses when it came to HC). I am seeing now more than ever how divisive and polarizing she is. I do feel that she feels entitled to this, and I do feel she is willing to do whatever it takes to get to the White House...at the expense of her party.

I also find it INSULTING, when some of her supporters think that Obama should just hand over the nomination to her, and "get in line for the sake of the party," yet can't and won't support the opposite. I have so much respect for Mitt Romney for backing out when he did. He could have stayed in and fought on, but he knew the Republicans holding onto the White House was more important than his own political aspirations, and as a reward, he could either get a spot on the cabinet or be VP.

If the roles were reversed, the Clinton camp would demand Obama drop out of the race. He would be ripped all over the news because of his ego refusing to allow him to accept that...it's over.

My dislike of Hillary Clinton comes from her actions, attitude, behavior and the things that she says. As an Obama supporter, if she were in the lead, I would be disappointed that Obama wouldn't be the nominee, but I would still support her because what's important is the Democrats taking back the White House. I didn't always feel the way, but the fact is, I cannot accept another 4 or 8 years of continued Bush Administration policies. Call it personal growth.

Do I think Hillary would make a good VP candidate....yes. There's no denying that. But I don't feel it's "owed" to her. I think Obama (as I would want Hillary to do) should weigh all options, and keep in mind what Hillary brings to the table.

[Wales2004]

Anytime I hear someone on Clinton's political team ask why Obama can't close the deal I wish I was in the room to ask why can't she close the deal since she believes the country needs her in the White House. She's been around forever and a day so what's the problem?

[Roman]

Very good question.

I guess she just didn't resonate with some voters.

[Wales2004]

My very roundabout point is that they need to stop raising the issue of why he can't close the deal as if it points to some terrible deficiency on his part that she doesn't have. It does nothing to sell the idea that it's easy to unify and it certainly doesn't make someone like me think she's any better than he is. If I'm supposed to question why he can't do it then I'd automatically question why she can't either.

I know the media keeps selling this idea that she's backed off Obama but all backing off amounts to is probably not using his name much. Her staff is still appearing on shows questioning him instead of pointing out her positives and she is trying to make him look as if he's personally disenfranchising FL and MI primary voters when he's neither responsible for the rules nor the fact that both states' party leaders chose to violate them. If she were practicing honesty and decency then she'd lay the blame where it rightly belongs or even better, she'd have protested prior to their primaries, or admit that she went along then because it benefited her and is changing her mind now because it benefits her.

[Roman]

You know that's playing the political game. She has backed off.........but her people have not, so she can say she hasn't said a word, while her people bring his name up about electability.

My thing also is........if she's so electable, why isn't she winning? He's up by almost 200 PDs, he's up by almost 20 SDs, he has won double the states she has and he leads in the popular vote (I don't count Michigan because his name was not on the ballot). If she's so electable, she should have trounced him.

It's up to her. If she is truly serious about pulling the party together......the next week to 10 days should show alot. If she's not, she will do nothing but ruin her legacy. And this is a woman who, up until late last year, I was set to vote for.

[Wales2004]

Well among other nominations not decided until June, she's referenced RFK's assassination. She issued some sort of apology (I happen to be nit picky about apologies). I don't really care whether she meant anything by it or not, it's irresponsible to say something that people might take to mean that you're sticking around in case your opponent is killed.

[Jess]

I didn't repost Ryan's post, but I agree with what he said.

I really made up my mind who to vote for in the voting booth. I have had a great deal of respect for Hillary. I'm mad at her now -- and it is just anger not dislike -- because I believe she is hurting Democratic chances in the fall. Every time she says, blue collar people don't think Obama can identify with them, she is sending a message to those voters, hey Obama doesn't identify with you. It's setting a theme for the fall election: Look at him, he's not like you.

[Roman]

From Peter Hamby

CNN Political Producer

BRANDON, South Dakota (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday that she regretted comments that evoked the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy as part of her explanation for why she was staying in the presidential race late into the primary season.

Sen. Hillary Clinton apologized for comments made to a newspaper on Friday.

Earlier Friday afternoon, she told the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader that "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said.

Clinton complained that "people have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa" and said that position "historically ... makes no sense."

Later at an event in Brandon, South Dakota, she said, "earlier today, I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Sen. Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968, and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nominating primary contests that go into June. That's an historic fact. Watch more of Clinton's comments to the editorial board »

"The Kennedys have been much on my mind in the last days because of Sen. [Edward] Kennedy, and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever," Clinton added.

The Obama campaign reacted quickly.

Her campaign first defended the remarks, saying the New York senator had been making a historical parallel.

"She was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 of historical examples of the nominating process going well into the summer. Any reading into it beyond that is inaccurate and outrageous," Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said.

Clinton made a similar reference to Robert Kennedy in a March interview with Time magazine Managing Editor Richard Stengel, saying she could not envision a scenario in which party leaders would step in and call for the race to end.

"I think people have short memories," she said then. "Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual."

That was NOT a good idea to say anything about RK's death.

Not good at all.

[Jess]

I wish she had not done that. What is it with all these type references and Obama? Huckabee two weeks ago made a very offensive joke with the gun enthusiasts.

[Roman]

I have been to three different political forums. They are ALL slamming her for these comments.

I just don't know. This was not good. I'm trying to see the positive in what she was saying........but it just fails me.

It keeps coming back to one thing.....

What was she thinking?

You know K.O. and C.M. are going to have a field day with this.

[DevotedToAMC]

I agree. Don't take it to the convention floor

[Roman]

In the wake of these comments, what do you think will happen now?

[Wales2004]

CM interviewed David Axelrod at the beginning of his show and DA was careful not to say anything that could generate a storm at all. I think he handled it pretty well.

I'm waiting to see how KO deals with it but CM was hesitant to say much about Huckabee's comments and he was against showing a clip on his show because he said he didn't want to feed the crazies and I got the impression that he wasn't comfortable with this either.

It was pointed out that she had previously made a reference to JFK's assassination. There was a time when she commented on the comparisons of Obama to JFK. She said that JFK was killed and Lyndon Johnson had to do his job.

The problem she has is that it may not matter for some people whether her intent was good or bad when her win at all costs attitude is taken into consideration. Now she better hope nothing happens to Obama because some people will be inclined to blame it on her.

[Roman]

Damn.

She may have stuck both feet in it this time.