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James Clyburn to Endorse Barack Obama

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June 02, 2008 5:22 PM

ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Respected civil rights leader and Democratic House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., will endorse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president formally on Tuesday, ABC News can confirm, as reported first by the Associated Press.

Clyburn is calling other superdelegates Monday to get them on board before the last Democratic primary contests. 

The South Carolina congressman had expressed concern about the negative tone of the Democratic nomination race and has criticized how Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign has dealt with Obama.

Clyburn was incensed when former President Bill Clinton dismissed Obama's South Carolina victory in January, comparing his win to those of Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1984 and 1988 primary wins, and later said the Obama campaign "played the race card" on him.

"How do you play the race card on the ex-president of the United States?" Clyburn asked at the time. "How do you do it? I would like to know how that's done and who they [are]. And I'd like to see these memos he's talking about. That's what's so bizarre about this."

June 2, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (215)

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CD- it's not about you huh?

You'll vote for McCain if Hillary is not the nominee?

I hardly think I am the one with a maturity problem. Nor am I the selfish one.


Your comments speak for them self.

Posted by: Sally | Jun 2, 2008 5:57:09 PM

I think Hillary ought to suspend her candidacy until the convention; that way when Obama stumbles over his ears, she can be there to save the day!

Posted by: CD | Jun 2, 2008 5:57:29 PM

Didn't he endorse Obama already? First, he endorsed him, then unendorsed him. I'm a democrat but after this primary season, I may change my allegence to Independent. What I witnessed this past week-end was the last draw. Awarding delegates to "uncommitted" and taking 4 delegates away from Hillary was awful. I don't care who is president. Republicans should clean up the mess they created. I'm so angry and disillusioned. There will NOT be unity in this election. It has left a very sour taste in my mouth. When the Democrats loose, they will have to understand that they created a system that is flawed. This was a historic primary but like everything else, they failed.

Posted by: Louise | Jun 2, 2008 5:57:48 PM

my question is if you have the Clinton Political Machine why can't you finish off the other candidate?

Posted by: Independent | Jun 2, 2008 5:58:36 PM

look at all these repubs...

throwing out their talking points... hes... an empty suit, hes limping

lol

wtf are you talking about, his campaign had a brilliant strategy and he out maneuvered the clintons, id suggest you tell ol mcgivemeacane to check his flanks because well be pointing one way while out maneuvering him the other


the clintons are a tough cookie. She was heavily favored to win and had the biggest names in politics behind her

obama out maneuvered her and she almost got him back with her attack ads and dirty politics, but he came back and denied her the chance in indiana and north carolina.

it has been oever since then as the contests weeks ago were decided that hillary would win these and obama these

Posted by: bhrandon | Jun 2, 2008 5:58:43 PM

I am amazed that folks here think Obama is the only "politician". Take off your rosey glasses. Like Clinton or McCain haven't promised or paid God knows what for endorsements and etc....


If you're going to argue, at least have a good one, or one that makes sense please.

Obama 08

Posted by: Sally | Jun 2, 2008 5:59:34 PM

Louise the RBC was in a situation that Clinton wanted everything and yet agreed before January that Florida and Michigan would NOT count.

Then she played the let every vote count knowing that after agreeing to remove her name in Michigan she left her name on. In her words Michigan and Florida DO NOT count.

The winning Nominee would decide how to seat them after the Primaries. This is by the rules agreed to before January. Hilary thought this would be a mute point since she would win by February 5 and could do what ever was needed.

Hillary has my respect for running a hard fight. She has played a little over the lines at times though.

Posted by: Independent | Jun 2, 2008 6:06:09 PM

Oh for the love of God and country what is wrong with HRC!? Her popular vote idea fails! She leaves out 14 states I think but counts MI! Sen Obama has been nothing but complimentary to her, she still attacks! You HRC supporters say we drink kool aid? Please she is tearing the Democratic Party apart for her own selfish needs. Thank goodness somebody has finally questioned their tactics!

Posted by: try the truth | Jun 2, 2008 6:08:34 PM

OK, both of them received about 17 million votes each. In the last election 2004 the winner got 62 million. The last Democrat to win 1996 got 47.4 million. Looks like a lot of work needs to be done before November.

Posted by: tiredtoo | Jun 2, 2008 6:08:59 PM

Obama is for higher taxes, windfall taxes on oil, increased federal entitlement programs, etc. A recent study showed that currently the government has promised the equivalent of $500k per person through entitlement programs. Where do you think that money is going to come from? OUR POCKETS, that's where. Raise taxes on oil, and they'll raise their prices to maintain a profit margin. The oil problem is a problem that can be solved with the basic theory of supply and demand. For 30 years we've done nothing as a country to increase our own supply, while demand has skyrocketed. Easiest way to fix this is to drill for our own oil. By the way, not all democrats are communists... but Obama is the closest thing country has seen in a very long time. Check out the feeling on Capitol hill, Congresswoman Maxine Waters threatened to socialize (nationalize) the oil companies (great idea, nothing is as expensive or inefficient as government). Hillary threatened to "take" the oil company's profits. The popular democratic platform is all about taking individual's hard earned money because they feel entitled to it. Obama's the next Jimmy Carter, and if he wins the November election, expect extremely high taxes and inflation, a worsening recession, horrible foreign policy failures that we will feel for 30 years (See Jimmy Carter and the Iranian Revolution of 1979), etc. Obama doesn't understand the capital gains tax, he doesn't understand the benefits of free trade, he doesn't understand that we as a country have nothing new to say to Iran (they're unwilling to listen, so why talk?). He also seems to be closely associated with a bunch of racists, former terrorists, etc. If he was a Republican, he probably would have been indicted for something by Ronnie Earle by now...

Posted by: smrt | Jun 2, 2008 6:12:58 PM

in a primary you never win by the popular vote. That would be the General Election and then you need them spread out over the states to bring you a minimum of 270 electoral votes.

Posted by: Independent | Jun 2, 2008 6:14:20 PM

I think it's sad that many of you are bickering over a situation that is all but finished. Like it or not Obama will be the democratic nominee by the end of the week. I know some of you are shocked/pissed about a black man winning the nomination (yes I played the damn race card). And I realize that even more of you are over the top feminists who would rather see the second coming of Bush than see Obama as president (hell yes I played the sex card. Let's put aside this petty argument once and for all. The personal jabs do little for your argument and in the end the votes have already been cast. Obama/Clinton in 08!

Posted by: Free thinker | Jun 2, 2008 6:16:05 PM

You're already broke SMRT. Don't blame the person that's going to balance your checkbook, blame those who caused you to write bad checks in the first place.

Typical W A. Always blaming others for their own personal woes and previous decisions they made.

Your Daddy Bush put you in this position. Now it's gonna take Big Daddy Obama to get you out.

That pretty much sums it up.

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 2, 2008 6:16:38 PM

It's funny how cynical whites crawl into their caves and start calling those who they oppressed racists.

Now, isn't that VERY VERY FUNNY?

You neoclowns slay me. You're going to be extinct here in a few months, or at least on the endangered list.

It's gonna suck being a Repugnican at least for the next 16-20 years.

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 2, 2008 6:19:04 PM

Are you kidding me?

Who is really surprised that James Clyburn endorsed Obama, since James Clyburn is black!

It would have only been news if a Clyburn endorsed Hillary, since it would have meant that Clyburn really does believe in civil rights and that he doesn't care what the color of a person's skin is or what gender he or she is.

Posted by: USmarine0331 | Jun 2, 2008 6:25:53 PM

Nat Turner

1) I never said I had any personal woes. , and suggesting personal responsibility as a cure goes against everything Democrats stand for. They don't think the person is capable of being responsible, so they take people's money, mandate that they have a retirement fund, health care, and whatever else they can get away with. Personally, I'd prefer to be in charge of my own money, and be personally responsible for any mistakes I make. Another example, Democrats want to bail out home owners who overextended themselves and now can't afford the mortgage. Guess what, most of them tried to cash in on the real estate market by getting a second mortgage or buying a bunch of properties on speculation or getting an expensive home they can't afford because of a teaser interest rate. Personal responsibility would dictate that they pay the price for their bad gamble. If they lose money, they lose money. If they lose their home, they everyone should learn from their mistakes and live within their means. Pretending that Obama believes anything like this is delusional.

2) Your response has nothing to do with anything I said, and like Obama's responses to questions on how he's going to do what he promises, is empty rhetoric with no plan. He's going to fix our mess with hope and change? Well I hope he has a LOT of change in those pockets, because it's going to take a lot. Problem is, higher taxes doesn't mean higher returns; in fact it likely means the opposite. Every economist on the planet can tell you that one. And Bush didn't put us in this position, partially yes, entirely no. It takes Congress to pass legislation ya know, and they're they ones that have been spending like they won the lottery (every other day)... with W's and Clinton's and W1's and Reagan's, and Carter's, etc, help.

Posted by: smrt | Jun 2, 2008 6:27:08 PM

An American in Canada for David:

would you feel better if Clyburn were white? It's hard for you to see past color, huh?

grow up, bud....

Posted by: shalom | Jun 2, 2008 6:27:47 PM

If Hillary could not survive and out perform a little skinny black guy from Kansas and the Chicago south side named Barack Obama... How can she out perform the Chinese, Iran, Korea, Russian, etc...
Governments ??? And on top of it, run such a sloppy campaign !!! If she's like this wide-awake, I'm "Sooooo" glad she will not be there to answer that call at "3am", when she's not "all there" !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Levi | Jun 2, 2008 6:27:50 PM

Andrea,

That donkey McCain is going to win a race against the political stallion Big Brown Obama?

Buttermilk McCain has the full support of conservatives? Really?

Jews? Really?

Right Wing Snake Kissing Evangelicals? Really?

Lobbyists who supported him when he was flying coach and staying at the motel 6 prior to March? Really?

After Ron Paul and Bob Barr sypon at least 30-35% of the Repugnican vote, counting you Clintonaggie terrorists, he's gonna look like those fake chickens who claim they're authentic Foster Farms chickens.

Get Real Sweetie. Whining doesn't win elections.

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 2, 2008 6:29:16 PM

SMRT,

You surely fit the profile of a pessimistic cynic who's rarely optimistic about any thing other than the sky is falling.

Take 2 viagras, let em kick in, and enjoy the moment alone for starters and I'm sure very few would want to be associated with a crab.

Pep up. HOPE IS ON THE WAY.

Posted by: Nat Turner | Jun 2, 2008 6:31:54 PM

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