Friday, November 21, 2008

New UK Band: The Script

The Script have just vaulted to the top of the charts in the UK.  They describe their genre as Celtic Soul,  but I would call it Celtic Rock.  They have elements of U2, Savage Garden (listen to "Before the Worst"), and a dash of hip-hop.  Listen, they are good.  Here is their homepage.



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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Surprise! President-Elect Obama


What do you say when the revolution is televised?   The world has seen the celebrations in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and in pubs and gathering places around the country and across the globe.  What can I add to that?  Just this: I was surprised at the surprise.

For months I have been following the polls closely, to the point of knowing , thanks to fivethirtyeight.com, which polls have a Democratic lean (e.g. PPP) or a Republican lean (e.g. Mason-Dixon), why there wasn't going to be a Bradley effect, what kind of inside straight McCain would need to eke out a win, etc.  So I was confident that Barack would win.   And I, and most pundits, and the candidates themselves, downplayed the effect of race on the race.   Race may have played a role earlier in the contest, but by now it was all supposed to be about the economy, Iraq, Palin's lack of competence, McCain's erratic behavior, Bush fatigue.

And then, when the election was called, many people reacted with disbelief.  And they celebrated.  The celebrations were partly about the change in parties and policy, but they were mostly about something which has hardly been talked about.  And so I was surprised at how much of John McCain's gracious concession speech centered on race.

And I realized how important it was to me to see the color barrier broken, to see a dream realized.  For one night, all thoughts of President Bush, war, and the economic crisis faded as we entered a new world.  The impossible has happened.  I should have been surprised.


Caption: Colorado State University student, Mercedes Scott, looks in disbelief at the election results on her cell phone which shows Barack Obama the winner in the presidential race Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008, in the Black Student Services office on the CSU campus.

[photo and caption from the Coloradoan]

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Running List of Obama Endorsements

[Originally posted 2/4/08; FINAL UPDATE 11/4/08  11:30 AM]

[Following Obama's clinching of the nomination, I will include only notable or unexpected endorsements.  IMPORTANT NOTE: The Newspaper endorsements are from the primary season.  I will add 'General Election' next to papers which endorse him over McCain, but I doubt that my marking will be complete.  If you don't see a mark next to a paper, don't assume they haven't endorsed him for the General Election.]
I have decided to leave my two previous endorsement posts alone (Barack Obama Endorsements [January 4-14] and Obama Endorsements January 14-28), and keep one running list of endorsements (people more or less in reverse chronological order; newspapers by state).  I don't claim this is complete, but I hope it gives a sense of the breadth of his support.  Endorsements before the beginning of the year are NOT listed [I've added some to the bottom of the list].  Feel free to email me if I've missed an important endorsement.  (I list endorsers that I think will have an impact—no judgment is made about their positive or negative value.) Recently added endorsements are in green. [3/31: Following the lead of the Superdelegate endorsement list Pelosi Club, I am adding a separate list of people who have not endorsed Obama, but are superdelegates who will vote for the winner of the pledged delegates, which is all but certain to be Senator Barack Obama.  See also The Cantwell Club about the Pelosi Club's most exclusive member (she has now endorsed Obama).]

Politicians and Academics:
  • Peter Monroe (Florida Republican & Former President of Resolution Trust Corporation Oversight Board; story)
    "Florida and the United States have the opportunity to vote for one of the 'best and brightest' as president -- without a doubt such person is Senator Barack Obama."
  • Ron Reagan (son of President Reagan; audio)
  • Nixon & Reagan Speechwriter Jeffrey Hart Obama is the Real Conservative
  • Former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein (story)
    Duberstein says Palin isn't ready:
  • Prominent New Hampshire Republican Fred Bramante
  • Former Republican Sen. Larry Pressler (of SD; story)
  • Former Republican Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. (of MD; endorsement)
  • Former Republican Gov. William Weld (of MA; story)
    "Senator Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America's standing in the world.  We need a president who will lead based on our common values and Senator Obama demonstrates an ability to unite and inspire."
  • Former  Republican Gov. Arne Carlson (of MN; story)
  • Former George W. Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan (story with video clip)
  • Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson (story;wikipedia)
  • Republican Former WI State Rep. Barbara Lorman (story)
  • Conservative Republican Ken Adelman (story; story on story)
  • Google CEO Eric Schmidt (story)
  • Former Republican Secretary of State General Colin Powell

    Endorsement (or see annotated combined video from Daily Kos):



    Image mentioned in Powell's Endorsement:



    Press conference:



  • Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria (The Case for Obama)
  • Christopher Hitchens (A toughly worded endorsement)
  • Michael Smerconish (Conservative Radio Host; Story; Audio)
    "I’ve decided. My conclusion comes after reading the candidates’ memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general election debates.

    John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I’m voting for a Democrat for president.

    I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amidst the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia."
  • 76 Nobel Laureates  (An Open Letter to the American People)
    "This year's presidential election is among the most significant in our nation's history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.

    We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him."
  • Jim and Sarah Brady
  • Lilibet Hagel (wife of Republican Senator Chuck Hagel; video endorsement)
  • Catholic Scholar Nicholas P. Cafardi (story)
  • Christopher Buckley (son of William F. Buckley; blog post; in his own words
    "I have known John McCain personally since 1982. I wrote a well-received speech for him.
    ...
    I thought at the time, God, this guy should be president someday.
    ...
    This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget “by the end of my first term.” Who, really, believes that? Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis. His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?
    ...

    As for Senator Obama: He has exhibited throughout a “first-class temperament,” pace Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s famous comment about FDR.
    ...

    I’ve read Obama’s books, and they are first-rate. He is that rara avis, the politician who writes his own books. Imagine. He is also a lefty. I am not. I am a small-government conservative...

    Obama has in him...the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
  • Wick Allison (owner of D magazine, former board member of the National Review; endorsement: A Conservative for Obama)
  • Former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton (of VA; story)
  • Former NY Mayor Ed Koch (he supported Bush in 2004; Why I'm Voting for Obama-Biden)

    "If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency."

  • Conservative Activist Larry Hunter (his Daily News opinion piece)
    "How could I support a candidate with a domestic policy platform that's antithetical to almost everything I believe in?

    The answer is simple: Unjustified war and unconstitutional abridgment of individual rights vs. ill-conceived tax and economic policies - this is the difference between venial and mortal sins."
  • Former Vice President Al Gore (TN)
  • Senator Hillary Clinton (NY; former first lady, presidential candidate; video of entire endorsement speech) video of news story on her endorsement:
  • [Obama Declares Victory]
  • Senator Maria Cantwell (WA; switched from Clinton, a promise discussed in this post)
  • Superdelegates of 6 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):   Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV)
    Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC)
    Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC)
    Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
    Gov. Steve Beshear (KY)
    Gov. Joe Manchin (WV)

    Rep. Tim Ryan (OH) (switch from Clinton)
    DNC Garry Shay (CA) (switch from Clinton)
    DNC Yolanda Caraway (DC) (switch from Clinton)
    Rep. Jason Altmire (PA)

     
  • Superdelegates of 5 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):
    [Note: I am not bolding Reps who switch any more.  The train has already left the station, so to speak.]

    Former House Speaker Tom Foley (WA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Jay Inslee (WA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Nikki Tsongas (MA)
    Gov. Ted Strickland (OH; switched from Clinton)
    DNC Billi Gosh (VT; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Diana DeGette (CO; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Zach Space (OH)
    Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL)
    Rep. Corrine Brown (FL)
    Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (FL)
    Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
    Rep. Jim Matheson (UT)

    All 23 members of the NY Congressional Delegation switched from Clinton:
    Anthony Weiner, Brian Higgins, Carolyn Maloney, Carolyn McCarthy, Charles Rangel, Edolphus Towns, Eliot Engel, Gary Ackerman, Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, John Hall, Jose Serrano, Joseph Crowley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Louise Slaughter, Maurice Hinchey, Michael Arcuri, Michael McNulty, Nita Lowey, Nydia Velazquez, Steve Israel, Timothy Bishop, Yvette D. Clarke

    Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)
    Rep. Betty Sutton (OH; switched from Clinton)
  • Superdelegates of 4 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):

    Former VP Walter Mondale (MN; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD)
    Sen. Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
    Gov. Phil Bredesen (TN)
    Rep. Rahm Emanuel (IL) 
    Rep. Mike Doyle (PA) 
    Sen. Ken Salazar (CO)
    Sen. Tom Harkin (IA)
    Rep. Tom Udall (NM)
    Sen. Ben Cardin (MD)
    Sen. Herb Kohl (WI)
    Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)
    Rep. John Salazar (CO)
    Rep. Mark Udall (CO)
    Sen. Tom Carper (DE)
    Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA)
    Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    Rep. Michael Michaud (ME)
    Rep. Susan Davis (CA)
    DNC Claude "Buddy" Leach (LA; switched from Clinton to Obama)

  • Superdelegates of 3 June (DNC switchers, Reps, Senators, Governors, DPLs):

    Former President Jimmy Carter (GA; was in Pelosi club)
    DNC Ben Johnson (DC; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    DNC Kamil Hasan (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    Rep. Maxine Waters (CA; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    DNC Rhett Ruggerio (DE; switched from Clinton to Obama)
    Rep. Dennis Moore (KS)
    Rep. Bob Brady (PA)
    Rep. William Jefferson (LA)
    Rep. John Sarbarnes (MD)
    Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
    Christine Pelosi (CA; was in Pelosi Club)
    DNC Rachel Binah (CA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Sam Farr (CA)
    Rep. Bob Filner (CA)
    Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA)
    Gov. Bill Ritter (CO)
    DNC Michael Thurmond (GA; switched from Clinton)
    DNC Patsy Arceneaux (LA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Bart Stupak (MI)
    Rep. Rush Holt (NJ; one of three physicists in Congress)
    DNC Ian Murray (PA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Ron Sims (WA; switched from Clinton)
    Rep. Rick Stafford (MN; switched from Clinton)
    Sen. Max Baucus (MT)
    Sen. Jon Tester (MT)
    Governor Brian Schweitzer (MT)
  • Rep.  Alan Mollohan (of WV)
  • Rep. Dennis Cardoza (of CA;switched from Clinton to Obama)
  • Rep. Jim Costa (of CA)
  • Rep. Joe Courtney (of CT)
  • Investor Warren Buffet
  • Senator Robert Byrd (of WV; This is an amazing endorsement given his beginnings in the KKK)
    "Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support" 
  • Mayor Mufi Hannemann (of Honolulu HI)
  • Rep. Henry Waxman (of CA) 
    "I wanted to make sure that Senator Clinton had every opportunity to bring her campaign to the American people. It is now clear, however, that the Democratic Party is nearing a broad consensus on our nominee. And it is with great pride that I endorse Senator Barack Obama for President."
  • Rep. Howard Berman (of CA)
  • Rep. Jim McDermott (of WA)
  • Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards (of NC; full video)
  • William Donaldson (Former SEC Chair, appointed by George W. Bush)
  • Arthur Levitt (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Bill Clinton)
  • David Ruder (Former SEC Chair, appointed by Ronald Reagan)
  • College Democrat superdelegates Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel 
  • Rep. Peter Visclosky (of IN)
  • Sen. Daniel Akaka (of HI)
  • Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (of KY; key endorsement)
    "I believe Senator Obama can unite the Democratic Party and build a coalition of Independents and Republicans to win in November"
  • Rep. Harry Mitchell (of AZ)
  • Rep. Mazie Hirono (of HI)
  • Rep. Donald Payne (of NJ; Switched from Clinton to Obama)
  • Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR)
  • Rep. Brad Miller (of NC)
  • Rep. Rick Larsen (of WA)
  • Former Rep. David Bonior (of MI; Former Campaign Manager for John Edwards)
  • Former Presidential Nominee George McGovern (of SD; Switched from Clinton to Obama)
    "Obama has won the nomination by any practical test... It's time to unite the Democratic Party."
  • Superdelegate Jennifer McClellan (of VA House; switched from Clinton to Obama)
  • Former Gov. Parris Glendening (of MD;add-on superdelegate)
  • Superdelegate Joe Andrew (of IN; switched from Clinton to Obama
    "A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain."
  • Rep. Bruce Braley (of IA) 
  • Rep. Baron Hill (of IN)
  • Rep. Lois Capps (of CA)
  • Rep. Ben Chandler (of KY; story)
    "Now is not the time to be timid. It's instead a time to be bold and support a candidate who can transform our future."
  • Senator Jeff Bingaman (of NM)
  • Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon (big Clinton donor; switch to Obama)
  • Rep. David Wu (of OR;story;Chair of the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee)
  • Governor Brad Henry (of OK; story)
  • Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel (of Evansville, IN; story)
  • Former Sen. Don Riegle (of MI)
  • Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (in the Clinton admin.; three endorsements; his blog)
  • My avoidance of offering a formal endorsement until now has also been affected by the pull of old friendships and my reluctance as a teacher and commentator to be openly partisan. But my conscience won't let me be silent any longer...

    His plans for reforming Social Security and health care have a better chance of succeeding. His approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers. His ideas for improving our public schools and confronting the problems of poverty and inequality are more coherent and compelling. He has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming...

    ...he offers the best possibility of restoring America's moral authority in the world.
  • Former Sen. Sam Nunn (of GA; was head of  Senate Armed Services Committee; three endorsements)
    I believe Senator Obama has a rare ability to restore America's credibility and moral authority and to get others to join us in tackling serious global problems.
  • Former Sen. David Boren (of OK; was head of  Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; three endorsements)
  • Rep. David Price (of NC; Obama can change the equation)
    "With Barack Obama as our nominee, I believe we can turn North Carolina blue this year"
  • Rep. Mel Watt (of NC)
  • Rep. Andre Carson (of Indiana)
  • Auditor General Jack Wagner (of PA; last of the statewide officials to decide: now 2-to-2)
  • Former Gov. Barbara Roberts (of Oregon)
  • Former Gov. John Kitzhaber (of Oregon; story for both)
  • Mayor Steve Luecke (of South Bend Indiana; story)
  • Former Republican Gov. & Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr (of CT; story)
  • Governor Dave Freudenthal (of Wyoming; story)
  • Former Sen. John Melcher (of Montana)
  • Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (of Indiana; cochair of the 9/11 Commission; story)
    “I read his national security and foreign policy speeches, and he comes across to me as pragmatic, visionary and tough. He impresses me as a person who wants to use all the tools of presidential power.”
  • Senator Amy Klobuchar (of Minnesota;unexpected endorsement)
  • Mayor John Engen (of Missoula, Montana; story; since some have asked: he is NOT a superdelegate)
  • Senator Bob Casey (of Pennsylvania; surprise endorsement; video)
    "I believe in my heart that there is one person whose uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama."
  • Rep. Dan Lipinski (of IL, penultimate superdelegate in IL to decide)
  • Mayor Yvonne Johnson (of Greesnsboro, NC)
  • Doug Kmiec (Republican; Head of Office of Legal Council for Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush; Head the Romney for President Committee on the Courts and the Constitution; endorsement)
    "Today I endorse Barack Obama for president of the United States...It is not arrived at without careful thought and some difficulty...I believe him to be a person of integrity, intelligence and genuine good will. I take him at his word that he wants to move the nation beyond its religious and racial divides and to return United States to that company of nations committed to human rights... I do have confidence that the Senator will cast his net widely in search of men and women of diverse, open-minded views and of superior intellectual qualities to assist him in the wide range of responsibilities that he must superintend."
  • Gov. Bill Richardson (of New Mexico; former presidential candidate, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times; story)
    "I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world. As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation. There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line."
  • Cass Sunstein (U. of Chicago Law Professor; great piece: The Obama I know)
  • Rep. Bill Foster (just elected to Dennis Hastert's vacated seat in IL (Hastert, a Republican, was the Speaker of the House); physicist and programmer!) 
  • Lt. Gov. Beverley Perdue (of NC; story)
  • Brigadier General Larry Gillespie (Army)  
  • Major General Scott Gration (USAF-Ret;Former Director of Strategy, Policy, and Assessments of the United States European Command)  
  • Admiral Don Guter (Navy)  
  • Brigadier General David "Dave" McGinnis (Former Chief of Staff of the National Guard Association of the U.S) 
  • General Merrill "Tony" McPeak (Former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force) 
  • Admiral John B. Nathman (Former Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command)  
  • Major General Hugh Robinson (military aide to Lyndon Johnson) 
  • Brigadier General James Smith (USAF-Ret; Former Commander, Joint Warfighting Center) 
  • Admiral Robert "Willie" Williamson (USN-Ret Rear Admiral; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy) 
  • Major General Ralph Wooten (Army)
  • Rep. Nick Rahall (of West Virginia; story)
  • Daniel Kurtzer (former US Ambassador to Israel for Pres. Bush, 2001-2005; quote)
  • Former Gov. Hugh Carey (of New York; story)
  • Current and Former Mayors of Brownsville, TX
  • Jim Hightower (progressive populist in TX; statement)
  • Sen. Jay Rockefeller (of WV; Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee; his strong endorsement)
  • Rep. Rob Wexler (of FL)
  • Rep. John Barrow (of Georgia)
  • Senator Byron Dorgan (of North Dakota; story)
  • Paul Strauss (shadow Sen. of DC)
  • Michael Brown (shadow Sen. of DC)
  • Former Gov. Mark White (of Texas)
  • Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (of South Dakota)
  • Sen. Chris Dodd (of CT; former presidential candidate; story)
  • Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley
  • Steve Novick (Merkley's opponent in the US Senate race; story)
  • Mayor Mark Mallory (of Cincinnati OH)
  • Mayor Michael Coleman (of Columbus OH)
  • Mayor Donald Culliver (of Mansfield OH)
  • Mayor Frank Jackson (of Cleveland OH)
  • Sen. Russ Feingold (of WI; story
  • Rep. Steve Kagen (of WI) 
  • Rep. Kathy Castor (of FL; story
  • Rep. Ron Kind (of WI; voting with his district)
  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett (of TX;story)
  • Mike Panetta (Shadow Rep. of DC)
  • Rep. Chet Edwards (of TX; story)
  • Treasurer Richard Cordray (of Ohio)
  • Former Mayor Ed Garza (of San Antonio Texas)
  • Mayor Will Wynn (of Austin TX)
  • Rep. Brian Baird (of WA) 
  • Rep. John Lewis (of Georgia; civil rights elder statesman; switched from Clinton -- maybe, now definitely)
  • Rep. David Scott (of Georgia; switched from supporting Clinton)
  • Former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee (of Rhode Island; story)
  • Christine "Roz" Samuels (NJ superdelegate switched from Clinton to Obama) 
  • Governor Aníbal Acevedo Víla (of Puerto Rico, location of the winner-take-all last primary)
  • David Wilhelm (Bill Clinton's former campaign manager; superdelegate)
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) 
  • Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (TX)
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer (of Oregon)
  • Rep. Jim Oberstar (of MN)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (TN)
  • Rep. James P. Moran (of Virginia)
  • Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) 
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (of CT)
  • Rep. John Yarmuth (KY)
  • Rep. David Obey (WI) 
  • Rep. Michael Capuano (MA)
  • Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch
  • Frank LaMere (Nebraska superdelegate; chair of DNC Native American Caucus)
  • Governor Christine Gregoire (of Washington State)
  • Doug Wilder (former Governor of Virginia; currently Mayor of Richmond; statement)
  • Governor Chet Culver (of Iowa)
  • Rep. Tim Waltz (of Minnesota)
  • Several Maryland Politicians
  • Several Louisiana Politicians
  • Marion Barry (controversial former DC mayor)
  • Lawrence Lessig (Internet freedom intellectual; really cool video; transcript)
  • Katha Pollitt (journalist and feminist; her reasoning)
  • Julie Nixon Eisenhower (daughter of Republican president Richard Nixon; story)
  • Maria Shriver (First Lady of California, niece of JFK)
  • Kate Michelman (former president of NARAL; former Edwards supporter; her reasoning)
  • Harold Varmus (Nobel Prize winner; head of the National Institutes of Health in the Clinton admin; story (be sure to read his last paragraph))
  • Susan Eisenhower (granddaughter of President Eisenhower, Washington Post Op Ed)
  • Paul Volcker (former Chairman of the Federal Reserve)
  • Alma Rangel (wife of powerful Clinton supporter Rep. Charles Rangel)
  • Rep. Chris Murphy (of Connecticut)
  • Rep. John Larson (of Connecticut)
  • Rep. Earl Pomeroy (of North Dakota)
  • Elizabeth B. Moynihan (window of fomer NY Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan)
  • Governor Kathleen Sebelius (of Kansas)
  • Rep Anna Eshoo (of California)
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva (of Arizona, had endorsed Edwards) 
  • Toni Morrison (author who famously called Bill Clinton "the first black president")
  • Senator Edward Kennedy (of Massachusetts, brother of JFK)
  • Caroline Kennedy (daughter of JFK, see A President Like My Father)
  • Senator Patrick Leahy (of Vermont)
  • Former Senator Jean Carnahan (of Missouri)
  • Rep. Benny Thompson (of Mississippi)
  • Rep. Rick Boucher (of Virginia)
  • Senator John Kerry (of Massachusetts, former presidential candidate)
  • Senator Claire McCaskill (of Missouri, vowed to work hard for Obama)
  • Governor Janet Napolitano (of Arizona)
  • Former Senator Bill Bradley (of New Jersey, former presidential candidate)
  • Rep. George Miller (of California, close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, liberal Democrat)
  • Governor Jim Doyle (of Wisconsin)
  • Senator Ben Nelson (of Nebraska, a conservative Democrat)
  • Senator Tim Johnson (of South Dakota, a moderate Democrat)
  • Mayor Shirley Franklin (of Atlanta)
  • Former Senator Tim Roemer (of Indiana; member of the 9/11 commission)
  • Rep. Zoe Lofren (of CA, endorsed in Jan 2008; will vote for him unless somehow Hillary takes the lead--i.e. she is a Pelosi Club Superdelegate)
  • Rep. G. K. Butterfield (of NC; supporter of Edwards, switched in January)
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (of California)
  • Rep. Patrick Murphy (of PA;story)
  • Former Senator Tom Daschle (of SD; former Senate Majority Leader; Pelosi Club Superdelegate)
  • Alice Walker (Pulitzer Prize winning author; video endorsement
  • Governor Tim Kaine (of Virginia; first official outside IL to endorse him)
[For a complete list of superdelegates, see this great site]


Pelosi Club Superdelegates (those who will vote for the winner of  the pledged delegates) some of whom are listed above:
  • Former President Jimmy Carter (story;my post;officially endorsed)
    “It would be undemocratic if the super-delegates blatantly went against the decision of Democratic voters across the nation.

    "And I think that many super-delegates who have not yet declared their preference have the same feeling that I do, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She’s said over and over that whoever gets the most [pledged] delegates by June 3rd ought to be the nominee.”
  • Denise Johnson (DNC in Texas; story)
  • Senator Maria Cantwell (of WA; endorsed Clinton, but will vote for winner of pledged delegates; story; officially endorsed)
    “If we have a candidate who has the most delegates and the most states,” the Democratic party should come together around that candidate, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process.
  • Former Governor Roy Romer (of Colorado; former co-chair of Bill Clinton's '96 campaign; story;officially endorsed)
  • Christine Pelosi (DNC member in CA; daughter of Nancy Pelosi; officially endorsed)
  • Rep. Nancy Pelosi (of CA; Speaker of the House of Representatives; will vote for  the candidate with the most pledged delegates; Pelosi: Party should heed the will of the voters)
    “If the votes of the super-delegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party,’’ she said.

    What if one candidate has won the popular vote and the other claims the most delegates?

    “It's a delegate race. In other words, one wins the Electoral College and one wins the popular vote -- guess who's president of the United States. The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee."
  • Betty Ritchie (DNC Texas; story;officially endorsed)

Celebrities, Actors, Musicians (very incomplete):
  • Billy Joel (first political endorsement ever
  • Tom Hanks (video endorsement)
  • Michael Moore (filmmaker; upset at Clinton tactics)
  • Bruce Springsteen (full quote)
    Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
    He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

    At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams from My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
  • Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers; story)
  • Russell Simmons (Def Jam; story)
  • Joan Baez (first time endorsing a candidate)
  • Kareem Abdul Jabbar
  • Charles Barkley
  • John Legend
  • Usher
  • Common (super-Tuesday video)
  • Dave Matthews
  • The Grateful Dead
  • Robert De Niro (actor, usually apolitical)
  • Garrison Keillor (host of A Prairie Home Companion)
  • will.i.am
  • Scarlett Johansson
  • Oprah
  • Stevie Wonder
  • George Clooney
Organizations:

Newspapers (Primary and General Election--see also this list) (Republican leaning papers in red):
  • UK - The Economist for General Election: It's Time
    "America should take a chance and make Barack Obama the next leader of the free world.
    The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly.
    Merely by becoming president, he would dispel many of the myths built up about America: it would be far harder for the spreaders of hate in the Islamic world to denounce the Great Satan if it were led by a black man whose middle name is Hussein; and far harder for autocrats around the world to claim that American democracy is a sham.  America’s allies would rally to him."
  • UK - The Financial Times for General Election
  • UK - Nature [the weekly science journal] America's choice
  • US - College Newspapers for Obama 66-2 (story)
  • US - Esquire for General Election, their first ever
  • US - Rolling Stone (I just had to attach this link :) )
  • US - The Nation
  • AK - Anchorage Daily News (largest newspaper in Alaska) for General Election
    "Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career...
    Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time."
  • AL - Birmingham News (primary only)
  • AL - Decatur Daily for General Election
  • AL - Florence Daily Times for General Election
  • AL - Montgomery Advertiser for General Election
  • AL - Tuscaloosa News (General Election)
  • AR - Benton County Daily Record for general election
  • AZ - The Arizona Republic (primary only)
  • AZ - Arizona Star for General Election (McCain's home state) Barack Obama for President
  • CA - Black Voice News
  • CA - Chico News & Review
  • CA- The Fresno Bee for General Election
  • CA - Hoy for General Election Obama para presidente
  • CA - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
  • CA - La Opinión (General Election: Barack Obama para presidente)
  • CA - Long Beach Leader
  • CA - Long Beach Press Telegram for General Election
  • CA - Los Angeles Sentinel
  • CA - The Los Angeles Daily News for General Election
  • CA - The Los Angeles Times (General Election: first time endorsing a Democratic nominee ever, done without hesitation)
  • CA - Marin Pacific Sun
  • CA - Modesto Bee (General Election)
  • CA - Monterey County Herald for General Election
  • CA - North Bay Bohemian
  • CA - Oakland Tribune for General Election
  • CA - Palm Springs Desert Sun
  • CA - Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News for General Election
  • CA - Precinct Reporter
  • CA - Riverside Press-Enterprise
  • CA - Sacramento Bee (General Election)
  • CA - San Bernadino Sun for General Election
  • CA - San Diego City Beat
  • CA - San Francisco Bay Guardian
  • CA - San Francisco Bay View
  • CA - San Francisco Chronicle (General Election)
  • CA - San Gabriel Valley Tribune for General Election
  • CA - San Jose Mercury News (General Election: "Seize the historic moment")
  • CA- San Mateo Country Times for General Election
  • CA - Santa Barbara Independent
  • CA - Santa Cruz Sentinel (General Election)
  • CA - Tri County Bulletin
  • CA - Tri-Valley Herald for General Election
  • CA - Stockton Record (General Election: first for a Democrat since FDR in 1936)
  • CO - Aspen Daily News for General Election
  • CO - Boulder Daily Camera for General Election
  • CO - Denver Post for General Election
  • CO - Durango Times for General Election
  • CO - El Semanario for General Election
  • CO - Gunnison Times General Election endorsement
  • CO - Rocky Mountain News
  • CT - The Day (re-endorsement for Rhode Island voters)
  • CT - Connecticut Post
  • CT - Hartford Courant for General Election (only second Democrat backed in 244 years)
  • CT - New Haven Register for General Election
  • CT - Norwich Bulletin (General Election)
  • DC - The Washington Post for General Election:
    "Mr. Obama's temperament is unlike anything we've seen on the national stage in many years. He is deliberate but not indecisive; eloquent but a master of substance and detail; preternaturally confident but eager to hear opposing points of view. He has inspired millions of voters of diverse ages and races, no small thing in our often divided and cynical country. We think he is the right man for a perilous moment."
  • DE - News Journal for General Election
  • KY - Louisville Courier-Journal (and Southern Indiana)
  • FL - Daytona Beach News-Journal for General Election
  • FL - Florida Today for General Election
  • FL - Gainesville Sun
  • FL - Miami Herald for General Election
  • FL - Naples Daily-News for General Election
  • FL - Orlando Sentinel for General Election
  • FL - Pensacola News-Journal for General Election
  • FL - Palm Beach Post (General Election)
  • FL - The Sun-Sentinel (General Election)
  • FL - Sarasota Herald-Tribune for General Election (Why Obama? His record, judgment, temperament)
  • FL - Tampa Tribune
  • FL - St. Petersburg Times (General Election)
  • GA - Atlanta Journal Constitution (General Election)
  • GA - Atlanta Daily World
  • GA - Columbus Ledger Enquirer for General Election
  • GA - Macon Telegraph for General Election
  • GA - Serma Times-Journal for General Election
  • HI - The Honolulu Advertiser
  • HI - Honolulu Star Bulletin for General Election
  • IA - Ames Iowa State Daily
  • IA - Des Moines El Latino
  • IA - Des Moines Register for General Election
  • IA - Iowa City Press Citizen
  • IA - Iowa City Daily Iowan
  • IA - Logan Herald-Observer
  • IA - Mason City Globe Gazette for General Election
  • IA - Ottumwa Courier
  • IA - Sioux City Journal
  • IA - The Storm Lake Times for General Election
  • ID - The Idaho Statesman for General Election
  • IL - Chicago Defender
  • IL - Chicago Sun-Times (General Election)
  • IL - Chicago Tribune (re-endorsement: Indiana, go with Obama) (General Election: first endorsement of a Democratic nominee ever)
    "Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them.

    We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president.

    We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready...
    It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after all. We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States."
  • IL - Daily Herald
  • IL - Belleville News Democrat
  • IL - The Pantagraph for General Election
  • IN - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette for General Election
  • IN - Gary Post-Tribune
  • IN - Lafayette Journal and Courier for General Election
  • IN - Merrillville Post-Tribune for General Election
  • IN - The Muncie Star (general election)
  • IN - Richmond Paladium-Item for General Election
  • KY - Ledger Independent for General Election
  • KY - Lexington Herald-Leader for General Election
  • KY - Louisville Courier- Journal for General Election
  • MA - Bay State Banner
  • MA - Boston Globe (General Election)
  • MA - Daily News Tribune
  • MA - The Springfield Republican
  • MD - Baltimore Sun (General Election)
  • ME - Bangor News for General Election
  • ME - Brunswick Times Record for General Election
  • ME - Portland Press Herald
  • MI - Battle Creek Enquirer for General Election
  • MI - Bay City Times for General Election
  • MI - Detroit Free Press for General Election
  • MI - Lansing State Journal for General Election
  • MI - Livingston Daily for General Election
  • MI - Michigan Chronicle for General Election
  • MI - The Muskeegan Chronicle for General Election
  • MI - Saginaw News for General Election
  • MN - St. Cloud Times for General Election
  • MN - Star Tribune for General Election
  • MO - Columbia Daily Tribune for General Election
  • MO - Joplin Globe for General Election
  • MO - Kansas City Call
  • MO - Kansas City Star for General Election
  • MO - The St. Louis American
  • MO - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (general election)
  • MS - Jackson Clarion Register for General Election
  • MT - Billings Gazette for General Election
  • MT - Independent Record for General Election
  • MT - Montana Standard for General Election
  • NC - Ashville Citizen-Times for General Election
  • NC - Charlotte Observer (General Election)
  • NC - Durham Herald Sun for General Election
  • NC - Greenville Daily Reflector for General Election
  • NC - News & Observer for General Election
  • NC - Rayleigh News and Observer for General Election
  • NC - Wilmington Star News for General Election
  • NH - Cabinet Press for General Election
  • NH - Concord Monitor for General Election
  • NH - Littleton Courier
  • NH - Nashua Telegraph (General Election)
  • NH - Portsmouth Herald (General Election)
  • NH - Valley News
  • NM - Albuquerque Tribune
  • NM - Farmington Daily Times for General Election We like John McCain, but who is Sarah Palin?  
    "The tip of the scale for us came with McCain's choice of a vice presidential candidate. Few of us are convinced that Sarah Palin is ready to be the president of the United States, and as with any vice president, she would be only one heartbeat away if McCain is elected. Further, we question McCain's judgment in making such a choice...All of our previous endorsements have supported the Republican ticket.  We, however, must break ranks and endorse Barack Obama for president."
  • NM - Las Cruces Sun-News for General Election
  • NM - Santa Fe New Mexican (General Election)
  • NJ - Asbury Park Press for General Election
  • NJ - Bergen Record for General Election
  • NJ - The Trenton Times (General Election)
  • NJ - The Star-Ledger (General Election)
  • NV - Elko Free Press
  • NV - El Tiempo for General Election
  • NV - Las Vegas Review Journal
  • NV - Las Vegas Sun for General Election
  • NV - Reno Gazette Journal (General Election)
  • NY - Buffulo News for General Election
  • NY - El Diario/La Prensa for General Election
  • NY - Newsday for General Election
  • NY - The New York Daily News for General Election
  • NY - The New Yorker for General Election
  • NY - New York Observer
  • NY - New York Post (primary only)
  • NY - The New York Times for General Election
    Barack Obama for President
    "It will be an enormous challenge just to get the nation back to where it was before Mr. Bush, to begin to mend its image in the world and to restore its self-confidence and its self-respect. Doing all of that, and leading America forward, will require strength of will, character and intellect, sober judgment and a cool, steady hand.

    Mr. Obama has those qualities in abundance...

    We believe he has the will and the ability to forge
    the broad political consensus that is essential to finding
    solutions to this nation's problems."
  • OH - Akron Beacon Journal for General Election
  • OH - The Athens Post (nuanced endorsement)
  • OH - Cleveland Plain Dealer (General Election)
  • OH - The Canton Repository (General Election endorsement)
  • OH - The Cincinnati Enquirer (audio interview) (for primary only)
  • OH - Dayton Daily News (General Election)
    "Meanwhile, the Republican Party is asking the American people to ignore their discontent with President George W. Bush and give the party another chance. But if a party can retain the presidency after failing in it — just by putting up somebody different — then accountability is undercut. Failure should exact a political price. If it doesn't, failure becomes harder to deter."
  • OH - Hamilton Journal-News for General Election
  • OH - Mansfield News Journal for General Election
  • OH - The Springfiled-Sun News for General Election
  • OH - The Times-Reporter for General Election
  • OH - The Toledo Blade (General Election)
  • OH - Youngstown Vindicator for General Election
  • OH - Zanesville Times Recorder for General Election
  • OR - East Oregonian for General Election
  • OR - Eugene Register-Guard (General Election)
  • OR - Mail Tribune for General Election
  • OR- Oregonian for General Election
  • OR - Portland Tribune
  • OR - Salem Statesman Journal for General Election
  • PA - Allentown Morning Call
  • PA - The Bucks County Courier Times
  • PA - Dubois Courier-Express for general election
  • PA - The Daily Item
  • PA - The Daily and Sunday Review
  • PA - Easton Press Times for General Election 
  • PA - Erie Times-News for General Election
  • PA - The Lehigh Valley Express-Times for General Election
  • PA - The New Castle News
  • PA - Philadelphia Inquirer (General Election)
  • PA - The Patriot-News (general election)
  • PA - The Philadelphia Daily News (General Election)
  • PA - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (General Election)
  • PA - Pocono Record for General Election
  • PA - Pottstown Mercury for General Election
  • PA - The Scranton Times-Tribune (General Election)
  • PA - The Washington Observer Reporter
  • PA - The Wilkes-Barre Citizen's Voice
  • PA - York Daily Record for General Election
  • RI - Providence Journal for General Election
  • SC - Charleston Post and Courier
  • SC - The State
  • SC - The Rock Hill Herald
  • SC - The Greenville News
  • TN - The Tennessean for General Election
  • TN - Tri-State Defender
  • TX - Dallas Morning News (primary only)
  • TX - The Austin American-Statesman (General Election)
  • TX - The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (primary only)
  • TX - The Eagle for General Election
  • TX - The El Paso Times
  • TX - Houston Chronicle (General Election)
  • TX - Fort Worth Star-Telegram (General Election)
  • TX - Longview News-Journal (General Election)
  • TX - The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (primary only)
  • TX - San Angelo Standard-Times
  • TX - San Antonio Express-News (primary only)
  • UT - The Salt Lake Tribune for General Election (A simple choice)
  • UT - San Angelo Standard Times for General Election
  • VA - Falls Church News Press for General Election
  • VA- Staunton News Leader for General Election
  • WA - The Columbian for General Election
  • WA - The Seattle Times (General Election)
  • WA - Seattle Post Intell. for General Election
  • WA - Yakama Herald-Republic for General Election
  • WI - Chippewa Herald for General Election
  • WI - Kenosha News for General Election
  • WI - Lacrosse Tribune for General Election
  • WI - Marshfield News Herald for General Election
  • WI - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (General Election)
  • WI - State Journal for General Election
  • WV - The Charleston Gazette (largest paper in WV) (General Election)
    "We hope they support the brilliant, inspiring, eloquent frontrunner in the race, Barack Obama.

    Sen. Obama is a rare figure in U.S. politics - a deep thinker who rises above partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He raises hope that, after the disastrous Bush years mercifully come to an end, Americans can again be proud of their national leader."
  • WY - Caspar Star-Tribune (Dick Cheney's hometown paper) for General Election Obama can lead us through troubled times

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