"With an expected late wave of support" from cong. Dems, Barack Obama appears "poised to secure" the Dem nod, "perhaps even before the votes" from SD and MT are counted tonight. Obama, campaigning in Waterford, MI, 6/2: "We feel good about the number of superdelegates that we've accumulated, and my sense is that between Tuesday and Wednesday, that we've got a good chance of getting the number that we need to win the nomination" (McCormick/Dorning, Chicago Tribune, 6/3).
Obama comm. dir. Robert Gibbs, asked if Obama will declare victory tonight: "I think if we get that number tonight, we certainly will. And I think there's a decent to good chance we can do that" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/3).
Obama aides "spent the last day of the primary campaign season privately pressing superdelegates to get behind him, hoping to convert tonight's victory party" in St. Paul, MN, into a true crowning moment" (Henderson, Newsday, 6/3). Obama was "still courting superdelegates" 6/2, and will continue to speak with them through this evening (Gavrilovic, CBSNews.com, 6/2).
Obama advisers "said that they were orchestrating an endorsement" of Obama "by at least eight Senate and House members who had pledged to remain uncommitted until the primaries ended, and that the endorsements would come the moment" the SD polls close tonight. The group "will be led by" Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who met 6/2 with Sens. Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). Uncommitted Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI): "It's time" (Nagourney, New York Times, 6/3).
"Indications were" that other Senate Dems, including Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Jon Tester (D-MT), "would endorse Obama after the votes come in from their state" (Murray/Kornblut, Washington Post, 6/3).
One Dem source said "at least five to 10" House members, at least 10 senators and at least 10 other superdelegates would endorse Obama today (Chicago Tribune, 6/3).
Uncommitted Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA): "Senator Obama is trying to line up people that are going to come out for him [today] during the day so that he'll have enough that puts him over the top that he can declare victory. ... He apparently is telling people that he has the numbers, and that's what's going to happen, at which point it would become moot what the rest of us do" (Kuhnhenn, AP, 6/2).
NBC's Russert, asked if it is over: "Yes, it is. There have been enough undeclared superdelegates who have been identified, who will come forward by tomorrow morning so that Senator Obama will reach 2,118" ("Today," 6/3).
CBS' Schieffer: "By the end of this week, Barack Obama will be over the top and will be able to claim victory. I think it's not a matter of whether he's going to do it, it's just a matter of when. ... This is over and they're now ready to move on to the next phase" ("Early Show," 6/3).
Now There's A Stunner
House Maj. Whip James Clyburn announced his endorsement of Obama on "Today" this a.m.
Clyburn: "I've decided to cast my delegate ballot for Senator Barack Obama. I think that as I watch this campaign unfold, he is elevating the political rhetoric. He's elevating our party. He's energizing our country. He is bringing to the process new voters, young voters, older voters, people who are in thirst of a new vision for our country."
NBC's Lauer: "Is this about a heartfelt feeling that he's the right man for the job, or is this about being a realist and doing the math?"
Clyburn: "It's about doing what's best for our party. I stayed out of this process because I did not want to inject myself, as other superdelegates did not want to inject themselves into the process. Today, the process ends, and I hope that enough of us will announce our intentions today so that this evening our candidate, our nominee, presumptive nominee, will be able to credit the voters of this country with having achieved a threshold of 2,118."
Clyburn, asked if he's talked to Hillary Clinton in the last 24-48 hours: "No, but I've talked to a lot of her people up until midnight last night."
Clyburn, asked what Clinton gets for her 17M votes: "She gets a party that is very grateful to her, a country that idolizes her."
Lauer: "What does she get in real terms, though?"
Clyburn: "Whatever she wants, I suspect. She and Senator Obama will sit down and will discuss that. I think the two of them will come together on behalf of our party and our nation" (NBC, 6/3).
Not Just An Endorsement
Clyburn later appeared on some of the other a.m. shows:
Clyburn, asked if Obama has a problem with white, working-class voters: "I think early on, one of the missteps made in Senator Obama's campaign was the tremendous emphasis that people placed on his success in life. They talked about him being the first African-American to ... chair the Law Review up at Harvard. ... People didn't talk about his life story. ... That is the kind of life story that those people in Kentucky and West Virginia can identify with. But he was not emphasizing that in the beginning."
Clyburn, on Obama leaving Trinity United: "I do believe that this is a very torturous decision for him. ... Any time that you have to break with your home church or the church that you started out your Christian journey in, it's a real problem for you, so I know what he's going through" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 6/3).
Clyburn, on Clinton's argument that she's stronger in the general election: "I think you're mixing apples and oranges when you talk about primary voters as opposed to general election voters. I think her argument is substantial in the primary, but when we come to the general election, remember, in a lot of these states, independents were not allowed to vote in the Democratic primary. They will be voting in the general election. Republicans will be voting in the general election. And I think Barack Obama gets a lot of Republican votes."
Clyburn, asked if B. Clinton's comments in SC had anything to do with his decision to back Obama: "I think that Bill Clinton has been a tremendous asset to our party. ... I do believe that in some instances, President Clinton did say some things at the time that made some of us a little bit uneasy. And that's why I said he should just chill. At that time, I had bought into conventional wisdom that come February the 5th, this whole thing will be over, that Senator Clinton will, in all probability, be our nominee. But I think things materialized and developed differently, and I think a lot of it had to do with what happened in South Carolina" ("American Morning," CNN, 6/3).
FNC's Garrett: "The Clinton campaign has never regarded Clyburn as entirely neutral in this. Clyburn has been pretty critical, not only at the tone of Hillary's campaign but at times bitingly critical of Bill Clinton's role in this campaign. So his neutrality at least from the Clinton perspective hasn't always been robust" ("Special Report," 6/2).
Washington Post's Robinson: "This is significant because he's the highest ranking African American member of the House. Also because he's the third ranking member of the House, period. This is the House leadership, perhaps, beginning to fall in line behind the Obama candidacy" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/2).
Clyburn also said he's started to ask other SC superdelegates to get behind Obama. Clyburn: "I don't know who all will do it, but I've asked them" (Davenport, AP, 6/3). Two Dems said Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) "would join Clyburn in making an endorsement" (Espo, AP, 6/3).
But Wait, There's More
Obama has also picked superdelegate endorsements from MI DNCers Debbie Dingell and Rick Wiener (release, 6/3); Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) (release, 6/3); Rep. John W. Olver (D-MA) (Moriarty, Springfield Republican, 6/3); MO state Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (Mannies; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/3); NEA member Joyce Lalonde (release, 6/3); WA DNCer David McDonald (LaCorte, AP, 6/2); FL Dem Sec. Janee Murphy (release, 6/2); Southfield, MI, Mayor Brenda Lawrence and MI Education Assn Pres. Lu Battaglieri (AP, 6/2).
According to the camp, with these endorsements, Obama is 35.5 delegates from the Dem nod (release, 6/3).
Hey, It's Me, Whatcha Doin'? Are You Busy Wednesday?
Meanwhile, Obama "has started his first, tentative steps toward reaching out to his wounded rival" (Newsday, 6/3). "Communication between the two camps" is also "on the rise" -- "Obama strategists and supporters are wooing several" of Clinton's "big-money donors, political operatives and policy advisers," and "the wooing isn't one-sided" (Langley, Wall Street Journal, 6/3).
In MI 6/2, Obama "pledged party unity as he praised Clinton." Obama: "Sen. Clinton has run an outstanding race, she is an outstanding public servant, and she and I will be working together in November."
Obama also said he spoke with Clinton 6/1, and "told her that he wanted to talk more after Tuesday's results." Obama: "She and I have been on the same journey together, and I told her that once the dust settled, I was looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing" (Chicago Tribune, 6/3).
Obama also "said he would begin thinking about" a running mate "the day after I have gotten the last delegate needed to officially claim the nomination" (AP, 6/3).
Obama, before "an electrified crowd" of 1K at Troy High School: "The sooner we can bring the party together, the sooner we can focus on John McCain and taking back the White House" (Hornbeck/Cain, Detroit News, 6/2).
May I Have Your Attention Please
Indeed, in MI 6/2, Obama "kept his primary focus" on McCain (Chicago Tribune, 6/3). Obama, in Troy: "All Sen. McCain is talking about on the campaign trail is Iraq instead of offering solutions to the problems you face every day" (Detroit News, 6/2). Obama: "I want an end to a war that costs $10 billion a month. We can spend some of that money right here in Troy, Michigan" (Crumm, Oakland Press, 6/3), investing in things like health care and alternative energy (Gray, Detroit Free Press, 6/3).
McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds responded, "In Michigan, a state he's largely ignored, Barack Obama appears desperate to divert attention from his weak judgment on foreign policy" (Chicago Tribune, 6/3).
Obama also told workers outside the Rite Aid facility in Waterford, "Tell your friends and family, 'Obama's here and he's not going away until we win Michigan'" (Gavrilovic, CBSNews.com, 6/2).
Slate's Dickerson writes from MI, "Voters, particularly those at the lower end of the income scale, have wondered if Obama understands their problems; Obama's response seems in part to be that whatever they may think about him, John McCain is even more out of touch" (6/2).
Sweet On You, Local Reporter, But Not In A Demeaning Way
In MI, Obama gave an interview to TV reporter Peggy Agar, whom he "patronized a bit on his last trip" when he called her "sweetie." Obama also apologized "again," saying, "If it had been a guy I would have called him 'Buddy.' I didn't mean it in an offensive way, but I always want to make sure that if anybody takes offense to that, I follow up as quickly as possible so I think you got a call about half an hour later. The main thing I gelt guilty about was not having answered your question" (Smith, Politico.com, 6/2).
You Forget Butte!
Also on 6/3, Michelle Obama "told a few hundred supporters gathered in Billings," MT, 6/2 that they must stay engaged if the country's political environment is going to change (Lutey, Billings Gazette, 6/3). M. Obama: "The real work begins after Tuesday" (AP, 6/2).
Trailing Off
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, a "staunch" Clinton backer, said 6/2 that he's "preparing to endorse" Obama when he takes the stage tonight at the Xcel Energy Center. Coleman, a member of Clinton's MN steering cmte: "I certainly expect to endorse Barack Obama tomorrow night after all the votes are counted. The outcome will be clear. Out of respect for Senator Clinton, I'm going to give her a chance to make her statement, but ..." Coleman "didn't complete the thought" (Orrick, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 6/2).
Meanwhile, MN GOP Chair Ron Carey also welcomed Obama to the site where McCain will accept the GOP nod. Carey: "I'm very happy that Barack Obama has chosen to end the primary season here in Minnesota. The time has come to put an end to this campaign of happy talk and lack of substance" (AP, 6/3).
Party Hearty
"Obama and his supporters contend that victory is victory," but "some analysts say his less-than-overwhelming recent showing signals trouble -- or at least hurdles -- as he begins a general election campaign" (Helman, Boston Globe, 6/3).
Others also weighed in as Obama pivots toward the general:
• New York Observer's Kornacki: "Just like 1976 and 1992, the political climate unquestionably favors the Democrats this year. Mr. Obama is wheezing now, but he may be breathing easier by the fall" ("The Politicker," 6/3).
• Wall Street Journal's Seib writes, "just how good a year this will be for Democrats depends heavily on how well" Obama "performs from this point forward ... Even if he prevails, there is a big difference between having a good year and realigning the country's preferences in a lasting way" (6/3).
• New York Times' Herbert writes, "Clinton and Obama partisans spent months fighting bitterly on the toxic terrain of misogyny, racism and religion. It can only make you wonder about the vaunted Democratic claims of moral superiority when it comes to tolerance." Dems "will have to exhibit extraordinary unity" to come together before the general (6/3).
• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Gilbert asks, "How has Obama weathered such a lackluster sprint to the finish line?" For some, "the answer lies in the political cushion he built" when he won 10 consecutive mid-Feb. contests and netted roughly 120 delegates. Wisconsin Advertising Projet's Ken Goldstein: "If this was a basketball game, he won the third quarter" (6/2).
• New York Times' Powell writes, over the past 17 months, Obama "has changed remarkably little about his stump style. He projects the image of a post-partisan candidate with the confidence of a man convinced he holds a copyright" (6/3).
On The Agenda
Obama addresses AIPAC, the country's largest "pro-Israel lobby," today. In advance, his camp "is highlighting the candidate's support for designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard forces as a foreign terrorist organization" (Lake, New York Sun, 6/3). The camp also held a conf. call 6/2 in response to McCain's 6/2 AIPAC speech, continuing the camp's effort to "portray a McCain presidency as a third Bush term" (Jones, NBC/National Journal, 6/2).
On 6/4, Obama headlines a "smallish" DNC fundraiser of about 100 people in NYC (Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times blog, 6/2).
Also on 6/4, Obama will address the SEIU convo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, via "live satellite video feed" (release, 6/2).
Nice Timing
"A verdict could be imminent" in ex-Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko's fraud trial after jurors told the judge 6/2 "they were in disagreement on just one of the 24 counts" against Rezko. The jury has been deliberating for 10 days (Coen, Chicago Tribune, 6/3).
Out Of Service
In the media today was more commentary on Obama's faith:
• Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer, on Obama leaving his church: "He said he's doing it, at least in part, because the church has been getting unfair attention, and that there has been and an invasion of the privacy of the members, and that he wants the church to have privacy of its worship. That's an odd concern for a church that provides live streaming video of its services, and that sells the sermons on tape for a profit. ... Obama is always doing what he does or explaining what he does as a matter of selfless higher purposes. ... He is always the man who rises above, and it is a question of whether or not you believe it" ("Special Report," FNC, 6/2).
• Huffington Post's Sekoff: "On [the] upside, it gives him a little bit of distance the next time some preacher who ... says something outrageous. ... But on the downside, his brand is all about authenticity, and I think ... there's a little whiff of political convenience" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/2).
• Chicago Sun-Times' Mitchell writes, if Obama thinks resigning from his church "will stop his opponents from trying to stereotype him as a race-man, he has another think coming. Next, they'll be going after his wife, Michelle, twisting every comment she's ever made about race" (6/3).
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Wooten notes Obama "departs now insisting that he'll not denounce the church. This is a guy who's indecisive or, worse yet, a potential President who can't turn a bad idea loose" (6/2).
• Philadelphia Daily News' Leavy writes, "Whether the skeptics are black, white or brown, Obama must make that connection, let people know who he is, without the clumsy gaffes that have marked his campaign. He has to earn their trust. Only then will the Muslim rumor be pushed to the side" (6/3).
• Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's John Green said Obama's departure from Trinity "won't undermine his ability to reach out to religious moderates because he hasn't denounced his faith" (Goldman/Chipman, Bloomberg, 6/3).
Dogged By War
Jonah Goldberg writes, on Iraq, "Obama is locked into a position despite the facts on the ground. Obama may indeed have good judgment, but his record shows little experience employing it" (Los Angeles Times, 6/3).
Dick Morris and Eileen McGann write, "When it comes to Iraq, Obama is most comfortable living in the past. ... It's a lot easier to oppose a policy than to figure out how to replace it." Meanwhile, "McCain's solution will appear as the much better one" as "Iraq improves" (New York Post, 6/3).
Whatever Else You Do, Iowa Will Always Love You
Des Moines Register editorializes, by quitting smoking, "Obama is setting a good example for the millions of Americans who are still puffing ... That he can give up the cancer sticks at this point in his life should be an inspiration for others to do the same" (6/3).
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