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Super-Del Tom Allen Announces Support For Obama; Calls On Race To End

By Greg Sargent - May 12, 2008, 11:05AM

Super-delegate and Congressman Tom Allen of Maine just announced in a release that he's backing Barack Obama.

"Most of the primary voters across the nation have now spoken," Allen said today, according to a release sent out by his campaign to unseat Maine GOP Senator Susan Collins.

"It is time to bring a graceful end to the primary campaign," said Allen, whose campaign to unseat Collins has netroots and establishment support, though he's trailing in polls. "We now need to unify the Democratic Party and focus on electing Senator Obama and a working majority in the United States Senate."

Here are MSNBC's latest delegate totals:

PLEDGED: Obama 1,590, Clinton 1,426
SUPERS: Clinton 276.5, Obama 276

TOTAL: Obama 1,866, Clinton 1,702.5

53 Comments

| Leave a comment

Hell, yes.

Posted by flufferwink
May 12, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink

:-)

Posted by thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink

There's 21 Dem Senators that have yet to endorse. Get. Off. The. Fence.

Posted by DannyNoonan
May 12, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink

Or as I like to say, "They need to shit or get off the pot."

Posted by flufferwink in reply to a comment from DannyNoonan
May 12, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink

THIS

Posted by turnip
May 12, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink

Posted by hello_world in reply to a comment from turnip
May 12, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink

GREAT

Posted by flufferwink in reply to a comment from hello_world
May 12, 2008 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink

NEWS

Posted by Fugaizi in reply to a comment from flufferwink
May 12, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink

FOR

Posted by jladd in reply to a comment from Fugaizi
May 12, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink

FOR

Posted by CarolBG in reply to a comment from Fugaizi
May 12, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink

HILLARY!!!!!!!!

Posted by thejoshuablog in reply to a comment from CarolBG
May 12, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink

er...EXCELLENT ;)

Posted by Carol Soprano in reply to a comment from flufferwink
May 12, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink

Ugh...this was meant for Flutterwink's "Great" post. Stupid comments glitches!

Posted by Carol Soprano in reply to a comment from Carol Soprano
May 12, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink

FOR

Posted by CarolBG
May 12, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink

HILLARY!!!

Posted by elnzaod
May 12, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink

Evidently, Congressman Allen missed the Power Point electability presentation.

Posted by khodges
May 12, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink

Or Obama countered with a more compelling MS Paint presentation.

Posted by middlenamesareseriousbusiness in reply to a comment from khodges
May 12, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink

Obama has picked up 20 SuperDs since Tuesday, Hillary has picked up 1.5

Posted by thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink

Ouch!

Posted by CarolBG in reply to a comment from thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink

Stop with these calls, already.

It will be used to portray Clinton as being "hounded" from the race, and that's going to motivate Clinton voters.

Posted by CT Voter
May 12, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink

If they had announced on one day after IN/NC then yeah, I would agree, but rolling these out a few or several a day is not much different than what Obama's camp has been doing since Super Tuesday.

To me, it will be interesting to see how close they get to 2025 by May 20, which is the day he has alreeady indicated he will declare victory. They will need 12/day betwen now and then to get there.

Posted by turnip in reply to a comment from CT Voter
May 12, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink

I completely agree with the roll out a few every day strategy. (and after the results from WV, that will be very important...)

I'm objecting to the language. Just say "It's time to unify the Democratic party..." or some such variation.

Posted by CT Voter in reply to a comment from turnip
May 12, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink

Thanks, I had missed that part of the announcement. I agree specific calls for her to withdraw are unhelpful at this point.

If she is still around June 4, that's another matter.

Posted by turnip in reply to a comment from CT Voter
May 12, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink

I was going to blog the news...

Thanks...

I expect he should get a few more between today and tomorrow, which will erase the gain by Clinton in her WV win...

Posted by psmdsfc
May 12, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink

May 20, which is the day he has alreeady indicated he will declare victory.

Do you have a link for that?

Posted by DirkVA
May 12, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink

He didn't say he would declare victory. He said it will be an important day. May 20 should be the day he hits the majority mark on pledged delegates.

Posted by Phoebe Fay in reply to a comment from DirkVA
May 12, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink

It is the day when it becomes mathematically impossible (no matter the scenario) for Clinton to overtake him in the delegate counts (with or without FL & MI).

Posted by Lestatdelc in reply to a comment from Phoebe Fay
May 12, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10184.html

Senoir anonymous adviser, sure, but I beleive it from the Obama camp.

Posted by turnip in reply to a comment from DirkVA
May 12, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink

This is good news, but I think we have to gird our loins for a few days (or perhaps even a week) of "Hillary's comeback" after her big win in WV. The media (well, probably not Keith Olbermann) will be back to the "Obama is losing his momentum" crap and they will have Clinton surrogates on spouting bullshit talking points ad nauseum until May 20 when he clinches the nomination in Oregon. Of course, it will be a pathetic excuse to keep the race going, but I think we can all be assured that they will be out there in full force after tomorrow night's win. I know I'm going to take a holiday from the cable news programs until May 20 (with the exception of Keith and Comedy Central)! ;)

Posted by Carol Soprano
May 12, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink

In that case, thought you might be interested in this story about the Daily Show, Carol...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0508/Daily_Show_crew_cant_pierce_HRC_bubble.html

Posted by Hussein Stemper in reply to a comment from Carol Soprano
May 12, 2008 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink

Hmmm...can't wait to watch The Daily Show tonite LOL!! ;)

Posted by Carol Soprano in reply to a comment from Hussein Stemper
May 12, 2008 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink

Call Tom Allen today and tell him to stop agreeing with Hamas!

Posted by HOKNY
May 12, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink

Winner of MoveOn ad campaign

Nice.

Posted by thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink

Very nice ad - I threw them a few dollars to get that ad on the air. :)

Posted by Carol Soprano in reply to a comment from thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink

;-)

Posted by thejoshuablog in reply to a comment from Carol Soprano
May 12, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink

Next up, Idaho:

http://43sb.com/?q=roark_to_announce_superdelegate_pick_051208

Posted by turnip
May 12, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink

It seems that the NBC is the only one which indicates she is ahead

CNN: Senator Obama: 274 - Senator Clinton 273
NYT: Senator Obama: 272 - Senator Clinton 264
Ap: Senator Obama: 277 - Senator Clinton 271
AbC News: Senator Obama: 280 - Senator 271.5

This

Posted by psmdsfc
May 12, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink

Normally I would rib Greg for picking the one media outlet that has her ahead in superdelegate count (by only .5 now), but Chuck Todd and his team have been so good during this primary season that I would almost rather go with the conservative estimate - won't make much difference anyway because by all metrics Obama is ahead now and Clinton's crap about popular vote (even adding in Florida and Michigan) don't mean squat.

Posted by Carol Soprano in reply to a comment from psmdsfc
May 12, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink

Democratic Convention Watch seems the most transparent and they have him up by 5.5 now.

Posted by Publicola Hussein in reply to a comment from Carol Soprano
May 12, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink

DCW has him up by 8.5 today as of 11:45 AM PST

Posted by Lestatdelc in reply to a comment from Publicola Hussein
May 12, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink

MSNBC just announced Obama pulls ahead in SuperDel count.

Someone from Hawaii just endorsed.

Posted by thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink

Dolly something

Posted by thejoshuablog in reply to a comment from thejoshuablog
May 12, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink

You know what I find interesting, MSNBC has had these totals since what, Thursday? Or if not these totals, they have had Clinton ahead by .5 since some time last week, which is odd since he has picked up more then her since then.

Posted by Jsmith0316
May 12, 2008 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink

Dolly llama?

Posted by kenga
May 12, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink

Yay! Tom Allen is my guy from Maine!

I am going to go donate to Tom Allen...

Posted by EmmaP
May 12, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink

more news...

Dolly Strazar has endorsed Senator Obama from hawaii
and from Idaho, Keith Roark will endorse a candidate at 2:00 PM, posisbly Senator Obama Obama..

Stay tune

Posted by psmdsfc
May 12, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink

i think it was dolly salvador, the cloned spanish surrealist sheep.

Posted by benjoya hussein
May 12, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink

Now THAT's funny! :)

Posted by Hussein Stemper in reply to a comment from benjoya hussein
May 12, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink

Let her win WV and KY, then bow out on a high note.

However, Obama should *not* pay off her debt with current donor money! Better he host a fundraiser for her - at least that money will specifically target her debt.

Sweet Zombie Jesus, she *got* that debt by obstinately staying in the race and attacking *him*!

Posted by vhblocker
May 12, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink

His campaign has already come out and said that they will NOT be using any campaign funds to assist HRC in paying off her debts. (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/obama-wont-rule-out-easing-clinton-campaign-debt/)

Update on Debt: If Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton would happen to broker a deal to help pay off her campaign debts – this remains a big if, aides said, because nothing has been formally discussed – the money would not be taken from Mr. Obama’s campaign account. Instead, he would have to make a fund-raising appeal on her behalf, asking people to contribute. The remarks by Mr. Obama earlier today stirred alarm among several contributors. They said they did not give money to him simply so he could turn it over to Mrs. Clinton. Advisers to Mr. Obama sought to tamp down concern over the discussion. On one hand, they are trying to extend an olive branch to Mrs. Clinton and her supporters, whom they will need if Mr. Obama becomes the nominee. On the other hand, they do not want to alienate loyal contributors who were responsible for Mr. Obama’s fund-raising prowess.
For now at least, the latter hand – not helping pay off the debt

Posted by CarolBG in reply to a comment from vhblocker
May 12, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink

this makes me happy! i want a candidate yesterday so i can start knocking on some doors!

Posted by joe6pack, formerly josephcast
May 12, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink

Senator Akaka from Hawaii is endorsing Obama
and also Keith Roark is also endorsing Obama so that makes it 4 to 0 for now...It is getting closer by the day:)

Obama 08

Posted by psmdsfc
May 12, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink

MSNBC's numbers on the supers is suspect (far more for Clinton than anyone else's numbers). DCW's numbers are far more reliable and they are sourced.

They have it at:

Obama - 279
CLinton - 270.5

Posted by Lestatdelc
May 12, 2008 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink