Clyburn Finally Makes It Official: He's Backing Obama
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, who's officially been neutral but who certainly has been acting like an Obama supporter in recent weeks, had said he'd endorse someone officially tomorrow.
Clyburn, however, let the news slip a day early: It is indeed Obama.
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Lipstick on a pig. Clyburn is clearly sexist, and a closet Muslim sympathizer. On to Denver! Huzzah and excelsior!
June 2, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
You forgot mysogynist, hillary-hater and part of the vast left-wing conspiracy.
June 2, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jeeez, it took long enough. Could someone explain why logically it made sense for clyburn not to endorse obama after south carolina? He should have endorsed 4 months ago.
June 2, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, it wouldn't make much sense for supers to exist if they just automatically backed whoever their state/district went for.
June 2, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. I didn't mean to imply that he should follow sc, but I can see him remaining neutral until sc voted so that he wouldn't influence the vote. After sc was done, there was no reason for him to remain allegedly neutral.
June 2, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Congressman Clyburn is the Majority Whip. He has to maintain good relations with all congressional democrats. If he were to endorse before the primary season is over, it would have alienated some
of Senator Clinton's supporters in Congress, and he will need their support when he is trying to round up votes for future bills.
June 2, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, good points. I stand summarily smacked down. I wasn't looking at it from the leadership perspective and I should have been.
June 2, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's called RESPECT.
June 2, 2008 9:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Baaaahhh! In order to get respect, you have to earn it. The clintons did not earn and don't deserve any respect in this nominating process. If we turn back the clock prior to her announcement that she was entitled to the nomination, I would say they deserved respect. Now, fuggetaboutit. Sorry. Baaaaahhhh!
June 2, 2008 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, it doesnt matter that much now...
June 2, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is GREAT NEWS.....ahhhhh fuck it. I wish the sun and the moon would hurry the hell up and get tomorrow over with. This has been a long 6 months.
June 2, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen!
June 2, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Weeks?
His position was about a subtle as a freight train when chastised Clinton after she pointed out that only a President can sign a bill into law.
Which is a tad rich coming from someone who's the House Majority Whip.
June 2, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah! How dare he talk down to her like that. What a sexist he is, am I right? Clinton or McCain! NoBama!
June 2, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please pay attention.
I was pointing out that it was disingenuous of Greg to use "weeks" when it's been painfully obvious for months.
June 2, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, so you're arguing semantics. Well, that's no fun. I still think Clyburn is sexist. Denver uber alles!
June 2, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
As your attorney, I advise you to vote for Obama.
June 2, 2008 11:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL
Having just watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas again the other night. That made me snort.
June 3, 2008 12:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Months are composed of weeks.
June 2, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
yep -- it was pretty much understood where he stood around these parts!
as Liam posted at 5:38 PM:
"Clyburn is the Majority Whip. He has to maintain good relations with all congressional democrats. If he were to endorse before the primary season is over, it would have alienated some
of Senator Clinton's supporters in Congress, and he will need their support when he is trying to round up votes for future bills." |
June 2, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's out tomorrow night.
June 2, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree.
June 2, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
WOOOOT! Thank you, Palmetto State!
June 2, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another nail in the coffin.
June 2, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
So? Listen, you can pound as many nails in the coffin as you'd like, it won't do you any good.
Why you might ask? Well, because Hillary is Voldemort! You need to recapture all the pieces of her soul and destroy them before she'll go away.
Good luck with that.
June 2, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I don't do Harry Potter.
June 2, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto.
If you're going to insult someone via try to using a reference everyone understands.
Hillary is
June 2, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Prince Humperdinck in the Princess Bride
June 2, 2008 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
One problem.
What soul?
June 2, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stop.
June 2, 2008 6:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Already a done deal. It's called the Senate's back bench, and a real primary fight to keep it. Such is purgatory for both Clintons.
June 2, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stop it.
Clinton is not evil, Voldermot, Vader, GOP-lite, etc.
I disagree with her position (IWR vote, etc.) and I have disliked many things she has done in this campaign, but stop with the vilification of her. It does NOTHING to help Obama win the race for POTUS, it does nothing to help Democrats in general, and does nothing positive for the coutnry.
Stop.
June 2, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps tomorrow night instead of saying this is great news for Hillary we should start saying this is great news for McCain.
June 2, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
No real surprise.
It's all over but the shouting.
June 2, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, I have been thinking about this, and I am going to be respectful of any Hillary backers here and refrain from anything negative being said about her on my part. I am reserving the right to reverse that if she does something truly awful, but I don't think she will. She has a lot to offer to health care reform, and I hope she will be able to do so.
June 2, 2008 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
She has a lot to offer on health care and a lot of other problems. I just don't think she'd make a good President. And she'll probably make a better Senator when/if she stops running for President, which she's been doing for the last eight years.
June 2, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
agreed..read earlier that the talk between the campaigns includes offer for cabinet position Health care, or, legislation
that's down her alley and I wouldn't mind...as long as she is not VP!!!
and after the campaign we witnessed, absolutely unfit for the presidency, does not have the stature , besides all of her other weak points
June 2, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just don't see her in the Cabinet or VP. If he's going to throw her a bone it's probably going to be a commitment to work for some of her pet programs, kind of like the arrangement he has with Edwards. That gives her a face-saving way out. She can say that the millions of people who voted for her are not going to be disappointed because the causes she championed will go on. Yada, yada. Standard fare, but necessary for a politician.
June 2, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Back to Senate's back bench, says I, and count yourself lucky.
June 2, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am hoping you are right because it was with great effort that I forced myself to accept that she might be part of his cabinet
but VP no way..
June 2, 2008 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
What more does she need to do to prove that she cannot be trusted to get behind his team? Obama needs to build his team with people he can trust to truly support his agenda, and more importantly, will respect his leadership and support him in that. That is not Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her personal ambitions will ALWAYS override her obligations to whatever position she happens to be occupying. Her Senate position has been a means towards an end - the White House. Having not succeeded in that - and baldly shown all of her avarice, ambition, and malice towards Obama - it's time for her to return to that Senate career and make what she can of it. I don't see her having anything to offer Obama and many others who do and who can be counted on to be loyal and dependable members of his team.
June 3, 2008 7:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
The British Telegraph reported yesterday that the Obama campaign is talking with the Clinton campaign about paying her campaign debts when she withdraws from the Democratic primary race next week. The Telegraph also reported Obama staffers seriously discussing offering Clinton a place in the administration and extending offers to former nomination rivals Joe Biden and John Edwards.
In the writing, the Telegraph story was admittedly cryptic as to its sources:
"Another Democrat who has discussed strategy with friends in the Obama inner circle said that Mr Obama was openly considering asking Mrs Clinton to join his cabinet, alongside two other former presidential rivals: John Edwards, who is seen as a likely attorney general, and Sen. Joe Biden, who is a leading contender to become Secretary of State.
"Informal talks have already begun between Obama and Clinton fundraisers to discuss a merger, enabling Mr Obama to pay off Mrs Clinton's campaign debts of $11 million.
"Senior figures in the Obama camp have told Democrat colleagues that the offer to Mrs Clinton of a cabinet post as health secretary or to steer new legislation through the Senate will be a central element of their peace overtures to the New York senator."
June 2, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
It may have seemed 'obvious' after the SC primary that Clyburn was in favor of Obama, but up until that very rough primary there was a lot of speculation that he would be in support of (if not actively supporting) Sen. Clinton. They lost a good one there. Also, his failure to formally endorse is related to his very high-level position in the House of Representatives -- very much like Pelosi (whom scuttlebut said would go for Obama) and Reid (who was pretty clearly a Clinton supporter early on - and is probably glad now that he had to stay neutral!)
June 2, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Judas!
Thanks, Clyburn!
w00t + {{{{happy dance!}}}}
June 2, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clyburn was a honest referee in SC.
June 2, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
He also could have demanded the Clinton's skins for their remarks, but chose to remain the consumate professional he is. When he was compelled to protest, it was a velvet hammmer he chose.
Rep Clyburn's standing will increase dramatically within the dem party.
June 2, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi, everybody! I've been taking a break from posting (I've been lurking for a few weeks now for my sanity and because of my insane work schedule), but I had to post this from MSNBC First-Read:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/02/1097390.aspx
They're saying that 34 undeclared SD's from the House will endorse Obama between now and Wednesday (Clyburn being the first). This is in addition to the 17 or so uncommitted Senators that will be coming out this week as well:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/02/superdelegates/index.html
Looks like the tidal wave we've all been waiting for might finally be starting.
I've been reading Al Giordano's blog a lot (here's his latest post: http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1302) and he insists that by Friday she will concede. I tend to believe him, no matter what her surrogates are spouting publicly. The Clintons are not stupid and I'm sure privately they are making plans to shut the campaign down. They're not going to go quietly or gracefully, but I believe they will go by the end of the week. So we have just a few more days of drama and then we can (hopefully) unite and start working on beating McCain.
June 2, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Welcome back Carol
June 2, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, there you are! We were about to release the hounds!
The day of your return is positively triumphant!
June 2, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, welcome back! Not a moment too soon. It's been a trying few weeks up here on the ramparts, deflecting the arrows and torches from all manner of trolls...
June 2, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
'bout time. But I agree that the supers in high places in Congress have played it right by waiting until the end of the game to show their favoritism. After all, they'll have to look at Hillary every day she is in the Senate for the next four years.
June 2, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Carol - missed ya.
June 2, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Missed you, too, Tena and everybody here (well, missed most of you LOL!). My work/performance schedule has been hell the past month (in addition to daughter issues - that's for another time) and I've had no time other than a few minutes to lurk on my favorite blogs. Things are easing up somewhat, though, so hopefully I can participate more often!
Thanks and hugs!!
June 2, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Carol, I was wondering where all your insightful info had gone :)
June 2, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Carol, glad to have you back sister, I missed your fire!
June 2, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Welcome back!
June 2, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just read this:
Now, as Obama and Sen. John McCain look toward the fall, Drudge has emerged unexpectedly as more of a threat to the Republican than to the Democrat. This, combined with the rise of left-leaning sites such as TalkingPointsMemo.com and HuffingtonPost.com — both of which have proved effective in promoting and amplifying a Democratic message — reflects a major shift from the last two presidential elections, a matter of open alarm to Republican strategists and surprised satisfaction to Democrats.
June 2, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Add in Bob Barr!
Add in war crimes indictments (coming in 2009)!
Bob Barr may well end up presiding over the charred remains of the GOP.
June 2, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't read too much into it. I suggest, read politco with caution. I don't trust them, they're a bunch of MSM losers with a website.
By the Ben Smith (politco) and Jake Tapper (ABC news) together concoct as much shit as drudge does to favor the right wing.
June 2, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
kash: I know that to be true. Absolutely. But it does add a little a fun along with Barr.
June 2, 2008 6:06 PM | Reply | Permalink