UPDATED AGAIN: NC Congressmen for Obama?

Mon, March 31, 2008 - 2:22 PM

Updated at 3 p.m. to add comments from Rep. Mike McIntyre's office.

Are North Carolina’s Democratic members of Congress set to endorse Barack Obama?

The Wall Street Journal says so, citing anonymous – and seemingly conflicting – sources. They report this morning that:

“North Carolina's seven Democratic House members are poised to endorse Sen. Obama as a group -- just one has so far -- before that state's May 6 primary, several Democrats say.”

Then the paper goes on to cite “one North Carolinian” who “confirmed that at least several of the state's House members would go public in favor of Sen. Obama before long."

So is it all, or just some? Or perhaps none?

I talked to spokesmen for six of the seven Democratic members of congress from North Carolina this morning, and they all said they had not heard of any plans by the delegation to back Obama.

Quick backstory: All seven of North Carolina’s Democratic members of Congress backed fellow North Carolinian John Edwards last year. Rep. G.K. Butterfield eventually defected to Barack Obama, but the other six stayed. Since Edwards dropped out, they have not come out for either Obama or Clinton.

Butterfield told my colleague James Romoser this morning that he has heard that several North Carolina Democrats — but not all of them — will endorse Barack Obama this week, possibly as early as tomorrow.

“That is not true,” he said of the story. “Our goal is to enlist all seven, but I’m not saying to you that it will happen.”

“Two or three” members of the state’s Democratic delegation will endorse Obama as early as tomorrow, Butterfield said. He would not identify who they are. The other members of the delegation may end up endorsing Obama, but may remain neutral through May 6, Butterfield said. He said that he does not believe any of them will endorse Clinton.

If Butterfield is correct, then which NC Dems are planning to endorse Obama?

“He has no plans to endorse anyone,” said Joanne Peters, a spokesman for Rep. Bob Etheridge.

"The WSJ misfired," wrote Andrew Whalen, a spokesman for Rep. Heath Shuler.

Paul Cox, a spokesman for Rep. David Price, called the Journal report "wrong." "What he's said before is that he's watching the campaign very closely, and may or may not have an announcement on an endorsement," Cox said. Price, Cox said, "has no plans" to endorse either candidate, but could do so before the state's primary.

LuAnn Canipe, a spokesman for Rep. Brad Miller, also said her boss had no plans to endorse any candidate. "He's still deliberating," she said. Asked if Miller would be one of the "two or three" Butterfield suggested would endorse Obama as soon as this week, Canipe said no.

Dean Mitchell, a spokesman for Rep. Mike McIntyre, said that his boss remains "uncommitted." When asked if McIntyre would one of the "two or three" coming out for Obama mentioned by Butterfield, Mitchell said no.

A spokesman for Rep. Mel Watt also said he had not heard of any plans to endorse Obama. He said he would check with his boss to see if an endorsement plan was in the works.

Update at 11:18 a.m. Talking Points Memo has a carefully worded statement from an Obama spokesman. It denies the WSJ report, but leaves open the possibility that some NC Democrats in Congress have indeed decided to support Obama, but are not prepared to announce it.

“We’re pleased to have the support of Rep. Butterfield and are working to earn the endorsement of his colleagues in the NC Congressional delegation. Despite the Wall Street Journal’s optimism, none of them has told our campaign that they are ready to announce their endorsement of Senator Obama -- so we’ll keep working on it.”

--Sean Mussenden