Email to a Friend
Stumble It!
By James Romoser and Sean Mussenden
Media General News Service
Several North Carolina congressmen are on the verge of endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, according to Democrats familiar with the discussions.
“It is my hope and expectation that it will happen sooner or later,” said U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from Wilson and the only congressman from North Carolina who has publicly endorsed Obama so far.
“Conversations have taken place with all six of the members, and some of them are very interested,” Butterfield said, referring to his six Democratic colleagues who represent parts of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Endorsements by congressmen are important not only because they may influence voters in their congressional districts. Such endorsements are also being closely watched this year because all Democratic congressmen are so-called superdelegates, the party leaders who will help decide the protracted nomination fight between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Neither Butterfield nor congressional aides would say yesterday which members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are expected to endorse Obama soon. The Obama campaign released a statement yesterday saying that it was not ready to announce any endorsements and that the campaign is still “working to earn the endorsement” of North Carolina congressmen.
But Butterfield, who is one of Obama’s key surrogates in North Carolina, was confident that at least some of the state’s congressmen would pledge their support for Obama before the May 6 primary.
“I have heard no discernible support for Sen. Clinton,” Butterfield said. “I have heard no one even suggest that they are considering supporting her,” he said, referring to the other members of North Carolina’s Democratic congressional delegation.
In the race for the nomination, Obama currently leads Clinton based on the candidates’ performance in previous primaries and caucuses, and Obama has received the bulk of major Democratic endorsements over the last month. Yesterday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota endorsed Obama, and last week, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania surprised many observers by endorsing Obama.
Of North Carolina’s 13 U.S. House members, seven are Democrats. (The state’s two senators are both Republicans.) In addition to Butterfield, the other House Democrats are Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington, Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh, Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill, Rep. Heath Shuler of Waynesville and Rep. Mel Watt of Charlotte.
The uncommitted congressmen said yesterday, either in interviews or through their staffers, that they were not ready to announce any endorsements.
Watt, whose district includes part of Winston-Salem, said he does not know when he will endorse.
“I’m planning to endorse somebody between now and the primary, and I still intend to do that, but I’m certainly not ready to make any announcement about it at this point,” Watt said.
A story yesterday in the Wall Street Journal reported that all seven congressional Democrats from North Carolina were poised to endorse Obama as a bloc. But people involved in the endorsement discussions, including the Obama campaign itself, said that story was false.
“The WSJ misfired,” wrote Andrew Whalen, a spokesman for Shuler.
Butterfield also said the Wall Street Journal story was untrue.
“Our goal is to enlist all seven, but I’m not saying to you that it will happen,” Butterfield said.
Two other prominent North Carolina Democrats – Gov. Mike Easley and former Sen. John Edwards – have also not endorsed Obama or Clinton. An endorsement by either Easley or Edwards before May 6 would be considered influential, but neither man has indicated when, or if, he will endorse.
Before Edwards dropped out of the presidential race at the end of January, all seven of North Carolina’s congressional Democrats initially pledged their support to him. Butterfield eventually signed on with the Obama campaign, but the others have remained uncommitted.
Media General News Service
Several North Carolina congressmen are on the verge of endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, according to Democrats familiar with the discussions.
“It is my hope and expectation that it will happen sooner or later,” said U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from Wilson and the only congressman from North Carolina who has publicly endorsed Obama so far.
“Conversations have taken place with all six of the members, and some of them are very interested,” Butterfield said, referring to his six Democratic colleagues who represent parts of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Endorsements by congressmen are important not only because they may influence voters in their congressional districts. Such endorsements are also being closely watched this year because all Democratic congressmen are so-called superdelegates, the party leaders who will help decide the protracted nomination fight between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Neither Butterfield nor congressional aides would say yesterday which members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are expected to endorse Obama soon. The Obama campaign released a statement yesterday saying that it was not ready to announce any endorsements and that the campaign is still “working to earn the endorsement” of North Carolina congressmen.
But Butterfield, who is one of Obama’s key surrogates in North Carolina, was confident that at least some of the state’s congressmen would pledge their support for Obama before the May 6 primary.
“I have heard no discernible support for Sen. Clinton,” Butterfield said. “I have heard no one even suggest that they are considering supporting her,” he said, referring to the other members of North Carolina’s Democratic congressional delegation.
In the race for the nomination, Obama currently leads Clinton based on the candidates’ performance in previous primaries and caucuses, and Obama has received the bulk of major Democratic endorsements over the last month. Yesterday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota endorsed Obama, and last week, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania surprised many observers by endorsing Obama.
Of North Carolina’s 13 U.S. House members, seven are Democrats. (The state’s two senators are both Republicans.) In addition to Butterfield, the other House Democrats are Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington, Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh, Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill, Rep. Heath Shuler of Waynesville and Rep. Mel Watt of Charlotte.
The uncommitted congressmen said yesterday, either in interviews or through their staffers, that they were not ready to announce any endorsements.
Watt, whose district includes part of Winston-Salem, said he does not know when he will endorse.
“I’m planning to endorse somebody between now and the primary, and I still intend to do that, but I’m certainly not ready to make any announcement about it at this point,” Watt said.
A story yesterday in the Wall Street Journal reported that all seven congressional Democrats from North Carolina were poised to endorse Obama as a bloc. But people involved in the endorsement discussions, including the Obama campaign itself, said that story was false.
“The WSJ misfired,” wrote Andrew Whalen, a spokesman for Shuler.
Butterfield also said the Wall Street Journal story was untrue.
“Our goal is to enlist all seven, but I’m not saying to you that it will happen,” Butterfield said.
Two other prominent North Carolina Democrats – Gov. Mike Easley and former Sen. John Edwards – have also not endorsed Obama or Clinton. An endorsement by either Easley or Edwards before May 6 would be considered influential, but neither man has indicated when, or if, he will endorse.
Before Edwards dropped out of the presidential race at the end of January, all seven of North Carolina’s congressional Democrats initially pledged their support to him. Butterfield eventually signed on with the Obama campaign, but the others have remained uncommitted.