Governor Bill Richardson has announced that he is supporting Obama. This is a critical endorsement coming from a key Hispanic Governor....

Wow....I was very surprised to hear this. With the whole Wright controversy, Obama's "typical white person" gaffe, and his campaigns leaking of a photo showing President Clinton with Rev Wright this is a good time for Obama to play up this endorsement along with his passport breach stuff. The Obama campaign is making some unfortunate mistakes right now which could have a real impact. He was already someone who was going to be put to a higher standard because of race, just like Hillary is because of gender so all of this mess is unfortunate. This is going from a presidential campaign season I've been excited about for months to one in which I just want to stay under the covers until election day. Get it together Barack!!!

But, thanks to Gov Richardson. This is a huge endorsement in my mind. That makes 2 former Democratic contenders who have endorsed Obama.

I wonder how big a deal this is. Richardson ran for president and was pretty much ignored. And I bet many people don't even know he's Hispanic if they don't follow politics closely. How many undecided voters is he going to sway?

On the other hand, "Ugly Betty" herself, America Ferrara, is campaigning for Hillary.

Its potentially a pretty big deal. If Obama would have had Richardsons endorsement he very well could have won Texas, had not so many Repugs. voted for Hillary there courtesy of their idol Rush Limbaugh....Richardson gave a great speech today. Said basically that its time for the Democrats to come togther and stop fighting each other. The writing is on the wall for Hillary. Its looking like it would take a miracle for her to get the nomination...in other good news for blue, it was reported that John McCain was only able to raise $11 million for February. Obama raised about $52 million and Hillary took in close to $40 million....

The girl from the "3AM" ad is featured in a new video as well.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/p...amfelsen/gGBnrf

who cares about her

how about the nephew

Saw a report on ABC News last night about the tension between Obama and Hillary camps are having on their supporters as well. It said a growing number of supporters from each camp, now say that they would not support the other if their original nominee was not the actual eventual nominee.....which still is concerning to me...I hope that Bill Richardson, Howard Dean, and other prominent party officials can get the message across that we need to stop tearing each other down, and build the party up!

Very good news from Bill Richardson! I stay worried about the waxing hostility between and disaffection among Obama's and Hillary's supporters, but I keep in mind that the stakes are so high this year, after 8 disastrous years under W, and in the cases of both candidates, this is a rare opportunity we might not see again anytime soon, since the ranks of potential female or black and other POC (or both!) Democratic candidates aren't immense, at least right now, so people want their candidate to win it all. The test will come after the convention, when the Democrats have to unify in order to win. Congress looks like it will be in the party's hands, but the presidency looks very iffy--achievable, but it won't be easy. I just hope all the Democrats and many independents who say they won't vote or that they'll vote for McCain realize what they may be enabling. It's really about a lot more than people's personal high-mindedness or satisfaction. The future of the country is at stake.

I saw some clip on the evening news last night featuring Richardson, Gov. Rendell, and someone else, and in the particular part of the conversational clip I heard Richardson mildly go off on someone and he said words to the effect talking about the campaign, " you know thats gutter politics, and I am not even going to go there, ( Rendells' head bows down, and he smiles), and something about the Clinton campaign, they feel they have a sense of entitlement." Wow, get down Gov. Richardson!

i honestly don't think the Democrats are going to do that to themselves. They remember the lesson of 1980 very well, and they recognize this election is their's for the taking, particularly with the economy seemingly mired in what looks to be a fairly serious recession. Also, it looks much less likely that there will be any re-vote in Michigan or Florida, which makes it almost impossible for Hillary to make any dent in the 100 - 150 vote lead in elected delegates Obama has. Say what you will about the Clintons, their history is they can read the writing on the wall and will adapt to changing circumstances. Also, he in particular is mindful of his legacy and the damage that could be done to it if they don't handle defeat gracefully. Lastly, I think 2 months ago everyone thought the Republicans were going to self-destruct because of the overt personal animosity between McCain and Romney, and the hostility of the conservative wing to the McCain candidacy. Two months later Romney is cooing that he's be honored if McCain offered him the VP slot, the conservatives are largely silenced, and the party is coalescing around McCain. I think the same will happen with the Democrats.

The more I hear about Bill Richardson..the more respect he is receiving from me. I understand he was on The Today Show today and was preeching for the Dems. BOTH sides, to quit the negativity, and to show more respect and more positives..NOW!!! Right on Gov. Richardson!!!

One of the worst reported "facts" of this entire election is that this race is close. Sure, it might look close if you only look at current delegate counts, but the fact is that it is nearly statistically impossible for Hillary to win this without being underhanded. Obama has an almost insurmountable lead in delegates (even when adding Hillary's current but dwindling 40-50 lead among the supers). In order for Hillary to even come close to tying Obama among the pledged delegates, Hillary will need to win greater than 60% of all the delegates still outstanding which means that she will have to win EVERY remaining contest in a total blowout. When you factor in that Obama will likely win NC and Oregon (the 2 biggest states remaining after PA), possibly Indiana and maybe Guam, Hillary's uphill climb becomes almost vertical.

The Clinton folks know this, but they'd rather destroy than be loyal and they want Obama to become unelectable so she can run against McCain in 2012. The supers know this but the media has so portrayed the race as close that none of the big supers (Gore, Pelosi, Edwards, Dean) can stand up and support Obama -- it would create the impression that people are again performing an electoral "gang bang" (to quote her own supporter) of Hillary and her supporters will stay home in November.

The fact is this: this race is over. Hillary simply cannot win. Unless Obama does something nuclear or unless something utterly toxic explodes in his face (like he runs a call-girl sweatshop manned by autistic orphans in the basement of his house and Michelle Obama acts as coven dominatrix over the enterprise), there is no way any electoral results will erase his lead. If the roles were reversed and Obama was in Hillary's shoes, the media narrative would be exactly what it was when the math worked against Huckabee: why is this guys still in this? The fact that NO ONE in the media has been forthright with the public over this fact shows that anti-Hillary bias in the media is an utter fiction.

The thing that continues to trip me out about this is that if the situation were reversed, and Hillary had the popular vote lead, pledged delegate lead, and there was pretty much no way for her to lose it, Obama would have been pressured BEYOND BELIEF to get out. There have been some people telling Hillary to get out so Obama can focus on defining McCain and so he can go around the world and enhance that presidential look, but not in the way Obama would've been pressured had the roles been reversed. I agree with Richardson in that the Clintons and their supporters feel very entitled to the White House. Its kind of like a "how dare this young whippersnapper come from nowhere and take what should be mine". Its ridiculous and it saddens me because I talk to so many of my fellow Obama supporters who talk about sitting at home, voting for McCain, or voting for Nader if Hillary gets the nomination. Its ashame because people are looking for change from the politics as usual, and here both of the Democratic candidates are battling it out and making negative remarks about each other. Its ridiculous and I've really grown tired of it. Now Hillary's strategy is to look at her electoral college totals based on the states she's won compared to Obama's. I mean come on. If Obama tried to make such a stance being behind he'd have been laughed at.

Richardson was everywhere yesterday it seemed, preaching the same message. Its time to stop dragging each other down, and lift the country up. Caught him on Larry King last night. It seems to me the media LOVES this tit for tat war going on between the two camps, obviously, because McCain is getting basically a free pass with a couple of exceptions here and there. If there wasn't this back and forth going on, what would be left for the media to cover? Not a whole lot, except maybe going back to the Iraq quagmire, which once again, is starting to get really ugly. One proponet of the war said that he thought we may need to be in Iraq for at least another 5 years! So that would be another $3-6 TRILLION dollars. Unbelieveable.....but getting back to Richarson, he is hoping that by the end of th enext batch of states coming up including Pennsylvania the writing may be onthe wall, if it isn't already.

How true, but it looks like there may be movement by the party leaders to stop the bleeding, particularly in light of Clinton's "misstatements." Pelosi is already on the record as stating the superdelegates should not overturn the will of the voters, and now Harry Reid is saying that the nomination will not go to the convention, that "things are happening" (sorry, can't find the link) - apparently behind the scenes. One can only hope.

Agreed. Maybe they heard the same national poll I did this morning, that matched up against either Obama or Hillary, McCain would win IF the election were held today. Now, I realize the polls are extremely volatile now, but it seems some damage is being done. Time for the powers that be to step in, SOON!

Well, there are a few diaries over at kos that indicate a DNC staffer has christened Clinton's strategy the "Tonya Harding strategy," which may also indicate a growing displeasure with Clinton at the DNC and a recognition this fight is hurting the party. I also don't give a lot of credence to polls, if only because no one is talking about the issues right now, but if all Clinton has to add is nastiness and ugliness, it is time for her to go. At no point since Super Tuesday have I heard her make a positive case for her Presidency.

I really wonder if there is not a lot of animosity toward both Clintons in the party, particularly if you look at the party's failure to gain ground during the Clinton administration. When Obama won Iowa and there was the movement almost to coronate him so quickly (which IMHO would have been bad) I wondered then if there was a groundswell of Dems who were in the "please not Clinton" camp.

Well the damage is starting to be serious, as talked about on "Hardball" today. Chris heard some poll in Pennsylvania that some 20% of Dems.( in Pennsylvania) said they would vote for McCain if their candidate is not the nominee. The damage is starting to take hold. One of his guests was some grinning idiot for McCain who of course is beside themselves with glee over what is going on within my party. McCain is getting a free pass right now, all the news is on the cat fighting with us. It needs to stop, NOW!

Hillary's chances of winning by the rules and with honor (i.e., by winning the greater number of delegates and not by maligning the character of her opponent) -- which is, admittedly, an alien concept for her -- is now just about statistically impossible. It's maddening that there are no superdelegates who have the balls to stand up on Larry King or elsewhere and explain to the public that she just.cannot.win at this point.

It just baffles me that absolutely NO ONE is talking about the impossibility of her quest. It simply cannot happen. She knows the math as do her insiders, so the only conclusion anyone can make is that she hopes to tear down Obama and his chances more than she wants a fellow Democrat to win. There was a point in the primary cycle where I would have supported Hillary had she won the nomination. I would have held my nose doing it, but I can honestly say now that I will NEVER vote for her after what she's done to damage her own party's chances. She's simply on a quest to destroy if she cannot have.

I would completely understand why Obama supporters, after his strings of wins and insurmountable delegate leads, would stay home or vote for McCain if Hillary only won by twisting superdelegates' arms, but Hillary supporters have no similar standing to take their ball and go home. Obama ran a far superior campaign, inspired greater participation, ignited an enormous grass roots fundraising operation, and is the first politician to beat the Clintons since the late 70's. He deserves the win. Hillary does not and her people, by claiming they'd stay home come election time, just show how entitled they believe themselves and their candidate to be.

Amen aquaman...I couldn't agree more. Its just absolutely frustrating to me how great a position the Democrats seemed to be in just a couple short months ago as compared to the knock down drag out fight they are in now. Meanwhile, McCain is off on foreign trips looking presidential and is able to just be under the radar. This is the time Obama could be raising money for the hard fought general campaign fight, uniting Hillary supporters by saying that its about the unity of the party and the nation, and by going overseas himself to build up his cred with foreign relations. Its just absolutely disgusting at this point and I just can't see that I'll ever support the Clintons in any of their future endeavors. Carville has the nerve to call Richardson Judas while his candidate seems to have the strategy of ruining Obama's chances so that she can make another run in 2012. Well guess what...I won't vote for her ass in 2012 either.

Anyone who doesn't want the Republicans to win, yet votes for a third party candidate, or doesn't vote at all out of some high and lofty idealistic view about "honor" -- this idea is idiotic. Do that and you'll get what you deserve -- President McCain.

This line of thinking represents EXACTLY why I'm worried about Obama. The Republicans will eat him alive -- if not in November, then once he takes office.

I'd love to be won over by brilliant speeches, but I've been won over before by speeches from presidential candidates -- Jesse Jackson, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton -- and only one of those three actually won.

I'm glad Hillary's fighting on, even if I still don't know if I will vote for her 4 weeks from now. I want a fighter up against the Republicans.

Yes you are right Joe. It is foolish. I think the supporters on both sides want their candidate to win the nomination so bad, and you are getting this kind of reaction. I think that once the nomination is secured for Obama, there will be time for the party to come together. Sure there will be some defectors but I can't imagine that it will be the 36% of Hillary supporters who are saying they'll vote for McCain if Obama is the nominee. And why exactly isn't Obama viewed as someone who can fight against the Republicans? He survived Rev. Wright as the new polls show him back in the lead over Hillary nationally. So yes...I need a slap in the face. If Hillary does somehow get the nomination (and god knows I can't see how on earth she gets it at this point) then it will be a lesser of two evils choice for me once again. I would vote for her over McCain, but not enthusiastically. I just get in these heat of the moment ways because I'm so pissed off in how such a wonderful primary process has turned into nonsense. No wonder McCain is tight with Hillary and Obama in the national polls. He loses to both of them on every issue, yet polls strong. People see this mess with the Democrats and are probably as disgusted as I am.

I think Obama has a pretty good idea by now of how and what the Republicans are going to throw at Barack if he is the nominee. The usual, the dirty "L' word, his Pastor comments of course and more, including Michells comments about allegedly only being proud of her country recently, and so on and so on. And you don't think the Repugs. will not try and eat Hillary alive as well? If she is the nominee, in my view it will be an 8 year re-hash of everything Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Repugs will do anything and everything available to try and derail, stall, and defeat any plans or programs she tries to push through Congress...from interviews I have seen when Barack was asked about what the Repugs. will throw at him, he understands full well most of what their ammo will be. I think he will fight back just as much if not more than Hillary. I have heard of groups of Republicans who support Obama. I have not heard of ANY that do Hillary.

That's NOT what Michelle Obama said. She said she felt it was the first time she felt *really* proud of her country. She never said she never felt pride or she only just felt pride for the first time. There was a *really* in her statement, which is an important difference than how this has been spun. But I'll agree that to the average lazy American ear, this is the kind of statement than can be spun into meaning she wants to kill puppies.

I have no problem with having Hillary stay in the race provided she play nice with her own party and muzzle her surrogates. If she makes amends and exits after saying "I thought it was important to wage the good fight and give these voters a true choice until the end" she might salvage a bit of her reputation. And to be honest, the ongoing race helps Democrats register new voters. But I don't want this thing to go on if she's only going to knee cap fellow D's.

I find it odd that someone like Hillary should have such a disconnect with reality and with her own perception. People kind of like her when she's amiable. Remember the crying Hillary and the "it's an honor to be in this debate with Sen. Obama" Hillary? People think that Hillary is OK. It's when she throws kitchen sinks or her surrogates ham-handedly "remind" Pelosi who runs the show that she reminds everyone that she and her surrogates are out of control power-at-all-costs sociopaths and she starts losing traction again.

Thanks for correcting me aqua. I did not mean to disparage her comments.

Obama gets another key endorsement.

I thought you were going to link to the news that Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris were supporting Obama. I'd love to be at the Pittsburgh rally when those three are standing there together.