As she endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential bid Monday morning, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rebuked fellow Democrats who are pressuring New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to cede the party’s nomination.
“I believe that Sen. Clinton should remain in this race,” Klobuchar told reporters in a conference call announcing her decision to back Obama. “I don’t agree with some of my colleagues’ comments this week.”
Most notably, Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said on Friday that Clinton has “every right, but not a very good reason” to continue her campaign. Clinton responded by saying the voters in the states that have yet to hold primaries represent millions of reasons for her to stay in the race.
Klobuchar said the results of Minnesota’s Feb. 5 caucuses, where Obama won by a 2-to-1 margin, influenced her decision to endorse now, as did her work with him on ethics and child-safety issues, her 12 year-old daughter’s observation that her silence was “awkward” and Obama’s promise of bringing a new brand of politics to the nation’s capital.
“He’s able to dissolve the hard cynical edge that has dominated our politics under the Bush administration,” Klobuchar said.
Even so, Klobuchar said the decision was a difficult one and that she delayed making it “because of my respect for both candidates.”
She said she had been moving in Obama’s direction since the caucuses and had informed him of her decision on Saturday, freeing herself of the pressure of not having declared for either side.
“It was not an easy place to be: uncommitted,” Klobuchar said. “Between Barack and a hard place, I chose Barack.”
She also took note of the strange dynamics of life as an undecided superdelegate: “There’s nothing like being in Costco and getting a call from a presidential candidate.”
Meanwhile, an Obama campaign spokesman indicated that a newspaper report that all 7 of North Carolina’s House Democrats would endorse Obama is at least premature. Obama already has been endorsed by Rep. Mike McIntyre, David E. Price, Melvin Watt, Heath Shuler, Bob Etheridge, and Brad Miller have not publicly chosen sides.
“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,” Bill Burton said in an e-mail. “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.”
1 Comment
April 3, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Thank you very much, Madam Senator…glad you hear your “future” speak . Your daughter gave you excellent advice. We wish more folk had the good judgment you have.
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