Senator Obama Ends Four-day Texas Swing With Downtown Austin Party

Senator Barack Obama ended a four-day Texas campaign swing with an outdoor party in downtown Austin. He stood before a screaming and chanting Friday night crowd with the Capitol Building as a backdrop and the barricaded downtown streets as his stage. "I am here to report that my bet has paid off, my faith in the American people has been vindicated, because you have told me that you want something new, that you are ready for change, that you are ready to move in a new direction," Obama said. "Most of all, Austin, I was betting on you — the American people," he said, adding that his early career as a community organizer convinced him that change happens from the bottom up, not from the top down. He arrived to thunderous cheers from a two-blocks-deep crowd on Congress Avenue that fit easily in the three blocks reserved for supporters. Lines began forming a half-hour before the gates opened, extending for several blocks by the time the security scanners began running at 6 p.m. Austin fire officials' estimates of the crowd's numbers ranged from 8,000 to 15,000. President Bu$h must be fuming to see all this in his home state. With 228 delegates, Texas is the biggest prize left in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. So both candidates have been traveling throughout the state.

Before wrapping up his Lone Star State swing in Austin on Friday, Senator Obama made appearances in Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley, the base of Senator Clinton's support in Texas. Hispanics could make up 35 percent to 50 percent of the electorate in the Texas Democratic primary, analysts say. To chants of "Sí se puede" — the Spanish version of his "Yes we can" catchphrase — Obama introduced himself to the area's crucial Hispanic voters by recalling a telegram the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sent to César Chávez as he was organizing farm workers. "Our cause is the same," King wrote. "Because what Chávez and King and every other freedom fighter has understood is that there's a time, there's a moment in the life of every generation, when that spirit of hope has to come through," Obama told crowd in Edinburg. Earlier in the week he spoke at massive rallies in Houston and Dallas. Obama also told the crowd, without mentioning Clinton's name, that his opponent's emphasis on solutions over speeches — and her contention that he lacks experience — overlooks his career and his platform. "But you know, none of that stuff is going to become real unless we build a working majority for change," Obama said. "That's what we've been doing on this campaign ... So don't tell me about speeches and solutions, because those two things go hand-in-hand." Of her criticism that he's not battle-tested, Obama expressed disbelief. "Listen, I'm a Black man named Barack Obama running for president. You can't tell me I'm not tough," he said.

The Texas primary in on March 4, but early voting has been going on since February 19 and will close on February 29. And there are record breaking crowds at virtually all early voting locations. Some voting locations that had only 500 or so voters in 2004 are reporting numbers above 5000 in only five days. I went to cast my vote today thinking that they were exaggerating and found myself waiting in line for almost 30 minutes. It also was so refreshing to see so many young people in line. I was behind three young people that couldn’t have been older that 19. Even longtime Republicans say they are excited by a campaign that is breathing life into politics.

Clinton - Obama Debate in Texas

Senator Hillary Clinton came into tonight debate needing a knock out to take back the momentum in the race for Democratic nomination for president. That knock out did not happen as they basically debated to a tie. Senator Clinton accused presidential rival Senator Obama of political plagiarism Thursday night, but drew boos from the debate audience when she ridiculed him as the candidate of "change you can Xerox." Senator Obama dismissed the charge as being out of hand, then turned the jeers to applause when he countered, "What we shouldn't be spending time doing is tearing each other down. We should be spending time lifting the country up." The exchange marked an unusually pointed moment in an otherwise civil encounter just days before March 4 primaries in Texas and Ohio — contests that even some of Clinton's supporters say she must win to sustain her campaign for the White House. The former first lady has lost 11 straight primaries and caucuses, and trails her rival in convention delegates. Obama has won a pair of big union endorsements in the past two days.

In a University of Texas auditorium in the state capitol of Austin, the two rivals agreed that high-tech surveillance measures are preferable to construction of a fence to curtail illegal immigration. They disagreed on the proper response to a change in government in Cuba in the wake of Fidel Castro's resignation. Clinton said she would refuse to sit down with incoming President Raul Castro until he implements political and economic reforms. Obama said he would meet "without preconditions," but added the U.S. agenda for such a session would include human rights in the Communist island nation. They also sparred frequently about health care, a core issue of the campaign. Clinton said repeatedly that Obama's plan would leave 15 million Americans uncovered. But he, in turn, accused the former first lady of mishandling the issue by working in secrecy when her husband was in the White House. "I'm going to do things differently," he said. "We can have great plans, but if we don't change how the politics is working in Washington, then neither of our plans are going to happen." "Words are important and words matter but actions speak louder than words," she said. Obama agreed with that, then noted that Clinton lately had been urging voters to turn against him by saying, "let's get real. And the implication is that the people who've been voting for me or are involved in my campaign are somehow delusional," Obama said, and received a huge applause.

Probably Senator Clinton’s best moment was her closing statement as she reflected on her well-known personal struggles. "Everyone here knows I've lived through some crises and some challenging moments in my life," she said — a clear reference to her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky and subsequent impeachment. But she added that nothing she had been through matched the everyday struggles of voters. Then, offering unprompted praise to her rival, the one-time front-runner said, "No matter what happens in this contest, I am honored to be here with Barack Obama." Was this her closing statement on her campaign?

Both candidates were plainly popular with the debate audience. During one break someone in the crowd shouted "Si se puede," Spanish for Obama's trademark phrase, "Yes we can." Clinton went into the debate needing a change in the course of the campaign, and waited patiently for an opening to try to diminish her rival, seated inches away on the stage. "I think you can tell from the first 45 minutes Senator Obama and I have a lot in common," she said. Clinton largely sidestepped a question about so-called superdelegates, members of Congress, governors and party leaders who were not picked in primaries and caucuses. She said the issue would sort itself out, and "we'll have a unified Democratic party" for the fall campaign. But Obama, who has won more primaries and caucuses said the contests must "count for something ... that the will of the voters ... is what ultimately will determine who our next nominee is going to be."

Obama's strong showing has made him the man to beat in a historic struggle between a Black man and a White woman, and even former President Bill Clinton has said his wife must win both Ohio and Texas March 4 to preserve her candidacy. New polls show Texas a dead heat, and give Clinton a lead in Ohio, but far smaller than the one she held in recent weeks. Rhode Island and Vermont also vote on March 4, but offer far fewer delegates and have drawn less attention. In a further sign of his growing strength, Obama won the endorsement during the day of the Change to Win labor federation, which claims 6 million members. The Teamsters union announced its support for Obama on Wednesday.

Change to Win Endorses Senator Obama

The new Change to Win labor federation gave its first presidential endorsement to Democratic Senator Barack Obama on Thursday, saying its 6 million members could help push him over the top and into the general election as the Democratic nominee. The endorsement comes one day after the endorsement by the federation’s largest union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced yesterday the union’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president. “Senator Obama understands the challenges working people face every day,” Hoffa said. “He is the candidate in the best position to lead our movement to restore the American dream for working people in this country. Senator Obama will fight for better wages, real health care reform, stronger retirement security, fair trade and an end to the outsourcing of good jobs. He understands the importance of giving workers a voice at work and will fight for strong unions to help rebuild America’s middle class. Senator Obama will stand with the Teamsters when it comes to fighting for working families,” Hoffa said. “This endorsement begins a partnership to change America. Together we will reinvent the political process and give a voice to those who have been ignored by the Bush administration for the past eight years.” The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Change to Win Chair Anna Burger said, "We think it's time to bring this nomination to a close." The endorsement came after a teleconference between Change to Win's leaders and the heads of the seven labor unions that make up the federation. The federation's members will now head to the crucial election states of Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island for the March 4 primaries, as well as Pennsylvania on April 22. Change to Win has 175,000 members in Ohio, 60,000 in Texas and 25,000 in Rhode Island, Burger said. Besides leafleting, knocking on doors and advocating for Obama at workplaces, Burger said she expected more than 100,000 Change to Win voters to participate in the Ohio primary alone. "There is certainly a movement building here," Burger said. "The winds of change are blowing and they're blowing for Barack Obama."

The federation's endorsement was more about approving of Obama than disapproving of Clinton, Burger said, but she did note that NAFTA was passed while Clinton's husband, former President Clinton, was in office. Unions have been highly critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it disproportionally hurt working-class voters. Clinton has become a NAFTA critic even though she has previously helped champion the measure as a product of her husband's presidency. "Barack Obama has a history of standing up for working-class families," said Burger, who called him the strongest candidate for Democrats in the general election.

Four of Change to Win's unions already had endorsed Obama, with the Teamsters endorsing him Wednesday. UNITE HERE, the Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers also have endorsed Obama. The federation's endorsement now means those unions will coordinate their efforts for Obama and have access to Change to Win resources.

The unions in the Change to Win federation broke from the AFL-CIO in 2005 over internal disagreements on how best to build organized labor's membership and political clout. The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation, has not endorsed any candidate in the Democratic primary, although it has allowed its 56 member unions to make individual endorsements. Senator Obama has been endorsed by three AFL-CIO unions: the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the Transport Workers Union and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters. He also has the backing of the independent National Weather Service Employees Organization.

Obama Wins Democrats Abroad Primary

Even U.S. citizens living in other countries are voting for Senator Barack Obama as witnessed by his winning the Democrats Abroad global primary. The results were announced today, giving him 11 straight victories in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Illinois senator won the primary in which Democrats living in other countries voted by Internet, mail and in person, according to results released by the Democrats Abroad, an organization sanctioned by the national party.

More than 20,000 U.S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Senator Obama won about 65 percent of the vote. Voters living in 164 countries cast votes online, while expatriates voted in person in more than 30 countries, at hotels in Australia and Costa Rica, at a pub in Ireland and at a Starbucks in Thailand. The results took about a week to tabulate as local committees around the globe gathered ballots. Italian Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri, who has dual citizenship, cast a vote for Obama in Rome. "It wasn't an easy choice for me. I would still love seeing a ticket with Obama and Hillary (Clinton)," Melandri told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "A drive for change is what is needed in the U.S. and I think that Obama has that drive."

The Democrats Abroad control only seven pledged delegates at the party's national convention this summer. But at this point every delegate counts. This should give Senator about five more and Senator Clinton two more. Heading into the Democrats Abroad primary, Obama led with 1,351 delegates, and Clinton had 1,262.

"I Felt the 'Fierce Urgency of Now' in Dallas"

Post from Sam Graham-Felsen's Blog: Check out this Burnt Orange Report diary from a Texan who attended the rally in Dallas on Wednesday.


“I'm a son of two teenage parents, born into a middle, and often time's, poor class home in Euless, Texas. Our family struggled through Reaganomic's like most families did during the 80's. Despite the hard times, we talked about, and prayed about the hope of a better day. My father worked at times three jobs while my mother stayed at home to tend to my brother, later my sister, and I. We lived in a trailer home for some time in East Texas where we often lived off of macaroni, cheese, and tuna. My father took up the trade of being a brick mason and managed to stabilize our nuclear family as a standard middle class family in Euless, Texas. Despite these struggles we always talked about, and prayed about, the hope of a better day.


My mother was a stay at home mom who, with strict discipline, challenged my siblings and me to work harder, think smarter, and demand better of ourselves. To hope that better days would lay in our future by being good contributors to society and that through our hard work we too can achieve the American Dream and not have to struggle like they did.


The power of hope is what has sustained my family and defined my life. It is what has managed to build the foundation from which my 28 years of life bore, thus far, for all to see. Hope is all that millions of Americans have these days after the eight years of pure hell we've experienced under Bush administration policies. Hope is what leads me to believe that, with hard work, a little intelligence, giving back to my community, and a bit of discipline, that a gay man from Euless, Texas, can be president some day.


This, all of these thoughts, are what wound through my mind as I listened to (Senator Barack) Obama. It is what I reflected on as we drove home this afternoon. It is what has tears in my eyes as I write. My life is hope.


And hope is what is sending me to the polls 10 minutes from now to cast my vote for Barack Obama, and caucus for him at 7:15pm on March 4th.”

This is the kind of inspiration that Senator Obama is bringing to the American people. Hope is what drives people to put one foot in front of the other and move from baby steps to long strides toward realizing your dreams.

Texas Students March to Vote

Senator Barack Obama’s run for president has sparked young people all over the country to not only register, but to actually get to the polls and vote. This story from Texas reveals just how committed the new voters are to exercising their rights.

Post from Sam Graham-Felsen's Blog: A remarkably inspiring story out of Texas...

“Hundreds of students at Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black college and university (HBCU), on Tuesday began rallying for their right to vote. They say a decision to eliminate all but one early voting location in Waller County makes it hard for students to cast ballots. The marchers, in black shirts with the slogan “It is 2008 and we will vote,” carried signs and demanded changes in how elections are run in the rural county about 40 miles outside of Houston. Police estimated that the crowd topped 2,000 as the marchers paraded from the Prairie View A&M campus seven miles to the Waller County Courthouse in Hempstead.


It was just last week, after U.S. Justice Department officials got involved, that Waller County authorities added three temporary polling places for early voting. Still, those locations do not open until Friday, while early voting has been going since Tuesday.

Voters rights have long been a sore subject in Waller County. The county has been embroiled in a number of lawsuits for more than two decades and the Texas Attorney General’s Office is still investigating how the county conducts elections after complaints by local Black leaders.”


If Senator Hillary Clinton thought that Texas would be an easy victory, she had better open her eyes. While she and Senator John McCain were speaking to their small groups of supporters Tuesday, Senator Obama was speaking to over 19,000 in Houston followed up by a rally in Dallas with a crowd of 17,000 in side Reunion Arena which overflowed outside. The Dallas rally started at 12 noon. Some of the attendees reportedly were in line at 6am.

Senator Obama Rolls in Wisconsin and Hawaii

Sure Senator Barack Obama was favored to win in Hawaii where he grew up, but the analysts said that Wisconsin was tailor-made and fertile ground for Senator Hillary Clinton to win. This makes ten straight victories for Senator Obama. Demographically, Wisconsin was supposed to be a warm-up for Ohio: nearly 90 percent of Tuesday's voters were White; about 40 percent earn less than $50,000 annually; nearly 60 percent have no college degree; and half are over 50 years old — all demographics that have tended to favor Clinton.

Its panic button time in the Clinton camp. That explains why Clinton's aides accused Obama of plagiarism for delivering a speech that included words that had first been uttered by Massachusetts governor and a friend of Senator Obama, Deval Patrick. The charge bordered on the hypocritical since Clinton herself has borrowed Obama's lines. In another sign of desperation, the Clinton camp floated the idea of poaching delegates that Obama earned via elections. While allowable under Democratic National Committee rules, the tactic would likely divide Democrats along racial lines and set the party back decades. It would be the ultimate act of selfishness and foolishness. This is what Senator Obama is talking about when he says we need a change, even a change from the same old negative campaigning. Let’s talk about the issues – the economy, health care, the war. She said that he will not be able to defeat the Republican machine and his reply seems to be that he is standing up to and defeating the machine that beat the Republican machine – the Clinton machine.

Senator Obama is the candidate who rises above politics. This is why he is bringing so many young and first time voters. He has a new a refreshing message, a message of hope, a message of possibilities. Obama is undeniably raw. Less than four years removed from the Illinois Legislature, he stands at the brink of the Democratic nomination. His campaign has gain energy almost taking on a life form. Even the Republican winner, Senator John McCain has turner his attention to Obama and you can count on his attacks growing increasingly negative. He is in the same mind set as Clinton; both don’t seem to realize that the American voters are ready for a change.

It is not over yet. Clinton certainly knows how to bounce back. She helped her husband, Bill, recover from his experiences during his White House run and rebounded herself after a thumping in Iowa. But Senator Obama has won the most states, earned the most pledged delegates and has all the momentum. It has come down to must wins in Texas and Ohio on March 4 for Senator Clinton. Both states, once thought to be easy wins for her, now look to be up for grabs now. Clinton not only needs to win, but needs to win by at least double digits in Ohio and Texas — then Pennsylvania in April — to narrow Obama's lead among pledged delegates. Only then can she argue with a straight face that a majority of the nearly 800 free-roaming "superdelegates" should back her over Senator Obama. The realization for the superdelegates is that Senator Obama is being embraced by the voters while Senator Clinton is being rejected. Don't count her out quite yet, but Wisconsin revealed deep and destructive fractures in the Clinton coalition.

In essence, the Clinton camp made a drastic mistake of believing that they would have the Democratic nomination locked up on Super Tuesday. She figured they would roll to the nomination and begin campaigning against the Republicans with the full backing of the entire Democratic party by now. They counted on the Black vote; they counted on the female vote; they counted on the Hispanic vote; they counted on the White vote. They did not realize that voters can think for themselves. The people want unity. The people want hope. THE PEOPLE WANT “CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.”

Michelle Obama...Powerful Beyond Measure

I was trying to come up with a blog for Black folks I meet who say if Senator Barack Obama wins “they will kill him,” and I have to use one of my old school saying, “if I listen to one of your excuses I have to hear all of your excuses.” GET OUT AND VOTE PEOPLE!

Then I read my daughter’s blog http://www.5strong.blogspot.com/ - Michelle Obama…Powerful Beyond Measure and I could not add any thing else. Please read, I know you will enjoy.

Monday, February 11, 2008
Michelle Obama...Powerful Beyond Measure

“This week, I had the pleasure of conversation with three of my very intelligent, very enlightened girlfriends. It was really more of a friendly debate, two against two - two arguing that Senator Obama is electable and worthy of the presidency, and two arguing that the Hillary is the better candidate. I'm fairly certain I don't have to tell you which side I fell on (silly grin). The real fireworks started when one of the ladies remarked that one of the 'real' reasons she didn't want to see the Senator elected is because 'they gon' kill him, and I just couldn't stand to see that!' ggrrrr. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've heard that from black women and a few men. Obviously, in light of our history in this country and what our ancestors had to endure at the hands of racists, their concerns are understandable; I've allowed myself to think the same thoughts at times, and undoubtedly, Michelle Obama has had the thought run through her mind a time or two. Ironically, the very next day after my conversation with my colleagues, I stumbled upon a video on you that says it better than I ever could - watch it for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZPm0jyBeEU. An amazing coincidence? Maybe not. Maybe the Lord God at work. Out of Michelle Obama's own mouth - she refuses to allow thoughts of losing her husband sway her from doing what she knows in her heart is best for the country. She gave her blessing to the Senator to throw his hat in the ring for the presidency because as she put it, she was 'tired of living in fear'. There is no better way to say it - my job is done here, except to say that we could and should learn a lot from this strong black woman. It is so easy for us in our lives in general to let fear prevent us from taking the steps to do more, be more, and give more. Michelle Obama is making the ultimate sacrifice of her time, her family's quality of life, and yes, her peace of mind, in light of the fact that there is a very real danger that some lunatic will try and hurt her husband. But as I watched her in this video, I saw visions of Coretta Scott-King, Winnie Mandella, and a host of other remarkable black women around the world who knew without doubt, even if not without fear, that the cause to which their husbands were called was greater than that fear, greater than their hopes, and greater even than their simple dreams of a long life with their spouses. And because she has given so much to the cause of moving this nation in a better direction, it means that no matter what happens this next election year, Michelle Obama is my hero for life, and another shining example for the young black women in this nation to live by. So to my friends I say, suggesting that we should allow fear to prevent us from doing everything in our power to elect Senator Obama, is like saying that we would somehow undo the entire civil rights movement itself if we could only get Martin Luther King, Jr. back. The idea is ludicrous and counter-productive; I don't believe either man would even entertain the thought, neither would their wives. So as black women, it is time for us to beat down our fears like they owe us child support, and wrap ourselves in the hope of a better future for our families, our communities, and our nation. It's the only way that change will come, and isn't that what it's all about?”

GET OUT AND VOTE PEOPLE!

NAACP Image Awards

Actor Hill Harper, winner of the NAACP Image Award for his role on CSI: NY, expressed my sentiments exactly (The Nubian Epistle focus: presenting positive images of Black people without bringing others down) when he stated, It's called an Image Award and I believe they're not just looking at acting, but they're looking at the image you portray and how you live your life. I'm very proud to win it, because I try to lift up and break stereotypes about the African-American male, and I'm proud of my work. It's not just about acting."

Other winners included Actor Denzel Washington, who won for his roll in the movie The Great Debaters, which won for best movie. He said, "I'm happy for everybody up here," who also directed the film. "I'm very grateful for this award and particularly just happy that some of these young people got recognized. Denzel sported a shaved head, for his upcoming movie, The Taking of Pelham 123. The Great Debaters also produced other winners including younger actors Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker. Alicia Keys won four awards in the music category -- album, song, music video and female artist.

Senator Barack Obama didn't earn any trophies at this year's NAACP Image Awards, but he was a winner even though his name was not mentioned. Many stars such as actor/director Tyler Perry just dropped campaign catch phases such as “Yes we can.” Perry, whose House of Payne TV series picked up three awards and is known for playing multiple characters, joked, "I'm voting three times: one as myself, one as Madea and one as Joe." House of Payne's additional wins were for its stars LaVan Davis and Lance Gross.

Hill Harper, who is a member of Senator Obama campaign finance committee, revealed, "Barack Obama and I have known each other for 20 years. We went to Harvard Law School together." The timing of the writers strike was perfect for Harper to hit the campaign trail in support of Obama; he's due back on the set the day after the March 4 primaries. Other winners were less partial to a specific candidate, but did point to politics:

Stevie Wonder, inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame, used his time onstage to praise the 99-year-old organization, saying "it's through this organization that we now have two (presidential) candidates, one a female and the other an African-American. … I say let them both win so that we can have a strong, united people of the United States. I'm very, very excited about the possibility." Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams, supporting actress in a comedy series winner, said: "This is such an exciting time in our lives. We can all feel the change happening and we all have the power. Vote." And Regina Taylor, who won an acting award for her role on CBS' The Unit, said the trophy was a great honor, partly because "when we're looking at the news and seeing a woman running for president and a Black man running for president, you have to look back and see how we got here, and the NAACP is the organization that was in the center of it."

Special honors went to veteran Oscar-nominated actress Ruby Dee and to singer Aretha Franklin. Aretha said she had attended the NAACP ceremony since the early days, "when the sets were falling down and cue cards were being written in the wings just before the artists walked on stage," she said. "This is the icing on the cake for me."

Obama-related works actually did win awards: a TVOne interview and a biography by David Mendell.

Two Powerful Unions Backs Obama

Senator Barack Obama won the support today of the 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), his second endorsement in as many days from large labor organizations and a fresh sign of momentum in the Democratic presidential race with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. "There has never been a fight in Illinois or a fight in the nation where our members have not asked Barack Obama for assistance and he has not done everything he could to help us," Andy Stern, the union's president, told reporters in announcing the decision. Stern said that in the months since union leaders met with several Democratic candidates last fall, "the excitement has been building and building for Obama."

The politically active union represents workers in health care, building services and other industries. SEIU backing is one of the most important labor endorsements available. The organization has donated more than $25 million, mostly to Democratic candidates, since 1989. In addition, the union has a powerful get-out-the-vote structure and has been courted by all the Democratic candidates since the beginning of the race. Sarah Swisher, a superdelegate and member of the SEIU from Iowa City, had committed to Edwards. After he quit the race, she switched to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, but she changed her mind again after her union endorsed Senator Obama. "That will be kind of cool," Swisher said. "I will have supported all three.". Stern said the Obama endorsement came after careful consideration, and polling of the membership. "Our members and leaders really feel that American needs profound change and something that engages the next generation," Stern said, adding that Obama fits the bill.

On Thursday, Senator Obama collected the support of the United Food and Commercial Workers, a politically active union with significant membership in the upcoming Democratic battlegrounds. The 1.3-million member UFCW has 69,000 members in Ohio and another 26,000 in Texas. The food workers also have 19,000 members in Wisconsin, which holds a primary Tuesday. The union is made up of supermarket workers and meatpackers, with 40 percent of the membership under 30 years old. Obama has been doing especially well among young voters.

Senator Obama would only need to pick up one more union endorsement to be eligible to collect the Change to Win labor federation's support. There are seven unions in the federation, and it would take endorsements from at least four of them to make the federation consider a joint endorsement. Obama was endorsed in January by UNITE HERE, which along with SEIU and the UFCW, give him three of the seven member unions. The Teamsters, the Laborers' International Union of North America, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America have yet to endorse a candidate. The seventh union, the United Farm Workers, endorsed Clinton in January. Obama also was endorsed earlier this month by the Transport Workers Union and the National Weather Service Employees Organization.

There are now rumors that the Democratic National Committee is trying to figure out how to ask Senator Clinton to bow out of the race so that the whole party can get behind the one leading candidate and the candidate with the best chance of winning in November.

Senator Obama Takes Delegate Lead: Wins 3 more Primaries

Senator Barack Obama powered past Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the race for Democratic convention delegates Tuesday on another night of triumphs as he swept primary victories in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. His victories were by large margins — he was gaining about 75 percent of the vote in the nation's capital and nearly two-thirds in Virginia. He had 62 percent of the vote in early Maryland returns.

Obama moved past Clinton in the delegate chase on the basis of the day's primaries and newly released results from last Saturday's Washington caucuses. Additional delegates still to be allocated from his new victories were certain to add to his lead. Obama’s share of the Black vote approached 90 percent, and he split the white vote with Clinton. She led among white women, but he was preferred by a majority of white men. "Tonight we're on our way," Obama told cheering supporters in Madison, Wisconsin. "But we know how much further we have to go on," he added, celebrating eight straight victories over Clinton, the former first lady now struggling in a race she once commanded.

By contrast, the Clinton campaign is unsettled. She has lost her long-held lead in delegates and is retooling to retool her staff in the midst of a losing streak. As the votes were counted in her latest setbacks, her deputy campaign manager stepped down. Mike Henry announced his departure one day after Patti Solis Doyle was replaced as campaign manager with Maggie Williams, a longtime confidante of the former first lady. Senator Clinton lent her campaign $5 million in recent days, and is facing defeats next week in Wisconsin and Hawaii.

Both candidates now turn their main attention on the huge amount of delegates in Texas and Ohio, with both states holding primaries on March 4. Rhode Island and Vermont also vote on that date. — the biggest single day left on the Democratic nominating calendar when 370 delegates are allocated. Texas and Ohio will be the main focus, however, where voters will select 193 and 141 delegates, respectively. Between them, the two states have another 55 super delegates. It has almost come to the point that Senator Clinton has to win both states to stay in the race. She has basically written off Wisconsin and Hawaii, which hold primaries next week. She immediately started campaigning in Texas in El Paso, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and McAllen, all predominantly Latino cities where her husband, the former president, is so popular his portrait hangs in many Mexican restaurants. Senator Obama, campaigning for every vote, was in Wisconsin tonight. Both however, begin running TV ads in Texas and Ohio today though. Texas Obama supporters held a rally in Dallas to watch the east coast primary results and got ready to hit the street tomorrow. All the analysts predict that Senator Clinton should win in Texas with its large Latino population, but there is major Obama excitement in North Texas.

Obama Gains Momentum and a Grammy Too!

Senator Barack Obama could hardly have had a better weekend. On Sunday he added the Maine Democratic presidential caucus to the three contests he swept Saturday against rival Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, giving him momentum heading into Tuesday's voting in three mid-Atlantic states. And for dessert, he won a Grammy award Sunday night, beating out another Clinton. He beat former president Bill Clinton and others to win a Grammy for ‘best spoken word album,” for the audio version of his book, “The Audacity of Hope.”

While Senator Obama was gaining momentum and having a great weekend, Senator Clinton’s campaign was in a regrouping mode. She replaced her campaign manager on Sunday. Maybe Ms. Patti Solis Doyle, who is of Hispanic decent, could not deliver enough Latino votes. Whatever the reason, it is strange to “change horses in the middle of the stream.”

The Democratic nomination is far from decided, with weeks or months of campaigning still ahead. But, for now, the wind is at Obama's back. Polls published Sunday showed him leading in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia which hold primaries Tuesday. Barring a Clinton upset in one of those states, her best bet to slow his momentum may lie in upcoming primaries in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Senator Obama was extremely happy Sunday, telling a crowd of 18,000 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, "We have won on the Atlantic coast, we have won on the Gulf coast, we have won on the Pacific coast and we have won between those coasts." Obama has looked buoyant and confident in recent days, basking in huge crowds that cheer him loudly and call out "We love you" and "Yes we can!" Another 1,000 people listened in overflow rooms, typical of the overcapacity crowds Obama has drawn repeatedly. Over the weekend he filled arenas ranging from an 18,000-seat arena in Seattle to a 7,000-seat gym in Bangor, Maine. In each case, several thousand people had to listen and wait outside for a glimpse of the popular candidate — remarkable crowds for campaign events nine months before a general election. Seasoned analysts say they haven’t seen anything like it since John F. Kennedy in the 1960’s. Senator Clinton draws good-sized audiences. But Senator Obama's crowds tend to be several times larger when the two senators campaign in the same state within a day or two of each other.

Both candidates are vying for the endorsement of former candidate John Edwards. Clinton quietly visited Edwards last Thursday in North Carolina, and Obama reportedly planned to do the same Monday after two rallies in Maryland.

Ex-Governor Wilder Still Upset Over Clinton Comment

The nation's first elected Black governor said Saturday he is not ready to excuse comments former President Bill Clinton made about Senator Barack Obama. "Barack Obama is not a fairy tale. He is real," former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder told reporters at a Democratic fundraiser.

In campaigning for his wife last month on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Clinton called Obama's opposition to the Iraq war "a fairy tale." Clinton suggested Obama had toned down his early anti-war fervor during his 2004 Senate campaign.
Wilder, the grandson of slaves, who was elected in 1989 in what was once the Confederate capital, endorsed Obama last month. Now Richmond's mayor, Wilder's comments still get the attention of the state's Black voters.

Clinton also implied that an Obama victory in South Carolina would amount to a reward based on race. Wilder said the former president's comments stung him and other Black voters and diminished their respect for the former president.

In stops across Virginia, Clinton was careful Saturday to avoid any comment remotely critical of his wife's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia hold primaries Tuesday.

Friends and supporters get a little in the heat of battle, wouldn’t you say? The old saying that “sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you” doesn’t quite ring true in the game of politics.

Senator Obama Sweeps 3 States and Virgin Islands

Senator Barack Obama swept the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska, Washington state, and the Virgin Islands Saturday night, completing his best night of the campaign so far, and slicing into Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's slender delegate lead in their historic race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Today, voters from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the heart of America stood up to say 'yes we can'" Obama told a cheering audience of Democrats at a party dinner in Richmond, Virginia. Clinton preceded Obama to the podium and did not refer to the night's voting. She left quickly after her speech, departing before Obama's arrival. But his supporters made their presence known, sending up chants of "Obama" from the audience as she made her way offstage.

Senator Obama's winning margins ranged from substantial to crushing. He won roughly two-thirds of the vote in Washington state and Nebraska, and almost 90 percent in the Virgin Islands. With returns counted from nearly two-thirds of the Louisiana precincts, he was gaining 53 percent of the vote, to 39 percent for Senator Clinton. As in his earlier Southern triumphs in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, Obama, rode a wave of African-American support to victory in Louisiana.

The campaign is starting to resemble Super Bowl XLII, when the New England Patriots were heavily favored but were upset by the New York Giants. Just two months ago Senator Clinton was leading in the polls by over 20 percent and heavily favored to win the democratic nomination. Now Senator Obama has kept it close and the pressure is squarely on the back of the former first lady.

In overall totals in The Associated Press count, Clinton had 1,064 delegates to 1,029 for Obama. A total of 2,025 are required to win the nomination at the national convention in Denver. With the night's events, 29 of the 50 states have selected delegates. Maine, with 24 delegates, holds caucuses on Sunday. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia and voting by Americans overseas are next, on Tuesday. Senator Obama is highly likely to win in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. Senator Clinton should do well in Maine. But In politics, who knows.

The date of March 4 looms large, 370 delegates in primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. Mississippi is alone in holding a primary one week later, with a relatively small 33 delegates at stake. Puerto Rico anchors the Democratic calendar, with 55 delegates chosen in caucuses on June 7.