Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama turned in earnest to the general election and the hunt for a running mate Wednesday, as he was embraced by Democratic leaders who signaled forcefully and sometimes impatiently to Senator Hillary Clinton that her marathon duel with him was over. Senator Obama picked a three person team including President John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline to help him choose a vice president. The other two were former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, No. 2 job at the Justice Department under President Clinton; and longtime Washington insider Jim Johnson. Johnson is widely known among Democrats for having helped previous candidates, including John Kerry four years ago, sift through vice presidential possibilities. He is a former chief executive officer for the mortgage lender Fannie Mae. Kennedy's name came as a surprise, although she endorsed Senator Obama at a critical time last winter, saying he could be an inspirational leader like her father. She also campaigned for him.
Senator Clinton has told lawmakers privately that she would be interested in the vice presidential nomination. Senator Obama was noncommittal after his chat with her behind the scenes at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee today. "We're going to be having a conversation in coming weeks, and I'm very confident how unified the Democratic Party's going to be to win in November," he told reporters after a vote in the Senate where he received congratulations from all sides.
While Senator Clinton still wasn't conceding, even after Tuesday's primaries and a flood of "superdelegate" endorsements of Senator Obama sealed the nomination, there were many signs that she was closing shop. She began bidding campaign staff members farewell, and a number were told not to come to work after Friday. Last paychecks were expected to go out June 15. Senator Obama showed patience, but other Democrats urged her to get out of the way. "I don't see why we don't get on with it and endorse" Obama, said Representative Charles Rangel, a strong Clinton supporter and congressman from her home state of New York. He said it was only a matter of time before he and other Clinton supporters formally back Obama.
Meanwhile, the dam holding back endorsements broke from coast to coast on the day after the primary elections concluded. Seven senators who had stayed out of the matter said they were giving Senator Obama their commitment and would work toward uniting Democrats for the election, now exactly five months away. Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen was joined by two other superdelegates to say they hoped to bring the party behind Senator Obama even though Senator Clinton won their state. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who had been a Clinton supporter, announced he was backing Obama. It hardly mattered in terms of delegate math now; Senator Obama had more than enough to prevail at the party convention in Denver in August. But Senator Obama's new backers were also sending a message to Senator Clinton that her race was over.
Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, was lobbying members of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Senator Obama to place Senator Clinton on the ticket. He said he was doing so with her blessing. Rangel, a founding member of the caucus, expressed doubts that Johnson's approach would work. "I don't really think that the way to get Obama to (choose) Clinton would be to put pressure on him. I think it would have the opposite effect," Rangel said. Uncle Tom, er Bob Johnson is still trying to get his massa back in the White House. If Senator Obama chooses Senator Clinton he had better double his security force and hire a food taster.
In related news Senator Clinton is scheduled to endorse Senator Obama on Saturday.
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