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Monday, April 28, 2008
(Updated) Sen. Jeff Bingaman Endorses Obama
UPDATE: As reported in WaPo's The Trail, Obama has now moved ahead of Clinton in terms of support from U.S. Senators, 14-13, due to Sen. Bingaman's endorsement. Obama will also receive the vote of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who hasn't officially endorsed him but said he'll support Obama at the convention in deference to his state's voters. Clinton has a similar pledge from Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. The article contains a list of Senators who have endorsed each candidate.
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Fabulous news. Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from New Mexico and superdelegate, endorsed Barack Obama for president today. Sen. Bingaman joins Gov. Bill Richardson and former Sen. Fred Harris among New Mexico's superdelegates who are backing Obama. Thank you Sen. Bingaman! Here's the statement:
Chicago, IL – Today, United States Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his ability to rise above the issues that divide us, end the war in Iraq, bring universal health care, and make America energy independent. 
Senator Bingaman said, “Today, I am announcing my support for Barack Obama for president and declaring my intention to vote for him at the Democratic convention.
“Our nation faces a daunting number of critical challenges: reasserting America’s leadership in the world, meeting our needs for energy independence, addressing global warming, making healthcare accessible and affordable, positioning our economy to effectively compete globally, and extricating ourselves from the war in Iraq, to name a few.
“To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction.
“I strongly believe Barack Obama is best positioned to lead the nation in that new direction.”
Senator Obama said, “I’m grateful today to have Senator Bingaman’s support. Senator Bingaman has been speaking out in the United States Senate on some of the most pressing issues of our time – saving our environment, fighting global warming, and making America energy independent. Senator Bingaman has been an important advocate in the energy debate, and has served the people of New Mexico for decades, giving voice to the issues that matter to families across the state. We are proud to have his support as we fight to bring about real change for families in New Mexico and across the country.”
Senator Jeff Bingaman is the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He has served in the United State Senate since 1982, and previously served as New Mexico Attorney General.
Technorati Tags:Barack Obama, Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico, endorsements, Democrats, superdelegates, Obama
April 28, 2008 at 01:54 PM in 2008 Presidential Primary | Permalink
Comments
Thank you Senator Bingaman!
Time to move on past the divisive rhetoric and on to the future.
Posted by: bg | Apr 28, 2008 4:00:17 PM
Excellent news. May it be the first of many new endorsements.
Will someone please send this to James Carville? He turns such a lovely shade of red when he's apoplectic.
Posted by: | Apr 28, 2008 4:14:44 PM
Today, Senator Bingaman chose hope over fear, change over the same, and a positive vision of what our country's future can be, as opposed to a passive recoiling into the future that skeptics insist our future must be. Kudos to you, Senator Bingaman, for continuing your impassioned and virtuous leadership of our state.
Posted by: Daniel Balke | Apr 28, 2008 7:24:34 PM
I don't get it.
Alot of Obama supporters say the SUPERDELEGATES should follow the will of the voters. I guess I can agree with that as a fair statement.
But didn't Clinton WIN New Mexico's Democratic Caucus? Does Richardson and Bingman reflect the values of the Democratic voters who voted on February 5th?
My question is with the 300 remaining SUPERDELEGATES. How should they cast their vote? Should they stand up and support their constituents or should they follow the "national pledge delegate trend".
Posted by: Daniel | Apr 28, 2008 8:33:40 PM
Bravo, Sen. Bingaman! You have shown your true meddle by stepping up to endorse Obama at a time when the future of our presidential nominee is at stake due to the Rove-like attacks by the Clinton campaign and their friends in the media.
As DNC chair Howard Dean says, we need to start uniting very soon behind our strongest candidate. Obama has the pledged delegates, the most states, the most popular votes and a big advantage with swing and independent voters. Hillary Clinton has none of these. She needs to face reality and do the right thing sooner rather than later.
Posted by: Old Dem | Apr 28, 2008 9:22:53 PM
Daniel, I haven't read the superdelegate rules, but I saw Dean on TV say that the rules are that the superdelegates should vote their consciences. For some of them, voting their conscience may mean voting the way their constituents voted. For others, it may be a personal decision, as it would be for you or me, regardless of how others voted.
Posted by: | Apr 28, 2008 10:41:14 PM
