2008 Democratic Primary

Fox News reported early this morning that Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Belfair) was one of three House Democrats, along with New York's Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), to convince Hillary Clinton to suspend her campaign for president later this week.

At the time of the conversation Wednesday, Dicks was still a supporter of Clinton's candidacy. Then this morning, he announced that he was backing Barack Obama in the spirit of party unification.

"It's time to move on," Dicks told McClatchy's Les Blumenthal. "We need to unify the party," Dicks said. "Whatever differences we have among ourselves, they pale in comparison to those we have with John McCain."

Hillary Clinton supporter state Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-York County) said Democrats need the senator from New York to quickly endorse U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"It's clear Senator Obama has the delegates to be the nominee," DePasquale said.

Clinton deserves a few days to "analyze her options," he said, but she should back Obama soon afterward.

Some Pennsylvania Hillary Clinton supporters are are still not ready to to back Barack Obama, The Morning Call reports.

"They really almost split it, and as a Clinton supporter, that acknowledgement of how close it is makes it hard," U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz told the Call. "I am with Hillary Clinton until she is not in this race. I will be for Barack Obama if he is the nominee. I thnk the party will come together quickly. It will take a few weeks for people's emotions to catch up with their declarations, mine included."

In the most high-profile defection yet from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Gov. Ed Rendell told MSNBC Tuesday night that he think she will "swiftly move to endorse [Barack] Obama" in the next few days.

"I think she'll be an avid Obama supporter," Rendell said.

Clinton did not concede defeat Tuesday night even though several news organizations projected Obama secured enough delegates to claim the nomination.

One of Washington's automatic delegates, DNC member David McDonald, has pledged his support to Sen. Barack Obama, per the AP.

McDonald sat on the DNC rules committee that met over the weekend to decide the fate of disputed delegates in Florida and Michigan, and waited until after the meeting to endorse in order to avoid a perceived conflict of interest.

Obama "has brought astounding new energy and hope to the Democratic Party nationwide," he told the AP.

Washington State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz, a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention this summer, has just announced that he will support Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

NAPAVINE -

According to banners hanging from every streetlight in town, Napavine is Tiger Country. But Saturday afternoon the local high school gymnasium, where the Tigers play basketball Delegates seek support at Napavine High School/Politicker Photoevery winter, was also home to the 3rd Congressional District Democratic caucus. At the caucus, five delegates, two males and three females, would be elected to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer to elect the party's nominee.

But he delegate contest was not the day's only vote. With the advent of the state's "top two" primary that effectively ends the Party primary system, the Democrats' official nominee for Congress was also decided at the caucus. Rep. Brian Baird, the five term congressman from Vancouver, won his party's nomination by a vote of 59 to 24 over fellow Democrat Cheryl Crist.

The Seattle Times' David Postman is reporting that Rep. Rick Larsen, one of Washington's final remaining uncommitted elected superdelegates, will endorse Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

UPDATED: Larsen's office has just sent out a press release with his statements.

Larsen Pledges Super Delegate Vote to Obama

Everett, WA - Today U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), who will servenas a super delegate to the Democratic National Convention, endorsed BaracknObama for President of the United States of America. Larsen released thenfollowing statement:

"Today I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President. I believe Senator Obama is the best candidate to turn our country's hopes for a better future into reality.

"This week, Senator Obama has proven that he is tough and resilient. He has shown that he can take a pounding, come back and continue to communicate with the public to deliver his message of hope and change.

"In my district, Senator Obama has strong grassroots support. He has inspired and energized my constituents like no other candidate.

"I believe that Senator Obama will be the best President for our country. I have been particularly impressed by Senator Obama's truth-telling on a proposed gas tax policy - a proposal which would make little or no difference for Americans paying too much at the pump.

"Our country faces great challenges. As President, I believe that Barack Obama can unite our country to overcome obstacles and deliver real change."

 

 

One of Washington's undecided slate of Democratic National Committee superdelegates, David McDonald, spoke to the press about his status today, but only to announce that he would not be throwing his superdelegate weight around until after the May 31 meeting of the DNC rules committee. That meeting will decide how to seat the delegations from Florida and Michigan who were penalized for moving their primaries earlier than DNC rules allowed.

McDonald is on the DNC's rules and bylaws committee that initially voted to strip Florida's and Michigan's delegates as a punishment. It was a move that McDonald supported. He told The Olympian today that he hoped to reserve the appearance of impartiality prior to that meeting.