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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Another superdelegate for Obama

Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 5:59 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Obama
picked up another superdelegate, continuing the slow drip in his direction. (He has picked up 12 since March 4th to Clinton's one.)

The latest is former Sen. John Melcher, of Montana. "Melcher says he chose Obama because he believes the Illinois senator has been against the Iraq war since the start," the AP reports.

Melcher served in the U.S. Senate from 1977 to 1989 and is a superdelegate to the national convention based on his role with the National Democratic Seniors Coordinating Committee.

Obama now leads in the overall delegate count, 1,639-1,507. Clinton leads among superdelegates, 255-223.

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drip ... drip ... drip ...
Go Cat's!

Montana for Obama
Well tim is winding down Mrs Clinton...please put up the white flag to save face.
The Turtle and the Hare. Slowly but surely.
Well time is winding down Mrs Clinton...please put up the white flag to save face.
Who won Texas again? LOL...Hillary, get OUT!
Schweitzer, Baccus and Tester next.
GO Obama!!!!   Keep those delegates coming.  We need to end this thing soon. We have voter fatigue here in Kentucky. This long death march is making the freaks come out at night.
It's happening. Might it be with the polling numbers in Pa., along with the steady endorsements, and increased delegates for Barack, Senator Clinton might concede before the April 22 primary here? What do you think?

Plus, she's hamstrung to do much about all of this cause she's broke.

Pulling for Obama '08
Fascinating strategy . . . looks like the SDs have figured a way out of this mess after all

Instead of a landslide, they're going to trickle these commitments in 1 or 2 a day until Clinton backs out gracefully

Materful plan . . . my hat is off to whoever figured it out . . . although the public may not know for years

Congratulations Democrats . . . you're not as inept as I feared you were
One or two supers a day are really adding up.  Also Bill Clinton didn't do his wife any good the other day when he had a tantrum about Bill Richardson's "treachery" in front of those California superdelegates.  One of them said it was the most awkward political scene he'd ever witnessed.
Hey Hilliary,

Can't you see the writing on the wall? It's a slow drip (like a water torture) that's increasing by the day. Keep on running for president and be selfish. You probably have a 5% chance of getting the nomination and, if by chance you do steal it away from Obama, then what? To do that, you'd have to rip the party to shreds. But so what, right? You and Bill have always only cared about yourselves and that will never change.
dont matter clinton demo will not support obama. Enjoy the nov lose
cool...

2 in one day....

lets pick up the pace SUPERS...

This voter is getting super annoyed
On the other hand, this getting painful to watch.

Slow death. Tragic.

Pulling for Obama '08
The spigot just opened a little more . . . keep 'em coming!!  YES WE CAN!!
Can anyone tell me if I’m off base on this?

There where several caucus states that Obama won where the popular vote is not recorded.
In order to do a fair comparison determining the popular vote is there any way to determine percentages other than an amount greater than the majority of the democrats in those states! Obviously then applying that amount to the current tally?

If not, these states may have disenfranchised themselves in what may be the deciding factor for some of our NON ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. (Super delegates)
I love this campaign season.  The politics of MACHINE (clinton) vs WORKER BEES (the rest of us)....for ONCE the WORKER BEES are really succeding and cannot be stopped.  PRESIDENT OBAMA...it just sounds great!!!
Political death by 800 paper cuts....
I need someone to step up to incourage Clinton to step down. She did not take votes from him, she slowed it up. That strategy is not helping her.  More and more will strat stepping up becuse they are just as tired as we are.
Here's hoping the superdelegate floodgates open and the rush to Obama begins.  If so, this race will, for all intents and purposes, be over before Pennsylvania.
It's 3 am and Hillary can't make up her mind again.  If she can't make up her mind to get out of the race she can't win in this long primary season, how do you think she can make up her mind on what to do if that 3 am call actually comes in.  A smart person knows when to cut their losses and get out, evidently Hillary is not a smart person.  Lita Los Angeles, California
The fat lady is done warming up!
Go Obama! And "amen" to all that's been said so far! She lacks grace, style, or any true political judgement...her political tin ear was on display when she bungled her health care initiative, and when she made Bill announce his very first policy as president: "Gays in the Military" was HER idea (I know this for certain), and it took that administration 18 months to end the furor and mvoe ahead, from what insiders told me at the time. Thanks Hillary. Go play with your red phone and GET OUT, with SOME dignity left.
 Oh, and by the way also: GO GRIZ, beat the 'Cats! J.Schulz, ex-Griz QB from long, long ago.
Great news!  I also heard that an affiliate of AFCME in PA broke from the national union and endorsed Sen. Obama today -- I believe it is the Nurses and Hospital workers union.  The head of the PA affiliate also holds a high ranking position in the national union leadership.
Wyoming's Democratic Governor, David Freudenthal  endorsed Obama today as well. Obama's domination of the Mountain West continues!
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
There's video out, linked on my blog, of a major Obama security breech. Watch this video, it is extrememly troubling that this guy got so close with no interference from the secret service. Have these poeple not learned anything?!
I'm so ready for this thing to end. As much as I like you  Hillary it's clear who the front runner is. GO OBAMA!
First Read: You don't report the rest of the story. The governor also said that in part he was doing this because Barry Obama PROMISED him to protect a wildlife area from oil drilling.  I thought it was against the law to "buy" votes.  Oh well, laws and normal standards of decent conduct don't seem to apply to Barry.
I think this is the strategy for the Obama team.  Not a deluge that could cause a backlash, but a slow migration of the SD's to his court.

He has run a superb campaign.
If he does well in PA, he'll probably cath up with her in Super Delegates

If he wins in PA, the nomination is HIS
(he'll get bunches SD's)

Nobody wants this to drag out
Apparently, voters in PA feel the same way
It's not really lying if the suckers don't notice

"The problem is not that she exaggerated her record;
the problem is she exaggerated her record and she's
Hillary Clinton,"


From the WSJ:


'...Clinton Slipping on Trust
Blunders About Past Weaken Credibility;
Move to Shift Focus
By AMY CHOZICK
April 1, 2008; Page A6

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- In the weeks before the
Pennsylvania primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton not only
lags Sen. Barack Obama in the race for delegates, she
also is losing ground in her effort to convince voters
that she is trustworthy.

The debate over her record has left Sen. Clinton
confronting her lowest approval rating since April
2006, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll
released last week.

According to the survey, 29% of the approximately
1,000 respondents said they had a very negative
opinion of Sen. Clinton compared with 15% for Sen.
Barack Obama and 12% for Sen. John McCain, the likely
Republican nominee.

A Pew Research survey released last week shows 29% of
Democratic voters describe Sen. Clinton as "phony,"
compared with 14% for Sen. Obama.

For more than a year, the Clinton campaign has tried
to burnish Sen. Clinton's image, and early last month,
the strategy appeared to be paying off. A stronger
approval rating helped Sen. Clinton score victories in
the Ohio and Texas primaries, though Sen. Obama picked
up more delegates in Texas.

The New York senator suffered a setback last week when
she admitted to overstating the danger she had faced
on a 1996 trip to Bosnia as first lady. The incident
sparked allegations that she had exaggerated her role
on other issues, such as the Northern Ireland peace
process, opposing the North American Free Trade
Agreement and bringing health insurance to children.

Everhart Flenory, 67, a retired steelworker in New
Kensington, Pa., said he used to be a Clinton
supporter but plans to vote for Sen. Obama in the
state's April 22 primary. "I've lost all my love for
the Clintons," Mr. Flenory says. "Why'd she have to
lie?"

Clinton campaign image maker Mandy Grunwald and Ann
Lewis, head of women's outreach, are working to
re-establish voters' trust in Sen. Clinton, campaign
aides say. In a new online video entitled "Help us
show our strength," Clinton supporters share
testimonials, and Sen. Clinton delivers a message,
thanking voters for their confidence.

The campaign is also trying to shift focus away from
recent debates over Sen. Clinton's record and toward
the economy, an issue many voters say she more firmly
grasps than Sen. Obama. Monday, Sen. Clinton held an
economic roundtable in Harrisburg, and she talked
about a tax-cut plan for the middle class at an event
in Fairless Hills, Pa., near Philadelphia.


She also laid out a plan calling for stricter
regulation of Wall Street investment banks, broader
consumer protection on credit cards and student loans
and additional measures to curb the foreclosure
crisis.

Pennsylvania is a must-win state for Sen. Clinton, who
is behind in the race for delegates. Sen. Obama leads
in the overall delegate count, with 1,623 to Sen.
Clinton's 1,499, according to the Associated Press.
About 2,025 are needed to win the nomination.

"We've always said from the beginning of the race that
our challenge is to change the perception a lot of
people already have," Clinton campaign spokesman Mo
Elleithee said.

Some observers said the Clinton campaign has a tough
road ahead.

"The problem is not that she exaggerated her record;
the problem is she exaggerated her record and she's
Hillary Clinton," said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic
political consultant who worked for former President
Clinton....'

The Illinois senator peeled off an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which has endorsed Clinton. The Philadelphia-based local of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees has about 16,000 members.

Its president, Henry Nicholas, announced the endorsement while introducing Obama at a meeting of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO in Philadelphia.

Nicholas, who also is president of the 150,000-member national union and an AFSCME international vice president, said he took the step "because justice told me it was the right position to take."

Good day of drips--two superdelegates (plus the head of the 9/11 commission.)
North Carolina for Obama !!!!!
I just want to know where her Tax Return is.

Fair question, don't ya think!!!
Here they come!!
Watch them roll in!!
Now the fun starts...........LOL!!!!

Go Obama........Yeah baby!!!
Kudos to another courageous Super D from another boutique state.
it's ok for Senator Clinton to acknowledge that it's
no longer possible to continue and should consider
dropping out as soon as possible to save her political career in the senate...We will make sure
that Obama have $1billion on general election to
blow away John McCain
I think its happening as someone said here ...its kinda a strategy ...1 or 2 day ...like "An SD a day keeps the <who> away" ?
Helloooo

Anyone checking the latest polls? Bad news for the obamarama.

Obama is NOT electable. It's that simple. If you cannot win in states like Ohio, Penn and Florida, you cannot win the Presidency.

Hillary has proven she can win big in the big states that are the must wins for the Dems in November. In the latest polls, Hillary beats McCain in Ohio, PA and Florida while Obama loses badly to McCain.

Just the facts.

Hillary must be the nominee of the Dem party. She's the strongest, most experienced, most electable candidate. Obama would be ground up and served for lunch by the GOP machine.  I doubt he would even capture 30% of the vote in a general election.

Remember, this is Bush/Cheney's war, not Hillary's or Obama's. Hillary & Obama have identical voting records in the U.S. Senate on the war. Not once since arriving in the senate has Obama EVER taken to the floor of the Senate to speak out against the War in Iraq,NOT ONCE.

**VOTE SMART!!  VOTE HILLARY!!**
We,all must vote and tell all  Penn. voters to go for75% for  Obama ....so MS.Clinton can go home.Please get her out of her pain.We need to win in November so we can end this war.My brother and my best friend has died in the war,how many more lives?stop the killing of Americans....please.
Obama will be the nominee- and people like John need to "Vote Smart!! Vote Obama!!"
The Clintonians keep saying he is not electable- with the national polls, the majority of their own party, and the delegate count saying otherwise.
They need to get over themselves.It's TIME.
Thank You Rush and Republicans...Everytime Rush Limbaugh sticks his nose where it does not belong Democrats benefit...Thank You for helping the TRUE Democrats see the light.
A SUPER DELEGATE A DAY
HELPS TAKE HILLARY AWAY

Hillary supporters wake up and help us defeat Grandpa McCain...We can not let McCain appoint the next SUPREME COURT Justice...

Democrats Unite
Go Obama go!
We would like to see president Obama in white house.
If Hillary has a good judgement she should let Obama be the next president.
Voters are loosing patience in this primary it should come to an end soon.
Vote with your brain,vote smart. Vote for Obama!!!!
John, repeating clinton campaign talking points is not persuasive.  Much of it is exageration and the rest...lies.  Enough of the Bush/Clinton/Bush grabage.  They are destroying everything that made this country great.    
Thank you Senator Clinton for a hard fought battle.  This clash of the titans has primed the junior senator from IL for a sweeping victory in the general.  Mccain is dead wrong on the 3 prime issues of this generation: 1.the economy 2. the war in Iraq 3. universal healthcare. 1-20-09 I'll turn 32 and I'll be in D. C. and it will be the best b'day present anyone could ever get, a fighting chance for my children. ;>) yes we can and yes we will
Hi Hilliary,

Can't you see the writing on the wall? It's a slow drip (like a water torture) that's increasing by the day. Keep on running for president and be selfish. You probably have a 5% chance of getting the nomination and, if by chance you do steal it away from Obama, then what? To do that, you'd have to rip the party to shreds. But so what, right? You and Bill have always only cared about yourselves and that will never change.
RICHARSONS ENDORSEMENT IS SETTING A DOMINO EFFECT AND HILLARY DOESNT WANT IT TO FALL IN BARACKS FAVOR,TO LATE.                                                                              GO!!!GO!!! OBAMA08


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