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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 Political Researcher



Skelton backs Clinton, cites rural support

Posted: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 4:04 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: ,

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Missouri congressman Ike Skelton endorsed Clinton, per the Clinton campaign.

"It is my intention as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton because of her support in rural America, her commitment to National Security, and her dedication to our men and women in uniform," Skelton said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign.

This brings the superdelegate count to:
CLINTON 266
OBAMA 244

Since Pennsylvania, it's Obama 7, Clinton 4. (285 are uncommitted).

PLEDGED: Obama 1,490-1,334
OVERALL: Obama 1,734-1,600

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Comments

YAY!!! =) The tide is turning in NC. =)
well that certainly doesn't sound like anyone who would have EVER supported Obama anyway!! i sure hope our president isn't going to be elected only by the bubbas!
Keep that ratio of endorsements up and Obama will have this wrapped up before June 3rd
I am not voting for Skelton again.

"Her support for men and women in uniform" ?

Remind you ... Bosnia Gate . Making up sniper fire and war stories is your sense of "support" for the armed forces who REALLY risk and lose their lives.

Time to go, buddy. See you in the next election.
IDIOT!!!!!
Obamabots start bashing in

5..............
4..........
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2........
1....

go
What happened to the Obama who said last month, "I can no more disown him (Rev Wright) than I can my white grandmother?"  I guess if the need arises he'll disown his own grandmother for political expediency.  What a sell-out.  
awesome!!!

go Hillary!!!
Vote for Clinton to bring back the peace and prosperity of the 1990's back to this great country.

Vote for McCain to keep the status woe.

Vote for Obama to bring inexperience and the unknown to the country, and definitely CHANGE from BUSH but nothing else.
The sad thing is today, if you count the NC gov, it is 2-2, which makes it a mathematically bad day for Clinton.  Any day she does not get more than him, it is bad, as it shrinks the overall pool of supers and thus ups the percentage of remaining supers she needs.  Any day that Obama comes in even or ahead in supers, it makes it that much harder for her to win.  So by announcing this super, Clinton turned today from mathematically really bad to just mathematically bad (in terms of percentage of remaining supers needed to win)
"It is my intention as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton because of her support in rural America, her commitment to National Security, and her dedication to our men and women in uniform," Skelton said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign.

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She lied about being under sniper fire.  That's dedication for ya!
"Rural support" is code word for "White America."

I just love how politicians talk.

Democrats all the way.
The key Question for Superdelegates: Why has the Right-Wing become Clinton's big supporters?

Will the right-wing vote for her in November?  I don't think so.  They know that Obama will trounce McCain.
Why can't all 285 SuperDelegates just make up their minds?  Can't we end this now?

I want to see a battle with John McCain.  Not more infighting in the Democratic party.

http://thepajamapundit.com/
Query, who's more committed to our men and women in uniform?  The one who sent them to die, or the one who refused to do so?  Just askin'.
This will change once the superdelegates realize what a political liability Obama has become. Obama is "Outraged!" over Wrights comments? Why wasn't he outraged anytime over the last 20 years? Wright has been tied to the Hate America First crowd for decades. Now, when it's convenient, Obama distances himself from the lunatic fringe of his party. Here's some news, Obama IS the lunatic fringe of his party.
Skelton who?

"It is my intention as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton because of her support in rural America, her commitment to National Security, and her dedication to our men and women in uniform," Skelton said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign".

Now that makes a lot of sense, ha! I suppose Skelton is referring to Hillary being under sniper fire in Bosnia when talking about Hillary's commitment to national security. I didn't know Hillary was from rural America. Thought she lived in NY. Is Skelton saying that Obama is not committed to our troops? What lame excuses to explain his support for Hillary.

SDs will now start swinging from Obama to Clinton. This Wright thing has damaged Obama to the point where he can never be repaired.
Ummm....big deal. She still won't get the nomination. Obama will continue to pick up superdelegates, and it won't be long until he leads in the superdelegate count as well as the popular vote and delegate count.  It's over for her.
"Her support for rural America"?

Has Skelton never heard of NAFTA??
Is it true?! After Bosnia Sniper fire BOLDFACE LIE I do not believe anything that Hillary and her campaign says.
Tit for Tat...I love it. Way to Go Hillary!!
I'm scratching my head. How does her vote to authorize Dubwa to perpetrate the war in Iraq demonstrate "dedication to our men and women in uniform"?
Barack cannot allow Wright to destroy the hope of millions with his destructive, egotisical, unbalanced, rage against the light.
DT (Sent Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:01 pm

------------------------------------------------------

Amen.



Patty,sd,ca,

In reference to your "too little too late post":

With the above super delegate get for Hillary, Obama has still cut her gains since her Pa. win by 50%. He did this while she has enjoyed a bump in the polls, due to her win, and the re-emergence of Wright stumping against Obama no less.

You are either delusional, or ignorant to the dynamics of politics. There is plenty of time before Denver for Barack to overcome the Wright damage, and too little real estate for Hillary to overtake Obama's lead.

With posts like yours, Hillary needs more, garlic, and wooden crosses every day.




How old is Ike, like 88 or something? Kind of young to be a Hillary backer.
Obama would never have won Missouri had the Rev. Wright and/or bitter comments been public knowledge on Super Tuesday, so it's no surprise that Rep. Skelton is going with Hillary Clinton.
Obama has jumped the shark tank. It's over for him. He cannot win one mid-west state, other the his home state, none of the south, and is giving up ground in California and NY. It would be a landslide for McCain if he were the nominee.
Her commitment to sign on for a war that placed our young men and women in harms way for no good reason is not leadership. Her continual policies in support of this war has hurt these young men and women.  The press has gotten on the Clinton and McCain bandwagon.  Both of them support a "gas Holiday" that is poorly thought out( other than to pander) and in all likely hood will hurt our highway repairs and "blue collar" construction workers. Hillary says she will tax the oil companies( fat chance that gets through this congress and past Bush so no replacement of lost revenues) McCain is worse he will rob " Peter to pay Paul" from general revenues.  

Now today I hear Chris MAtthews defend the continual questioning of Obama on Rev. Wright because we need to get to know our candidates. I agree Chris where is the scrutiny on McCain on Hagee.  His continual calling the Catholic Church a whore and God is punishing New Orlean's needs to be addressed in the same light as you and others are doing on Wright.  Seems reverse religious discrimination in play here.  Oh and as for Hillary how about her good friend Ms. Reynolds and major contributor "organizing" yesterdays presser. Hillary has it both ways she can remain silent while her surrogate puts the knife in Obama.  This is not hardball its simply a brawl.  We as voters deserve better.  I want the issues dicussed and what Mr. Wright said( unless you have a smoking gun linking comments to Obama) does not matter.  To be fair either go after both Hagee and Wright or drop the coverage.  
Skelton a fool and Camp follower,  What did you expect,  Clinton ,No friend of the Military,, where did that B.S. come from!!!!
Some good news for Hillary on MSNBC for a change.

MSNBC staffers are apparently in mourning over the Wright controversy.  This will cost obama the nomination.

Chris Matthews - serving questions yesterday to David Axelrod like at T-Ball.  Did not press him on anything. No follow ups.

This story on Wright has legs, longgggggggg legs!
Good for Skelton!  Guess the SF behind closed doors Bittergate remarks do matter to small town America!
Why does the black canidate have to answer the race question while the others get to skate by?  Seems like its a problem in America generally, not just because a person of color is running for President.
I find the Hillary endorsements strange in the sense of party unity.  Math being a stubborn thing, the best thing a delegate can do to help her is not do anything.  Endorsing her is a vote to give the nod to the canidate that lost the delegate count......  This is the demoratic parties suicide!  That way madness lies.
What a waste
Might as well be an endorsement from George Bush!  I lived in Skelton's district for 20 years.  He wears the badge of a democrat but is more in line with the republican agenda.  Further proof that perhaps Hillary should run as McCain's running mate.  
Awe elitist Obama doesnt get it about rural America. The dumbass Obamabots, who are disrespecting Gov Easley (who has an approval rating of 70%), will now disrespect Ike Shelton because they didnt follow the fake Messiah.
Yay! A superdelegate with a brain!
I have an idea!  If we are all going to blame Obama for the comments of his pastor, let's blame all Catholics for the rape and molestation of all little boys.  Stupid right?

Go Hillary (go home)
Obama 08

Supers need to grow a backbone and landslide for Hillary now.
Since when does lying about being under sniper a tribute to our troops?  Since when does voting for putting our troops in harms way without reading the NIE patriotic?  How does that further our national security interests?
Skelton... Knows a dying cause when he sees it????

Get a clue.
Go Hillary! If not Hillary, then I'm voting for McCain.

Obama gives me the creeps--too exotic, too unaccomplished, sounds too Harvard.
According to Obama's website, he only needs 134 elected delegates to win the simple majority.  His state total winnings are available everywhere.  Regardless of the Michigan and Florida quagmires, created by altruistic reasonings, it looks like he will win the popular battle, as well.  The rest of the way looks like it might be a continual practice of one-up-manship:  "I know I can, but what about you?"  Still, I like the idea that all of the fence-traddling pundits will be as forgotten along with their daily guessing games.  On that account, I am glad my parents stated that, should I go into journalism, I would never occupy the headship of any table-gathering; "Not in this family!"  "Thanks, Mom and Dad, for teaching me patience!" as this process has been more fun to watch, and less nail-biting.
In other words you want censorship? Just asking.
Thank you so much  --Ike  - HRC does have a following in rural WHITE  MISSOURI AMERICA  - now so much for HRC's argument that superdelegates HAVE to VOTE as the state voted; of course that is only when it is in her favor of course.   We need to end this soon  - I am exhausted with all the play - replay and double play!!!!
Ike...the implication is that Obama doesn't respect rural people. His FAMILY from the rural heartland. He made a stupid comment, and the idea that that makes him unfavorable is nonsense. I'm voting Obama. No more Clinton division and entitlement. So much for the "inevitable" Hillary.
We need a consensus presidency starting Jan 20, 2009 and Obama will provide that. Clinton would just be another dictator president like our current one and our country and the world does not need that!
Too little, too late. 20 years, 20 years, 20 years!!!
Obama or no more vote
You all realize, without BOTH candidates on the ticket, the election goes to the REPUBLICANS. NO if's, and's, but's about it. FACE IT PEOPLE! This country is divided and will stay divided if they don't run together!

ITS THE TRUTH! ACCEPT IT and LET'S MOVE ON!


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