Bill Clinton's college roommate endorses Obama, oh and he was also his Labor Secretary too!

Robert Reich, the former and highly competent Labor Secretary in the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 1997, currently a professor at Harvard and ironically a college friend and roommate of Bill Clinton when they were at Oxford and Yale Universities has made the following post in his blog;

Friday, April 18, 2008

Obama for President

The formal act of endorsing a candidate is generally (and properly)limited to editorial pages and elected officials whose constituents might be influenced by their choice. The rest of us shouldn't assume anyone cares. My avoidance of offering a formal endorsement until now has also been affected by the pull of old friendships and my reluctance as a teacher and commentator to be openly partisan. But my conscience won't let me be silent any longer.

I believe that Barack Obama should be elected President of the United States. Although Hillary Clinton has offered solid and sensible policy proposals, Obama's strike me as even more so. His plans for reforming Social Security and health care have a better chance of succeeding. His approaches to the housing crisis and the failures of our financial markets are sounder than hers. His ideas for improving our public schools and confronting the problems of poverty and inequality are more coherent and compelling. He has put forward the more enlightened foreign policy and the more thoughtful plan for controlling global warming.

He also presents the best chance of creating a new politics in which citizens become active participants rather than cynical spectators. He has energized many who had given up on politics. He has engaged young people to an extent not seen in decades. He has spoken about the most difficult problems our society faces, such as race, without spinning or simplifying. He has rightly identified the armies of lawyers and lobbyists that have commandeered our democracy, and pointed the way toward taking it back.

Finally, he offers the best hope of transcending the boundaries of class, race, and nationality that have divided us. His life history exemplifies this, as do his writings and his record of public service. For these same reasons, he offers the best possibility of restoring America's moral authority in the world.

Now you think the family howls from the Clinton camp were big with Governor Bill Richardson's endorsement think what they are now with Reich's announcement who by all accounts is an old friend. Not to be overlooked two old party heavyweights, Former Senator's Sam Nunn (D-GA) and David Boren (D-OK) publicly endorsed Obama through two press releases today. Coincidentally this kind of challenges Clinton's small town/electability argument as more and more Red State politicians who seemingly know these areas quite well are becoming even more confident about Obama.

Sam Nunn

"America remains the strongest nation in the world, but we can only be successful in tackling our toughest problems if we gain cooperation at home and abroad. Our next president - working across party and economic lines - must restore and strengthen our national purpose, our credibility, our competence and our spirit.

"We need a president who has the temperament of a leader - a sharp, incisive, strategic mind, a rare capacity for self criticism, and a willingness to hear contrary points of view.

"Based on my conversations with Senator Obama, reading his book and his speeches and seeing the kind of campaign he has run, I believe that he is our best choice to lead our nation. Senator Obama, as evidenced by his words and his deeds, recognizes that:

· We have developed a habit of avoiding the tough decisions and seemingly lost our ability to build consensus to tackle head-on our biggest challenges.

· Demonizing the opposition, oversimplifying the issues, and dumbing down the political debate prevent our country from coming together to make tough decisions and tackle our biggest challenges.

· Solving America's problems will require difficult choices and sacrifices and leaders capable of considering new ideas from both political parties.

· On foreign policy and security policy, we must recognize that we are not limited to a choice between belligerency and isolation and that we must listen to lead successfully on the key issues facing America and the world.

· Our next president must also recognize that the battle against violent terrorists, while requiring a prudent use of military power, is also a long-term contest of psychology and ideas.

"I believe that Senator Obama has a rare ability to restore America's credibility and moral authority and to get others to join us in tackling serious global problems that will determine our own well being and security. I believe that he will bring to the White House, high principles, clear vision and sound judgment. I believe that he will inspire people to put aside extreme partisanship for the common good. I believe that he will awaken the energy and idealism of people who have never been active in public affairs, particularly our young people. I believe that he will also attract skilled, experienced and energetic people to government and will have the sound judgment to put together an outstanding governing team, bringing people together across old boundaries.

"I believe that Barack Obama is the right choice for our nation. My own role in this campaign will be as an advisor - particularly in the field of national security and foreign policy."

Boren:

"I am joining Senator Barack Obama's advisory team on foreign policy and national security because I believe it is my duty as a citizen to do all I can to help our country at this critical moment. Our strength is declining. Eighty-one percent of Americans believe we are headed in the wrong direction. We must act quickly to meet and overcome the challenges we face.

"Our most urgent task is to end the divisions in our country, to stop the political bickering, and to unite our talents and efforts. Americans of all persuasions are pleading with our political leaders to bring us together. I believe Senator Obama is sincerely committed to that effort. He has made a non-partisan approach to all issues a top priority.

"Senator Obama is also a person of sound and good judgment. He had the good judgment more than five years ago to warn against our involvement in this tragic and costly war. He also understands the need to repair our partnerships with other nations and to more effectively use diplomacy to serve our national interests.

"It is my hope that in sharing what I have learned during my time in public service, I will be helping my country."

Those endorsements come on the heels of this NY Times article headlined: Superdelegates unswayed by Clinton Attacks. The most interesting revelation in the article besides the scorecard that Obama continues to pick up superdelegates is this:

Yet despite giving it her best shot in what might have been their final debate, interviews on Thursday with a cross-section of these superdelegates — members of Congress, elected officials and party leaders — showed that none had been persuaded much by her attacks on Mr. Obama’s strength as a potential Democratic nominee, his recent gaffes and his relationships with his former pastor and with a onetime member of the Weather Underground...

...Clinton advisers acknowledged that they had not seen short-term evidence that their attacks on Mr. Obama were winning over many superdelegates, and they acknowledged that he had picked up more in recent weeks — though she maintained a narrowing overall lead in them...

...“When it comes to picking a candidate, automatic delegates don’t want to guess about what lies behind Door No. 2, they want to know,” said Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesman. “The debate raised more questions about Senator Obama than have been answered, and that means that automatic delegates are likely to keep their powder dry as the process moves forward.”

In response, an Obama spokesman, Hari Sevugan, said Thursday: “Since Feb. 5, Senator Obama has garnered the support of 80 superdelegates to Senator Clinton’s 5. We’ll let the results of Senator Clinton’s ‘kitchen sink’ strategy speak for themselves.”

Possibly this is why DNC Chairman Howard Dean told CNN's audience yesterday that the wanted the superdelegates to start making their minds up now:

(CNN)— An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”

“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We’ve got to know who our nominee is.”

After facing criticism for a mostly hands-off leadership style during much of the primary season, Dean has been steadily raising the rhetorical pressure on superdelegates. He said Thursday that roughly 65 percent of them have made their preference plain, but that more than 300 have yet to make up their minds.

Of course for the second time big money interests backing the Clinton's immediately responded:by chastising Dean in interviews with TPM today:

"Governor Dean should do what he has said he will do -- refrain from injecting himself into the primary process, as millions of Democrats have yet to cast their votes," Hillary national finance chair Hassan Nemazee, one of the most influential fundraisers in the Democratic Party, told me today.

"If he wishes to do something productive," Nemazee continued, "he should exhibit the leadership necessary to resolve the Florida and Michigan impasse, which has disenfranchised millions of Democratic voters."

Robert Zimmerman, a Democratic National Committeeman and key Hillary fundraiser, sounded a similar note in an interview with me today. "Howard Dean is more committed to pressuring the super delegates to make up their minds before the voting is done than he is to ensuring that Michigan and Florida's votes are counted," Zimmerman charged.

He added that Dean could "best ensure that we have a strong Democratic nominee and a united party" by focusing on those two states, rather than pressuring super-dels.

Then there were two new polls released today one done by the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics (Indiana/Purdue Fort Wayne) stating that voters currently prefer Barack Obama 50% to Hillary Clinton 45%. Obama received 50% with 5% undecided and a margin of error of +/- 4.2%, conducted by Survey USA.

The other was in Pennsylvania conducted by Rasmussen that showed the race tightening ever more with Clinton losing 3 points to 47% and Obama gaining 3 points, up to 44% with still 9% undecided. A real counter-intuitive point is that 12 of the respondants stated they had seen the PA Debate where it effected them, meaning the bar moved in Obama's favor. Pundits GO FIGURE?

Here is the figure, three national polls taken this week, Rasmussen, Zogby and Times have the race between 3 and 4 points separating, while Quinnipiac had the race tightening and PPP had Obama with a lead----this all spells a very close race. Clinton backers continue to downgrade win expectations where even their state chair said if they win by one vote it is a victory. That said NJ's Governor Corzine, a Clinton backer said, she must win Pennsylvania, period.

Finally the superdelegate count indeed moved late last night and this afternoon where Clinton gained three, 2 Add-On's, Jim Florio & Brendan Byrne (NJ) and and Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH), while Obama gained the official backing of Janice Griffin (DNC-MA). This puts the numbers at 253 for Clinton and 229 for Obama, who is back to 24 needing to catch. It is interesting to note that Obama has earned the endorsements of 80 superdelegates since February, 34% while Clinton has actually been absolutely flat now making up the lost superdelegates she had in January.