SUPERDELEGATES breaking Obama today!

After the stern public announcement by future President Barack Obama divorcing himself from his former pastor, Reverend Wright yesterday the superdelegate endorsement battle quickly ramped up in its pace. Late last night Clinton gained another endorsement Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) and the younger brother of famed TV comedian actor "Red" Skelton. This on top of the highly covered endorsement of Gov. Mike Easley (D-NC) who I will report a curious statement later. This morning the Clinton camp announced the endorsement of William George (DNC-PA) bringing her up to an even 260.

Not to be outdone the Obama campaign after announcing two endorsements yesterday, Machecek (DNC-IA) and Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY), it announced three more today and possibly more to come. Three Congressman no less, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) , and Rep. Lois Capas (D-CA) bringing Obama now into the lead of U.S. Representatives as well. All told Obama now has 242 superdelegate endorsements to Clinton's 260 or a difference of 18. I can recall when I was happy to report that Obama was only 45 short, now he is trailing by a mere dozen and a half!

There is more news as Sen. Claire McCaskill was reported telling the press in Politico's article, that the 80 remaining Congressional officials who are uncommitted have made up their minds and it appears to be breaking Obama's way.

Capitol Hill insiders say the battle for congressional superdelegates is over, and one Senate supporter of Barack Obama is hinting strongly that he has prevailed over Hillary Rodham Clinton. While more than 80 Democrats in the House and Senate have yet to state their preferences in the race for the Democratic nomination, sources said Tuesday that most of them have already made up their minds and have told the campaigns where they stand.

“The majority of superdelegates I’ve talked to are committed, but it is a matter of timing,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

“They’re just preferring to make their decision public after the primaries are over. ... They would like someone else to act for them before they talk about it in the cold light of day.”

Obama currently holds an 18-13 lead among committed superdelegates in the Senate, while Clinton holds a 77-74 lead in the House. Asked which way the committed-but-unannounced superdelegates are leaning, McCaskill — who has endorsed Obama — said:

“James Brown would say, ‘I Feel Good.’”

Local news it was told to me in private and Dan Slater made a post in a newsgroup that Frederico Pena, Obama's National vice-chairman of the campaign will be slated for Colorado's Add-On Delegate at the upcoming State Convention. Obama's campaign holds almost 70% of the delegates where one can state that this will be a soft superdelegate endorsement.

Yesterday I left you with the magic number being 25 superdelegate endorsements or newly gathered pledged delegates. Today that number is reduced by 4 (with the addition of Pena as the expected CO Add-On).

Stay tuned as further updates might be in order as well as watch the polls in the next two days as the Wright controversy comes to a dead end and Clinton's mindless proposal to drop the Federal Gasoline Tax $.18 is being shown to be clueless.