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Clyburn believes Obama will seal the deal Tuesday |
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By Mike Soraghan
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Posted: 06/03/08 01:20 PM [ET] |
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House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) followed up his endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by predicting that his chosen candidate will have enough delegates to claim the nomination by the end of the day Tuesday. “I think by 6 o’clock tonight there will be enough,” Clyburn said. He named some new Obama supporters, such as Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who endorsed the Illinois senator Tuesday, and House Budget panel Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.). A call to Spratt’s office seeking comment was not immediately returned. Clyburn also identified new supporters by describing them, saying there are two CBC members from New York who are considering changing their vote from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to Obama, but they are seeking to get two other CBC members to do the same. He said he’d spoken with a South Carolina delegate for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards who will switch to Obama. Clyburn also said he had talked extensively Monday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and that Pelosi would have an announcement Wednesday. Pelosi aides said she has no announcement planned for Wednesday and will not endorse before there is a Democratic nominee. Clyburn also addressed the issue of whether Obama should pick Clinton as his running mate, saying, “I would not be insulted by that at all.” |
