Civil Rights Leader John Lewis (D) GA, Endorses OBAMA, Clinton Losing Super Delegates
Support for Hilliary Clinton is fading fast as she loses consecutive contests. Well known Civil Rights leader was firmly planted in the Hilliary camp. He is a long time supporter of the Clintons back to 1992. This move was a big surprise for Hilliary, probably as big as the Kennedy endorcement of Obama. From our stand point, we think congressional leaders want to be on the winning team so they can gain access to the new president. Look at the Flip-floppers here for future referrance. Who can you count on till the end? I think Hilliary has taken note. I think the electorate should take note as well.
With this important loss, The shift in the congressional Black Caucus is solidly for Obama. Just a month ago the CBC was in Hilliarys Corner.
Lewis Has Second Thoughts
By Anne E. Kornblut
Confusion erupted Thursday night amid reports that a prominent African American supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s had changed his mind. Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who is also a Democratic superdelegate, was reported by the New York Times as having decided to switch his superdelegate vote from Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama after Lewis’s district, around Atlanta, went for the Illinois senator.
But the Clinton campaign reported having no word from Lewis on the subject, and a spokeswoman for Lewis, Brenda Jones, said the Times story and a similar one by the Associated Press, saying he was contemplating such a switch, were inaccurate. Both the Times and AP stories quoted Lewis directly after speaking with him; he was not available for comment later Thursday. The Obama campaign also said that Lewis and Obama had not talked recently about a change of heart.
“It is plain there is a lot of enthusiasm for Barack Obama,” Jones said. But, she said, “those things are observations,” not statements of preference. She said Lewis has left the option of changing his superdelegate support for Clinton on the table, but made no decisions. Still, it is clear that Lewis has had misgivings about the Clinton campaign in recent weeks, especially after the racially charged campaign in South Carolina, during which former Pres. Bill Clinton was perceived to have made racially insensitive comments.
Another black superdelegate from Georgia, Rep David Scott, was also reported by the A.P. as having said he would switch from Clinton to Obama; a call to his chief of staff went unreturned Thursday night
Source: blog.washingtonpost.com via politisite
Source: blog.washingtonpost.com via politisite
It is Still Black History Month.
John Lewis
John Lewis was born February 21, 1940 outside Troy, Alabama. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University. He was also a graduate from the American Baptist Theological Seminar in Nashville, TN.
From young, John had a strong commitment to the civil rights movement. As a student, he organized many sit in demonstration at segregated lunch counters.
In 1961, John volunteered to participate in the Freedom Riders. They were organized to challenge segregation at interstate bus terminals across the south.
John was severely beaten by mobs and risked his life by participation in the Rides.
From 1963-1966, he was the chairman of SNCC. Though young, John was a recognized leader of the civil rights movement. By 1963, he was recognized as one of the “Big Six” leaders on the civil rights movement.
In 1977, John was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct more than 250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency. In 1980, he left ACTION and became Community Affairs Director of the National Consumer Co-op Bank in- Atlanta.
John Lewis’s first electoral success came in 1981 when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. While serving on the Atlanta City Council, he was an advocate for ethics in government and neighborhood preservation. He resigned from the Council in 1986 to run for Congress.
Elected to Congress in November 1986, John represents Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District. The Congressional District encompasses the entire city of Atlanta, Georgia and parts of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties. In 1996, John was unopposed in his bid for a sixth term.
Source: blackseek.com via politisite
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