[Dems2008] Rep John Lewis switches from Clinton to Obama

It's been rumoured about for weeks... now here's the confirmation:

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/27/Lewis_0228_web.html

Washington — Hoping to put
an end to a month of confusion and dismay, Rep. John Lewis on Wednesday
said he's switching his support from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen.
Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Lewis cited the overwhelming preference for Obama in his district as
a reason for his change of heart, but he also talked about Obama's
campaign as transformational for the nation.
"Something's happening in
America, something some of us did not see coming," Lewis said. "Barack
Obama has tapped into something that is extraordinary.
Lewis, an Atlanta Democrat and an elder of the civil rights
movement, at first sparked outrage from Georgia's African American
community by backing Clinton, a friend, over Obama, the nation's first
viable
African American candidate.
Then confusion struck about a week ago when Lewis told the New York
Times that, as a super delegate to the Democratic National Convention,
he would feel compelled to vote for Obama as the nominee because his
district – and the state's African American population overall – so
overwhelmingly for Obama in the state primary.
Lewis's office later charged that the story was inaccurate but did not clarify who Lewis was actually backing.
In an interview in his congressional office, Lewis said the decision
to switch his support was a difficult one, a choice between a longtime
friend and a little-known black man.
"I did it because I felt I had to support Mrs. Clinton because of
our friendship," Lewis said. "But also I thought she was ready to lead.
Lewis had placed a called to Clinton's office Wednesday morning but
hadn't heard back from her. He also had a Please-Return-The-Call
message of his own from Obama. By midday, he still hadn't returned it.
"It's been a long, hard and difficult struggle to come to where I am now," Lewis said.

Slainte,
Rob Harrington

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dems2008/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dems2008/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Dems2008-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Dems2008-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Dems2008-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/