All those Clark endorsements

[mndemocrat_29]

With only three days into the campaign, already a slew of Democrats have decided to support Clark:

CLARK ANNOUNCEMENT COVERAGE, DAY #3. Retired General Wesley Clark (D-AR) was an announced Presidential candidate for less than one day and he already earned more Congressional endorsements than many others in the race. Among those initial Clark boosters: US Senators Blance Lincoln (D-AR) and Mark Pryor (D-AR), Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT), three Arkansas Congressmen, a bunch of Clinton-Gore alumni, and more. Check out our new Clark page for a more complete list. Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR) -- Clark's chief booster on the Hill -- says that the Clark campaign expects to announce 30-50 Congressional endorsements by the end of next week. Just remember: under party rules, all of these Congressional Dems are also voting delegates to the national convention.


Even if you don't support Clark, you have to admit this is impressive, considering he's only actually been running for three days.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Well, I think it would be fair to say

that these endorsements were set up long before yesterday. Still impressive. But let's not fool ourselves.

[liberalnurse]

2. The Arkasnsas folks were quite a surprise.....

as well as Clintononians.....

[mndemocrat_29]

3. I have to admit the one that shocked me was McCollum

She's from my home state and is a staunch Pelosi supporter, so I assumed that she would go with Gephardt.

[justinb3]

32. McCollum's endorsement

Perhaps you've missed all the "insider" talk around here (I'm in MN too) about Betty being groomed for a higher calling?

She knows which side her bread is buttered on. If anything, this gives more credence to the "Clark is the DLC candidate" than anything to date.

(That, and Matheson (D-UT), which is where I'm originally from).

-justinb

[CMT]

4. he will get tons of congressional endorsements

because the party is scared of being tarred as soft on national defense. In 2002, many thought the way to avoid it would be to support the Bush Iraqi Resolution--that didn't protect folks like Max Cleland and Jean Carnahan. So now the strategy with Iraq becoming more and more unstable is to endorse someone who was against the war but has national security credentials as a general.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. 30-50 Congressional endorsements?

That would certainly be impressive.

[mndemocrat_29]

6. It would be extremely impressive

However, how many House and Senate members are uncommitted? Is there a list somewhere?

[seventhson]

7. DLC Anyone???

Since kerry is bombing out is Clark the DLC alternative to Dean???

You tell me...

[Kahuna]

8. Maybe. So?

The DLC delivered us a win with Clinton/Gore. Progressive candidates have delivered us nothing but a predictable string of losses.

[RichV]

26. So Clark's not progressive?

[KittyWampus]

38. Clark Is Fairly Progressive While Presenting A Moderate Image

Which is the only way ANY politician who is in any way Progressive will win.

[justinb3]

33. DLC wins/loses

Okay, the DLC came about with Clinton. Since then, we've lost the WH, and the majority in both houses.

Your argument is silly.

-justinb

[DrFunkenstein]

12. Bombing Out?

Last I checked, Kerry closed the gap from 21 points to 10. Dean is down from 38 to 31%.

The novelty has worn off, honey. Time for the big boys.

[RobertFrancisK]

17. Who cares if the DLC backs him?

They make A LOT of mistakes, but they aren't an inherantly evil organization. If they're backing a progressive like Clark, that means they're doing good, not he's doing bad.
DLC backed Gore and CLinton, does that make Gore a bad man, or any less of an environmentalist and fighter for the working man?

[goobergunch]

15. Yep

http://www.politics1.com has a good listing of endorsements. There's also my own superdelegate list, which is up-to-date but I really don't feel like posting...converting from Excel to DU HTML takes quite a while.

[arcos]

25. Dean has another superdelegate, btw...

From the Dean for America Blog:

"Superdelegate Endorsement
TOPEKA—Kansas lawyer and Democratic National Committee Superdelegate Lawrence Tenopir today endorsed Governor Dean.

“I am grateful that Larry has joined our campaign to take our country back,” Governor Dean said.

In making his endorsement, Tenopir cited Governor Dean’s straight-talk and imaginative campaign as two of the reasons which make him the most electable of the 2004 Democratic candidates. "In over 30 years of involvement in Presidential campaigns, I've never seen anything like the enthusiasm and dedication of my fellow Dean supporters. Governor Dean is rewriting the rules of Presidential politics. I'm excited to be a part of the campaign." "

[renie408]

9. Serious question,

Do people really pay attention to congressional endorsements? Other than it looks good to have a whole bunch of them? I mean, I keep seeing Kerry and Dean and now Clark talk about their congressional endorsements and I am wondering if that really effects how regular people vote?

[kang]

10. The endorsements don't influence voters so much as

help Clark raise money. If these members of Congress are willing to go to bat for him and use their connections. I think many in Congress are searching for a broad theme or message that the whole party can run on.

Unfortunately, part of Dean's message for awhile now has been to say that many Democrats failed to stand up to Bush and offer a real alternative. This maybe true, but it doesn't help people in Congress who have campaigns of their own to worry about too.

[Sean Reynolds]

11. Well at least my Congresswhore Matheson isn't supporting LIEberman.

Matheson is probably the most conservative Democrat in congress - thought he'd support Lieberman.

[NewJerseyDem]

13. Not the most conservative

Matheson is a moderate but he is definitely not the most conservative. He isn't even close to Ralph Hall, Ken Lucas, Charlie Stenholm or Gene Taylor who won't even vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.

[Sean Reynolds]

18. I dunno - you missed his ads last year.

Where he walked side by side with Bush in the Rose Garden. Couldn't tell if it was an ad for him or the Republican.

[NewJerseyDem]

24. He is certainly moderate

But at least he didn't endorse Bush for president like Ralph Hall.

Those ads probably helped him win so he can advertise however he wants as long as he stays in the House of Representatives.

[NewJerseyDem]

14. Steve Israel

According to politics1.com Steve Israel of New York is backing Clark. He comes from Long Island where there is a lot of money so that could be important. Also, he seems to be someone that would be a Lieberman ally so that has to be a blow to the Lieberman campaign.

[goobergunch]

16. Clark is certainly racking up the endorsements

He now has 10 superdelegates, more than Dean, Edwards, Graham, Moseley Braun, or Sharpton.

And I ruled that Clinton isn't yet a Clark superdelegate.

[blm]

19. goobergunch

Have you counted Robert Reich, Barney Frank, and Ed Markey for Kerry?

I wasn't sure if Reich as a former cabinet member gets superdelegate ranking or not.

[goobergunch]

20. I don't think a former cabinet member is a superdelegate

I have Frank...I'll add Markey now. Odd that he wasn't on politics1.com's list, but I was able to find this link (for any doubters).

Kerry
13
Kerry
Ford
Feinstein
Frank
Hollings
Kennedy (MA)
Markey
Meehan
Meeks (NY)
Millender-McDonald
Slaughter
Smith (WA)

Wilhelm (IL)

[NewJerseyDem]

21. A cabinet member might be

"The 800 “super-delegates” to the Democratic National Convention - nearly 40 percent of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination - are senators, members of the House, governors, and other top officials and ex-officials."

http://www.msnbc.com/news/938837.asp

So, I would think that Reich would be considered an ex-official. The 800 super delegates have to consist of a lot more than governors, senators, and congressmen because there are only about 267 of them.

[goobergunch]

22. Top ex-officials include fmr Prezs, VPs, Sen. Maj. Leaders, Speakers, etc

Every DNC member is a superdelegate...that counts for a lot.

[genius]

23. If Clinton endorses him

this will carry a lot of weight. I'm still voting for Kucinich.

[Mass_Liberal]

27. It is impressive

I am a deanie, and am a little bit intimidated. All the same, Dean has plenty of endorsments, and his poll numbers are very positive.


Peace:kick:

[Bread and Circus]

28. Not only that...

but he is polling 9 and 10% nationally even
before he announced. HE has more than 5000
donations already and over 20000 in meetups.

It is impressive and I am so glad.

[CWebster]

29. The Insider selection

politically designed candidate to appeal to the voters with buzz words and poll-tested positions while maintaining the staus quo.

My preference would be an alternative to the failing philosophy of the corporate Democratic party that sacrificed its purpose along the way.

[Nashyra]

30. I want to get rid of *

Four more years of that turd in the WH is unaccepatable. I don't care if the DLC backs Clark, if that what it takes to beat * so be it. We are still better off with ABB than a loss in 2004.

[carpetbagger]

37. I kinda liked the status quo the last time we controlled govt.

We almost got national health care, remember?

Status quo my :kick:

http://home.att.net/~jrhsc/jobwelldone.html

[KittyWampus]

40. Are You Suggesting Clark Takes "Poll Tested" Positions?

That's why he answered honestly about having voted for Reagan... he did a focus group on it, I'm sure.

Actually, Clark was righteous enough to stick his neck out for ground troops and Apache helicopters in Kosovo to save civilian lives- even though the politicos and Establishment Generals wanted an air campaign and no casualties.

So I am pretty damned sure he can make decisions as to what is the RIGHT thing to do without polls.

[gully]

31. Got a link on this baby. I like McCollum, and want formal info before I

call her office to ask why she is backing Clark.

[goobergunch]

34. Here ya go

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4101874.html

[NewJerseyDem]

35. There haven't been that many endorsements

Marion Berry expected 30-50 congressional endorsements by the end of last week and so far he only has 12 and 5 of those come from Arkansas so they don't mean much. He has Gene Taylor, Jim Matheson, Mike Thompson, Charlie Rangel, Steve Israel, Betty McCollum and Rahm Emanuel. That isn't even close to 30. He did meet with many congressmen today though so more endorsements may be expected soon.

[WillyBrandt]

36. I suppose, then, that Charles Rangel is Bush-lite

Isn't he? I mean, he must be if he's supporting the DLC/GOP/NATO/Clinton evil stalking horse Clark?

It must be true! DU tells me it's true!

[carpetbagger]

39. Texas endorsements yesterday: 19 democratic state reps...

http://www.clark04.com/press/release/006/

Richard Raymond (Laredo, Border)
Jim McReynolds (Lufkin - East Texas)
Juan Escobar (Kingsville - Valley/South Texas)
Rick Noriega (Houston)
Robert Puente (San Antonio)
Glenn Lewis (Fort Worth)
Barry Telford (DeKalb - East Texas)
Mark Homer (Paris - East Texas)
Miguel Wise (Weslaco - Valley)
Pete Gallego (Alpine - Border/West Texas)
Jim Solis (Harlingen - Valley)
Gabi Canales (Alice - Central/South Texas)
Ryan Guillen (San Diego - Border/South Texas)
Jesse Jones (Dallas)
Carlos Uresti (San Antonio)
Jaime Capelo (Corpus Christi)
Norma Chavez (El Paso)
Joaquin Castro ( San Antonio)
David Holmes (DNC Committeeman from Texas)
Sean Bradley (Texas Young Democrats President)
Brewster McCraken (Austin City Councilman)
Solomon Ortiz, Jr. (Nueces County Democratic Party Chair) (Corpus Christi)