Leahy Endorses Obama, Saying Clinton's Not the Best Dem To "Reintroduce" America

The email came in: Barack Obama Campaign about to Announce a Major Endorsement. Who could that be? Al Gore? The campaign was holding a conference call in minutes to break the news. I quickly called in. And the big catch turned out to be....Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont.

This certainly won't turn the race. But one standard line for Senator Hillary Clinton has been that she has outdrawn Obama in senatorial endorsements. She had bagged ten; he had six. Now Obama has cut her lead by 25 percent. She better watch out!

In the conference call, Leahy gave one reason for picking Obama over Clinton and former Senator John Edwards:

I believe many around the world have lost respect for America....I think we can restore that respect. But we need a president who can reintroduce America to the world.

I asked the obvious question: why did Leahy think that Obama could better reintroduce America than Clinton?

No surprise, he punted. "My endorsement is not in opposition to Senator Clinton or Senator Edwards," Leahy replied. "I'm looking at who can do this best....We need someone who...can express American values the best."

Leahy insisted that his decision was not a sign of "disrespect" for Clinton. But stripped of his polite Senate-speak, it was a profound swing at her. Imagine him saying to her face: "You cannot represent America to the rest of the world as well as Obama." Should she ever become president, Leahy might have to worry about those dairy subsidies for Vermont.

Comments

Way to Go Sen Leahy!
Having Sen.Clinton and her disbarred semi husband back in charge would be even worse than the current tennant.
If Shrillary caught Bill in the Lincoln bedroom with his Canadian bimbo, she would probaly nuke Ottawa!
Sen Clinton is a slimy self serving dinosaur.

Posted by: Remus on 01/17/08 at 9:28 AM Respond

I wonder if having such endorsements makes much difference to regular folks.

I would bet many new and younger voters would say "Leahy who?"

Posted by: capt on 01/17/08 at 2:02 PM Respond

This will matter to some of us. I know Leahy as one of the consistent exceptions when we complain congressional Democrats won't stand up to Bush or the Republicans.

Posted by: Eric Ferguson on 01/17/08 at 2:51 PM Respond

Isn't Patrick Leahy one of the dems who has been in office for umpteen years and what do we have to show for it? Diddly-squat! One of these dinosaurs throwing his backing behind one candidate or the other means nothing to me. I don't have anything against Obama, but I do think Hillary has more experience in the political arena which could lead to getting us out of this mess that Bush and Co. has gotten us into. The fact that she stayed with a philandering husband doesn't make her any less capable of leading this country. I'm sure many women and men can identify with that. And another thing she has going for her is that she has the ability to put two words together without screwing one of them up, unlike our present leader.

Posted by: American Woman on 01/17/08 at 5:03 PM Respond

If Obama is a agent of change why did he vote for the Cheney Energy Bill ( Hillary voted NO ) and for the Patriot Bill. He have done NOTHING since arriving in Washington to prove he would change anything. He votes for the Nuclear Industry ( his biggest supporter ) GIVE ME A BREAK,

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Posted by: 競馬予想 on 06/22/08 at 7:23 PM Respond