Ex-Senate leader Daschle endorses Obama

[IndianaGreen]

Ex-Senate leader Daschle endorses Obama

Cites 'great capacity to unify our country and inspire a new generation'

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama won the endorsement Wednesday of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who said the White House hopeful "personifies the future of Democratic leadership in our country."

Daschle said Obama has a "great capacity to unify our country and inspire a new generation of young Americans, just as I was inspired by the Kennedys and Martin Luther King when I was young."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17263273/from/RS.1/

[oasis]

1. It'll be great to see Tom back on the campaign trail. Good spokesman

if he gets that role.

[jaysunb]

2. Well ! Tom finally gets one right.

:hi: IG...it's good to see you around.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Obama represents an optimistic future, like JFK's New Frontier

not a return to the politics of old.

[snowbear]

3. MN Congressman Keith Ellison also endorsed Obama today...

Ellison endorses Obama for president
2/21/2007 2:15:39 PM
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison says he supports Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president.

"Not because he's black," said Ellison, who is black, on Tuesday. "That's identity politics. I reject identity politics.

"He speaks with a unifying spirit," Ellison told about 100 employees at the Star Tribune newspaper during a lunch-hour event for Black History Month.

Ellison, a Democrat, is the first Muslim elected to Congress and the first black elected to Congress from Minnesota.

While Ellison is supporting Obama at this stage of the campaign, the congressman acknowledged that he may end up backing New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if she wins the Democratic nomination.

http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=285208

[w13rd0]

10. That's GREAT!

Because I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only is Ellison our first Muslim elected to Congress and the first black elected to Congress from Minnesota, but he's also an unapologetic liberal and strong supporter of GLBT-rights.

And I would expect that everyone doing these early endorsements will back the eventual nominee...

[tblue]

5. Saw my first Obama For President sticker today in California. Good for Daschle. He deserves

better than he got.

[liberaldemocrat7]

12. I sell a Barack and Roll 2008 bumper sticker.

http://www.dmocrats.org/product/128680813645408430

and I will make others soon.

[Erika]

6. Hillary-Obama is a great ticket

What's good is if one of them stumbles, we have so many more who are qualified.

[liberalpragmatist]

7. Is Daschle angling to be Obama's running mate?

Remember that Daschle was even considering running for PRESIDENT this year. Thankfully he put down the pipe.

He might be gambling that Obama will want a "safe, experienced, Washington hand" as his running mate. And, in spite of Daschle's baggage - namely, losing the Senate, then losing his own Senate seat - I could see it. In truth, running mates don't actually do much for the ticket. Main thing is, the running mate should do no harm. In spite of his baggage, I can't see Daschle hurting Obama; he'd be useful for legislative fights and he wouldn't outshine the main show (Obama). And it's not unprecedented for nominating someone who lost a Senate race (Nixon's 1960 running mate, Henry Cabot Lodge, lost his Senate seat in '52 to, of all people, JFK; George Bush, Sr. never became a senator but did lose TWO senate races).

I still don't see it as likely; Daschle is seen as ineffective by many Dems. And he doesn't bring any states into play and doesn't have any buzz factor to him. But it's not impossible, and if Obama wants a safe, experienced pick that won't outshine him but can't be pegged with "inexperience," he could do far worse than Daschle.

[brentspeak]

8. That's because Daschle knows Obama is lobbyist-friendly

And we don't need any more lobbyist-friendly Presidents, ever again.

[FrenchieCat]

9. I'm not that impressed about this.

Daschle wasn't very effective at his job. Soft spoken and nice.....maybe too nice!

[Nimrod2005]

11. Awesome.......nt

[Bukowski Fan]

13. This is nothing surprising

A good chunk of Obama's senior staff worked on Daschle's last campaign.