Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry Endorses Obama

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday, calling him an inspirational leader who can unite the country.

"I believe Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to unite our nation and move beyond the divisiveness and partisan skirmishes that too often characterize politics as usual in Washington," Henry said early Wednesday in a statement released by the Obama press office in Chicago.

The endorsement one day after the Pennsylvania primary gave Obama the official support of three of the state's 10 superdelegates, while Clinton has the backing of one superdelegate. The rest are uncommitted.

Henry, a moderate Democrat in a Republican-trending state, said he had worked hard to build a consensus across party lines on such issues as education, job creation and health care and "that is why I am so enthusiastic about Barack Obama's candidacy."

"Senator Obama understands that the serious concerns facing average Americans must transcend partisan games if we are to rise to the challenges of today and tomorrow. He is a strong, committed and inspirational leader, ideally suited to bring together Democrats, independents and Republicans," Henry said.

Obama said he was proud of Henry's support "as we continue to build our grass-roots movement for change." He said Henry had "achieved real results" as a consensus builder himself in Oklahoma.

"We're fortunate to have Governor Henry's backing, and I look forward to working with him in the months ahead to bring about real change not just for Oklahomans, but all Americans," Obama said.

Henry became the first major Democratic elected official from Oklahoma to endorse Obama. The state's only Democratic congressman, Rep. Dan Boren, remains uncommitted as a superdelegate, although his father, David Boren, has endorsed the Illinois senator. David Boren is a former governor and senator.

The 44-year-old governor's endorsement came despite Obama getting only 31 percent of the Democratic primary vote in Oklahoma's Democratic primary on Feb. 5 against Hillary Rodham Clinton, who got 55 percent.

Clinton also picked up a superdelegate Wednesday _ Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee, co-founder of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally-conservative Democrats in Congress.

Tanner, who said the country is facing an economic crisis, praised Clinton in a statement released by her campaign as a leader "who can work with others to return to fiscal sanity."

Comments

[SaddieMcCall]

Speaking on Larry King Live last night, first daughter Jenna Bush, who appeared alongside first lady Laura Bush, confessed that she's not sure if she'll vote for the presumptive Republican nominee for president, Sen. John McCain, and even left open the possibility that she'd support either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton.

KING: Do you have a favorite between the two, the two Democrats?

LAURA BUSH: My favorite is the Republican.

KING (pointing to Jenna): Yours too, I would imagine.

JENNA BUSH: I don't know.

KING: A-ha! Are you open to...

JENNA BUSH: Yeah, of course. I mean, who isn't open to learning about the candidates and I'm sure that everybody's like that.

This, of course, causes us to wonder one thing: Could Jenna Bush and Patti Davis become fast friends? (Davis, you'll recall, was the liberal daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan who became famous for dissenting from her family's politics.)

------Is it possible that Jenna is an Obama girl?

[flyguy14222]

My point exactly. According to Barry and the Obamabots the Gov. should have cast his vote for Hillary. I guess the silver lining in this is that the good Gov. nixed that argument for the remaining approx. 300 superdelegates.

[johnfoirdfw]

So I guess that he has no problem subverting the will of the people of his state who voted overwhelmingly for Senator Clinton? Sounds like a double standard going on here...

[sklfcats]

Idiot

[nibblybits]

And Sheryl Crow, who was one of the innocent bystanders of Snipergate, endorses... Obama!!!

I guess she was able to pull out the shrapnel enough to make her choice known.

Woo-hoo!! Obama 08

[SaddieMcCall]

Sinbad also supports Obama.

[SaddieMcCall]

Sheryl Crow is speaking publicly about her endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Here"s the gist of what she had to say via her blog (all references to Barack were changed from Barak because she spelled it wrong each and every time):

"I am proud to support Barack Obama in his desire and mission to see America return to her greatness. I have carefully watched, like everyone else, the campaigns of both the democrats, as well as the republican candidate, and I could safely say that only one candidate is speaking to the beliefs I feel this country was founded on.

"I believe, like Barack Obama, that we can change our future, but not by repeating our history. ¦And, I will not be deterred in my support of Barack Obama because of ad campaigns that are meant to incite fear in us where our security is concerned, when the candidate running the ad voted to take us into war."

[nibblybits]

Woo-hoo! Obama picks up a second super for the day. Nebraska Dem Party Chair Audra Ostegard.

Go Obama go!

Hillary's super lead is down to 24.

[eladora]

FROM DAY 1 HER NEGATIVES WERE HIGH. WHEN SHE WAS THE ANOINTED BY EVERYONE CANDIDATE HER NEGATIVES WERE HIGH. NOW THAT SHE HAS LOWERED ALL WOMEN INTO A POSITION OF HAVING TO DEFEND HER TACTICS TO WIN AND SET BACK THE WOMENS RIGHTS MOVEMENT A DECADE , SHE WILL NEVER EVER WIN EVEN IF SHE IS THE NOMINEE.

[3fingerbrown]

Hey, HuffPo, pick up the item on this afternoon's AP wire about Julie Nixon Eisenhower contributing the max to the Obama campaign. I'd be interested to find out why the woman with the most Republican name imaginable is voting Democratic. It's the most intriguing of this season's celebrity-endorsement stories.

[purpleblue]

Yawn...PREDICTABLE. Obama tanks, his empty suit deflates, he gets Superdelegate endorsement the next day. Only kindergartners lack the sophistication to see through this attempt to distract from how unelectable he is. Susan Estrich was hilarious when asked what Howard Dean was doing after Hillary won PA...her answer? DRINKING. Clinton Haters in the upper echelons of the Democrats are probably all drinking about now. The Hard Stuff. They were duped into drinking the KoolAid, joining the MSM, and giving Obama a free pass for months. Obama rode that train through primaries he'd have lost if his affiliations were known earlier. He rode through caucuses propped up by the dirty work of his legions, who intimidated and cheated their way through. If you were at one you know what I mean. If Obama-leaning Superdelegates have any working neurons at all, they should be thinking..."Oh crap!" as they realize how up a creek they are. (If they give it to Obama he cannot be elected. If they give it to Hillary, Obama-ites will cry she "stole it" ...which is, ironically, laughable since she's the one cheated out of a fair campaign by the MSM and Dem Party). Then we have thug-like rumors Obama supporters will "riot in the streets" if he doesn't get it. I will stock up on food and water, and I say Bring It On. America cannot be held hostage...even by its own electorate. My new favorite drink? KoolAid spiked with Crown Royal.

[bilmardre]

Your nonsense and whining about the MSM being against Clinton is getting old. Any idiot can see that the MSM is in her pocket. And the "thug" rumors that there will be riots in the street sounds like republican racist propaganda, although nowadays it is hard to tell where it may be coming from. Regardless, there will not be riots in the street, our voices will be heard in the voting booth.

[Indepatriot]

Love Tanner's line about "fiscal sanity" Heads up nimrod, hillary blew 130 million before getting her a$$ handed to her on not-so-super tuesday. She owes Penn 4 million for all his great "advice",and had to loan herself 5 million to keep "in" this thing. That kind of "fiscal sanity"we can do without.

[VSamuels]

Exactly. I had copied the last sentence myself, what a joker; how can he be so idiotic in choosing fiscal sanity with Hillary who has never run anything in her life. Besides, the MSM should be making a bigger deal out of her campaign debts, if it was Obama, they sure would be shouting out its his 'inexperience.'

[Kingbreaker]

With Democrats like tanner, who needs republicans?

[dooleynoted]

Hillary wants PLEDGED delegates to change their mind so using her logic it's perfectly all right for the gov of a state like Oklahoma that went for Clinton to endorse Obama. Boomer Sooner!

[TinaFreeman]

Yeah, like having pledged delegates vote against the will of their constituents isn't "disenfranchising" voters...love how Hillary talks out of both sides of her mouth...anything to WIN! She's a FIGHTER!

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

He is not a superdelegate.

[TinaFreeman]

Source? All the media outlets and the Obama campaign say he is?

[DavePM]

I am so disappointed in my Congressman. I knew he wouldnt come out in support of Sen Obama because of the demographics in NW TN, but Hillary? Come on. Why even endorse at all?

[PioneerKing]

Harold Ford can explain why your rep. supports Hillary. In 2006 the voters in TN proved that whites don't like to vote for blacks even if the white canidate is not the better choice. Obama will not win IN or NC.

[DavePM]

That is a pretty broad statement about whites in TN. I am "white" and was a supporter of Ford and his father in Memphis. As was my family. That doesnt make me blind to the blatant racism back in my homestate, but being black wasnt his only problem. His main problem was that he didnt connect with the whites in the Knoxville and Chattanooga areas. And that family corruption issue that everyone back home knows about.

And Sen O will win NC and IN. But of course, we will see.

[cthomp7280]

The media has you people fooled. This "must-win" stuff is plain garbage. Every state is a "must -win" if you are losing. Its funny how NC is not a "must-win" state for Hillary. Hillary picks her spots and spoon feeds them to the media, hey buy it buy the six-pack, and you Joe's drink it up. Can someone tell me what Hillary "won" in PA? The only thing she won was delegates...as did Obama. Amidst all the spin, did you Hillary supporters forget that he moves closer and closer to the magic number...win or lose? And when its all said and done, he only needs to secure 40% of the remaining Super Delagates.

Look back to Feb 6th as the day Hillary lost. She had no Plan B. 13 contests in a row...seems to me she should have found her "must-win" strategy months ago....

[PAposter]

I'm glad she was over confident, and continues to be. She over dramatizes everything whether it's a win or a comment about her, or how hard it is for a woman. If you can't run with the Big Dogs, stay on the porch, or go out back the cottage and shoot your shotgun to get rid of your frustrations. The saddest part of all this, is that the people who vote for her, really think the Clintons care about them, it's laughable. People who worked at plants that closed down during the Clinton administration, still vote for Clinton, because they refuse to step out of their comfort zone, even at the detriment of their livlihood.

[Sparklez]

50 previous Edwards endorsers now back Obama

Thats what they said on MSNBC

[PAposter]

I haven't heard this, but I heard his wife will be campaigning for Hillary. I guess if John couldn't win, she the next best thing. Real Shocker !