Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Endorses Barack Obama

In a huge new endorsement that is sure to be an enormous boost to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey threw his support behind Senator Obama. "I really believe that in a time of danger around the world and in division here at home," Casey said at an Obama rally, "Barack Obama can lead us, he can heal us, he can help rebuild America."

Casey's endorsement yesterday is huge because he is an Irish Catholic who is popular with working-class white voters and he won the Senate race in 2006 with 59 percent of the vote. He is the son of a former governor of Pennsylvania and he knows the state well. Casey will travel to some campaign stops with Obama and he intends to help the Illinois Senator navigate his campaign through the complex politics of the Keystone State he knows so well.

Casey became part of the Democratic shift in the Senate in 2006 when he defeated one of the craziest, most extreme right-wingers ever to serve in the U.S. Senate: Rick Santorum. Casey brings his immense knowledge of his home state and his political experience and acumen to the assistance of the Obama campaign. Casey's base in Scranton, thought to be a Hillary Clinton stronghold, will now be more competitive for Obama.

Interestingly, Senator Casey attributed his decision to endorse Obama, in part, to his own children who lobbied their father to do so. I think this is extremely important to see that young people, even the sons and daughters of Senators, are engaged and energized by the Obama campaign. That phenomenon can only be positive for the nation.

This is exciting news for the Obama campaign. Casey is a hero or sorts to many liberals because he successfully ousted Santorum. Just like Jim Webb in Virginia who took out George "Macaca-Boy" Allen, Casey and Webb represent a breath of fresh air among Democrats. (Also, Webb would be an excellent choice as a running mate for Obama in my opinion.)

Senator Casey said of Obama: "I believe in this guy like I've never believed in a candidate in my life." Now THAT'S an endorsement!

This is more great news for the Obama campaign that is now a bandwagon rolling along, that is unstoppable no matter how negative the Clintons want to play it. He's received the endorsement of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and now Senator Casey, Obama is racking up an impressive record among the so-called super-delegates. Hopefully, John Edwards will endorse Obama on the eve of the North Carolina primary when it will really count.

All this good news for the Obama camp will probably lead James Carville (Mr. Mary Matalin) to call Senator Casey a "Judas" as he did Governor Richardson. But how many more new "Judases" are left in the Democratic Party? This is Obama's year.

Comments

[jhNY]

"In a huge new endorsement that is sure to be an enormous boost ", I'm guessing the author of this post wants to make the point that this hugely overinflated giant of a gargantuan statement of support, which is truly big and towers over everything on earth, is massively important, large and mountainous in scale.

[doctormaus]

Casey is a weak Senator who won so much of the vote only because it was against Rick Santorum, a manfreak who wanted to bring a 5-yr-old girl in to listen to the discussion on partial-birth abortions, and apparently equated homosexuality with bestiality. And he'd been friendly with Bush.
Actually, I am surprised Casey won at all. The TV ads with all Santorum's kids were very appealing. Casey's endorsement is nice but not "huge," and it comes very late since Gov. Rendell came out so strongly for Clinton.

[SonofLiberty1]

A very peculiar thing happens if your endorsement happens to be all wet...
some folks don't forget...as in the people and sometimes the winning candidate.

On the other hand if you happen to be correct in your endorsement an winning candidate often remembers too.

[Dajo]

Joe,

I am a Hillary supporter. I will stick by her all the way to the Convention should she decide to stick it out. If she wins PA big, she still has a chance to lead the ticket.If not IMO, she should get together with Obama and Howard Dean and agree to take the VP spot. IMO, either Obama and Hillary can sweak out a victory over McCain in the General Election ,but if they join together it won't even be close, they will win BIG.
I urge Obama & Hillary to join together after PA for the good of the Party and the American People.

[StillAmused]

"In a huge new endorsement..."

"Casey's endorsement yesterday is huge..."

"This is exciting news for the Obama campaign."

"This is more great news for the Obama campaign..."

"All this good news for the Obama camp..."

We get it... you're beside yourself, and you don't want anyone to miss the exciting, great, good news. Your mastery of expression is huge.

[RobtBrock]

Is Casey helping Obama heal the nation by pushing Obama to be pro-life? That would be a strange change...

[PardonMyFrenchFries]

You didn't hear...Obama just came out and said he is for abortion for some and anti-abortion for others.

Great policy I think..

[JoeyP]

Obama is the only realistic choice for the Democratic Party in 2008 -- he has organized and mobilized the grassroots of the base and the Clintons just take the base for granted -- they're playing a game like Lieberman in CT except on a national level -- screw the base over and then bow out of the party -- the Clintons represent the past, the timid DLC losers, Obama represents the future, the labor unions, youth, people who want to change the political discourse -- Onward!

[PatrickWalker]

Either Democrat is viable, not just Obama or Clinton. THe only worries is an unproven Obama in his first real election campaign. Given Obama was virtually given his seat the first election from Alice Palmer, second election incumbents never really loose, and his third election had the fortune of facing Ryan, who imploded in a sex scandal and then had to face Maryland powerhouse Alan Keyes after being parachuted into Illinois at the last minute.

As for the topic, today an endorsement and a quarter lets you use a payphone. They're not worth very much anymore. In fact, certain endorsements ensure doom such as the Ted Kennedy "Endorsement of Electoral Death" that saddled the last 4/6 Democratic presidential nominees.

[MTJD]

What's the "huge" metric? I heard that the Teddy Kennedy endorsement was "huge". Result: Hillary dominates in Massachusetts. Same with Caroline Kennedy of New York: HUGE HUGE. Result: ditto. Maria Schriver in California....HUGE...HUGE...HUGE. Result? Clinton, Clinton, Clinton. Now Bob Casey? Tell me how HUGE this will be. Sorry, I don't see any other result. As a gay man, I've heard about "huge" all my life...and I've always been disappointed.

[elizaW]

Obama is selling hope and there are all these people out there willing to buy it even if it cost them logic, reason, and an informed point of view. Even if it's not the best thing for this country. They don't care. That's how much they need the hope fix. They're addicts pretending to be good citizens. If only there was a rehab for that.

[thebirdstheword]

Since you seem to be more intelligent than the Obama supporters, please fill us in on all of Hillary's experience. As much as I want to see it, it just isn't there. Why is one candidate viable and the other isn't? I often hear how Obama supporters are condescending, and that Hillary supporters are just salt-of-the-Earth Americans. But now you come here to tell us how Obama supporters are just being duped. Please expand, all-knowing one.

[SonofLiberty1]

I don't see much experience in Obama either.

I see much less in his supporters.

This time, those of us who are the same generation as Obama and older might just might, understand what's going on.

This time the adage is don't trust anyone under 30!

[Titonwan]

As a casual Observer (who wasn't pulling for either of the two) and (still) supporting a Republican (Paul), I see a lot of the same tactics used by one candidate and it's supporters. That is to lie, belittle, shun and slander. It's bothersome when the candidate does it, but downright disturbing when that candidates fan's justify that kind of behavior. At this point it should be painfully obvious on whom I speak.
Whatever desperation you're personally experiencing in your life is why you would support this candidate's (now) desperate bid. I hope you don't have to live your whole life like that. In fear.

[conscioushope]

Casey says he thinks Obama can help heal our nation......... that is one big job right now. But, the oldies are not the ones to do this job

. We need a new generation........... and I am a boomer. Boomers have not passed on a legacy of competence, compassion, conscience, conscientiousness, or courage.

It's time to move on...........it's time for Obama.

[molly2007]

Oh mesuki maybe there are people out there that think you are out of your mind for voting for Obuma. This is a free country and we can vote for who we want to and I say HILLARY ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nomobull]

just as long as you accept that the reverse is true

[rationalthought1]

Hillary doesn't have what it takes to be a great president. She can't communicate - only manipulate. An example of this kind of cagey candidate is Richard Nixon. Many recognized he had a shakey relationship with the truth and there, of course, were the die hard followers (as with Hillary) who believed every snow job he laid on them. In this long process both Obama and Clinton are revealing their characters.....that's why Obama wil be our candidate and the next president. He is the perfect antidote to eight years of Bush's lies. Hillary sold her soul to try to get elected, she's fabricated an identity just as she fabricated the sniper fire (on at least three different occasions). I'm afraid a high per centage of her supporters are stuck in the past and have not been able to come to terms with the America (warts and all) of today.

[larry278]

Scot..., BHO boasts of his army of small contributors but the USA's wealthy power elite have hedged their bets, as usual, buy making gigantic donations to his campaign as they have done for HRC & JSMcC's campaigns. Cynics call it the American Way.
larry lynch

[bish66]

Casey is all about revenge and payback. He is trying to get even with Bill Clinton, by hurting Hillary Clinton.

We will see if the endorsement will have an impact. At least, it gives Obama and Casey some headlines Remember when Murtha endorsed Clinton? Right, nobody noticed it, because no news service reported it. But he is on board, he is campaigning for her and so are Nutter and Rendell.

Politicalwire.com (http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/03/29/why_edwards_is_still_on_the_fence.html) runs an interesting piece about Edwards today, based on a New Yorker article (http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/45604/). If the article is right, Edward would rather endorse Clinton.

[thebirdstheword]

Yet again, a Clintonista playing the role of victim. Is Casey a Judas, also?

[tcpgh]

The piece about Edwards is from New York Magazine, not The New Yorker.

[mesuki]

So far mostly all of Hillary's endorsements are from crooked politicians just like her and Bill. So I'm not impressed!....... nobody in their right mind endorses or votes for Hillary.

[elizaW]

mesuki

Don't even go there. There will be so many of us who will challenge you are the "right mind" statement. Do you really want to look like a fool?

[dianebj]

Let me help you understand.... Obama worked as a community organizer from 1985 - 1988, when he entered law school. President Clinton was elected to his first term in 1992 and served until 2000.

Does that help with the no-brainer?

[thebirdstheword]

Not really. What are you saying? This post makes no point.

[dianebj]

Well, I'm completely in my right mind and I'm absolutely going to be voting for Hillary in PA on April 22.

[PardonMyFrenchFries]

Half the democratic party has aligned with Hillary.

So are you saying that the other half is crooked?

Anybody who isn't on Obama's side is crooked? How about racist also, if your going to do that?

[PatrickWalker]

Remember, Obamabots are adamant that they are utterly unlike like Republicans or Hillary supporters. They have somehow "transcended" the cutthroat nature of politics simply because Fearless Leaders has told them they are fighting for higher ideals. They do not believe they themselves operate in absolutist terms. Only their "enemies" do.

[ObserverinVancouver]

You've just insulted a lot of people who don't deserve it. It is not dishonourable to support Sen. Clinton. If you are an Obama supporter, you don't want to get people's backs up so that they stay home on election day.

[PatrickWalker]

Don't assume that Obama supporters really are.

They can be trying to be divisive.

[loocifer]

Just ask Shiela Jackson Lee. She endorsed Sen. Clinton!

[thebirdstheword]

That Judas!

[wolfi101]

As I've been asking elsewhere, I don't understand, what all the debate is about. On the one hand, you have a person (Obama) who had spent his early years trying to find jobs for people who had lost their jobs because of the second person's (Clinton) policies - and that of her husband.

To me, it's a no-brainer.

[Barackanot]

In Clinton's "early years" Hillary volunteered at New Haven Legal Services to provide free advice for the poor. She worked as a researcher on the problems of migrant workers' in housing, sanitation, health and education; She was tireless in her support of children's rights and worked "pro bono" in child advocacy. She was also instrumental and successful in advocating for mandatory teacher testing. Remember, Obama is the one with no experience.

[dianebj]

Let me help you understand.... Obama worked as a community organizer from 1985 - 1988, when he entered law school. President Clinton was elected to his first term in 1992 and served until 2000.

Does that help with the no-brainer?

[debwarot]

Pretty clever, wolfi!

[hinnis]

OBAMA LIES IN PENNSYLVANIA AD
From NBC/NJ"s Aswini Anburajan
GREENBURG, Pa. -- The Clinton campaign today accused the Obama campaign of "false advertising," claiming that a recent ad Obama released in Pennsylvania was disngenous because Obama has been the recipient of more than $200,000 from the oil and gas industry.
In the ad, Obama says, "I'm Barack Obama, and I don't take money from oil companies or lobbyists, and I won't let them block change any more."
Obama has taken $213,884 from the oil and gas industry as of Feb. 29th, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Sen. Hillary Clinton has taken $306,813 in that same period.
Two of Obama's campaign bundlers are also CEOs for oil and gas companies, per a list released on his campaign Web site.
Robert Cavnar, listed as a bundler who has raised between $50,000 to $100,000 for the campaign, is the chairman and CEO of Mission Resources Corp., a Houston-based firm. George Kaiser, also listed in the same $50,000 to $100,000 category, is the CEO of Tulsa-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Company.
"It's unfortunate that Senator Obama is using false advertising to explain why he can be trusted to do something about energy prices," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said. "Senator Obama says he doesn't take campaign contributions from oil companies but the reality is that Exxon, Shell, and others are among his donors."
http://tinyurl.com/2on6dr

[PardonMyFrenchFries]

There are no lies there...
You don't seem to understand Barack's "hope I can fool you movement."
All of America has been waiting for this...

[Rose52]

They were from employees, not oil companies. Tell the whole story.