Two Key Obama Endorsements Come Under The Radar

Lost amid the chatter of the Edwards endorsement and the brouhaha over yet another idiotic President Bush remark were two very important superdelegate declarations of support for Barack Obama. Rep. Howard Berman (CA-28) and Rep. Henry Waxman (CA-30) both declared for him, adding their voices to the significant shift that has included superdelegates crossing over in the wake of the endorsement announcement.

But these two are arguably the most important. Nestled against one another, the 28th and 30th California Districts are both within Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the most populous state in the Union. Clinton won California on Super Tuesday by 9 points, and won LA County by 13 points. Fully 14% of her current pledged delegate total is from California.

More significant, perhaps, than the state of origin for these two Representatives are the roles they play within Congress.

Waxman is one of the most influential and liberal members of the House. He is the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This committee is the main investigative arm of the House. So it is only fitting that he endorse Obama, the candidate who has spoken the most about reforming government.

Berman is also the Chairman of a committee, in his case, Foreign Affairs. His southern California district is over 55% Hispanic. Although the biggest minority in the country, their importance has been glossed over since the Texas primary. Due to demographics, most of the recent primaries have focused more attention on the black-white divide. Berman's endorsement should go a long way towards reassuring his Latino constituents about Barack Obama for the general election.

Finally, the symbolism of these two endorsements on the day that Bush stood up before Israel's Knesset and compared Obama's foreign policy approach to appeasement of Hitler should not be lost. In addition to Berman's foreign policy expertise, Waxman and Berman are two of the most prominent Jewish members of Congress.

The messages sent to George Bush and Hillary Clinton by these two endorsements are slightly different but equally clear. To Bush: your time is over. To Clinton: your time is not now.