Cardoza’s endorsement the first of at least 40 to come

US Rep Dennis Cardoza switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama today.

Cardoza also waded into the controversy over seating the Florida and Michigan delegations at the Democratic convention. “I will not support changing the rules in the fourth quarter of this contest through some convoluted DNC rules committee process. Yet, we must find a resolution” to the situation with Florida and Michigan, Cardoza said. “I believe we need to avoid this potentially divisive situation by uniting behind one nominee and bringing the party together immediately,” he added.

But according to Al Giordano of the Field, Cardoza’s move signals many more to come.

The Field has learned that Cardoza is the first of a group of at least 40 Clinton delegates, many of them from California, that through talking among themselves came to a joint decision that all of them would vote for Obama at the convention. They have informed Senator Clinton that it’s time to unite around Obama, and that they will be coming out, one or two at a time, and announcing their switch between now and the convention if Senator Clinton doesn’t do the same.

Former DNC Chairman switches to Obama

Joe Andrew, who was appointed DNC Chairman by Bill Clinton in 1999 and who initially endorsed Hillary Clinton, now backs Obama. Andrew, also an Indiana superdelegate, is urging other Hoosiers to join him in supporting Barack Obama.

Andrew said the Obama campaign never asked him to switch his support, but he decided to do so after watching Obama’s handling of two issues in recent days. He said Obama took the principled stand in opposing a summer gas tax holiday that both Clinton and McCain supported, even though it would have been easier politically to back it. And he said he was impressed with Obama’s handling of the controversy surrounding his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Wright’s outspoken criticisms of the United States have threatened Obama’s candidacy. Obama initially refused to denounce his former pastor, but he did so this week after Wright suggested that Obama secretly agrees with him.

“He has shown such mettle under fire,” Andrew said in the interview. “The Jeremiah Wright controversy just reconfirmed for me, just as the gas tax controversy confirmed for me, that he is the right candidate for our party.”

The “Truth” about the Gas Tax Holiday

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Economists and Experts Agree Obama Correct on Gas Tax

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ABC Debate compared to CNN and NBC

The Huffington Post has an interesting (albeit unscientific) analysis of how the ABC debate stacks up against the other 3 one-one-one debates between Obama and Clinton.

This debate over debates had me curious. Was ABC’s debate really in a lowly class of its own? Or were Obama backers (inside the press and out) just being overly-sensitive? So I went through each of the four one-on-one contests between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, starting with CNN’s debate way back on January 31, and cataloged every question, classifying them as follows:

• Policy and expertise: In this category, I put any questions about a candidate’s policy preferences or legislative record, as well as questions about a candidate’s experience (“Neither one of you have ever run a business, so why should either of you be elected to be CEO of the country?”).
• Non-policy questions: Questions focused on politics, including electability and the role of superdelegates, as well as those about campaign management, such as releasing tax records or accepting public financing.
• Scandal questions: Questions about hot-button, non-policy issues like Jeremiah Wright or Clinton’s Bosnia trip. (Note: this category does not include follow-up questions on these issues given to the opposing candidate; ie. Clinton being asked about Wright, or Obama being asked about Bosnia.)

Elementary school children in PA learn about politics

Fourth graders at Erdenheim Elementary School in Flourtown, Pennsylvania researched and debated campaign issues before casting their ballots for the Democratic Presidential nominee (no vote for the Republican nominee since that race has already been decided).

FLOURTOWN, Pa. — The primary race between Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama could be decided in places like this bedroom community in southeastern Pennsylvania, where polls show the two Democratic presidential candidates running tight.

So it was with obvious gravity that 74 fourth graders at Erdenheim Elementary School assembled this week behind the glass and tan brick walls of their classrooms to debate the campaign’s central issues. The children, most 9 or 10, then signaled their preferences for the Democratic nomination in a gradewide straw poll.

Friday Funnies

Dan Abrams of MSNBC shows highlights from SNL and late night talk shows. After the highlights, Ron Reagan, political commentator; Laurie Kilmartin, comedian; and Lawrence O’Donnell, political analyst weigh in.

Charlie Brown and Lucy on negative campaigning

AAUGH!!! Election 2008

(Yeah, I know. This video came out in January, but I’m just finding it…lol)

Obama addresses the “elitist” charge

A man at one of the town meetings is outraged by elitist charge and says that it’s bordering on “uppity.” He believes that Clinton should be called on it. Obama, as usual, is gracious and classy, preferring to say that he doesn’t think the attack has racial overtones.

(Hat tip: Think On These Things)

“Politikz iz hard”

Yep, someone has already posted a YouTube parody of last night’s “debate” moderated by ABC

Here’s another one

Headzup: The ABC Democratic Debate