Obama Picks Up More Delegates in Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Democrat Barack Obama expanded his fragile lead in delegates over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday, picking up at least seven delegates as Iowa activists took the next step in picking delegates to the national convention.
Half the 14 delegates allocated to John Edwards on the basis of caucus night projections switched Saturday and Obama got most, if not all, of them.
Iowa Democratic Party officials said that with more than 86 percent of the delegates picked, Obama claimed 52 percent of the delegates elected at county conventions on Saturday, compared to 32 percent for Clinton. About 16 percent of the delegates picked at Saturday’s conventions were sticking with Edwards, even though he’s dropped from the race since Iowa held its caucuses in January.
Democratic Party projections said the results mean Obama increased by seven the number of delegates he collects from the state, getting a total of 23 compared to 14 for Clinton and seven for Edwards, with one to be decided.
Twelve automatic delegates bring the state’s total to 57. Obama has been endorsed by four of those and Clinton three, with the remainder uncommitted.
Counting Iowa’s results Saturday, an Associated Press delegate tally showed Obama with 1,610 delegates and Clinton with 1,496.
Obama won the state’s precinct caucuses in January with 39 percent of the vote, with Edwards narrowly edging Clinton to finish second. Projections on caucus night showed Obama getting 16 delegates, compared to 15 for Clinton and 14 for Edwards.
“It means the Obama people are very organized,” said Iowa Democratic Chairman Scott Brennan. “They have been working very hard for these conventions.”
Brennan said turnout was heavy, with more than 13,000 activists showing up at conventions in the state’s 99 counties.
“Today, Iowa Democrats again turned out in large numbers to reject the failed Bush-McCain campaign and its policies,” said Brennan.
Edwards finished second in the state’s leadoff precinct caucuses on Jan. 3, but those caucuses are only the first step in a complicated process of picking the state’s 45 pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.
The next step in that process was Saturday with selection of delegates to congressional district and state conventions. Party officials said the results Saturday marked the election of 2,173 of the 2,500 delegates who will go to those convention.
The epic presidential race between Clinton and Obama has been reshaped since Iowa’s caucuses, but is no less intense with every delegate carrying weight.
“Every single one counts and that’s why we’ve been here organizing,” said Teresa Vilmain, a field organizer for Clinton.
“We’ve filled all of our slots,” said Gordon Fischer, a former Iowa Democratic chairman who is organizing for Obama.
Rob Tully, a Des Moines lawyer and prominent Edwards backer, sent an e-mail to supporters urging them to remain neutral, but there was clear movement to Obama when the results were tallied.
“Barack Obama stands for a lot of the same things that John Edwards stood for,” said Ro Foege, a state legislator from Mount Vernon who switched to the Obama camp.
The county conventions are traditionally sleepy gatherings where party leaders have trouble gathering a quorum to conduct business, largely because the party usually has a nominee by this point. With the race still up for grabs, activists jammed school gymnasiums, auditoriums and meeting halls across the state.
Former Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Clinton backer, spoke to more than 1,200 delegates jammed into a suburban high school gym.
“The reality is we are united on one thing today, we are Democrats, we are proud Democrats and we are going to elect a Democratic president,” said Vilsack, who dropped his own bid for the nomination even before the voting began. “Let us pledge that we will unite behind our nominee — be it he or she.”
leave it to iowa to still have delegates voting for edwards, get with it people, he left the race. quit being stubborn and pick a new delegate. for gods sake stop being a group of whiners and pick already.
IS THIS INFORMATION TRUE?
Just a quick refresher course lest we forget what has happened to many
‘Friends’ of the Clintons
1 - James McDougal - Clinton’s convicted Whitewater partner died of an
apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key
witness in Ken Starr’s investigation.
2 - Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997
at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown. The murder happened just after
she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White
House.
3 - Vince Foster - Former White House counselor and colleague of
Hillary Clinton at Little Rock’s Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound
to the head, ruled a suicide.
4 - Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported
to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the
investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown’s skull
resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being
investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with
prosecutors. The rest of the people on the plane also died. A few days
later the air Traffic controller committed suicide.
5 - C. Victor Raiser II - Raiser, a major player in the Clinton fund
raising organization died in a private plane crash in July 1992
6 - Paul Tulley - Democratic National Committee Political Director
found dead in a hotel room in Little Rock, September 1992. Described by
Clinton as a ‘dear friend and trusted advisor’.
7 - Ed Willey - Clinton fund raiser, found dead November 1993 deep in
the woods in VA of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide. Ed
Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed Bill
Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was
involved in several Clinton fund raising events.
8 - Jerry Parks - Head of Clinton’s gubernatorial security team in
Little Rock.
Gunned down in his car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock.
Park’s son said his father was building a dossier on Clinton. He
allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files
were mysteriously removed from his house.
9 - James Bunch - Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he
had a ‘Black Book’ of people which contained names of influential people
who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas.
10 - James Wilson - Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging
suicide.
He was reported to have ties to Whitewater.
11 - Kathy Ferguson- Ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was
found dead in May 1994, in her living room with a gunshot to her head.
It was ruled a suicide even though there were several packed suitcases,
as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along
with Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Kathy Ferguson was a
possible corroborating witness for Paula Jones.
12 - Bill Shelton - Arkansas State Trooper and fiancé of Kathy
Ferguson.
Critical of the suicide ruling of his fiancé, he was found dead in
June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled
ed a suicide at the grave site of
his fiancé.
13 - Gandy Baugh - Attorney for Clinton’s friend Dan Lassater, died by
jumping out a window of a tall building January, 1994. His client was a
convicted drug distributor.
14 - Florence Martin - Accountant & subcontractor for the CIA, was
related to the Barry Seal Mean Airport drug smuggling case. He died of
three gunshot wounds.
15 - Suzanne Coleman - Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he
was Arkansas Attorney General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of
the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time of her death.
16 - Paula Grober - Clinton’s speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978
until her death December 9, 1992. She died in a one car accident.
17 - Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating Mean
Airport and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He slit his wrists,
apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
18 - Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at Mena Airport
with Casolaro and the 1980 ‘October Surprise’ was found dead on a toilet
June 22,
1993 in his Washington, DC apartment. Had delivered a report to Janet
Reno weeks before his death.
19 - Jon Parnell Walker - Whitewater investigator for Resolution Trust
Corp.
Jumped to his death from his Arlington, Virginia apartment balcony
August 15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan Guaranty scandal.
20 - Barbara Wise - Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with
Ron Brown and John Huang. Cause of death unknown. Died November 29,
1996. Her bruised, nude body was found locked in her office at the
Department of Commerce.
21 - Charles Meissner - Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John
Huang special security clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small
plane crash.
22 - Dr. Stanley Heard - Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health
Care Advisory Committee died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small
plane crash.
Dr. Heard, in addition to serving on Clinton’s advisory council
personally treated Clinton’s mother, stepfather and brother.
23 - Barry Seal -Drug running pilot out of Mena Arkansas, death was no
accident.
24 - Johnny Lawhorn Jr. - Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill
Clinton in the trunk of a car left at his repair shop. He was found dead
after his car had hit a utility pole.
25 - Stanley Huggins - Investigated Madison Guaranty. His death was a
purported suicide and his report was never released.
26 - Hershell Friday - Attorney and Clinton fund raiser died March 1,
1994 when his plane exploded.
27 - Kevin Ives & Don Henry - Known as ‘The boys on the track’ case.
Reports say the boys may have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport
drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report of death said,
due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the 2 boys
had been slain before being p laced on the tracks. Many linked to the
case died before their testimony could come before a G rand Jury.
THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
28 - Keith Coney - Died when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a
truck, 7/88.
29 - Keith McMaskle - Died stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
30 - Gregory Collins - Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
31 - Jeff Rhodes - He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash
dump in April 1989.
33 - James Milan - Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his
death was due to ‘natural causes’.
34 - Jordan Kettleson - Was found shot to death in the front seat of
his pickup truck in June 1990.
35 - Richard Winters - A suspect in the Ives / Henry deaths. He was
killed in a set-up robbery July 1989.
THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD:
36 - Major William S. Barkley Jr.
37 - Captain Scott J. Reynolds
38 - Sgt. Brian Hanley
39 - Sgt. Tim Sabel
40 - Major General William Robertson
41 - Col. William Densberger
42 - Col. Robert Kelly
43 - Spec. Gary Rhodes
44 - Steve Willis
45 - Robert Williams
46 - Conway LeBleu
47 - Todd McKeehan
Quite an impressive list! Pass this on. Let the public become aware of
what happens to friends of the Clinton’s.
HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT?
Sounds like the Godfather, huh? If you contribute to putting her back
into the White house, at least think twice about accepting a job
Finally, some good news! It’s great to know that some people can see through what the media is doing to try and ruin Sen. Obama. Good on them!
Way to go, Iowa!
Oh Yeah?
I don’t think that the comment “Obama stands for the same thing as John Edwards,” I don’t recall John Edwards ever supporting hate speech.
Oh to be so blind. Vilsack really thinks the Democratic party will be united in Nov? What a shame. The Dems are not going to know what hit them come November, we are so divided and so angry and so full of hate towards each other it is right down pitiful. Obama may win the nomination, but he will loose half the Democratic support come November, loose the independents, loose all those Republicans who crossed party lines just to skewer the primary, and McCain will win by a landslide. The question really is do we hate Obama more than we hate McCain and the Republicans? And the answer is yes, we do. And Obama’s folks will say, do we hate Hillary more than we hate the Republicans, and the answer is yes, they do. So, what happens? McCain wins, we lick our wounds for another 4 years, and we pray that if we are still standing as a country, the Democratic party will offer candidates we DON’T hate at the next election.
What in the World is wrong with these smart people? He says I don’t think that way and you just believe him…Hummmm….. McCain willn’t…
Fools!!!! They will be sure this country is run to the ground. Thats just what we need is a racist president. Let’s see how all of you Obama supporters feel when Israel is bombed and Obama does nothing.
God helps us all if Obama becomes President. I am 48 years, been a democrat all my life but I will go with McCain before I ever vote for Obama.