Some great news!

Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.

“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”

Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate, he could not go against the wishes of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama.

“I’ve been very impressed with the campaign of Senator Obama,” Mr. Lewis said. “He’s getting better and better every single day.”

His comments came as fresh signs emerged that Mrs. Clinton’s support was beginning to erode from some other African-American lawmakers who also serve as superdelegates. Representative David Scott of Georgia, who was among the first to defect, said he, too, would not go against the will of voters in his district.

Here's a friend's comment on this news:

Cong. Lewis’ defection to Obama may not be the final nail in the Clinton coffin, but he will certainly be at the head of a stampede of defections.  Looking back, I think we will decided that this thing began to turn on Super Tuesday, and that between the Willhelm and Lewis defection it was over before Texas and Ohio.

Here are James Forman's comments:

My own 2 cents is that we will see more of this.  Clinton locked up the black power brokers a year ago, and that was all good while the polls showed her winning the black vote, which they did throughout all of 2007.  But now that black voters have heard from Obama and like his message and vote for him overwhelmingly many of the power elite will have to come along.  As an aside, though many of us found John Lewis and others frustrating, it wasn't bad for Obama that so many black leaders supported Clinton.  It helped define him as not the "black candidate" early on when that mattered.  Now he is in the unique position, and it truly is unique in America's history, of having overwhelming black support and huge support from across all colors of our rainbow.

In less well known but hugely important news, Southwest airlines announced a systemwide sale this morning.  This is a blessing to Obamans around the country, because they fly to Columbus and Cleveland.  Tickets are dirt cheap now ($49 one way from BWI to Columbus, which is barely more than gas fare), but buy fast because the cheap ones go quick.  http://www.southwest.com/ 

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February 15, 2008

Black Leader, a Clinton Ally, Tilts to Obama

By JEFF ZELENY and PATRICK HEALY

www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15clinton.html

MILWAUKEE — Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.