Civil rights
leader John Lewis dropped his support for Hillary Clinton's
presidential bid Wednesday in favor of Barack Obama.
Lewis, a
Democratic congressman from Atlanta, is the most prominent
black leader to defect from Clinton's campaign in the
face of near-unanimous black support for Obama in
recent voting. He also is a superdelegate who gets a
vote at this summer's national convention in Denver.
''After taking
some time for serious reflection on this issue, I have
decided that when I cast my vote as a superdelegate at the
Democratic convention, it is my duty as a
representative of the fifth congressional district to
express the will of the people,'' Lewis said in a statement.
''As a U.S. representative, it is my role not to try to
subdue or suppress the will of the people, but to help
it prosper and grow.''
Lewis's
endorsement had been a coveted prize among the Democratic
candidates thanks to his standing as one of the most
prominent civil rights leaders of the 1960s.
He announced his
support for Clinton in October and has appeared on her
behalf on television and at events across the country, at
one point accusing Obama supporters of trying to ''fan
the flames'' of race against Clinton. She has
frequently cited his support in trying to establish her
credentials among minority voters, saying she saw her
campaign as a continuation of his work.
But Lewis came
under intense pressure to get behind Obama after his
constituents supported the Illinois senator roughly 3-to-1
in Georgia's February 5 primary, and about 90% of
black voters statewide voted for Obama, according to
exit polls.
His change of
heart follows a similar move by Rep. David Scott, a black
Democrat who represents a neighboring district. It also
comes a week after the Reverend Markel Hutchins, a
young Atlanta minister, announced he would challenge
Lewis in the Democratic congressional primary this
summer.
''I think the
candidacy of Senator Obama represents the beginning of a
new movement in American political history that began in the
hearts and minds of the people of this nation,'' he
said. ''And I want to be on the side of the people.''
Lewis's
announcement comes on the same day another superdelegate,
Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, endorsed Obama,
citing the presidential hopeful's record on trade.
The Obama
campaign also said more than 1 million people have
contributed to the campaign -- a threshold crossed on
Wednesday. Many donors have given $25 or $50, he said.
The average donation is a little more than $100.
''We have funded
this campaign at the grassroots level,'' campaign
manager David Plouffe told reporters on a conference call.
''It's really built on the backs of the American
people who are getting involved in this campaign. Most
of the people giving us money are also volunteering.''
Dorgan said Obama
has been supportive on key trade issues. ''He and
I feel the same way. We both believe in trade and plenty of
it. We just insist it that it be fair to our country
-- the rules be fair.''
NAFTA, the free
trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, is unpopular with
blue-collar workers whose votes are critical in the
Democratic primary Tuesday in Ohio.
Obama has won 11
straight primaries and caucuses since Super Tuesday,
increased his advantage in the all-important delegate count,
and attracted the support of his congressional
colleagues. On Tuesday he secured the endorsement of
onetime presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd of
Connecticut.
Clinton has been
endorsed by 13 of her Senate colleagues, Obama 10.
Dorgan was an
ally of former president Clinton and has been a vocal
critic of President Bush. As chairman of the Democratic
Policy Committee, he has led hearings on government
accountability issues related to the Iraq war and
hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.
Dorgan has built
a reputation for championing populist farm programs,
criticizing Republican free trade policies, and assailing
big business. (Ben Evans, AP)
