Sen. Barack Obama in a Capitol elevator. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo.)
by Frank James
Sen. Barack Obama visited the House today to make his case to those House members who are also uncommitted Democratic Party superdelegates and, understandably, his presence created much excitement.
As Congressional Quarterly (subscription required) reports:
Rep. Yvette D. Clarke's copy of Thursday's New York Daily News tells it all.
The freshman Democrat from Queens approached Sen. Barack Obama during his impromptu visit to the House floor and got him to autograph the front page, which features Obama's picture and the headline, "IT'S HIS PARTY."
Clarke actually supports Obama's rival for the Demoratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. A few minutes earlier she had sequestered herself, along with a few other Clinton backers, away from the mob of lawmakers who surrounded Obama, D-Ill., on the floor.
Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., D-Ill., a longtime Obama pal and political ally, taunted Clarke and her friends by calling out to reporters that they were staying away from Obama because "they're scared they're going to get elected."
(Susan Walsh/AP Photo.)
Obama generated quite a buzz on the House floor after a morning meeting with moderate and conservative House Democrats. His fate, like Clinton's, now seems certain to be determined by Democratic superdelegates, including many House members who have yet to declare their allegiance.
Between bites of an apple, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, one of the party's most liberal members, threw her arms around Obama, an apt metaphor for the embrace supporters say he is getting from the party after defeating Clinton in this week's North Carolina primary and holding her to a narrow victory margin in Indiana.
"People are warming to his campaign," Jackson said.
But Rep. Grace F. Napolitano, D-Calif., a staunch Clinton supporter, was decidedly cool to the unusual presence of a senator on the House floor. "I have a question in my mind whether it's kosher, whether it's ethical. I don't think he should be doing this on the House floor. This is the first time I remember him being on our floor," she said.
Man in Demand
As he made his rounds, it seemed as if everyone wanted a piece of Obama:
• Members of the Blue Dog Coalition met with him privately, in a Capitol Hill townhouse, then acted as an entourage as he made his way to the Capitol;
• Teenaged girls shrieked as he passed by;
• A Code Pink war protester beseeched him to vote against Iraq War funding;
• And retiring Rep. Charles W. "Chip" Pickering of Mississippi, a Republican, crossed the center aisle of the House to introduce two young boys to Obama.
Pickering's father was nominated to a federal appeals court judgeship but not confirmed after liberal interest groups portrayed him as racially insensitive.
What an entertaining montage as described by CQ reporters Jonathan Allen, David Nather, Alan K. Ota and Edward Epstein. Obama certainly seemed to get the conquering hero treatment. And for many, that's what he is.
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Comments
HE'S THE MAN!!!
Posted by: MLD | May 8, 2008 4:52 PM
Does anyone else get a sinking feeling here?
I really think the mainstream media (and the Nation has temporarily taken leave of its senses) is leading us down the path to ruin.
The ONLY way he can win is with Hillary as veep and there's still people on these blogs trashing her to high heaven.
We need BOTH of them on the ticket in either order at this point.
I still think there's a stench of corruption here that will come back to haunt us.
Posted by: Is it the Illinois' Combine's Party if he's the top of the ticket? | May 8, 2008 7:36 PM
Considering Obama's "not present" voting record in the senate, a couple of more appearances in the House might surpass his appearances in the senate!
Posted by: Gene in Illinois | May 8, 2008 8:10 PM