Edwards endorsement pays off for Obama

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By The Associated Press | Thursday, May 15, 2008 11:25 AM CDT | () comments

The endorsement from former presidential hopeful John Edwards, right, is paying off for Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama collected the support of four of John Edwards’ Democratic National Convention delegates this morning, then gained the backing of a West Coast congressman and a large labor union as he marched steadily toward the party’s presidential nomination.

The fresh support brought Obama’s overall delegate total to 1,892, compared to 1718 for his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton. It takes 2,026 to clinch the nomination at the party convention in Denver this summer.

Edwards, who bestowed his long-sought endorsement on Obama on Wednesday, won 19 delegates before departing the presidential race in January.

Within hours, Obama picked up the backing of three of them from South Carolina and one in New Hampshire.

In addition, U.S. Rep. James McDermott, a superdelegate, endorsed Obama. “I believe now is the time to unite behind Barack Obama so we can be in the strongest place possible to win in November,” he said.

Edwards also had been backed by the United Steelworkers Union, which announced it would now support Obama. The union has 600,000 active members.

The increased support came despite Obama’s overwhelming defeat in Tuesday’s primary in West Virginia, and suggested that Clinton’s attempt to argue that she would be a better general election candidate was not finding a receptive audience.

The former first lady is favored to win next week’s primary in Kentucky, while Obama is expected to win in Oregon the same day.

With the primary season winding down, both Clinton and Obama have turned their attention increasingly to the superdelegates, the members of Congress and other party officials who have seats at the convention by virtue of their positions.

Obama long trailed Clinton among superdelegates, but overtook her last week, and has pulled further away despite suffering one of his worst defeats in the campaign in West Virginia.