Slowly but steadily, a string of Democratic Party figures is taking Barack Obama’s side in the presidential nominating race and raising the pressure on Hillary Clinton to give up.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is expected to endorse Sen. Obama Monday, according to a Democrat familiar with her plans. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s seven Democratic House members are poised to endorse Sen. Obama as a group — just one has so far — before that state’s May 6 primary, several Democrats say.

New Backing for Obama As Party Seeks Unity – WSJ.com

Rush Limbaugh was successful in negatively influencing Senator Barack Obama’s popular vote in Texas. It seems119,000 Republicans voted in the primary simply to cast a vote for Hillary as Rush believes she would be an easier candidate to beat. A few of the precinct captains in our voting location were concerned after talking to many of these Republicans. I told them while a few may listen that most of his listeners probably views him as a mouthpiece and entertainer.

I spoke to a few of these Republicans at our precinct. Some simply said they were doing something sneaky. Others were very angry. One told me “She got my vote today but I would never vote for a Democrat. I think that Obama guy is going to be president though”.

I did not think Limbaugh had that much mind control on his listeners but after seeing the small microcosm of what occurred in Kingwood, TX and empirically around the state, I stand corrected. I think he has a lot of influence on that audience that is predisposed to be led (Rush Robots ring a bell?).

Burnt Orange Report: Our Eyes Are Upon You, Texas.

Senator Barack Obama didn’t go on “The View” on Friday solely to talk about race and the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. He also wanted to address the gender issue. And if the fluttery response of the show’s five co-hosts is any harbinger, Mr. Obama will not have any trouble assuaging female voters if Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton drops out of the Democratic race for the White House.

Obama Communicates, Even Without Words – New York Times

Last week, Dean Snyder, the senior minister at the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington D.C. — which the Clintons famously attended while in the White House — released a little noticed statement offering a sympathetic defense of the totality of Wright’s work.

“The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is an outstanding church leader whom I have heard speak a number of times,” Snyder wrote. “He has served for decades as a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society. To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear. Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize.”

Pastor Of Clinton’s Former Church: Don’t Use Wright To Polarize – Politics on The Huffington Post

Would be a great compromise.

Hillary for NY Governor? | Newsweek Voices – Jonathan Alter | Newsweek.com

While many have given both Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice a hard time for their support for an administration that have been hostile to minorities (Katrina response, affirmative action support, etc). In each case she has been vocal at times quietly at odds with the administration. Her frank answers in this article is refreshing.

Rice hits U.S. ‘birth defect’ – - The Washington Times, America’s Newspaper

Yet another sane view on who Reverend Wright is. Not a sound byte but the composite of a real man however demonized.

I am completely saddened by the horrendous coverage of Rev. Wright’s sermon. Let me be clear. The tone used by Wright is vitriolic, non-inviting, and caustic. That said, most of what he said in the sermons are hard to stomach, however true. You must listen to the entire sermon in context. You can view some of the offending sermons at http://www.PoliticalTruths.info.

Our government and many of our people as well as many other countries have done horrendous things to our own people and to people around the world. Unfortunately we never get real coverage of many of these sins.

Examples:

· 10,000 Panamanians killed in Panama to capture Manuel Antonio Noriega and reported in the USA as 1000. They “had to die” because Noriega was purported to be selling drugs to us and harassing US citizens in Panama.

· Hundreds of thousands bombed and killed in Iraq to “liberate” them.

· The 9^th ward in New Orleans still decimated after nearly 3 years, while Bear Stearns and many other corrupt businesses are bailed out by the government.

If it is that this was entirely in our past, then rehashing it is not productive. However, the fact is that by ignoring these day after day, year after year, decade after decade, we do not do justice to our country.

Pointing out our faults and sins does not make us unpatriotic. In fact real patriots would in fact point out our sins as we can only become a better country if we become cognizant of them and make changes to become better.

God damn all our sins.

Another lie/exaggeration by Hillary on her National Security prowess. When will she realize that we live in the Internet age where all information is at our finger tips.

Nobel winner: Hillary Clinton’s ‘silly’ Irish peace claims – Telegraph

How does she have the moral authority to criticize Senator Obama about anything when deliberately lying like this. This is typical of many previous statements.