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Superdelegates asked to stall choice

By Donald Lambro and Sean Lengell
February 22, 2008

Democratic officials backing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are urging uncommitted superdelegates to wait until after the Texas and Ohio primaries, on March 4, before deciding who they will support at the presidential nominating convention in August.

"I've told all of my friends that I hope they will wait because battleground states like Ohio will be absolutely critical to our success in November," said former Democratic National Committee Chairman Steve Grossman, who is asking his fellow superdelegates to line up behind Mrs. Clinton.

With Sen. Barack Obama leading Mrs. Clinton by 94 delegates following his big win in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, Democrats on both sides of the campaign battle said the remaining 385 superdelegates who are uncommitted appear unwilling to endorse either candidate any time soon.

Carol Fowler, a superdelegate and chairwoman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, agreed, saying she doesn't see a big rush among superdelegates to make immediate endorsements.

"Understand, none of us have to vote until August [at the party convention], so it really doesn't make any difference if we announce today or in August," she said.

Only the superdelegates who are elected officials — members of Congress and governors — who face re-election have an incentive to make early endorsement in the hope it will help them politically, Mrs. Fowler said.

Gaetan DiGangi, a New Hampshire superdelegate, said he probably would only reconsider his endorsement of Mrs. Clinton if Mr. Obama is the clear front-runner after at least the Pennsylvania primary, on April 22.

But Mr. DiGangi added it's extremely unlikely one of the two remaining Democratic candidates will have a significant lead over the other before the party's August convention in Denver.

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