Republican, Ed Koch has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President today.  When asked why, Koch said  “[McCain's] designation of Palin as vice president.”  Koch said that he was shocked at the report about Palin banning books at the local library.  Koch went further to say.

“Any time someone goes to the library and says, ‘I want to ban books,’ and the librarian says ‘no,’ and she threatens to fire them — that’s scary,” he said. 

In Koch’s endorsement of Sen. Obama he wrote “the issue for me is who will best protect and defend America”

I have concluded that the country is safer in the hands of Barack Obama, leader of the Democratic Party and protector of the philosophy of that party. Protecting and defending the U.S. means more than defending us from foreign attacks. It includes defending the public with respect to their civil rights, civil liberties and other needs, e.g., national health insurance, the right of abortion, the continuation of Social Security, gay rights, other rights of privacy, fair progressive taxation and a host of other needs and rights.

If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency.

This is just common sense.  Who cares if Palin is a woman, are we going to jeopardize the security of our country just to elect a female as president? 

Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina has just endorsed Barack Obama for President!  Also, 34 House members are expected to endorse Barack Obama tomorrow.  The deluge of superdelegate endorsements has begun and Sen. Barack Obama should be able to claim the presumptive nominee status tomorrow perhaps even before the conclusion of the South Dakota and Montana primaries. 

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) – House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is endorsing Barack Obama for president.The South Carolina congressman told The Associated Press on Monday that he has started to phone the state’s superdelegates to ask them to get behind one candidate. When asked whether that candidate was Obama, Clyburn said yes.

Clyburn says he’ll make a formal endorsement announcement Tuesday.

The backing of the highest-ranking black member of Congress comes more than four months after Obama won the Democratic primary in South Carolina.

Obama needs just 44 delegates to get the 2,118 that are needed to secure the presidential nomination. Hillary Rodham Clinton would need about 200.

The rumor mill is a buzz with a rumor that former presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Barack Obama this evening at a rally in Michigan.  Rumor confirmed.  AP is reporting that Edwards has endorsed Barack Obama.  The Obama campaign also announced that there will be a “major national endorsement” tonight at 7pm.  Further, Edwards said a couple of days ago that he would be endorsing the person that he voted for in his North Carolina primary very soon.  Edwards has also been dropping other hints in the last few days by criticising Clinton for her comments about the “white vote.”  Edwards also said that he cannot figure out how Clinton could ever win.  I guess now would be as good a time as any seeing that Obama is about to clinch the nomination next week.  My question is will Edwards ask his his pledge delegates to vote for Obama at the convention?  I believe that he may still have between 8 and 13 pledged delegates.  Edwards actually won 18 pledged delegates some of which have already been reallocated.  Edwards can strongly urge his pledged delegates to support Obama but the delegates can now vote for whomever they please.

Rep. Pete Visclosky (IN) has endorsed Barack Obama, as well as Christine Schon Marques. Marques is the chair of the Democrats Abroad and is assigned .5 votes at the Democratic convention.  College Democrat Chairs Awais Khaleel (WI) and Lauren Wolfe (MI) endorsed Obama late last night.   Not sure how much of the Michigan vote of confidence by Lauren Wolfe will be counted.  Obama is also receiving the endorsements of 3 fomer SEC chairmen today, one of which worked for President Bush.  William Donaldson, who was SEC chairman for about 2½ years from early 2003, along with Clinton and Reagan appointees Arthur Levitt and David Ruder.

Clinton also picked up 1 superdelegate, Vicky Harwell, president of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women.

Congressman and superdelegate Brad Miller endorsed Barack Obama after meeting with Obama during the Senator’s visit to Capitol Hill today.  Miller released the following statement. 

“I will cast my vote as a delegate in Denver for Senator Barack Obama. The decision was not easy. Senator Clinton has run an impressive campaign, and has spoken eloquently to the concerns to working and middle class American families. She is one of the great leaders of this generation.”  Senator Obama understands that he has the chance not just to win the election this year, but to be a great president. Americans know that Republican policies have failed because their ideas are wrong. Americans know that our government has not acted to use Franklin Roosevelt’s words, as trustees for the whole people, but have taken the side of powerful economic interests on every issue. Americans want a fundamental change in course.  Senator Obama seized that opportunity. If Senator Obama and Democratic candidates up and down the ticket win this year and then deliver next year, we can build a consensus that will last a generation.”

Rick Larsen, the Congressman and one of the superdelegates for Washington state, gave the following reasons for his recent endorsement of Barack Obama.  

Larsen said Obama is “the best candidate to turn our best hopes for a better future into reality.”  He went on to praise Obama’s fortitude in North Carolina and Indiana by saying,  ”he can take a pounding and come back strong to deliver his message of hope and change. He is tough as nails…….This week, Senator Obama has proven that he is tough and resilient. He has shown that he can take a pounding, come back and continue to communicate with the public to deliver his message of hope and change.   In my district, Senator Obama has strong grassroots support.  He has inspired and energized my constituents like no other candidate.  I believe that Senator Obama will be the best President for our country. I have been particularly impressed by Senator Obama’s truth-telling on a proposed gas tax policy – a proposal which would make little or no difference for Americans paying too much at the pump.  Our country faces great challenges.  As President, I believe that Barack Obama can unite our country to overcome obstacles and deliver real change.”

Congressman and superdelegate, Brian Baird also of Washington state, endorsed Barack Obama today. Baird gave the following statement regarding his endorsement.

“Our nation faces extraordinary challenges domestically and abroad,” Baird said in a statement released by the Obama campaign. “I believe Sen. Obama will bring a vision of unity that will rekindle the very best of our society and help all Americans move past the partisanship of the past and into the progressive partnership of the future.  It has been many years since Americans, particularly young Americans, felt the sense of enthusiasm, hope and involvement that Senator Obama has inspired. We need to nurture that enthusiasm for the good of all Americans, and I look forward to working closely in Congress with President Obama.”

I guess Sen. Obama’s trip to the House floor during session today really paid off.  That puts the total delegates, including superdelegates,  for Obama at 1851.5, and for Clinton at 1695.  Obama needs 173 to hit the 2025 that clinches the nomination.  Clinton needs 329.5 to reach the 2025 number. 

Trickle, trickle, drip, drip. 

ABC News has learned that David Bonior, the campaign manager for the 2008 presidential race of Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, will endorse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, today.Bonior, a former Michigan congressman, was once the second highest ranking Democrat in the House, and is influential with labor unions.

Tuesday night’s results were said to be key to Bonior’s decision — specifically the fact that Obama’s lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, appears insurmountable.

Bonior is also said to like Obama’s general positive tone, as well as Obama’s message of change and stance against taking money from federal lobbyists.

The defections from the Clinton campaign have begun.  George McGovern, who endorsed Clinton back in 2007, has just endorsed Barack Obama!  McGovern is also urging Clinton to get out of the race.  The former Iowa Senator has been a long time friend of the Clintons since the then unmarried couple were instrumental in the Texas effort of McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign bid. McGovern says that he will call Bill Clinton to inform him of his decision.  UPDATE:  McGovern says that he has talked to President Clinton and informed him of his decision.  The former Senator also said that he and Bill had a pleasant conversation with no voices being raised.  McGovern gives as his reason for endorsing Barack Obama the following; ”the time has come for democrats to unite and get ready for a tough race against John McCain.”  He says that he is “hopeful that Sen. Clinton will see fit fairly soon.” 

In a statement released to the Associated Press on Sunday night,  Sen. Amy Klobuchar endorsed Barack Obama for President.  In her statement Sen. Klobuchar said Obama “has inspired an enthusiasm and idealism that we have not seen in this country in a long time.”  The Senator compared Obama to former vice president and Minnesota Senator, Hubert Humphrey.  Obama won Minnesota by a wide margin in February over Clinton.  The official announcement will be made later today.  Also, in an effort to begin the process of uniting the party, seven North Carolina Democratic House members plan to endorse  Obama as a group BEFORE that state’s primary on May 6th. 

Sen. Bob Casey endorses Barack Obama for President.  Sen. Casey is also a superdelegate.  The Senator makes his anouncement kicks ff a week long bus tour that Obama will be doing through Pennsylvania.  This gives Obama one more superdelegate as well as street cred in Pennsylvania.  Sen. Casey also has a lot of clout with working class Pennsylvanians as well as catholic voters. 

Former 2008 presidential candidate and current New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama for President!!  Bill Richardson is the nations only Hispanic governor.  Richardson was also appointed U.S. Ambassador of the United Nations and Secretary of Energy by Bill Clinton during Clinton’s administration.  This is a real coo for Obama.  Hillary and Bill Clinton really pursued this endorsement.  Bill Clinton pursued it so hard that he showed up in New Mexico, unannouced, to watch the Super Bowl with Richardson.  In his statement released last night, Richardson said, “I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America’s moral leadership in the world,”  Richardson further said, “[a]s a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama’s unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation.”  The New Mexico Governor will be making the official announcement later today.

Mitt Romney has confirmed that he will endorse John McCain for President in 2008.  This is a surprise because the two have been reported to have a real dislike for each other.  Many believe that Romney’s endorsement may help McCain get right with the right.  The former governor did manage to garner a notable amount of conservative support during his run.  Romney has said that he will ask his delegates to support John McCain, which will bring McCain much closer to the the magic number of 1191 needed to clinch the Republican nomination.  The pundits speculate that the move could put the bostontonian under consideration for the GOP VP spot.  The endorsement will happen today between 3:30 and 4:00pm.

The actor who has been recently designated the official UN Messenger of Peace for the Darfur region has endorsed Barack Obama for President.  When asked why Obama?  The actor said that Obama inspires him to do more.  It sounds like the ability to reach people with words really can generate change, as well as unite people around a better America. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, will endorse John McCain.  The California governor is expected to make the official announcement tomorrow.  If the endorsement of Florida governor Charlie Crist is anything to judge by, Romney needs to ramp it up a notch!

There are mumblings from the Giuliani camp that the former Mayor of New York will drop out and endorse McCain as early as tomorrow.  It’s official, Giuliani will drop out tomorrow evening and endorse John McCain.