I disagree with Ana’s assertion that the SEIU endorsement doesn’t matter, because endorsements “don’t actually get people out to the polls.” That is precisely what unions do, and their endorsements are far from merely an “imprimatur,” as Ana suggests. Union endorsements are very different from, say, those of celebrities or politicians. That’s because unions back [...]

Things you think might matter…notsomuch.

His spokeswoman denies that he’s switched, Rep. Lewis himself hasn’t said anything. Greg Sargent follows up with the Times reporter: So he says, if this comes down to be a super-delegate vote — which he hopes and believes it will not — that he will support Senator Obama. But even more than that, he says [...]

Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger have announced that the 1.9-million-member union of nurses, childcare workers, janitors and other service workers has decided to endorse Barack Obama. Stern says the union’s executive board voted “overwhelmingly” to make the endorsement (with the union in Hillary Clinton’s home state of New York [...]

Supporting our troops:

143 Republicans worried about losing yet another vote beg Rep. Shadegg not to retire: Your intellectual consistency in defense of the Constitution and passionate articulation of conservative principles is in need now more than ever. We fear that without you and the long-term perspective you bring to every debate, our battles will be difficult to [...]

The man they love to hate. This: #1. States that have a lot of black people are insignificant and are not quality. (sorry Alabama, DC, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and South Carolina). #2. Small states are insignificant and are not quality. (sorry Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, North Dakota and Utah). #3. States in the middle [...]

The Service Employees International Union, one of the largest and most influential in the country, is said to be on the verge of throwing its support to Barack Obama, after earlier declining to endorse any candidate. And Congressman/Civil Rights Icon/Superdelegate John Lewis says he is* switching from Hillary Clinton to Obama: “In recent days, there [...]

• Audio of today’s conference call. A favorite bit: The assertion that Obama might be declining debates “because he thinks he’s winning.” Why, yes, I think that’s it. • “One Democratic operative said she can win on contrast ads ‘if it’s done correctly.’ The source added: ‘Think Mac vs PC ads. Huge attack ads, but [...]