NYTimes Miscalls: Lewis Has Not Switched to Obama

Photo credits: John Nowak, NYTimes

According to the Atlanta Journal-Consitution the NYTimes story reporting that U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) had decided to drop his support for Hillary Clinton and back Barack Obama is ‘inaccurate.’ The AJC article indicated that Lewis press secretary Brenda Jones had not responded to a request for clarification.

The AJC reported that Georgia’s 13 Democratic superdelegates have pledged their support to Obama and Clinton as follows, with several remaining uncommitted:

“Congress. Lewis had been backing Clinton. Scott is now with Obama, as are U.S. Reps. Hank Johnson and Sanford Bishop. The other two, Jim Marshall and John Barrow, have not publicly committed to either Obama or Clinton. Marshall, who as a super delegate has never endorsed a Democratic presidential nominee, said he didn't feel the need to go through the process of selecting one this year either. "This is not a decision I may have to make," Marshall said Friday. "It's my view that the votes of the super delegates are likely to be muted long before we get to the convention." Marshall said he expects Clinton or Obama – "more likely Obama" – to gather the 2,025 delegates they need before the party convention convenes this summer. Barrow, a Savannah Democrat, has still not decided whom he'll support as a super delegate to the party's national convention, his spokeswoman said. "He's still uncommitted," spokeswoman Jane Brodsky said. Both lawmakers live in swing districts and so are wary of siding with a more liberal national Democrat unacceptable to their constituents, fearing it would cause a backlash against the incumbents in their generally conservative home areas. Of the remaining seven superdelegates, party vice-chair Thurmond has endorsed Clinton; union leader and DNC member Lonnie Plotts told the AJC he has committed to vote for Clinton; Carole Dabbs, former aide to U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, has reportedly agreed to back Clinton; and DNC members Mary Long and Richard Ray, state party chairwoman Jane Kidd and former President Jimmy Carter all say they remain uncommitted.”