Clinton Loses NJ Superdelegate

(Source: Elizabeth Benjamin, The Daily Politics, NYDailynews.com)

Barack Obama's campaign announced today that New jersey Democratic superdelegate Christine "Roz" Samuels, who had been backing Hillary Clinton but changed her position to "undecided" following the "fairytale" and MLK comments by Clinton and her husband, has formally backed Obama.

This is, as far as I can tell, the closest to Clinton's home state the superdelegates battle has come so far. The bulk of the New York superdelegates are pledged to Clinton, and none of them has jumped ship yet, with most publicly insisting they intend to stick with her to the bitter end.

The statement from Samuels, a member of the Democratic National Committee and executive committee of New Jersey's NAACP, as released by the Obama campaign:

"I now support Barack Obama because he has brought about a new wave of hope and energy to this country, especially among our young people, who represent our future. People want to see change. Barack can help unite this country and help us embrace our diverse nation.

“I am also proud to support Senator Obama because he spoke clearly and forcefully against the war in Iraq from the start. I know he has the leadership to make sure we bring our young men and women home as quickly and carefully as possible, and ensure all Americans have access to affordable health care.”