It146;s make or break for Clinton, superdelegates say

While hardly reflecting a groundswell, the superdelegates8217; comments underscored the concerns among some of these officials about the drawn-out Democratic race. It follows the embarrassing defection Clinton suffered Thursday when former Democratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrew switched his support from her to Obama and warned that the negative tone of the campaign was becoming a 8220;catastrophe8221; that would help Republicans.

Christopher Stampolis of San Jose, a superdelegate who endorsed Clinton after the Iowa caucuses, said he remains in the New York senator8217;s camp, but his commitment expires with the end of the primaries.

8220;When it8217;s done, all of us, whether we8217;re committed or not, we8217;re going to take a look,8221; at the final eight contests, said Stampolis, who until recently worked in external relations for a Bay Area environmental firm. 8220;Our job is to represent the constituents who trusted us to win the White House.8221;

Garry S Shay, a Los Angeles attorney, said that if Clinton remains about 150 pledged delegates behind Obama, the current estimated margin, he would have to 8220;reassess the entirety of the situation.8221;

8220;It doesn8217;t mandate me switching,8221; he said, 8220;but it does mandate me reconsidering.8221;

Stampolis and Shay were among the superdelegates on the keynote panel for the annual gathering of leaders of California8217;s Democratic clubs, which focus on grassroots organizing.

The superdelegates said they have been getting lobbied by supporters of both Clinton and Obama. 8220;I must have 100 letters from Clinton people asking me to stay with her, and about 10 Obama ones telling me I have to change immediately,8221; said said Alice A. Huffman, president of the California NAACP.

But Huffman said she intends to remain firmly behind Clinton. 8220;I could change my mind, but I wouldn8217;t change my mind until Hillary changes her mind,8221; Huffman said. 8220;When I get in with someone, I stay 8216;til the end.8221;

Neither of the Obama superdelegates at the convention 8212; Mary Ellen Early, an informations systems specialist from Los Angeles, and Alicia Wang, an ESL instructor form San Francisco 8212; said they would consider switching sides unless Obama specifically released them from their commitments.

Steven J. Ybarra, a Sacramento lawyer, and Robert Rankin, a retired Carson steelworker, were the only two uncommitted superdelegates at Saturdy8217;s gathering.

Obama on the rebound

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama appears to be rebounding from sliding poll numbers in the wake the controversy over his former pastor, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll released on Sunday. Among Democratic primary voters, the Illinois senator now leads opponent Hillary Clinton by 12 points 8212; 50 per cent to 38 per cent 8212; the poll found. Obama led the New York senator by eight points in a CBS/New York Times poll released just a few days ago.

Wants Pakistan8217;s help against Al Qaeda

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has said that there are new opportunities with the establishment of a new government in Pakistan and there ought to be better focus in hunting down the Al Qaeda. 8220;We now know that Al Qaeda is stronger than any time since 2001. We8217;ve just received additional intelligence reports from our agencies showing that they are growing in capability. That is something that we8217;ve got to address,8221; he said.