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Rev. Lowery: John Lewis will back Obama
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/26/08
The Rev. Joseph Lowery said Tuesday he expects John Lewis to formally declare his support for Barack Obama, perhaps today.
Lowery, like Lewis a veteran of the civil rights movement, said he spoke with Lewis in the past few days and said the Georgia congressman was set to make an announcement today. Lowery said he "assumes" Lewis will announce his support of Obama.
Lewis spokeswoman Brenda Jones did not respond to an email message early Tuesday.
A report more than a week ago in The New York Times said Lewis would cast his superdelegate's ballot at the Democratic National Convention for Obama, despite his having endorsed Hillary Clinton.
The following day, Jones called that report inaccurate but neither she nor Lewis has responded to multiple calls for clarification.
Lowery told a coalition of civil rights organizations on Tuesday that all of Georgia's 13 superdelegates should back Obama who overwhelmingly won Georgia's Feb. 5 presidential primary.
Superdelegates are state party leaders and elected officials who can vote for any candidate at the party's convention in August.
"We think it will be a violation of the basic promise of Democracy for the superdelagates to vote for anyone other than Barack Obama," Lowery said.
Lowery said he spoke with Lewis at the recent funeral for civil rights veteran the Rev. James Orange.
Lowery said Lewis told him that "today (he) was going to make an announcement about his shift."
"I hope he does," Lowery said.
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