The liberal advocacy group Moveon.org has endorsed Barack Obama for president, vowing to mobilize 1.7 million of its members in Super Tuesday states on behalf of the Democratic candidate.
It marks the first time the organization’s members have voted to endorse a presidential candidate in a primary. A majority of its members participating in an Internet poll after John Edwards withdrew from the race voted to endorse a candidate, and they favored Obama over Hillary Clinton, 70 percent to 30 percent.
On Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, 22 states will hold Democratic primaries and caucuses. MoveOn claims to have 3.2 million members nationwide, with 1.7 million of them in Super Tuesday states.
MoveOn pledged to connect many of its activists with Obama’s volunteer operation and to aid in getting out the vote for Obama, Fox News reports.
Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org's Executive Director, issued a statement on the group's endorsement that read in part:
"Our members' endorsement of Senator Obama is a clear call for a new America at this critical moment in history. Seven years of the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration have left the country desperate for change. We need a President who will bring to bear the strong leadership and vision required to end the war in Iraq, provide health care to every American, deal with our climate crisis, and restore America's standing in the world.
“The enormity of the challenges requires someone who knows how to inspire millions to get involved to change the direction of our country, and someone who will be willing to change business as usual in Washington. Senator Barack Obama has proved he can and will be that President.”
Obama was named the most liberal senator of 2007 by the National Journal on Thursday.
MoveOn, launched in 1998 after Bill Clinton was impeached, stirred up controversy last September when it ran an ad in the New York Times referring to U.S. military chief in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, as “General Betray Us.”
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