Bill Clinton irked by Obama endorsement

Laura Kurtzman

Associated Press Writer

During a private meeting with California Democrats this past weekend, Clinton grew red-faced as he talked about how he expected New Mexico gov. Bill Richardson, who was a member of Clinton’s Cabinet, to back Hillary Rodham Clinton for the presidential nomination or at least stay neutral, according to several people who attended.

Instead, Richardson endorsed Obama late March, saying he’s a “once-in-a-lifetime leader.”

“He sort of gets a little redder and redder and redder, but he wasn’t off the deep end as I had seen him in the past,” said Inola Henry, an uncommitted superdelegate. “It was sort of like, ‘Gee,I’m a martyr.’ He seemed more hurt than anything.”

Clinton used his appearance at the state Democratic Party convention in San Jose to lobby California’s 21 uncommitted superdelegates to support his wife.

After posing for a group photograph with the former president, superdelegate Rachel Binah told Clinton she was disappointed that one of his allies, strategist James Carville, had compared Richardson to Judas after he endorsed Obama.

Clinton, according to several people present, distanced himself from Carville’s remarks. But he went on to say that he had not expected Richardson to endorse the Illinois senator, especially since the New Mexico governor had invited Clinton to Santa Fe to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

“He did say he certainly had been led to believe that he was going to get the endorsement,” Henry said Wednesday. She was one of about 15 superdelegates—some uncommitted, others backing Clinton — who attended Sunday’s meeting with Clinton before he addressed the convention.