CREDIT: jb

Tennessee delivered a majority of its votes
to Hillary Clinton in the February 5th Super Tuesday primary, (which to some
observers now seems a hundred years ago). But after a summit meeting of party
leaders in Nashville Wednesday morning, the state’s Democratic hierarchy took a
firm unity stand on behalf of Barack Obama.

The move comes a day after the final two
preferential primaries of 2008, in South Dakota (won by Clinton) and Montana
(won by Obama) and at a time when Clinton has not yet conceded the
nomination, despite Obama’s having claimed a majority of the available
delegates, nationally.

Below is the press release from the
Tennessee Democratic Party:

CHAIRMAN GRAY SASSER REMARKS IN
SUPPORT OF SENATOR BARACK OBAMA

Nashville- Tennessee
Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser, alongside
Governor Phil Bredesen and Democratic National Committee member
Inez Crutchfield, gave the following remarks to a unified gathering of
supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator
Barack Obama at Swett’s Restaurant in Nashville:

I am pleased to announce today my support of
the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. I am even more pleased
to announce that my dear friend and devoted Democratic National Committee woman
Ms. Inez Crutchfield also announces her support of Senator Obama.

Last night the votes were counted. All
across the country, from Maine to Montana, two superior candidates drew voters
into the Democratic fold in record numbers. As a Democratic Party, we are ready
to unite. We are ready to work. We are ready to win.

To Senator Clinton and her supporters, I
offer thanks on behalf of the Tennessee Democratic Party. I thank you for the
enthusiasm, energy, and commitment you brought to this campaign. I look forward
to working with you to put Tennessee in the blue column this November.

Senator Clinton inspires me. Senator Clinton
speaks for me. When it comes to choosing between John McCain and Hillary
Clinton, I would choose Senator Clinton every day of the week and twice on
Sunday.

But that is not the choice we face today.

Today, we need to choose between two
superlative Democratic candidates, and I am proud to stand with the majority of
our party and our Governor and pledge my vote at the Democratic National
Convention to Barack Obama.

In the big picture my endorsement matters
very little. In the even bigger picture, you could say that my single vote
matters even less.

But Senator Obama draws an even larger
picture of America. He paints a picture of an America where we no longer define
ourselves by our divisions, but define ourselves by what unites us. And what
unites us as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, what unites us as
Tennesseans, is the belief that this country can do better.

This country is better than one that borrows
and spends at record levels. This country is better than the one that sends our
troops overseas without providing them with proper care when they come home.
This country is better than one that mortgages our future and sends those
borrowed dollars to Middle Eastern oil barons.

Standing alone, as I said, my vote does not
carry a single precinct. Standing alone, I can’t knock on enough doors. Standing
alone, I can’t make enough phone calls.

But standing together there is nothing that
the Tennessee Democratic Party cannot accomplish. Standing together, we can
expand our majority in the Tennessee State House. Standing together, we can
elect a majority in the Tennessee State Senate. Standing together, we can make
Wolf Blitzer roll his eyes, wring his hands, and check his earpiece as he
announces that Tennessee is in the blue column.