NJ Superdelegate Switches to Obama

by: Juan Melli

Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 12:48:58 PM EST

Last week Christine "Roz" Samuels, who had previously endorsed Clinton, said she was undecided. She's now backing Obama. [campaign press release]:

Christine "Roz" Samuels, a superdelegate from Montclair, New Jersey, who was supporting Hillary Clinton announced she was now supporting Senator Barack Obama for President today, citing his ability to unite the country:

"I now support Barack Obama because he has brought about a new wave of hope and energy to this country, especially among our young people, who represent our future. People want to see change. Barack can help unite this country and help us embrace our diverse nation.

"I am also proud to support Senator Obama because he spoke clearly and forcefully against the war in Iraq from the start. I know he has the leadership to make sure we bring our young men and women home as quickly and carefully as possible, and ensure all Americans have access to affordable health care."

Samuels served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Newark Teachers' Union, Local 481 from 1995 until 2007. Samuels is a former Commissioner of the Essex County Board of Elections, a member of the Montclair Democratic Committee, and active in the Montclair and state-wide NAACP.

Clinton loses a NJ superdelegate

by: Juan Melli

Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 05:17:01 PM EST

Democratic superdelegate Christine "Roz" Samuels of Montclair said she changed her preference for Hillary Clinton after the former president's comments about Obama's stance on the Iraq war, and after Hillary Clinton's comments about Martin Luther King.

"I'm disappointed in a few things that were said a few weeks ago by President Clinton," she said. "I'm going to have to revisit what I'm going to do between now and when we vote."

Bill Clinton called Obama's celebrated opposition to the Iraq war "a fairy tale," suggesting that while Obama had spoken out against the war in 2002 while he was an Illinois state senator, Obama had moderated his anti-war stance during his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign.

In January, Hillary Clinton commented that Martin Luther King's dream of racial equality was realized only when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Samuels, a member of the Democratic National Committee and the executive committee of the state NAACP, also said she was troubled by Hillary Clinton's comments that Martin Luther King's dream of racial equality was realized only when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.