WASHINGTON–Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn.), a superdelegate, in throwing her support to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is not asking Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to quit the race.
“I thinks Sen. Clinton should remain in the race,” she said in a conference call on Monday.
Klobuchar–who did not endorse earlier–said she was breaking her silence now because, in the words of her daughter, to stay silent was “awkward Mom, awkward.”
Clinton is under pressure to fold for the sake of Democratic unity and to avoid giving presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (D-Az.) a pass for now.
Clinton “has every right to continue her campaign. …I don’t agree with those who have said things to the contrary,” Klobuchar said.
She predicted, this “will come to a conclusion in early summer.” She told Obama of her decision two days ago and only asked in return–joking–that the Obamas employ her daughter as a baby sitter when they are in the White House.
Klobuchar did not feel comfortable remaining uncommitted. She was, she joked between “Barack and a hard place.”
“My best friends are the women in the Senate.”
In backing Obama, she cited the excitement he has generated and the work they have done together in the Senate.
“it was important for me not to remain silent.”
She said she did not feel pressured and signaled to the Clinton campaign the way she was leaning.
“Nothing like being in Costco and getting a call from a presidential candidate,” she said, not offering which one.
Obama’s win in Minnesota was a big factor for her. There was “not a lot of hand wringing on this,” she said.
