WSJ, pg1: Obama Camp Begins Delicate Task Of Wooing Clinton's Top Supporters

[DeepModem Mom]

Obama Camp Begins Delicate Task Of Wooing Clinton's Supporters
By MONICA LANGLEY
June 3, 2008; Page A1

The awkward courtship has begun between supporters of presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

With the bitter, hard-fought primary season ending Tuesday, a behind-the-scenes drama is unfolding. Amid growing speculation that Sen. Clinton may pull out as soon as Tuesday night, top Obama strategists and supporters are wooing several of Sen. Clinton's key big-money donors, political operatives and policy advisers. A Clinton spokesman said Monday that her staff is focused on winning the nomination.

Still, communication between the two camps is on the rise. Among the moves so far: Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a senior adviser to Sen. Obama, has talked to Clinton supporter Leon Panetta, the former congressman and President Clinton's chief of staff, about endorsing Sen. Obama once the final primary contests conclude. Obama chief strategist David Axelrod recently chatted with ex-Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, whom the Obama camp will want to bring in for help with women and Hispanics. A top money man for Sen. Obama, hedge-fund manager Orin Kramer, is keeping a dialogue open with two of Sen. Clinton's finance chairs, Hassan Nemazee and Maureen White, one of Sen. Clinton's top fund-raisers, in hopes of moving their fund-raising prowess to his candidate soon.

The contacts aren't part of a concerted effort by the Obama campaign, but the result of numerous informal conversations among people who have known each other for years, including some who have worked together on past campaigns. "We're all Democrats and we're going to come together to beat John McCain in the fall, but there are still two contests left and that's our focus," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.

In a conference call Monday with the Clinton camp's top 25 fund-raisers, one of her senior advisers, Harold Ickes, asked them to a private meeting Tuesday with Sen. Clinton, who plans to do "what's best for the country," according to two participants. The fund-raisers voiced their loyalty to Sen. Clinton, even suggesting that they would move as a group to Sen. Obama when Sen. Clinton advised them to do so, these people said....

In anticipation of Sen. Clinton's withdrawal from the Democratic race, the Obama campaign plans to draw up a list of dozens of names for Sen. Obama to call personally, three Democratic insiders say. The Clinton supporters on his list are expected to include top fund-raisers and politicians in cities around the country, two of these people say. Sen. Obama is also likely to hold a small gathering with Sen. Clinton's top Wall Street and New York fund-raisers in the near future, says one person who expects to be invited....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121244952416039605.html

[papau]

1. Clinton can move herself and fund raisers to Obama - but only VP moves some supporters

[KSinTX]

2. He'd do well to make a seminal speech about women's issues

in a little while much as he did with race relations earlier. I think it's where Clinton may have missed the boat but left this open for Obama to tap into. I also think that in addition to making it just a speech, his campaign should form a working group on women's issues that incorporates targeted Clinton supporters (as well as some of his own). This would provide a forum for them to have their concerns heard and have them incorporated into his stump and platform. I think this takes this out of the realm of individual tastes and gets it back to campaigning in a unified manner against McCain on real issues.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I think that's an excellent idea, KS! nt