You say Obama, I say Clinton

Democrats have a two-thirds majority on the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, but those two commissioners are split 50-50 on which Democratic presidential candidate they support.

Barack Obama’s campaign announced Friday afternoon that the Illinois senator had picked up two more Cincinnati endorsements – County Commissioner Todd Portune and Cincinnati Vice Mayor David Crowley.

Portune’s fellow Democrat on the county commission, David Pepper, endorsed Hillary Clinton early on and has become heavily involved in her campaign to win Ohio’s March 4 primary.

“Both of them are friends; and I understand they’re doing what they believe they need to do,” said Pepper. “But we have a lot of Democratic elected officials here too.”

Two Cincinnati council members – Roxanne Qualls and John Cranley – are backing Clinton, along with a number of Democratic mayors and council members in Hamilton County suburbs.

Crowley had been the highest-profile local supporter of John Edwards. When Edwards dropped out of the race, he said he was leaning toward Obama, but made it official Friday.
There was a sign Tuesday night that would happen.

Clinton supporters gathered at Crowley’s pub in Mount Adams to watch the Super Tuesday results. As the early results were coming in, though, Crowley was downtown at Sully’s Sports Bar where the Obama people had gathered. Crowley later stopped at the Clinton gathering in Mount Adams.