http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_056071209.html





Tierney keeps options open as sought-after 'superdelegate'

By Matthew K. Roy
Staff Writer
Sen. Hillary Clinton has called him. So has her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

John Tierney has also heard from Sen. Barack Obama, who asked the congressman to support his bid for the presidency. But the Democrat from Salem has yet to voice a preference.

"I have not publicly come out for anybody," Tierney said.

The recent attention he has received from presidential hopefuls and their supporters can be attributed to Tierney's status as a superdelegate. Superdelegates are Democratic party leaders and elected officials whose allegiance to a candidate isn't tied to the outcome of a primary or caucus.

Massachusetts has 26 superdelegates who are free to side with either Clinton or Obama at the party's nominating convention. Their importance will be magnified if the remaining primary contests fail to definitively determine the party's choice for president.

Tierney is one of six superdelegates from the state who haven't committed to a candidate. Eleven, meanwhile, are backing Obama. Nine are supporting Clinton.

"Initially, I was behind Chris Dodd," Tierney said of the Connecticut senator. "I wanted to give Chris a chance and see how his campaign played out."

But when Dodd, a friend of Tierney, dropped out, the congressman's endorsement was up for grabs. He spoke with various constituents supporting the remaining candidates in a field that then still included former Sen. John Edwards. If he couldn't support their candidate, they asked Tierney if he could stay neutral.

He has, and he has no immediate plans to endorse either Clinton or Obama. Both are appealing candidates, and their contest has energized the party, Tierney said.

The congressman is not alone on the sidelines. He is joined by Massachusetts Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and Congressman Ed Markey. Their neutrality stands in contrast to Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. John Kerry, outspoken supporters of Obama.

March 4, when voters in Ohio and Texas head to the polls, could clarify the race, especially if Clinton stumbles.

"If he does well, there may be a lot of momentum behind Barack, and he may be seen as unstoppable," Tierney said.

There "may be a circumstance" that compels him to choose a candidate before the convention this summer, Tierney said. His decision will be informed by numerous factors, such as the will of his constituents, what's best for the party and who presents a better challenge to likely Republican nominee John McCain.

Obama's string of 11 consecutive victories in recent primaries and caucuses has given him a total of 1,180 pledged delegates. Clinton has accumulated 1,026 delegates through the ballot box.

The tables are turned in the contest for superdelegates, where Clinton holds an edge, 238-178. The advantage cuts Obama's overall margin to 94 delegates.

It takes 2,025 delegates to win the nomination. In contests in 14 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, another 1,025 are still to be awarded. Clinton must win 57 percent of the remaining primary and caucus delegates to erase Obama's lead.