EDWARDS ENDORSES HILARY, GORE ENDORSES OBAMA… MAYBE?

As we move forward this week into the most prized primaries of Ohio and Texas, rumors abound that this is the way it will break down and announcements are eminent.

Former U.S. Senator and Democratic Nominee Candidate, John Edwards will endorse the troubled candidacy of Hilary Clinton. And in the other corner of this political boxing match, former Vice President Al Gore will come out and endorse Barack Obama, aka “Mr. Momentum.”

Given the high powered weight just one of these endorsements would carry, perhaps this is just what the Democrats need to ‘bust this process wide open’ and finally decide on a Democratic Candidate for the Presidency.

If Democrats continue this close fight within the party all the way to the Denver Democratic Convention; they are endanger of draining valuable time and resources that could be used in mounting their campaign against soon to be Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain. And this great exercise in a successful democratic process could cost the Democrat Party the White House.

Barack Obama Keeps Getting Within Striking Distance Of Being The Top Dem In The Race For The White House

Message To Hillary: Watch Your Back Girlfriend!

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are essentially tied for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the first time that the New York senator hasn't clearly led the field.

According to those we surveyed here at Three Brothers, these results are consistent with our own findings.

When asked whether Barack Obama can win, 38% indicated that he would get their vote regardless of if he won or not. An additional 11% said he will definitely win the Democratic nomination. The news, however, was not all good. 33% of those polled felt the best the Illinois bi-racial senator could hope for would be joining the ticket as Clinton's running mate, with 16% percent indicating that he doesn't have a chance in hell to pull this historic feat off.

No other major national poll has shown the Democratic race so close. An ABC News/Washington Post poll taken last Tuesday through Friday gave Clinton a 12-point lead. Mark Penn, Clinton's chief strategist, calls the USA TODAY poll "an outlier" that is "completely out of sync" with other surveys. He says it is "seriously flawed" for including so many independents unlikely to vote in Democratic primaries.

The freshman lawmaker bests Clinton by a single percentage point, 30%-29%, if the contest includes former vice president Al Gore. Clinton bests Obama by a single point, 37%-36%, if it doesn't include Gore.The survey of 310 Democrats and 160 independents who "lean" Democratic, taken Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points. The Illinois senator bests Clinton by a single percentage point, 30%-29%, if the contest includes former vice president Al Gore. Clinton bests Obama by a single point, 37%-36%, if it doesn't include Gore.The survey of 310 Democrats and 160 independents who "lean" Democratic, taken Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points.

Among Democrats alone, Clinton leads Obama by 5 points, 34%-29%. That's a significant narrowing from the USA TODAY poll taken in mid-May, when she led by 17 points. Among independents, Obama leads by 9 points, 31%-22%.

(USA Today)/Web Editor: Michael King

LOOK WHO'S LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE FUNDRAISING BANK

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL SENATOR OBAMA OUTRAISES DEMOCRATIC PARTY FAVORITE AND POLL FRONTRUNNER HILIARY CLINTON BY $10 MILLION

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama waded deep into the Democratic base to raise a record-breaking $32.5 million in the second quarter, his campaign said yesterday - besting Hillary Clinton by $10 million in crucial cash earmarked for the primaries.

"We have built the largest grass-roots campaign in history for this stage of a presidential race," said Obama, who topped Clinton overall by $5 million.

Team Clinton, which tried to cushion the expected blow from Obama by letting it be known days ago that the New York senator would fall short, said it expected to raise $27 million to $28 million.

Clinton raised only $21 million in money designated for the primaries, compared with a $31 million windfall for Obama.

In the first quarter, Clinton raised $26 million, edging out Obama's $25.7 million.

More than 154,000 contributors kicked in to the Illinois senator's coffers from April to June. More than $31 million will be used for the primaries alone, the Obama camp said.

His huge haul shows that while Clinton holds a double-digit lead in the polls, Obama touches a chord with the party's base, said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia.

"Obama stirs greater enthusiasm with the base, especially with small donors," said Sabato, who attributes Clinton's poll lead to her greater name recognition. "She's got higher poll numbers, and he's got better fund-raising numbers."

Obama broke the Democrats' $9.6 million second-quarter record for a nonelection year, set in 1995 by President Bill Clinton. President Bush holds the overall mark - $35.1 million in the second quarter of 2003.

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