More Valentines

Another super-delegate, this time from New Jersey, has switched from Clinton to Obama: Christine "Roz" Samuels, former Secretary-Treasurer of the Newark Teachers' Union, Local 481, and former Commissioner of the Essex County Board of Elections. According to this report by Beverly Davis:

A turn-off for Samuels was the "stuff that the Clintons did down in South Carolina." It didn't make her feel good about handing Hillary Clinton another vote. "I didn't like what I saw down in South Carolina and how the Clintons were running their campaign."

"Obama is a good role model and he's turning out the votes, not only in Montclair but throughout Essex County. Most of my family and friends are voting for Obama. That's the biggest reason I've switched over to Obama is because of the kids. They're our future and Obama gets them excited and involved," she said.

Also dumping Hillary (but not yet embracing Barack) is Pittsburgh super-delegate Sophie Masloff. Man, I haven't heard that name in years--Sophie was the unlikely but beloved Mayor of Pittsburgh awhile back. She's 90 years old now, and probably still living in that senior apartment building in Squirrel Hill, which was my neighborhood when I lived in Pittsburgh in the late 80s and early to mid 90s. As much of a character and a grandmotherly figure as she was even then, she was also an astute politician. Apparently she still is.

And all this was happening while Barack Obama was at home spending Valentine's Day with his family. Michelle Obama has said that he hasn't missed a special day, even a parent-teacher conference, since the beginning of the campaign.