From the The State, Columbia, S.C.
May 9--U.S. Rep. James Clyburn said sources in the "Obama camp" have told him that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama from Illinois has taken over the lead among unpledged Democratic delegates, the so-called "superdelegates."  During a conference call with reporters Clyburn said Obama has converted a number of superdelegates previously pledged to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton from New York, and that Obama took the lead in superdelegates this morning. Clyburn could not remember where the information had come from. Many news agencies' latest survey of the roughly 700 superdelegates showed Clinton holding the lead by just a few delegates. The Associated Press had the superdelegate count Friday morning as Clinton with 271.5 superdelegates and Obama 266 superdelegates.

From the Hotline [HERE] Clyburn also said that he and other members of U.S. House leadership had no plans when they would endorse a candidate as superdelegates, but that he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland and other House leadership would decide together when to endorse.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn tells NJ Contributing Editor Linda Douglass that any backroom deal that swipes the Dem nom from Barack Obama would devastate young people and blacks. He also argues that Hillary Clinton's pitch that Obama will do poorly with white voters is bunk. Unless HRC believes, too, that her take of the black vote during the primaries represents how she'll perform in the general.