SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS/AP) -- The local co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, said the party would not be harmed if Clinton took her fight all the way to the National Convention.
“She committed to this process. She said I'm not going to back down and I guess the other surprise is why are so many people surprised by a politician actually doing what they said?” Newsom said speaking to reporters on Sunday.
Clinton picked up 38 delegates in winning Puerto Rico's primary by a sizable margin Sunday, but Obama gained 17 delegates there, pushing him closer to the 2,118 necessary to seize the nomination. The last two contests in their marathon primary, South Dakota and Montana on Tuesday, offer just 31 delegates, not enough to put Obama over the top.
The former first lady enters this week with an insurgent strategy not only to win over undecided superdelegates but to peel away Obama's support from those party leaders and elected officials who already have committed to back him for the nomination.
Advisers to both Clinton and Obama predict the some 200 uncommitted superdelegates will move quickly this week in making their choices. Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are eager to see the party united after the epic, nearly half-year primary battle and are loath to see a protracted fight to the convention. That group includes some of Clinton's most stalwart supporters, who have reluctantly concluded that it's time to move on.
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KCBS's Chris Filippi reports
