Opinion: Report: Waters drops Clinton for Obama

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As other election news swirls, the Daily Breeze has this seemingly tiny but in fact very important story: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) has let go of her previously tenacious support for Hillary Clinton and is now a Barack Obama supporter.

The move is significant to anyone trying to figure out what Clinton meant when she said she wouldn’t be making any decisions this evening. Is she really going to try for the VP spot, or is she taking this all the way to the convention? Waters’ move signals that Clinton’s bid for the top spot is over.

Obama clinched the nomination based on primary results today in Montana and South Dakota.

Waters is an enormously influential figure in South Los Angeles and African American Democratic Party politics. Her endorsement is crucial to local candidates like Bernard C. Parks for county supervisor and Ron Wright for state Senate. Her slate card packs tremendous clout with voters.

She has been under tremendous pressure from other African American leaders to jettison Clinton for Obama, but she held firm. Until now.