Carney endorses Clinton out of 'respect' for constituents' primary choice

As Sen. Barack Obama took the nationwide lead in superdelegate commitments, Rep. Chris Carney (D-Dimock) Thursday endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying he was following the will of his constituents.

"I have watched this primary process very closely -- and as I said I would do, I have weighed the temperament and leadership displayed by Senators Clinton and Obama during the course of this campaign,” Carney said in a statement. “We are extremely fortunate to have two very strong candidates vying to lead our nation. Pennsylvania's 10th District overwhelmingly chose Senator Clinton in the Pennsylvania primary and I will respect their decision. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to meet with Senator Clinton, and let her know Thursday that I am supporting her.”

Carney was unavailable for further comment according to Rebecca Gale, his press secretary. Carney was traveling with a congressional delegation to the U.S-Mexico border to evaluate border security, she said.

Michael Hagen, associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Public affairs at Temple University, did not find Carney’s endorsement surprising.

“I think it is a very tried and true political calculation,” Hagen said. “It would be surprising if he endorsed McCain.”

Hagen believes Carney endorsed Clinton to stay in line his constituents.

“This is a very republican district. He will obviously face a real fight in the fall,” Hagen said. “He needs to be extra sensitive to the voters this fall. That district went heavily for Clinton in the primary.”

At the end of his first term, Carney faces Republican nominee Chris Hackett for the 10th Congressional District seat in the November election. Hackett defeated Dan Meuser by a narrow margin in a hard fought, very expensive primary race in April.

Carney might have been concerned to endorse Clinton several weeks ago when the outcome was in more doubt, Hagen said. It seems reasonably clear that Sen. Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee and if Carney had endorsed Clinton earlier it might have rubbed Sen. Obama’s campaign in the wrong way and would have cost him down the road he said.

Hackett, however, had already seized on Carney's relatively late endorsement as a sign of indecisiveness. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Hackett said Carney was breaking a promise to support whichever Democrat won a large majority in the 10th District. (Read Hackett's press release here.)

"I am honored to have the support of Congressman Chris Carney," said Hillary Clinton in a statement. "Chris has run and won in a competitive district in a key battleground state. He understands what it takes to bring people together. I look forward to relying upon his advice and expertise on national security and foreign affairs as we work together to restore America’s leadership in the world.”

Carney’s endorsement comes after Clinton’s almost 10-point win of Pennsylvania’s primary several weeks ago and endorsement on April 30 from the president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, who is also a superdelegate. Bill George, the state AFL-CIO's chief, came to his decision after reviewing the results and the exit polls from Pennsylvania's primary election from last week.

Days after Clinton won the Indiana primary by a smaller than expected margin, she met with Carney and other uncommitted superdelegates Wednesday at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.