Barack Obama appears headed for Democratic finish line

At least 25 superdelegates reportedly poised to back Illinois senator

By John McCormick and Mike Dorning |Tribune

TROY, Mich. – With an expected late wave of support from congressional Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama appeared poised to secure enough delegates to earn his party's presidential nomination, perhaps even before the votes from the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana are counted Tuesday night.

Amid signs Monday that Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign may be preparing to exit the 16-month-old nomination fight soon, Obama appeared headed for the finish line with a potential victory rally Tuesday in St. Paul, in the same arena where Sen. John McCain is expected to accept the Republican nomination this summer.

"We feel good about the number of superdelegates that we've accumulated, and my sense is that between Tuesday and Wednesday, that we've got a good chance of getting the number that we need to win the nomination," the Illinois Democrat told reporters outside a distribution plant in Waterford, Mich.

A Democratic source said at least five to 10 House members would endorse Obama on Tuesday morning, at least 10 senators will endorse him by the end of the day and an additional 10 superdelegates will also endorse him during the day. That would assure enough delegates by the end of the day to clinch the nomination. The source declined to be identified because he was not authorized to disclose the information. Obama was about 40 delegates away from the nomination on Monday.

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