Clinton camp works to keep superdelegates

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) campaign, hit with the loss of a high-profile superdelegate, moved to retain and sway uncommitted superdelegates Thursday with polling data suggesting Clinton is more electable than rival and Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

Harold Ickes, a senior adviser to Clinton, circulated a memo to superdelegates and members of the press outlining a number of polls that show Clinton performing stronger than Obama against presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

{mosads}“The data shows that Clinton not only outperforms Obama in head-to-head match-ups, but is also stronger in the all-important subcategories that serve as bellwethers for a candidate’s overall strength,” Ickes wrote. “In addition, new data out today in three swing states vital to Democratic prospects in November show Clinton beating McCain.”

The Clinton campaign moved quickly Thursday to stanch the attention on Joe Andrew, a onetime Clinton backer and former Democratic National Committee chairman who publicly switched his support to Obama Thursday morning.

On a conference call with reporters, Clinton advisers tried to downplay Andrew's defection and his plea for an end to the Democratic nomination battle by saying that they believe the rest of the states should be able to have their votes counted.

“We believe democracy is a good thing,” Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton adviser, said. “We don't believe any group of officials ought to shut the process down.”