Civil rights leader John Lewis switches to Obama

The Georgia congressman, who had previously endorsed Clinton, says he wants 'to be on the side of the people.'

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — Civil rights leader John Lewis dropped his support for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid Wednesday in favor of Barack Obama.

Lewis, a Democratic congressman from Atlanta, is the most prominent black leader to defect from Clinton's campaign in the face of near-unanimous black support for Obama in recent voting. He also is a superdelegate who gets a vote at this summer's national convention in Denver.

In a written statement, Lewis said the Illinois senator's campaign "represents the beginning of a new movement in American political history" and that he wants "to be on the side of the people."