By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has the support of many mainstream Democratic leaders in New York. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is among them. But her opponent in the Super Tuesday primaries, Barack Obama, has a growing number of loyal supporters here.
Many of Senator Obama's Buffalo area supporters are African-American. They include former Common Council President George Arthur, current Council members Brian Davis and Demone Smith and Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant. But Obama has some prominent White support as well, including that of former State Supreme Court Justice Robert Whelan.
Since this is Clinton territory, Obama won't be making a personal appearance here. But Arthur says polls are showing the race is tightening in advance of Tuesday's primary in New York.
Arthur admits Clinton is likely to win the New York primary. But he says he expects his candidate will prevail by convention time this summer. Arthur says he doesn't hold any hard feelings toward Mayor Brown for not supporting the African-American candidate in the race.
Obama supporters held a big rally at an East Side church Saturday and then passed out literature for the candidate outside other churches yesterday. Obama's Buffalo campaign operation says it has more than 400 volunteers.