(CNN) - On the same day Democratic leaders stressed party unity after the drawn out primary fight, one congressional Democrat said Tuesday he will not endorse Barack Obama's bid for the White House.
Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma's lone Democrat in Congress, told the Associated Press Obama is "the most liberal senator," and said he has to listen to the wishes of his own constituents.
"We're much more conservative," Boren said of his rural district which stretches across the eastern part of the state and borders Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas.
"I've got to reflect my district. No one means more to me than the people who elected me. I have to listen to them," Boren added. His congressional office confirmed the accuracy of the quotes to CNN.
Boren also said Obama's record "does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion." But the Oklahoma Democrat said he would vote for Obama at the party's convention in August because of the serious issues the country faces.
"I think this is an important time for our country," he said. "We're facing a terrible economic downturn. We have high gasoline prices. We have problems in our foreign policy. That's why I think it's important."
Watch: McCain and Obama go on the attack
Boren's comments come a day after Florida Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney also said he has no plans to make a formal endorsement. The freshman Democrat, who replaced Republican Rep. Mark Foley following House page scandal, told the Palm Beach Post he plans on remaining an uncommitted superdelegate and may not even attend the convention.
From CNN Politics
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Does Rep. Boren believe in evolution? Just wondering...
If the will of the people is to continue to follow a greedy, obsolete party such as the Republicans, they deserve all of the hardships brought upon them by four more years of the same broken policies that the Bush administration loosed on this country.
deb in az, I hope you can sleep at night when your family has to make a choice between filling up your car's tank or putting food on the table.
awww is someone up for re-election soon Mr. Boren?
Yes , I am so Glad that we have at least one that willing to stand up and not just follow obama blinley.
mccain /clinton
If Obama becomes president, he should bring this guy onboard. He has guts.
What an idiot. Maybe he should just pull a Liberman and defect to supporting John McCain. And to the comment prior to this by 'deb in az'. How can you say he doesn't know where he is going to take this country? He's had a more progressive vision than any candidate I've heard from in years. I suppose McCain knows where he is taking the country? lol. McCain will keep us exactly where we are, he has no economic sense.
I totally disagree, you have a loyalty to those who elected you yes, but that doesn't mean you turn on your party. His vote should be HIS, not his peoples. They all get their vote the same time he gets his. A official should not be held hostage by their constituency.
He is a rep, not a senator. He has no idea what is going on in the senate. Why vote for him then? What an idiot!!! These people acyuall vote on laws. OMG!!!!
Oh? He realizes that Obama is too liberal but, he's still going to vote for him? Only a Democrat could think that makes sense.
These are people who have money for gas, there homes, etc. They are not worry about the small people who are hurting at the pumps, homes etc. So when God see people like this he make sure he take care of them. I hope they wake up and see what's going on in the real world.
Thank God that some Democrats still have brains.
Speak to your other Democratic buddies before we lose this general election.
Obama is losing in the follwowing areas:
White men
White women
Catholics
Christians
Women
Older voters
Appalacian voters
Jewish voters
Latinos
Cuban votrs
Swing state and Big state voters
But he does have the African American voters and elitists.
The honorable thing for Dan Boren to do is to resign and run on the ticket of Republican Party. You can not get elected on the ticket of one party and then disagree with its core principals. You should disagree with the party before elections. In a nut shell Mr. Dan Boren, you have cheated those who voted you for your Democratic party ticket.
WHO CARE ????
This is what it is. Obama is the most liberal senator. Do you want USA to become another Russia (Soviet Union) with his socialistic agenda? I am sorry I cannot vote for Obama. Never. Obama is a total joke. Our European allies are lauging at us. Democratic party dopes not have a better candidate. Vote John MCCain.
This guy's just looking to make news. If he's going to vote for him anyway at the convention, then why does he need to bring this up? He sound like the Republican who refused to work for McCain against Obama, although he will vote for McCain in Nov. anyway! What's the point? It's the vote that counts, isn't it?
Good luck with that re-election bid, Congressman.
sure john mccain knows exactly where he is taking this country........to endless years of war in the middle east.
i am tired of people acting like being a liberal is sin. we tried being conservative and looks where that has taken us.
To
deb in az
He didn't say he wouldn't vote for him. He said he wouldn't endorse him. That is a big difference. Read the entire article he IS voting dor him at the convention.
A Democrat who votes for John McCain is really no Democrat at all. If you look at McCain's platform and Obama's platform they are worlds apart, as are the platforms of the two political parties. Yes, you should listen to the people that you represent but the flip side of that is that you have to stay true to yourself because that is who the people who voted you into office voted for.
1.) He is not going to endorse Obama but he is going to vote for him at the convention.
2.) He has to listen to the wishes of his constituaents by not endorsing Obama but believes Obama is more in line with them.
HUH?
Boren and Mahoney are an examples of why time after time Democrats manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And the reason we may spend a 100 years in Iraq.
Nonsense, just clear and utter nonsense. I feel Senator Obama dose know where this country is going but.....The question is this, if we vote for Senator McCain, this whole entire country is going to continue to go into the toilet!!!!
Are they Democrats or not? There's only one Democratic nominee, guys. What nonsense.
What a little pansy punk. Just look at him. He looks like he just graduated from high school. He should apprentice himself to the GOP as their little "punk boy."
I also agree with the Congressman. In my own state at least two Congresspersons insisted upon endorsing Obama despite the fact that their constituents overwhelmingly supported Mrs. Clinton. I hope they pay dearly for it in the next election too.
In fact, it was obvious the majority of the country supported Mrs. Clinton. I can't imagine the incompetence of a party letting it's most liberal wing and it's most liberal Senators sabotage it's chances in November, but there's the DNC under Howard Dean for you.
so.. whom is he going to endorse as per his CONSTITUENTs.. ??
Why didnt Bill Clinton/Mrs Edwards yet... what are they all waiting for ????
Gee a politician who represents his constituents...Novel idea!