Women's Group Plans to Endorse Clinton

Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is greeted by union members prior to speaking at the Communications Workers of America (CWA) National Legislative-Political Conference in Washington, Tuesday, March 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak - AP)

NEW YORK -- The political arm of NOW, the National Organization for Women, will endorse Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid on Wednesday, according to Democratic officials familiar with the plan.

Clinton will join NOW president Kim Gandy to accept the endorsement, which will take place at Washington's Sewell-Belmont House, the historic home of the National Women's Party.

"The NOW PAC is excited to close out Women's History Month with news that's sure to energize women's rights supporters across the country," Gandy said in an e-mail statement.

Clinton, a New York senator, has made a deliberate pitch to women voters since launching her White House bid in January. Earlier this month, her campaign unveiled "Women for Hillary," an effort to recruit women voters to talk up Clinton's candidacy to other women. A separate, Web-based component targeting younger women, http://www.icanbepresident.com, is another part of the outreach effort.

Clinton advisers point to 2004, when about 9 million more women than men voted in the general election.

Founded in 1966 by activist Betty Friedan, NOW is one of the oldest and best-known feminist advocacy groups in the country.

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NEW YORK (AP) _ Democrat Barack Obama has picked up the endorsement of Sheila C. Johnson, the ex-wife of media pioneer Robert Johnson, who is backing rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid.

"Barack Obama's campaign of change brings hope to America," Sheila Johnson said in a statement Tuesday, praising, among other things, the Illinois senator's opposition to the Iraq war. She also announced she will co-host a luncheon fundraiser for Obama in Washington April 19.

Robert and Sheila Johnson co-founded Black Entertainment Television in 1980 and sold it to Viacom for $3 billion in 2000, making them among the few black billionaires in the United States. The couple divorced in 2002.

Sheila Johnson now runs Salamander Hospitality, a resort and retail chain, and is president of the Washington Mystics basketball team.

Her spokeswoman, Martine Charles, said Johnson has supported both Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton in the past but shifted her allegiance to Obama after meeting with him to discuss issues facing the next president.