Doug Brooks (superdelegate)

Doug Brooks is a superdelegate in the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Bio

 * He was born in December 1944.
 * Brooks has lived in Joplin, (Newton County), MO, since at least 1982. He opened a full-time private practice in psychology there.
 * Brooks has served on Board of Governors at Missouri Southern State University (Joplin, MO) 2001-2007.
 * From 1979-1994, he was director of the Clark Community Mental Health Center. Also consults for Elm Acres Youth Home and Police departments in Carthage and Neosho (MO).
 * Married to Linda Brooks.
 * Brooks served in the US Marine Corps.
 * Has served on the Rural Electric Coop Board.

Money in politics

 * $250 to DNC (6/28/03).
 * $500 to Missouri Democratic State Committee (6/24/03)
 * $250 to Gephardt for President (6/28/03)
 * $500 to Gephardt for President (9/08/03)
 * $250 to Gephardt for President (12/29/03)
 * $250 to Gephardt for President (12/09/03)
 * $200 to Jeff Harris for Attorney General (D-MO) (6/12/07)

Affiliations
and
 * His first political activity was in the late 1950s, when he worked door-to-door on his father's city council campaign.
 * His first official involvement with the Democratic Party occurred in 1978, when he attended the Newton County Democratic Caucus in support of Jimmy Carter.
 * Brooks, running as the sole Democrat, was defeated in the race for Missouri State Senate District 32 in 1998.
 * Brooks has been a SuperDelegate to the Democratic National Convention from Missouri (2000, 2004). He was a regular elected delegate in 1988 and 1996.
 * Elected to DNC in 1996
 * Elected to Democratic National Committee (2008)
 * Frequently mentioned in conjunction with Dick Gephardt.

Endorsements

 * Member of Hillary Clinton Missouri Steering Committee
 * Publicly committed to Sen. Clinton
 * Quotation from St Louis Examiner, Feb 11, 2008: "Brooks, a psychologist, decided to back Clinton well before the Iowa caucuses and said he has no intention of changing his position, despite the request of several Obama surrogates who have prodded him since the primary. [Brooks later called this a "mischaracterization," since he has not really been contacted by anyone from Senator Obama's campaign.] Also said, "The reason we have automatic delegates is that the elected party leaders have a base of knowledge about the body politic," Brooks said. "The purpose of that is to have that stabilizing force. It wouldn't have mattered whether Clinton or Obama had one. I feel that my vote is an independent vote and it's designed to be that way."
 * Brooks is quoted in an article in the Joplin News-Leader (Feb 8, 2008) as saying that SuperDelegates are free to vote for whomever they choose and can change their mind at any time,and that he supports Clinton but could change his vote if it appeared that Obama was going to win the nomination. [In an interview February 23 he denied saying "If Obama appeared to be going to win the nomination" in this interview with the News-Leader.] "My commitment to Clinton is not an obligation as it is with elected delegates.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Portal:Superdelegate Transparency Project
 * Superdelegates in the 2008 presidential primaries
 * U.S. presidential election, 2008
 * U.S. presidential election, 2008/Congressional endorsements
 * Portal:2008 U.S. Congressional Elections