Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, who endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, actually thought Barack Obama would be a stronger candidate, a new book on the 2008 election reveals. The book, 60 Minutes reported tonight, says that Clinton was so sure she'd win the presidency that she was already making plans for office. But she didn't know that some of her fellow senators — whose support she thought she had — preferred Obama.
Reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann said tonight on 60 Minutes that there were a number of senators "who secretly and privately encouraged (Obama) to run behind Clinton's back" — including Nelson.
The authors wrote that several of Clinton's colleagues thought she would be too divisive — that Obama would be a stronger candidate.
"I had no doubt that this was somebody that was going to be like a magnet wherever he went," Nelson told 60 Minutes' Anderson Cooper.
"Were there a number of Democratic Senators who were privately urging Barack Obama to run?" Cooper asked.
"It is my understanding that they were," Nelson said. " And you would often see these clumps of senators talking or maybe it was one on one talking with Barak on the floor of the Senate. Ah Yes. "
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