Obama welcomes Edwards endorsement

Thursday 15th May, 06:07 AM JST

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich —

It would have meant more in February or March, but John Edwards’ endorsement of Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination was welcomed nonetheless by a politician eager to turn the page.

Edwards’ surprise appearance at a rally Wednesday steered some of the attention away from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s landslide win over Obama in Tuesday’s West Virginia primary. Despite the victory, the former first lady faces long odds in trying to deny Obama the presidential nomination.

Edwards had been their chief rival from 2007 through last January. But after finishing second to Obama in Iowa, the former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee placed third in the next three contests, then left the race.

Obama and Clinton immediately sought his support, but Edwards stayed mum until Wednesday. The endorsement would have carried more clout had Edwards made it months ago, when the outcome of the Democratic contest was very much in doubt.

“We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I,” Edwards said to thunderous applause. He said Obama “stands with me” in a fight to cut poverty in half within 10 years, a claim Obama confirmed moments later.

Edwards told the rally that “we must come together as Democrats” to defeat Republican John McCain in November.

He also praised Clinton. “We are a stronger party” because of her involvement and “we’re going to have a stronger nominee in the fall because of her work,” he said.

Then as Edwards sat on stage and watched, Obama gave one of his most animated addresses in days, much of it devoted to fighting poverty. In America, he said, “you should never be homeless, you should never be hungry.”

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said in a statement: “We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over.”

A person close to Edwards, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he wanted to get involved now to begin unifying the party. Edwards and Obama spoke by phone Tuesday night, and Edwards agreed to fly to Grand Rapids the next day.

Edwards didn’t even tell many of his former top advisers of his decision because he wanted to inform Clinton personally, said the person close to him. His wife, Elizabeth, who has said she thinks Clinton has the superior health care plan, did not accompany him and is not part of the endorsement.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 58 Total Comments Show All

SushiSake3 at 04:36 PM JST - 15th May

Skipthesong - "I also noted that....Obama has voted with and alongside McCain on a number of things."

So? Is this illegal? Should all Democrats vote along party lines all the time? No, of course not, and thankfully they don't.
skipthesong at 04:39 PM JST - 15th May

But if - apparently - Sen. McCain has a worse voting record than Obama, where's your outrage over McCain??

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT MCCAIN! If he was garnering that rock star fame Obama was getting, be sure I'll be laying into him too. Face it - he's boring! He is a real politician flipping and flopping from issue to issue.

Understand one thing, I haven't liked any politician since I've been able to vote and I have notice the ones that have stayed true to themselves and their issues and people usually disappear.
SushiSake3 at 04:41 PM JST - 15th May

Skipthesong - "Anyway, would do you think it is low and not as important as global warming."

Can you please rephrase that? :-)

"Besides, what can he do that no one else has done? Aren't we still in the rehlm of learning what it is?"

Sure we are. What President Obama can do is place fighting climate change near or at the top of his administration's priorities, ramp up research and development into renewable energy sources....there's a whole raft of initiatives he can launch.
Sarge at 04:51 PM JST - 15th May

Republican Senator Bob Bennett of Utah, asked if he would accept the vice presidential nomination, said - get this - "Big house, big car, not much to do - why not?" Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
skipthesong at 05:08 PM JST - 15th May

sushi, I have to commend your faith in US politicians. Hope you hve that much for your own.
nucular at 05:30 PM JST - 15th May

sushisake 3 : "I was simply highlighting my assumption that many of those who have been "upset" about Rev. Wright's comments are the same sorry bunch who support bush ..."

It is an assumption. And it is yours. On those points only you are correct. You are free to think and say what you like.

But since you really don't know anywhere near as much about politics in America (let alone race) as you imagine you do my suggestion is that you stick to the topic.

How does the endorsement of a presidential loser like John Edwards help Obama?

Edwards' 6-bathroom, 28 000 sq foot home flies in the righteous face of the environmental (emphasis on mental, if you ask me) set.
Sarge at 05:36 PM JST - 15th May
John McCain and Barack Obama said they might campaign together. They're going to bill themselves as Ebony and History.
- Jay Leno
skipthesong at 06:24 PM JST - 15th May

sushi: home come you proclaim that Rev Wright's rant is nothing, yet people on Obama's team had Geraldine Ferrero booted?

How does the endorsement of a presidential loser like John Edwards help Obama?" Well, I guess any endorsement is good. I don't think he has anyone to pull over to Obama though.
GrouchyGaijin at 09:24 PM JST - 15th May

Speaking of endorsements, how come nobody hasn't freaked at John McCain's pastor, John Hagee, that "unique individual", at http://cufi.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage Now, ya really wanna talk about nutso? By THAT standard, John Edwards is a cool guy!
zurcronium at 11:37 PM JST - 15th May

the typical repub diversion tactics are playing out again. Who cares. Its over. Goodbye corruption and incompetence and hello brillance. What a refreshing change. And its too bad that the repub party is going down the tubes now with bush dragging his party into the commode. Could not happen to a more deserving criminal organization.

Would be great to see cheney in jail too at some point, where of course he belongs for his crimes against humanity.
WhiteHawk at 01:13 AM JST - 16th May

GrouchyGaijin:

Speaking of endorsements, how come nobody hasn't freaked at John McCain's pastor, John Hagee,

As I noted yesterday, Hagee is not "McCain's pastor", and he has apologized for his anti-Catholic comments. Maybe "nobody hasn't freaked" because we're paying more attention than you are.

Speaking of apologies, when are you going to apologize for your anti-Israel comments?
DanManjt at 02:04 AM JST - 16th May

Edward's endorsement signals the end of the end for Clinton. Barring a Gary Hart type June Suprise, Obama's got it wrapped up.

So, its gonna be Obama vs McCain.
nucular at 08:56 AM JST - 16th May

Wow. The headline reads:"Obama welcomes Edwards endorsement"

But zurcronium writes:"the typical repub diversion tactics are playing out again. Who cares. Its over."
Sarge at 07:36 PM JST - 16th May

Pretty Boy's endorsement of Obama signals he thinks Hillary's going to lose and decided this is a good time to jump off the fence.
super delegate at 08:54 PM JST - 17th May

Edwards has seen the writing on the wall, particularly the crude and misogynist stuff that young democrats who grew up with MTV and the anonymity of the net are putting out there -

http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=902