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Edwards endorses Obama in US race Edwards endorses Obama in US race
(30 minutes later)
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama has been endorsed by his former rival John Edwards. The former US Democratic presidential contender, John Edwards, has endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the White House.
Mr Edwards, who was John Kerry's running-mate in the 2004 presidential race, had been one of the few senior Democrats yet to endorse a candidate. Speaking alongside the senator at a rally in Michigan, Mr Edwards said Mr Obama was the one man who could make the lasting change that America needed.
Correspondents say his endorsement will damage Mr Obama's one remaining rival, Senator Hillary Clinton. John Edwards dropped out of the presidential race in January.
The announcement comes a day after Mrs Clinton won the party's primary in West Virginia by a wide margin. Correspondents say his endorsement will damage Mr Obama's rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, despite her victory in the West Virginia primary on Tuesday.
Mr Edwards made his endorsement in a speech alongside the Illinois senator at a rally in Michigan, although he also praised Mrs Clinton. 'Bold leadership'
"The Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I," he told a crowd of cheering supporters. "The Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I," John Edwards told a crowd of cheering supporters.
"There is one man who knows and understands that this is a time for bold leadership...there is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two - and that man is Barack Obama.""There is one man who knows and understands that this is a time for bold leadership...there is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two - and that man is Barack Obama."
Earlier in the speech he paid tribute to Hillary Clinton's tenacity, strength and determination and said she cared deeply about the working people of America. Mr Edwards spoke about the need to help the poor and provide better health care, and announced that Senator Obama had backed his new anti-poverty initiative, which aims to reduce poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.
Analysts say Senator Obama's campaign team will be hoping that Mr Edward's endorsement will bring with it his supporters among white working-class voters. Earlier in the speech he paid tribute to Hillary Clinton's tenacity, strength and determination, and said she cared deeply about the working people of America.
A former North Carolina senator, Mr Edwards dropped out of the presidential race in late January. Analysts say Senator Obama's campaign team will be hoping that the former North Carolina senator's endorsement will bring with it his supporters among white working-class voters.
Immediately afterwards both Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama actively sought his influential endorsement. Immediately after Mr Edwards pulled out of the race, both Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama actively sought his influential endorsement, but he had until now been one of the few senior Democrats yet to endorse a candidate.
'Tricky case''Tricky case'
So far in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mr Obama has won more of the delegates who will choose the party's nominee at the Democratic National Convention this summer. So far in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mr Obama has won more of the delegates who will choose the party's nominee at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
He has also raised more money than Mrs Clinton.He has also raised more money than Mrs Clinton.
The Clinton campaign has been hoping that she could pick up more endorsements than Mr Obama from the so-called "super-delegates", who get an automatic vote at the convention by virtue of holding a senior position in the party.The Clinton campaign has been hoping that she could pick up more endorsements than Mr Obama from the so-called "super-delegates", who get an automatic vote at the convention by virtue of holding a senior position in the party.
The BBC's Justin Webb says that with Mr Edwards's high-profile endorsement, Mrs Clinton's already difficult case has just become even trickier to make.The BBC's Justin Webb says that with Mr Edwards's high-profile endorsement, Mrs Clinton's already difficult case has just become even trickier to make.
According to a tally by the Associated Press, Barack Obama has a total of 1,887 delegates, leaving him just 139 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination, while Hillary Clinton has 1,718 delegates.According to a tally by the Associated Press, Barack Obama has a total of 1,887 delegates, leaving him just 139 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination, while Hillary Clinton has 1,718 delegates.