This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7401899.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 5 | Version 6 |
---|---|
Edwards endorses Obama in US race | Edwards endorses Obama in US race |
(38 minutes later) | |
The former US Democratic presidential contender, John Edwards, has endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the White House. | The former US Democratic presidential contender, John Edwards, has endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the White House. |
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. | 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. |
John Edwards dropped out of the presidential race in January. | John Edwards dropped out of the presidential race in January. |
Correspondents say his endorsement will damage Mr Obama's rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, despite her victory in the West Virginia primary on Tuesday. | Correspondents say his endorsement will damage Mr Obama's rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, despite her victory in the West Virginia primary on Tuesday. |
'Bold leadership' | 'Bold leadership' |
"The Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I," John Edwards told a crowd of cheering supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. | |
"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." |
class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7401992.stm">Edwards plays kingmaker card 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. | |
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. | 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. |
Correspondents say the timing of the announcement is significant, on a day when Hillary Clinton has been celebrating a big win in West Virginia which was largely down to her support among poorer white voters - a constituency with which John Edwards is most closely identified. | Correspondents say the timing of the announcement is significant, on a day when Hillary Clinton has been celebrating a big win in West Virginia which was largely down to her support among poorer white voters - a constituency with which John Edwards is most closely identified. |
'Far from over' | |
Both Senators Obama and Clinton had been heavily courting Mr Edward's endorsement, as soon as he had stood down from the race in January. | Both Senators Obama and Clinton had been heavily courting Mr Edward's endorsement, as soon as he had stood down from the race in January. |
But as news of the announcement broke, Senator Clinton's campaign team dismissed its significance. | But as news of the announcement broke, Senator Clinton's campaign team dismissed its significance. |
Hillary Clinton had a big win in West Virginia on Tuesday | |
"We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over," Clinton's 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," Clinton's campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe, said in a statement. |
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. | 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. |