Courted Heavily by Both Candidates, John Edwards Gives His Endorsement to Barack Obama

By: Chuck Babington, Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - (AP) Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy.

The surprise endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary, and it helped the Obama campaign steer much of the evening news coverage away from a painful subject. The West Virginia outcome highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over "Hillary Democrats" -- white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January.

Edwards made the carefully timed announcement at an Obama rally here, as the Illinois senator campaigned in a critical general election battleground state.

STORY....

CHELSEA VISITS SPELMAN; EDWARDS STOPS BY JOYNER

Hillary Clinton's media-shy daughter Chelsea Clinton was a guest at Atlanta HBCU Spelman College on Wednesday, telling the packed crowd that she's "here to answer any questions about my mom."


According to the Associated Press, the former First Daughter seemed eager to engage with students — and indifferent toward the television crews and rest of the media throng surrounding her visit.


One audience member asked about the appeal of her mother's Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, to younger voters.

"I'm actually here today, to be honest, as part of a reaction to that," Chelsea Clinton said, explaining that she decided to assume a more vocal role in the campaign because she feels her mother's record, not Obama's, should be the most appealing to young voters.

"That message got lost in the story after Iowa," she said, referring to Obama's caucus win. "I'm here because I want to be a voice for those policies."

Chelsea Clinton responded to the students' questions with answers about her mother's health care, education and immigration policies.

"I don't think you should vote for her just because she's a woman," she added. "I think all that she's done should clearly inform what she will do as president."

Meanwhile, The Tom Joyner Morning Show aired excerpts of co-host Sybil Wilkes' interview with Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards during yesterday's broadcast.

The senator from North Carolina spoke about issues that mattered most to the morning show's audience. He talked about his strong stance against poverty in America, universal healthcare, improving the American economy and how to rebuild the city of New Orleans.

In response to Wilkes' question about his message getting lost among the hoopla surrounding front runners Clinton and Obama, Edwards said: "I am the underdog, I know that. I'm not the candidate of glitz. I'm not the candidate that's raised 100 million dollars. I'm the guy out there fighting in the trenches for what I believe in and I know that what I believe in resonates."

The entire John Edwards interview can be heard on www.BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Tensions Flare Between Obama and Clinton at SC Debate

BARACK OBAMA WINS IN IOWA

Could Barack Obama actually become the first black president? If what happened Thursday night in Iowa is any indication, he could very well be on his way to fulfilling that goal.

The Illinois senator captured the first Democratic prize on the road to the White House with a comeback win over former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who edged out one-time front-runner Clinton for second.


"We are choosing hope over fear, we are choosing unity over division and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America," Obama, 46, told thousands of cheering, chanting and foot-stamping supporters.


The third-place finish was a huge blow for Clinton, 60, the former first lady who a few months ago was considered in some quarters the almost certain Democratic nominee. She now faces immense pressure to turn around her campaign in New Hampshire over the next five days.


"Today we are sending a clear message that we are going to have change, and that change will be a Democratic president in the White House," Clinton, with husband and former President Bill Clinton at her shoulder, said in Des Moines.

Obama's win effectively makes him the candidate to beat among Democrats, and a win next week in New Hampshire could put him in prime position to capture the nomination. After Nevada on January 19, the next big contest would be in South Carolina, where more than half of the voters in the Democratic primary are likely to be black.


Obama finished with 38 percent of the vote, easily beating Edwards at 30 percent and Clinton at 29 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finished fourth at 2 percent.


Huckabee finished with 34 percent of the vote, ahead of Romney's 26 percent. Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson were tied at 13 percent, with Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 10 percent.


Entrance polls showed Obama won big among young voters and even beat Clinton among women voters as his message of change resonated with voters.


Meanwhile on the Republican side ...

Mike Huckabee capped a stunning political rise to beat rival Mitt Romney in Iowa, despite being dramatically outspent by the wealthy former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist.


Both Obama and Huckabee, 52, a former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister, once trailed better-known rivals Clinton and Romney in their race to be on the November election ballot.


But they rode a wave of grass-roots enthusiasm to victories by touting an outsider's message of change in Washington.


"Tonight what we have seen is a new day in American politics," Huckabee, with actor and supporter Chuck Norris nearby, told cheering backers in Des Moines. "Tonight we proved that American politics is still in the hands of people like you."


The 2008 campaign is the most open presidential race in more than 50 years, with no sitting president or vice president seeking their party's nomination, and the Iowa contest was the most hotly contested in the state's history.


Turnout among Democrats topped 220,000, smashing the previous record of 124,000 in 2004 -- testament to the high enthusiasm among Democrats heading into November's election.


For the winner in Iowa, the prize is valuable momentum and at least a temporary claim to the front-runner's slot in the battle to win the party's presidential nomination in the November election.


All eyes now turn to New Hampshire, which holds the next contest on Tuesday and where Romney and Clinton will face high-pressure bids to revive their candidacies.