Senator John Kerry embraced the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama on Thursday, praising him as the only Democrat in the race who can inspire a movement to dislodge Washington partisanship and create a new image around the world.
“Who better than Barack Obama to bring new credibility to America’s role in the world and help restore our moral authority?” Mr. Kerry said, speaking at a large rally here. “Who better than Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics, so that Democrats, independents and Republicans alike can look to the leadership that unites to find common ground?”
As the Democratic presidential race moves into a nationwide primary fight, the timing of Mr. Kerry’s endorsement was intended to send a message by Mr. Obama’s campaign that some Democratic leaders are coalescing around his candidacy, despite a loss in New Hampshire to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. The battle between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton intensified as the field narrowed Thursday, with Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico dropping out of the race.
Mr. Kerry, of Massachusetts, who was the party’s nominee four years ago, did not mention Mrs. Clinton or John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator who was Mr. Kerry’s running mate in 2004. Mr. Kerry said he respected their candidacies, but he said Mr. Obama “has a superb talent, as all of you know, to communicate the best of our hopes and aspirations for America and the world.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/politics/11obama.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin