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Edwards Backs Obama for Democratic Nomination
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards threw his support behind Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday, urging the party to unite to send a Democrat to the White House.
Standing alongside Obama at a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., Edwards said poor Americans have been shut out of the health care and education systems. Obama, he said, would tear down the walls that divide the rich and poor with universal health care and educational opportunities for impoverished students.
"There is one man who knows this is the time for bold leadership ... and that man is Barack Obama," said Edwards, a former North Carolina senator.
Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee, quit the race for the party's presidential nomination in late January. Both Obama and rival Hillary Clinton had sought his support, and Edwards lavished praised on the New York senator in announcing his endorsement.
"She has shown strength and character, and what drives her is she cares about working people...and men and women in Iraq," Edwards said. "She's a leader in this country, not because of her husband, but because of what she has done."
The endorsement comes a day after Clinton handily won West Virginia's primary. But her victory did not change the dynamics in the race for the Democratic Party nod. Obama has a huge lead in the number of delegates who will select the nominee at the convention in August.
Edwards has 19 pledged delegates won in three states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Most of those delegates have already been selected, meaning they are technically free to support whomever they choose at the party's national convention, regardless of Edwards' endorsement.
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Clinton has promised to stay in the race through the final five primaries, as she tries to convince voters she stands a better chance of beating Republican John McCain in November's general election.
Obama hopes Wednesday's endorsement will give him an edge among the white, working-class voters who supported Edwards before he exited the race. Obama also signed on to an anti-poverty initiative that Edwards launched Tuesday with the goal of reducing poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.
From NPR staff and wire reports
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