Edwards backs Obama for president
Thursday, 15 May 2008 09:56
Former vice president nominee John Edwards publicly endorses Barack Obama to become next US president
Former vice president nominee John Edwards has publicly endorsed Barack Obama to become the next president of the United States.
The North Carolina senator, who pulled out of the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee in January, backed Mr Obama at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last night.
Mr Obama is inching towards his party's nomination despite a late surge from former first lady Hillary Clinton.
Her 41-point win in West Virginia earlier this week may not have been enough to beat the Illinois senator overall but exposed Mr Obama's inability to attract white working class Americans.
But with Mr Obama by his side, Mr Edwards said that "voters in America have made their choice and so have I".
"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," he added.
Mr Obama said his former rival had run a "strong, principled campaign" that focused on universal healthcare, withdrawal from Iraq and the elimination of poverty.
Ms Clinton's campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe has dismissed the significance of Mr Edwards' move, despite the senator being sought by both camps.
"We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over," he said.
Only four Democratic primaries now remain to decide who will face Republican nominee John McCain in the race for the White House.