Senator Barack Obama eyed the crowd on Wednesday at a rally at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City.
OMAHA, NE – Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) today endorsed Barack Obama www.barackobama.com for President, citing Obama's ability to bridge the partisan divide and to carry Democratic candidates across the country to victory in 2008. "Those of us on both sides of the aisle who have made it our purpose to set aside partisanship to address some of the important issues of the day want a president that will join the effort, not foil it. Barack Obama, to me, represents the best hope for our own political reconciliation and a future where the cogs of government are working smoothly for progress instead of being gummed up by partisanship," said Senator Nelson. "Barack Obama will be the strongest candidate in the heartland, because he puts solutions and consensus fist and he inspires great crossover appeal among Republicans and independents." "Senator Nelson represents how Washington should work – he reaches across the aisle to make progress where there is common ground," said Senator Obama. "Senator Nelson understands that Americans in the heartland do not believe the country is divided into red states and blue states, they are ready to unite around a common purpose to bring the change we so desperately need. As a Governor and a Senator, Ben Nelson led the fight to bridge the divide between urban and rural communities, to expand health care for children, to boost the production of renewable fuels, and to strengthen our military. Independent-minded leaders across the country are joining my campaign because they know we'll need to unite Americans of all ideologies and from all walks of life to bring change we can believe in." Ben Nelson, serving in his second term in the U.S. Senate, also served as the two-term Governor of Nebraska. As Governor, Nelson expanded health care for children, produced balanced budgets, cut taxes for the middle class, expanded ethanol production, and launched a "One Nebraska" initiative to combat disparities between urban and rural communities. As Nebraska's Senator, Nelson has been a consensus builder who has worked to strengthen our homeland security, keep our promise to our veterans, and to support our agricultural economy.
Nelson, McCaskill Backing Obama
By ANNA JO BRATTON and SAM HANANEL – 13 hours ago
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama www.barackobama.com has won the endorsement of two fellow Democratic senators from the heartland — Ben Nelson, a popular moderate in largely Republican Nebraska and Claire McCaskill from Missouri, historically a bellwether in presidential contests.
Nelson said Saturday he believes Obama has ability to bridge the partisan divide and to carry Democratic candidates across the country to victory in 2008. Nelson, pledging his support for his Illinois colleague, said Obama has "the greatest potential to ending the bitterness and poisonous atmosphere in Washington."
McCaskill plans to announce her support for the Illinois senator Sunday, according to an Obama aide and a McCaskill staffer who spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the announcement.
Her endorsement is expected to be a major boost for Obama in Missouri, one of nearly two dozen states holding primaries or caucuses on Feb. 5, and could help Obama woo female voters in his race against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination.
The backing from Nelson and McCaskill caps a slew of big-name endorsements for Obama over the past week, including former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.
McCaskill has praised Obama often and was widely believed to favor the Illinois senator over Clinton. But the Senate freshman had resisted openly supporting a candidate until now, saying she wanted to preserve working relationships with Senate colleagues.
She said last week that she identifies with the desire for change that Obama supporters have reported to pollsters.
Nelson said Obama's victory speech after winning Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses was an effort to reach out to Democrats, independents and "enlightened Republicans," and that Obama's campaign epitomizes what Nelson has tried to do in Washington.
Obama is the "prototype of what we need today," said Nelson, who served two terms as governor.
Nebraska Democrats will choose a presidential candidate Feb. 9.
Nelson often votes with his GOP colleagues, and in 2005 won praise from President Bush, who called Nelson "a man with whom I can work."
Republicans hold all statewide offices in Nebraska except Nelson's seat, and enjoy a heavy majority among voters.
Anna Jo Bratton reported from Omaha, Neb., Sam Hananel from Washington.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/sarahramey/CjPd
Arizona and California -- two crucial Feb. 5th voting states -- began airing two ads for Barack Obama today.
You can watch the ad "Mother" currently airing in Arizona here:
And here's the ad, "Quiet" which is currently on the air in California:
For more happening in these Feb. 5th voting states, visit AZ.BarackObama.com and CA.BarackObama.com.
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