By Jeff Mason
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee, dropped out of the Democratic race in January and was heavily courted by both Obama and rival Hillary Clinton in the past few months. He will make the endorsement at a Grand Rapids rally.
"I confirm the endorsement," of John Edwards, Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Obama retains an almost unassailable advantage in delegates who will select the Democratic nominee at the party convention in August. He gained the support on Wednesday of three more superdelegates, who are free to back any candidate, and the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Obama spent the day in Michigan looking past the race with Clinton to focus on a likely November match-up with Republican John McCain. He said the Arizona senator "is not offering new solutions or economic policies that are different from what George Bush has given us for eight long years."
Clinton returned to Washington for a round of media interviews and meetings with top donors.
She promised to push on through the last five contests in the hope her showing will bolster her argument that she is the Democrat with the best chance to beat McCain in November.
"I'm going to keep fighting until every last American has a chance to be heard, and as we learned last night in West Virginia, I know we can win," the New York senator and former first lady said in an e-mail plea for donations.
Clinton's campaign is $20 million in debt but her campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe, said she had the resources to compete with Obama and described her donors as "very excited, ready to go and ready to help."
Clinton added one superdelegate endorsement on Wednesday.
(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan, Ellen Wulfhorst and Jeff Mason; Editing by David Wiessler)
Source: Reuters, May 14, 2008