Sen. Kennedy backing Obama for president
59 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Two generations of Kennedy politicians — Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island — are endorsing fellow Democrat Barack Obama for president.
Obama's campaign said the lawmakers planned to attend midday event at American University along with his niece, Caroline Kennedy, who announced her support for Obama over the weekend.
Robin Costello, a spokeswoman for Patrick Kennedy, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the senator and congressman probably will campaign around the country for Obama, although no concrete plans are set yet.
In a television interview Sunday, Obama would not answer questions about an endorsement from the elder Kennedy. "Any of the Democratic candidates would love to have Ted Kennedy's support. And we have certainly actively sought it," the Illinois senator said.
Edward Kennedy's endorsement was highly sought after by all the Democratic candidates. Besides his status as a liberal icon and member of the Kennedy dynasty, Kennedy boasts a broad national fundraising and political network as well. "It's going to be difficult choosing," Kennedy said in October. "I've got a lot of friends who want to be president."
Caroline Kennedy wrote in Sunday's New York Times that Obama could inspire Americans in the same way that her father, President John F. Kennedy, did.
Another of Sen. Kennedy's nieces, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, issued a statement Sunday in support of Clinton.
Also Monday, Obama picked up the endorsement of author Toni Morrison, who once labeled Bill Clinton as the "first black president." Morrison said she has has admired Obama rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for years because of her knowledge and mastery of politics, but cited Obama's "creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom."
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