Obama endorsed by former Idaho Gov. AndrusBy John Miller
Associated Press
Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:31 PM MST
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus endorsed Barack Obama Thursday for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying the U.S. senator from Illinois reminds him of John F. Kennedy.
Obama is to speak Saturday morning at Boise State University. Campaign aides said he's coming to focus on the 23 delegates at stake here during next week's "Super Tuesday" contest, when Idaho is among 24 states with caucuses or primaries.
Andrus, President Jimmy Carter's Interior secretary, said his Obama endorsement was stirred by the same emotions that prompted him in 1960 to travel to Lewiston for Kennedy's speech during that year's presidential race. At the time, Andrus was a young logger from northcentral Idaho in the midst of his first successful campaign for an Idaho state Senate seat.
"I was inspired that if Kennedy can be president of the United States, with the desire and ability he had, then I can be a state senator and I can follow along in public office and public service," Andrus told The Associated Press on Thursday. "No one since that time in the political arena has had the ability and that effect on people, until Barack Obama came upon the scene."
Andrus, who gave his endorsement at Obama's headquarters near Boise's historic train depot, said Obama is better able to inspire Idaho residents than his main rival, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
"He's a man wise beyond his years," Andrus said. "He has the ability to inspire people, to bring about the change that is so desperately needed -- a change in the economy and a change in that terrible destructive war in Iraq that has cost far too many lives, for no good reason. The people of America are looking for change."
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