Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton is backing Sen. Barack Obama in anendorsement that could boost the presidential hopeful's nationalsecurity standing, The Associated Press has learned. Hamilton, whoduring a three-decade House career rose to be chairman of the ForeignAffairs and Intelligence committees, also was vice chairman of theSept. 11 commission. He planned to announce his endorsement of Obama onWednesday. In an interview Hamilton said he viewed the Illinois senatoras a champion of "the politics of consensus and not of partisandivision. I think he is driven by the search for the common good,"Hamilton said. Hamilton is best known as the top Democrat on the panelthat investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He also was co-chairmanof the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission that assessed U.S.policy in Iraq. Although Hamilton is not a Democratic superdelegate,his backing comes on the heels of several high-profile endorsements forObama, who leads
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in delegates for theparty's nomination. Sens. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania and AmyKlobuchar of Minnesota endorsed Obama in recent days. Hamilton is thehighest-profile Indiana Democrat to back Obama before the state's May 6primary. Sen. Evan Bayh and the bulk of Indiana's Democratic Partyleadership have campaigned actively for Clinton in a state whereneither candidate is regarded as a natural front-runner. Hamilton, oncementioned as a possible running mate for Bill Clinton, told the AP hebelieved Obama was the candidate most likely to unite the country.Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton is backing Sen. Barack Obama in anendorsement that could boost the presidential hopeful's nationalsecurity standing, "I begin by asking myself what kind of leadershipthe country needs at this juncture and I think, for me at least, theanswer is that you want a candidate that will try to bring together acountry that is very evenly divided,
a country in which partisanshiphas been very sharp and to try to get a candidate who will create a newsense of national unity and will try to transcend the divisions withinthe country," he said.
Slainte,
Rob Harrington
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