Obama wins Sen. Rockefeller's endorsement

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 Kyodo

Sen. Barack Obama picked up an endorsement Friday from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, receiving a fresh boost in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Rockefeller threw his support behind Obama just days before crucial Democratic primaries Tuesday in Ohio and Texas, praising him for his long-standing opposition to the Iraq war and calling him the ''most qualified'' candidate to lead the country.

''Barack Obama is a uniquely gifted, brilliant and strategic thinker, who genuinely understands the hopes and desires of the American people,'' Rockefeller said in a statement.

''A leader like Barack Obama just doesn't come along very often, and as voters who care passionately about the future of our country, we cannot afford to squander this opportunity,'' he said.

Rockefeller, a West Virginia senator, joined the ranks of so-called superdelegates to the Democrat's national convention in Denver in August who have endorsed Obama.

The fresh support is a boon for Obama, an Illinois senator who has been waging a fierce battle for the nomination with Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Obama's winning streak in recent state-by-state primary and caucus voting has given him a lead in ordinary delegates to the national convention and put Clinton's candidacy in peril, leaving her needing to score a string of major victories of her own.

A first-time senator, Obama is seeking to become the country's first black president. Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, is vying to become the first female U.S. president.

Arizona Sen. John McCain is the Republican Party's presumptive nominee.

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