New York Times
"Endorsing Obama, Kerry calls him leader of 'Wisdom, Instinct and Vision'"
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Senator John Kerry embraced the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama on Thursday, praising him as the only Democrat in the race who can inspire a movement to dislodge Washington partisanship and create a new image around the world.
“Who better than Barack Obama to bring new credibility to America’s role in the world and help restore our moral authority?” Mr. Kerry said, speaking at a large rally here. “Who better than Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics, so that Democrats, independents and Republicans alike can look to the leadership that unites to find common ground?”
...“Since the birth of our nation, change has been won by young presidents and young leaders who have shown that experience is defined not by time in Washington or years in office, but by wisdom, instinct and vision,” Mr. Kerry said of Mr. Obama, who is 46.
Washington Post
..."Martin Luther King said the time is always right to do what is right," Kerry said at a morning rally attended by several thousand people, "and I am here in South Carolina because this is the right time to share with you, to make sure that we know, that I have the confidence that Barack Obama can be, will be and should be the next president."
..."Mile by mile on the long march of this campaign, the cynics have questioned whether this young leader from Illinois is ready. But you know what, the cynics may have spoken, but it is the people that will decide," he said. Kerry added: "When we choose a president we are electing judgment and character, not years on this Earth."
Charleston Post and Courier
...Kerry's appearance provided a surprise twist to Obama's packed rally at the College of Charleston's Cistern, which drew thousands of people, making it the largest political rally in Charleston in recent memory. Hundreds also stood outside along the iron fence.
..."It is the moral compass that I see and that I believe you see in Barack Obama that gives me confidence he will steer our country in the right direction. He was, after all, right about the war in Iraq from the beginning," Kerry said...
Kerry said Obama, now a U.S. Senator, promises a new brand of bipartisan politics that would bring citizens together to do great things. "I see Americans by the millions turned off from our democracy itself," Kerry said. "To them, politics has become a dirty word, and we've all seen too much of a politics that sells out the conscience of our country just to win an election."
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., believes Sen. Barack Obama has what Nevada voters are looking for.
..."Nevada is a state that cares a lot about moving the country forward," he said. With the state's rapid development, infrastructure and energy needs, voters here are looking for a candidate who promises to overhaul the system, he said.
"Nevada wants change. The whole country wants change," Kerry said in a phone interview on his way back to Boston from South Carolina, where he announced his support for Obama Thursday. "I haven't met anybody who doesn't think things can't be better. People are fed up with Washington, and Barack Obama represents change."
..."Barack Obama is not just glossy words," he said, listing among Obama's accomplishments ethics reform in Congress and children's health care in Illinois.
"He knows how to get these things done," Kerry said. "He's also smart enough to see pretty quickly that the place is broken. Some people are trying to reduce his rhetoric, but what great leader has not inspired?"
Los Angeles Times
...Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) won what was easily the day's top prize -- the backing of Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, the party's 2004 nominee. Kerry announced his support during a surprise appearance with Obama in South Carolina, where Democrats cast primary ballots Jan. 26.
...Some African American women who attended Obama's rally said they felt torn between the Democratic front-runners, but had decided to choose youth over experience.
Irma Greene, 78, said Obama reminded her of John F. Kennedy. "President Kennedy was young, and this young man needs a chance," said Greene. "We love Hillary, but we need Obama now."
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