KENNEDY PLANS TO BACK OBAMA OVER CLINTON- BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Senator Edward M. Kennedy intends to endorse Senator Barack
Obama during a rally on Monday
in Washington, this was confirmed their associates. This came after Mr. Obama’s commanding victory
over
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the South Carolina Democratic
primary on Saturday. The endorsement might give Mr. Obama further momentum in his
campaign for the nomination.Of all the endorsements in the Democratic
Party, Mr. Kennedy’s is viewed as among the most influential. Mrs.
Clinton said that she had not expected to get the endorsement,
yet aides conceded that they hoped Mr. Kennedy would remain neutral.Mr. Kennedy, the latest in a string of senators to get
behind Mr. Obama, is said by associates to be drawn to the Illinois
senator because of his ability to motivate a new generation of
Democrats.But in an interview on Sunday on the CBS News program
“Face the Nation,” Mrs. Clinton said she would not back off from taking
shots at her chief rival’s positions, saying, “It’s important we draw
these contrasts.” “The idea that somehow someone’s record, someone’s
words are off-limits, I’ve never seen that in American politics,”
Senator Clinton added. Democratic candidates
have not actively campaigned in Florida because of the party’s
decision, but that does not mean a race has not been conducted by
Florida supporters of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama. As of Friday night,
nearly 350,000 Democrats had cast early votes — exceeding the turnout
in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada — and party officials predicted that
roughly 400,000 will have voted by election day.