LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky congressman John Yarmuth endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Friday in the Democratic race for president.
Yarmuth, a first-term Democrat from Louisville, said he thinks Obama would help unite the political parties and improve the world's perception of the United States.
Obama is locked in a tight race with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton for the nomination. Republican John McCain is on his way to becoming the Republican nominee after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney dropped out on Thursday.
Yarmuth, speaking Friday in a conference call from Washington, said he picked Obama after "many months" of consideration.
"He is the only one who has the potential to create the type of broad personal mandate that will enable him to promote real change in this country and real progress," Yarmuth said.
The two first met in 2006 when Obama spoke at a party fundraiser that drew a few thousand to Slugger Field, a minor league baseball stadium in downtown Louisville. Obama twice visited Kentucky last year.
http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/312731.html