Sen. Chris Dodd endorses Obama!

From John Sullivan for the New York Times:

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a leading Democrat and an early candidate for the party’s presidential nomination, announced Tuesday that he was endorsing Senator Barack Obama.

Both Mr. Obama and his rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, had sought Mr. Dodd’s support after Mr. Dodd dropped out of the race following the Iowa caucuses last month. Announcing his endorsement at a news conference in Cleveland, Mr. Dodd said he was concerned that the campaign has become too divisive and suggested it had gone on too long. Mr. Dodd said on Tuesday that he had spoken with Senator Clinton before the announcement.

“I don’t want a campaign that is divisive here, and there’s a danger in that,” Senator Dodd said. “Now is the hour to come together.

The endorsement comes as polls show Mr. Obama’s campaign is gaining strength. According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, Mr. Obama has moved ahead of Mrs. Clinton nationally, with 54 percent of Democratic voters supporting him compared with 38 percent for Mrs. Clinton.

Mr. Dodd said he was initially skeptical of a presidential campaign by someone in his first term in the Senate. But he said that “Barack Obama is a 21st century candidate who will express the aspirations and hopes of so many.”

Mr. Dodd, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who was first elected to the Senate in 1980, is also a Democratic superdelegate.

The endorsement also comes just before Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, the last before a spate of critical primary contests, including those next Tuesday in Texas and Ohio. The debate, at 9 p.m. at Cleveland State University, comes after days of both campaigns increasing their attacks.

Mrs. Clinton has launched a concerted effort to question Mr. Obama’s credentials and his experience. In a speech on Monday, Mrs. Clinton compared Mr. Obama’s foreign policy experience to that of President Bush, saying “we’ve seen the tragic result of having a president who had neither the experience nor the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security.”

Mr. Obama has countered with criticism of Senator Clinton’s record, including her support for the war in Iraq.

The topic that has drawn the most attention is a photograph posted on The Drudge Report showing Mr. Obama in ceremonial African clothing. Matt Drudge said that the photo was sent by someone in the Clinton campaign, prompting blistering criticism from Mr. Obama’s camp. David Plouffe, his campaign manager, called the photo “the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party.”

It has not been independently verified who sent the photo. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign responded by charging that Mr. Obama’s campaign “should be ashamed” to suggest the photograph was offensive.

At the news conference, Mr. Dodd warned that such infighting could cripple the party’s chances against the Republicans in November.

“I know the temptations of campaigns,” he said. “It can get a little out of control, and we’ve seen a little bit of that this week.”

Standing on the podium near Mr. Dodd, Senator Obama offered a truce over the photograph.

“Do I think that is reflective of Senator Clinton’s approach to the campaign,” Mr. Obama said. “Probably not."