Richardson endorses Obama, prods party

"He could have just waited for the controversy over the deplorable remarks of Rev. Wright to subside, as it surely would have," said Richardson, who is one of the nation's most senior Latino elected officials. "Instead, Sen. Obama showed us once again what kind of leader he is. He spoke to us as adults. He asked us to ponder the weight of our racially divided past, to rise above it."

The ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton, who stressed his background in foreign policy during his recent candidacy, also explicitly endorsed Obama's ability to handle national security. Hillary Rodham Clinton has promoted her expertise in this area and repeatedly questioned Obama's. "I trust him to do what is long overdue: End the Iraq war and bring our troops home," Richardson said.

The Clinton campaign dismissed the importance of Richardson's move. "I don't think it is a significant endorsement," said Mark Penn, the Clinton campaign's chief strategist. "The time when he could have been most effective is long since passed."

Richardson bristled at that statement, which he said was a stereotypical suggestion that he could wield clout and influence voters only in states with large Latino populations.

Richardson's votes of confidence in Obama on the issues of racial relations and national security in the wake of the month's setbacks may turn out to be very important, said Joe Trippi, a longtime Democratic strategist who advised failed Democratic presidential contender John Edwards.

"It gives a lot of other superdelegates cover to move behind Obama," Trippi said. "It gives him a big shot in the arm."

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noam.levey@latimes.com