FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Barack Obama strongly boosted his presidential prospects on Sunday, winning the coveted endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and ringing up a staggering $150 million in contributions in a single month of fundraising.
The endorsement from one of the country's most respected statesman-soldiers enhances Obama's credibility on national security issues, and his huge cash haul allows him to extend his crucial advantage on the television airwaves.
The Illinois senator's showing came as he continued to drive deep into Republican territory, stumping in North Carolina, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1976.
Republican John McCain campaigned Sunday in must-win Ohio, where polls show a close race, and spent part of the day defending running mate Sarah Palin's qualifications on national television and in a call with Jewish leaders.
The day's main stage, however, was a TV studio in Washington, where the retired four-star Army general ended months of speculation by crossing party lines to support Obama, who is vying to become the nation's first African American president.
"I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation . . . coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage; and for that reason, I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
Given his credentials -- as secretary of State for President Bush, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush's father, and national security advisor to President Reagan -- Powell's vote of confidence may allay concerns about Obama's readiness to be commander in chief, one of the Republicans' primary lines of attack.
"What that just did in one sound bite -- and I assume that sound bite will end up in an ad -- is it eliminated the experience argument," former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on ABC's "This Week."
For all its potency, however, Powell's endorsement may have been only the second most important political development of the day, coming hours after the Obama campaign announced its latest fundraising total in an e-mail to supporters.
The $150-million figure shattered the previous monthly record and, combined with the $49.5 million raised by the Democratic Party in September, gives Obama a gargantuan financial advantage over McCain with just more than two weeks to go in the race.
