WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy will voice his support this week for the White House bid of Senate colleague Barack Obama, sources say.
Kennedy confidants told The Boston Globe Sunday the Massachusetts senator will join his niece, Caroline, and Obama in Washington to officially announce his support for the junior senator from Illinois in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Other politicians said Monday's announcement from Kennedy, one of the most recognized names in Washington, should be a significant boost for Obama's presidential hopes.
"The America of Jack and Bobby Kennedy touched all of us. Through all of these decades, the one who kept that flame alive was Ted Kennedy,'' Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., said. "So having him pass on the torch (to Obama) is of incredible significance. It's historic.''
The Globe said Kennedy's backing of Obama also is a major blow to the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who has been a longtime friend of the Kennedy family and has been focusing her campaign on her political experience.
