~~~~
"It's been a very difficult thing for me because I've never endorsed a Democrat before...but sometimes in life you come to a juncture where it's very clear the national interest trumps party discipline," former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach said in a noontime interview with Radio Iowa. Read more below.
Two updates below provide links to audio of Leach talking about his decision.
Leach Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach -- a Republican -- endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this morning.
Leach, as you may recall, lost his bid for re-election in 2006 after three decades representing portions of eastern Iowa in congress.
Leach was considered a "moderate" Republican and was a backer of campaign finance reform. Leach did not accept campaign contributions from political action committees.
Leach became a professor at his alma mater -- Princeton -- and then was asked to be the interim director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government when its director left to run for the U.S. Senate.
The institute's new director is to start September 1, 2008 and Leach will return to Princeton for the fall semester. Leach's wife has contributed the maximum amount allowed to Obama's campaign.
Of additional note: Leach shared an office with Dick Cheney when Cheney -- and Leach -- worked for Donald Rumsfeld in D.C. decades ago. Cheney spoke at a campaign fundraiser for Leach in Cedar Rapids in 2003.
*snip*
UPDATE: Radio Iowa story, with Leach comments. Includes 3 1/2 minutes MP3 file with Leach's comments at the beginning of a conference call arranged by the Obama campaign.
UPDATE II: Radio Iowa interview with Leach (7 min MP3)
*snip* Update IV: by 1:50 p.m. --
six hours after the story broke -- the McCain campaign issued the following statement:
"It’s rather ironic that someone like Jim Leach, a person who placed such a strong focus on campaign finance issues, would be endorsing the first presidential candidate since Watergate to skirt the public financing program in the general election......."
~~~~
Just shows ya: moderates are just as bad as iberals.
What an utter fool. He’s a disgrace and I look forward to his embarrassment when Barry’s campaign falls apart.