ASSOCIATED PRESS: PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is endorsing Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, The Associated Press has learned. The endorsement is a major gain for Obama in his race against chief rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. Napolitano, one of
several female governors, is the most prominent Democrat in Arizona and her endorsement could be significant in a state now regarded as winnable by a Democrat after decades as a near-lock for Republicans. The state holds its primary Feb. 5. Napolitano was elected governor in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. She previously was U.S. attorney for Arizona during most of the Clinton administration and then served a four-year term as the elected state attorney general. MORE
RELATED: (AGI) – Washington, Jan. 11 — John Kerry’s decision to join Barak Obama represents a slap in the face to Hillary Clinton who had courted to no avail the former democratic candidate defeated by George W. 
Bush in 2004, and an even greater slap in the face to John Edwards, who at the time was Kerry’s deputy in the unlucky race. It is not by chance that Obama chose to specifically make the announcement in South Carolina, where voters are called to the ballot boxes on January 26…Relations between Kerry and the vice-presidential candidate soured right after their failed election to the White House…mudslinging ensued, an example being the chapter of Elisabeth Edwards‘ memoirs where John Edwards’ wife narrates how she had invited the Kerrys over to Wendy’s for their wedding anniversary, only to later discover that the couple had ordered for a luxury catering to be arranged on their campaign bus in the event that they did not appreciate their fast food celebration. The Kerrys replied that the catering had been arranged for actor Ben Affleck who at the time was travelling with them. MORE
RELATED: The Texas advertising guru and branding whiz, who spent most of October on a spiritual soul
quest, trying to reconnect with “the heart of America,” has been tapped for a bigger role in Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Roy Spence, 60, a longtime friend of the Clintons, is the quirky Austin-based advertising legend who coined the phrase “Don’t Mess With Texas,” and developed the Southwest Airlines slogan, “You are now free to move about the country.” MORE
RELATED: First of all, before we get too enthusiastic about feminist solidarity or wax knowingly about New Hampshire Democrats’ traditional soft-heartedness toward the Clinton family, let’s ponder yet again the possibility of tainted results, which is such an unfun prospect most of the media can’t bear to remember that all the problems we’ve had with electronic voting machines — and Diebold machines in particular, which dominate 
New Hampshire polling places — remain unsolved…So when she emerged from the Tuesday primary with an 8,000-vote and 3-percentage-point victory over Obama, perhaps — considering the notorious unreliability, not to mention hackability, of Diebold machines — the media might have hoisted a few red flags in the coverage, rather than immediately chalk the results up to Clinton’s tears and voter unpredictability. (Oh, if only more reporters considered red flags patriotic.) MORE
RELATED: I don’t trust the “Diebold Factor” either. However, I must say this… I live in central NH and I volunteered in our small town to work on the voter checklist and to count votes on Tuesday evening…I was hoping Obama would win, but the Clinton votes kept adding up…As much as I’d like to blame it all on Diebold… and I don’t trust those machines for a minute… she beat him fair and square in our small town. MORE