Wiliam Ruckelshaus endorses Obama Thursday.

[babylonsister]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/17/watergate-era-republican-backs-obama/

Watergate-era Republican backs Obama
Posted: 04:40 PM ET
Wiliam Ruckelshaus endorsed Obama Thursday.


(CNN) — From the politics/strange bedfellows file: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has won an endorsement from Republican and former Nixon Watergate figure William D. Ruckelshaus.

Ruckelshaus was serving as deputy attorney general in 1973 when he made history as part of the infamous Saturday Night Massacre. He and his boss, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, were fired after they refused Nixon’s order to dismiss the independent counsel investigating the Watergate break-ins.

The former Nixon FBI director and secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency hopes to help Obama defeat Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton in the May 6 primary in Ruckelshaus’ homestate of Indiana. The state has been a longtime Republican stronghold in presidential politics.

“Senator Obama’s ability to attract not only Democrats, but also Republicans and Independents, makes him uniquely qualified to build the broad coalitions needed to address our nation’s challenges,” said Ruckelshaus in a statement.

Obama leads Clinton in Indiana 40 percent to 35 percent, with a 25 percent of respondents saying they’re unsure who they’ll vote for, according to a Los Angeles Times poll conducted April 10-14. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The Obama campaign said it was embracing the endorsement because of Ruckelshaus’ "understanding of the importance of transparency,” which he gained during the tumultuous years of the Nixon administration, said Obama spokesman Kevin Griffis. Ruckelshaus remains a known and respected name in Indiana, which may draw independent voters to Obama, Griffis said.

[gateley]

1. Just once,

I'd like one of the delegates to say, instead of the usual Obama platitudes, "Hillary sucks."

[asjr]

2. I thought he was dead.

[babylonsister]

3. Nope. I also took a double take when I saw his name. Flash

from the distant past.

[Adelante]

4. What an interesting endorsement

I have a lot of respect for this man.

[SaveAmerica]

5. Meanwhile Rumpelstiltkin endorsed Hillary - keep spinning my gold!!

Just keep spinning, just keep spinning!!




PS - A Nixon Republican doesn't like Hillary! Whoa!

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. He was the first head of the EPA and banned DDT

As Deputy Attorney General Ruckelshaus and his boss, Elliot Richardson, famously resigned their positions within the Justice Department rather than obey an order from President Richard Nixon to fire the Watergate special prosecutor, Archibald Cox,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ruckelshaus

[SaveAmerica]

7. Thanks! I was going to go search when I finished here!

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. He was an honorable man that we respected during watergate.

next time, it is better to be silent than prove yourself a fool.

[SaveAmerica]

10. Hey, I said I was going to go research it, it was not necessary to call me a name.

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. It wasn't meant to be an insult

though it came out that way......Sorry


Nice photo BTW

[IndianaGreen]

9. And after they were fired, Robert Bork fired Cox.

At the time Bork was Solicitor General. Richardson and Ruckelshaus stood for the Constitution and the rule of law, while the rightwinger Bork stood for Nixon's law breaking.

[Cha]

13. A man of honor endorsing Obama

from the other side of the aisle in Indiana!

[ORDem]

11. Talk about reaching across the aisle! Awesome!!

:kick:

[Cha]

12. Great that William Ruckelshaus feels

strongly enough about his country that he speaks our for Obama!

[catgirl]

15. Wow!

[stillcool]

16. Egads...that is awesome!

maybe Senator Obama can hire him to show the Justice Department how it is done.