Conor O'Clery
in New York
Calling Howard Dean's campaign "one of the best things to happen to American democracy in decades," former Democratic Senator Mr Bill Bradley endorsed the Democratic front-runner at a hastily arranged joint appearance in Manchester, New Hampshire, yesterday.
"His campaign offers America new hope. His supporters are breathing fresh air into the lungs of our democracy. They're revitalizing politics, showing a way to escape the grip of big money and to confront the shame of forgetting those in need," said Mr Bradley, a Democratic Party heavyweight who campaigned for president in 2000.
The endorsement adds the three-term senator's reputation for integrity to the Dean campaign, which is already staffed with many former Bradley campaign workers.
Mr Dean has also received endorsements from former vice president Mr Al Gore, 30 members of Congress and a number of statewide elected officials, including New Jersey Governor Mr Jim McGreevey.
Mr Dean is well ahead in polls in New Hampshire where the first Democratic primary takes place on January 27th.
Mr Bradley, a former baseball professional, ran a similar campaign in 2000, when like Mr Dean he criticised other candidates for their preoccupation with Washington politics, but lost out to Mr Gore in New Hampshire by a margin of 50-46.
The former Vermont governor welcomed the endorsement of a "thoughtful, careful person" who "stood up against the same forces that we're standing up against in Washington," including the radical right, and people who promote division by race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and income.
Mr Dean's rivals played down the endorsement. Former army general, Mr Wesley Clark, said: "The people in New Hampshire pick presidents, they don't need people to tell them what to do."
The New York Times reported yesterday that when Mr Dean was governor of Vermont his administration was taken to task in a 1993 state audit that questioned the involvement of a Dean aide in awarding a contract to a company for which the official once lobbied.