Chet Edwards Endorses Barack Obama

I have to say that this one comes as a surprise to me: Representative Chet Edwards has endorsed Senator Barack Obama in March 4th's primary and caucus here in Texas.

I had no reason to believe that Representative Edwards would endorse Senator Clinton instead of Senator Obama prior to today's news. I suppose I am surprised because my reading of the current conventional wisdom has most of the Texas Democratic establishment (superdelegates and party stalwarts alike) lining up behind Senator Clinton.

I think this could be a significant endorsement for Obama because it might be one that signals to others in the establishment that it's OK to come out in support of the junior Senator from Illinois. After all, Edwards has the honor of representing the most conservative district in the country on the Democratic side of the House aisle, so an endorsement from him carries a unique bit of cache to it.