Sen. Casey endorses Obama

By Matthew Bigg

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Robert Casey of Pennsylvania on Friday endorsed Barack Obama's campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in a boost for the Illinois senator.

Casey could help Obama win over some of the state's white, socially conservative, blue-collar voters, many of whom are unionized and fear economic uncertainty. That demographic group is a natural preserve of Obama's rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, ahead of the April 22 primary.

"This campaign is a chance for America ... to chart a new course, to go down a different path, a path first of all of change, a path of a new kind of politics and finally a path of hope and healing," Casey said.

"I believe in my heart that there is one person who is uniquely qualified to lead us in that direction and that is Barack Obama," he told an audience of several thousand in Pittsburgh as Obama stood next to him on stage.

Casey will join part of Obama's six-day bus tour across the state that began in Pittsburgh, aides to Obama said.

Endorsements by politicians can bolster a candidate's credibility in a state with a specific section of the electorate, although their precise impact is often unclear.

Casey could help Obama in part because his father was a popular Democratic governor of the state from an Irish immigrant family.

The term 'Casey Democrats' was coined to describe supporters of the late governor who were liberal on economic issues, supportive of gun rights and opposed to abortion.