Obama campaign: Fannie, Freddie are "essential"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama considers mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "essential" in the effort to ensure housing affordability for Americans, his campaign said on Friday.

"Sen. Obama has long believed we should take all necessary steps to ensure affordable homeownership for millions of American families, and that includes an essential role for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)