Bill Clinton: Obama Is On The Right Side Of History

Denver, CO (AHN) - Any lingering divisions among Democrats were surely swept away on Wednesday when former President Bill Clinton declared in no uncertain terms his support for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL).

After an overwhelming reception that had the former president repeatedly asking the cheering crowd to settled down so he could begin his speech, Clinton gave his strongest endorsement for his wife's formal rival.

"Everything I learned in my eight years as president... has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job," Clinton said. "He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopes and rally us to high purpose... he has shown a clear grasp of foreign policy and national security challenges... his life experiences have given him a unique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation."

Clinton recognized the hard-fought primary, "That campaign generated so much heat, it increased global warming," but said the process had also "tested and strengthened" Obama, allowing the first-term Illinois senator choose the right vice presidential nominee. "In his first presidential decision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park," he said. The former president, who was conspicuously absent on the campaign trail since the sometimes racially charge primary season ended, then delivered the lines pundits had said everyone would be looking for in his convention address.

"My fellow Democrats, I say to you: Barack Obama is ready to lead America and to restore American leadership in the world. Barack Obama is ready to honor the oath, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States," he said.

He praised McCain, calling the presumptive Republican nominee "a good man" who served the nation "heroically" and "suffered terribly," but was unforgiving in his indictment of the last eight years of Republican leadership.

"What about the assault on science and the defense of torture? What about the war on unions and the unlimited favors for the well-connected? And what about Katrina and 'cronyism'?" Clinton said. "They took us from record surpluses to an exploding debt; from over 22 million new jobs to just 5 million... from almost 8 million Americans lifted out of poverty to more than 5.5 million driven into poverty,"

But perhaps the most evident sign that Clinton, who came under fire for campaigning for his wife during the primary, was now really on board the Obama campaign was the parallel he drew between him and presumptive nominee. He spoke about his campaign for president 16 years ago, when Republicans hammered him for being "too young and too inexperienced" to be commander-in-chief.

"It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it will not work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history," Clinton said.