Schwarzenegger's wife backs Obama in final California push 05/02/2008 00:00

Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has come out in support of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the final countdown to the critical Democratic presidential primary race in California Tuesday.

5 February 2008

SAN FRANCISCO - Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has come out in support of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the final countdown to the critical Democratic presidential primary race in California Tuesday.

Shriver, a scion of the influential Kennedy family, revealed her support for the African-American candidate at a women's rally in Los Angeles Sunday night.

The move came as polls showed that Obama had overturned a 12-point deficit just two weeks ago to tie Clinton in the western state, which is the most valuable prize in the Super Tuesday primaries across 22 states which could decide the main candidates in the November presidential elections.

A record turnout is expected in California where more than 150,000 voters have registered as Democrats in the final 45 days of eligibility.

Besides Shriver - a niece of former president John F Kennedy - the rally included talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy - Kennedy's daughter - and Obama's wife Michelle in a calculated bid to dent Clinton's advantage among women voters.

Obama "is about the power of us, and what we can do when we come together. Because as everybody up here has said, there is much more that unites us than divides us," Shriver said.

"He is about empowering women, African-Americans, Latinos, older people, young people. He's about empowering all of us."

Shriver's endorsement came just days after Schwarzenegger, a Republican, endorsed Republican candidate John McCain for the presidency.

[Copyright dpa 2008]

Subject: Super Tuesday, US elections