Despite Obama connections in NH, Gephardt endorses Clinton

Dick Gephardt endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential race, despite the fact that Barack Obama's New Hampshire director and New Hampshire chairman where prominent players in Gephardt's run in 2004.

Gephardt said his endorsement of Clinton was not a criticism against her opponents, but that he felt she was the more experienced.

"She knows what it means to be president," Gephardt said in conference call with reporters. "I think that in some way she is not obviously a former president but she is as close as you can be to that."

Concord lobbyist Jim Demers, who guided Gephardt's New Hampshire campaign in 2004 and now does the same thing this year for Obama, said he remains friends with Gephardt and was not offended.

"Dick and the Clintons have been friends for years," Demers said. "His is an endorsement that everyone would have liked but here in New Hampshire voters are going to continue to look at the candidates closely and make their own judgements."