Shea-Porter: Compelled to endorse Obama

First term Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter said she knew Sunday night that she was going to surprise a lot people when she met with Barack Obama.

Not only was Obama surprised to have her endorsement, Shea-Porter said in an interview she surprised her staff, her supporters and even her own husband.

"I kept my own counsel the whole time," she said.

Shea-Porter officially endorsed Obama in a conference call this afternoon though the Union Leader and this blog had confirmed the endorsement yesterday.

She gave the news to Obama prior to the event in Manchester with Oprah Winfrey Sunday night. After she told Obama she told Winfrey moments later.

While she got to know every Democratic presidential candidate throughout the year, introduced many of them and had dinner with a few, Obama's approach for "grassroots" campaigning is what impressed her the most.

"What I see is somebody who is a grassroots person who can reach many people," she said.

On the conference call she mentioned previous statements that she would not endorse any candidate "unless there was a compelling reason".

Asked if Obama's recent momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire was that "compelling reason" and that she could help put in over the top she replied, "What do you think?"