A busy day for endorsements

By Marcella Bombardieri, Globe Staff

Today, Hillary Clinton is netting her second endorsement from a former 2008 rival, this time Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana. Bayh has won election to both the Senate and the governor's office -- two terms each -- in a heavily red state, so his endorsement helps the Clinton campaign make the case that she is electable despite the distaste for her among many moderate and conservative-leaning voters.

Bayh, who put aside his own presidential ambitions last December, is also seen as a potential vice presidential nominee.

The first former 2008 contender to get behind Clinton, and another vice presidential possibility, is former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who endorsed her in March. Vilsack has been campaigning energetically for Clinton, although last week he caused her a big headache when he lashed former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the New York 1 cable channel.

“I can’t even get into the number of marriages and the fact that his children -- the relationship he has with his children -- and what kind of circumstance New York was in before September the 11th," Vilsack said.

Clinton distanced herself from the comments and told George Stephanopoulos on ABC yesterday, "We are not running a campaign that goes down that road."

General Wesley Clark, who ran for president in 2004, endorsed Clinton last weekend.

Clinton's campaign also announced today that she has been endorsed by the 100,000-strong International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.