Former state Democratic Party chief endorses Obama

COLUMBIA (AP) _ The former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party endorsed White House hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying the Illinois senator can "change the course of American politics."

"We're going to need a president who can really build relationships in Washington and throughout the country," Joe Erwin said during a conference call.

"I believe in his message and I think in Sen. Obama we see a candidate who does what to me is the most important thing we can do in this election and that's to change the course of American politics," he said.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called Erwin "a respected voice both in the Democratic Party and out" and characterized the endorsement as part of a recent momentum shift to his candidate.

A poll for CNN and a Manchester, N.H., television station showed Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton effectively tied in that early voting state.

An Associated Press-Pew Research poll of likely South Carolina voters taken last month showed Clinton with a 45-31 percent lead here.

Erwin, who was state party chief for four years, said he believes that white Democrats in South Carolina are ready to cast ballots for a black candidate.

"Times have changed," he said. "It's changing and race still plays a factor in so much in South Carolina but, you know, more and more people are figuring it out if you cut your skin, whether you're black or white, we all bleed red."

Earlier this year, Erwin said he was mulling a bid for incumbent Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat. He later backed away.