Barack Obama has finally endorsed Scott Murphy, the Democratic candidate in the special election to claim Kirstin Gillibrand's former house seat. The president sent an e-mail to 50,000 residents in or near the district on Murphy's behalf. Though I'd like to think someone in the White House is reading TAPPED, it's really just a smart political calculation. One Democratic operative in the district tells me the Obama endorsement is "overwhelming" all other news, which ought to help Murphy, who has been dogged recently by questions about the AIG bonus provision of the stimulus bill and whether he would support the death penalty for Osama bin Laden. But his Republican opponent, Jim Tedisco, is still opposing the popular economic stimulus legislation and has suffered in recent polls for his association with the national Republican party. Get ready for an exciting finish next Tuesday.
-- Tim Fernholz
