Sen. Kennedy, Rep. Kennedy endorse Obama in 2008 race

— -- Barack Obama won a coveted endorsement Monday, as Sen. Edward Kennedy likened the young White House contender to his late brother and president, John F. Kennedy.

"It's time again for a new generation of leadership," the Massachusetts Democrat told a revved up crowd at American University.

Kennedy's announcement put the icon of the Democratic Party's liberal wing in the thick of a heated primary contest that involves two current Senate colleagues and a former one.

Though Kennedy paid tribute to the other Democratic candidates, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, he used Clinton's own words to tout Obama. "I know he's ready to be president on Day One," he said.

Joining Kennedy for the endorsement were the senator's son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and niece, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy.

For Obama, who was a year old when Edward Kennedy was elected in 1962, winning the veteran Democrat's support was an important coup. It comes on the heels of a 2-1 victory in Saturday's South Carolina primary.

Obama must move quickly to capitalize on his momentum. Polls show Clinton with significant leads in several of the 22 states that will hold primaries or caucuses Feb. 5. Kennedy plans to hit the campaign trail for Obama this week.

Much of Kennedy's speech appeared calculated to counter arguments that Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, have advanced against Obama's candidacy. The second-most-senior member of the Senate — behind Robert Byrd, W.Va. — rejected Clinton's argument that her 35 years of experience in law, politics and advocacy make her better suited for the presidency. "What counts is not the length of our years in Washington but the reach of our vision," Kennedy said.

Kennedy noted that Obama spoke out against the Iraq war "when others were silent or simply went along," a dig at Clinton's vote in favor of the resolution authorizing military force.

Kennedy also took on Bill Clinton, noting that his brother also faced criticism before his race in 1960 from a popular Democratic president. "Harry Truman said we needed someone with greater experience," Kennedy said.