Hagel’s Wife to Endorse Obama

Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel’s (Neb.) wife, Lilibet, will endorse Barack Obama in a press conference this morning.

Appearing alongside a granddaughter of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who also backs Obama, Lilibet Hagel will publicly endorse Obama, a candidate who many suspect her husband may quietly support.

“This isn’t anti-McCain. This is pro-Obama,” Mrs. Hagel told the Associated Press. “I’m just convinced he’s the right person.”

Sen. Hagel’s support in the campaign has been all but an enigma, with the two-term Nebraska senator being coy about his endorsement. Hagel’s name was occasionally included in the short list for vice presidential candidates alongside Obama, and Hagel traveled with the Illinois senator on his trip to the Mideast and Europe this past summer.

Hagel has elected to not seek a third term in the Senate this fall, leaving the door open for a potential Cabinet appointment in an Obama administration.

–Michael O’Brien