I admit, I've been adrift since John Edwards abandoned his White House bid. I imagine many Portlanders feel similarly lost, as they search for a new candidate. Today, one of the most prominent Portlanders stepped up: Portland Congressman Earl Blumenauer endorsed Barack Obama for President. From his diary on BlueOregon:

I've been involved with every presidential election since younger days as a college student, and never before have I sensed greater excitement, greater energy, and greater promise of a transformational moment than I do right now. With the clock ticking on some of the most dire challenges and exciting opportunities our nation has ever seen, it’s never been so important to elect a president who will bring about real change.

Barack Obama is the candidate to provide the bold transformational leadership we need.

He doesn’t just unite core Democratic voters. Young voters, independents, and even some Republicans are drawn to Obama in a way that makes him a uniquely transcendent candidate able to unify our country and lead us in a new direction – a stark contrast against the stale status quo embodied by Senator John McCain, the likely Republican nominee.

Obama represents a change in course for Iraq , while McCain voted for the war and is committed to staying the course on a failed policy whether it's a decade or a century.

Obama understands the need to act quickly to stop climate change and lay the groundwork for a new economy powered by values of sustainability and livability. His contagious and persistent optimism is an undeniable asset in the shadow of this ultimate challenge.

I watched part's of last night's debates, and it just made me tickled pink: both Sens. Clinton and Obama went out of their way to not nuke each other, while drawing nice policy distinctions and outlining why they, as Democrats, have the better vision for America's future. That Blumenauer has chosen to back Obama also tickles me: since John quit the race, I've been very slowly inching towards supporting Obama. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer. Although, to be straightforward, I will easily and obviously support whomever the nominee ends up being. But Earl's words ring in my ears, and they make me take a long, long look in Obama's direction.

Obama's post-partisan message of "change," couched correctly with the correct progressive policies, does appeal to me. I'm all for ensuring we fight against bad, regressive policy, but trying to slowly put the retro-90s Rove-Hastert-Delay wedge-style politics to bed has a certain ring to it. As long as he adopts Edwards' economic and social populism, then I can buy it. That and ending the war ASAP.

How do you view Bluemanuer's endorsement? If you supported Edwards, whom do you now support? One of the questions at last night's debated centered on a "dream ticket" of Hillary and Obama, what would you think of such a ticket? If Obama wins, I don't see him choosing Hillary; but if she wins, I could envision a scenario where she picks Obama.