US:Former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman has endorsed Republican John McCain for president, angering Democrats who viewed the move as the latest sign of estrangement between the Connecticut senator and his former party.
Mr Lieberman lost the Democratic nomination for last year's senate race on account of his support for the Iraq war, but he won the election as an independent and now styles himself an Independent Democrat.
"I know it's unusual for a Democrat to be endorsing a Republican. Political parties are important in our country, but they're not more important than what's best for our country," Mr Lieberman said yesterday, as he announced his endorsement during a campaign event with Mr McCain in New Hampshire.
A former frontrunner, Mr McCain has seen his presidential bid written off by most commentators after a slump in the polls and the departure of most of his campaign staff.
The Arizona senator has gained ground in New Hampshire in recent weeks, however, and last weekend he won endorsements from the leading papers in Iowa, New Hampshire and neighbouring Massachusetts.
Mr Lieberman said he was endorsing Mr McCain because he believed the Republican was the best-qualified candidate to confront threats to US interests around the world, including terrorism, and to work with legislators from both parties.
"On all the issues, you're never going to do anything about them unless you have a leader who can break through the partisan gridlock. The status quo in Washington is not working," he said.
Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton said yesterday that her campaign, which has appeared to be in disarray in recent weeks, had been re-energised by an endorsement from the Des Moines Register, Iowa's most influential newspaper.
Former senator Bob Kerrey has become the latest high-profile Democrat to endorse Mrs Clinton, declaring that she would be "a strong, reliable and compassionate" commander-in-chief.
"She does inspire my confidence. She can do the job. In my view she's the complete package," he said.
Mr Kerrey also praised Mrs Clinton's rival, Barack Obama, although he acknowledged that the Illinois senator might not thank him for reminding voters of his links to Islam.
"It's probably not something that appeals to him, but I like the fact that his name is Barack Hussein Obama, and that his father was a Muslim and that his paternal grandmother is a Muslim. There's a billion people on the planet that are Muslims and I think that experience is a big deal," Mr Kerrey said.
Mrs Clinton, Mr Obama and former senator John Edwards are locked in a three-way battle for Iowa, which holds the first caucuses of the 2008 election on January 3rd. Mr Edwards yesterday won the endorsement of Iowa's first lady, Mari Culver, whose husband, governor Chet Culver, has said he will not endorse any candidate.
"I think John is a winner. He's electable," Mrs Culver said. "He's been tested. He's been on the national ticket before. The national polls show him beating all Republicans in the general elections. He inspires me. I think he inspires other Iowans, and I think he can really rally Americans in the fall."
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the Republican race in Iowa, with national front runner Rudy Giuliani trailing far behind. Mr Giuliani is all but ignoring the early-voting states, focusing instead on Florida, which votes at the end of January, and a slew of big states that vote on February 5th.