Democratic hopeful Barack Obama was today endorsed of former rival Chris Dodd today ahead of a debate with rival Hillary Clinton that she hopes will shake up her flagging campaign to be the party's nominee for the US presidential election in November.
Mr Dodd, a veteran Connecticut senator who dropped out of the contest in early January, announced his support for Mr Obama at a news conference with the Illinois senator.
He said he had been "sceptical like many others" of Mr Obama but had been won over and felt now was "a moment of unity in our country" when Democrats need to rally behind him.
Mr Obama and Ms Clinton are due to face off in a debate at 2am Irish time in snowy Cleveland, in what could be the former first lady's last big chance to regain momentum ahead of potentially pivotal contests next Tuesday in Texas and Ohio.
Polls show that Mr Obama has made huge inroads into Ms Clinton's massive lead in what are key states for for garnering nominations.
Separately, a New York Times/CBS News poll said Mr Obama is viewed by most Democrats as the candidate best able to beat Mr McCain, in the race to determine President George W Bush's successor.
The poll also suggested the more aggressive attacks that Ms Clinton has recently began directing at her rival was not working.
It also said 47 per cent of registered voters had confidence that Mr Obama would deal wisely with an international crisis, compared to 39 per cent who had confidence in Ms Clinton. It also found 69 per cent of respondents believed Mr Obama would be an effective commander-in-chief, compared to 54 per cent for Ms Clinton, the wife of former two-time president Bill Clinton.