It's Official: Gore Endorses Dean

Al Gore officially announced that he would give Governor Dean his support for the 2004 presidential election. In the New York Times this morning:

Mr. Gore announced his endorsement this morning at a fundraising event in Harlem, and planned to appear with Dr. Dean later in the day in Iowa, a state where Mr. Gore remains highly popular.

"I have come to the conclusion that in a field of great candidates, one candidate clearly now stands out,'' Mr. Gore said, standing alongside Dr. Dean. "So I am asking all of you to join in this great movement to elect Howard Dean president of the United States.''

"Democracy is a team sport,'' Mr. Gore said, "and I want to do everything I can to convince anyone who is interested in my judgment about who among these candidates has the best chance to win and the best chance to lead our country in the right direction. I want to do everything I can to convince you to get behind Howard Dean."

From CNN:

Gore said part of the reason he chose to endorse Dean was his ability to appeal to the nation's "grassroots" elements, a reference to Dean's success in organizing and raising funds on the Internet and in small voter gatherings.

Gore also praised Dean's opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The former vice president called the Iraqi war a "catastrophic mistake" by the Bush administration, a move that leaves the United States less effective in the nation's battle against terrorism. He said the United States is now in a "quagmire" in Iraq.

"He was the only major candidate who made the correct judgment about the Iraq war," Gore said. "And he had the insight and the courage to say and do the right thing. And that's important because those judgments -- that basic common sense -- is what you want in a president."

See photos of the announcement here.