Obama scores coup from N.H. congressman

CONCORD, N.H. -- Presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday that he will never have a list of endorsements to match his Democratic rivals, but he hopes grass-roots support will help him win his party's nomination.

"We'll never have the most endorsements because we haven't been in Washington that long. We haven't traded that many favors," Obama said, accepting the endorsement of freshman Rep. Paul Hodes. "But what Paul and I and Peggo (Hodes) understand is that change of the sort we're talking about is not just going to happen because I get elected. Change is going to happen because all of you decide you're going to embrace change."

Hodes' endorsement is a major coup for the campaign, who has seen other sought-after Democratic officials from early voting states endorse rivals, especially New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner for the nomination. Hodes is the first of the New Hampshire's four-member congressional delegation to register an official endorsement.

Hodes praised Obama as the catalyst to complete what voters started when Democrats took control of Congress and ousted Republican majorities in the New Hampshire House, Senate and Executive Council in November. He said the same momentum that helped him oust an incumbent will help Obama win the White House.

Change has been a keyword among Democratic candidates, with Clinton employing it during her recent campaign events. Hodes said it takes more than using the word to matter.

"I think you have to look beyond the rhetoric and what it means for each candidate," Hodes told The Associated Press. "He's relatively fresh to Washington and he doesn't bring a lot of the baggage some people unconsciously bring with them."