She hasn't announced, but no matter, Tim Kaine endorses Hillary Clinton
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was an early supporter of Barack Obama in 2008, endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Saturday, though the former first lady and secretary of state has not said she'll run.
Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks after receiving the 2013 Lantos Human Rights Prize during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington in December.
Susan Walsh/AP/File
厂别苍补迟辞谤听听辞蹿听听on Saturday endorsed听听for president, even though the former secretary of state has not announced whether she will seek the听听in 2016.
Kaine, who backed听听when he beat听Clinton听for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, announced his support on Twitter and at breakfast meeting of the South Carolina Women's Democratic Council in Columbia,听.
"Today I encouraged听听to run for president & pledged my support for her candidacy if she does," Kaine said in a tweet that linked to his remarks on www.readyforhillary.com, website of one of the most prominent pro-Clinton听organizations.
"She understands the challenges facing Americans from all walks of life and has the compassion and skill necessary to help improve our everyday lives," Kaine, former governor of听,听said in remarks prepared for the breakfast meeting, according to the website.
Kaine added听Clinton's work as secretary of state, senator from New York and first lady during her husband听's presidency also give her a deep background on foreign policy.
Polls taken this year show听Clinton听with an advantage of more than 50 percentage points over other potential Democratic candidates, including Vice President听.
Clinton听said in April she was thinking about running in 2016 and was "going to continue to think about it for a while."
Last year Democratic Senators听听辞蹿听听and听听of New York publicly announced their support for听Clinton听and the 16 Democratic women in the听听also sent her a letter urging her to enter the race.听