BULLETIN: California’s First Lady Maria Shriver Endorses Barack Obama (UPDATED)

California’s first lady Maria Shriver has just appeared as a special surprise guest at the rally for Barack Obama in Los Angeles to endorse him for President. It was aired live on CSPAN.

“I wasn’t on the schedule,” she said. “I thought to myself when i woke up this morning there’s no place I should be but right here today.”

She said this morning she told her daughter: “I think I should be at UCLA. She said to me ‘Mommy. If you think you could help, if you think you could change just one person just do it.’ So I am here today as a woman and a Californian. I believe elections are a lot like life — they are made up of moments…The more I though about it, the more I thought this election is about moments…This is a moment not just for the U.S. of A. and for the Democratic party — this is a moment for California.”

“The more I thought about it, the more I thought: if Barack Obama was a state he would be California…This is a moment. A moment to have a conversation with yourself. A conversation with your heart…We have to see beyond the labels that divide us.”

With the race neck-and-neck in California, this should carry some weight.

Shriver is a highly popular first lady married to a Governor who remains one of the most popular in modern California history — and a Governor who is highly popular among independent voters, who are allowed to vote in Tuesday’s primary.

Her appearance came at the end of a high-powered rally that did not have Obama himself, but speeches by Caroline Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama — who brought Shriver out as a total surprise at the end. Shriver was quite passionate in her comments – and her endorsement is bound to generate enormous headlines (and buzz) throughout the state today and tomorrow.

Arnold Schwarzenegger this week endorsed Arizona Senator John McCain for President. As we have noted her before, in travels in California and talk with people throughout the country (I travel a lot and this is being written from Salinas, CA) there is an interesting trend. You often find that people who like Obama also like McCain even though the two don’t agree on issues. Perhaps because both of them have an independent strain and are not perceived as creatures of their lock-step party establishments.

NEWS STORIES ON THE SURPRISE ENDORSEMENT:

–LA Times Top of the Ticket blog:

In a dramatic moment at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, California First Lady Maria Shriver just strode out onto a stage that had already seen its share of celebrities — Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder among them — and announced that she was joining the Kennedy half of the family backing Barack Obama, reports our colleague Mark Z. Barabak, who is there.

More details will be posted shortly and in tomorrow’s print edition, but Shriver reportedly was waiting backstage wavering over whether she should make her support public, and then finally strode out on stage. Her husband, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, earlier this week announced his endorsement for Sen. John McCain.

The Kennedy family has split over the two top Democratic contenders, with Ted Kennedy joined by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg — daughter of his brother John F. Kennedy — and his son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, all going with Obama. Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, also went with the Illinois senator.

But Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up the support of three of Robert and Ethel’s children — Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

–San Francisco Chronicle blog:

California First Lady Maria Shriver is the surprise guest at the Oprah Winfrey/Caroline Kennedy/Michelle Obama rally at UCLA — and she’s come out for Barack Obama. She just took the stage to thunderous applause, saying, ”I’m standing here not because I’m cousins with her,” she said, looking at her cousin, Caroline. ”Or because I’m friends with her,” she said, looking at Oprah.

”I believe that elections are a lot like love, they’re made up of moments…and the more I thought about it, the more I thought that this election is about a moment.”

”This is not just about the Democratic party..this is also about California,” she said.

”If Barack Obama was a state, he’d be California.”
Cheers all around. Her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, endorsed John McCain last week. Should be interesting around the household this week.

–New York Times The Caucus blog:

Score another Kennedy for the Barack Obama campaign.

Maria Shriver, wife of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and daughter of Eunice Kennedy, endorsed Senator Obama Sunday night in Los Angeles. Her husband, a Republican, endorsed Senator John McCain last week.

It was the latest development in the battles of the Kennedys in the presidential race. She appeared as a surprise guest at a rally in Los Angeles for Mr. Obama with Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Caroline Kennedy.