The following piece was produced by HuffPost's OffTheBus.
Des Moines, Iowa---The Des Moines Register's Editorial Board handed their plumb endorsements to Hillary Clinton and John McCain, citing Clinton's "readiness" and McCain's "moral authority" as reasons why they should be their party's presidential nominee.
Mark Daley, Iowa Spokesman for the Clinton campaign, told OffTheBus, "We are incredibly pleased and honored, but we know we have a few weeks left to go before the caucuses and a lot of work to do."
Less than three weeks before the caucuses, Hillary Clinton's poll numbers have been sliding downward in the Hawkeye state and the endorsement by Iowa's largest and most powerful newspaper is sure to give Clinton a big boost as she tussles with Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards for the top ticket out of the January 3 caucuses.
The Des Moines Register wrote, "Indeed, Obama, her chief rival, inspired our imaginations. But it was Clinton who inspired our confidence."
With 33% of the likely caucus goers choosing Obama over Clinton's 25% and Edwards' 24% according to the latest poll numbers, this juicy endorsement could signal a change of fortunes for Clinton in the momentum game now being played out at ground zero in the Iowa caucuses, the nation's first test of a presidential candidate's strength.
"Senator Clinton's strong showing in the debate on Thursday, Congressman Boswell's endorsement on Friday and now the Des Moines Register's endorsement, we feel good about our campaign heading into the final weeks," said Daley to OffTheBus.
Although Senator John McCain is only fifth in the latest Iowa Poll and has fled from Iowa, spending most of his time in New Hampshire, the Register wrote, "The force of John McCain's moral authority could go a long way toward restoring Americans trust in government and inspiring new generations to believe in the goodness and greatness of America."
The Des Moines Register endorsement in 2004 helped John Edwards to a second place finish in the Iowa caucuses. It may do the same for Hillary Clinton in 2008.
Along with the Register endorsement, John McCain also won the prestigious Boston Globe endorsement as did Barack Obama, who has surged ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire as well.