’s endorsement yesterday of Barack Obama leaves former Vice President Al Gore as the major Democratic figure still on the sidelines in the party's presidential race.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who ended his own bid for the nomination in January, said Obama is the candidate who can unite Democrats for the ``fight of our lives'' in the November election.

``The reason that I am here tonight is because the Democratic voters of America have made their choice and so have I,'' he told a cheering crowd of about 12,500 people at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Obama at his side.

Edwards is the latest in a line of party leaders who have fallen in behind the Illinois senator as he piled up victories over Hillary Clinton in nominating contests. Since the beginning of May, three former Democratic National Committee chairmen -- Roy Romer, Paul Kirk and Joe Andrew -- were among the more than 40 superdelegates who endorsed Obama.

During the same time, Clinton, a senator from New York, has picked up 11 of the officials and officeholders designated as superdelegates.

Former Rivals

Edwards also is the third of Obama's early rivals to back his campaign. Earlier, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd lined up in Obama's corner. Senator John Kerry, the party's 2004 presidential nominee, also is backing Obama as is his Massachusetts colleague, Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker  of California haven't endorsed because of their leadership positions in Congress. Both have prodded the superdelegates to make decisions once the last primaries are held June 3.

Gore, 60, who won the Nobel Prize and built a constituency by championing the fight against climate change since losing the election to George W. Bush, has so far stayed out of the battle between Obama and Clinton.

``The Al Gore watch starts now,'' said Ken Goldstein, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Gore, who is one of the party's superdelegates, has indicated he won't give his endorsement until the primary contest is finished. His spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider, said yesterday that Gore had no further comment.

Obama and Gore

Obama said he has spoken to Gore ``periodically'' over the past several months about policies and ideas.

``I'm not really pushing for an endorsement,'' Obama told reporters on his plane last night as he flew to Chicago. ``I'd love to have it, but when you've won the Nobel Peace Prize, making an endorsement politically is maybe a step down.''

We, at The Lang Report do not think so. It is our belief that Al Gore has a responsibility to the ideals he has stood for…the same ideals now being promoted by Barack Obama. It’s on you , Al!

The Lang Report thanks Julianna Goldman at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net; and Kristen Jensen at kjensen@bloomberg.net for this article