Pittsburg: Pennsylvania Sen Bob Casey endorsed Democrat Barack Obama today, a move that could help the presidential candidate make inroads with the state's white working-class voters dubbed "Casey Democrats."

Pennsylvania's April 22 primary is the next big prize in the drawn-out nomination battle between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton, who holds a double-digit lead in Pennsylvania polls, needs a victory in the state to keep her nomination fight alive.

Casey is a first-term senator and the son of a popular former governor of the state. Casey is Catholic and, like his father, is known for his opposition to abortion and support of gun rights. His support could help Obama make inroads among Catholic voters.

Pennsylvania has an estimated 3.8 million Catholics, or just over 30 percent of the state's population, and the percentage among Democrats is estimated to be slightly higher.

Casey said Friday at a boisterous rally, "I believe in my heart that there is one person who's uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama."

The two appeared on the stage together.

Obama's team hopes that Casey will help narrow Clinton's huge lead among white working-class voters - men in particular. Clinton routed Obama among that demographic in Ohio and Texas March 4,raising questions about his electability in November. In recent weeks, Obama has stressed economic issues important to the middle class, and he is outspending Clinton on television advertising that features blue-collar imagery.

Source : PTI