From the AP:

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton was endorsed Saturday by retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who sought the party's nomination in 2004 and whose sterling military credentials could bolster her bid to be the first female commander in chief.

This couldn't have come at a better time for Clinton what with Rudy Giuliani and many on the right accusing her of calling General Patraeus a liar. I'm not terribly surprised by this endorsement, however. Clark, who served in Kosovo under President Clinton, is an old friend of Hillary's.

Still, this is support that any of the other Democratic candidates would have been ecstatic to receive. Clark is well respected in military circles, and would prove a sound adviser. Look for Clinton declare her intention to offer Clark an important cabinet position sometime soon.

Last Updated: Sept. 24

'Tis the season for politicos to put down their money, gamble their reputations and future ambitions and pick a horse in the wide field of 2008 presidential entries.

Over the past two months, some big names formally endorsed candidates. We'll start keeping track here. Check out the links for more blog-buzz on the pick-ups:

Democrats
Hillary Clinton: Tom Vilsack; Rep. James McGovern (Mass.); Gov. Jon S. Corzine; LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ark. Gov. Mike Beebe; Former Gen. Wesley Clark; Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.)
John Edwards: Sen. David Obey (Wisc.)
Barack Obama: Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Ill.); Gov Tim Kaine (Va.); Jesse Jackson

Republicans
Rudy Giuliani: Steve Forbes; Ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh
Mike Huckabee: Gov. Mike Rounds (S.D.)
John McCain: Gov. Mitch Daniels (Ind.); Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah); Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Mitt Romney: Orrin Hatch, Bob Beauprez

Note: for the most part we are currently not listing all the endorsements of congressional members from a candidates' home state, since these are mostly shored up. Check out The Hill for more details.

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical that high-profile endorsements sway voters. If they do, what type of endorsement is the most influential: A politician? Newspaper? An interest group like NOW siding with Hillary? A celebrity, like Oprah backing Barack?

Weigh in with comments below on how much you think endorsements matter.

In what can be only be a clear admittance as to what the conventional wisdom holds, California Senator Dianne Feinstein has endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidential nod:

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein came roaring to the aid of fellow Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and tongue lashed a radio reporter today for what she said was an inappropriate question during a conference call to announce Feinstein's endorsement of the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid.

The "inappropriate question" was about the L.A. mayor fooling around. But why get bogged down in the illicit affair of a politician who's a Democrat, it's only sex.

Anyway, why would Feinstein come out this early for Hillary if she even thought Barack Obama has a remote shot at gaining the nomination? The nomination is Hillary's according to Washington insiders and they're probably right.

Obama needs to win New Hampshire and have a good showing in Iowa. After that he could see a boost and win a few other states, but the Hillary machine is getting into gear and she knows that $400 haircut man is a non-factor so she's lowering the Clinton arsenal at Barack.

This says way more than any poll.

The lefty blogs are all full of themselves today because a man that rode his wife's coat tails to notoriety endorsed Hillary Clinton. Here's the take from Taylor Marsh:

A conference call announcing the endorsement of Hillary Clinton by Joseph Wilson was just held with bloggers to hear the breaking news. This is a huge deal for Candidate Clinton and a big endorsement for her candidacy. That it was broken on the blogs sends a powerful signal. I'll provide the transcript as soon as it is available.

Yeah, it sends the message that Joe Wilson is a loser who can't announce his endorsement anywhere else that will publish it.

Let's be straight about this; Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, have a lot of explaining to do. Why was Wilson sent to Niger in the first place when he didn't have the experience? Why did his wife recommend him and then say she didn't before she said she didn't remember? Why did they claim Valerie Plame was covert when she wasn't and why did they pose for Vanity Fair when she was supposedly a covert agent?

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously against unions using employee dues for causes they don't consent to:

WASHINGTON -- In a setback for unions that represent public employees, the Supreme Court ruled today that states could bar them from using forced dues for political purposes unless individual employees gave their explicit approval.

...On the one hand, unions can require employees to pay fees or dues to cover the cost of collective bargaining, at least in states that authorize "union shop" rules.

However, dissident employees cannot be forced to pay for political contributions. In 1977, the court said dissidents had a free-speech right not to pay for political causes they opposed.

That's big for the unions and the Democrats they traditionally support. The teachers unions almost always throw their money at Democrats because they know that they will vote more money for the states and give them more money for raises. Up until now, the unions could donate money to any cause they wanted regardless of what the rank and file wanted. They had free reain to spend and spend for candidates that union leadership supported and now they don't.

This is a huge win for the GOP as it further erodes the power unions have. The labor unions have been shrinking at a steady rate throughout most of the nation and the white-collar unions were continuing to grow. Now their political clout has been reduced.

You know that this was a bad law if even Ruth Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer voted with Antonin Scalia, John Roberts and Samuel Alito.

This is important because Dr. James Dobson is probably the most respected among evangelical leaders. He can, and will, move votes. He's obviously been thinking a lot about Rudy Giuliani and has come to a conclusion:

My conclusion from this closer look at the current GOP front-runner comes down to this: Speaking as a private citizen and not on behalf of any organization or party, I cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy Giuliani in 2008. It is an irrevocable decision. If given a Hobson's – Dobson's? – choice between him and Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran – or if worse comes to worst – not vote in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life. My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to do nothing else.

This is the sort of thing that I thought would happen. Further back in the article, Dobson explains that it wasn't just the abortion issue, but also his gay marriage stance, and his failure in his own personal life.

I wrote before that one of Rudy's big problems was that the GOP spent the entire eight years of the Clinton administration saying that "character matters." Those who said that will have a tough time covering for Giuliani who committed some of the same personal fouls. James Dobson has reconciled it in favor of "character matters"; and Giuliani is out.

The Clinton campaign can crow over key pick-ups of two governors. Maryland's Martin O'Malley announced his support Wednesday and Gov. Eliot Spitzer, from Hillary's home state of New York, is expected to do the same next Monday. So, it's time to update the endorsemepalooza list:

Democrats
Hillary Clinton: Tom Vilsack; Rep. James McGovern (Mass.); Gov. Jon S. Corzine (N.J.); Gov. Eliot Spitzer (N.Y.); Gov. Martin O'Malley (Md.)
John Edwards: Sen. David Obey (Wisc.)
Barack Obama: Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Ill.); Gov Tim Kaine (Va.); Jesse Jackson

Republicans
Rudy Giuliani: Steve Forbes
Mike Huckabee: Gov. Mike Rounds (S.D.)
John McCain: Gov. Mitch Daniels (Ind.); Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah); Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Mitt Romney: Orrin Hatch, Bob Beauprez

Note: for the most part we are currently not listing all the endorsements of congressional members from a candidates' home state, since these are mostly shored up. Check out The Hill for more details.

How important are endorsements? Did we miss any key ones? Weigh in with comments below...

Governor Mitt Romney has announced via press release that his candidacy has been endorsed by Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado.

"Senator Allard's record of leadership and commitment to change make him a valuable addition to my campaign team. In Congress, he has fought to restrain spending while working to ensure that Americans are safe at home and abroad. Senator Allard understands, as I do, that we must bring innovation and transformation to Washington if we are to meet the new generation of challenges facing our country today," said Governor Romney.

Senator Allard joins Senators Bob Bennett (R-UT), Larry Craig (R-ID), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) among Governor Romney's supporters in the U.S. Senate.

"After reviewing Governor Romney's impressive resume and having the opportunity to visit one-on-one with him about his vision of innovation and change for America, I am proud to announce my endorsement of him," said Senator Allard. "Governor Romney will bring a much needed breath of fresh air to Washington, something the country really desires."

Read more about the endorsement at Mitt Romney's campaign website.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was seriously injured in a hit and run accident on the Garden State Parkway in South Jersey:

When Corzine arrived at the hospital, doctors said he was conscious but had suffered several injuries: a femur bone broken in two places that had lacerated his skin, a broken sternum, six broken ribs on each side, a head laceration and a minor fracture on a lower vertebrae.

Ostrum said Corzine did not have any brain or spinal damage. And the governor's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Corzine was on his way to a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team at the time of the crash. A breathing tube was inserted to ensure that his breathing is steady.

Jon Corzine is a major money man for the Democrats. He is a serious fund-raiser who will be courted by every presidential candidate. With the NJ state legislature moving the primary up to February, the state will become a major campaigning area for the candidates, especially the Democrats as New Jersey is about the bluest of the blue states.

Previously on 'The Stump':
· Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements
· The Man Who Could've Been President

If your campaign is already tarred by allegations that you change principles about as often as underwear, would you really want to pick up this endorsement?

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez of Colorado endorsed fellow Republican Mitt Romney for president Wednesday. Beauprez, in a mass e-mail, said Romney had the right "political philosophy" as well as the experience and leadership skills necessary to be president.

Beauprez became known in Colorado as "Both-Ways Bob" because of his tendency to understand both sides of an issue so well that he would try to advance them both simultaneously. Since Mitt Romney is already tarred with the "Multiple Choice" moniker, getting an endorsement from Both Ways may not be exactly helpful.

Big pickup for the Giuliani team yesterday:

Fiscal conservative Steve Forbes on Wednesday endorsed former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani's bid to become the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 race for the White House.

Forbes, chief executive of Forbes magazine who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in 1996 and 2000, is considered a leader of the party's pro-business and tax-cutting wings.

"He is the man who can lead America in a world that is uncertain, fight the forces of evil and at the same time increase economic opportunity here at home," Forbes told a press conference.

Steve "flat tax" Forbes is best known for a surprisingly strong showing in the 1996 campaign in the GOP nomination. He is best known for his daring proposals for the flat tax, health savings accounts, and fiscal discipline. He is the a good spokesperson for the economic conservative wing of the Republican party. With the social conservatives apparently split between McCain, Romney and Giuliani (or waiting for Thompson), the economic conservatives are a huge swing group.

Rudy has a shot at capturing these folks who are the more libertarian wing of the party. If he does he will be in an even stronger position. The other nice thing for Rudy about this group is that this is the group that includes the business side of the Republican party and among their other attributes, they have a lot of the money