New Mexico governor backs Obama

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama won acoveted endorsement from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson onFriday while the State Department apologized that employeessnooped into the Illinois Democrat's passport files and thoseof his two main White House rivals.

The backing from the Hispanic governor is a victory forObama and could improve his chances of winning over Latinovoters who have leaned toward New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

A Clinton adviser dismissed the endorsement as notsignificant at this stage in the race.

Obama and Clinton are in a heated battle to represent theDemocrats against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. JohnMcCain of Arizona, in the November 4 presidential election tosucceed U.S. President George W. Bush.

In an embarrassment to the Bush administration, the StateDepartment on Friday revealed that the passport records of allthree major candidates had been improperly viewed by threecontract employees and by a regular department staffer.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Obama, Clintonand McCain to apologize and the State Department said it wasconducting an investigation and would look at how to tightenits systems to prevent such privacy violations.

"It is deeply disturbing, what's happened," Obama told anews conference.

"When you have not just one but a series of attempts to tapinto people's personal records, that's a problem not just forme but for our health in this country and so I expect a fulland thorough investigation."

Clinton, who was spending the Easter holiday at home offthe campaign trail, said in a statement she would follow theprobe closely.

The incident revived memories of the political firestormthat erupted in 1992 after State Department officials searchedformer President Bill Clinton's passport and citizenship fileswhen he was a Democratic presidential candidate.

HELPING WITH HISPANICS?

Richardson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the UnitedNations and energy secretary during the Clinton administration,chose to abandon the former president and his wife, saying itwas time for a new generation to lead.

"Your candidacy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for ournation and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader," Richardsonsaid as he stood next to Obama in Oregon.

Clinton and Obama had cultivated Richardson's backing inpart because the Hispanic politician could garner support amongthe Hispanic community, the fastest-growing segment of theelectorate and a potentially vital voting bloc.

Richardson praised a speech Obama gave on race earlier thisweek and said it touched him as a Hispanic. "This is a man whounderstands us and who will respect us," he said in Spanish.

Hispanics largely backed Clinton in nominating contests on"Super Tuesday," with polls showing her winning two-thirds ofthe Latino vote in several states, and it was unclear whetherthey might shift to Obama because of Richardson's endorsement.

Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, on a conference callwith reporters, dismissed Richardson's potential impact thisfar into the race. "I think that, you know, perhaps the timewhen he could have been most effective has long since passed,"he said.

"We both have our endorsers, but I don't think that it is asignificant endorsement in this environment."

While saying his "great affection and admiration forSenator Clinton and President Clinton will never waver,"Richardson, 60, added: "It is now time for a new generation ofleadership to lead America forward."

A skilled negotiator and diplomat, the popular governor hasbeen mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate orsecretary of state in a Democratic administration.

He also is a superdelegate who would have a vote in thenominating contest if neither Obama nor Clinton win enoughdelegates during the primaries.

Obama leads Clinton in the state-by-state contest to amassdelegates who will formally select the Democrat to faceRepublican McCain.

The Arizona senator, who pulled ahead of both Obama andClinton in some national polls this week, was finishing up anoverseas trip with a Congressional delegation that visitedIraq, Israel, Jordan, France and Britain.

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed; writing by ArshadMohammed and Jeff Mason; editing by Sandra Maler)