FLASH: NYC's Ed Koch endorses Obama

This is delicious: former New York City mayor Ed Koch has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president, and he has cited Obama's foreign policy bona fides. For full disclosure, I am not a Koch fan; he's been too centrist in the past, witness his 2004 endorsement of George W. Bush. Yet, this endorsement, if properly disseminated, should aid Obama among undecideds, particularly in the Northeast.

Here are the highlights after Koch segues from his discussion of the 2004 presidential race:

So the issue for me is who will best protect and defend America.

I have concluded that the country is safer in the hands of Barack Obama, leader of the Democratic Party and protector of the philosophy of that party. Protecting and defending the U.S. means more than defending us from foreign attacks. It includes defending the public with respect to their civil rights, civil liberties and other needs, e.g., national health insurance, the right of abortion, the continuation of Social Security, gay rights, other rights of privacy, fair progressive taxation and a host of other needs and rights.

Here's the link to the Koch's complete endorsement statement, "Why I'm Voting for Obama-Biden", published by Real Clear Politics. Of course, he makes a strong case for Senator Joe Biden for vice president also.