While John Kerry's endorsement of Barack Obama has drawn the lion's share of the attention today, the endorsement of California Congressman George Miller may be just as (if not more important) than Kerry's endorsement.
Now, you're probably wondering why Miller, the Chair of the House Health, Education and Labor Committee, is such a big get for Obama, right? While he's certainly no backbencher, he's also not exactly a nationally recognized figure either.
However, Miller is, for all intents and purposes, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's top lieutenant and confidant in the Congress. According to Chuck Todd, NBC's political coverage director:
This is perhaps the closest thing to getting a Nancy Pelosi endorsement as you can come without actually getting it. Miller is incredibly close with her politically. He wouldn't be doing this without her consent of sorts.
With the very important California primary coming up, this endorsement probably signals that Pelosi's political network will be working behind the scenes to put Obama over the top. In addition, this probably also opens up Pelosi's not insignificant fundraising network to the Obama. Finally, this will serve as something of a dog whistle to members of Congress as to where the Speaker stands and could lead to further endorsements.
Even without his Pelosi ties, Miller's endorsement is important because of who he is and what he believes in. Miller is one of, if not THE embodiment of progressive politics within the Congress. He has led the way in the fight for labor and immigration reform in the Mariana Islands, UN intervention in Darfur, and has also been the point person for increasing the minimum wage. In other words, he's a great get even without his ties to the Speaker, and Barack Obama should be extremely proud to have Miller standing beside him in his fight to bring change and hope to America.