The New York Post has endorsed Barack Obama in Tuesdays New York Democratic primary, saying that his chief rival for the partys presidential nomination, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, represented the politics of the past. Obama represents a fresh start, The Post stated in an editorial on its Web site. His opponent, and her husband, stand for déjà vu all over again a return to the opportunistic, scandal-scarred, morally muddled years of the almost infinitely self-indulgent Clinton co-presidency.
The editorial is somewhat surprising because Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the News Corporation, which owns The Post, has been seen as cultivating a relationship with Mrs. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. In the summer of 2006, Mr. Murdoch, whose political views are highly conservative, played host to a fund-raiser for Mrs. Clinton, causing consternation among many liberals. (Mr. Murdoch had played host to a similar fund-raiser for Senator Charles E. Schumer in 2003 and has given money to other Democrats in the past.)
Also in 2006, Mr. Clinton accepted an invitation from Mr. Murdoch to speak to a gathering of executives in Pebble Beach, Calif.; he included Mr. Murdoch in his Clinton Global Initiative conference on climate change, poverty and corruption; and Mrs. Clinton was one of only two Democratic senators who appeared at a Fox News Sunday anniversary party in Washington, where Mr. Murdoch was in attendance.
The Post, which is known for mostly conservative positions on its editorial pages, noted that we dont agree much with Obama on substantive issues and added: But many Democrats will. He should be their choice on Tuesday. The newspapers endorsement in the New York Republican primary is yet to come.