North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad is endorsing Barack Obama's presidential campaign

Conrad has been a senator since 1986, and he's chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He says he hasn't endorsed anyone in a Democratic presidential primary before. But Conrad says he thinks it's important for party leaders to stand up and be counted in the current campaign

Conrad says he believes Obama has the greatest potential among the Democratic presidential candidates to unite the country and inspire people

He says Obama also has a good understanding of the challenges the country faces and ways to address them. North Dakota's other senator, Byron Dorgan, and Congressman Earl Pomeroy are officially neutral so far in the Democratic presidential race

Conrad says he'll be campaigning with Obama this weekend in Iowa. It's the last weekend before the Iowa caucuses are held on Thursday

Obama is a first-term Democratic senator from Illinois. Three other senators are in the Democratic primary field Hillary CLinton of New York, Joe Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut

Conrad says Obama is one of his closest friends in the Senate. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list