Endorsements.

Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama is worth a little more than the Governor's own PLEO credentials, I'm sure. It's a good news story involving a high-profile Democrat who is better regarded than his primary performances might indicate. He's been a Clinton ally for decades and earlier on might have been expected to take her side, so there's a bit of a signal to former Clintonistas still hanging on the sidelines.

Another endorsement came down last week, though, that got less attention and may yield higher dividends...

The Oregon Council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States. The union's executive board made the endorsement today (March 15) in Portland.

AFSCME, of course, is a long-time Clinton union, and the heart and soul of the labor coalition she has cobbled together while staking her claim as the exit-poll champion of working class Democrats. For Oregon AFSCME to make this break, at this time, may signal a new push for labor solidarity. While they've put themselves at odds with their national leadership (only Illinois, where AFSCME has stuck with their favorite son, has broken ranks before this), but they're hardly lonely at home…

With the Obama endorsement, Oregon AFSCME joins the other biggest unions in Oregon supporting Obama in the Oregon primary, including the Oregon Education Association, the Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers and others.

At the very least, it should contribute to an even larger margin of victory for Obama in Oregon, where 52 delegates are at stake. Does that matter? Well, if you think the Richardson endorsement is meaningful, consider where they sent him first to deliver it in person.