Senator John Kerry, who lost the 2004 election to President George W Bush, endorsed today its fellow Senator Barrack Obama, for the White House.

In a speech held at the College of Charleston, John Kerry portrayed Obama, 46, as an inspirational young leader who can bridge ideological differences, defeat political cynicism and make a decisive break with the Bush years.

“Martin Luther King said the time is always right to do what is right.” Now is the time, Kerry said, to declare “that Barack Obama can be, will be and should be the next president of the United States.”

"Who better than Barack Obama to bring new credibility to America's role in the world and help restore our moral authority, who better than Barack Obama to turn a new page in American politics," Kerry added.

“I believe more than anyone else, Barack Obama can help our country turn the page and get America moving by uniting and ending the division we have faced,'' Kerry said.

In a swipe at Obama's main rival Hillary Clinton, Kerry insisted that the African-American contender's relatively short government record was not a handicap.

Experience is "defined by wisdom and instinct and vision," he said. Obama has been a US senator from Illinois since 2005.

Former first lady Clinton, now a US senator from New York state, is in a tight race with Obama to become the Demoratic Party candidate for the November 4 presidential election.

Obama won last week's Iowa caucuses, the opening state-by-state preference poll in the 2008 race for the White House. Clinton bounced back to win Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.

John Edwards, who was Kerry's vice presidential running mate in 2004, is also competing for the party's nomination. He placed third in New Hampshire and second in Iowa.

Meanwhile, former UN ambassador Bill Richardson ended his presidential bid Thursday after placing a disappointing fourth in the two opening contests of the Democratic Party's nomination battle.

Richardson, 60, did not immediately endorse any of his Democratic rivals, but urged them to avoid personal attacks on each other.  

"They're all strong contenders who each in their own way would bring desperately needed change to our country," Richardson told supporters. "At this time, I will not endorse any candidate."