Is this the beginning of Oprah’s Political Club? The talk show queen says she is officially endorsing Democrat Barack Obama’s ’08 presidential bid — primarily because of her personal connection to the candidate.

The New York Times:

Ms. Winfrey said that she had not made a financial contribution to Mr. Obama’s campaign, but acknowledged that her public endorsement was probably far more valuable. Campaign finance laws would prohibit her from donating more than $2,300 in the primary and $2,300 in the general election.

“I think that what he stands for, what he has proven that he can stand for, what he has shown was worth me going out on a limb for,” Ms. Winfrey told Mr. King on Tuesday. “And I haven’t done it in the past because I haven’t felt that anybody — I didn’t know anybody well enough to be able to say, ‘I believe in this person.’ “

If the Obama campaign is rejoicing, it is doing so in private and offering a politely circumspect public comment. “Barack Obama has tremendous respect for the kind of role model Oprah Winfrey is for young women like his two daughters, and he is honored to have her support,” a campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said in an e-mail message.

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