Napolitano endorsing Obama for president

Brushing aside her ties to the Clintons, Gov. Janet Napolitano on Friday endorsed the presidential candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. And the reason? Freshness.

“To me this election is fundamentally about change,” the governor said in announcing her endorsement at the senator’s Arizona campaign headquarters.

“It’s about a new vision in Washington, D.C. It’s about bringing people of different areas of the country together, people of different parties together, people of different ages together.”

Napolitano called Hillary Clinton “well-qualified,” promising to campaign for her if she ends up the Democratic Party nominee. But the governor made it clear that she sees the senator from New York as more representative of the politics of the past than those of the 21st century.

Napolitano acknowledged she was named the U.S. attorney for Arizona by Bill Clinton when he was president. As for Hillary Clinton, the governor said that “we know and respect each other.”

But Napolitano said that “choices have to be made.”

Napolitano said one reason she decided to back Obama is because she believes he is the most capable candidate of handling the difficult issues facing the next president. Those include questions of immigration and border security, including revamping the nation’s visa policy and dealing with the estimated 12 million people already in this country illegally.

“I’m confident that Senator Obama is willing to take that very difficult issue up,” she said.

Obama returned the compliments, telling reporters by phone that he would be wise to consider having the governor as a member of the Cabinet.

Napolitano brushed aside questions about whether she would take a Cabinet post — or possibly be a vice presidential candidate.

“I am the governor of Arizona and intend to be the governor of Arizona,” she said.