Rob Reiner Endorses Dean

Reiner Endorses Dean for President
The actor-director's backing is a big boost for the little-known Democratic candidate.
By Rachel Abramowitz
Times Staff Writer
February 20, 2003

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's active opposition to an American-led war on Iraq has earned him an early boost in Hollywood's presidential sweepstakes, in the form of an endorsement by director and key Democratic activist Rob Reiner.

"Dean's the only major Democratic candidate speaking out against going to war without the support of the United Nations," said Reiner, who will be the California co-chairman of the Dean campaign. "My urgency to support him right now is to give him as big a forum as possible so that his views can be heard. It's a very dangerous time right now."

Winning Reiner's endorsement is fantastic news for Governor Dean. The endorsement not only raises his profile nationally, it should make a major difference in Dean's ability to raise money. As the article notes:

...Reiner's endorsement had been sought by several Democratic presidential candidates because of his energetic advocacy.

In the last presidential campaign, he hosted or co-hosted at least a dozen fund-raisers for former Vice President Al Gore, including one that raised $4.5 million.

Update: Here’s another article on the Reiner endorsement from Yahoo Financial News.

A particularly nice sample paragraph:

"Governor Dean embodies the absolute best of the Democratic party ideals," said Reiner. "Dean has a stellar record of accomplishment on children's health care and education. Dean delivered for the people of Vermont and I believe he will deliver for America."