http://www.kansas.com/news/updates/story/284205.htmlTOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Senate's top Democrat and a dozen other legislators endorsed Barack Obama for president.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, of Topeka, and several other lawmakers said Thursday they believe Obama's candidacy is making young and minority voters enthusiastic about politics. Some also said the Illinois senator's campaign and his Kansas supporters called them several times, seeking their support.
Joining Hensley for a Statehouse news conference were four other senators and eight House members. The event was the same day as state government held its annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday - something several mentioned.
Hensley also compared Obama to Robert F. Kennedy, who ran for president 40 years ago. 
"As a young boy of 14 years of age, my hero was Bobby Kennedy," Hensley said. "Just as Bobby Kennedy inspired millions of young people to participate in the political process, I believe Barack Obama's campaign is doing the same thing."
The other senators endorsing Obama were Donald Betts, of Wichita; Marci Francisco, of Lawrence; David Haley, of Kansas City; and Chris Steineger, also of Kansas City.
The House members endorsing him were Paul Davis, of Lawrence; Oletha Faust-Goudeau, of Wichita; Broderick Henderson, of Kansas City; Harold Lane, of Topeka; Melody McCray-Miller, of Wichita; Cindy Neighbor, of Shawnee; L. Candy Ruff, of Leavenworth; and Valdenia Winn, of Kansas City.
Kansas Democrats plan to hold caucuses at 50 sites on Feb. 5. The results will determine the allocation of 32 of the state's 41 delegates to the party's national convention in August in Denver.
Last week, Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the appointment of a 39-member steering committee for Kansas. Its members included Dan Lykins, the state party's treasurer, and Joan Wagnon, the Kansas revenue secretary.
"We plan to compete aggressively across the state," said Isaac Baker, a spokeswoman for Clinton's Midwest campaign. "We feel very good about our grass-roots organization, and you're going to see our efforts continue to ramp up."
Baker said Clinton's campaign has added staff this week and would have a caucus director at each of the 50 sites. Obama opened his Kansas office in Lawrence in October and has 16 staffers in Kansas.
Besides Obama and Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, of North Carolina, also has qualified as a candidate for the Kansas caucuses. So, too, has New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who abandoned his campaign.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is among the remaining nine Democratic delegates who won't be allocated by the caucuses. She has not endorsed a candidate.
Last week, Sebelius said she is focusing on state business, and on Thursday spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran noted that Sebelius is giving Democrats' reply to President Bush's State of the Union address Jan. 28. Corcoran said U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi advised Sebelius against endorsing a candidate before then.
Kansas Republicans plan to have their presidential caucuses Feb. 9 at 67 sites throughout the state. Those meetings will allocate up to 36 of the state's 39 delegates to the GOP national convention in September in Minneapolis.
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