The Los Angeles Times on Friday announced its endorsement of Democrat candidate Senator Barack Obama for US presidency.

This was the newspaper's first presidential endorsement since 1972 and the first time the paper has supported a Democrat.  

Former publisher Otis Chandler ended the practice of endorsing presidential candidates over concerns that the paper was too closely tied to the Republican party. The last presidential candidate to receive the Los Angeles Times' endorsement was Richard Nixon during his re-election campaign.

"Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be," the newspaper commented in its endorsement.

Earlier this year, The Los Angeles Times endorsed Obama in the Democratic presidential primary and Senator John McCain in the Republican primary.

The Los Angeles Times is the most widely circulated newspaper on the US West Coast.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2008)