Hillary Clinton said yesterday:

The way to continue our fight now – to accomplish the goals for which we stand – is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.

The wording strikes me as peculiar. “I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him.” You endorse him… when?

Oh, you mean you did, just then. That was it–when you said, “I endorse him”–that was the endorsement. I guess that makes sense. It just seems awfully formal, as if you’re reporting on the activities of some committee rather then yourself. Couldn’t you have said it in plain English, instead of legalese? Something like this:

“My campaign ends here. But my work, our work, is not done. We must not let up. From now on I am working to elect Barack Obama, and I urge everyone who has been working on my campaign to do the same. Senator Obama! Congratulations! I respect you, I admire you, and I very much want you to be the next President of the United States!”