Rocker Bruce Springsteen endorsed Barack Obama today, calling the candidate “head and shoulders above the rest.” The Boss cited Obama’s leadership on the war, economic and racial justice, and the environment, the New York Times reports; he also criticized the “bitter” flap, saying Obama's opponents were exaggerating the remarks to “diminish” him.
The 58-year-old “Thunder Road” songsmith—who endorsed Democrat John Kerry last time around—wrote of Obama, “He speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit.” (More Bruce Springsteen stories.)