Dennis Kucinich encouraged his Iowa supporters today to make Barack Obama their second choice candidate. Should Kucinich fail to receive the needed 15% support of caucus goers to remain viable, he asks that his supporters to realign behind Obama. The “second choice” vote is one that Obama has been pitching to voters for some days now.

“I hope Iowans will caucus for me as their first choice this Thursday, because of my singular positions on the war, on health care, and trade,” Kucinich said in a writen statement. “But in those caucus locations where my support doesn’t reach the necessary threshold, I strongly encourage all of my supporters to make Barack Obama their second choice.”

Why Obama? “Senator Obama and I have one thing in common: Change,” Kucinich said. Kucinich, also a “fringe candidate” in 2004, asked his supporters to go with John Edwards four years ago. According to sources inside the Kucinich campaign, the congressman chose Obama this time around because of comments Edwards made to Hillary Clinton on an open microphone after an earlier debate, saying candidates like Kucinich weren’t “serious.”

Senator Obama’s campaign issued a “thank you” statement, in which it was noted that “he and I have been fighting for a number of the same priorities — including an end to the war in Iraq that we both opposed from the start, reforming Washington and creating a better life for America’s working families.”

Soon after the thank you statement, the Obama issued another statement urging television networks to “allow full participation” in the upcoming debate in New Hampshire. Both the Kucinich and Obama campaigns insist no deals were brokered in exchange for this statement.

The senator phoned the congressman upon hearing the news to personally thank him. No word if Kucinich told Obama on the phone what he also said in the statement: “This is obviously an ‘Iowa only’ recommendation, as Sen. Obama and I are competing in the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday where I want to be the first choice of New Hampshire voters.”

Sen Clinton stopped by the popular campaign spot Popovers in Portsmouth, NH with her mom and daughter tonight, greeting a crowd that the girl behind the counter said had been lined up since 2pm to see her — and topped the crowds that had turned out for campaign stops by Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul.

After the shop’s proprietor gave her one of his signature pastries, Senator Clinton ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top (though she told the assembled reporters to keep that a secret, so please don’t tell her I told you).

She then waded into the exuberant crowd, shaking hands with supporters until she ran into two volunteers with Kucinich signs. “It’s good to see you guys,” she said. “Say hello to Dennis. Is he here?” Told he was not, she said “Say hello to him.”

Leaving the restaurant, her handlers had secured the sidewalk for her to walk to her “Working for Change, Working for You” campaign bus — but Sen Clinton had different plans, charging into the 18″ snow bank to greet supporters in the street before leaving for her last event of the day.

Dennis Kucinich was none too happy about being left out of today’s Democratic Debate. Check out his angry press release below… my favorite part:

“Setting arbitrary Iowa-specific criteria for a debate that will be broadcast all across the nation and around the world is a ruse and a fraud. It is a disservice to the people of Iowa, to voters everywhere, and to the spirit of democracy. The Des Moines Register has imposed itself as the ultimate arbiter of who should be heard, what should be heard, and what is important. This is a disgraceful display of elitist arrogance and journalistic manipulation of the democratic process.”

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