Lincoln Chafee will back Barack Obama this year, the Associated Press reports. The former Republican senator from Rhode Island has been publicly flirting with backing the Democrat from Illinois for several weeks, but he will make a formal announcement during a conference call today.

Ohio and Texas present massive March 4 opportunities for Hillary Clinton, but the attention paid there causes smaller states Vermont and Chafee's Rhode Island, both of which also hold contests on the first Tuesday in March, to be overlooked. Only John McCain has been to either state lately -- he holds rallies in both states today, coincidentally.

Among incumbent elected officials, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is backing Clinton, as is Rep. James Langevin. Rep. Patrick Kennedy joined his father and cousin Caroline in endorsing Obama several weeks ago.