After months of courting, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley on Tuesday gave U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton a rousing endorsement for president.

"I've been accused of being persistent and downright aggravating," Easley said, as he stood beside Clinton at N.C. State University's McKimmon Center. "But this lady right here makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy."

Easley said Clinton recognizes the connection between education and economic development. And he made a brief reference to the "Yes, we can" theme of her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

"There's a lot of 'yes, we can' and 'yes, we should' going around," Easley said. "Hillary Clinton is ready to deliver. That's the difference. She's ready to deliver today. Immediately."

Easely became the first major North Carolina Democrat to endorse Clinton ahead of Tuesday's primary.

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