I am very fond of the Laders — both Phil and Linda — and consider them friends. I also respect their opinions and endorsements. Recently, Philip and Linda LeSourd Lader “announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President, touting her understanding of economics, international experience, and strong personal values.” Via Charleston City Paper, SCHotline Press Releases, and David Stanton’s Inside SC Politics.

(COLUMBIA) – Philip Lader, former U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), and his wife, Linda LeSourd Lader, residents of Charleston, today announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President, touting her understanding of economics, international experience, and strong personal values.

Ambassador Lader served in President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet and was White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Assistant to the President, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Deputy Director of the President’s Office of Management and Budget. A Charleston-based partner in the Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough law firm, he is also Chairman of WPP Group, the international advertising/media company with 102,000 employees in 106 countries, and a member of the boards of directors of Lloyd’s of London and four other global corporations.

“Hillary Clinton has been our friend for almost 30 years,” said the former ambassador, “and we have witnessed firsthand the specific influence she had in the Northern Ireland peace process, in relations with America’s closest ally, Great Britain, and in domestic policies. Senator Clinton has been an effective and extraordinarily capable champion for change here and abroad throughout her professional life.”

“Of all the candidates, she has the best combination of intelligence, experience, values and courage to bring jobs to South Carolina and the rest of the country and to lead America through our complex international challenges,” Ambassador Lader said.

Ambassador Lader has been deeply involved in South Carolina issues for 36 years. The former president of Winthrop University and Sea Pines Company, he was Chairman of the South Carolina Small & Minority Business Council, a founding Director of the South Carolina Jobs/Economic Development Authority, a director of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and a trustee of South Carolina State Colleges. From 2001 to 2007, he was the John West Professor of International Studies at The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, and he was a candidate for Governor of South Carolina in 1986.

Mrs. Lader, a close personal friend of Senator Clinton’s, has served on the boards of Spoleto Festival, Communities in Schools, and many education and religious organizations. She received the 2000 International Women’s Foundation’s Leadership Award for her work with the National Prayer Breakfast ministries and, during President Bill Clinton’s Administration, advised the President on religion-related policies and assisted with maintaining the White House’s relations with American communities of faith. She is the daughter of the late Leonard LeSourd, the founding editor of Guideposts, the nation’s largest-circulation spiritually inspirational magazine, and Catherine Marshall, the best-selling inspirational author.