The American Small Business League (ASBL) has become the first small business advocacy group to endorsed a presidential candidate -- Sen. Barack Obama.

ABSL founder and President Lloyd Chapmpan has waged a concerted campaign to force contracting reforms at the Small Business Administration, which has been rocked by a series of scandas during the Bush Administration. The ABSL sued the agency earlier this month for refusing to identify corporations that are receiving small business contracts

Since 2002, a series of federal investigations have found that billions of dollars in federal small business contracts have actually wound up in the hands of some of the largest corporations in the world. Sen. Obama's record of rising above the influence of big business lobbying and his commitment to small businesses make him the best candidate to end dramatic abuses in federal small business contracting.

"I am so tired of being disappointed by our elected officials. For the first time in many years I am genuinely excited about this election. In my life, I have never been more excited about any politician than I am about Barack Obama," said Chapman.

"Helping American small business is part of our movement for change, and the end of politics as usual," Sen. Obama said in response to the endorsement. "Over half of all Americans work for a small business. Small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy and we must protect this great resource. It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants."