It was just one little stop on the long road to the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. But for Rep. Richard Gephardt (Mo.), it was a symbolic moment for his campaign.

“This is the start, not the end,” Gephardt said in rolling out 30 endorsements from his House colleagues, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

The two shared a hug at Wednesday’s event at the Phoenix Park Hotel near the Capitol, but it took weeks of anticipation before Pelosi threw her support to her predecessor. And she has already let it be known that she won’t devote much time to campaigning for Gephardt, vowing to put her focus on winning back the House.