McDermott endorses Obama

Rep. Jim McDermott on Thursday became the fourth U.S. House member from Washington to endorse Barack Obama for president.

The Seattle congressman said Obama is his pick because "I am confident as president he will end the war in Iraq and bring our sons and daughters home."

McDermott has represented Seattle for 19 years and is one of the more liberal voices in the Democrats' House caucus. He is the last House member from this state to declare his support for a presidential candidate.

McDermott joins at least five other Washington superdelegates who have endorsed Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination: Gov. Chris Gregoire; Reps. Rick Larsen, Adam Smith and Brian Baird; and Pat Notter, a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Sen. Hillary Clinton has the support of five of the state's superdelegates: Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Reps. Norm Dicks and Jay Inslee, and King County Executive Ron Sims.

The state has six uncommitted superdelegates: former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley; state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz; state party Vice Chairwoman Eileen Macoll; Democratic National Committee member Ed Cote; Democratic National Committee member Sharon Mast; and Democratic National Committee member David McDonald.

Obama won Washington's caucuses earlier this year.

Former President Clinton staged a fundraiser in Seattle in fall 2006 to help McDermott pay legal bills from his civil litigation battle with GOP House Minority Leader John Boehner, which McDermott lost. McDermott said Thursday that he had repeatedly tried, without success, to reach Hillary Clinton to tell her he was endorsing Obama.

McDermott was elected to the Legislature in 1970 from a district that included the University of Washington. McDermott said he has been greatly impressed by Obama's appeal to young people.

"They have not only shown up, but they have stayed involved in the whole (campaign)," McDermott said.

While endorsing Obama, McDermott said he does not envy the challenges that the United States' 44th president will face. "The situation is that the country is in such peril. That he can give hope and get people working," but he added that "tough changes are in order in order to lift the country out of a stalemated war."

"If you look down the list of problems, he's going to catch a cannonball in the chest when he's in the White House," McDermott argued.

McDermott said he's still fearful that the Bush administration will manufacture a crisis with Iran as a way of reigniting voter fears of the Democrats' ability to handle security issues.