Rep.Patrick Murphy called Obama "absolutely our best chance to change the direction of our country."

August 21, 2007

Timely endorsement

The only Iraq combat veteran serving in Congress is set to endorse Barack Obama today, shortly before Obama speaks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City.

Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy, 33, was one of the many veterans the Democrats ran last November in their strategy not to get Swiftboated as they fought to take Congress away from the Republicans.

Zeleny points out that Hillary Clinton gave Murphy a shout-out in 2003 (when he was "a bright young captain") and he co-sponsored legislation with her to create a 21st-century GI Bill of Rights.

But AP notes that he is at work on a book with Obama speechwriter Adam Frankel, so....

UPDATE: Announcing his endorsement in a conference call, Murphy called Obama "absolutely our best chance to change the direction of our country."

Obama took a shot at the administration by saying the United States "needed a civilian leadership just as smart and savvy as our troops on the ground."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0807/Timely_endorsement.html