Rep. Larsen endorses Obama

Excerpts from his blog, Postman on Politics

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., said he's a Democratic superdelegate committed to Sen. Barack Obama.

The Lake Stevens congressman had been neutral in the race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but he said Thursday that Obama has proved tough and resilient, showing he can take a pounding but come back and communicate with the public to deliver his message of hope and change.

He said he's been "particularly impressed by Senator Obama's truth-telling on the proposed gas-tax holiday." Clinton supported a temporary suspension of the gas tax, but Obama called that pandering. Larsen said a tax holiday would "make little or no difference for Americans paying too much at the pump."

Larsen said that he and other superdelegates were impressed by Obama's performance in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries Tuesday. It was, he said, using a Clinton phrase, a "game-changer," and it "put a lot of uncommitted delegates into head-scratching mode" about what to do.

Larsen said that early in the primary race, he was leaning toward endorsing Clinton and had thought about endorsing New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. As recently as April 23, Larsen said he had no plans to choose sides before all states had a chance to vote in primaries or caucuses.

Still uncommitted among Washington's superdelegates are state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz and Vice Chairwoman Eileen Macoll; Democratic National Committee (DNC) members Ed Cote, Sharon Mast and David McDonald; and U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott.

McDermott is the last neutral superdelegate among the state's elected Democrats.

There are a total of 796 superdelegates, including 17 in Washington. That's about 20 percent of the total delegates. In Washington, the superdelegates backing Clinton are U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Reps. Norm Dicks and Jay Inslee, former House Speaker Tom Foley and King County Executive Ron Sims.

Besides Larsen, those backing Obama are Reps. Adam Smith and Brian Baird, Gov. Christine Gregoire and DNC member Pat Notter.

This material has been edited for print publication.

David Postman is The Seattle Times' chief political reporter.

Reach him at 360-236-8267 or at dpostman@seattletimes.com