Obama gets congressman’s endorsement

NEW YORK – The only combat veteran from the war in Iraq serving in Congress endorsed Barack Obama on Tuesday, a major coup for the Illinois senator as he seeks to persuade voters he’s best equipped to be the next commander in chief.

Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., who served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004, said Obama is “absolutely our best chance to change the direction of our country.”

“I’m inspired by his call to action to change how business is done in Washington,” Murphy said. “I believe Sen. Obama believes, as I do, that we need to fight a smarter, tougher war on terror.”

The endorsement is a blow to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who has worked with Murphy on a variety of issues, most notably co-sponsoring legislation this spring to enact a new G.I. Bill for the 21st century. On Monday, she mentioned Murphy in her speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City.

A spokesman for Clinton declined Tuesday to comment on the endorsement.

Obama is coming to New York today, revving up an effort to become more competitive on the front-runner’s home turf.