Woolsey endorses Hillary

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, the Petaluma Democrat best known for her strong stand against the Iraq war, on Thursday endorsed Hillary Clinton, the party's centrist frontrunner for president.

"I'm looking at who can get us out of Iraq," Woolsey said. "That has to be somebody who is electable."

Woolsey, who has represented the Sonoma-Marin congressional district since 1992, said that Clinton "can hit the ground running . . . she can make her vision happen."

Four years ago Woolsey endorsed Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich, a fellow member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who again is running for president.

"This has nothing to do with Dennis," Woolsey said, when asked about her different choice for 2008.

In a statement issued earlier in the day by the Clinton campaign, Woolsey was quoted as saying, "Hillary Clinton is the candidate with the strength and experience to bring about the change that California families need."

In the statement, Clinton described Woolsey as "a tireless fighter for working families . . . (who) has led the effort to end the war in Iraq."

Clinton's critics have faulted her 2002 vote to authorize the Iraq war and reluctance to back a firm timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. In a recent posting on the Web site alternet.org, Stephen Zunes, a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, wrote that Clinton's position on Iraq "differs very little from that of President Bush."

David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political science professor, said he was surprised by Woolsey's alignment with Clinton, but attributed it to realpolitik considerations by the congresswoman known for adherence to liberal principles.

"It shows she can play inside baseball," McCuan said, noting that California's Feb. 5 primary puts added weight on endorsements from state politicians.

Woolsey most likely was pressured to back Clinton, and may have done so, in part, to make amends for her suggestion in September that liberal Democrats should challenge House Democratic incumbents who aren't forceful enough against the war, McCuan said.

"She's trying to curry favor with the Democratic establishment," McCuan said.

Should Clinton win the White House, Bay Area Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. George Miller of Martinez, would play powerful policymaking roles, he said. But given the Clintons' political style, a Democrat who endorsed someone else might be kept out of the loop, McCuan said.

Clinton is "hawkish" on foreign and defense policy, McCuan said, but is a "strategic choice" for fellow Democrats, given her money and campaign organization. "It's Hillary's race to lose," McCuan said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein and 11 California representatives also have endorsed Clinton.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@

pressdemocrat.com.