EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama's trip to Oregon got off to a good start before he even arrived.
     
Rep. Peter DeFazio became the third Democratic congressman from the state to endorse Obama's candidacy, saying Obama represents the party's best chance of taking back the White House in November.
     
"We must not allow Senator McCain to continue the failures of the Bush foreign policy, war in Iraq and disastrous economic policies," DeFazio said in an interview with The Oregonian newspaper, which reported the congressman's decision late Thursday on its Web site.
     
The superdelegate's decision puts Obama one step closer to the presidential nomination. The Illinois senator begins a two-day campaign swing through Oregon on Friday. His schedule includes a rally in Eugene, which is in DeFazio's district.
     
Superdelegates are the party and elected officials who automatically attend the party convention in Denver in August and can support whomever they choose, regardless of primary and caucus results.
     
Because of the tight race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, superdelegates hold the balance of power in deciding the nomination.
     
Reps. Earl Blumenauer and David Wu had earlier endorsed Obama while Rep. Darlene Hooley had endorsed Clinton.
     
Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who gave a rousing introduction to Clinton at an event in Central Point late Thursday, has also sided with Clinton.
     
Sen. Ron Wyden is the last Democrat in Oregon's delegation to remain neutral. Wyden's chief of staff, Josh Kardon, is heading Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign in the state, but Wyden has said he won't throw his support to either candidate until after the May 20 primary.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)