Koch Endorses Obama, Says Palin As President Would 'Scare Me'

Four years after endorsing President Bush for re-election, Mayor Koch is backing the Democratic nominee in the presidential race, Senator Obama.

Mr. Koch, a Democrat who served as chairman of a volunteer drive for the 2004 Republican National Convention, announced his endorsement via e-mail yesterday, saying he has concluded that the country would be safer in Mr. Obama's hands.

"Protecting and defending the U.S. means more than defending us from foreign attacks. It includes defending the public with respect to their civil rights, civil liberties and other needs, e.g., national health insurance, the right of abortion, the continuation of Social Security, gay rights, other rights of privacy, fair progressive taxation and a host of other needs and rights," Mr. Koch wrote.

Mr. Koch said he personally knows Mr. Obama's running mate, Senator Biden of Delaware, and the Republican nominee, Senator McCain, whom he called a "genuine war hero and patriot."

On Mr. McCain's running mate, Governor Palin of Alaska, he offered up sharp criticism, saying: "Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency."

He said that while Mrs. Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, she "fails miserably" on domestic issues that Mr. Koch said are important to him and to other Americans.

Mr. Koch said that in 2004, he was particularly concerned about the security of Israel, but he said that it was not an issue in this election.

"Both parties and their candidates have made clear, before and during this election campaign, their understanding of the need to support Israel and oppose acts of terrorism waged against it by Hamas and other Muslim supporters of terrorism," he said.