James McGovern was a vulnerable freshman congressman being targeted for defeat by Republicans in 1998 when he arranged to have First Lady Hillary Clinton visit a pre-school program in Attleboro.

The event raised McGovern's profile and gave many voters the impression he was a lawmaker with access to the White House.

Later that year, President Bill Clinton visited McGovern's hometown of Worcester.

Thursday, McGovern had the chance to return the favor as he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

But McGovern insisted that he was throwing his support behind the senator from New York because she is the best person for the job, not because of past political favors. "I appreciate the fact that President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton were there for me," McGovern said.

"But, I want you to know, this is not about payback. Who the next president of the United State is is too important for that."

McGovern said Clinton is not only the best qualify candidate, but her election would be historic because she would be the first woman president.

"This is a bold, ground-breaking, history-make candidacy. I believe Hillary will be a great president," he said.

McGovern said the day after Clinton announced she was running for president, he picked his daughter Molly up at kindergarten and all the little girls were excited about the possibility of having a woman president.

"To see the excitement in the eyes of these little girls was a powerful moment," he said.

Clinton said it is because of children that she is running.

"This is really about the kind of future Molly McGovern is going to have," she said in a telephone conference with reporters.

McGovern has been an ardent opponent of the war in Iraq from the beginning and has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Clinton was originally an enthusiastic supporter of the war, although she has turned critical of it of late. Despite their different original views, they said the now agree the war must end.

McGovern rejected calls by other Democrats for Clinton to express regret for her early support for the war.

"There are some out there who are calling for an apology. I'm calling for a strategy," he said.

Clinton said President Bush should change direction and start withdrawing.

"The president needs to begin to change course in Iraq and extricate us from there. But, I have said, 'if he does not, I will,'" she said.

McGovern said he wanted to help Clinton in Massachusetts and was also willing to campaign for her in Iowa and New Hampshire.

He has a recent history of endorsing candidates early and then watching them win.

He was the first prominent politician in Massachusetts to throw his support behind Gov. Deval Patrick when Patrick was a political unknown.

McGovern said one of his congressional colleagues asked him why he was endorsing Clinton so early. The election is not until November of 2008.

The congressman said he told his colleague, "When should I endorse her, after the election?"