From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, April 30,2008

OBAMA

Superdelegates Are Still Swooning

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


Barack Obama has picked up five more superdelegate endorsements since responding to Rev. Jeremiah Wright's latest remarks with his 4/29 presser.

Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) endorsed Obama 4/30, saying Hillary Clinton "would make a great president. But for me, Barack Obama is the best choice" (release, 4/30).

Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) also endorsed Obama 4/30, saying, "We cannot continue to pursue the same politics of personal destruction we have engaged in for a generation, some never-ending 'groundhog day' endlessly playing out the cultural wars of forty years ago. ... If we are going to develop real solutions for Hoosier families, for America's families, we have to move past the partisan gridlock. I believe both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama want to do that and I believe both are formidable candidates. But I also believe that only one of them truly can."

Hill "said Obama's repudiation" of Wright's remarks "was a sign of leadership and strength of character." Hill: "I am pleased that Senator Obama clearly and unequivocally denounced Reverend Wright's remarks. Hoosiers don't feel that way about our country, I don;t feel that way about our country, and Senator Obama made it abundantly clear that he doesn't feel that way either" release, 4/30).

Meanwhile, Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) endorsed Obama 4/29, saying, "I am convinced Barack Obama will provide the steady hand and leadership we need to chart a new path for our nation" (release, 4/29). Chandler "said he knew his decision would go 'against the tide'" in his home district, "but I did it because I believe that it was the right thing to do. I believe our country needs this kind of change; our country needs this kind of boldness" (Hawpe, Louisville Courier-Journal, 4/30).

Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), "an early and ardent backer" of John Edwards, will endorse Obama today during a p.m. conference call. Braley's spokesperson "says Braley made his decision after seeing the overwhelming support for Obama" in last weekend's district convos (AP, 4/30).

And IA superdelegate/DNC member/farmer Richard Machacek endorsed Obama 4/29. Machacek "said he was setting aside his feeling that Obma and Clinton are equally qualified" to be POTUS, "but the pure numbers and the organization and the desires of the Iowa voters said otherwise" (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 4/30).

According to the camp, Obama now has 247 superdelegate endorsements (release, 4/30).

Obama supporter/Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) "is hinting strongly" that Obama has prevailed over Clinton in the battle for cong. superdelegates. McCaskill: "The majority of superdelegates I've talked to are committed, but it is a matter of timing. They're just preferring to make their decision public after the primaries are over." Supporters "of both Clinton and Obama say that the lobbying" for cong. superdelegates "seems to have decreased in recent weeks" (Parnes/Hearn, Politico, 4/30).

That's It, I Want A Divorce

In a "dramatic shift," Obama "forcefully repudiated" Wright during a 4/29 presser in Winston-Salem, NC. Obama said Wright's 4/28 Nat'l Press Club appearance, "including his dismissal of Obama's attempts to defuse the controversy as political posturing," was "a show of disrespect to me" and "an insult to what we've been trying to do in this campaign" (Williams, Boston Globe, 4/30).

Using "far stronger and more personal language than before" (Eichel, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/30), Obama "left no doubt about his feelings" (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/30). Obama denounced Wright's latest comments as "destructive," "outrageous," "ridiculous," "divisive" and "appalling," and said Wright's worldview "contradicts everything that I'm about and who I am." Obama: "I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw" (Berman, New York Sun, 4/30).

"Appearing pained and irritated," Obama said Wright was "not the person that I met 20 years ago." Obama: "Obviously, whatever relationship I had with Rev. Wright has changed, as a consequence of this" (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 4/30).

Obama characterized Wright's speech as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in truth." Obama "offered a wholesale dismissal of the more controversial" remarks, including praise of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan "and a belief that the HIV/AIDS crisis may be the result of a government run conspiracy to target blacks." Obama: "I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I do not expect those views to be attributed to me" (Davis, "Washington Wire," Wall Street Journal, 4/29).

"Visibly angry" (King, Indianapolis Star, 4/30), Obama "accused his spiritual mentor of exploiting racism" and "giving comfort to those who prey on hate" at a time when Obama is working to bring the country together. Obama said he had given Wright the benefit of the doubt, but, "When he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS, when he suggests Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st centuries, when he equates the United States' wartime efforts with terrorism -- there are no excuses. They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans" (Slevin/Fears, Washington Post, 4/30).

Obama: "I want to be very clear that moving forward Reverend Wright does not speak for me, he does not speak for our campaign. ... Anybody who has worked with me, who knows my life, who has read my books, who has seen what this campaign's about, I think will understand that it is completely opposed to what I stand for and where I want to take this country" ("Washington Wire," 4/29).

Third Time's The Charm?

In what was "at least the third time he has sought to deal with the issue," Obama "tried to cut all his ties to" and "discredit" Wright -- but he also "stretched the Wright story into another day" (Zeleny/Nagourney, New York Times, 4/30). Still, "in one fell swoop," Obama "separated himself" from Wright "and perhaps answered critics who've questioned his capacity to fight back" (Slater, Dallas Morning News, 4/30). Obama was also "speaking most directly" to the remaining undecided superdelegates (Tumulty, Time.com, 4/29).

As for IN and NC, Newark Star-Ledger's Farmer notes, "It may be a tsunami in Washington, but the Obama-Wright controversy has yet to make any serious waves here in Indiana. ... Even the Indiana media have seemed less preoccupied" with the issue "than the press has been elsewhere," with the Indianapolis Star covering Wright's Press Club address on page 5 (4/30). Still, Hoosiers "just tuning in since the campaign came to Indiana have seen Obama through the prism of Wright" (Indianapolis Star, 4/30).

In NC, "black voters, in particular, urge Obama to rise above campaign attacks and dustups, saying he is not responsible for what Wright says. Many white voters say there were deeply troubled and baffled by Obama's association with Wright" (Babington, AP, 4/30).

Praying & Preying (With Apologies To MoDo)

Several opinion writers weighed in on Obama and Wright in this morning's newspapers. Some highlights:

• New York Times' Dowd headline: "Praying and Preying." More Dowd: "Obama, of course, will only ratchet up the skepticism of those who don't understand why he stayed in the church for 20 years if his belief system is so diametrically opposed to Wright's. He's back on the tricky path he faced as a child, navigating between two racial cultures. At Trinity, he may have ignored what he should have heard because he was trying to assimilate to black culture. Now, he may be outraged by what he belatedly heard because he's trying to relate to the white lunch-pail set" (4/30).

• Boston Globe's Canellos headline: "Candidate faces down his pastor, but what took so long?" More: "Now, after Obama's uncategorical repudiation ... voters and other political observers will inevitably wonder what took so long - and how Obama could have misjudged someone to whom he was very close. After all, politicians are constantly confronted with these kinds of controversies. Obama initially chose to offer only a relatively mild condemnation of Wright, and to portray all the hubbub about his comments as an example of the kinds of distractions that mar political life" (4/30).

• Boston Globe's Lehigh headline: "Let's focus on Obama's views, not Wright's." More: "As we begin yet another round of discussion about the radical reverend, let me offer a radical proposition. What's really relevant here is not what Jeremiah Wright says but what Barack Obama believes" (4/30).

• New York Sun's Wapshott: The Wright story "appears to vindicate Clinton's decision to press on regardless of her rival's lead in delegates, in number of states, and in the popular vote. Her chances of winning the nomination depended upon Mr. Obama stumbling, though few imagined it would be his own pastor who deliberately tripped him. The tortoise is now set to overtake the hare in Indiana on Tuesday, and perhaps in North Carolina as well. ... If Mr. Obama still manages somehow to win his party's nomination, he would surely go down to defeat in November" (4/30).

• New York Post's Hurt: "Unfortunately" for Obama, his 4/29 denouncement of Wright "comes too late for a man whose campaign so proudly peddles hope" (4/30).

• In the Philadelphia Inquirer, ex-MLK speechwriter Clarence Jones writes, "Rather than condemning Wright, I commend him for refocusing the issue of race in America within a more relevant contemporary framework: a conference on the role of the church in America. ... Everyone seems quick to blame or condemn Wright for the possible impact or "political" consequences of his remarks on Obama's candidacy. My view is that whatever those consequences may be, they are fundamentally a result of the pernicious 24/7 persistence of white racism. Most white people (and, perhaps, some African Americans) are uncomfortable with a public discourse about or a reminder of this reality" (4/30).

• In the New York Post, author Ralph Peters writes, "The sorrow and the pity of it all is that the Chicago pastor, who's reveling in his 15 minutes of fame, is only one of many demagogues in all races and creeds who foster cults of victimization around the globe" (4/30).

• New York Observer's Conason: "Blame Wright's Enablers." More: "What seems most likely to frustrate Obama now is not white prejudice but the frivolity, egotism and pettiness of those who should be his most serious and dedicated supporters. ... His self-serving formulations seem to be approved by black leaders, if the audience response in Detroit provides any measure. And apparent approval reinforces doubts raised by the televised remarks of Mr. Wright in the minds of many Americans who might well vote for Mr. Obama but now wonder whether they know him" (4/30).

• New York Sun's McWhorter headline: "Dashiki Posturing Of Wright." More: "The ironic thing about these dashiki-era pronouncements is that the separatist ideology means claims about black people that whites would be burned in effigy for even hinting at" (4/30).

• New York Daily News' Goodwin writes, "The question is whether voters can still believe in [Obama]. The message lives, but the messenger is wounded, perhaps fatally. And Obama has only himself to blame" (4/30).

• Slate's Dickerson writes, "It's too early to tell if Obama's remarks will dispel the fallout from his former pastor turned wrecking ball, but they were the right first step. Before Obama can put Wright behind him, he had to put himself back at the center of his own campaign" (4/30).

• In the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Atlantic's Sullivan writes, "Obama needed not just to distance himself from Wright's views, as he did [3/18]; Obama needed to disown him. And his news conference yesterday went much of the way toward that goal" (4/30).

• Politico's Simon: "Wright is no longer a part of the Obama campaign, but that hardly matters. Before Wright burst forth ... Obamas worst-case scenario was to run out the clock" until the Dem convo, beating Clinton "by the sheer weight of his pledged delegate majority and the unwillingness of superdelegates to overturn the choice of the people. But the recent rantings of Wright have put that plan in some peril" (4/30).

• Charlotte Observer's Curtis writes, "Memo to Jeremiah Wright: You need to stop talking -- now. ... You say you hope this controversy sparks a dialogue. That may be. But you are not the person to lead it" (4/30).

Newspaper ed boards also had something to say:

• Wall Street Journal: "Obama yesterday addressed the [Wright] issue with clarity and decisiveness. If this is the start of a more direct campaign style from [Obama], there will be gains all around" (4/30).

• Washington Post: "The whole sorry episode raises legitimate questions about [Obama's] judgment. Given the long and close relationship between Mr. Obama and the Rev. Wright, voters will ask: How could Mr. Obama have been surprised by the Rev. Wright's views?" (4/30).

• USA Today: "If Obama thought his [3/18 speech on race] would put the controversy to rest, he was sorely mistaken" (4/30).

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Jesus once said a man's enemies will even be members of his own household. Mr. Obama will probably shout amen to that" (4/30).

• New London Day: Obama's "renunciation was in order. The characterization of Rev. Wright trying to steal center stage was correct. But is is too soon to say whether this clear break from Rev. Wright is enough to save his candidacy" (4/30).

End Of Story?

Roll Call's Kondracke, asked if Obama's criticism helps put Wright out of the picture: "It depends partly on whether Reverend Wright gets out of the bathtub like the famous woman in 'Fatal Attraction' for the last stabbing. ... But the idea that [Obama] is shocked, it sort of reminds me of Jimmy Carter being shocked when the Russians invaded Afghanistan way back when. He has been going to this church for 20 years. ... It was about time he socked him and he needed to sock him, and he may get away with it. But I'm not convinced that it's the end of the story" ("Special Report," FNC, 4/29).

NPR's Liasson: "Reverend Wright as a political issue is not going to go away whether or not Reverend Wright himself stays quiet or not. Those statements of his are going to be in ads in the fall no matter what. ... [Obama] pushed back as hard as he has in this entire controversy. I think he did make some progress towards marginalizing Wright in his political life. ... I think this is going to help him to some extent, but it's not going to mitigate the damage completely" ("Special Report," FNC, 4/29).

Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "On the question of where it goes from here, it does seem to me that Barack Obama does need to move on ... but that there ought to be a group of his supporters, many of whom are black, who ought to be prepared now to speak out. If Jeremiah Wright returns fire, they ought to be the ones who come out and handle that" ("AC 360," CNN, 4/29).

CBS' Greenfield, asked if Obama's repudiation is enough to control the damage: "I think that's going to depend on whether people see this as a genuine act of indignation, Obama saying 'this man was questioning my honesty in separating myself from him, calling it political.' If they see that as a way of saying he is clearly a marginal figure now, or if they see it as a politically calculated move. And we don't know yet" ("Evening News," 4/29).

MSNBC's Hall: "Could this perhaps be Barack Obama's New Hampshire moment, where you saw this vulnerability that Clinton showed in New Hampshire and people rallied behind her? ... He was angry, he was hurt, he was saddened, and perhaps that is something that white female voters will key in on and say, 'Listen, you know what? I feel bad for this guy because this is someone he cared about and this is someone who tried to ruin him'" ("Hardball," 4/29).

Ex-WH Press Sec. Ari Fleischer, on whether Obama "put the issue to bed": "I think he made progress. I think Barack Obama did what he should have done when he got the diagnosis that he could have had a fatal disease six weeks ago with this pastor. He didn't take any medicine for six weeks. Now he finally started to take his medicine. So he did make progress, but the problem is now this is beyond Barack Obama's control. It's up to Jeremiah Wright" ("Fox & Friends," FNC, 4/30).

Time's Carney: "It probably won't do the trick. ... I think that while Barack Obama did try to throw Reverend Wright under the bus and I guess he did throw him under the bus, it probably came too late. ... If it doesn't hurt him between now and Indiana, it will hurt him if he gets the nomination in the fall" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 4/29).

National Pressure Club

Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tucker: "Note that Senator Obama in today's press conference repeatedly used words like 'performance' and 'spectacle.' After Reverend Wright's decision to go on tour over the weekend and further inflame the controversy that had already ignited over his previous remarks, Senator Obama had absolutely no choice to do what he did today and to go further than he had in the past" ("NewsHour," PBS, 4/29).

CNN's Crowley: "It was really personal. ... The room was very tense. It was very interesting to me. And this is a very cool guy. He rarely shows emotions. Sometimes, he's a little snippy with the press corps, but, beyond that, you hardly ever see him break a sweat, as they say. Today, he was alternately just looked really devastated by this, particularly when he was asked, well, what's your relationship now. ... But he was also really angry. You could almost see him seething."

More Crowley: "This is day number five of this story. They would not have bought him out to perpetuate this story unless there was a really good reason. And I suspect that reason is that, somewhere in the polling, they know it's hurting" ("AC 360," 4/29).

Dem strategist Jamal Simmons: "He is like as agitated as I think he's ever been in public" ("LKL," CNN, 4/29).

Chicago Sun-Times' Sweet, on how hard it was for Obama to denounce Wright: "[It was] very painful, very hard for Obama. This is a painful chapter but he was upset about this. He was angry and I think Wright's actions at the National Press Club yesterday made it easier for him to go and do this today" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/29).

A Silver Lining?

Obama supporter/Philadelphia Daily News' Colgan: "Today [Obama] did something which is very important for voters, which is to show emotion and to show strength. And I think on a visceral level, people really understood that Barack Obama has nothing in common with this reverend. ... I actually think, ironically, that this will end up helping Barack Obama. And I know it's a contrarian viewpoint, but I think it really shows how someone deals with a controversial issue and it shows that he does have the skill to bring people together" ("LKL," CNN, 4/29).

MSNBC's Matthews: "I think the Reverend Wright yesterday did a favor to Barack Obama, so all the people out there who are loyal to both people ... can say, This guy didn't start this fight. He's not dissing a brother. ... Jeremiah Wright is trying to bring down Barack Obama, and he's right to separate from him. I think that'll be the way it sells" ("Hardball," 4/29).

Rev. Al Sharpton: "I think Barack Obama showed a real profile in courage. He showed real character. Whether one agrees or not, here's someone that's risking knowing that many in his base support group would question him. He doesn't know what the backlash will be. He doesn't know what his former pastor is going to say. But he's going to say, I don't care. ... I think if anybody proved they're not the old-style politician, he did that today. I've got to give him credit for that" ("LKL," CNN, 4/29).

MSNBC's Scarborough, on whether Obama's denouncement is a good thing for his campaign: "This is very good news for his campaign. It's great news for the Democratic Party. Here's a guy who's been scratching and clawing and fighting over the past month, a difficult month. And yet here he is in mid-season form, he's getting tough. ... This could be the sign that Barack Obama's coming out of this tail spin and he's ready to roll up his sleeves and fight the way Democrats want him to fight. Not only Hillary Clinton, but also Republicans in the fall" ("Race for the WH," 4/29).

Jimmy Carter: "I think he's done what he thinks is right. And I don't think there's any doubt that what has been exposed about some of Reverend Wright's most fiery sermons has really been damaging to Obama's campaign. And if I were running under those circumstances, I would probably want to separate myself as much as possible from any sort of damage to my campaign. But he's not responsible for what Reverend Wright has said" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/29).

More Carter: "He'll be tested even more severely than in this slight squabbles in the Democratic Party when he faces the general election. And I think he's proven beyond anybody's expectation that he can handle a tough campaign quite well" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/29).

Wright Was Wrong

Karl Rove: "What I thought was interesting was Senator Obama drew three statements out that he found particularly unattractive about Wright: AIDS, Farrakhan, and terrorism. And yet ... all of those statements had been made in the past, some of them in multiple times in different variations by Reverend Wright over a course of years. And yet, Senator Obama took umbrage at their repetition yesterday. Did he not take umbrage the first time that Reverend Wright talked about those things years ago?" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 4/29).

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY): "I think the intrusion of the relationship between anyone and their spiritual adviser is just a very, very dangerous thing" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 4/30).

Ex-WH Press Sec. Ari Fleischer: "This is a ticking bomb for Barack Obama that's going to keep exploding from here to November" ("Fox & Friends," FNC, 4/30).

So, Um, What Took You So Long?

CNN's Brown: "It has been 43 days ... since Barack Obama first attempted to dampen the whole Jeremiah Wright scandal with his race speech. In an election year, 43 days is a lifetime. And some say the fact that it took Obama so long to emphatically denounce his former pastor shows just how difficult this decision must have been for him" ("Election Center," 4/29).

Chicago Sun-Times' Sweet, on whether Obama is sorry he didn't go after Wright harder in his Philadelphia race speech: "No. It's disappointment that Wright didn't do ... what Obama thought was the right thing, which was to just stay on the sideline. You know, Obama gave him the benefit of the doubt. ... [Obama] had to do this also because these elections are coming up Tuesday in North Carolina and Indiana. So, there is no time to predicate about what to do" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/29).

NBC's Mitchell: "Barack Obama was concerned enough about the controversial aspects of Reverend Wright's history to have disinvited him from his announcement in Springfield, Illinois, last winter, a year ago. And so he was already concerned enough about the optics of this. He had him there to pray with him and Michelle before and after the ceremony, but he didn't want him to be in public. This could have been what first set off Reverend Wright to feel that he was being dissed by this guy."

More Mitchell, on how Obama originally dismissed the Wright controversy: "As late as 11:00 o'clock last night, he was dismissing it, joking about it. ... In a rally last night, he was saying, you know, 'My opponents are trying to make a big deal out of the fact that I don't put my hand over my heart, they're making that up, and they're talking about my former pastor.' He was dismissing the issue. ... So he should have taken ... it serious. Something happened overnight. He should have taken it more seriously yesterday, and he didn't" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/29).

NBC's Todd: "I'll tell you, this has been a pattern. Obama always seems to react one day later than he should have, politically" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/29).

MSNBC's Matthews, on whether Obama denounced Wright fast enough: "He has to separate from this guy as fast as possible. He was a little slow on the trigger but he did it today, conclusively. ... The damage between them is real, it's personal. ... I don't think he could have gone much further, Dan, but I think he could have been a little faster" ("Verdict," 4/29).

We Have A Test In How Many Days?

Raleigh News & Observer's Christensen, on NC: "The race is tightening a little bit. Whether it's because of the Wright factor, I don't know. But this is what I do know. If you go into the rural areas of North Carolina, and the small towns, and you talk to white Democratic voters, you hear them talking about Reverend Wright. They bring it up on their own. You don't even have to mention it to them" ("NewsHour," PBS, 4/29).

NBC's Russert: "Barack Obama today realized he had three groups he was talking to: the undecided voters of Indiana, the undecided voters of North Carolina and undecided superdelegates. He had to convince them that this issue will be behind him, it will not haunt him for the remainder of the primary season and in the general election. Whether this news conference did it today, we don't know. We'll know a whole lot more next Tuesday" ("Nightly News," 4/29).

MSNBC's Matthews, on whether the Wright story is still bad news for Obama: "If we are still putting this up as our main story of the day, that's bad news for him. If we're still saying it by Thursday, that means the weekend news shows will talk about it. That means it will be the talk going right into the primaries in Indiana and North Carolina next Tuesday, which means he will probably lose Indiana. He will not do as well as he thinks right now he should do in North Carolina. Hillary will still be in the hunt" ("Verdict," 4/29).

Race Matters

GOP strategist Ed Rollins: "If this election ends up being about race, as opposed to being about the Bush war or the Bush economy or what have you, Barack Obama cannot win" ("AC 360," CNN, 4/29).

CBS' Greenfield: "Jeremiah Wright's occupation of center stage was blocking everything else about Obama. And more to the point, Wright's insistence that to attack him was to attack the black church was defining Obama in an odd way in terms of race, the one definition Obama has spent a year trying to say, 'that's not what I'm all about'" ("Evening News," 4/29).

Sincerely, Barack

CNN's Crowley: "I asked him if, in fact, he had heard from superdelegates who were getting uneasy about the effect this was having on his campaign. And Obama said, 'Look, I think we all understand the politics of this,' but then went on to say, 'But I am doing this because I'm so outraged by these statements'" ("Situation Room," 4/29).

MSNBC analyst/ex-"West Wing" EP Lawrence O'Donnell, on whether Obama's denouncement was a "political no-brainer": "It's a political response but it was an unscripted response. He wasn't there with teleprompters over a written text. He came out there and basically told the story of his experience of watching this over the last 24 hours. He says he hadn't seen it earlier in the day yesterday, finally got to see it last night and decided he had to come out and do this. Both politically and tactically ... it seemed personal at certain points. He talked about he felt disrespected by Reverend Wright. There were some very personal elements" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 4/29).

Obama supporter/ex-Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk: "I don't see anything expedient about the position that Senator Obama took today. This was as painful for him as probably anything he's done" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/29).

The Gift Of Gibbs

Obama comm. dir. Robert Gibbs: "I believe that what he did yesterday was speak clearly and definitively about the outrageous statements that Reverend Wright repeated at the National Press Club on Monday. I think he showed toughness and leadership in doing so. And we are moving on to talk about issues that the American people genuinely care about." Gibbs, asked what the camp's reaction was to Wright calling Louis Farrakhan one of the great figures in the 20th and 21st century: "I don't want to threaten your FCC license. ... Look, I think obviously this was a very personal decision for Senator Obama. This wasn't a political decision. What he said yesterday, he said from the heart."

Gibbs, on whether Obama had a private conversation with Wright in addition to "the public divorce": "They didn't speak yesterday. ... I think what Senator Obama said yesterday needed to be said in public" ("Morning Joe," MSNBC, 4/30).

The Gang Of 300

Slate.com's Dickerson, on whether Obama's denouncement is enough for superdelegates and voters: "Barack Obama is still ahead in the pledged delegates, [and] this isn't going to change that. It's not going to change the outcome of several of the races to come. ... It's a problem for his campaign at the moment, but there are lots of other things for people to care about and that effect their daily lives. And Jeremiah Wright, on the list of people's concerns, is maybe at around 29 or 40" ("American Morning," CNN, 4/30).

NBC's Todd: "Obama will get the benefit of the doubt from most folks. But let's remember the other audience here. ... Superdelegates who are sitting here, unwavering, wondering, 'Can this guy handle a crisis?' They've been weighing this. ... Superdelegates I talk to tell me it's like, 'You know what? Obama's baggage doesn't seem any heavier than Clinton's baggage.' The question is, she seems to have more baggage handlers, frankly, than he does" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 4/29).

Pencil It In

Wright "plans to preach next month in his native" Philly, giving sermons 5/28 and 5/29 at St. Thomas African Episcopal Church, and 6/1 at Canaan Baptist Church (Ap, 4/30).

A source tells the New York Post that Wright "doesn't care if he derails Obama's candidacy or not" by continuing to speak out. The source said Wright feels "betrayed" by Obama, and "is trying to defend his congregation and the work of his ministry" (Dicker, New York Post, 4/30).

Meanwhile, Rev. Otis Moss III, called the "hip-hop pastor" by his congregants, takes over as head of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in June. Moss has "declined to answer questions about Wirght or Obama" (Tareen, AP, 4/29).

Positively New Ads

Obama's camp has launched two new TV ads in NC. "In America" focuses on changing DC politics. Full script:

OBAMA: "Here in America, we live by certain values. Hard work. Community. Keeping your word. But today, Washington's got it backwards. Trade deals that put profits before people. Laws written for -- and by -- corporate lobbyists. We need to stop rewarding companies that export jobs. End a war that's cost so much in lives and dollars. Invest in workers here at home. I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message to ask for your support on Tuesday. Because the change we need in Washington begins with you."

And "Return" focuses on caring for veterans. Full script:

OBAMA: "I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message. As your commander-in-chief, my job will be to keep you safe. Part of keeping you safe is maintaining the finest military in the world And it means caring for our troops when they come home." ANNCR: "On the Veterans Affairs Committee, Barack Obama passed measures to improve care for wounded warriors; give shelter to homeless veterans; and expand mental health services for returning heroes." OBAMA: "We have a solemn obligation to honor those who have served on our behalf" (Dann, NBC/National Journal, 4/29).

Meanwhile, Obama camp atty Bob Bauer is comparing The American Leadership Project, a pro-Clinton 527, to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, arguing the group's ad airing in IN is a "flagrant violation" of campaign finance laws (Anburajan/Jones, NBC/National Journal, 4/29).

Three Point Shots

Campaigning 4/29 in Winston-Salem, NC, Obama "dismissed his rivals' calls for a national gas tax holiday as a political ploy that won't help struggling consumers" and instead talked up his middle-class tax cut plan. Obama told a crowd of 2K, "We're arguing over a gimmick that would save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say they did something. Well, let me tell you, this isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's designed to get them through an election." Both Clinton and John McCain responded that Obama's stance shows he's out of touch (Glover/Fouhy, AP, 4/29).

Later 4/29, in Hickory, Obama took a dig at Clinton for proposing a gas tax holiday after McCain, saying, "You know, she must have been reading the polls because she said 'Well, me too.'" Obama also said he voted for a gas tax holiday in the IL Legislature but then voted against renewing it six months later "because it wasn't making any difference in people's lives. It wasn't helping" (Jones, NBC/National Journal, 4/29).

Earlier, Obama played a game of pickup basketball with members of the UNC Tar Heels 4/29 a.m., and found he was "out of his league" (Blythe, Raleigh News & Observer, 4/30). Obama "did not make any of his shots and often lagged behind the other players" (CBSNews.com, 4/29). But he kept up the pace "for at least five minutes before benching himself" (Raleigh News & Observer).

Mmmm, Barack On A Stick

Obama and wife Michelle travel to IN today to meet with local families in Indianapolis, and Obama rallies in Bloomington (release, 4/29).

The Obamas will also sit down with Meredith Vieira for an interview to air 5/1 on "Today," excerpts of which will also air on "NBC Nightly News" 4/30 (release, 4/30).

The couple also appeared on Rachel Ray's daytime talk show 4/29. Obama said his daughters are "not impressed" with his status in the WH race, saying, "When I call them and they say, 'Daddy, what did you do today?' I said, 'Well, I spoke to 35,000 people.' It's like 'Boring.' It's not interesting." M. Obama, meanwhile, "said it makes her laugh to see her husband's face on campaign memorabilia." M. Obama: "It's sort of like, 'Look. It's Dad. Is that Dad on a shirt? Is that Dad on a stick? It's just Barack. What's he doing on a shirt?" (AP, 4/29).

But Let's Ask Dukakis

Michael Dukakis "has maintained an adamantly neutral public stance" on whom he's backing in the WH race, "but he also said that Barack Obama will probably be the nominee and the race decided by early June." Dukakis: "If Obama wins both of those states on the sixth of May, I don't see how as a practical matter he doesn't have it." Dukakis also supports splitting FL and MI's delegates 50/50, saying, "how many times do you move the goal posts?" More Dukakis, on Obama: "All I can tell you is at this point it looks as if he is likely to be the nominee. But, you know, funny things happen in this business." Dukakis said Clinton has "run a pretty damn good campaign," but, "at least in the caucus states, he and his people understood better than the Clinton people what it takes to win" (Kornacki, New York Observer, 4/29).

Staying Together For The Country

Washington Times' Limbaugh writes, "It's hard to imagine a scenario now in which Mr. Obama doesn't capture the nomination, even if he continues to tank." Despite recent "revelations and what they portend for Mr. Obama's electability, Democrats face two possibly insurmountable obstacles to dumping Mr. Obama: their purported commitment to small 'd' democracy and the race issue" (4/30).

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