NYT : Wright Remains a Concern for Some Democrats

Wright Remains a Concern for Some Democrats

By JOHN SULLIVAN and CARL HULSE | May 1, 2008

Senator Barack Obama picked up several endorsements by Democratic superdelegates on Wednesday in his presidential campaign, as some party leaders tried to assess the damage done to his candidacy by the controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

With a lead in elected delegates and popular vote, Mr. Obama has been closing the gap in superdelegates with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been ahead in endorsements from the party leaders and elected officials who could eventually cast the critical votes that select the party’s nominee.

But some party leaders and superdelegates said the Wright controversy has given them pause, raising questions about Mr. Obama’s electability in the general election next fall.

“From what I am seeing out there, it is creating a backlash,” said Bill George, the head of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. in Pennsylvania, who announced his endorsement of Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday. “It’s unfortunate. If more of that happens going into the fall, it could create a problem.”

Other delegates interviewed Wednesday seemed split over the candidate’s efforts at damage control. Some who are Obama supporters praised him for his comments on Tuesday, which to them indicated a full break from Reverend Wright and his incendiary beliefs on race and other issues. Others said Mr. Obama needs to take steps to ensure the issue does not continue to shadow his campaign.

Chris Redfern, the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, who is uncommitted, said Mr. Obama’s delay in responding to Mr. Wright may have hurt the senator’s standing with many voters — in particular, the so-called Reagan Democrats who live in places like Toledo.

“Now is not a time to parse statements, now is not a time to worry about what happened 10 or 15 years ago or whether Reverend Wright was a great pastor or spiritual adviser,” he said. “Now is the time to turn your back on Reverend Wright.”

Mr. Redfern said that while many people understand that Mr. Wright and Senator Obama do not share views on many things, the “pragmatic realities of campaigns” could lead to guilt by association.

But Steve Achelpohl, the Nebraska Democratic chairman who recently endorsed Mr. Obama, called the controversy over Mr. Wright “a bump in the road” for the candidate. Mr. Achelpohl said he thought — or hoped — that Mr. Obama’s denunciation of Mr. Wright on Tuesday would move the campaign beyond the problem.

“I think it’s been blown way out of proportion, and people will realize that,” he said. “This is a media-driven thing and a presidential candidate shouldn’t have to vet every person that he has had a relationship with in his life.”

The Obama campaign has announced six endorsements in the past week, a crucial time for him coming off his loss in Pennsylvania on April 22 and the coming primaries in North Carolina and Indiana on May 6. With electability questions in the air, support from the party’s leaders could signal to voters that he was not damaged by Mr. Wright’s remarks.

Mrs. Clinton has picked up four superdelegates and still leads in those endorsements, but now by only about 15, with many of the delegates still undeclared.

One who came out Wednesday for Senator Obama was Representative Baron Hill, an Indiana Democrat. In announcing his support, Mr. Hill said he was satisfied with how Mr. Obama had “clearly and unequivocally denounced Reverend Wright’s remarks.” Mr. Hill said he planned to attend a rally for Mr. Obama in Bloomington, Ind., on Wednesday night.

“His comments regarding statements made by Reverend Wright showed me another aspect of Senator Obama’s leadership — a strength of character and commitment to our nation that transcends the personal,” Mr. Hill said in a statement. “One of the tests of a true leader is his ability and willingness to come to a new conclusion based on new events. Senator Obama did just that yesterday.”

Mr. Hill’s endorsement could be particularly potent because his district is relatively conservative and potentially a swing area in the general election. But before the presidential campaign gets to that stage, it is widely believed that Mr. Obama needs to make a good showing in Indiana, particularly among working-class Democrats who might vote Republican, to stop Mrs. Clinton’s momentum in this late stage of the nominating race.

Because of his influence, Mr. Hill immediately found himself under fire by Republicans, with Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, calling the endorsement mind-boggling.

“Baron Hill’s decision to side with the most liberal member of the United States Senate, who recently claimed that people ‘cling’ to their religion and the Second Amendment because they are ‘bitter’ is an affront to Indiana voters,” Mr. Spain said. “In a district that will undoubtedly vote for John McCain in November, Baron Hill has just latched his political fortune to a far-left liberal extremist who opposes the ban on partial birth abortion and supports a radical government-run health care system.”

Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat and backer of Mrs. Clinton, was among those who said it was impossible at this point to judge the impact of the Reverend Wright episode. “We will just have to see how it plays out,” Mr. Nelson said. “I think the first indication will be the two states next Tuesday.”

Some Democrats said they believed that Reverend Wright’s more extreme statements in recent days may have actually helped Mr. Obama, allowing him make a decisive break with a former mentor.

“I thought he handled it very well,” said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, who backs Mr. Obama. “If Wright keeps on talking, Obama can say, ‘he is enjoying the limelight, I am not going to add to it.’ “

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a former rival of Mr. Obama who is now backing him, said that since it remained early in the election calendar for most voters, Mr. Obama has a chance to minimize the issue.

“It’s April,” Mr. Dodd said. “This could actually help. I think he was strong yesterday and will continue to be, to reject that kind of language. I think he could turn this into asset. Time will tell, though it is certainly not a welcome addition.”

Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who campaigned hard for Mr. Obama in a losing effort in his home state, said he believed the senator doing was doing as well as he could with a difficult matter.

“There is no way to prognosticate, but I think time and again when he has been under fire, I think he has shown leadership skills that have been uncommon,” Mr. Casey said. “I think people are seeing more of his heart lately and getting to know him better and I think he is going to be just fine.”

Adam Nagourney contributed reporting.