Passport Hubbub, Endorsement Offer Needed Relief for Obama
Barack Obama picks up the endorsement of Bill Richardson, right, at Portland's Memorial Coliseum in Oregon Friday. (AP Photo)
Good Friday was a very good Friday for Barack Obama, as news of passport breaches in the State Department and a much-sought endorsement from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson shifted the focus away from the racial controversies that have dogged him for more than a week.
Obama tried to put to rest discussions of race on the campaign trail Tuesday, when he gave a speech addressing his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose anti-U.S. sermons dominated campaign coverage for days.
The Wright controversy proved difficult to shake, however. Obama’s speech did not immediately stop the media replay of Wright’s most heated sermons, and polls indicated the Illinois senator was losing ground because of the focus on the issue.
But as reports of high-profile passport breaches developed between Thursday evening and Friday afternoon, the presidential candidates were handed a common target: the State Department. And the endorsement from Richardson, the nation’s only Hispanic governor, also helped Obama move on.
“This is a real good thing for the Obama campaign, GOP strategist Andrea Tantaros said of the endorsement from Richardson, who called Obama a “once-in-a-lifetime leader.”
“They change the subject … it also sends a message to other superdelegates that Obama still has strength, still has power to move ahead,” Tantaros said. “This is bad news for the Clinton campaign. It’s just another crack in her political dam.”
Democratic strategist Julia Piscatelli said the endorsement from Richardson, who was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Bill Clinton, helps Obama with his foreign policy credentials.
And political analyst Keli Goff said the endorsement helps deflect reports that Obama is not popular among Hispanics, as well as shift focus away from Wright.
Speaking Friday at a town hall meeting in Salem, Ore., Obama referred to the Wright controversy as a “bunch of turbulence” for his campaign.
The passport flap — in which the files of Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Obama were improperly accessed — brings a new set of turbulence, and could offer at least a temporary sense of relief to Obama’s campaign, which until recently was basking in the glow of front-runner status.
Clinton is still trailing in delegates, and Politico reported Friday that un-named campaign aides were giving her no more than a 10 percent chance of winning the nomination.
A photo was also posted on The New York Times’ Web site Thursday night showing Bill Clinton and Wright shaking hands at a White House prayer breakfast 10 years ago.
The Times site said the Wright photo was provided by Obama’s campaign, and in a statement Friday morning the Clinton campaign accused Obama of straining to shift the tide.
“It’s no secret that the Obama campaign is in political hot water given the news stories of the last few weeks and is desperate to change the subject,” the memo said. It accused Obama of peddling the Wright-Clinton photo and blasted the campaign for suggesting they were involved with his passport breach.
Obama’s campaign released a statement Thursday suggesting political motives were behind the breach, but on Friday it was clear the violations were not limited to Obama himself.
But if Obama is consciously trying to steer the political discourse away from the race topic, it’s an effort he proved only partially committed to Friday, when he responded to more questions about Wright at a press conference in Portland, Ore.
Obama said again that he was not aware of the most offensive Wright statements until they were broadcast on the Internet and TV, and especially was not aware of Wright’s claims that the government was responsible for HIV.
Obama called that “completely out of line and off the wall.”
FOX News’ Bonney Kapp contributed to this report.
Good luck to you
Having yourself pastored by a radical hater shows BAD JUDGEMENT. LYING aout it, when asked by the media shows DISHONESTY! Request for Presidency: DENIED
Mr. Bill Richardson endorsement at this late stage is another deviation / deflection stunt by Mr. Obama. This is basically a deviation from the comments of his pastor. We heard the lies of NAFTA now the comments of his pastor what more! Or are we going to dance on his band wagon and have him elected only to realize that we made another mistake like the one sitting in office for the last eight years. I hope we learn from our mistakes and not make another.
A short relief. The hateful right wing and obsessed media will continue to persecute him for the words of someone else, his middle name, and his racial background for the next 6 months.
comment for michelle
There are things that happen in our lives that we all would like to protect our children from, however in the world in which we live in, we can only pray that what they hear is the truth and or that we have taught them to smart enough to form their own opinion. You said you could not understand how Barack could let his young childred be subjected to that kind of talk, but can you understand how we let our children go to school and get called derrogative names, how we get overlooked for awards when we have the same grade point averages, how our male children get pulled over by the police for doing nothing wrong because of the color of thier skin.
I am certain that there are many other things that our children are subjected to that we would rather they not. You did not hear the pastor’s entire message, you only heard the negative parts that the media wanted you to hear so that you would have the very opinion that you have. I can say that the media won with you, becuase you only heard what they wanted you to hear. By the way, did you hear Barack when he said he was not at church that Sunday.
it’s funny how Wright’s comments seem so groundbreaking and appalling when Robertson and Falwell several days after 9/11 blamed America’s pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays/lesbians, ACLU, and people for the American way for that attacks. Tim Russert asked McCain in an interview “do you believe Jerry Falwell is an agent of intolerance?” McCain answered “No, I don’t”. McCain also delivered a commencement speech at Falwell’s Liberty University. The case in point is that whether a person is a mentor, party supporter, or general acquaintance does not matter, holding a candidate accountable for someone else’s ideas is ridiculous. Believing Obama shares Wright’s most outlandish views would be the same as believing McCain shares Falwell’s Crazy views. Off topic, but didn’t McCain joke about bombing Iran or maybe even singing about it? right, a guy who jokes about something as serious as bombing a country…Candidates should be held responsible for comments that came out of their own mouth.
Why focus so much on what the pastor has said. I believe many white, black, latinos and asians have, had, and always will continue to say insulting word about each other. until the root of racial problem is addressed, it will only be either spoken or unspoken intent in the mind of every American. Unfair advantage should be removed in dealing with social issue, discus race issue, elimate suspicious behaivour, and address historical past.
If Americans can be true to themselves, one race has had more than their own share of every possible advantage possible. please for God sake, lets see another kind of face in the white house. All this issue is a way of scaring people. How many leaders today voted for/or supported Aparthed to continue in south Africa, but today those same leaders are praising and want to be associated with Mandela.
The pastor was the generation of those who experience the inhuman treatment mented on non-white people in America. And because he still see a bit of that issue still happening today in most part of the world. so he spoke out. But at the same time he should be sensible not to say thing to iginite racial hatred. His word are out of time. But must be an issue that should be carfully discussed and the real root dealth with. “Moving on” should be about aspecting responsiblity for mistake of the past. “Forgivness” should be about letting go of the past. It is the duty of the accused and victim to come together and talk thing once and forall. The “culture of silence” on race issue wont solve the problem.
Those pointint to the pastor as evil, are “guilty of double standard”, they are seeking both “domination and victimhood”. The pastors words are bad not the pastor.
I am aware that the media is always eager to get stories, but I am shocked that the media would continue to run a story without playing the entire Wright message. Those of us who were not there don’t know what led up to the man’s message or what ended his message. Not by any means do I support the minister’s message, but we can not hold Barack Obama accountable for what his minister says or does. Nor should this mean that Barack should leave his church or steer from his friendship with Minister Wright.
Everything that Jesus said was not favorable to all of the people, but those who believed in him continued to follow him. Minister Wright is not running for the nomination of President, Barack Obama.
I think the Demoncrats have handed this election over to John McCain, and thank God. Of the three who are left, it’s plain to see that McCain is the only one of them who is truly worthy of leading this country. I think Dennis Miller said it best. There’s no way for Billary to win the nom except to stage a coup with the superdelegate party elites to overthrow the will of the people. And if that happens the Democrat Party is dead in the general election. I think Obama will have his time, it just isn’t now. And as for Billary, I think she is showing us and the world what she really is; a make any back alley deal, double cross anybody, win at all costs politician. We deserve better. We deserve McCain, and should have gone with him eight years ago.
You know Israel has been fighting the war on terror for hundreds of years. American will not win the war on terror. If Israel hasn’t what makes you think the USA will. There will be more body bags shipped over seas for more dead soilders. So harden your hearts and vote for Mccain. I’m sure this economy can take 10 more years fighting a war that they will never win. Tell that to all the hard working families that are losing there jobs by the week. Thanks Bush/Mccain for another economic disaster.