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.
Bill Richardsonson endorsement will be seen for what it is.
He is a very intelligent and Successful statesman, former <ambassador, Energy secretary under the Clinton administration.
Personal friend of the Clintons and highly sought after Superdelegate.
His choice of Obama speaks volumes, This is support that will help Obama in the remaining primaries and most importantly in the general election.
This certainly gives Obama significant momentum with Voters and Superdelegates.
Which will put enough pressure on Sen Clinton to not destroy the Democrats Presidential and Legislative aspirtions for 2008.
I think the handwriting is on the wall. the math is the math
Sen Clinton will have to concede and hopefully try to help heal the Democratic party.
Sometimes Barack Obama reminds me of Jimmy Carter and lord knows we dont want another Jimmy Carter anywhere near the white house but on the other hand sometimes when he speaks he gives me memories of the years of John F. Kennedy Ill have figure out which one hes resembles the most before I vote it will be between him and John McCain but im still un decided
Eventhough, we need to know more about Obama, I have a feeling that the uncommitted superdelegates will have to vote Obama in otherwise they will be subjected to racism. A theme that Obama has been playing from the start. He is guilty of dirty campaigning .. calling Hilliary flawed candidate. I hate when he reads from the teleprompters !
I must just tell you that in case that Obama wins the nomination, myself my so many friends will leave the Democratic Party and we will all become Independent. Mr. Obama is not experienced to mend relations, my business is all international and with Mr. Obama my entire industry will suffer like it has been suffering because of the Bush Adminstration and the hatred outside. I will never vote for Mr. Obama neither will most of the people who I know, the case here is simple, America does not accept a woman as Commander and Chief, and this is so sad to see.
Obama trying to get the media coverage back to Bill . At least the negative ,so can relax in the lime light again . I hope the media investigates his back ground . Hopefully now before he gets the nomination . There is to much to ignore from the media . Resko , Rev. Wright , new advisor , His past documentation in the senate years and not attending the black union convention because he was campainging. Cnn , Msnbc and some of the more popular papers are ignoring the facts so they can set Obama on a pedestal. Lets stop this now. Fox news is covering the issues at hand. I can not agree more strongly about sitting in a church and not knowing what the pastors is preaching . Give me a break.
I think Barack Obama will win this race because he’s bringing what no candidate running for president has ever offered honesty. I cant believe that fox news would make Barack Obama seem like a racist when Bill Oreilly has said himself that his mom has said some things about blacks that would be considered as offensive and i know for a fact that he was influenced by her but that doesnt mean that Bill Oreilly has the same beliefs as her. I guess the point Im trying to make is that people from the 1940s and 60s wont make progress on the issue of race but this generation will which why Barack Obama will become president despite the comments made by his pastor
Just heard Richardson say one of the reasons he endorsed Obama was because he liked his speech on race !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you have people around like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton [ a few others] race will always be a issue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was never really into politics until I retired 9 years ago! I did vote but it was always for a Democrat but now that I am older and wiser I vote for a canditate not their party!!!!!!!!!!!!
FOX news has executives on the payroll who decide the newsworthy stories for the moment, the hour and the day. The FOX new station has continuously exhibited an anti-Obama, pro-Clinton stance and has shown that bias in how it has reported political news. It is nobody’s business concerning how an individual makes a PERSONAL choice about a candidate for the presidency. However, television executives should campaign on their PERSONAL time and in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the station’s mission to provide balanced, objective stories. Neither should news executives use their work privileges to sway the American public in a very hostile manner which serves to further pit racial groups against one another in order to achieve personal agendas, which is to promote the candidate of their choice. FOX news is responsible for exacerbating the racial tension in our country right now for financial gain (more viewers, higher ratings more sponsors) and have little regard for what is good for the country. Now, who is un-American, FOX new? Is it your station, Rev. Wright, or BOTH of you?! It speaks volumes about the caliber of your objectivity in reporting campaign news when your own television anchors protest on air, and walk off the set, in protest of your slanted bias in reporting stories on the Clinton-Obama race for the White House.
In one of the debates, I remember Richardson stating that human rights trumps national security. In other words, if thousands of American lives were on the line and he could not get a terriost to tell him where and when an attack (explosives, nuclear bomb, chemicals……) would take place by saying please, his choice would be to sacrifice Americans.
I believe that not only does the white voters remember Wright over the endorsement and the passport scenerial ,but I think the world should remember it . Rev, Wright hurt everyone by his comments and I think this is to serious of an argument to let fizzle away . I don’t care if you are black , brown , white , yellow . or red these kind of comments of Rev. wright cannot be ignored . All people have been hurt. If someone sets in a church for several years ,I won’t even suggest twenty years ,how about a couple of years . You know what is being preached or you come to sleep. Either way it’s time to move on . People don’t forget this. Look at the other pastor and adviser of his believes and preaching ,some more of the same. Bill Richardson turned his back on the Clinton’s after Bill give him his start for political gain .Shame on Bill Richardson, he’s no better than Obama