Obama can't shake Wright; Clinton defends gas plan

BY GLENN THRUSH AND NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON | glenn.thrush@newsday.com; nia.henderson@newsday.com

May 5, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS - Hillary Rodham Clinton's name is on the ballot in Indiana and North Carolina tomorrow - but Barack Obama seemed to be running against the Rev. Jeremiah Wright yesterday.

Obama, whose double digit-lead in North Carolina has sagged to a 6- to 8-point edge in recent days, wanted to talk about climbing food prices and Clinton's gas-tax holiday proposal. Instead, Obama found himself on the defensive, spending the first 20 minutes of a sit-down with Tim Russert further distancing himself from his firebrand former pastor.

"My commitments are to the values of that church, my commitment is to Christ - it's not to Reverend Wright," said Obama, fielding a half-dozen questions on the pastor during an hourlong "Meet the Press" interview.

"He put gasoline on the fire," Obama said of Wright's appearance before the National Press Club last week. "What that told me was not only was he interested in using this platform to continue to make statements that I fundamentally disagree with and that offend me, but also that he didn't have much regard for the moment that we're in right now here in the United States, where we can't be distracted or engaged in this divisive, hateful language."

Clinton, too, was on the hot seat yesterday over her widely panned gas-tax plan - while a high-profile Clinton surrogate floated the idea she might take her fight all the way to the August convention in Denver.

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, who endorsed Clinton last week, predicted the Wright controversy wouldn't be an issue in his state but told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "It will be an issue in the fall if the nominee."

Asked whether he feared the nomination battle would rage on until the convention, Easley added, "If it goes all the way to Denver, I don't think it would be bad for the party. I don't think it would be bad for the country."

Obama seemed to agree, telling Russert, "I'm confident Senator Clinton is going to stay in until the very end."

Later, The Huffington Post reported that some Clinton insiders believed they have the votes on the Democratic National Committee's bylaws panel to push through a resolution later this month recognizing Clinton's wins in Florida and Michigan - possibly vaulting her over Obama in overall delegates.

Democratic insiders worry that any outcome that appears to supersede the primary voting to give Clinton the nomination would split the party. A Clinton spokesman didn't return calls for comment.

Since Wright resurfaced, Clinton has pulled ahead by 5 to 10 points in recent Indiana polls. The controversy "distracted us," Obama told Russert. "It wasn't welcome."

Asked whether he could have handled the Wright flare-up better, Obama added, "When you're in national politics, it's always good to pull the Band-Aid off quick and I think that's what the political consultants will tell you. But life's messy sometimes."

Despite the turbulence, Obama still holds an almost insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and has steadily eroded Clinton's edge among superdelegates. That trend continued after Obama denounced the pastor after the press club appearance, with 15 new superdelegates flocking to the Illinois senator in the last week.

And Clinton still trails Obama in fundraising despite a one-day $10-million haul following her April 22 win in Pennsylvania. The Illinois senator is outspending Clinton in both states by $15.5 million to $6.7 million, according to calculations from the Clinton camp.

The former first lady found herself on the defensive yesterday during a town hall-style appearance on ABC's "This Week" program, fending off questions about her proposal to suspend gas taxes this summer. The plan, opposed by Obama, has drawn nearly universal disapproval from economists who say it will drive gas prices up by encouraging greater fuel consumption.

"Can you name an economist who thinks this makes sense?" asked host George Stephanopoulos.

"Well, I'll tell you what, I'm not going to put my lot in with economists," said Clinton.