Ed Rendell Delivers -- For McCain

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, an all-out Hillary supporter, now supporting Obama in a state that will be key to McCain's fortunes a month from now, continues to be a loose cannon.

It was Rendell who previously put on the table the subject that for much of the primary and general election race has been verboten; how many points will Obama lose to the voters who, often against their own best interests, refuse to vote for a black man.

Had Hillary been the nominee no one would doubt that Rendell would be the surrogate par excellence. The same cannot be said for his performance today on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos"

Bill Ayers was the subject of a video clip (Sarah Palin denouncing Obama for his association with Ayers, who has confessed to participation in domestic bombings while a member of the Weather Underground in the 1960s). Next Mel Martinez, Republican Senator from Florida and Tim Pawlenty, Republican Governor of Minnesota, took their swipes at Obama for the poor judgment he showed in allowing Ayers to host a fundraiser for him when he ran for the state senate in Illinois.

When it came, finally, to Rendell, he chastised McCain for pledging last March to run an honorable campaign, but instead running a dishonorable one. Rendell predicted that approach would fail and that "no matter what they talk about, the Rev. Wright, Mr. Ayers...it's not going to wash;" not in the face of the sinking economy, etc.

What was Rendell thinking? Wright was not mentioned until Rendell mentioned him and Stephanopoulos pointed that out -- that the McCain camp hadn't raised Wright's name. The introduction of the Reverend's name prompted Stephanopoulos to toss a Wright-related softball to Republican Sen. Martinez who could once again raise the question of Obama's "judgment, about the need for the American people to know "how he got where he is today."

Perhaps McCain doesn't need to use the incendiary, America-bashing Reverend Wright as a campaign tool. McCain's surrogate -- oops! Obama's surrogate -- Ed Rendell will do it for him.

Comments

[piper1233]

I can't see into the Governors heart, but you can argue that it was good for him to get it out into the open and let the Desperate Republicans run with it. He was right, Wright will not work. And he didn't need to let it seem as Obama had something to hide by not mentioning the 800lb Gorilla in the room.

[steamboat]

You are a liar. If nothing else, Ed Rendell is a good soldier for the Democratic Party. Therefore, he's for Obama, whether he likes him or not.

[piper1233]

Easy, just an uninformed opinion. Nothing to get riled up about.

[kissmygrits]

Um, the flaming rethugs didn't need Rendell to do anything... if you think this wasn't in the can, you are dead wrong. And I watched Rendell get a crowd of about 40,000 fired up in PA on saturday for O... Rendell is delivering for O b a m a!

[Marnie21]

I live in PA and I was never a big fan of Ed Rendell although that is changing. I too watched This week and I thought Govenor Ed Rendell did a wonderful job of supporting Obama. Especially when they were taking about health insurance he really did a great job of pointing out that McCains 5000 dollar credit was a farce and wouldnt help people in Pa. Rendell said that you couldnt get good insurance worth a damn here for that amount and my husband whos in the union agreed. Also Tim Pawlentys response to Mc Cains health plan was weak at best. The REAL issues matter!

[Kindheart]

I would like to believe that his statement was a faux pas--I guess we will have to see what he does between now and 11/4.

[ohboynotagain]

I agreee with JackieW, while I am not the biggest Ed Rendell supporter, Barack Obama has been all about preemptive strikes. Think about all those speeches when he mentions they are going to try and say I am this or that, I don't look like the other presidents on the bills. Barack Obama knew what was coming and people have somehow been inoculated against it. The Public Financing issue, people slammed him but how better to fight the smears when you know you would have the $ to do it. Do you really think Obama thought he could campaign in 50 states, pay staff and have a ground game smooth and tough enough to fight all these smears with $84M. The man is smart and he is ahead of the game.

[milo h minderbinder]

I don't get the complaint here.

There have certainly been MANY GOP mentions of Wright, even ads (although they're probably 527's).

There's absolutely no question that they'd bring him up at some point.

In fact Palin has added Wright to her Ayers smears in the last couple days. This article seems like much ado about nothing.

[Micah616]

I think you're being oversensitive. Wright's always been there, and we all knew he'd be back

[TenThings]

Its odd that you are complaining about Rendell bringing up Rev. Wright, because you then take the "Rev. Wright ball" and run with it yourself. Had Hillary been the nominee no one would doubt that many of her public supporters - including Ed Rendell, Harold Wolfson, Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild , yourself, etc, would be the surrogates par excellence.

[charlietuna11]

hes a lot like joe lieberman. nothing more needs to be said..

[JackieW]

I disagree on Rendell. As an Obama suporter, I had no shortage of qualms with Gov. Rendell during the primaries. But I could not have asked for more from him on ABC. Rev. Wright has been coming - everyone knows that. What Rendell did was a preemptive strike. He let viewers know that the whole like of attack (Ayers, Wright, etc.) is just racist BS (Palin: that Obama, he's not one of 'us'). Rendell's line about the drowning person in the river not caring about the skin color of the man on the edge of the water holding the rope was priceless. And he's right. With the Dow now well below 10,000 and everyone realizing what an economic meltdown is taking place, I want the man with the strong arm tossing me a rope. Obama-Biden 08.

[FiveFortyOne]

I could forgive Rendell one goof-up. I think overall he's been a good surrogate, especially considering Obama wasn't his first choice.

[fistbump]

Yup, Rendell has been out there on occasion, but considering he is one of the savviest politicians out there, isn't it interesting that he continues to make these verbal "gaffes"? Just chalk it up to just one more piece of evidence that the Clinton inner circle continues to undermine and sabotage the Obama campaign.

As I've mentioned before, remember Hillary's closest endorsers? Where are they during the general election? Rendell, Bayh, Strickland -- they've all been pretty scarce, and when they do show, they do little to help Obama.