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.