Will Joe Andrew’s Audacity trump Jeremiah Wright’s hold on the pundits attention?

Joe Andrew seemingly had every reason in the world to support Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Democratic nomination. Tapped by President Bill Clinton to replace Steven Grossman as the chair of the Democratic National Committee starting in 1999, Andrew had come out in support of Senator Clinton’s run for the White House the very day she announced her candidacy.

It takes a brave soul to change a publicly stated position, which is why politicians are routinely so cagey and circumspect in answering questions. Today, in announcing that he is switching his support for that nomination to Senator Barack Obama, Joe Andrew made an impassioned plea in an open letter to other Super Delegates. Having heard tales of the pressures applied to Super Delegates, one can only marvel at Andrew’s candor and courage.

“I ask Hoosiers to come together and vote for Barack Obama to be our next President. In an accident of timing, Indiana has been given the opportunity to truly make a difference. Hoosiers should grab that power and do what in their heart they know is right. They should reject the old negative politics and vote for true change. Don’t settle for the tried and true and the simplistic slogans, but listen to your heart and dare to be inspired. Only a cynic would be critical of Barack Obama inspiring millions. Only the uninformed could forget that the candidate that wins in November is always the candidate that inspires millions.

I ask the leaders of our Party to come together after this Tuesday’s primary to heal wounds and unite us around a single nominee. While I was hopeful that a long, contested primary season would invigorate our Party, the polls show that the tone and temperature of the race is now hurting us. John McCain, without doing much of anything, is now competitive against both of our remaining candidates. We are doing his work for him and distracting Americans from the issues that really affect all of our lives.”

The media has been chasing ratings during the approach to the Indiana and North Carolina primaries on May 6, playing up the connection between Barack Obama and the increasingly bombastic Reverend Jermiah Wright (notorious for the storm over taking his “America’s chickens are coming home to roost” statement out of context.) Voters in these two states deserve better coverage of the issues of concern in the present - energy dependencies, home mortgage scams that threaten the entire U.S. economy, and the fact the Mission Accomplished announcement five years ago today was evidently the harbinger of this generation’s Viet Nam. It will be fascinating, and probably troubling, to see if they cover this story or stick to Jeremiah Wright, who needs their help to boost sales of his forthcoming book. I find Joe Andrew’s thoughts and decision far more compelling, frankly.

“We need a candidate who will re-invigorate the economy and keep good jobs here in America. We need a candidate who will end the war in Iraq. We need a candidate who will provide health coverage for our 45 million uninsured neighbors. We need a candidate who will end our addiction to high-priced foreign oil by investing in renewable energy here at home.

That candidate is Barack Obama.”

We understand why members of the opposing political party are gleeful, they prefer a story impugning Obama’s judgment or character to focusing attention on their own. What’s more important, do you suppose, the issues confronting our country, or providing more limelight to an author? Oh for the days when “follow the money” didn’t mean a news organization was pandering for ratings but actually investigating a real story.

“Many Democrats know me for one short speech I gave over and over again in the 2000 Presidential campaign. That speech was about welcoming people into our Party and welcoming undecided voters to our campaign to elect Al Gore. Today, we need to welcome Clinton supporters, undecided voters, and all Americans to join Barack Obama’s cause to fight for a better America. My speech ended with these words, which are even more relevant today:

The difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party is that you are always welcome in the Democratic Party.

Because Democrats don’t care if you are black or white or brown or a nice shade of green, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.

We don’t care if you pray in a church or a synagogue or a temple or a mosque, or just before math tests, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.

We don’t care if you are young or old, or just don’t want to tell your age, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.

We don’t care what gender you are, or what gender you want to hold hands with; as long as you want to hold hands, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.

We don’t care about the size of your bank account, just the size of your heart; and we don’t care where you are today, just where you dream you want to be tomorrow.

That is your Democratic Party.

That is Barack Obama’s Democratic Party.”