Vogel: Obama maneuver boosts civil rights cred

[Colobo]

Barack Obama’s move to block a controversial nominee to the Federal Election Commission could help the presidential candidate burnish his civil rights bona fides and woo black voters away from Hillary Clinton.

Obama and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) this week put a hold on Senate confirmation proceedings for FEC nominee Hans von Spakovsky, who has been accused of diluting minority voting power during his time as a Justice Department lawyer.

Though the Senate is expected to revisit the nominations when it returns from a one-week recess, the hold was an astute political play by Obama.

It could mute questions about his leadership on civil rights issues.

And it could help cement his status as the most reform-minded candidate for president, since advocates for stricter campaign finance guidelines accuse von Spakovsky of working to weaken the rules since joining the FEC as a temporary recess appointment.

The hold pleased civil rights leaders, whose support could be key to Obama’s courtship of black voters.

Though he’s the most viable African-American presidential candidate in U.S. history, polls show black voters favoring Clinton, a New York senator and the Democratic front-runner, by 25 percentage points or more.

More at:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6221.html

[thereismore]

1. Congrats Obama, you did the right thing! nt

[papau]

2. a one week hold during recess that will be lifted? - is that what happened -or is Obama saying never