Clyburn to Back Obama?

Interesting piece in the New York Times:

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), "the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, said he was rethinking his neutral stance in his state’s presidential primary out of disappointment at comments by Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton that he saw as diminishing the historic role of civil rights activists," the New York Times reports."

Clyburn, a veteran of the civil rights movement and a power in state Democratic politics, put himself on the sidelines more than a year ago to help secure an early primary for South Carolina, saying he wanted to encourage all candidates to take part. But he said recent remarks by the Clintons that he saw as distorting civil rights history could change his mind."

This is troubling. And this is precisely why this race can quickly devolve into a race about race and gender. Clearly, both candidates are suffering from both the presented sexism and racism so intransigent in the politics of our day (see karl rove yesterday). However, the Clintons are being accused of this and I have noticed a jarring tone playing the race card with them. After Iowa, Clinton clearly was playing up this point when saying Barack isn't tough on crime, etc. The African-American community will notice and it seems they are beginning to notice.

To Obama's credit he has not done so (although Jesse Jackson, jr. came close when describing Clinton's tears), but John Edwards seemed to misstep when he pounced on Clinton.