Like Dana, I don't really agree with Yglesias and Marshall that the resignation of Samantha Power was a political mistake. Of course, on the merits the idea that what Power said should be a firing offense is silly, but when it comes to the politics that's beside the point. Not distancing himself from Power's comments would contradict his campaign's central message, and moreover has no substantive costs; Power didn't have an official position in the campaign and nothing will stop Obama from bringing her back as an adviser after the primary. Obama needs to hit back against Clinton, but in ways -- such as demanding that Clinton release her tax returns and the funding sources for the Clinton Library -- that don't conflict with his main themes.
Particularly in response to Josh, I think it's also important not to overreact to Obama's loss in Ohio and "loss" (with a delegate win) in Texas. Obama very nearly tracked Clinton down from far behind in Texas, and a small shift in the popular vote would have ended the race. Obama's campaign strategies have worked, and I think responding by sending a message that getting down in the gutter is acceptable would have been exactly what the Clinton team wanted. Power's comments put Obama in a difficult position -- they would have been a net negative no matter what -- but absent a resignation the political problem would make it much worse as the story continued. The Obama campaign had no choice but to take the weapon away from the Clinton campaign as soon as possible.
--Scott Lemieux
