Some Dems Resist White House's Aggressive Role in State Races

President Obama's pressure on New York Gov. David Paterson to get out of his election race, and on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to change senate appointment rules are only the most recent indicators of the active role the president and his top advisers are taking in state politics. Those two episodes show that President Obama is willing to use his clout to assist favored Democratic candidates and to direct political resources in the way he thinks will best benefit the administration and maintain his party's majority in Congress.

White House strategists have thus far involved themselves in races in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. They say they intend to continue that trend heading into the 2010 midterm elections, and plan to keep their eyes open for potentially useful redistricting battles. The intense political maneuvering follows the style of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who helped Democrats win the House three years ago.

Some Democratic officials have praised the White House's efforts, but others are concerned that it will reflect badly on Obama's promises that he would rise above partisan political fights. Several Democratic candidates, including Paterson and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), have defied pressure from Obama to withdraw from their races. Karl Rove, who stayed aggressively involved in state races as an adviser to President George W. Bush, called Obama's interaction with Paterson "messy and ugly."

White House Is Taking a More Aggressive Role in State Races [New York Times]