Obama countered with an ad of his own. It asserts that voters are rejecting Clinton's attacks, and shows him saying, "When we get past the politics of division and distraction and we start actually focusing on what we have in common, there's nothing we can't accomplish."

Frank's comments were the latest in a string of signals from party officials who are eager for the nominating campaign to end so the party can unify for the fall campaign against McCain. If anything, his remarks carried extra weight because of his long-standing support for Clinton and his status as a superdelegate.

In recent weeks, party officials who are neutral have called for a reasonably quick end to the campaign.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has said he hopes a winner will emerge quickly after the final primaries, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said she does not believe the nearly 800 superdelegates should overturn the verdict of the voters. Once the prohibitive front-runner, Clinton's hopes of winning the nomination now rest on her ability to finish the primary season with a series of strong victories, beginning next week in Pennsylvania.

She then must persuade enough superdelegates — party officials who are not picked by the voters — that she is a more electable candidate than Obama, and overtake him in the weeks immediately after the primary season ends on June 3 in Montana and South Dakota.

So far, despite the furor over his remarks, Obama has not lost the public support of any previously committed superdelegate.

(Chinadaily.com.cn via agencies April 16, 2008)