Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) sharp denunciation of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright this week has superdelegates moving in his direction.

While the reverend’s controversial remarks and his widely panned appearance at the National Press Club caused many pundits to wonder if superdelegates would be frozen into indecision, those who moved into Obama’s column this week cited the Illinois senator’s reaction as one of their reasons for backing him.

Andrew cited a number of reasons for his defection. Chief among them was his concern that the protracted nomination battle was hurting the party and helping presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

But Andrew said Obama’s “principled stand” on Wright was “shocking.”

While Andrew’s crossover was the big story Thursday, Obama also picked up endorsements this week from Reps. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) and Baron Hill (D), who is also a native of Indiana, the next battleground state on the calendar.

Hill, who is from a conservative district, included Obama’s response to Wright in his endorsement statement even as Republicans criticized his decision.

“I am pleased that Sen. Obama clearly and unequivocally denounced Rev. Wright’s remarks,” Hill said. “Hoosiers don’t feel that way about our country, I don’t feel that way about our country and Sen. Obama made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t feel that way either.”

Clinton maintains a narrow lead over Obama 98-97 in congressional endorsements, despite published reports to the contrary. Obama, however,leads in Senate backers, 14-13, following Sen. Jeff Bingaman's (N.M.) endorsement earlier this week.

The Obama campaign said Thursday that Wright’s public comments over the past week haven’t deterred new superdelegates from backing the Illinois senator.

“After 14 months, the campaign has been tested, and it’s clear we’re still forging ahead and the campaign is still on track,” Tommy Vietor, an Obama spokesman, said. “Our eye is still on the ball.”

With both candidates not yet at the delegate count needed for the nomination, the focus of the race has turned to the uncommitted superdelegates or those committed to one candidate who might defect.

Obama has made strides to catch up to Clinton in the superdelegate count, but the New York senator’s campaign made a point Thursday of showing her lead continues to grow.

In an effort to presumably blunt the attention Andrew was getting, the Clinton campaign unveiled five new superdelegates on board Thursday — four from New York and one from Connecticut.

The Clinton campaign also circulated a memo from senior adviser Harold Ickes that was addressed to the superdelegates and included polling data suggesting Clinton is more electable than Obama in November.

Andrew making all kinds of news

Superdelegate and former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Joe Andrew made a lot of news Thursday when he announced that he was switching his support from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

And he didn’t stop there.

Andrew, an Indiana native who was appointed to the DNC by former President Bill Clinton, immediately thrust himself into one of Washington’s favorite parlor games: speculating as to who will be the nominee’s running mate.

The longtime friend to Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who has been a staunch supporter of Clinton especially in the lead-up to Tuesday’s Hoosier State primary, added to the controversy by suggesting an Obama-Bayh ticket.

“I believe that Evan Bayh would be a great president, and therefore a great vice president,” Andrew wrote in his open letter to Hoosiers. “I will continue to argue that he would be a great choice to be on the ticket with Barack Obama.”

Superdelegates unite for new foreign policy

A group of 16 superdelegates, both committed and uncommitted, announced an effort Thursday to push the Democratic Party to adopt a platform that would drastically alter President Bush’s foreign policy.

The superdelegates, led by Win Without War’s national director, former Rep. Tom Andrews (D-Maine), called for the eventual Democratic nominee to embrace a platform that would end the Iraq war, avoid war with Iran and close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.

To that end, the group announced it would circulate a petition among superdelegates seeking to persuade the eventual nominee to adopt a platform containing those facets.

Andrews and several members of Congress — some supporting Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), some supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and some uncommitted — held a conference call with reporters Thursday morning where they said they are unified on adopting a new foreign policy.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a member of the group and an Obama supporter, said the petition was necessary to “hold the nominee accountable.”

“We know that [Arizona Republican Sen.] John McCain will continue to bring us more of the same, and that’s war without end and war at any cost,” Lee said.