Politics at play as Obama helps anemic Democrats

BOSTON — President Barack Obama lent his popularity and cash-raising abilities to embattled fellow Democrats on Friday, defending White House allies whose losses would be an embarrassment for the president.

Obama began a day of politicking with a quick "official" event at Cambridge's Massachusetts Institute of Technology to challenge the nation to lead the global economy in clean energy. But even as he stood in front of the seal of the presidency, Obama didn't forget politics.

He praised Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's "leadership and vision," saying he has endeavored to make his state "a clean energy leader" — remarks sure to earn Patrick favorable local coverage and which come free to his campaign.

Obama's compliments were just as glowing during the fundraiser that followed, where he brought in $600,000 for Patrick's 2010 re-election bid. However, the president leavened his praise with a heavier-than-usual dose of reality about his race in a climate hostile to the incumbent Democrat.

Obama acknowledged that he once thought Patrick couldn't win in the first place. Gladly proven wrong, he now said Patrick's "re-election is not a foregone conclusion."

Obama's poll numbers are heads and shoulders above Patrick's. A Suffolk University poll last month found only 29 percent of voters responding that Patrick deserved another term.

Up next, Obama planned to defend Sen. Chris Dodd, who faces an uphill climb of his own next year in Connecticut. The Democrat has become a close White House ally in efforts to overhaul financial industry regulations.

Obama's efforts to protect the 2010 duo came even as some of his aides looked at more immediate races — including the fast-approaching Nov. 3 gubernatorial race in Virginia — with skepticism.

Obama travels Tuesday to that state to campaign on behalf of Democrat Creigh Deeds in a gubernatorial contest that is shaping up to be the GOP's to lose. Deeds is trailing Republican Bob McDonnell in the race for the seat left open by term-limited Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine.

Some Democratic allies of the White House privately say the race already is over. Even as Obama openly campaigns for Deeds, they are trying to insulate the president from fallout from any loss by arguing that Deeds is a flawed candidate who has run a flawed campaign.

They want to avoid having Deeds' race seen as a test of Obama, the party standard-bearer who was elected in an electoral landslide just a year ago and who has campaigned for Deeds.

The White House publicly resists the notion that it's abandoning Deeds, noting that the president is continuing to raise money for him, has allowed his image to be included in advertising for him, and is traveling back to Virginia next week to campaign for him.