After Delay, Obama Bill Goes in Front of Council

After a month of delays and acrimony, the city council's Governmental Operations Committee will hold a hearing today to discuss Senator Obama's voting rights bill. A council resolution supporting the bill sparked conflict after the New York Post reported it had been buried by Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a Senator Clinton supporter. Councilman Charles Barron, who has endorsed Mr. Obama, called the speaker's conduct "outrageous" and "racist" yesterday.

A spokesperson for Ms. Quinn, Jamie McShane, however, defended the delays as routine and said charges of political gaming were inaccurate. "Speaker Quinn fully supports efforts to prohibit deceptive practices and voter intimidation in federal elections," he said.