So much for Barack Obama's "downticket" advantage that his campaign has touted.

As reported by Mark Halperin of The Page:

Travis Childers, who is running for Congress in northern Mississippi, is responding to attacks on his Obama ties from the NRCC and his opponent with an ad backing away from the Illinois Senator.

TV spot says: "Senator Obama hasn't endorsed my candidacy. I have not been in contact with his campaign nor has he been in contact with mine."

NRCC spokesman responds: "His new television ad not only says a lot about himself, but also about the toxicity an Obama candidacy can bring to Democratic campaigns down-ballot."

And from Mississipi's Daily Journal:

Today, Childers is releasing a new TV ad saying his family "has heard the lies and attacks linking me to politicians I don't know and have never even met."

In a Tuesday news release, Childers accused Davis of being a hypocrite because he criticized Childers for not saying anything about Wright's comments but said nothing on his own Web site to condemn the preacher.

Davis is pressing Childers about the apparent endorsement from the Obama campaign e-mailed to Obama supporters in the 1st District...

Childers insists he didn't ask for Obama's support and he deflected a question of whether he would accept his endorsement.

"Let me tell you what kind of endorsements we're looking for ... endorsements from the working people of North Mississippi, working families," Childers told a Memphis TV station in a story about the attack ad.

This must be bad news for the Obama campaign, especially as it seeks to lock up the all-important Superdelegate endorsements.  It's hard to believe that Obama's rejection of Rev. Wright yesterday will make much difference because obviously Obama was well aware of Rev. Wright's positions for 20 years, and is only now "divorcing" him because it's politically necessary.