By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Star Editorial Board

Two of Barack Obama's most important endorsements from America's Heartland are from Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

But how will the controversy that now surrounds Obama and his long-time pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr., affect those endorsements?

At the very least, both Midwesterners will face pressure from Missourians and Kansans to back off their earlier enthusiastic support of Obama.

Both Sebelius and McCaskill will be watching very closely in the days ahead as Democrats in their states react to Wright's offensive words.

At some point, Sebelius and McCaskill will have to decide how strongly they will campaign for Obama in the light of those remarks.

Sure, Democratic politicians and some in the media are rallying to Obama's defense this weekend. They point out -- accurately -- that Obama can't be personally held responsible for Wright's inflammatory language.

And Obama has tried to distance himself from Wright. One of his defenses: He didn't hear Wright make his most vituperative comments.

However, Obama has failed to supply adequate answers about how much he knew about Wright's feelings about America.

A lot of on-the-fence voters are looking very closely at what Wright said and whether Obama -- and his most visible supporters -- are strongly enough denouncing those words.

Some of Wright's most offensive comments were in his rant against the country when he repeatedly used the Lord's name in vain in 2003 to accuse the government of punishing the nation's blacks with drugs, prisons and a three-strike law.

"God ---- America for treating our citizens as less than human," Wright said. "God ---- America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

As even Democrats realize, Wright's comments denouncing the country aren't playing well in the Heartland. And his words were sweeping enough to include lots of people of all political stripes.

Certainly not all the get-tough-on-crime politicians have been Republicans over the years.

Obama -- as well as McCaskill, Sebelius and other strong supporters -- will face a tough next few days at the least as the Wright controversy continues.