Hillary Clinton is leading Barack Obama 51 percent to 44 percent in a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted May 1-3. The margin of error is 5 percent. USA Today’s take on its results is that Obama has been significantly damaged by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy raising questions among some voters about his “values, credibility and electability.” Obama had led by 10 points in this poll before the re-emergence of the Wright issue.

Gallup’s own daily tracking poll has Obama ahead of Clinton 50 percent to 45 percent in its survey of May 2-4. The margin of error is 3 points.

The conclusion drawn by the USA Today/Gallup poll on the impact of Wright is different than the view taken yesterday by the New York Times/CBS News poll which said that most Americans said the furor has not affected their view of Obama and approved of the way he has handled the matter, although the Times did put a number of caveats on that finding. It did agree with a Rasmussen Reports finding from last week that many Americans believe that Obama’s latest denunciation of Wright was for political reasons rather than sincere disagreement.