Ben Smith has the news today that Obama campaign manager David Plouffe will hold a conference call today to try to reassure gay donors upset about the campaign including Donnie McClurkin, a black gospel singer considered anti-gay by a segment of the gay community for saying he "overcame" his homosexuality and says others can do so. McClurkin was included in Obama's South Carolina gospel tour.

Here's Smith:

"They're trying to put out the fire," said the gay Obama supporter of the call planned for this evening. He said he hoped heads would roll. "Somebody made the decision [to include McClurken] and somebody approved the decision," the supporter said. "The question is, Will he hold someone accountable?"

Which is somewhat similar to what the New York Observer's Jason Horowitz has heard, again from a Obama "gay supporter":

A prominent LGBT community supporter of Obama, who will be on a scheduled conference tomorrow with campaign manager David Plouffe and deputy Steve Hildebrand, told me, "This clearly demonstrates what a crappy campaign staff this is outside the arena of finance."

"The person who came up with this idea and the people who approved it should be held accountable. The question is will Barack hold anyone accountable for this."

The supporter said, "The headlines are terrible that he has this anti-gay gospel singer with him on the tour," and "if McClurken is really vitriolic and virulent in his comments, then Barack has a serious problem."

According to the supporter, Obama now either risks upsetting and potentially alienating his gay and lesbian supporters or, if he distances himself from McClurken, he risks aggravating the black community in South Carolina.

"It's a choice that now has to happen," said the supporter. "And proper staff workers would have insured that this problem would not have arisen."

Perhaps after the conference call we'll know if Plouffe has been successful in defusing the controversy, or whether this will continue to be a problem for the campaign.