[pigDisgusting]

First Question:

Does an endorsement also provide one karma point in favor of the user that posted the comment?

If yes, why not just bind endorsements to the upvote link? So that it becomes a natural behavior, in keeping with existing norms on this site. (perhaps emphasize the upvote button with color-coding, to indicate that the upvote also endorses the comment)

If not, why not? Why shouldn't an endorsement count as an upvote that provides karma?

Second Question:

Do pending comments also apply to users with endorsement powers, or are their comments always visible by default, due to their endorsement privileges? I'm assuming not.

What if a privileged user were also required to be endorsed by a fellow karma-enabled user who was not the author of the comment under review, as a form of peer review? In other words, just because you have enough karma to review someone else's comments, still does not guarantee that your own judgement of your personal statements might hold universal, objective merit.

[chunky1994]

I think the suggestion of tying the upvote to an endorsement may be a bad idea. It would be conflating the fact that you want the comment to be seen with the possibility that you might agree with it. The comment could be tangential/adversarial to your opinion, and so you might not upvote it, however it could still add to the discussion, and hence you would endorse it.

To answer your second question I believe pg has stated that only users with over 10000 karma have their comments automatically endorsed.

[leephillips]

"The comment could be tangential/adversarial to your opinion, and so you might not upvote it, however it could still add to the discussion, and hence you would endorse it."

I was under the impression that upvoting was to reward comments that added to the discussion, rather than for ones that you happened to agree with. I have upvoted comments that expressed a view that I thought was wrong, and that said that I was wrong, because they were good comments. There is always a chance that I'm wrong, however infinitesimal that might be.

[pigDisgusting]

Sir, your response is well-reasoned and satisfactory.

  "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll 
   defend to the death your right to say it." 

  - Voltaire