Obama speaks out against Rev. Wright.
By John Amato Monday Apr 28, 2008 3:20pm
Barack Obama responded to Reverend Wright's weekend long media blitz today and called a press conference in NC to respond to some of the comments Wright has made. He came out clearly and forcefully repudiated Wright's National Press Club appearance by saying that this is not the person I met twenty years ago...
Seeing Wright go on Moyers Friday night---at first, I didn't understand why he's doing this. Why did he need to come out now and use such loaded rhetoric that the media would pounce on? In the middle of a ugly primary race, he makes himself the story for another three news cycles. Then after I watched his National Press Club appearance, I wondered if he was actually trying to hurt Obama's chances of winning even the primary because his ego wouldn't allow him to hang back until December to have his say. It seems Obama has the same feelings.
BO: I want to use this press conference to make people absolutely clear that obviously whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed, as a consequence of this. I don't think that he showed much concern for me. I don't -- more importantly -- I don't think he showed much concern for what we're trying to do in this campaign and what we're trying to do for the American people and with the American people. And obviously, he's free to speak out on issues that are of concern to him and he can do it in any ways that he wants. But I feel very strongly that -- well, I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I believe they are wrong. I think they are destructive. And to the extent that he continues to speak out, I do not expect those views to be attributed to me.
I know many liberals might not think that Rev. Wright was much of a problem earlier, because they could argue the snippets used were out of context, and McCain had his own pastor problems as well, but we've already seen how the GOP has generated nasty ads that they are using against him. Think how bad it will be by October.
By coming out so visibly now and without restraint, didn't Rev.Wright understand that this can only hurt Barack Obama because of the sick right wing noise machine and a media that is not interested in covering the policies that will actually affect our lives? It's the "gotcha" game and he's only feeding the beast.
The NC ads are only the beginning and all McCain has to do is say that he's against them. The media is McCain's ally and will say he's so wonderful that he spoke out against them while they continue to run them over and over again.
Obama: Yesterday we saw a very different vision of America. I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday. You know, I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I have known Reverend Wright for almost 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought either.
Login or Register to post comments.
How is he going to blame his twenty year tour of his pastor's church on Hillary? Don't worry he'll find a way. He's blamed her for all the other crap he has done. How in the world people and support such a person who continued to go to a church where the preacher damned America and urged his congregation to hate whites. And now the good old boys have their head up his butt and rant and rave about Hillary. Gee..what a crock.
"Didn’t Rev.Wright understand that this can only hurt Barack Obama because of the sick right wing noise machine and a media that is not interested in covering the policies that will actually affect our lives? It’s the ” gotcha” game and he’s only feeding the beast. "
the interesting thing, though, is that really, beyond obama's fortunes this political season or even who gets to be president, really, the underlying problem is that this sick right-wing noise machine exists and how we somehow find the way to cure the country of it.
but i think obama's handled this really well, as usual.
I'm glad Obama is clearly stating that he's angry. I'm not sure whether that will shut up Rev. Wright, or if it will egg him on. I too can only imagine that it's his ego that is driving him to the spotlight b/c he's clearly not stupid. I actually had a lot of respect for Rev. Wright when the "controversy" emerged, but not any more.
How convenient.
When this whole thing first reared its head, Senator Obama tried to be loyal to his minister. He gave him somewhat of a pass. Sadly, Rev Wright did not return the loyalty and instead he saw an opportunity to further his own ego and notoriety at Senator Obama's expense.
I truly believe that Senator Obama is angry but more than that, he is hurt.
The sad irony is that a black minister has potentially crippled the chance of the U.S. electing the first black president because (extremely sad irony here) racist comments. Unbelievable.
So, the Republicans and the MSM got the Dem's fighting against each other... now they have one fighting against their pastor. This is brilliant s*%#!
Just keep drowning the real issues while Rome (Iraq) burns.
Ya know what I find interesting........I have no idea who George W. Bush's, Dick Cheney's, John McCain's or Hillary Clinton's Reverend, Pastor, Minister or Priest is. Have they all been invited to speak at the National Press Club? Have they all been asked to share their religious and political views with the American people? Have all of their past preachings, teachings and words been thoroughly vetted and characterized? Or is Barrack Obama's Reverend the only one under the news media's microscope?
Congrats Marge!
You've bought the right wing crap, hook line and sinker.
Guilt by association. Nothing more. Nothing less.
May I assume you have similar thoughts about McCain and Hagee?
My initial thought when I saw the latest ranting was that Wright is trying to PROVE he's right about the status quo of the racial divide within this country and that it isn't going to change without vitrol, so that what Barack is doing to try and change it is going to fail. Like Wright is the only one that can fix the problem and some upstart named Barack Obama isn't going to steal his limelight. It seems to be deliberate sabotage to me...and add the fact a Hillary supporter is sponsoring all this...well...its fishy.
I need help!
I need to know if Barack admitted to smoking crack in his biography?
A vicious rumor is circulating, and I have not read his book yet, and cannot find anything credible on the intertubes to confirm or debunk this smear. I've heard he admitted to using cocaine, but did he smoke crack? I'm trying to defend him.
suz: yeah, it strikes me as weird too. wright seems to be deliberately trying to sabotage obama for reasons that aren't totally clear.
How is he going to blame his twenty year tour of his pastor’s church on Hillary?
Huh? Obama never blamed anyone for the affliation. In fact he took responsibility for the relationship and until now he didn't throw Wright under the bus. Although, Wright did look pretty cozy with the Hillary supporter at the National Press Club.
With that said, Wright's recent tour has given Obama a prime opprtunity to now disavow any current ties. Convenient yes, but even Wright indicates that Obama is a politician. Let's hope that it will soon run its cycle. A one day story has been dragged out for months and it is making it nearly impossible to watcg cable news. MSNBC has about 5 hours coverage of this a day. Huh again?
ProJecKt2501 @ 11:
Whey don't you spend your time bringing to light beer slut heiress Cyndi's addiction to and theft of narcotics. That would be easier to research on the "intertubes."
Marge @ 1:
I really don't know what to say, your brain must work entirely different than mine. He has "blamed all the other crap on Hillary"? Rev Wright "urged his congregation to hate whites"? I don't know, you should seek some kind of help with your dilutions.
It's darling how John makes it clear that anyone and everyone who would dare criticize His Holiness The Second Coming is part of the "sick right wing noise machine."
Jeremiah Wright Plays ‘The Dozens’
Black man A says X. Therefore, Black man B says X. Transitive property.
ProJecKt2501
Did you hear the one about Hillary being a lesbian? Did you hear the one about Hillary making a contract with Bill that he could fuck around as long he did not destroy their political aspirations....
The problem with rumors, is that they are like chicken feathers. once you have scattered them all over town, it is very difficult to get them back, after the winds get a hold of them.
Suz in KS @ 10:
Yes, the sponsorship by a Hillary supporter is ugly, but hey, better now than in October. deal with it now and let it sink down the memory hole long before November.
I'm afraid Rev. Wright is a douche bag. He seems to enjoy being center stage and entertaining us with his vocal impressions. However, he had to know that opening his mouth could do nothing but hurt Obama.
Obama may actually benefit from this if he plays it correctly. Guess we'll see.
Of course the talking heads are saying did this come too late. They can't seem to see anything through any means other than politics.
The speech came today because over the past few days Obama realized that the man he defended was now happy to destroy him. Hell yes he should be mad. But when your minister lets you down, that really does have to hurt. I mean seriously.
As for his doing drugs, I have his book here with me and I remember he did some drug, but I can't remember what it was. Very well could have been coke. He's very very frank in his book about what he did in his younger years.
I have no problem with Wright, but I'm a little annoyed with Obama for caving to the Right Wing Smear machine.
"really, the underlying problem is that this sick right-wing noise machine exists and how we somehow find the way to cure the country of it."
Interestingly the previous post is titled "Re-framing The Debate On Patriotism". But here we are, minutes later, buying into a Republican/MSM frame that "It’s the ' gotcha' game and he’s only feeding the beast" because honestly, don't we all know by now that if it wasn't this it would be something else as trivial as a politician's pastors comments - which, as we all know, somehow never apply to the right.
Every time we are playing defense, they are winning because then they are the ones setting the agenda and the topic(s) of discussion.
Rove didn't waste his time on this shit, he went after his opponents' perceived strengths - right for the jugular every time.
rustedspear @ 19:
Stop reading the grocery store tabloids.
"When you're doing business with a religious son of a bitch, _get it in writing_. His word isn't worth sh!t. Not with the good Lord telling him how to f*** you on the deal." --William Burroughs
Chesco Res @ 9:
Marge sums up her own post with her last sentence.
Happenstance @ 16:
That's not what I mean...In political campaigns you see real nastiness from 527's. People can criticize, but I'm talking about them.
You know what sucks about this is every one of you, including the talented bloggers on C&L, are missing the big picture. 1- Rev. Wright is right. Everything he says is true. Was he arrogant? Yes. Cocky? Of course. But after years of pandreing to media lies and playing the public, can you blame him? 2. As Barack and Wright have already said, they are close, but in public have to "do what they do." Obama can't afford not to dsitance himself from Wright BECAUSE of the dirty politics and lies on the Right. The Right live in their own little world and it unfortuneately has to be pandered too because they have power. If the media machine wasn't so good, we could have an honest discussion about the truth that Wright speaks. But until we wake up and as a collective society stop trying to live in denial about the truth that Rev Wright speaks about, we will have to countinue to play politics and lie in order to win political office and power.
The Truth Will Set You Free!!!! Wright is more free than anyone else at this point.
Marge @ 1:
Marge,I don't support Obama either but I think your comments are at best uninformed.You should watch the Moyers interview with R.Wright before you accuse him of inciting his congregation to hate White people.
My own impression of the Reverend is that of an extremely bright and talented guy who unfortunately harbors some extreme opinions.That said,much of what he has to say is the truth whether people want to hear it or not.
mike @ 12:
Well the right wing theory on that is that militant blacks don't want a black president because then they would be unable to blame whitey for their shortcomings. Something along those lines. I don't think that is the reason here.
I think Rev. Wright is a preacher, who by trade is therefore a huckster, and a human being, and he is having a tough time admitting that a good part of his career needs to be apologized for and retracted. He is sticking to his guns because that is what has kept the lights on.
Would you be able to walk back dozens of things you'd said earnestly and publicly because those statements were purportedly proving inconvenient to one of your friends?
Geraldo i wholeheartedly agree with you.
Where was the outraged msm when Bush was meeting with his cabal of right wing preacher nuts, to help craft his campaign.
I don't remember loops of falwell, or hagee, running continuously. I guess guilt by association only works if you're black....
And that 20 years argument is bull... a man who occassionally says dumb things is not disqualified from being an overall good model.
Where in the world are obama's surrogates to point this out...
Ps. patriotism is over-rated. we should be loyal to the truth and to justice not to anything else before that...
Is Michelle ready to scratch his eyes out?
Marge Says: How is he going to blame his twenty year tour of his pastor’s church on Hillary? Don’t worry he’ll find a way. He’s blamed her for all the other crap he has done. How in the world people and support such a person who continued to go to a church where the preacher damned America and urged his congregation to hate whites. And now the good old boys have their head up his butt and rant and rave about Hillary. Gee..what a crock.
I dont know, how in the world can people support the millions that continue to go to Catholic Churches today after 50 years of child rape cover-ups? I guess you think some tough words that Wright spoke are much worse than Catholics making excuses for their priests banging young boys huh? You pathetic ahole, go spew your BS somewhere else!
Why should Reverend Wright muzzle himself? I don't see how he's under any obligation to hide his opinion. He doesn't work for the Obama campaign. Indeed, as a reverend, his role is to expose to light the injustices he encounters.
I don't agree with him on everything, but what's so wrong about what he's doing?
Michael Z @ 29:
There are a couple of prominent evangelical pastors who agree with what you're saying.
Here's Martin Marty: http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i30/30b00101.htm
and Frank Schaeffer: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/obamas-minister-committe_b... "Obama's Minister Committed "Treason" But When My Father Said the Same Thing He Was a Republican Hero"
Chesco Res @ 9:
I think you miss the point. Obama just did what every single POLITICIAN would do. Political expediency anyone?
I don't believe in guilt by association though. And Rev. Wright should just STFU and go away.
Michael Z. Well said Dude!
Maybe it was actually Wright throwing himself under the bus, a plan to give Obama something to forcefully object to and sever all association with him. What better way to put the whole thing to rest and make it stupid for opponents(news organizations) to keep bringing up that,"Oh noes! Obama hasn't repudiated Wright severely enough, yet, so we have to question his judgment!"
I have no problem with Wright, but I’m a little annoyed with Obama for caving to the Right Wing Smear machine.
But it was that same Right Wing Smear machine that was putting Wright's heated words into Obama's mouth. That could not be allowed to continue (but it will...). Obama had no choice and this won't be his last word on the subject.
Olly McPherson @ 35:
Because he says the media is attacking him and the black community all the while he is saying this at the National friggen Press Club.
The guy is a hypocrite and a fool.
what's the big deal? i thought he was wonderful. i wish we had more people in public life who did so much and didn't shut up.
oh, and by the way, while we talk about whether obama love the US, the real enemy...dick cheney is going to bomb iran. have any leaders talked about that? that's a little more important to me
Goddamn it!
It's a simple question, did he admit it in his book or not. I do not believe it, unless someone who has read the book can confirm it, then my tactic is to change the subject to Cyndi McSame or something, and downplay the irrelevant.
Can someone who has read the book answer the question http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/29/obama-speaks-out-against-rev-wr...
Or not?
rev wright has climbed up a tree out on a limb hanging over a cliff.
his rantings are not what Afro-Americans think and he is definitely
lost his bearings. his rantings now are beginning to sound like
a call for civil war and that is not good for Afro-Americans or America.
Olly McPherson @ 35:
There's NOTHING wrong with Wright expressing himself. What's wrong is for those on the Right to place *his* words and *his* views in Obama's mouth. That's an unfair, misleading, distorting and malacious dirty trick.
Marge @ 1:
Hey, Marge, go to Rude Pundit's blog and see what he has to say about all this. His conclusion: "why doesn't Hillary Clinton condemn the uproar over Wright for the good of her party and her country instead of fanning the flames? Or would that seem too presidential?"
That's a good point the rude one makes.
If Obama thinks this act of appeasement (throwing Wright figuratively to Rovian flesh-eaters) is going to win him a fair break from the MSM, he has another thing coming. They are just getting started...
Nor does the timing seem to make any sense. Nothing Wright said yesterday was as 'offensive' to the fake-indignant hot air machine as what he said a few weeks ago... Why come out swinging against Wright for this?
Then again, I had a hard time from the beginning finding much to disagree of substance in any of Wright's remarks... from the beginning it has been about getting the week-kneed libruls to accept the racist neo-con fraiming - and it appears they have thoroughly succeeded.
theWalrus @ 40:
dear walrus......have you eaten a bad oyster? you sound like a right-winger yourself...
are you?
ProJecKt2501 @ 11:
Sure you are, troll. There's these small legal technicalities: your brother, who sold Obama the coke, and your sister, who always smoked with Obama after he banged her ruthlessly, and finally your mother, who loyally and boldly went out on the streets to make the money to buy the dope, all must corroborate these facts before the story is released.
Wright is an actor and a demagogue. With Bill Moyers he was soft-spoken and fairly level-headed... at the National Press Club he let loose a bit more... and at the Detroit meeting he went into full fire-and-brimstone preacher mode with full hysterics and attitude. He loves the microphone and thrives on the crowd's reaction.
B. O. is clearly bought and paid for just like H.C. and J.M. He is only repeating what his handlers are saying. That is why he is in no hurry to get out of Iraq.
What Rev. Wright is saying is the HARD truth. It is sad that nobody ever wants to hear it. He gave a great interview with Bill Moyers on friday, i doubt many people saw it.
This is from page 93 in "Dreams of my from my father"
"I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though--Micky, my potential initiator, had been just a little too eager for me to go through with that. Said he could do it blindfolded, but he was shaking like a faulty engine when he said it."
Rev. Wright had a right to say every damn thing he did and was mostly right on the money as well. More anger should be focused on the ridiculous war crimes and finiancial scandals headed by this administration than what this man said. Who cares if the media tries to link him with Obama and paint him in a bad light- the type of people that care about that bullshit are most likely McCain voters anyway so it doesn't matter. Obama's entitled to his opinion- but he should've just ignored whatever rev. wright said and whatever questions the media asks him about wright- just tell them to focus on POLICY issues.
I could care less how he feels about his reverend- what's important is that people discuss economic, monetary, foreign policy issues
Absolutely groucho.
You guys are totally wrong on Wright. He's the one who speaks the truth (except for the AIDS comment) and Obama is the weakling who has to lie to the American public to get elected. You should be ashamed of yourselves. "Change" my ass. Wright spoke the truth again about Obama when he said he was a politician.
That's what he IS. HE LIES. That's what POLITICIANS DO.
Does anybody have a link to the speech that Wright gave yesterday?
theWalrus @ 45:
this is clearer than your other remarks and makes some sense.
To be honest. I agree with Rev. Wright, on all things except the AIDS thing.
Who on this post disagrees, that you reap what you sow. Ron Paul caught flak for saying the same, but he and Wright are right.
Bin laden says he got the idea of 9/11 after the israeli/american coalition destroyed the towers of lebanon in the 80s. They don't hate us for our freedom, whatever the fuck that means. They hate us for fucking with them....
Chickens do come home to roost. Who here disagrees?
Left&Left @ 49:
You are not helping, you are an asshole!
dadams @ 48:
Huh? Yes, I do love oysters but I don't see how I sound like a right-winger? I'm most definitely a left-wing liberal. Explain?
I mean I understood why Obama didn't throw Wright under the bus before. As a Black man, I have family, friends and mentors that have views and opinions of different races and cultures (including) Black that I do not agree with and do not represent me. But there are so many good and great things we do have in common and share, that I value my relationship with these people.
And I hate bringing up double standards, but I haven't heard ONE PERSON ask a Catholic to leave the church and denounce the present or previous Pope who not only associated, but covered up the actions of hundreds of pedophiles over a period of decades.
With that being said, I agree with the New York Times that Wright is not this militant unpatriotic man who hates white people, but just a self-absorbed maniac who can't let go of the spotlight and will throw Obama under the bus to serve his own purposes. This is VERY COMMON in the Black community from my experience when our Elders all but reject the talented Black youth who don't possess these archaic ideas of how to succeed in America because we were born and raised in this nation after state sanctioned racism and segregation.
Obama did his best to distinguish himself from Wright while maintaining their relationship, but Wright has crossed the line over the past three days with this show he has put on at Obama's expense.
Just as we ask the world to distinguish between the American citizen and the American government, I really hope all non-Blacks on this board can and will distinguish between publicity hounds like Wright and Farrakhan and the average Black person. They are no more the leaders of Black people than Ann Coulter is of Whites.
I find it very sad that Obama is the only one who has to explain and apologize for the words of others, from Bill Ayers, Louis Farrakan to Rev Wright.
Clinton and McCain, OTOH, are not only held to different guilt by association standards, but they barely have to answer for or explain what THEY themselves say, you know, those 'gaffes' as well as intentional statements.
Clinton: "Obliterate" Iran, millions of innocent civilians be damned! WTF??? Where's the press on that one?
I wouldn't be surprised if this is a Clinton dirty trick as she plays good cop and reprimands McCain for not stopping the anti Obama ad using Rev Wright.
"Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?"
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/columnists/louis/
pissed off patricia @ 52:
Sounds like the next RNC ad....
Barack Obama has done what all newcomers to politics do. He started attending church regularly and chose the most up and coming church in Chicago. He has proven that he did not attend Mass on a regular basis, since he has not heard most of the speeches. He brought the Rev into his campaign when he said his Audacity of Hope sermon inspired him to write a book. He is the one that said Rev wright was his mentor for 20 years. I do not believe him when he says he never heard controversial statements in 20 years, and by heard, I do not mean being in the church but hearing about them from other church members.
He is not a man of change...he is not a "new" breed of politician. He has proven that he is just like the rest of them.
Rick Mac @ 6:
Wright has effectively done the right Wing's job for them and I think Obama is out! We passed over two great guys, well schooled in foreign policy for a despicable, power hungry couple, (Bill and Hillary) and a novice to the ways of the World of Politics, Obama.
What we will get is a doddering old man, living in the past and anxious to make up for our loss in Viet Nam by going to War with Iran.
My God, I’m stunned. Both PBS and NPR have joined the “mainstream media” in the smear campaign against Barack Obama. Though that may not have been the intent, it is clearly the result.
The re-airing of Reverend Wright’s most offensive comments continues to tarnish Barack Obama, establishing and reinforcing guilt by association. Despite the fact that Senator Obama removed Reverend Wright from any official capacity with his campaign, and specifically condemned the offensive comments. He further said he wouldn’t have remained in the congregation if the retired Reverend Wright were still the pastor.
In giving this “issue” nonstop coverage, you blacken (interesting word?) the man who arguably could be the most inspiring leader this country has seen in many decades, with somebody else’s words. Words that Obama unequivocally condemned. He says he never heard comments like them in any of the sermons given while he was present.
Yet the news (and commentary) remains all Reverend Wright all the time. Meanwhile, John McCain, is still famous for his condemnation of some far-right fundamentalist clergy as “agents of intolerance.” But that was in his previous presidential race. THIS John McCain actively sought and accepted support from several truly dangerous nutcases. Among the most alarming views from this batch:
• The 9/11/2001 attacks and Hurricane Katrina were both wreaked on America by a wrathful God in punishment for our tolerance of homosexuals. - Pat Robertson
• America and Israel should attack Iran to trigger Armageddon and the Second Coming.
- Rod Parsley
• The Catholic Church is “The Great Whore” and a “false cult” (Senator McCain did reject the comments, but proclaimed their speaker a “great spiritual leader to thousands of people” for whose support he is grateful). – John Hagee
• Rod Parsley was referred to by John McCain as his “spiritual guide” at a February 26 rally in
Cincinnati. In his 2005 book, Silent No More Parsley says:
“America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed.”
“Allah was a demon spirit.”
* “I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New
Orleans.” On September 18, 2006, Pastor John Hagee said he was glad to have said it to NPR’s
Terry Gross.
More astonishing and dangerous ideas of John Hagee, Pat Robertson, and Rod Parsley – all recruited by McCain - can be found via internet search on any of them and the word “quotes.” Horrors galore. But nobody speaks of them although McCain welcomes their support.
I expected as much from Fox. I expected better of the major newspapers, CBS, ABC, and NBC. And my mind reels over Bill Moyers’ failure to foresee consequences of his revival of The Wright Stuff.
The reverend seems to have used his appearance on PBS to launch a new speaking tour, going after that to Dallas, Detroit, and to Washington D.C. NPR’s April 28 Morning Edition comment by Cokie Roberts that Obama “had to spend a lot of time still defending the remarks of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and Jeremiah Wright keeps showing up, so he’s going to have to keep doing that. … every time the name Jeremiah Wright comes up, the tape cuts are played, of him, uh, seeming to be very radical. Every time he is in the news, it is a problem, I think, for Barack Obama.” It was a grievous misstatement, giving the impression, no outright saying that Obama had defended the offensive statements. OBAMA CONDEMNED the offensive comments; he did NOT defend them! If this is now Public Broadcasting news and commentary, the sound of silence is preferable. This Wright Stuff is wrong. Stuff it.
What struck me about the press club dialog was, first, how Wright bullied the poor woman reading the questions: "Did you listen to the entire sermon?" he knows damn well that the entire sermon was not broadcast, so it's impossible that the question reader could have heard it. Then, he complains about being taken out of context in that "chickens coming home to roost," sermon. The poor woman was only reading the questions posed by others, but this "man of God" could not resist the urge to beat her up. Then, as if to remove any doubt about the real context of the original remarks, he put it IN CONTEXT for us, exposing himself as just another headline-grabbing asshole using a church to legitimize his bombastic crap.
What Obama gets out of this, though, is the following. He is on record for disassociating himself from Wright, while McNasty is on record for sucking up to HIS spigot of religious hate, Hagee.
This is why I hate organized religion so much. It's all about money and power, after all. It's also why I love to quote Thomas Jefferson on the subject:
"Liberty will never be secured until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
Amen
The unfortunate thing about Reverand Wright's speech at the National Press Club is that while a majority of his points were valid, a couple were patently off the wall and absurd. In addition, his stage presence and demeanor left a visual perception that completely undercut any kind of message he was trying to make. He did not help himself by loading up the audience with supporters who responded to each inane comment and gesture.
It is almost as if he wanted to go completely over the cliff to give BO an excuse to cut the relationship. (unlike the Moyers interview which was almost normal). Of course I think the timing was lousy--but then 10 days (until the NC & Ind primaries) is an eternity in politics.
First they (Clintons, MSM, rightwing wackos) alienate the AA community and sacrifice the black vote for the all important old "blue collar" (white racist) voters.
Now they try to split and pit the AA community within itself.
Shameful!
It's an interesting strategy. Obviously he does really want the presidency, which is a good sign, but he obviously is not a panther (which is a bad sign imho.)
What is comes down is this: Gawd I hate the democrats. Their neoliberal bullshit. Will I (once more) hold my nose to vote for them???? I dunno. Nader is starting to look good, but Barack does hold the intellectual edge...that is his comments are deep and thoughtful and more than merely reactive. Hillary assumes the pathetic stance these days ...and how could one vote for the pathetic at this time?
Damn it though, President McCain sounds too much like nuclear rain.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Obama said what he did today because it was sincere. Maybe he feels his minister turned on him and he wanted to say so. So many of us have become so cynical with politics that we have forgotten there are honest sincere people out there who express what they truly feel.
dadams @ 44:
Can you provide examples of what you find so objectionable? Can anybody?
Hey #1, "Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?"
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/columnists/louis/index.html
Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds.
A former editorial board member at USA Today, she runs something called Reynolds News Services and teaches ministry at the Howard University School of Divinity. (She is an ordained minister).
It also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club "who organized" the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter.
On a blog linked to her Web site- www.reynoldsnews.com- Reynolds said in a February post: "My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you" to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton's presidency.
The same post criticized Obama's "Audacity of Hope" theme: "Hope by definition is not based on facts," wrote Reynolds. It is an emotional expectation. Things hoped for may or may not come. But help based on experience trumps hope every time."
IgnoranceIsNotBliss @ 55:
You might check the National Press Club's website.
Meanwhile, the McCain-Hagee Armageddon Watch is now at 62 days.
It's been 62 days since John McCain said he was "very proud" and "honored" to have Pastor John Hagee's endorsement. But McCain still has not been asked - or answered - the question: Does John McCain agree with Pastor Hagee that war with Iran is the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of Armageddon?
For the details, see:
"The McCain-Hagee Armageddon Watch."
This is clearly a setup. I can't believe Wright would break the friendship at this time, when his protege is on the verge of greatness. This is a politically planned stunt to help Obama, courtesy of Rev. Wright, and who knows what the payoff will be for Wright --- Ambassador? Secretary of HUD?
I agree, republican defense is to go on offense. Obama should have come out blazing against Clinton for inviting right to the white house. gone after mccain for hagee and gone after the media for bias.
he has fallen into the kerry trap, he is trying to be rational with a mob. he should've grabbed a baseball bat and gone in after them. it is fair game for a peaceful man to defend himself when he is attacked...
Do as they do, attack them at their strongest... ergo it is unpatriotic to start a quagmire war and ignore bin laden....
it is hypocritical to accuse him of a crazy pastor, while seeking the endorsement of crazier pastors....
Pissed off Patricia thank you for being an adult about the question.
Bill Arney @ 66:
So we're ok with members of the media asking questions with no sense of context? The context is illuminating--as Tom Tomorrow provides it:
“I heard Ambassador Peck on an interview yesterday did anybody else see or hear him? He was on FOX News, this is a white man, and he was upsetting the FOX News commentators to no end, he pointed out, a white man, an ambassador, he pointed out that what Malcolm X said when he was silenced by Elijah Mohammad was in fact true, he said Americas chickens, are coming home to roost.”
“We took this country by terror away from the Sioux, the Apache, Arikara, the Comanche, the Arapaho, the Navajo. Terrorism.
“We took Africans away from their country to build our way of ease and kept them enslaved and living in fear. Terrorism.
“We bombed Grenada and killed innocent civilians, babies, non-military personnel.
“We bombed the black civilian community of Panama with stealth bombers and killed unarmed teenage and toddlers, pregnant mothers and hard working fathers.
“We bombed Qaddafi’s home, and killed his child. Blessed are they who bash your children’s head against the rock.
“We bombed Iraq. We killed unarmed civilians trying to make a living. We bombed a plant in Sudan to pay back for the attack on our embassy, killed hundreds of hard working people, mothers and fathers who left home to go that day not knowing that they’d never get back home.
“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.
“Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.
“Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y’all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don’t have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that.”
http://thismodernworld.com/4293
IgnoranceIsNotBliss @ 55:
http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=2120...
Click on "earlier today" or "previous" - left side of page.
Marge @ 1:
where did wright urge his congregation to hate whites?
in regards to the godamn america comment, please watch the entire speech, not the snippet that you are spoon fed (although with your limited train of thought, 30 seconds of anything is all you might be able to comprehend)
i take umbrage at the good ole boys comment....hillary positioned herself in this fashion, to make people really dislike her
kravitz @ 72:
So Barbara Reynolds put Rev. Wright up to sabotaging Obama? Seriously?
pissed off patricia @ 70:
Exactly.
Let's not lose focus on what's really happening here. The Right is using "guilt-by-association" to scare white.
MerryMarjie Says: This is clearly a setup. I can’t believe Wright would break the friendship at this time, when his protege is on the verge of greatness. This is a politically planned stunt to help Obama, courtesy of Rev. Wright, and who knows what the payoff will be for Wright — Ambassador? Secretary of HUD?
I would call you retarded, but why put down retarded people because you are so freakin stupid!
Let’s not lose focus on what’s really happening here. The Right is using “guilt-by-association” to scare white PEOPLE.
But what if Rev. Wright is right? What then?
What a shameful loss this opportunity will be for America if the absolute scum of the earth succeed to judge Obama not on his own ideas and values but of those of the people he has met in his life.
Obama has tremendous bridge-building power in a country with a desperate need to do so. If McCain wins half of the country will despise this man for his war-mongering, sweat-talking, martin-luther king flip-flopping politics.
If Clinton wins half of the country will despise her because of her husband, fear-tactics, and her irresponsible vote to authorize war on a country that did absolutely nothing to America.
Obama is the best shot we have at moving on to a fresher kind of politics that leaves the bs behind. Say what you want to say about wright but survey the American landscape and the plethora of problems and tell me if we will not need the majority of Americans to mobilize in tackling these issues. The politics of divisiveness are not enough to tackle the monumental problems we face as a nation.
Tell me, please, what Wright said at the National Press Club that he hadn't already said before in Obama's church of choice. What's changed? Why was it ok a few weeks ago and not now?
gahhhhh
this is so much ado about nothing
and the wingnuts are lapping it up
and the people i most respected in the dem party, are now dead to me
lannie davis....dead
carville....dead
william jefferson clinton....dead
howard dean....dead (should never have been given the reigns of the dnc, he is inept and impotent)
"Yesterday" Hillary announces republicans needs to stop exploiting the Wright issue.
"Today" its reported that a Hillary supporter set up that press conference with Wright.
I never thought I would come to say, The Clintons Are Evil!
uncle joe hussein mccarthy @ 88:
AMEN! AMEN! and AMEN!
ezpz @ 61:
The sad fact of the matter is, he didn't have to. But because he's the political creature he is, he did it anyway.
Obama's Philadelphia race speech called Wright "divisive", said that he was offensive to blacks and whites alike, and a few other things just barely short of calling him anti-American. Did he really think Wright wouldn't respond to something like that? Obama could have just said that he didn't agree with Wright on everything, but instead he poked the man with a stick, impugned his integrity, his patriotism, and his years of work with the church, in order to get elected president. That's his right, but Wright has every reason to say what he wants to in response, and someone with half a brain should have known that if you run down the lifetime achievements of an outspoken preacher that they might just, you know, speak out.
MerryMarjie @ 75:
Perhaps you weren't able to view the entire program at yesterday's Nat'l Press Club gathering. Wright was, as Obama said today, "a caricature of himself"
charles nau @ 87:
The issue is not about what Wright said but the Right's desire to make it appear as if Wright spoke for Obama or that Obama held the same views as Wright. Clearly, he doesn't and didn't and said as much today.
ProJecKt2501 @ 11:
I do believe the quote in one of his books is: "I did a little blow." Maybe he did smoke crack and by saying he did a little "blow" (coke) he feels he isn't lying? But who the f knows what the truth is except him and all the bro's he partied with? I suppose they'll be coming out of the woodwork once the dust is settled and the convention floor has been swept.
As to McCain's wife, I can guarantee all of you not a word of her past "drug addiction" problem will ever be spoken by anyone in the MSM.
Whatever.
osage @ 8:
Hillary Clinton is a member of 'The Fellowship'. I highly, highly recommend that Democrats become very familiar with the group. The Republicans already are:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html
This is amazing, so what if we are in Iraq for the next century or so, so what if the foreclosure rate is rising faster and faster, and who cares about inflation, the national debt, and al-queda regrouping in afghanistan. How the f*ck is this crap about a nominee's pastor the most important thing in the news?
serrano @ 86:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'll vote for whomever the Dem candidate is. But I do not believe you are correct about Obama being a bridge builder per se. Look at our party now......we're at each others throats and I think it sucks. I don't blame Obama or Clinton, I blame the media. I think they are both good candidates compared to the alternative and it kind of blows my mind how short people's memories are. Clinton was a great president. Look at the country when he left and look at it now. I wish we could all just knock it off and unite like the adults we're supposed to be.
I have been wondering how many people who go to church every Sunday can tell me one thing their minister preached about on any given Sunday? Since I don't believe in the god thing and haven't been in a church in 40 years I was wondering if things have changed. I do remember alot of people sleeping threw that part of the service. I find the argument of Obama being in his church for 20 years and not walking out kinda stupid.
Slaw @ 23:
So you want to go on and on with "Wright stuff"? The MSM has nothing else and are building and building the story. When someone says "Boo" against any of "theirs" the Repubs send out their minions, immediately, to pounce--with scripted bleating. Fire with fire!
Rick Mac @ 6:
I think you are correct.
It's a sad day for sure.
C'mon, we all know that the Right Wing Noise Machine will soon start slagging Obama because he turned his back on his own dear sweet Pastor, and therefore God Himself.
In their world it's damned if you do, damned if you don't, by IOKIYAR.
will @ 96:
Simple. Because the Rightwing wants to capitalize on it to scare people.
SadButTrue @ 101:
Sad, but true.
Fuck. You know, I wish he hadn't done that.
Except for a couple outrageous things, Reverend Wright didn't exactly say anything that was false - America is the world's bully and it has a history of treating minorities like shit. He offended the jerk-off uberpatriots who have "Support The Troops" and "Bush/Cheney '04" stickers on their SUVs. They can never handle the truth to begin with.
Civil Rights leaders seem hellbent to destroy Obama's chance get elected President. Maybe they fear that a black President will diminish their stature as leaders of the black community. I cannot find any other explanation why Rev Wright has chosen this particular time to devolve into a grandstanding, self aggrandizing, self glorifying blowhard in the mass media. Why else would a venerable black organization like the NAACP give that divisive loudmouth a national forum at its Press Club dinner? Why would Al Sharpton choose this time to denounce Obama and imply he is an Uncle Tom trying to "grandstand in front of white people"? It seems like a coordinated effort by black leaders to sabotage the only black man in American history with a legit shot at the White House. It's a damn shame.
Chesco Res @ 9:
nice try but McCain didn't sit in his church for 20 years and if you listen to Rev. Wright for more than a few minutes it seems to me he has been preaching this way for the last 20 years not just a few days.... Wake Up Sheeple
Here's another article about Hillary Clinton's very, very powerful worship group, The Fellowship. This was originally from a 202 article in the LA Times:
http://www.toobeautiful.org/lat_020927.html
Criticizing America?
******************FOR WHITE PASTORS ONLY*********************
darrelplant @ 91:
I disagree that Obama "poked" Wright. In fact, what Obama did in PA was exactly what you said he DIDN'T do, which is to say that while Obama didn't agree with many of the incendiary comments made by Wright, he still acknowledged and praised Wright for a lifetime of good works.
rustedspear @ 57:
the chickens comment was wright quoting malcolm x, and using it in the context of 9/11....malcolm was right then, wright was right now
as for the aids thing...it does seem wacky, until you take a look at the tuskegee experiments
and as for drugs and the cia....well we now know that these claims are not so far off base
wright was not making these kind of speeches every sunday for 20 years....had he done so, he would not have kept a congregation
most of his stuff was about self sufficiency and taking care of your own...which his church did
but you wont see those speeches in any rnc ad
ProJecKt2501 @ 77:
Cry a me river.
You got just what you deserved with that National Enquirer crap. If you come to this site, come correct.
robyn williams @ 107:
Obama didn't sit in his church for 20 years and listen to Wright either....hyperbole noted
Maybe someone ought to check in and see how and why Rev. Wright is getting all these invitations to news outlets. Are the Clintons helping him make the rounds? Is the GOP helping the Rev out? Some 527 maybe? Is he just so egotistical that he would even crap on his black brothers as they try and get the first black president elected? I can't beleive that. I think somebody is behind this. The new "swiftboating" if you will.
This is why the founding fathers wanted separation of church & state, in a perfect world, an election would have nothing to do with religion, unrealistic, but true.
The price of gas, health care, housing etc. has little to do with religion. OK, the Iraq war is all about religion, all the more reason to get rid of religion! More people have been killed in the name of religion than any other reason.
Thomas Jefferson is rolling over in his grave!
Imagine no religion, it's easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky ...
It never ceases to amaze me how religious leaders are often nothing but unrepentant media whores, making wild grabs for power and attention, totally without regard to who they might be stepping all over (Robertson leaps to mind). Obama refused to throw Wright under the bus when this shit first hit the fan. He stood by him, still regarding him as a mentor and friend. And how did Wright repay that loyalty and devotion? By throwing Obama under the bus to promote his own agenda...an agenda that I don't buy into, btw. The thing about Wright's AIDS rant, he ignores how many gays have been effected by this plague. Does his church even welcome gays? I've heard so many horror stories about how the 'invisible' black church notortiously ousts their openly gay members that I can't help but wonder...
BO has lost my vote!!! To refer to the comments of Wright as ridicious, to be denounced, and hateful, he shows himself to be naive about America. I watched both speeches -- Detroit NAACP and the NAtional Press Club -- and I saw those black preachers applaud him racously. I saw nothing inaccurate about any of these remarks, including the mild assertion that the US is imperialistic, that America might be behind AIDS (remember Tuskegee). I am shocked by this pandering -- this notion that Wright is wrong -- that he never encountered these types of ministerial sentiments. BO has lost my vote and I suspect many black church goers. Perhaps he will choose a white pastor in a white church which preaches that America is infallible and perfect and the greatest country in the universe. Perhaps he will attend the Catholic church which covered up the vile pedaphilia that has been documented. Perhaps he will choose a church that supports the war, supports homophobia, supports free trade, and corporatism. He'll be happy there, but he will never be president because he thinks America is somehow all of a sudden pristine and that the sentiments of this black preacher and all the black preachers and all their members are ridiculous and wrong and hateful. He has just validated Hillary's claim that she would confront her pastor or leave her church. BYE. Good riddance. You've lost my vote!!!!!!!!!!!11
diamondmc @ 98:
Ah, I think it depends. There are some sermons you always remember, or at least I do, but there are many that fall in between the cracks (thus the weekly scheduling). There are always people who fall asleep, I remember doing it a lot growing up :D
But one thing I've thought throughout this ordeal is that we seem to be discounting the notion of either Wright or Obama changing over the 20 years. That's precisely what he said today: he's not the same man I new 20 years ago.
I dunno, what do you think?
First grandma, now his pastor of 20+ years - the undercarrage of that bus is very bloodied. The hypocrite is finally getting exposed, for being no different than the other politicians he criticizes.
Dumbocraps, will hand McCain a victory in Novemver, if Obama is the candidate.
I wonder if Wright is aware that he's being used by the Right to scare fragile white people who may have otherwise voted for Obama. What a tragedy.
YouCantHandleDaTruth @ 109:
BINGO!
Michael Z @ 29:
well, yes...on most things the SUBSTANCE of what Wright says is true...but if I throw water in your face and say it's water, and then when you get insulted i say, but i said it's water! you shouldn't be upset because i am telling the truth...well, i dont know...and further more, what must be understood is that this is NOT a right wing / left wing problem...it's a WHITE PEOPLE problem...there are plenty of white people on the left who are going to be upset when they see the Rev., in their eyes, mock JFK by doing a bad Boston accent...no one can tell the Rev. not to be who he is...but as he says, when this is all over i will still be a pastor...yeah, rev? well when this is all over i DONT want to be a citizen living under a McCain administration and perhaps watching WW3 errupt...i have different priorities i suppose....
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must post to Daily Kos! Come on y'all: ALL the Rethuglicans believe in Biblical Creation and not evolution (remember the show of hands?) and nobody slags them. One black preacher belives AIDS is a gift of the government and HE is the nut????
robyn williams @ 107:
How the hell do you know? Also how do you know what McCrazys minister has said in church? When McCrazy screwed around on his first wife did his minister tell him it was ok? This is how far you can carry this stupid crap. Who cares about any of this shit that has nothing to do about the shape that this country is in.
Wow the reich can pretty much make the dems do whatever they want can't they? It might take a few days, but eventually, they'll do it.
No wonder rove thinks it's all so funny.
Wright is a pawn by the Right .. If Obama doesn't denounce him, he loses the white votes... And now that he does denounce him, he loses the Black vote especially with the NC primary coming in.
Nicely done Mr. Rove.
Your move Mr. Obama.
ProJecKt2501 @ 11:
Ash"Hussy"Williams @ 118:
I agree...
dee @ 39:
I had a similar thought (though I tend to doubt it).
From a political standpoint, I would suspect the following:
From here on out, the rest of the primary elections are all going to be about convincing the superdelegates which of the candidates is more electable. Obama needs to demonstrate to the superdelegates both precisely where his association with Wright ends and that a simple contrition will prevent the Democratic electorate from abandoning him. Whether Wright is purposely becoming more visibly unlikable in order for Obama to distance himself more credibly is possible, but we can't know for sure. (And again, I tend to doubt it.)
Let's face it. This election is a tie. Neither Clinton nor Obama will have a majority of delegates going into the convention. We'll never know what the results of Florida and Michigan would have been had the elections been held according to the DNC calendar. And all of the vocal acrimony between each candidate's self-righteous supporters is not going to matter.
From here on out, it's about convincing the Democratic Party's House of Lords that one or the other still commands basic, Democratic support despite all the acrimony, and can go onto defeat Gone InSane in November.
More than anyone else, the superdelegates are Obama's target audience in this speech.
robyn williams @ 107:
so because mcasshat didnt sit in hagee's church, that excuses his running after him for an endorsement?
hagee's views are well known
and you are wrong about wright, for it was not until obama became a national figure did anyone even know about these speeches (and the offensive stuff is miniscule as compared to the overall message)
so wright says goddamn america in response to its policies
hagee says godamn america because it allows gays to walk around and women to have abortions
which is worse?
The blow back theory. I don't get why a lot of Americans are so offended by that. Same thing with the idiots who deny that the US is heading in a fascist direction, oh that can't happen here, while at the same time being so scared as to figuratively wet themselves at the thought of a [big scary letters] socialist. Also the whole idiotic belief that the US like Israel is somehow incapable of committing terrorism, what do they think torture is? Let's be honest, during the whole cold war the US used a lot of black ops to commit torture in other countries as well as a host of other nasty stuff. And yet Americans for the most part keep pretending that didn't happen. I mean seriously, we've polluted other countries with narcotics, funded terrorists there (isn't there a terrorist that we won't give up to Cuba living in the US right now), supplied weapons to all sorts of regimes and so forth.
I've only seen bits and pieces of Wright's comments, can't say I disagree with what he actually said. His delivery could have been better though. Obama is throwing him under the bus as expected by the wingnuts instead of being honest about we as a nation have done to the world. So yeah, Wright was right, Obama is a politician.
Kansaskowboy @ 114:
“Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?”
http://www.nydailynews.com/opi.....sts/louis/
Karen @ 129:
leave it to the dems to totally eff themselves
whoever thought that the superdelegates was a good idea is a fucking tool
ezpz @ 120:
& if you are a white racist pastor like Falwell, Hague, Robertson etc. you are guaranteed an invitation to the Bush white house.
God bless America er no, God damn America!
AngryOne @ 74:
Yes! AngryOne, please stay on this, because you can see where this McSame sheltering is heading.
osage @ 8:
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney don't have pastors; they don't go to church; they aren't Christian except in the most craven political sense. John McCain's latest guy is the infinite lunatic Pastor Hagee, who Christ would recognize as not at all Christian and as barely human. Hillary Clinton's last pastor that I know of was Dean Snyder from Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington DC. You can look him up.
By the way, I think a comparison should be drawn between Wright and McCain:
Each might have been good people, who served their country in the military, and their communities at home. They did so honorably.
But now, whatever we knew of them back in their primes, they are not the same. And neither should be the one America looks to lead her into the future.
(For Rev. Wright's supporters, this is a strictly political statement, designed to beat McCain in the November. Period.)
I don't understand why Obama feels the need to repudiate Pastor Wright. Why can't he just be honest and say, this Reverend Wright thing is nothing but a media smear campaign. Obama should stand up for Pastor Wright and stick with his friend and tell the media to focus on some real issues.
Let's look at the outrageous things said by Wright:
1. God damn america when it oppresses people and acts like God
2. Our foreign policy may have played a role in 911
Doesn't sound that crazy to me and nothing to apologize for. Am I missing something?
John Amato is clearly misguided with this post.
Rev. Wrights speech yesterday (which admittedly was the first that Jesus has heard) was one of the more informed, impassioned and right-on-the-fucking-money speeches I've heard in this campaign.
Obama has two choices:
1- Distance himself from Wright, and risk losing those of us who said "right fucking ON!" after hearing about the Iran/Contra and "I served six years, how many did Dick Cheney serve?" statements, and make himself look precisely like all of the out-of-touch douche-bags that we thought Barak was different from
2- Say to the world: "Damn Straight! This is why Rev.Wright is so effective. He doesn't give one crap about the MSM or the right-wing-noise-machine" and win on every level.
Apparently, Mr.Amato would rather have Barak pandering (ie lying) than speaking truth to power. Barak, today, became one of the "Crooks & Liars" that The Jesus thought this entire blog was about.
To The Jesus, what Barak did today was show he's just as much of a crappy politician as the rest of them.
The Jesus will no go puke.
bob dobbs @ 20:
Sorry but in my opinion, what's really ugly is the kind of politics of destruction we've allowed our media and leaders to take us down to. Its really disgusting. I'd like to think that we as citizens of the US are above that. I'd like to think that we are able to rise about tabloid level thinking and address the real issue. I'd like to think that we can choose our leaders based upon their ideals, their character, their ideas. Not because they are married to a former president (lets face it-would any NYer even have voted carpetbagger Clinton in office if she hadn't been the former first lady) or because they are married to a rich heiress and have their own private jet. I'd like to think we are able to be mature, rationale, adults and vote what we honestly think is our own best interest. But Bob comments like your----well....you're making me think I'm living in fantasy land. We really are a country that choses our leader based upon boneheaded idea like "hey, I'd like to have a beer with that guy." UGH...
YouCantHandleDaTruth @ 113:
oh excuse me the approximately 1040 weeks give or take the few he seemed to miss.You know the weeks that Rev. Wright made all those Anti American statements
Guilt by association will have to be stopped.
McCain not only associates with hatefilled preachers, he asks for their support and endorsement, but that seems to be OK. Well, Democrats are better than Republicans.
This was painful for Obama because the man he tried to treat with respect as a pastor, and Obama tried to leave with dignity as he disavowed Wright's words, has apparently deliberately betrayed Obama, sabotaged his campaign, and threw him under the bus.
For some here who hold it against Obama for remaining in the church: 1. you don't know that church and its popularity. 2. Catholics did not leave their church when pedophilia was rampant and the bishops covered it up. 3. Evangelicals did not leave their church when their pastors preached hate of homosexuals, and said homosexuals brought on Katrina.
This was obviously a personally difficult "divorce" today for Obama, and he deserves credit for courage under fire - he obviously didn't want to denounce the man, but the man left him no choice.
robyn williams @ 107:
Heh, exactly. McCain did not have a close, personal relationship with any of the lunatic preachers who crave the end of the world. He has not been with them to witness any of the good they might have done, and gotten to know them, so as to have mixed feelings about what they say, and to have trouble disowning them just because the media might demand it (which it doesn't).
No, McCain essentially said, "My party is pretty much controlled by the fucking wackos. I can't get to the presidency without them, so now I want their blessing."
What did he have to trade off to get there? What sort of influence will they have on America's foreign policy in his maladministration?
Ask the same questions about Obama's pastor, and I'm confident enough that Obama will be his own president, listening to the advice and counsel of many different people with many different perspectives. And he'll make his own decisions.
What do we expect from an old man whose last chance at the presidency depended on a deal with such devils? Ones who's nonsensical rantings stem not from having lived the life of a disadvantaged and mistreated minority, but simple madness and exploitation of the majority faith in this country?
Furthermore, BO is distancing himself from the truth, from the tradition of MLK who criticized this nation's militarism, hatred, imperialism. MLK when he was shot dead had a sermon in his pocket entitled God Will Send America to Hell or something similar. BO is just another pollyanna politician pandering to the so-called Reagan white democrats. He can have them, but America has just told him he is not white enough tho he is as white as he is black. Wright said nothing more than many preachers say every Sunday, and by denouncing Wright, he has denounced the entire black church. He sounds more like O'Reilly than Paul or Kucinich or any of the progressives, whose ideas of real change, not just cosmetic chat. Did i mention, i wont be voting for this ....
Yesterday all the talking heads were defending Rev. Wright and his comments. It was the stupid white people that didn't "get it".
Today, those same talking heads threw this dude under the bus.
The Obamamedia is trying to downplay this. Had it been a Clinton, there would have been a major pile on.
It is the reverse racism that is really annoying.
I watched the Moyers interview and thought, "well, OK, he wants to clear the air and provide a balanced perspective of this ministry and Trinity UCC." But the Press Club speech was way over the top. I am a big Obama supporter and I am equally outraged. Rev. Wright is a smart man. He knows what he is doing. He knew this would be harmful to Obama and did it anyway. I beleive he led a wonderful church, but I am saddened that his character is not what I believed it to be. This is a self-centered strike across the bow from him. Obama has run the most high road campaign in long long time. Now, I suppose the media will use this man to torpedo him. It makes me sick. I hope Americans are too smart to desert him over this, but, it is hard to underestimate Americans.
diamondmc @ 124:
calm down dear just because your guy is a little bruised these days jeez how is he going to take the general election
robyn williams @ 141:
im sorry, but the one who is anti american is you, and the rest of the wingnuts, who feel that saying anything critical about america means that you therefore must hate america
you sir/madame are evil
you are evil because you spit on our constitution
you are evil because you feel the constitution has no more worth than the toilet paper you use to wipe that big fat ass of yours
Suz in KS @ 10:
Wow you're beginning to sound like the rightwingers. Blame it all on the Clinton's. First, let me say I'll vote for Obama or Clinton. I don't care as long as we don't let McWar in. Now, did the Hillary supporter send Wright to Dallas and Detroit and to do an interview with Moyers this past weekend? Maybe you might consider this is ALL Wright's doing. Have you even considered he's an intelligent man and can think for himself?
JohnW @ 138:
You are right about those comments, however, he has also made other comments recently about a white conspiracy against black, aids conspiracy, which tend to pit one race against another. These are clearly shocking and not Obama's views. He has to repudiate them because he does not agree with them.
Login or Register to post comments.