Jeremiah Wright, Obama's Pastor: "Hillary Ain't Never Been Called A N****r"

Video of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor and mentor to Barack Obama, has been posted. The Reverend defends his most famous constituent and attacks Hillary Clinton, saying, "Hillary ain't never been called a n****r."

Meanwhile, The Blotter has detailed some highly controversial statements by Wright in the past:

Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America."

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

UPDATE: Politico points out that Wright actually holds a formal position with Obama's campaign:

Wright is a member of Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee -- the sort of largely honorary, advisory body that in recent days has recently been used mostly to throw people off who say controversial things.

The Obama campaign couldn't immediately say whether he'd remain on the committee.

***
Read a HuffPost blog by Barack Obama

Comments

[whizkid]

The average Obama fan's depth of analysis is about a tenth of an inch.
And its all hate for Hillary.
Quarterbacks love Centers who turn around and tackle them.

[angst2000]

Huh? And this is deep analysis. Not much for someone who calls himself a "whizkid"

[nomobull]

and that helps your argument how

[phansen]

Well, "whizkid" - that's a nice laudatory login name, but the majority of the people who have PhDs, JDs, MDs, etc. are voting for Barack.* Of course, you could argue that those people don't have much "depth of analysis" -- having read a few blogs, but with a name like "whizkid," I'm guessing you're far smarter than that.

*CNN has nice polling figures that show that the more educated you are, the more likely you are to vote for Obama, and the reverse is true for Hillary. If you never graduate high school, chances are you're voting for Hillary.

[Mollye]

I'm certain that more than a few regret their votes. Buyer's remorse is a terrible thing, indeed.

[nightslider]

PHD's, MBA's, and minors in ignorance are no excuse for stupidity, In fact the more cerebral
lends credence to the old adage they're to smart to tie their own shoelaces and in reality this is so.Note how many of them can't spell worth a hill of beans, such as yourself.

Nuff said?

[KQuark]

LOL that's why when more college educated people vote they vote for Obama. Hillary is the one who relies on low information voters in rust belt states to win.

[dutchess2]

I beg to differ.

I have been a Clinton supporter for years and years. Defended their every step and mis step...

They were the very last people on earth who could use the same tatics used against them by the republicans.

But they did.

And they repeated it.

And they continued repeating it.

I think the wrost was her and Bill acting like they were so far ahead they could OFFER Obama the VP slot...

That was part of their bamboozling schenanigans...like we're all so dumb we can't count, and we can
get USED to the idea that OBAMA will lose and GRATEFUL to have him on the ticket.

It was not the last straw.... they lost me when Bill was out there sneering about the fairy tale.

Another insightful moment is the debate when Hillary flogged Obama with the Rezko claims, standing there accusing him of all sorts of enunendo, all the while there's that picture of her and Bill in the White House with Rezko.... a picture like is only done for major doners...

She banged Obama over the head with it without even breaking a sweat, not a clue to let any of us know that she and Bill needed to explain his participation in their lives too. Have you seen an apology?
Have you seen her explain Rezko to us? Where does a US Senator that was broke when they left the White house, even in debt, get $5 million to loan her own campaign?

Where are her tax returns..... 2007 might not be available until April 14, but what aobut all the rest since she became a Senator.... why are those so difficult to lay her hands on and give us copies.
Who gave Bill his $500 million for his library. Were there any special favors from Hillary in the Senate for any of it?

After watching her flog Obama for Rezko as cool as a cucumber about her own involvement with him, we have to ask.

What does she have to hide?

[Tyrione]

Can we get an edit context option in this stored state? It's not that difficult seeing as how the software is open source.

I am a stickler for grammar and caught my own mistake, after I posted but I can't reply to correct my own error, until it's approved.

[Tyrione]

Watch the bump in Pennsylvania. If she doesn't get to a +25% margin by the Monday I'll be surprised.

[KQuark]

If she does get a bump everything has gone according to Hillary's cynical political plan. She throws unapologetic Ferraro under the bus after all the damage is done. She releases the video on U Tube. Face it this whole thing is part of the kitchen sink strategy. How can anyone support such a vindictive narcissistic candidate when you know very well what is going on?

[CubanPete]

There is something strange going on with this story. I posted the below earlier in reponse to another post on another story on the Huffpo. Since them I have been doing more research on this story, but most blogs Daily Kos, etc are not mentioning it at all and the newsites are "burying" it if they even cover it at all. What I find strange is the Geraldine story is everywhere on the frontpages, but not this, and I recently saw a comment on a site Freepers or some rightwing one that I can't find again and I saw a short post about how this has to be kept quite until Obama gets the nomination because Hillary would be harder for Mc Cain to beat. It doesn't matter who you support Hillary or Obama - Everyone who is really able to think with their own brain needs to find out why this story isn't getting covered. Go to this website and check on the other links that pertain to this. http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/
This was my original post:
Actually, it is very odd because it was posted very briefly on Drudge and Huffington and now it is "missing". The title was something like "Obamas paster says Hillary ain't never been called a N....r before". I was starting to write to both posts to find out why it was sudenly pulled. If you go back to the website I linked for the video there are more interesting links about the video and story.

[KQuark]

I saw it on Politico and other websites. CNN played it in two of their shows and MSNBC played it in one. I bet Faux News is putting it on a constant loop. No conspiracy.

[jazz4111]

Another somewhat more moderate black pastor, the Rev. Eugene Rivers of the Azusa Christian Community Church in Boston, described on the front page of the L.A. Times today as "one of the country's leading Pentecostal ministers, is quoted as having said the following" This is a virtual race war, politically. "..."Black voters aren't going to sit back while the winning candidate is told to sit at the back of the bus." Prompting me to write the following letter to the editor:
Dear Editor,
As a middle aged white woman who eagerly looked forward to the coming presidential election, and who fervently embraced the possibility of either Democratic candidate's success, (and even a possible "dream ticket"), only to be told by a leading black clergyman, , that "There is a "virtual race war, politically," and offering Senator Obama the Vice Presidential spot was tantamount to forcing him "to sit at the back of the bus":
It is with deep disappointment and regret that I rise to offer Sen. Obama my seat on his bus. He can sit wherever he likes, and so can his increasingly angry, resentful and terribly vituperative supporters. I don't think that bus is headed for the White House anymore.
Sincerely,

[AguynamedWayne]

How is it in any way shape or form, fair for Obama to allow this racist to keep his position within the Obama campaign, when Geraldine Ferraro had to resign her position from Hillary's campaign for simply stating that it was an advantage in this election for Obama to be an African American? The Rev. Wright is spewing outright bigotry and hatred against America, and yet Obama lets him keep his position on his Campaign? Even if you somehow overlook the bigotry, how can you not see the hypocrisy?

[presto]

Wayne - read some of the posts here. Apparently it is possible to not see the hypocrisy. Obama needs to either find another spiritual advisor or stop seeking to expand his constituency. There is too much of a disconnect.

[2008andbeyond]

He said that Hillary has never been call the n-word. Is that racist?

He said that past presidents have been white, rich and privileged. Is that racist?

Where is the racism? If it's there, I'll admit it. I also admit that his style of preaching would be intimidating to people that did not grow up in loud, energetic Christian churches like this. It certainly isn't the wisest choice of words if he was running for office, but then he's not.

[Dendy]

just a reminder that Obamas mother was white.

[batnib]

It isn't that what he says is racist, its that he's inciting racism, playing on stereotype, fear and other anxieties that can be rampant in some black communities....this is a divisive speech, plain and simple and it is amazing to me that someone as sophisticated as Senator Obama obviously is would choose to attend this man's church. If my pastor were saying such things, I'd be in that church for about 10 seconds before I left and found another. This is Obama's spiritual advisor? The person from whom he took the title for his book? What else might he take from this advisor....

[NC4Obama]

Rev Wright is retired BTW and this is a old video. But hey don't let that stop your ranting.

[jane1]

Could you at least TRY to be objective. This pastor holds an official position with the Obama campaign, still. He has been the pastor and Obama has been with this church for over 20 years. This is deep-rooted anger which Obama has obviously heard before and never has left this church.

[Independentjunkie]

nc4obama,

such a clever remark devoid of just simple reading abilities. Rev wright who obama says he distances himself from- is listed as being offically a part of obama campaign STILL! i.e so much for distancing himself from the hate monger

[batnib]

How old can it be when he's talking about the differences between Hillary and Obama?

[presto]

So it was okay for you to call Ferraro a racist yesterday? Simple minds - nothing more, nothing less.

[AnninCA]

Makes her look pretty dang tame, eh?

[WordManMI]

To be fair, Rev Wright had retired from the church, and from what I have heard, also left his position as an adviser on one of Obama's committees earlier this year, if not at the end of Dec.'07. That being said, this is just one more point to question Obama about concerning his core beliefs and personal judgment. The media sure has not vetted him and Obama only appears on friendly television programs. He is avoiding any and all hard-news forums.

Comparing the Reverend's statements to those of Geraldine Ferraro are ludicrous. I almost fell out of my chair today when Chris Matthews wondered when in American history a black man had any political advantage over a white woman? HELLO??? Try the 14th Amendment!!! Black men could vote and hold public office LONG BEFORE WOMEN OF ANY RACE COULD!!!

[unsolved999]

uh, unless you count the fact that the Jim Crow laws were not revoked until 1965... Not to mention the lynchings and the KKK...

[Tranquility]

Okay, what we know for sure, is because of this that the will never win the general election. Under normal circumstances he'd resign from the race of his own violation, or be pressured to do so. These aren't normal times so I don' t know if this will happen, but he will hemmorage super delegates.

[whizkid]

Here's how this will go down.
Should Obama be nominated the GOP will compare
Wright''s words with Farrakhan's.
They will insist therefore Obama is a Muslim and
the media will let them.

My question is how long has the MSM been sitting on this?

Obviously long enough to create black misgivings about the Clintons.
Long enough to create a shambles of the Democratic primary.

Job well done.

[ergoth]

get this out to all media outlets and show the american people obama's preacher and mentor. show his congregation clapping for this racist fool. obama will drop like a stone when the evil white folk see this disgrace.

[Mandelay]

Do take note "Pastor" Wright and admit that you know the power of words. You have used words in your chosen profession for a long time. The leading candidate for the office if President of the United States should not be associated with this pastor or his church. God is indeed everywhere, Sen. Obama. Just pick yourself up, bring your wife and little girls with you, and join another church. First an award for "Minister" Farrakhan and now this belated "Christmas" message? We've had enough "blessings" from this church and it's pastor.

[bogus11]

You go to a church for spiritual leadership and education and because it is aligned with your values.
I don't give $20,000 to anything I don't FULLY support.
I only had slight reservations about his experience. I now strongly question the man’s character.
There is a BIG difference in someone that says they support you and the leader of a church that you attend and support with $20,000+ in donations.
He cannot pass this off as minor.

[2008andbeyond]

#1 If this were to get widespread attention, the McCain and Hagee story needs to be fully re-opened.

#2 Let's send reporters into Bush's church in Texas, McCain's, Hillary's (if she goes) and split hairs over their language. I'm betting we wouldn't agree with some of there sermons and certainly with some of their biblical interpretations.

#3 The timing, in light of how long ago this was filmed, screams Clinton. Again, everything but the issues, because she can't win with them. I doubt this is from a conservative GOP group as they don't want people to start handcuffing what church leaders can and can not say to their pulpit nor do they want attention to spread that Barack is really a Christian. They need the muslim rumor to hang in the air.

[gba]

No FOX. The GE has begon

[whizkid]

Screams Clinton?
Can't win on the issues?
How old are you?

[2008andbeyond]

Probably older than you. Certainly aware enough to see a possible connection. If I'm wrong, so be it. Again, Hillary has been using the GOP talking points for a few weeks now so I put nothing past her or her campaign. She hasn't been targeting issues or her usual "contrast" on issues for some time now. It's all the silly season stuff, including today's "Obama is abandoning Pennsylvania." That makes for the easy response of how she abandoned many states throughout February, but that's what she wants. An adolescent mud fight that drives people away from voting, while keeping race in the conversation for all the rural white voters in Pennsylvania, Indiana and NC.

Where are the issues? Where are the attacks on McCain?

[MNmommy]

Excuse me. Sean Hannity was picking away at this scab Sunday night on his America show.

What the hell is with the knee-jerk reaction of blaming the Clinton Campaign?

[AnninCA]

This is Rovian tactics gone wild.

[Tyrione]

#2: This wasn't a reporter sent in. You can buy his sermons. He made these videos knowing full well beforehand the controversy it can create.

[jane1]

Ignorance at it's finest. "Split hairs over their language"??? Maybe you need to listen again to the black supremacy, white-hating rant that Obama obviously subscribes to since he has been a member of this church for over 20 years!!

[2008andbeyond]

I must have missed the supremacy thing. I heard nothing about killing white people, white people are bad, reparations or spewing hate toward white people.

Have you race obsessed people forgotten that Barack is as much white as he is black? That this church has white members? I'd get angry but I feel you must be trolls sent to stir it up and keep the focus on race and other non-important issues.

As an Obama supporter, I'll keep my focus on the candidate I support and what he represents. I can see why Hillary supporters want to focus on something other than her. The tone and behavior from her and her campaign has been ugly lately.

[TylerRose]

So you are saying that voters need to blame McCain for Hagee statement about Catholic church is just a whore and his new endorsee Rev. Parsley sating that America was based on Christian religion to cast out Islam?

[goldstategirl]

The guy was ranting about the minority poor -- no such thing as Black supremacy because even if they got together and wanted to? There isn't enough economic or organizational power for them to do so. You do recall the 60s and how the FBI made sure of that.

We have nothing to worry about LOL. So quit being "scared" of his animated style. We antagonize non-whites about being "angry" and really gotta stop and get a grip.

These people get frustrated with your basic day-to-day like everyone else and these type of preachers help the communities take care of their own neighborhoods. That's what these churches do -- and believe me -- it's better they do, to encourage people to lift themselves up and work and rise above disadvantaged conditions.

Sure non-whites get frustrated sometimes about dealing with American culture are not against whites personally -- just want to be treated fairly and since they're not sometimes, they vent and move on.

Just like everyone else does, in all our different communities.

[suec03]

In the clip, Rev. Wright condemns unequal treatment on the basis of skin color. He does not call for Black Supremacy--he calls for equality. But he starkly contrasts the daily indignities felt by so many Black Americans with Hillary Clinton's experience. He also calls out rich and privileged white Americans (who dominate levers of power). With the fairly recent exception of Kenneth Chenault at American Express, Richard Parsons at AOL Time Warner and Reginald Lewis at Beatrice Foods, there were no Black people heading up Fortune 500 corporations, and even they had to close or sell off factories or make layoffs to maximize shareholder value.The oppression of swarthy or olive-skinned Israelites by light-skinned Roman occupiers (sound like Iraq?) has deep meaning for African American Christians. In the Bible Jesus is described as having tightly curled hair like lambs' wool and feet the color of (tarnished) brass. So Rev. Wright refers to Jesus as a Black man--a person of color.
Before launching into his Bible lesson, Rev. Wright validates the frustrations he knows his Black members already feel from repeated mistreatment. My ex was pulled over while wearing a cutoff sweatshirt while driving his Daytona. He was driving while Black. The officer was apologetic when he saw the license information was masked to protect the safety of a law enforcement employee! The church members--in the same way as my ex--brought their hurt with them when they entered the church. Rev. Wright then started into the preaching that Jesus taught him to love his enemies (oppressive, wealthy--white--people who control big business and government). But the clip ends before we get to hear his prescription. Did he teach that as Christians, although mistreated, they should love their enemies and find constructive ways to bring about social justice and equality? Start businesses? Organize for social justice? Work to elect a better president? We just can't tell from this fragment.

[rixhex56]

Is anybody else wondering why the MSM is concentrating so much energy on such nonesense, while important issues are completely absent from any coverage? WTF?!

[rojo7449]

Is this the exact same stance you took on the Geraldine Ferraro story?

[goldstategirl]

DUDE! American casualities in Iraq are about to hit 4000 dead soldiers and the big news is: Hillary's not a N-! Like yeah...didn't know that.

The Iraq report stating no al-Qaeda connection was censored this week...Bush is back-n-forth with congress on the Spy thing trying to punk them into giving him what he wants...

Oh no...nothing to concentrate on except the Democratic Civil War.

Where is the LEADERSHIP? This party needs to move on.

[enoughalready13]

Because they are not a network - they are a clown show, and clown shows cover clown news.

[raskolnikov72]

NO .. its not surprising. It sells. That's why you'll see it on NYT, ABC-Online, etc. Its sells ads. Sad really. That's why I'm reading the Nation.

[goldstategirl]

Since he said she's NEVER been called the N word -- and he never disrespected her name? So what about his words are angering people? Seriously. Sounds like we're scared of the black man talking really really loud in there!

The country's run by whites in power? Yes, it is actually. It's frustrating when others think they understand your frustrations and don't? Yes, it is. Hillary didn't grow up a boy, black, with a single mom? That's true. Likewise Barack doesn't know what it's like to be woman. Two struggles apples and oranges. So what?

Whatever. If we're giving McCain a pass on seeking out John Hagee's endorsement and cozying up with a spiritual leader who wants to destroy Islam? This minister deserves a yawn because he never said anything bad or personal against anyone, unless someone can tell me where to rewind it to...I'm cruising by and watched it once. What does he say specifically that poses a problem or lie?

Or are people of color supposed to NEVER ever expressed frustration about the residual effects of prejudiced in a country where we once enslved them -- or else white people will get mad if they anything but happy nice things all the time? That's impossible to ask of others.

Besides, after hearing Ferraro dismiss and marginalize the education and accomplishments of a white-black, we know that's only one indication that the country still has hostility toward people of color.

We've got to look at things through other people's eyes sometimes and not believe everyone is out to freaken get and go starting pre-emptive wars.

Race relations have improved in a lot of areas since I was a kid, but that doesn't mean for anyone to people to get all riled up about an American black preacher saying "Hillary's never been called a N-"

Now if he called her one? Wow - now we'd have something.

[YellerDawg]

Nobody gets a pass for anything. The so-called Christian said that we should not sing God Bless America. We should sing God Damn America. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, you surely would admit that the statement is a problem for a presidential candidate. John Hagee is a lunatic, and so is Obama's pastor, apparently.

[NewFrontier]

The fact that you spent so much time rationalizing and justifying Wright's comments speaks volumes for its real effects.

[unsolved999]

No. It's the fact that you and your people take Wright's comments and see whatever horrible nightmarish crap that you want to from them. But then you probably haven't even watched the whole video...

[tbone99]

But his supporters have called her everything else on this very blog and act as if she's never encountered discrimination.I can get you some Rush Limbaugh and co. tapes to prove thats not true,.There was no outrage about a repug group with the acronym C.U.N.T. who's purpose was to oppose H.C.,They were given airtime on several tv shows.you'd never see a group with the acronym N.I.G.GE.R. even allowed in a tiny handout ,much less mainstream tv without a huge outcry.

[nunzia]

And, myohmyohmy, how the msm are tippy-toeing around this one.
NOTHING like the condemnation of Feraldine Ferraro.

Here you have it, again, folks - the miserable wretched msm.