McCain Blames Obama For Rev. Wright Issue

Politico:

Here's a new angle from McCain, at an avail today, at which he said, more or less, that he didn't plan to attack Obama on Wright, but that Obama -- by calling the question "legitimate" -- had legitimized it.

It's a move either clever, or too cute, depending on how you see it -- but it'll serve to keep the story in the news, and to signal surrogates that it's more than fair game.

He's also showed a detailed knowledge of the story.

I've stated my position very clearly that I don't like the ad. I was interested that this morning Senator Obama said that it was a legitimate political issue. If he believes that, then it will probably be a political issue. I saw yesterday some additional comments that have been revealed by Pastor Wright, one of them comparing the United States Marine Corps with Roman legionnaires who were responsible for the death of our Savior. I mean being involved in that -- it's beyond belief. And then of course saying that Al Qaeda and the American Flag were the same flags.

So I can understand -- I can understand why the American people are upset about this. I can understand that Americans viewing these kinds of comments are angry and upset, just like they viewed Senator Obama's statements about why people turn to their faith and their values. He believes that it's out of economic concerns, when we all know that it's out of fundamental belief, fundamental faith in this country and its values and its principles. Again, Senator Obama is out of touch. I can't control and will not in the future control. I will voice my opinion and I will continue to think and to say that I think that ad should not be run. But I won't continue to try to be the referee here

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[MariaHopeful]

We need a massive writing campaign against Rick Sanchez of CNN. Do you see how he is portraying the speech? He is asking Sen. Durbin whether he still supports Barack Obama after listening to the speech and whether Obama will have to answer to questions tomorrow. Sanchez is doing his best to make this is even more controversial.

[Sabreen60]

What's really stupid is that neither of the super delegates had heard the entire speech. Why in the world would you get two people to analyze a speech that they had not heard??? Simply unbelievable.

[uheardme]

Come on, do you believe these pundits actually examine and research the subject matter they've been asked to comment on? I know you know better.

[GBecker]

Here's the link to send Rick Sanchez an email: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form4.html?98

I'm writing my response right now.

[donaldw6]

Done.

[Sabreen60]

Thank you. I just sent my email.

[MariaHopeful]

Thank you!

[Cyndee1113]

Thanks

[Mark01]

I also felt the same way, especially his last guest, some Conservative Reporter he had on there. He tried hard to find something that would make the news.

[CatLadyforObama]

YES! He was clearly fishing for a controversy. Fortunately, the 2 dem supers were not biting. Hahaha Sanchez.

[LINY516]

I agree with you on this Sanchez creep. i've written to CNN before about him, and I turn the channel everytime I see him. I knew the second I saw Rev. Wright on the screen and then him, it was going to be a snort heavy brow fest as he attempted to discredit the minister and Obama.

[ElliotNC]

WOW!

Wait until the SH%$ hits the fan over the speech that Wright gave earlier tonight (Sunday) and the screaming-at-the-top-of-his-lungs into given by the chairman of the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP.

There's going to be some heavy spinning going on. Already Soledad on CNN -- who has played the speech in its entirety twice, so as not to be accused of taking anything out of context -- has referred to the speech as "hilarious" about 15 times as she and Roland Martin have been spinning like crazy .

CNN finally gets somebody else on the phone with a different point of view, only to have Soledad talk over her and interrupt the guest, to once again call the speech "hilarious."

It will probably damage Obama, but I think Soledad just ended her career.

[MariaHopeful]

Elliot you are absolutely amazing. Soledad was not using the word "hilarious" in a negative sense. She said people enjoyed the speech and laughed when he made jokes. I laughed uncontrollably at one point. Are we just too devious or just too intellectually dishonest to accurately report what we hear. This need to misrepresent, distort and mis-attribute must be a freaking national disease.

[obamasOHangel]

I especially laughed when he did the FAMU band step thing. Unless you know what that's about - you won't get it.

P.S. Rent the movie "Drumline" and maybe you'll get it and laugh along. Not you Maria, the ones who aren't enlightened.

[obamasOHangel]

Soledad hasn't ended ANYthing. You're obviously nitpicking and looking for scandal where there is none. Soledad obviously loved the speech and supports what Rev. Wright said in it. When she speaks of the humor, she's right. Some of the things that he said and did was funny or did you miss the audience laughing along? Goodness, some of you all will find anything to criticize. Please believe that after Soledad's Black in America series for CNN she aint going nowhere!

[greencap]

I agree..I was surprised that Soledad was so impressed with Obama's speech. She usually doesn't impress me as being positive about such things. And yes, J Wright had quite a few tongue in cheek humorus statements. I wish that he had been my pastor..gosh he is really alive when he speaks.

[Sabreen60]

Ok, I'm going to make some assumptions - something that I really try hard not to do. You ElliotNC said, :"and the screaming-at-the-top-of-his-lungs." I am assuming that (1) you didn't listen to the speech when he referenced the way some black ministers preach, or (2) you couldn't comprehend what he was saying. I further assume that you have never been to a black church that is in the vein of Trinity Church? Many ministers praise the Lord loudly. They shout and they get excited. We are different not deficient. That message just went clean over your head, huh? You know the handling of snakes that I've seen on TV done by some white ministers seem strange to me.

[uheardme]

Now now...Elliot is different. ;>)

[obamasOHangel]

Who is Cheri Jacobus? Adjunct professor from GWU? She sounds like a bobblehead, full of hot air and obviously didn't "get" what the speech was about. Republicans are really REdiculous. My Lord.

[tiredofhillary]

She sounded a little nervous to me.

[GBecker]

She sounded like she hadn't heard the speech and didn't have a clue about its message.

[zigzag1]

She is a graduate of Karl Rove Training Institute For Dumb Blonde Punits

[Lagniappe]

We have just enough religion to make us hate,but not enough to make us love, one another.” Jonathan Swift.

[MariaHopeful]

I honestly cannot stand Rick Sanchez. He is on another level of annoying!

[Mark01]

I second that

[obamasOHangel]

That was a BEAUTIFUL speech. Amazing! How can anyone doubt his depth and love for America after that?

[MariaHopeful]

Oh my Lord! Thank you, thank you, thank you that the idiotic, traditional "punditocracy" was not on air tonight so that they can parse, and frame, and interpret and distort before passing on the speech. The general consensus is that this was an absolutely brilliant speech. CNN has already declared it so. Tomorrow the sh--heads will have to play catch-up.

[tompoe]

Interestingly, we have exactly zero, ziltch, nada, on McCain's voting record in the name of bringing our country to the point we're at. Just what did this jerk vote for, or better, vote against during his career? Must be nothing that voters benefitted from.

[MuchMadness]

I thought the speech was rambling and excessively long. I think pastors should preach Christ, not ramble on about what this or that scholar said about this or that.

[obamasOHangel]

It was a speech delivered at the NAACP, it wasn't a State of the Union Address. The fact that all this huge media was there was laughable in itself, but hey....if it works to lift up Christ and His works, I'm all for it.

[ApolloniaCreed]

This was an NAACP event... not a church service.

[sebocd]

Lincoln's version "When The Chickens Came Home To Roost",

The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Second Inaugural


About the speech Lincoln said, "... I believe it is not immediately popular. Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them."

Take heart Rev.Wright. You are in good company!

[FlowerGirl]

So is Obama. His book "Audacity of Hope" is one of the two most important I've read in a long time. The other is Benazir Bhutto's "Reconciliation."

[Justtellthetruth]

That is a really moving and spectacular observation. Thanks for sharing it.

[HopeGirl]

McNutty is really crappy at this. He ends up looking like an addled moron. The GOP took a war hero and turned him into a dopey puppet. He can't keep track of his lies, slams or flip flops. Its a mess.

[shel3364]

I read some earlier posts people griping about how Rev. Wright was talking about right vs. left brain thinking in white vs. black children.

Please note that he is citing the research documented by Dr. Janice Hale.

So before you start putting words in his mouth and criticizing him for it, WATCH THE ENTIRE SPEECH, PLEASE.


different does not mean deficient.

[uheardme]

Yeah that's important. He referred to Drs. Hale and Smithermen in his speech.

It's sad that he had to stop and cite authors and give dates and titles because WHITE PEOPLE will misconstrue and deconstruct everygoddamnwordsyllableand period in the speech.

[nclayla]

What about Senator McCain & John Hagee?

Pastor John Hagee – of the dangerously far, far religious right – who has stated on more than one occasion that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God to punish the sinful society that was Sodom and Gomorrah reborn. He has also made controversial (which is putting it very kindly) statements about homosexuality, Islam, Catholicism and women.

Yep – this is the same man whose support Johan McCain has embraced, and even solicited!
It is indeed unfortunate that this has not, and most probably will not, receive even one tenth of the coverage Reverend Wright’s comments got. Is it outright media bias? Perhaps! Is it because Obama is ‘bigger news’ than McCain? Perhaps! Is it both morally and ethically wrong as well as a thoroughly reprehensible display of media manipulation? YES!

[TNT2008]

Then we must blame you for Pastor Hagee! How do you like them apples?

[OnePartyEqualsTyranny]

Agree...MSM says that McSame picked up the support of Hagee but they’re not saying McSame sought Hagees support. Much more different than Wright the pastor of a church where one attends. Obama seeking support from Wright?

[nclayla]

Actually, there have been several reports that McCain DID in fact actually seek out Hagee's support, but now feels it was 'probably' a mistake:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/29/95142/7678?new=true

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/mccain_probably_a_mistake_to_s.php

http://www.thevaneljournal.com/2008/04/mccain-on-hagee-i-am-glad-to-have-his.html

[PioneerKing]

McCain is a liar and a hypocrit. McCain said that it "was fair" to question him about his seeking support of Rev. Hagee. OK MSM do your jobs and start playing Rev. Hagee clips non-stop.
Media bias and glossing over McCain’s foibles to cast him as a straight talking maverick won’t wash.
Millions of Americans - democrats and republicans are not impressed! Americans will not be fooled by reinvention/reintroduction tours.
Rush Limbaugh, the riots that you call for may be riots of republicans at their convention.
McCain’s MSM buddies who are sucking up to McCain may buy McCain’s BS but millions of Americans, including republicans, will not vote for McCain.
MSM you all should be ashamed – your misinformation and sucking up to the Bush/Cheney administration on Iraq got us into this morass of a war.
MSM for shame on you all for perpetuating lies that enabled the war to be sold to thousands of mothers and fathers whose son’s and daughters have died in Iraq.
MSM you are now helping the Clintons destroy Obama so that your horrible, little weasel friend John McCain can become president; how reprehensible.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/27/nev-gop-recesses-state-co_n_98868.html

[Lagniappe]

The John and Cindy Mc Cain Foundation :Between 2001 and 2006, McCain contributed roughly $950,000 to the foundation. That accounted for all of its listed income other than for $100 that came from an anonymous donor. During that same period, the McCain foundation made contributions of roughly $1.6 million. More than $500,000 went to his kids" private schools, most of which was donated when his children were attending those institutions. So McCain apparently received major tax deductions for supporting elite schools attended by his children.

McCain has net assets of between $20 million and $32 million, making him the seventh wealthiest member of the Senate. His wealth is tied to Cindy Hensley McCain, his second wife and heiress to Hensley & Co., a major Anheuser-Busch distributor.

Collectively, McCain"s kids" private schools rank as the largest recipient of his foundation"s money. The largest individual recipient is the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, which received $210,000 in both 2001 and 2002. That money was earmarked for conferences .

Small amounts have gone to the Valley Youth Theatre ($200) in Phoenix; Cool our Troops ($500), which provides Misty Mates to troops in Iraq; the Child Crisis Center in Phoenix ($250), which provides emergency shelter and programs for abused kids; and the American Cancer Society"s Neighborhood Cancer Program ($50)._________________________Harper's 2007____________________Sound like somene concerned with the disadvantaged?

[zigzag1]

Wow, $500 for misters for the troops, $250 for crisis center, and $50 for the American Cancer Society...hope McCain has a few of those $100 million left

[tiredofhillary]

This is not going to work McCain. If you heard the speech today, then you will know that it won't work.

Rev. Wright is a preacher and Sen. Obama is a Senator. Rev. Wright has the right to say whatever he wants, this is america.

If you want to tie him around Sen. Obama's neck, then you should be ready to pay for what Rev. Hagee has said about the catholic church. The one thing that I hate more than anything is a hypocrite.

Go home McCain and take your meds old man.

[uheardme]

Wendell Anthony said it right....an attack on Reverend Wright is an attack on the BLACK CHURCH. I know Fox News has some stock paid-for Negro preachers available to refute everything he said.