Clinton Backer "Organized" Wright's Press Club Event

New York Daily News columnist Errol Louis writes:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted.

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. ...

I don't know if Reynolds' eagerness to help Wright stage a disastrous news conference with the national media was a way of trying to help Clinton - my queries to Reynolds by phone and e-mail weren't returned yesterday - but it's safe to say she didn't see any conflict between promoting Wright and supporting Clinton.

Read Louis's full column here.

UPDATE: From Politico's Michael Calderone:

National Press Club president Sylvia Smith responded today to a Daily News article reporting that club member Barbara Reynolds, a Hillary Clinton supporter, organized yesterday's breakfast talk with Dr. Jeremiah Wright Jr.

Smith said by phone this morning that she still doesn't know if Reynolds supports Clinton, and doesn't care either way.

"Reverend Wright is newsworthy, period," Smith said.

But Wright wasn't as newsworthy two years ago when Reynolds first pitched Barack Obama's controversial pastor as a potential speaker for the press club, according to Smith.

At that time, the speaker's committee--of which Reynolds is now a part of, but wasn't at the time--didn't move forward with selecting Wright.

"He wasn't newsworthy then in the broader context," Smith said.

Comments

[DrDemon]

I do not know Dr. Barbara Reynolds, and I have never heard of her until recent times. But I must say her crafty, but yet vindictive actions pertaining to the “timely” function by the National Press Club was totally gratuitous!

With her stature and religious background, she should be ashamed of herself!

She knew damn well that her actions were just an attempt to derail Senator Obama from an ultimate dream of his; to gain the presidency. Although, I’m sure that HER PAL, Hillary, was extremely appreciative of her efforts.

But remember the saying, “GOD DOES NOT LIKE UGLY”. So I’m sure that she was totally content with executing those actions of hers… and those actions WILL come back to haunt her and Senator Clinton; now known as “Mrs. Divisive” herself!

As opposed to encouraging unity, Dr. Reynolds elected a different path which provided Senator Obama nothing but DISDAIN, DISREGARD, RIDICULE, DISRESPECT and SCORN with REVULSION!

Lastly, I believe she will find that her actions will have tarnished her reputation, in the eyes of millions of Americans, for a long time coming!

I hope she is happy with herself!

[NoonDaySun]

Being in the middle, you can be a uniter -- or with both sides seeing you as the enemy.

I think Wright is a zealot. -- Zealots are strong fighters, brave, and can give hope when others are losing theirs. The trouble is, they tend to end up with a siege mentality. -- You're either with them totally, or you're the devil.

As has been said, there's a time in the evolution of things for people like Wright, but at a certain point, they need to retire and let a new generation -- one that didn't need to grow quite as many scars to survive -- take the stage. Wight himself will never understand that, though. And some (probably a lot) of white people in America will understand even less than that.

[SugarMan]

See. This is what I mean. Hillary can't be trusted. She throws rocks and then hides her hand. She cannot be trusted in the White House. I am an Obama man. But I will vote for McCain before I cast a vote for Chief White Woman Hillary

[MNmommy]

So let me get this straight, now Senator Clinton is responsible for Obama's choice of place of worship?

Tin foil anyone?

[ebanks84]

Some of you are finally waking up to the truth behind our SHADOW GOVERNMENT. They appear to be one thing before our eyes and are evil personified behind our backs. The more you see the whole picture here, the more you will understand what we are up against. It's been this way for more years that you would like to know.

Hillary was the appointed one to take the baton from Bush. The Clintons and The Bushes are very good friends. Don't think everything she says about him wasn't staged. Learn more about the two and you'll learn more about your government. If you keep this evil dynasty going, you will shortly see the end of this world as you know it.

[rikki52b]

This whole thing seems a bit strange, now it really stinks.

[patamakka]

usually, in islamic countries, church and government are one. church spells out what government does, ergo holding the nation locked up.
is the united states of america such a country? can politics be politics and religion be just religion, instead of a dictation from politics or otherwise?

[friedeggonpavement]

Oh my God, Hillary Clinton is the anti-christ, oh no it's Bill, no Obama, Wright, Reynolds. Oh I forgot it's Reagan, Bush, MC. Oh my God come now. Help us. The anti-christ is here but we can't vote on how it is.

[Revrob56]

I think you are too kind to organizer Reynolds. I respect Rev. Wright for his past ministry at Trinity. Still, I am at a loss to understand why a shepherd(Wright) would throw his sheep(Barack) under the bus as the pundits call it when the sheep has gone out of his way to lay his body in front of his shepherd and resist all efforts and encouragement to throw him under. Some say he had to defend the church. That's Jesus' job. We declare the gospel. We don't defend it. It doesn't surprise me that there is a Hillary connection at the NPC. It also wouldn't surprise me if an investigation into the Bill Moyer's piece and the Detroit NAACP events wouldn't reveal Clinton fingerprints. And just a note on the flag pin. I'm a Christian and have been for all my life. And while I've been given crosses to wear, I don't wear necklaces. But the cross(my faith) is in my heart. If I were to wear a cross necklace and it broke or I lost it I would still be a Christian. Can't we get past this foolishness and get to real issues like joblessness, education, the mortgage disaster etc. and stop focusing on the "confusion of minutia"(e.g. flag pins, Christianity) even when someone says "as far as I know..."

[lizr]

It's called pure and simple EGO and Jealousy. on Wright's part.

[johngw]

He went from being a pastor to being a star.

[xxmaryxx]

Barack Obama is one man who has been defending another man which he admired. WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND FOR THE LIFE OF ME IS...Why Rev Wright's is more important than the ecomony,gas prices, lost jobs. It begining to seem like it's the only way to bring OBAMA down. I guess having a husband who seems to be tied to columbians.and making shady deals, or even being charged for fraud is no big deal. 2 wars and whats seems like a 3rd and all anyone can talk about is some REV's beliefs. COME ON NOW !!! wake up .. We got so many things to be duscussing and we are letting the MEDIA get stuck on yet AGAIN reruns of REV WRIGHT..talk about the CLINTONS FRAUD CASE FOR HEAVEN SAKES. Do we really wants a PRESIDENT who's fighting fraud charges, ISN'T THAT MORE IMPORTANT ???

[lizr]

What is important - what is news- is whatever will bring Obama down.

[enyapjeff]

I hope that this is not True.

If it is, it shows how desperate and self-serving that HRC is.

We need a change in the way we do politics. It's no longer issues it's EGO!!!!

Go Obama !!!!!

[POdVet]

It's obviously not true as the article states.
"But Wright wasn't as newsworthy two years ago when Reynolds first pitched Barack Obama's controversial pastor as a potential speaker for the press club"
2 years ago! Long before Obama started his campaign. This is just a desperate attempt to polish over the duplicity Obama was caught in. He was never my spiritual advisor or mentor he was just my pastor...yet until last month when the bad press started, he was still the spiritual advisor to the Obama campaign. Deeds speak more to judgment and character than flowery words in a pre written speech. And Obama's words are loud and clear. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, I am the great and powerful wizard of Obamaland. Well get ready to click your heels together Dorothy because Oz is and always was just a dream, and the all powerful wizard is nothing but a myth when the truth comes out.

[lizr]

Michael Moore says Wright was invited to the White House to counsel HIll and BIll over the Blue Dress. WOnder why we don't hear more about that from Hill?

[WineWonkette]

The first time I heard about the "controversy" of Barack Obama's church and the Reverend Wright was from a Clinton supporter who had called into an Air America radio show, MONTHS before the story broke. They have been pushing pushing pushing this story in Tonya Harding fashion way before it started circulating among Hillary's endorsement vehicles in the MSM.

There's a special place in karmic hell for those who seek to destroy others for their own personal gain.

[MrZrule]

Dr. Wright had a bully pulpit and he put into play to carry the message of salvation. Yes, that bully pulpit. More people tuned into his sermons over the weekend than to all his sermons at Trinity United Church of Christ for forty years combined. He's a pastor not a politician. He said so over and over and over.

I listened rapt for the whole thing. Moyers, NAACP, the National Press Club. I can see why Sen. Obama attended Trinity and clearly Dr. Wright is intelligent, well-read, well-spoken and then, Damn! When he started jiving at the National Press Club after his prepared remarks, I was crestfallen.

There he goes, being deficient. I felt he'd gone too far.

From my perspective he'd lost it.

He was being himself and I judged him from my point of view, not his. I get the point. I will do better.

[BitterInPA]

With little doubt, Clinton's campaign was behind the original YouTube loop of Wright. I now see the evil that the other Right (the GOP) recognized in the Bill and Hill for the past 12 years.

[rnmina]

Finally, I see what all my red state friends have been saying to me about Billary and it saddens me.

[lizr]

it is very very sad as there was indeed, and still is a rt wing conspiracy and it is still working to shut us down.

the irony is that Hill and BIll are now working with it. See Hill's embrace of Richard Mellon-Scaife the other day!

[friedeggonpavement]

Maybe the photo captured nothing more than one ordained minister supporting another ordained minister. Who knows maybe Rev. Reynolds and Rev. Wright have been friends for years.

[harriscrl3]

I wouldnt put it pass her and it gets worse. Seems Senator Clinton is getting campaign support from Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Now here's the conundrum if Hilary is the harder democrat to beat why oh why would you be supporting her campaign to help her get the nomination.

You know I was all for Hilary in this contest as long as she wanted if she played fair but this is ENOUGH. SD need to come out and END this contest RIGHT NOW. BUt no surprise they wont come out they have NO BACKBONE something I've always known. Thats why congress is INEPT and unable to stop a runaway President.

Carol