Since it's been a little while, I thought I'd check in again with TIME political analyst and visual connoisseur, Mark Halperin. And surprise, featured on Mark's home page today is a double-dose of guilt-by-association.
In the first instance, we find a "gotcha" mug shot of Bill Ayers the (much) younger, situated to the right (in reverse-chronological order) as homeland terrorist. The professor is the now recognized as "former Weather Underground activist and Obama acquaintance." And the salience here? Well, according to Helperin, Ayers makes the political news for, umm... staying out of the news. (This graphic is slightly enlarged from the home page. By the time I went to clip it, Mark had moved it off the main page.)
And then, leading off The Page all afternoon was the infamous Reverend Wright, the resonance of those stained glass windows foregrounded by a sweater with a more tribal motif. And the caption, and spin in play here? Failure to apologize ... to Mark, I guess.
With such impressive digital innuendo, Mark Helperin must fancy himself going head-to-head with Drudge.
For more leading political pictures, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.
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I was really glad to see Rev. Wright on tv saying, out loud, that Obama is a typical lying politician who will say anything, anywhere, to get elected. Thank you, Reverend.
Semper fi
I just finished watching the interview of the Rev. by Moyer.
The media should be ashamed by making this good man, evil for the sake of Politics, but that`s what they are good at. Interesting, all the clueless bloggers went over tangents for the last two days, without even watching the Bill Moyer`s Journal.
This is another reason, the religion and politics should not mix.
It is an excellent and compelling interview, and I ended up respecting Rev. Wright...
I
I too watched the interview and came away rather impress with Rev. Wright. There are still many questions lingering as far as I'm concern. Most of what Bill focused was on comments he made in 2001 and 2004. What about the comments he made about Hillary in December of 2007 which related directly to the campaign? Again, I do have a better opinion of him all the same. For me the jury is still out............
Democratic victory in November..................
NCGuy:
"I'll be watching the Rev Wright interview to hear him make the acknowledgement that Barack claimed."
Obama shared what was said in conversation between the two of them. Rev Wright may or may not repeat that conversation. Either way it does matter because 1) you assume that he has something to apologize for and that he should apologize; 2) TV snippets have already set up the next round of insignificant tripe "he has not apologized for the remarks." Therefore you will conclude that 1) Obama lied, 2) Wright is as crazy as you thought he was, and 3) you were right to have already made up your mind.
"Rev Wright says that Obama did what a politician does. He said what a politician HAD TO SAY. "
Politicians and pastors are different. A pastor's job is to teach the word of God, speak the truth, in season or out, whether or not it is comfortable, popular or politically incorrect, for the salvation and betterment of the individual. A politician's job is to engage their constituents in the political process; weigh, consider, and prioritize the issues, perspectives and agendas of their diverse constituency; and then act in the best interest of the whole -- not forward their own personal agenda.
If you have a more jaded view of what these two positions are supposed to be, or if the words "preacher" or "politician" hold negative connotations, that is a function of your perceptions, experiences and let's not forget--conditioning.
Really, really well said.
Let's recall what Obama said in his interview on "The View"
''Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying at the church,'' Obama said Thursday during a taping of the ABC talk show, ''The View.''
I'll be watching the Rerv Wright interview in full to hear him make the acknowledgement that Barack claimed he has made.
Rev WRight has known Obama and been his spiritual advosor for 20 years. He should know the man and what is in his heart very well. In the clips of this interview we have seen so far did Rev Wright defend Obama and Obama's stated beliefs that are different than Rev Wright's? No, he didn't. INstead Rev Wright tell us that Obama, in his speech in Philly, did what a politician does. He said what a politician HAD TO SAY. This is not a great endorsement of Obama's integrity from his own Pastor that Obama's regards as a part of his family.
Obama is not guilty by association. He is guilty by CHOICE!!!!!!!!!
Spin, spin, spin, for Gods sake have some integrity! Ignore the gas prices, a looming recession / a depression in inner city neighborhoods, global warming, and gun violence, and lets sensationalize sound bytes. How hard is it to comprehend Wright"s statements, as Sen. Obama is a politician (not of the norm) and Wright is a preacher, meaning they have different responsibilities. Forget Wright has two presidential commendations, assisted in the surgery of Lyndon B Johnson, and has raised millions for the oppressed, If most of you bloggers were simply framed in 30 second sound bytes, I am sure it would be easy to demonize you. If I were to buy into this GOP / Clinton argument I would have to conclude that people only associate with folks who share completely identical philosophies. If that"s the case than McCain is a homosexual because his Fl campaign chair solicits sex in airport bathrooms and he will one day destroy Islam because he was endorsed by Parsley and Clinton is a fraud because of her brother"s unscrupulous business dealings and she"s a communist because her law firm used to defend them. I get it now, Imagine what I can tie Bill and George W too!
Good one trjthbearer247!
NC GUY...WRIGHT IS NOT RETIRED. HE HAS BEEN IMPULSED INTO THE NATIONAL POLITICAL HEMISPHIRE AND HE IS RELISHING EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT. WRITE THIS DOWN.
REV.WRIGHT WILL:
1- HE WILL WRITE A BOOK.
2- HE WILL BE GIVING NATIONAL SPEECHES.
3- HE WILL CHARGE FOR THOSE NATIONAL SPEECHES.
4- HE WILL APPEAR IN MORE COMMENTARY PROGRAMS.
5- DONT BE SURPRICE IF WRIGHT HIMSELF RUNS FOR SENATOR.
6- OBAMA WILL NOT DISASSOCIATE HIMSELF FROM WRIGHT.
WHY? WRIGHT KNOWS TOO MUCH.
AlejandroK
1. Rev Wright has already written several books.
2. Rev. Wright already speaks internationally.
3. Rev. Wright is already compensated for his speeches. He even sometimes donates the honorarium back to the organizations that sponsored him.
4. Rev. Wright will definitely appear in more programs. Several are already scheduled.
5. Rev. Wright does not have political aspirations. He is currently a preacher, teacher, lecturer, author, etc. He"s concerned about the minds, souls and spirit of his people. He"s not interested in trying to impress you.
6. Senator Obama has already rejected comments that he felt were hurtful to some people who didn"t understand where they were coming from; and has already stated his respect for the Rev. Wright that he (and many others) knows"but you don't.
You're correct -- Rev. Wright knows a lot. I hope when all is said and done that he can teach you a thing or two
NO, it is because Wright is RIGHT on everything he said, that"s why he will, in the future, have a strong voice. Thank God for honest men like Mr. Wright and men like Barack Obama who do not cower to the purveyors of ignorance such as yourself and disown him.
you forgot one thing bitterman--he didnt ask for it. Hannity has been pounding this guy forever and fox news gets what fox news wants .. thats the rule of the press and media and because consumers still use the products that support that network, it will go on and on.
ahh...America. Land of the Rich white men.
So become one or the other or go back to Cuba.
So he spends the better part of his life dealing with awful living conditions in Chicago and addressing poverty worldwide, but now he's out for the money? Relishing? Vindication of some sort maybe, but are you really that cynical?
Bingo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, guys like Halperin know that uneducated, beer swilling, bowling blue collar workers elect our presidents and give us the likes of GW Bush so why not play up to these knuckle draggers. I get a kick out of how the media talks about how in urban black communities education is looked down on as
an elitist white mans game. Well, the blue collar white workers being told Obama is an educated
uppity (elitist) black man is the same damned thing. Whites don't want smart people leading us either.
I'm well educated. I've had my share of blue collar jobs in the past and don't feel that my current office job makes me any better. I drink beer. I'm a rather good bowler. And I support Obama. Let's get beyond these kinds of stereotypes. They do no one any good.
That said, the Ayers and Wright stories are alot of nothing. Ayers did his business 40 years ago . . . and the Weatherman bombed empty buildings; the only people the weatherman ever killed were members of their own group in an accidental explosion. They were wrong, Obama said so, and let's leave it at that. And as for Wright . . . I think that an ex-Marine with his experiences as a black man in this country can say Goddamn America all he wants.
Well billydog, you must be an Obama supporter. Only an Obama supporter would have the audacity to categorize "blue collar workers" as "uneducated, beer swilling, bowling, knuckle draggers." And since you attempted to speak for all "whites" with your claim that we do not "want smart people leading us," - I will say, with great certainty, that your classification is just as insulting to middle America as those made by the man whom you support. Racism and class discrimination have no place in this election, and those who resort to using them give new meaning to your term,"knuckle draggers."
you both forgot to site your source: Hillary.com or Foxnews.com----
Now eladora, you need to actually read the posts before you comment. My only "source" needed is the originating post by billydog, which is merely inches above what I wrote. If you want to examine the origin of my statements - look up. As for why you are asking the other poster to cite a source like Hillary or Fox, (when he is clearly pro-Obama) - well, I think I will just let jerseywolf defend his own statements, since they are clearly polar opposite of mine.
A little bitter are we billy? or just pompous?
When Alexis de Tocqueville wrote "Democracy in America," he wrote about a democracy for Protestants, by Protestants!
In AMERICAN - HOME OF THE BRAVE AND LAND OF THE FREE, there is a Constitutional separation of church and state. Rev. Wright is in his country, in his church, using his cherished First Amendment freedoms for which his people fought, sacrificed and died. Any insidious ingrate that cannot display reverence and respect for our cherished First Amendment freedoms and for those who sacrificed so much for them don't deserve to live in Rev. Wright's country.
Ignorance and racism are synonymous! America's greatest sin is slavery! The most silent places during slavery were the white churches in the south. Those who display such a virulent lack of respect for our most PATRIOTIC Americans are not aware of the sacrifices African Americans have made for this country.
Senator Obama gave a speech in Philadelphia. Pa. where the founding of our country was born that would have made the founding fathers very proud. Ronald Reagan gave a speech in Philadelphia, Miss. where his "southern strategy" was born and where three civil rights workers were brutally murdered which would have horrified our founding fathers
Chagrined
Chagrined, beautifully stated and unfortunately true. thank you and keep up the good word!
Ask so-called Christian Obama ... if elected will he take his oath and swear upon a Bible ??? hmmmm betcha he wont which brings up another big question ? Muslim ?????
But first you had better deal with the persistent rumor that McCain is a card-carrying Satanist and a member of the Illuminati. Ask yourself why McCain has never answered these charges.
Now go back to your work on www.the-moon-landing-was-a-fake.com.
ylpatriot, you sound like a total ingrate. that's the kind of ridiculous, uneducated remark that gets repeated over and over by mouth-breathers and thier ilk until the idiots take it as fact. do a little research and you will see that he has taken his oath with the bible (fantasy stories for retards) each time he has been sworn in. wake up and stop trying to "dumb-down" the rest of us!
this campaign season must at all costs remain safely beneath a cogent discussion of the ethics of american foreign policy. at no time, under no circumstances, can logical thought be permitted to take precedence over the service records of the participants. much like the pennsylvania bowling-hunting weenies; the effeminate sensibilities of the patriopaths cannot under any circumstances be bruised by frank elucidation of the inherent racism implicit in US foreign policy. it is imperative that any candidate's slightest deviation from simpleminded flagsucking at any point- however distant in the past- precipitate baboon howls and terror-sweat from the land of the brave. i just want to know how experienced people like russert could think begging for votes in the appalacian ravines full of junked appliances could take the form of a "national discussion of race". LOL.
devadasi is right on. I'm another former Marine, as is Rev. Wright, but he's far up on me. He's a COMBAT veteran isn't he? Both he and I are loyal Americans and we love our country more than most, because if you love something or someone you SHOULD point out their drifting away from the correct path. I surely echo all the criticisms he leveled at this nation.
I'm white and never felt the pain of Jim Crow, but several of my dear friends did, and when I looked into their faces as they shared the stories my heart tried to fully grasp what they'd endured. Because of what I felt then I think I can understand the thoughts behind what Mr. Wright was saying.
Wright laid his life on the line for this country! Shame on you who, like Bush the deserter, and Cheney the draft dodger, shirked from your nations call and now point the finger of blame at a fine American!
Finally, a pastor speaks TO his congregation, not FOR it !
DURING THE REPUBLICAN DEBATES, RON PAUL REPEATEDLY OFFERED HIS TAKE ON 9/11. HE SAID THAT 'THEY WOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE, HAD WE NOT GONE THERE 1ST'. PAUL CLEARLY BLAMED THE USA 4 9/11 ATTACKS BECAUSE OF ITS ATROCIOUS POLICIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. SO AMERICAN CHICKENS 'DO COME BACK HOME 2 ROOST' INDEED?! WHEN REV WRIGHT MAKES THE SAME POINT, HE GETS ALL THE HATE OF THE NATION. Y? IS IT A DOUBLE STANDARD IN THE MEDIA, AMERICAN SOCIETY OR IN BOTH? IS IT BECAUSE HE'S A PASTOR FROM CHICAGO BUT NOT A POLITICIAN FROM D.C.? IS IT BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN THE COUNTRY? IS IT BECAUSE HE IS BLACK AND NOT WHITE? IS IT BECAUSE AMERICANS R SO BLINDED BY OR PROUD OF THEIR OWN 'GREATNESS' THAT THEY REFUSE ANY RESPONSIBILITY 4 THE HORRORS THEY COMMITTED AROUND THE WORLD? DOES THIS COUNTRY HAVE NO SHAME OR BALLS TO ADMIT ITS OWN MISTAKES AND ASK 4 THE 4GIVENESS? OR R PPL HERE SIMPLY 2 LAZY AND 2 DUMB 2 USE THEIR OWN BRAINS? IF I WERE A GERMAN BROUGHT UP IN A SOCIETY WITH AMERICAN 'VALUES', I MITE AS WELL CONSIDER HITLER 2 HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST HERO OF THE WORLD. @ THE END OF THE DAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HE DID, ALL THAT WOULD'VE MATTERED WOULD BE THE FACT THAT HE WAS 1 OF US. STILL PROUD 2 B DUMBERICAN?
About Ron Paul--- I've been puzzled that Wright was lambasted for daring to suggest that America should consider how its foreign policy might have been a factor in the 9/11 attacks, since Ron Paul had made the same point numerous times in the debates.
The results? Wright is almost universally condemned as an anti-American rabble rouser-- and Republicans are especially offended. Paul, on the other hand, is considered a perfectly legitimate candidate for president-- on the Republican ticket. In my state of Pennsylvania, he received 15% of the Republican primary vote, despite the fact that McCain is now the official nominee.
To be clear, neither Ron Paul nor Rev. Wright ever suggested that the victims of 9/11 "deserved to die". Both men were talking about "blowback"--- Paul in political terms, Wright in theological terms. But only Wright was condemned for it.
You are correct Ron Paul said almost the same thing. The big difference though is he is a white man saying it. He by virtue of his color has more license. I'm glad that all of the world will see our flawed country for what it really is.
i say your a disgrace to your outlook on life marine always a marine and then you come out with this crap insulting your own america its god and your country hey if thats what you want by all means do it to yourself...not noone else and dont give america your funderamentals about you had nothing to do with obama campigan who do you think your foolin ...the games of black funderamentals or miltary everybody should know that is a tacit that is well known amoung the miltary and the educated black funderamentalist........ and its to also help the poor any color person when there down......play it all you want but i am here to let the world know its a mental socialist dish out that is well known to help the person who is in pain....
You make no sense. Are you OK? Coulter contaminated?
What a jumbled conglomeration of nonsense.
Excuse me for interrupting anybody's back and forth, but somebody just sent me, through a pdf file, an AMERICANS ABROAD for OBAMA.
It looks great on my home office, as well as Cape Town office doors.
Now, i just have to get a poster or something for my University of Cape Town office door.
It feels good being an American abroad these days.
¦Haven't felt this good since...well since i don't know when.
I"ve got to return to the States for a couple of months this summer.
I am sure i will be able to pick up a few Obama for President (Posters) to adorn my doors.
I was thinking there would be some Hillary for Supreme Court Justice (Memorabilia) things being printed. But i guess with all this past stuff and blatant lying, that may be difficult.
Wow, this Halprin guy sure wants Hillary to win the nomination, too bad she has already lost. Maybe he really wants McCain to win. Anyway, when is the MSM going to talk about Hagees catholic church and anti- gay comments? I guess the left is going to have to create their own 527 to put that info out there.... This is actually good for Obama though, get it all out there now so Wright can be overexposed as possible. I am just glad he already won this thing.
He's a conservative hack that only wants Hillary to win because she's the only Democrat that McCain can beat in the general.
Posted April 24, 2008 | 05:35 PM (EST)