Barack Obama Sets the Record Straight
At the gym today I saw Fox News on one of the monitors as the Republican mouthpiece constantly ran footage of Reverend Jeremiah Wright preaching followed by footage of Senator Barack Obama with the aim of creating a strong visual bond between the two men.
With Fox News apparently converted to the "all-Reverend Wright-all-the-time" channel, and the Hillary Clinton campaign throwing a "kitchen sink" worth of racially-tinged innuendo his way, Barack Obama gave a brief interview tonight with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's "Countdown" where he set the record straight on his decision to distance himself and his campaign from the views of Reverend Wright.
Senator Obama spoke of the passion that many African Americans feel, including Reverend Wright, who were among the pioneers of the generation that fought for their fundamental civil rights in America. He implied, (in my impression of the interview), that the injustices of the Jim Crow South are fresh in the memories of many black civil rights activists, which sometimes leads to heated rhetoric. Obama acknowledged the debt he has to those activists who broke open the doors of opportunity for him, and he is clearly deeply grateful for their struggles and their contributions to American life. He reiterated his love for his country and his strong sense of patriotic duty, (which has led him to run for president).
Senator Obama should in no way be held accountable for the impolitic utterances of his former pastor. It is unfair to engage in guilt by association. Obama showed good judgment by distancing his campaign from the more radical views of Reverend Wright and relieving him of any formal connection to his organization, but Obama also showed an admirable character trait by refusing to denounce Rev. Wright the person.
Obama also acknowledged that Swift Boat 527 groups are sure to use Wright's fulminations against him if he were to win the nomination. His interview tonight and actions taken I think show clearly that Obama is better prepared to take on the inevitable Swift Boating than was John Kerry in 2004.
We should recall that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who is honored with a national holiday and politicians including George W. Bush and John McCain have paid homage to his memory, in April 1967 called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." In my opinion, Reverend Wright says nothing in the taped vignettes I've seen on TV that is untrue about America, despite the "tut-tutting" of liberals and conservatives among the chattering class. Obama showed that he is nimble in taking care of potential pitfalls in his campaign and that shows he would be a great candidate in the general election against the Republican smear-meisters.
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Wow.
What's worse--a man (Wright) speaking the truth--or the cattle on posts like this calling him "full of hate" and so on, hypocrites that they all are, since the vast majority of 'Murkans profit by, and insist on, hatred every day of their ugly nonlives?
Shouldn't you a-holes be reading your Bible or something--? You know, *that* Bible, the one that advocates killing everything and everybody, depending on the whims of an angry Republican God? Aren't you hypocrites--that ones of you who support the Iraqnam Invasion--
Speaking the truth--most of you f-holes wouldn't recognize the truth if it came up and bit you on your consumptican asses.
Go pray to Jesus already, nimbies. You're pathetic.
Too true. Pretty weird how all of this is going down, but not surprising at all.
Obama is handling this about as well as is humanly possible. This too shall pass. And soon.
Yes. Soon. In November, when Obama loses the general election for the Democrats.
Not sure where you get this. The only way this story really matters is if people like you make it so. If you are a Democrat, you'd be as offended by both Wright's Comments as well as the Right Wing's reaction to them. If it happened to Clinton, as an Obama supporter, I'd be mad as hell at the Right Wing. This is exactly what they want. And if we only sit here and pick the Clinton/Obama thing apart - this is exactly what they'll get.
America sucks.
There, I said it. I've been saying it since George Bush took us into Iraq, and I will continue saying it until we are out and our country is back on track-removed from Republican rule.
I empathize with African Americans who have suffered their whole lives what I've experienced through these past 7 years.
America sucks. Thanks to Republicans.
Correction please,,,American doesn't suck.
The Anti-American Corporate Communistic republic party sucks.
And the people who support and votes for them......
No, he's right; America does SUCK, and until we grow the balls to honestly address that fact, we will continue to SUCK.
Americans are like alcoholics who refuse to go to rehab; the problem won't be addressed until you admit you have a problem...
america was a great country, until liberals tried to reform our society under socialism. until liberals decided that goods and services like insurance should be god given rights under the law, forced on americans and paid for by higher taxes. it was the democrats who trotted around the world fighting communism at every turn, who launched nuclear weapons, and who continue to undermine the great nation the founders built. america is a great idea, until liberals bring their marxist views into the picture and ruin what was the greatest nation in the world. when liberals decided that fidel castro and che guevara had better ideas of government then george washington and abraham lincoln, this country fell apart.
Just another brain washing by Rush A. Limbaugh, and Sean A. Hannity.
Now Hillary Clinton can "Hope" . She was allowed to twist in the wind long enough for her Corporate Bosses to demonstrate to her that what is promised can be foreclosed on. They had their media whores bring her to the precipice of ruin, then released those wolves on Obama to save her.
The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is the new Willie Horton, and 7-degrees-
The Establishment candidate has always been Clinton. And they will ugly-up Obama via this guilt by association until his name on the ballot will be spelled H. Rap Brown and Hillary's The Virgin Mary....in our minds.
yes, I am sure Hillary Clinton suggested to Obama 20+ years ago that he should attend Rev. Wright's church because one day Obama would be running for president against her; and she could use his saying Wright is his mentor and spiritual advisor to bring him down. Please give us a break and try to bring a little objectivity to this site. You cannot blame Clinton for Obama's
actions.
"The media has been ordered to no longer praise Obama, but to bury him". And this is bad, how?
LOOK PEOPLE JOHN MCCAIN HAS THE BACKING OF REV.JOHN HAGGEE OF TEXAS WHO CALLED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH A WHORE AND REV PARSLEY OF OHIO WHO SAID AMERICA WAS CREATED TO DESROY ISLAM AND MCCAIN HASN'T EVEN DENOUNCED THEM.
SENATOR OBAMA TODAY RELEASED THE REV.WRIGHT FROM THE CAMPAIGN.
FIRST SOME SAY BARRACK IS A MOSLEM AND NOW THEY SAY HE IS A BAD CHRISTIAN.
IT,S CRAZY BUT BARRACK GETS HAMMERED ON EVERYTHING HE DOES.
GOD BLESS SENATOR OBAMA,HE IS A FINE SENATOR AND WILL MAKE A GREAT PRESIDENT.
THE BIBLE SAYS WHEN YOU TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING YOU WILL BE PERSECUTED,THOSE THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE CAN ATTEST TO THAT.
HANG IN THERE SNATOR OBAMA YOU HAVE MILLIONS OF SUPPORTERS AND MANY PRAYERS ARE BEING SAID ON YOUR BEHALF.OBA
Yes, but he was not a member of the church for 20 years and has not gotten married in the church, had his kids baptized in the church, had that pastor write the preface in his book, called him is spiritual guidor, made him his spiritual advisor, attended any of his services, etc.
Big, big, big difference.
And did you all see Olbermann almost in tears last night over this news? He just could not believe it! And it showed. He was so pathetic looking, if Olbermann could have given Obama virtual head, he would have...and proudly!
It was so funny to see Olbermann last night.
I'm glad you find this funny. Instead of supporting a fellow Democrat, you're willing to rip him apart? If the Right Wing went out against Clinton as they are doing now to Obama, I would support Clinton wholeheartedly. It will happen if Clinton is the nominee - thats the way the Right wing works. This is the best they can do.
i wonder if olbermann with attack wright and obama with a special comment like he did geraldine farrarro. something tells me he won't.
Wilson....
Yeah maybe but I do not recall McCain attending their congregations for about 20 years do you?
"The Bible says when you try to do the right thing you will be persecuted
DO THE RIGHT THING are words the either Hillary nor Bill know the meaning of.
Did you notice in those videos all the church members eating that stuff up and getting so worked up? This church is full of hateful people. I can't believe that a serious presidential candidate would be affiliated with this kind of crap. On the other hand, read the comments on this and other related posts. I think you all have OD'd on the Kool-Aid. What's the difference between Jeremiah Wright and all the other fruitcake ministers working their crowds? It doesn't get my respect.
"This church is full of hateful people."
Would these be the same people who give generously of their time, energy and money to community outreach programs that, for example, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, comfort HIV AIDS patients? The difference between Wright "and all the other fruitcake ministers working their crowds" lies in acting on the principle of social justice in concrete ways rather than amassing personal power and wealth. Before you make a self-righteous judgment of a church, its congregation and its minister based on 30-second, cherry-picked videos, why don't you visit the church a couple of times, or view a few sermons in their entirety?
HAMAS builds schools. Does that mean they're not hateful?
If Americans vote in another war mongering Republican administration that doesn't give a damn that 40 million of us do not have health care, then I will also sing Goddamn America.
Democrats have a cler choice between a brilliant, promising candidate and the gutter, old school corrupt Clintonites who offer nothing but the same old divisive and polarizing politics. The DNC should not even be entertaining threats from the clinton Camp about withholding funds, they do not have the muscle any more. Obama supporters have trounced them at every turn and will be a sufficient source of funding. The DNC can do without Hillary, Bill and their crooked backers. It can't afford to lose the millions of new suporters Obama is bringing on board. And can someone find the courage to askn the Clintons to get out of this destructive race? They have lost already. Obama has more delegates, more votes and more money.
If they had trounced her at every turn he would have already attained the nomination. At this point its a tie.
Really, you think he is a great candidate. From what I have seen, he is especially running on his superior judgement. Smart move being involved in a radical church and having Tony Rezco as a buddy. Now that is judgement.
Oh, stop with the tired Clinton-bashing.
How on earth can this brilliant Harvard Law graduate listen to Wright's lunatic Afrocentric rants for twenty years and then decide to run for president with speeches claiming "There are not two Americas?"
Now I don't believe Obama is some kind of closet black nationalist, but the Wright issue (and latest Rezko revelations) demonstrates a psychic break between the man and his speeches that ought to have voters very worried.
Brilliant?
Sing it all you want, it's what you actually do that matters. If you keep going about your life and the only addition is your song, nothing will change.
He sat and listened to that crap for the better part of 20 years. The stuff has been going on since at least 2001. Lets not pretend that it has nothing to do with Obama. He sits and lets his children listen to it as well. At the very least it shows bad judgment.
so you know he did this every sermon every sunday because of a few sound bites or do you have more proof. and he has denounced what he said he no longer is a part of his campaign and he retired from the church.are your friends responsible when you say something stupid and vice versa. and if he renounced the man then youd be calling him fairweather friend.
This is just the beginning of this. We are going to see and hear a lot more of this crap from this "pastor" and just exactly how much of this Obama listened to. He said he never heard these things and that is just a flat out lie and will be proven over the next few weeks.
This is far from over and then they are going to bring out that crazy domestic terrorist guy who Obama says he is friends with and that their kids grew up together. Just wait for that one.
This is the beginniing of the end for the Liberals' Messiah.
They have transcripts of his sermons so far back to 2001 buddy. And its not pretty.
Mr. Palermo.
Great post
Well written.
Thank you,
Can we put an end to all this "Chazerai" and get back to the important issues, like the economy, $4 per gallon gas, ending the war in Iraq, and getting the Republicans out of the White House.
Enough of this hateful behaviour, innuendo,"
At the rate we're going, Cindy McCain can start looking for a ballgown today.
What are you talking about? Wright and Obama are scholars. They have degrees and they don't represent all African Americans by seeing America as evil. This stuff we are hearing is hatefilled. Some body has to come out and denounce it. Not explain it. I dont wan't an explanation. Either you love this country today or you don't. We can all recite history and scurtinize it to learn meaning but to they choose to spread hate about my country. It is wrong and it has no place. This country represents some of the best values that have ever appeared in any culture or civilization in the past. Love your country if you want to fix it.
Obama HAS denounced it, as long ago as last year when he first declared his candidacy.
Why did he not leave in 2001? He denounced it when he decided to run for Pres. How convenient.
The Rev. is a former Marine. His life could've been on the line. How much f*cking love do you know?
So you are saying he has earned his right to call America evil? He fought for this country as a soldier and I agree he does have the right to say what he says. But, Obama who is running to be President, does not have a right to hide his dirty laundry and dirty politics from the American people. That should be the issue now. He needed to air this out along time ago. Its not Obama's fault this happened, its Obama's stupid campaign chief who decided to use this as a strategy and boy, is it backfiring on them. Obama has been giving great "I am above this stuff' speeches and the press ran with it but the reality is that Obama has been enjoying the "race card" issue, especially with the "Jesse" comment and the "Fairytale" moment. I blame the stupid Obama surrogates who have been behind the scenes milking the hell out of the "race" issue. Anybody agree?
You can both love your country and hate what your country is doing. If you hate what your country is doing then it is your patriotic duty and your RIGHT to speak out. We are not a nation of automatons. We are capable of thinking. Some of us are right wing authoritarian followers WHO DO NOT THINK FOR THEMSELVES but are instead content to let their leaders do their thinking for them. They are willing to follow their leaders without question. There is only one way to have positive progress and that is if some patriots speak out when there is wrong being committed in our name.
You can love the country and still be critical of its short falls. blindly supporting the government is not would be a to fail in our civic responsibilities. Look at what it has gotten us with the bush admin. Having the courage to challenge the nation and demand that it improve and then working to make that change is what every great leader in our history has done. Do i agree with all that Wright said no, but its nothing i haven't heard before from people of his generation.
Wait, so Wright gets a free pass because of "the passion that many African-Americans held" to fight against racism, but Geraldine Ferraro, a feminist icon who was far more influential and important to her movement than Rev. Wright, makes a comment that largely came from her frustrations as a woman and she is still wrong? Talk about a double standard.
wright gets no pass but why is obama responsible he renounced the remarks and doesn't share his beliefs.
Why then is Clinton still responsible for Ferraro's? She renounced them just as much as Obama renounced Wright's. If its so unfair to engage in guilt by association, why is Clinton being called racist for what Ferraro said? Ferraro was a political figure that would have been associated with Clinton no matter what and who caught everyone off guard (including Clinton) when she jumped off the racist deep end. Obama on the other hand had to have known about the racist bile Wright has been spewing for years, yet he happily continued attending his church.
Singing "God Hates America" because of your feelings against white people is almost as bad as those "God Hates Fags" nutjobs in Kansas.
I am not saying Obama should be blamed for what Wright said and he distanced himself from the comments well and with dignity, but why can't Clinton get the same treatment in the Ferraro situation?
I don't care what Clinton or Fox say. Who in their right mind can't see through that bull.
I am white. I hate what they are doing. I will not waver in my support for Obama. He's a good man, he's principled, he's the classiest candidate we have ever had.
On what do you base this? Words?
Nixon's supporters thought the same about him.
nixon did a lot more than words
I'M ALSO WHITE AND I SUPPORT SENATOR OBAMA ALSO,MY PRAYERS ARE WITH HIM.
So we've seen it in both camps, Geraldine bringing race into the presidential race in a negative way, And Reverend Wright in an aggressively proactive way. It's amazing Mr. Obama isn't torn apart by the expectations laid upon his campaign. It's amazing the party doesn't implode from all the negative energy gravitating inwards.
Mr. Obama's shining star could be snuffed out if this party doesn't get its priorities in order. They've provided the right with an embarrassment of riches if they decide to go the swiftboat route, but at this point I'm thinking that they're thinking " Why bother. Hillary's doing our work for us, and quite admirably ".
Senator Clinton should in no way be held accountable for the impolitic utterances of the former Vice Presidential candidate. It is unfair to engage in guilt by association. Clinton showed good judgment by distancing her campaign from the more radical views of Geraldine Ferraro and relieving her of any formal connection to her organization, but Clinton also showed an admirable character trait by refusing to denounce Ferraro the person.
Hey, how does that sound!?
Some people in the media are now showing some fairness on this Wright thing. I am glad the Geraldine Ferraro issue came up about her being a racist because it opened the door for the Obama and Minister Wright relationship. Let's see, Obama should get a pass on racism because of the Racist history of America. Wow, that must make complete sense to Obama supporters. Some how Barack and Michelle both have earned multiple college degrees, have a million dollar house and two beautiful children, and yet this country is still should be considered racist and oppressive. Who can Obama deny this stuff. Obama can not deny sharing the same views about this country as Minister Wright since they have known each other for 20 years and have shared some political conversations. This is not just a matter of going to church services. Obama and Wright are best friends. He married Michelle and Barack. Baptized their children. And most telling, encouraged him to run for president. So if Barack is going to distance himself from Minister Wright, he is going to have to live in another country. They connected at the hip and this story isn't going away.
not if he said the words and not if he agreed with the pastor but that is not the case. clinton may have been more sympathetic on ferraro if she had not been so dogged on renounce verses reject on the farrakkan issue. as for barack being racist provide one piece of written or video proof where called anybody racist or accused anybody of making racial remarks.he used words like not well thought out
Pardon ME?
Got me a good job, got a big house, and now must think "Boy, those white folks are so nice to me that they gave me all this"
Throw a few bucks into someone's pocket and they should just shut the fuck up.
So 9/11 wasn't blow-back? Prove it. So "God" shouldn't damn America for all her crimes? I know you religious people have on blinders, you all just wear different kinds of blinders.
You can love the Church and disagree with the Minister.
This argument is fatally flawed. It assumes that because you have worked hard to overcome your challenges, including racism, and have succeeded then your challenges couldn't have been real. It also implies that because one black person was fortunate in his life then all black people are. Historically and statistically, being born black, or Hispanic or Native American for that matter, means that you are much more likely to lead a life of poverty. For the record I am an upper middle class white man.
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