Barack Ends His Relationship With Reverend Wright

Barack Obama has just done a difficult - and necessary - thing. He has ended his relationship with Rev. Wright. I watched most of Sen. Obama's press conference (missed the very beginning but heard most of his opening remarks and all the questions he took) and am now listening to Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, and others analyze this developing story as I write.

I think both Chris and Andrea are correct in saying that - in starting what may now be an on-going fight with Rev. Wright - Barack is clearly telling the American people "I believe the opposite of what Rev. Wright believes". While Barack touched on this in his Philadelphia speech on race, he is now making it crystal clear: Those religious leaders who look backward and only see the problems of the past - without seeing the progress we've made AND the opportunities for continued healing and progress in America - have beliefs that are the opposite to those of Barack Obama.

Chris Matthews thinks that the Rev. Wright will take to this fight because - in Matthews' opinion -the Rev. Wright sees Senator Obama as the young upstart who is looking to replace him as the black leader in America.

To those who say (as Pat Buchanan just did) that Barack Obama should have known that the Rev. Wright was "always like this" (given their relationship over the last 20 years), I would offer the following parallel:

People respond to levels of stress they haven't experienced before in different ways. It's called "reaching the breaking point". Bill Clinton has - in my opinion - experienced a similar extraordinary level of stress in recent months, as he has experienced this "young upstart" replacing both his wife and him as the leader of the Democratic party. That's why the Bill Clinton we see today is so different from the Bill Clinton most of us have known over the years.

As this extraordinary level of stress and anger has led Bill Clinton to say the crazy, hurtful things he has said (such as "They played the race card on me") and I believe the incredible stress the Rev. Wright has been under - from seeing his words taken out of context and his 40 years of work being trashed in the court of public opinion to hearing Senator Obama say that the Rev. Wright's teachings are obsolete (my choice of words) in their frame of reference - has caused him to reach the breaking point... leading him to become someone who Senator Obama did NOT know he was.

Based on what the Rev. Wright said at the National Press Club, Senator Obama has seen clearly that the Rev. Wright has a very dark side... a dark side which has now come out. It may have been there all along, but it wasn't controlling Rev. Wright's behavior. Sadly, it is now.

Senator Obama, you have made a wise choice. You may be in a fight with Rev. Wright for the duration of your campaign, but you will be seen as being on the right side... the progressive side... the side devoting towards bringing America together - rather than pulling American apart - of that fight from now on.

I believe today will be seen as a landmark in Senator Obama's campaign... a positive turning point in which he finished defining himself in the context of what religion can be in America (and has been in the case of the work of other, constructive religious leaders).

Religion can be - and already is to many - a healing force in America. Sadly, that does not appear to be what Rev. Wright believes. But fortunately, that IS what Senator Barack Obama believes.

Comments

[mjjcpa]

Too little too late.

I think Obama stayed close with Rev. Wright for so long, because he and many of his donors believe much of the hate that this guy spewed every Sunday.

He only denounced him when his pollsters told him he was losing more moderates than he was gaining liberals.

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

typo: AND ignorant!

[minordomo]

"many of his donors believe much of the hate"

Sounds like idle speculation on your part, and not surprisingly it's not supported by any facts whatsoever.

[mlaiuppa]

Wright is allowing himself to be used by the right and by Hillary Clinton (through Reynolds) to destroy Obama's chances. I find it hard to believe he is that stupid. But ego and age do funny things. I believe Obama when he says Wright is NOT the man he knew 20 years ago. Wright is 65 and retiring from his church. (or possibly being politely kicked out?) I think the man has issues related to his age. And it's a shame he feels the need to take Obama down with him. You'd think someone would talk to him and explain what he's doing and the results. Please, Rev. Wright. If you want to defend your church, do it after November.

[Dahle]

Well said. By the way, I thought Wright came off wonderfully in his quiet interview with the thoughtful Bill Moyers. But you're right, the pressure seems to be bringing out the worst in him.

[useyourbrain]

Obama brought this on himself, draping himself in his religion -- that's before he started surrounding himself with so many US flags that you can't even see him anymore -- he is a hypocrite, a liar and not of Presidential stock. He should end this farce. Wright's 15 minutes will be brought up in blogs, websites, videos and ads from the RNC.

Some people have said that they want a woman president, just not Hillary. Perhaps that can be said of Obama. They want a person of color, just not Obama but someone of substance who has proved themself in the public arena and not just someone with a driving ambition.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

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For someone who calls him (her?) self "useyourbrain", you surprise me by failing to back up your claims with facts. You don't offer any proof that Barack is a "hypocrite", "liar", and "not of Presidential stock". Millions of Americas feel opposite to you and can back up their opinions with facts. I would like to see you do the same. Then you and I will be able to have a true debate (if we choose to do so). Until then, all I see is someone throwing emotional accusations against the wall with the expectation that some (or all) will stick. But in the court of public opinion, you need facts not just emotions to make a complete case for or against something or someone. I invite you to try again once you've collected your facts. Until then, in my opinion, nothing you say will "stick".

[useyourbrain]

Bill Clinton, as the most recent President, IS the leader of the Democratic Party, not Obama, not John Kerry, etc. Know your history and have a little respect for the only Democrat to win two consecutive terms since FDR.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

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Bill Clinton has no such title or position within the Democratic Party. He is a former president... one of two living former presidents who is a Democrat. Given how poorly the Democratic Party made out during his eight years in office (numbers of Congressional seats and governorships lost), I think the case can be made that Bil Clinton has even less of a "right" to be called the leader for having been president for eight years (as if eight years is better than Jimmy Carter's four years).

It's not the winning that matters. It's the results produced for having won. Bill Clinton set the stage (ie made it possible) for George Bush to become president. He contributed as much to Bush's victory as did Al Gore. From my research, Bill Clinton squandered as much during his eight years as he accomplished.

[LeeScho]

useyourbrain:

I do have a little respect for Bill Clinton. Very little. I respect him not at all for HOW he won those two consecutive terms. Selling Black, poor and working class people down the river in order to be re-elected was not only unneccessary, it was immoral and unethical, and it was not the Democratic party of which I was once proud to be a part.

[laksa]

And Hillary is doing just that now. America wakes up!!! We do not want politic as usual

[ZiibiQwa]

I believe Bill Clinton is deserving of even less respect when, as president in 1993, he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to William Fulbright, a rabid segregationist. Adding insult to injury, he described Fulbright as a visionary humanitarian, a remarkable man, and "my mentor". Clinton's words from the ceremony, "It doesn't take long to live a life. He made the best of his, and helped us to have a better chance to make the best of ours.....The American political system produced this remarkable man, and my state did, and I'm real proud of it."
Oh, and Bill Clinton interned for J. William Fulbright in 1966-67. Fulbright was certainly a high profile segregationist at that time.

[Hadok]

When Jesus was asked "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no...," he responded "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." Luke 20:22, 25

When asked about paying tax to the Roman Government, Jesus taught "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, ..., thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." Matt 17:27

Separation of Church and State is fundamental to Christianity. When given the opportunity to mix issues of faith with politics, Jesus taught "Don't do it."

Christians and ministers should pray for those in authority. The Apostle Paul directed "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." 1 Tim 2:1-2

There is no New Testament example for the Falwells, Robertsons, and Wrights of the world to mix politics with faith. The Apostle Paul recommended -- "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1 Cor 2:2

Likewise, politicians should separate the two. When politicians and ministers presume to ignore the advice of Christ and mix politics and faith, they do so at their own peril.

[mayzeo1]

Hey everybody....here is my opinion and some facts you need to open your eyes to.

1. This is a very important time for the media. The TV and Radio ratings period has started or about to start. THAT MEANS MONEY FOR THE MEDIA!!!! I sold radio and TV advertising for 15 years. The books of Neilson and Arbitron are use to sell the HH and Demographic ratings for news and various other shows. For Radio...its the same. All media must pump up there programming and news so they will cover this Rev Wright story to the max. AND... they only care about themselves. The bIgger the rating the more they charge to advertisers. Don't you get it...its all about the money. That's why they are following Reverend Wright around to fan the flames. Remember this: Ratings period is FEB, MAY, JULY and NOVEMBER. Thats when they put on the block buster programming. And they will manufacture news if they have to.
2. Rev Wright's reputation in his theological world has been atttacked. Thus is the reason why he is attacking back. He does not care about Obama or the Election. If he is writing a book...then it is even more logical. Remember...Rev Wright thinks his reward is heaven...oh....don't forget...he is rich. That's why he has thrown Obama under the bus. His reputation and the "all mighty dollar" He's seizing the moment like any greedy American.
3. Obama did the right thing.

[londongal]

I'm saddened today that Obama has, yet again, felt the need to justify his position on his relationship with the Rev. Wrong. Is this the new litmus test for all future presidential candidates? If so, everyone in America can forget it. There is no one in this county that does not have people in their lives that have said or done idiotic things.

I hope this press conference is the end of this debate. I for one have had enough of this "guilt-by-association" garbage.

It's time to look at what 8 years of the current administration have done to this country.

[useyourbrain]

Bullshit. You love the guilt by association with HRC, don't you. Hypocrite. His performance today was an embarrassment -- stuttering and stammering and not knowing what he wanted to say. You could see his mind working overtime -- should I say this or that and what will the political consequence be. Grow up, this is politics and if BO can't pass muster at this point, he has no right to even be running for President. On what basis does this young upstart without even a term in the Senate fancy himself Presidential stock. He was like George Bush, floundering. He did not project leadership and he was hedging his bets -- he needs his black support (somehow blacks voting for him is not racist but whites voting for Hillary is!!) and he wants to be doing the right thing. He did not disavow Wright who is an insane racist. I don't know what passes for preachers these days, but him and his church (check out the founder's statements on what blacks need to do to whites -- kill them) are a disgrace. That BO could not come out and say it clearly and simply shows he is a fraud.

[Jeffomil]

If you really knew how to "useyourbrain", you'd back up your allegations with facts. Your moniker is subtrafuge. Just another repub troll..

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

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Once again, you surprise me for the contrast between your username and how you write. By writing "On what basis does this young upstart without even a term in the Senate fancy himself Presidential stock." you have defined your definition of "Presidential stock" while at the same time showing you don't know what the true definition is.

By "true definition", I am referring to the definition that comes from a study of the history of what sorts of experience previous presidents have had before they became president. I suggest you research the experience Abraham Lincoln had before he became president. It might surprise you.

[mayzeo1]

Oh...but hold on to your hats...more surprises are coming in this campaign. Wait till the Republicans body-slam Hillary. Homosexuality, Terrorist contributions, more lies about bringing peace to Ireland, Refugee Camps, and sniper bullets...and much much more. See guys, the media does not act...they re-act. I have done tons of homework on Hillary and could not understand why Obama and the Republicans did not lay into her. Now I know. They had to get Obama out the way first because they could not beat Obama. They know about the dirt on Hillary. Pull up a seat folks and just watch what they do to the Clinton machine. You will be shocked, if you have not done your home work on her. I was at the grocery store this morning and saw the info beginning to leak out in the national enquirer. Yeah...I know...they aren't that credible...but I found out about this months ago...months ago.

by the way...as much as I hate to say it...McCain will be the next President.

[LeeScho]

Rev. Wright knowingly and deliberately did what he had to do to save the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. He gave Obama a clear opportunity to disown him publicly. And he did it without compromising a single belief or principle, theologically or socially.

About Wright: Any country that can enslave a race of people (Africans), virtually annihilate another (Native Americans) to steal their land, wrongfully seize the property of another and imprison them in detention camps (Japanese Americans), secretly conduct venereal disease experiments against African Americans to their deaths and drop atomic bombs on Japanese civilians, is entirely capable of attempting to direct the AIDS virus at African Americans as well. It may have simply gone awry.

"Chickens coming home to roost." If any responsible journalist or citizen would listen to the full sermon, they would hear that Rev. Wright was quoting the viewpoint of Ambassador Peck just days after 9/11. Tobe sure, Rev. Wright agrees with that viewpoint. So do I.

"God damn America!" Rev. Wright was graphically clear. The slave-traders on the deck of the slave-ship were asking God to bless America. Were the slaves in chains below the deck asking likewise? No. They were asking their God to damn America.

White America has not seen, on a prominent and prolonged national scale, highly intellectual and self-confident Black men like Obama and Reverend Wright. They use words like aloof, flippant, arrogant and sarcastic to describe them. That is the new "uppity."

[useyourbrain]

Obama did not disown him. He stuttered and stammered and looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He is not that facile a politician that he can finesse the doublespeak he tried to express. He could not find the words that were so simple. Wright is a hateful, white-hating racist "preacher" and always has been and Obama for 20 years has been with him. You don't choose your parents or grandparents. You do choose your minister. He should stand up like a man and tell the truth -- something Obama has finally shown to the world that he is incapable of. Apologies to HRC are due, big time. She is the only candidate that can beat McCain. This isn't going away. Obama is damaged goods -- luckily we found out before the convention.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

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"... a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar."? "He could not find the words that were so simple."? It's a shame to read how dismissive you are of Senator Obama on such a personal level. Perhaps you don't know what it means to find a man like Rev. Wright at the age of 26 (when your own father was absent for most of your life)... to adopt such a man as (perhaps one of several) surrogate father figures... and to then have to - publicly - tell him "you're out of my life"... but I have some understanding of what that's like.

I'd urge you to reconsider your opinion of Barack's demeanor during his press conference based on this understanding. Then, perhaps you'll have more compassion for him as a person.

And as for your reiteration of Hillary's "you choose your minister" attack line, I suggest you ask yourself why Hillary has stayed with the fatally flawed (ie impeached) Bill Clinton, a president who left his party in worse shape after being president for 8 years than when he was elected.

[LeeScho]

useyourbrain:

Give me the precise quote(s) from Rev. Wright that show him as a "hateful, white-hating racist preacher." And use your brain - not your prejudice - to do it.

Your comments remind me of the response by President Truman when someone said to him, "Give 'em Hell, Harry!" Truman responded, "I'm going to give them the truth. It's just gonna feel like Hell."

Barack Obama did something personally and emotionally difficult today. Had he done so glibly and easily, his humanity would have been questioned even by me, a supporter.

Seek some grace and compassion in how you regard even your adversaries. Without it, you are nothing short of a Nazi. You can actually be solidly and uncontorvertibly against Obama and still be represented as a reasonable, intelligent, informed and respectable adversary to his supporters. You will need us if Senator Clinton is the nominee.

Sorry for the lecture. I simply want all of us on the bus rather than under it.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Hear, hear, LeeScho, well said!

[jcjewell]

Excellent post. Well put, well said, well done...

[Sphinx06]

I really believe Senator Obama gave the American Public as a whole too much credit when he decided to run. It is the politics of destraction that gave us George W. Bush. Flag pins, Rev Wright are manufactured distractions to keep us from seeing that our economy is tanking, we have soldiers dying in Iraq, along with a host of issues that should matter to you and me.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me ashamed of our country. We have got to do better folks. Our country's future, our children's future deserve it.

To the see the glee that some of you people have that this man had to throw away a man that meant a lot to him is embarassing. Whatever happened to Hate the sin but love the sinner.

[jcjewell]

Article VII of the US Constitution clearly and explicitly states:

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

So why is Barack Obama being forced to undergo all of these "religious Tests"?? First he had to deny he was a "closet Muslim", now he's being forced to throw his former Christian pastor of over 20 years under the bus. Since when has a congregant been responsible for the words of his pastor??

This is a sad time for America, and a sad time for Obama's campaign effort to change the nature of political discourse in this country. The constant hectoring for Obama to disown Rev. Wright, and his final acquiescence, bring to my mind the scene in the miniseries "Roots", where Kunta Kinte is forced to call himself "Toby".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRtuxjHBmi4

Looks like Kunta Kinte became "Toby" today... :-(

[useyourbrain]

Because Obama brought his faith and religion into the campaign where it doesn't belong. Remember the cover of Newsweek with him on his knees, elbows on a chair praying with the headline that "faith rules his life" What an affront to the Constitution and to America -- to see a candidate on his knees, praying to some abstraction for what? Guidance? Instructions? Obama made religion part and parcel of his candidacy and he can't run from it now. He should apologize to America and the Democratic Party for being so arrogant as to think he can jump from a state legislature, to the Senate to the Presidency in a few years. He doesn't deserve the nomination and for those to say that HRC will "steal it" means that you think he is entitled to it -- something you damned HRC for believing (although it was the MSM who said it). But damn it, she does deserve to be President. We deserve to have someone of her intelligence and quality to be our President. When she is sworn in I will never be prouder to be an American.

[Annette]

I do not see how HRC could get the nomination by other than some back room deal at this stage. To win by getting more people to vote for her, getting more delagates, she has to have about 70% of the reamining vote. You say she deserves to be president. Why? Why her rather than any other American? She has had 7 years experience as an elected official. Less than Obama. She talks about 35 years experience. Being the wife of either a goverrner or a president is not qualifying experience. Being a lawyer is not qualifying experience, Being on the board of Walmart is not qualiying experience. Both Obama and Clinton have more experience than many of our presidents,both good and bad. She is intelligent so is Obama. She also has some problems. She lies to burnish her record, she is way to close to Bushie in many of her votes in the senate, and she has said if she isn't president better McCain than a democrat. Sorry, but at least Obama isn't shilling for 4-8 more years of Bushies policies.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

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It's fascinating to see how busy you've been on my blog.... and how consistently you have demonstrated your lack of respect for someone who has out-organized, out-fundraised, and out-campaigned your chosen candidate. Senator Obama has run a smarter campaign, raised more money, (is Hillary's campaign still broke or have they paid off the $10 million owed... including money to many small businesses across the country?), and has more votes and delegates than Hillary. I'd say that those facts alone - putting aside his vision for an inclusive, collaboration-based politics - should enable Barack to earn your respect. But that would require you to really use your brain... rather than your emotional determination to slime his character at every chance. That's why I'm taking the time to respond to each of your posts... to make sure you know that your attempts to make your case are seen for what they are... the assertions of someone who appears not to know how to use facts to back up his arguments... because he has apparently bought into the notion of Hillary as this "perfect person" who - as you say - "does deserve to be President". The last time I checked, people earn the right to be president in this country. We live in a democracy, not an aristocracy.

[jcjewell]

Sorry, that's Article VI not Article VII of the US Constitution...

[kattywacky]

Thanks for putting into words what I also believe about this unfortunate situation. The Moyers interview showed the funny, intelligent, charming and learned side of Wright. The NAACP speech was more fiery but still within the bounds of respect. But that press conference was completely self-serving, and Obama had no choice but to disown him.

The parallels with Bill Clinton are especially apt. Wright and Bill are the past, and Obama is the future.

The fatal flaw of Hillary is that she decided to get in the gutter with the far right to achieve her goals. I can never forgive her.

[useyourbrain]

And Hitler was a great dancer and mediocre painter. So what? HRC did not get in the gutter. Read the posts on HuffPo and others and see where the negativity has come from. She has challenged him as she should and he to her. It's you Obamatons who have spread the negativity, not HRC and not her supporters. Check it out. It's a big cannard that she got in the gutter -- spread by BO's campaign and the MSM picked it up. Give the examples of "gutter " politics. Go on, show the evidence. But first check out if what was said was uncomfortable for BO, but true. The amount of negative, hateful, sexist, insulting and insane things that have been said about HRC is so overwhelming that to say otherwise shows you are not only ignorant, you are insane, blinded by your faith in this messiah with feet of clay.

[Steven G. Brant - Huffpost Blogger]

See Steven G. Brant's Profile

Well, here you are again... and now you're claiming it's Barack who has been "in the gutter" in what he's said about Hillary. I won't even begin to detail the negative nature of the Clinton campaign. Suffice to say it's been negative enough for The NY Times editorial board to write a scathing editorial on the subject on April 23rd...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/opinion/23wed1.html