But somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it's because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us. At every opportunity, they've told evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church...

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/06/23/a_politics_of_conscience_1.php

This business of the candidates having to apologize for every single statement of every one of their followers is getting ridiculous. If I said that Hillary was a monster, would Obama have to apologize for me, too?

An interesting summary from an Obama supporter. Here's the link if you wanna sound-off. Very interesting:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/obamas-judgment-wright-or-wron.php

By now everyone has seen some of the exceedingly provocative clips from
Mr. Wright's (Obama's pastor) sermons. As an Obama supporter I am
assailed by the following questions/confusions regarding the fallout of
this episode. I have tried my hardest (believe me it's been excruciatingly hard)
to objectively confront the implications of our candidate's
relationship with his pastor. I persuaded myself to face these
questions by telling myself that one is nothing if one is not
intellectually honest:

1. There is an undeniable close knit 20 year relationship between the
pastor and Obama. I gather, the Pastor married Barrack and Michelle,
baptized his children, dedicated Obama's house, has been his "sounding
board" for all that time. The title of Obama's book "Audacity of Hope"
is from the Pastor's sermon. From WSJ I gather, the Pastor was one of
the first people Obama thanked after his election to the Senate in
2004. That, Obama consulted him before deciding to run for president
and prayed privately with him before announcing his candidacy last
year. How can one distance oneself from this deep and this long a
relationship? That would be akin to trying to distance yourself from
half your life. Won't it?

2. The Pastor called US the number one killer, held US responsible for
AIDS/9-11/Mandela's imprisonment and apartheid/Palestinian
plight/killing of innocents to bring down Castro & Libya - I mean,
it goes on and on over, not one or two, but several sermons. How do you
explain how you presumably sat through such incendiary sermons with
your family? Or, at a minimum, continued having a spiritual
relationship despite such rhetoric?

3. Then I read that these clips directly contradict some of the things
Obama has been saying about the pastor. It seems Obama said clearly
that he does not regard his church to be "controversial". While
addressing the Jewish Leaders he apparently explained his pastor's
anti-Zionist statements as being rooted in Israel's support for South
Africa when it seems those statements were never qualified as that. I
don't know if anyone has more insights on this.

4. Our candidate's primary counterpoint to Hillary's Experience has been his Judgment. If people question his judgment for keeping close kinship with someone who was asking God to damn America, how will he respond? What will he say?

5. Obama's candidacy is significantly based on his crossover appeal.
That is, his appeal to Republicans and Independents. He may yet get the
nomination but is his appeal not fatally compromised? How can he hold
on to the mantle of being the less divisive candidate while having an
unapologetic 20 year spiritual relationship with such a radical
preacher? I feel so hopeless about this point. I mean, how would we
feel if McCain was taking his family most Sundays to Jerry Falwell's
discourses?

6. Obama's appeal to the young and the "latte liberals" has been his
fresh-faced sincerity and honesty. To me, I know, that has been his
primary appeal. Now, how do I reconcile this with what his detractors
will call: the hypocrisy of calling, say, Ferraro as divisive? I mean,
folks, what is more divisive than the things the Pastor said about
"white folks", even clearly lambasting Europeans.

7. Of all the incendiary things one can say about race and society and
country where is an Obama supporter or surrogate who now has the moral
high ground to accuse the opponent's surrogates for being divisive.
What is disheartening here is that Obama has forever ceded that high
ground to Clinton/McCain.

I may be wrong - do persuade me that I am. It is very hard for me to
vote for Hillary but now I am thinking about the general election and
finding it really hard to figure out how Obama can keep his
constituencies, his image of being a uniter. How can he? I am seeing
those Republican ads running day and night showing a montage of all the
different ways this Pastor has denounced America and Europeans and
Israel, punctuated by Obama in his own words "I don't think actually
that my church is particularly controversial". I mean, Judgment,
Moderation, Sincerity - can they be Obama's defining pillars anymore?
This is so disheartening. Where do we go from here?

Leadership: responding to a problem quickly and in uncertain terms because one's own moral compass is intact and doesn't have to wait for the polling groups to finish. Compare Obama's response to this fiasco to Hillary's lame response to the Ferraro fiasco.

The fact that Obama attended this church, with this pastor, for the past 20 years speaks very much to Obama's character. Obama has previously said that Wright was his "spiritual advisor" and has identified Wright as a "religious advisor" to Obama's campaign. These actions and references by Obama do not demonstrate that Obama truly disagrees with Wright. Couple these actions with comments made previously by Michelle Obama (the first time in her adult life that she is proud of America comments) and other seemingly trivial refusals by Obama to exhibit patriotism (not placing his hand over his heart and refusal to wear a flag pin in support of our 9/11 victims) all demonstrate a pattern of actions that show that Obama and his wife do in fact support and endorse the tenets of their racist and unpatriotic pastor and church.

How come nobody points out that white pastors like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Billy Graham constantly condemn our country and its morality and also blamed America for 9-11 because of homosexuality and abortion?

These same white pastors are constantly embraced by the same white republicans who are currently condemning Obama.

No reporter asked Bush if he believed that God punished the FDNY because of gays.

." And he suggested that the Unites States invited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with its own "terrorism."

I honestly see no problem at all with this statement, we in the US are so afraid of saying anything remotely differnt...

These statements are not Barack Obama's. It is good that he has disavowed them. But the fact that he has strong links to this pastor and to a church that honors Louis Farrakhan is going to be a problem for him.

Associating with radical preacher for 20 + years and calling him spiritual leader shows lack of judgement.

Obama trying to convince people that the Fire Brand preacher never used inflammatory remarks when he present is a lie. Let us look at every one of the sermons Obama was present and hear the sermons, I bet you the sermons were not passive.

All of these Fire Brand pastors use inflammatory remarks to attract, keep and take money from their followers.

Obama is a lier and the biggest hypocrite.

Maybe if Blacks stopped shooting cabbies in the head and taking their hard earned money the cabbies might stop and pick them up more often. Maybe if Blacks just stopped shooting people in general and taking their money things might improve. Most importantly, if Blacks stopped blaming everyone and everthing for all of their problems and got off of the couch and got a job instead of feeling entitled to a handout from the "Whitey" that they hate so much while living parasitically off of him at he same time, and realized that the reason there are more Blacks in jail BECAUSE THEY COMMIT MORE CRIME, maybe they could finally take some personal responsability for their own destiny instead of constantly whining that no one ever gives them as much as they feel that they're entitled too. Other minorities work hard, keep their families together and make something out of themselves with out constantly complaining that the White man doesn't help them enough while at the same time rejecting education, employment opportunity, and lawful living because it's not "Keeping it real enough". Stand up as a community and own your own shortcommings instead of blaming anyone but yourselves and maybe race relations will improve.

do you wear a pin on your shirt everyday with the American flag ? I would imagine not. Does that make you unpatriotic ? Absolutly not... so with that in mind ... lighten up ..

We all want to know why it took Barack Obama over 20 years to arrive at these conclusions? What does this time lapse say about his judgment and his character?

Clearly, the Rev. Wright was the leader, and Obama was the willing follower . . . until the truth was revealed.

Sad, truly sad.

Obama cannot say anything. He sat there with his family and listened to this lunatic hate for two decades.

Trinity United Church of Christ is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, a generally very open, accepting and loving group of folks whose theology is quite liberal. Some jokingly refer to UCC as Unitarians Considering Christ.

Just as is the case among us very liberal and open Universalist Unitarians, there are individual ministers and laypeople who hold views that many find abhorent or shocking. Such is the nature of freedom of religious and freedom of belief.

I care not what an individual who shares membership with either Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama in whatever organization believes. I continue to be intensely interested in what each of them believe.

As I understand it, Islam allows it's Faithful to openly proclaim anything the Infidels will believe, to protect themselves, further the spread of Islam, and win in the battle for conquest! ;~)

But, to LEAVE the Faithful, and betray the Faith, is SUICIDE! ;~)

Apostate, I believe the term is!

He's had a relationship with the guy for 20 years and NOW he steps back from it? And he has the guts to call for change? This is absolutely what he purports to campaign against. If he was what he claimed to be, he would have distanced himself years ago. No substance here - just rhetoric.

Why did the Obamas expose their children to this unmitigated crap all of these years?

Do they have the Wright stuff?

Obama knew this guy was a racist, and sought him out to get elected in Chicago. He gave the man $22,500 in 2006 alone, well after he made most of his racist, anti-American, anti-semitic, anti-white comments. Obama allowed this pervert to simulate Bill Clinton having sex with Monica Lewinsky, there were children in the church. Lighten up? Are you kidding me? Barack is running on nothing but judgment and racial healing. He has neither. He has contributed the problem. I don't care about his flag pin, I do care about a senator who endorses a view that the US caused AIDS. that really helps the people suffering with AIDs in the inner city. let us remember, not far from there, a black man motivated by hate gunned down women in a women's clothing store.

I'm not buying it. It's not about acceptance, it's about attendance.

Obama chose that church. He chose that pastor. HE CHOSE TO LET HIS CHILDREN HEAR THAT PASTOR PREACH. He might "reject" these statements but his children aren't going to be that discerning. Regardless of what he says now and publicly, this is the message that he wanted his children to hear. Shame on him.

His wife, appearently, got the message loud and clear. That's why she's never been proud of America before.

Hillary's campaign should use these clips to let folks know about the actual type of "change" Barrack plan to bring. If she does not the republicans sure will. This is exactly what we have feared all along-once the high from you intoxication is over there's always a painful hangover that follows.

i seriously doubt this will stop the supporters of obama from voting for him. this PC mentality being used to bring down obama is the kind of incidental non newsworthy tripe that obama supporters in particular will find insignificant when it comes time to elect a president. fwiw, the pastors remarks are to a large degree honest if looked at from non nationalistic viewpoint. we have committed horrible crimes in our history and still do, we have so much blind patriotism in usa that we allow all sorts of empire building mayhem all over the planet.

Why is Obama still considered a great person by all means ? Why is he still completely untouched by the news media ? Looks like the truth is finally out.

Look at this additional Newsmax article about Obama's actions and the way he has earmarked money for his personal favourites

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_earmark_wife/2008/03/14/80393.html?s=al&promo_code=4736-1

I would also like to add:

If I did not know that I was actually hearing the Speaker's own Voice, I could have easily pictured al-Sadr, or al-Nasrallah saying the EXACT same things, while being Dubbed!

Uh, NO WONDER Barack Hussein found the Church to his Liking! ;~)

Just like Home! :-)

"Uncle" Radical Cleric!

We can all imagine how "liberals" would react if newspaper accounts revealed that McCain attends a church in which its minister was a racist, hate-filled buffoon who said the congregation was "unashamedly white" and that it preached a "white gospel." Liberals would go ballistic.

Sorry, Barack, you have got to show much, much more character in dumping this clown and his racist rhetoric than you have shown so far. Let's get with it.

Too late Mr. B. Hussein Obama-your done!

As an Obama fan I can no longer vote for him. The republicans will get him on this if he is the nominee. I can't believe he stayed with this kind of pastor for so long. Shame.

Obama's supposed disagreement with Wright and his church's positions are too little and too late. Obama's church and pastor are racist and hate mongers ... and apparently Obama had no problem with that for the past 20 years. To say that he now doesn't agree with Wright is extraordinarily disengenuous and hypocritical on Obama's part. Obama should drop out NOW!!!

My word! How dare anyone say that the United States has committed acts of "terrorism." The United States would never use violence or the threat of violence against civilian populations to achieve some political, economic or ideological end...

How dare he say that!

Obama is clearly depending upon race to put him into the White House. On the one hand he is depending on blacks to vote for him because he is black while conning white voters into voting him because he is neutral.
If he is defeated at any point, watch for black riots or if he elected, watch for black riots. The one merit in his campaign is that he might not bow down to the Israelies the way the white politicians do.

It is really ridicules. What is new in the fact that Black people were discriminated against in this country for a long while? None. What is new in the fact that they are NOT HAPPY about it? None. Yes, Hillary Clinton is white, and never suffered from this known discrimination, and Barack Obama is mulatto, and, probably, endured some of it. Though he is the light mulatto and was raised by white, well to do grandparents. His wife, on the contrary, probably, endured, some of things, in question, as she is Black and was raised by Black parents in the South Side of Chicago - the area populated mostly by Black people. What is new in this entire story, and in the information, which is included in this story? None, none whatsoever! What is surprising that Cindy McCain, who was born with the silver spoon in the mouth, and spend her entire life on the priveleged top of the society is "proud of this country" and Michelle Obama, who has endured a lot of poverty and, I think, discrimination, is not? It is the normal people' reactions, and that is how they are expected to react. However, to nominate Clinton, re-elect Clinton after the obvious demolishing of 9/11 is not normal human reaction, it would be fully suicidal reaction and the absence of any self-respect of voters for her.

I never understood people that condemn America and consistantly say how terrible it is yet they continue to live here and prosper. Why are you here? Leave. It really is that simple. Discourse is one thing but if it's so terrible then get the hell out. I know many people of various shapes, sizes and colors that thrive here in America. People are literally dying in cargo holds, ship containers, and in the middle of the desert to get here. While I may not be in agreement at all with my current government, America is all 300 million of us and we are GREAT!! This is a judgement issue for Obama because this crazy pastor hasn't been in the basement for years.

WOW. It speaks volumes that Mr Obama made this man his spiritual advisor and in fact honored him. Surely Obama does not expect us to believe he was unaware of Rev Wright's views all these years? I personally would feel very uncomfortable listening to hate talk like this regardless of the target.

It took class to handle this potential problem with so much panache. Contrast with Hillary's handling of the Ferraro affair.And with McCain's handling of the entire Hagee issue. It is clear that Obama is the most presidential of the contenders.

How long do you plan to run this as a blog and not news?

Jeez! Now I'm going to be held responsible for all the dumb things Pope Benedict says. And he's infallible!

-- On Huffington Post, Obama wrote, "The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. --

Never in 20 years, apparently.

He seemed to be the last to know
about corruption by Tony Resko, also...

-

Why has it taken Obama so long to issue his denunciation of Wright? Are these utterances by Wright an aberation over the time that Obama has been a member of this church?
Wright's statements are totally consistent with Michelle Obama's view on America. These are the people who will lead America? I don't think so. One must understand that bad people most of the time do not appear bad. They usually sneak their way in.

When can we expect to see the same in-depth coverage on Senator Clinton's and Senator McCain's pastors?

I think that Obama is SHOCKED, SHOCKED that such comments were made week after week by The Rev. Wright. SHOCKED, just shocked!

Obama has repudiated the remarks. It's time to stop this "guilt by association" and get back to the real problems we are having with the economy and the war.

earle Highhower, Obama is not worse than Clinton at any point of view, which caunts for the politician. Actually, he is really better, as he is smarter, and he is really half black, and out first Black president was actually fully white. That is why Obama is uniter, not divider; and I do not expect any Black riots, when he is elected in November. Clintons were and are not intelligent people, therefore, Hillary was so anti-Semitic before she needed Jewish votes to run for US senate. Obamas are better than Clintons at any point of view that counts, and that is why they would be elected. Watch and see!

"It took class to handle this potential problem with so much panache."

Posted by: Middle Road | March 14, 2008 06:01 PM

You MUST be joking!!!!!!! Potential problem?

As a minority I can totally understand the vehemence in the reverend's sermons.There was no mention in what I read of how old the reverend is but I get the feeling that he lived through the dark days of segregation and all that it dished out. It is easy for those who came along after to dismiss or trivialize and condemn. But at some point reverend we have got to let go of the past...I didn't say forget it,just let it go and try to move forward.

Denouncing after 20 years? He took his own children to hear these words of hatred and racism against other Americans and America itself! Our and their country! Way too little too late! He needs to drop out of the race. There is no place for Obama in American politics. And certainly not in the Presidency of the United States of America. His actions have spoken much louder than his words. Much louder. He must concede.

I don't think it's any worse than someone suffering from "guilt by association" by being a member of the KKK or the Nazis. How about those rich white guys belonging to posh country clubs that exclude? Huh? Answer that one!

for a father(obama) to let his kids listen at all to this freaking lunatic puts his judgment in the gutter. the media needs to play this guys venom every night till november because this country can't be saddled with barack obama as president.

St. Barack has appallingly bad judgement. Just read and listen to the sermons of Rev "Goddamn America" Wright and make your own judgements on the type of crap he preaches. This was Obama's spiritual anchor for the last twenty years yet he (Obama) claims to have been unaware of any of this. Bullsh*t........

Is this the same minister that preaches to Obamas kids every Sunday?
It's a form of child abuse.

It would appear if the good Rev. Wright is on the verge of retirement, he's been around for a number of years. It's reported Senator Obama was a member of Wright's church close to twenty years, it is difficult to believe his [Wright] sermons have just started to discuss his views about life in America for a black man. Where my concern is; people in general, stick rather close together with others with similar likes, believes, language, etc.

If Rev. Wright's sermons are distasteful now for the Senator, one would think that other sermons would have given him a moment of pause over the years.

"I don't think it's any worse than someone suffering from "guilt by association" by being a member of the KKK or the Nazis. How about those rich white guys belonging to posh country clubs that exclude? Huh? Answer that one!"
___________________
Good point. This is exactly like a presidential candidate belonging to a hate group--in fact, it's identical to that.

What once was a shared philosophy for 20 years only becomes "inflammatory and appalling" when your running for president.

as far as i can tell the pastor is the only honest person in this. thank you rev. for making things clear.

At the invitation of a friend, I once attended her church in the small southern town where I was living. The preacher, a woman, gave a hate filled sermon about homosexuality and how gays would burn in hell for eternity. I sat there, wanting to get up and walk out, but not wanting to embarrass my friend. Afterward, I admonished her for attending this church and assured her that I had no intention of ever setting foot in the place again. This was not a hard thing for me to do, not at all, I was completely disgusted and offended by the sermon because I sincerely disagreed with it. It all comes down to individual character, values and "judgment".

We all want to know why Obama was "inflamed" for over 20 years?

The pastor is not running for president. We can only be responsible for our own words and actions.

Mr. Obama

Has made his statement concerning the minster. Lets move on!

It shows what a racist Obama is. He hates America and white people. Black people should be thanking America for the good easy life they have here. Look at Africa with all its diseases and wars. I hope white people vote as solidly for a white candidate as black do. Wake up America and see the threat this Obama is to the future of the country....

The candidates beliefs and actions are what is important, not someone else's.

Why isn't the media instead pillorying Hillary for claiming that she didn't agree to not count the Michigan primary? Even though she agreed with the other candidates and the DNC that it wouldn't count, she now claims her 55% win against UNCOMMITTED is a fair and valid result that should be used for the nomination.

How on earth can any self-respecting Democrat give such a cheater the time of day?

LOL!

Obama Supporters!

"I will support Obama no matter what! He has what I think is NEEDED!
AND, I want EVERYONE to know; I am NOT Drain Bamaged from that three story fall I was operated for on!"

"Dee-Dee-Dee"! ;~)

In this article the author has no problem with printing the Lord's name in vain, but can't seem to bring themselves to print "the N word".

That's it. I'm not going to vote for Rev. Jeremiah White.

What about the children?
Is it ok to expose kids to hate when they are too young to understand "Nuanced hate"/

This seems like the classic definition of a gaffe: the pastor screwed up and told the truth. Can't have that in the ol' USofA...

How about the preachers who say EVERY Sunday that unless you are a member of my church YOU are going to HELL. how about that?

"." And he suggested that the Unites States invited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with its own "terrorism."

I honestly see no problem at all with this statement, we in the US are so afraid of saying anything remotely differnt..."
_______________________
If Obama feels this way, let him say it. If he doesn't, why has he not repudiated Wright for saying it. Why has he just now noticed his "spiritual adviser" is out of the mainstream?

Before the election got underway, I called in a bunch of favors in Washington and got all the candidates checked out in detail.

The most interesting information came from the staffers who do the actual work.

They all gave high marks to Hillary and said that all Obama ever talked about or spent time on was his image.

Contacts higher up told me that Hillary is highly respected on both sides of the isle.

I used multiple references for each candidate.

The references on Obama were so universally negative that I went the extra step and had him checked out in Chicago and then went farther back to contacts who had known him at Harvard.

I've never gotten such a bad set of references on a well known politician.

I've never gotten the kind of negatives I've gotten about Obama with respect to any senior person at all.

I'm not going to be the least bit surprised to see him indicited.

What he did in Chicago shows such a complete lack of concern for one's fellow human beings that its chilling.

This is a very poor method of getting the word out.

When I found out about the book "Obama's Slums" I found that lots of other people are following similar leads.

They write far better than I, and have access to a much wider base of readers, listeners, and viewers.

It will be interesting to see the results of their efforts.

Ok, let's face it. A lot of what the reverend said is crap, i.e. any racist statemens. But a lot of it is also true, i.e. Hillary never had to worry about being pulled over as a black man driving.

But it is sort of beside the point. Obama didn't say this stuff. Someone else did. And he has completely distanced himself from the comments.

There are tons of people I know, work with, and even have pretty close relationships with, who say really stupid things---things just as stpid as Wright. I think most folks are in this position. But it does not mean that this is our POV.

Wheather your black, white, green or purple. Where is the love of a God that gave his only begotton son for our sin. One thing is for sure... you cant find it anywhere in the political arena no matter of your affiliation.

Any of us who goes to church hears tons of total nonsense every Sunday. So did Obama.

Last person standing: aepelbaum.

Do you have no shame? Is nothing sacred to you? I have been following your postings on these boards for all these months and you should be ashamed of yourself. Your attempt to justify Obama/Parson has totally compromised your credibility.

Remember this name, folks: AEPELBAUM. Nothing is sacred for people like him. Disgraceful.

As a former Obama supporter, I simply cannot understand how Barak was not vetted earlier. Why did Barak not himself bring this to public attention? Did he think none of this would come out? He could have dealt with this a year ago if he had been forthright. Why did his campaign handlers not see this? Did they not know? Did they so underestimate the American public that they thought we wouldn't care? I am absolutely SHOCKED at the stupidity of the Obama camp. This Democrat is voting for Hillary in four weeks and McCain in November.

SV reader is a lunatic.

Really, how many posting here are a member of a denomination that does say no believers, those who do not accept Jesus as their personal savior are not going to heaven?

Has Rev. Wright said anything that can be proven false? If Mr. Obama sat and listened to 'this lunatic', then maybe it qualifies him to listen to other lunatics as president, such as the lunatics that got us into this war in Iraq. We seem to want to quickly rush to judgment and once judged we want to close our minds to opinions that we find unflattering. Perhaps the nation could actually grow if it took the time to critically examine itself. The old ways of declaring our nation to be infallible and moving on no longer flies in the modern world. I think the Emperor not has no clothes, but his birthday suit is also in a state of disrepair.

How can anyone, especially any person of color, still support Obama knowing that he let the people of color who voted for him in Chicago freeze to death in horrible slums?

It doesn't make any sense.

How could anybody support a man who shafts his own people after promising to protect them?

That's cold as can be.

Please Watch this report on Obama, Obama's slums, Rezko, and $100M of wasted taxpayer money, from Channel 5, Chicago's most respected TV news program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDHsHM0laT8&feature=related

-- Hillary's campaign should use these clips to let folks know about the actual type of "change" Barrack plan to bring. If she does not the republicans sure will. --

-

Hillary has never mentioned this church
and won't. But the other critiques - 3 AM,
Resko, NAFTAgate - she is doing Dems a
huge favor by being hardball enough to
use them. We have to vett this guy now,
there is no 2 ways about it.

If he can be seriously discredited, but
he gets a cakewalk in the primaries,
everyone knows the GOP will proceed
to do it in the fall. It will be 10 times
as vicious - just look at Rep. King's
remarks this week.

If he is to implode, which now looks
increasingly possible, Hillary will not
only save the election from another
4 years of Bush/McSame, she will also
ask him on the ticket for unity and
so he can apprentice for 2016.

It's an excellent outcome. This despite
Media Inc. telling you daily how they
are tearing the party apart with the
drawn out contest. Nonsense. We need
to see how these candidates weather it.

-

Yeah Don, Philadelphia. Sure you were a former Obama supporter. That is why you can't evev spell his name.

Quit lying.

Huffingtonpost is nothing but a cyber toilet that constantly salivates for the chance to kiss Barack's pathetic lying ass. That's what self-hating liberals do... and they do it well.

At least Obama goes to church...

Sad thing is, I agree with most of what he says. I'm a white man from North Carolina. Apparently we aren't responsible for killing more innocent civillians since Vietnam than all other countries combined (excluding the Rawandan genocide). The war in Iraq has claimed 150,000 innocent civillians (by US estimates) 300,000 is a more probable estimate. Apparently we cannot criticize govn't policies or we are unpatriotic. This is called facism. Bin Laden did not bomb Belgium. Islamic Terrorist don't attack Chinese embassies. WAKE UP. 9/11 is an UNDENIABLE response to American foreign policy. Just ask the alleged perpetrators. I am not justifying what they did, I'm simply stating the facts. That's right fellow Americans, I'm thinking for my self, using reason AND logic at the same time. Some people might resist American global hegemony. Some might resist voilently. It is an inescapable truth.

An intelligent person would not knowingly expose himself and family, especially young children, to such venom and hate for this many years unless he thought along the same lines. Until viewing the hate sermons of Wright, I was an Obama supporter. No more. The face behind the Obama mask is beginning to emerge and it is not handsome.

To ToxicAvenger:

"Too late Mr. B. Hussein Obama-your done!"

All you can do is attack him for his MIDDLE NAME, and use "your" when you mean "you're".

Gee, ToxicAvenger, is your middle name "useless"?

Oops!
Has Rev. Wright said anything that can be proven false? If Mr. Obama sat and listened to 'this lunatic', then maybe it qualifies him to listen to other lunatics as president, such as the lunatics that got us into this war in Iraq. We seem to want to quickly rush to judgment and once judged we want to close our minds to opinions that we find unflattering. Perhaps the nation could actually grow if it took the time to critically examine itself. The old ways of declaring our nation to be infallible and moving on no longer flies in the modern world. I think the Emperor not ONLY has no clothes, but his birthday suit is also in a state of disrepair.

Thanks to George Bush, Barack Obama will be our next president. Go Obama! Grab the broom and get ready for a good fight as they throw trash in your way.

Barrack Obama is a racist. period.

This concerns CNN and Lou Dobbs. As Obama supporters, we need to voice our deepest concerns to CNN against Lou Dobbs bigotry and racism. We should boycott CNN if CNN does not sack Lou Dobbs who is thinking of running for President as an Independent. Lou Dobbs is using CNN to maliciously attack Obama's character and integrity on a daily basis. Lou Dobbs is using race and religion to attack Obama without any restraint. He is even supporting Geraldine Ferraro in her attacks against Obama. Lou Dobbs' comments are inflammatory and full of racial prejudice and hatred. We do not expect CNN to allow this kind of propaganda coming out from the mouth of this idiot and buffoon. Lou Dobbs is getting weird by the day. His incessant attack on people of color, Blacks and Latinos included, is getting tired and nonsensical. He needs to take a break. Lou Dobb's xenophobia is becoming delusional and psychotic. Obama supporters we need to make a forceful objection to CNN and demand that this bigot be sacked and removed from his broadcast.

I'm aware that these comments by the preacher are inflammatory and they will probably hurt Obama's chances in this election but perhaps the most unfortunate truth to retain from this is that everything the preacher said is absolutely correct. We are so twisted as a society that we no longer want to hear the truth.

This is just another tactic to distract voters and take the candidates off their game. No one has bothered to take the time to focus on the issues that trouble American and the rest of the world for the last few weeks because of this political gaming. As we sit here and engage in this nonsense that is purposely put forward to distract voters, real people of America are facing terrible issues such as poverty, joblessness, home foreclosures and rising health care costs. Unfortunately, the Democrats are going to give up the general election to the Republicans due to this incessant bickering and politicking... and EVERYONE that has contributed and played into this madness will be to blame. Barack Obama is a good person who only has the best intentions for this country. He is not out to harm the country and he is not trying to hide any negative covert feelings about America. I really don't understand why so many people want to get in the way of a candidate's mission to bring hope and positive change to America. I think fear has a big part of it and this issue with the pastor is playing into that 'fear' factor that this current administration has used to play us all like a fiddle. Let's get back to what matters and judge the candidates based on their plans to bring the country together and forward to mend the issues that have become so prominent while Bush has been in office. Enough of this politicking drama!

However, Reverend Wright still remains on the committe in Barak's campaign because it's ok for Obama's minister to be racist and A BIGOT.

Imagine if this was Hillary's ministe FOR 20 YEARS.

This speaks volumes about the judgement Barak has to stay with this hateful person for 20 years, getting married by him, having his daughter baptized by him, giving him money, claiming him as his mentor and so on and so forth.

I would not let my children listen to this hateful person for one second let alone every week for 20 years.

Explains Michelle's attitude doesn't it. I almost can't wait to see what the republicans have in store for this phony "messiah" of a man.

Obamanites, if you defend this then you are in a cult. This is inexcusable. After all the hate for Geraldine, now this.

FIRE REVEREND WRIGHT OBAMA, do the right thing.

Oh and Keith Oberman, how do you like your candidate now?

Don't forget out of those 40 years how many souls, including Obama's, have been saved by this crazy person. Denounce the few "anti" statements he's made if you must, although you might want to try being black in south side of Chicago first , then remember you are Christian and in the business of saving souls.

"Obama's Slums" in Chicago never got fixed thanks to Rezko and company.
Obama either didnt care or didnt care.
I saw that news program and was similarly appalled. No wonder Rezko is on trial.

Obamas choice for spirtual mentor is wierd.
I cant imagine taking kids to a service like that. Just too vugar.

SVreader. "I called in a bunch of favors in Washington".

Get real. You are lying. Why in the world do you spend all day every day posting if you have a life?

Obama..sounds like Osama...Hussien...no explanation required..Barak..it sure ain't Smith or Jones!!!

Oh...he didn't know his pastor made these remarks...with such perception...makes him a good candidate for President!! Great ability to lie! Another plus for the job!!

Hilliary...McCain??? Looks like the USA is on it's final lap!

Obama is lying. There's no way that he attended that church for 20 years and never heard Wright speak that way. He exposed his children to this. He gave him $22,500 in 2006. To repeat, Obama is lying. Could I clarify? Obama is lying. I meant to say, Obama is lying.

"It took class to handle this potential problem with so much panache."

Posted by: Middle Road | March 14, 2008 06:01 PM

You MUST be joking!!!!!!! Potential problem?

Posted by: Ann | March 14, 2008 06:07 PM
-------------------------------------------
Yep. potential. Do you need a link to a dictionary? Considering how long it took Hilton to give a half hearted "denunication" of Ferraro, I think Obama had a few more weeks to deal with this.
Face it. Hillary handled Gerry's vitriol in a very ham-handed way. McCain still pretends there is no problem with Hagee. Obama is the only one who has come out and explained himself to us. Hillary doesn't think she needs to explain anything to us mere mortals.
I suggest you read the post by Obama, rather than the filtered crap on this page. The man is a class act
Obama 08!

WAIT! I thought he was a Muslim. I'm losing track now. First, we shouldn't vote for him because he is a closet Muslim. Now we shouldn't vote for him because he is a radical Christian. Any day now we are going to find out that he is really a Jew with an addiction to pork.
Tsk, tsk. This just means that I can't vote for him now. I'll have to either vote for the old white guy who'll keep us in Iraq for 100 years or the middle age white woman who refuses to release her White House records or tax returns.

If Senator Obama actually espoused Rev. Wright's hateful attitudes, those attitudes would be evident in his speeches, his interviews, and in the debates, where he has had every opportunity to fire up on Senator Clinton for her many below-the-belt tactics.
In fact, it is to Senator Obama's CREDIT
that he handled the Ferraro debacle so well and that he continues to run a positive, inspiring campaign that seeks to unite Americans, not divide them, as the Clinton campaign has attempted to do--REPEATEDLY! Judge a person by his or her own words and actions, not by the words and actions of others with whom they sometimes associate.

Yeah Don, Philadelphia. Sure you were a former Obama supporter. That is why you can't evev spell his name.

Quit lying.

Posted by: Brendan | March 14, 2008 06:23 PM
-----------------------------------------
Your spelling is perfect, Brendan. Care to read your posting again?

To all those blowing a gasket over this preacher's remarks: I assume you'll be calling for John McCain to disavow John Hagee for the horrible, hateful things he said -- oh, also Jerry Falwell, who also blamed a lot of innocent Americans for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Why of course not, because anything the Religious Right does is just fine.
The hypocrisy really stinks.

Funny how all the anti-Obama statements have the same mis-spelling of his first name.

Do I see SVreader posting under multiple headings again? Ha ha!

Hi folks! I am amazed by the generalizations of Obama's camp in decryinmg this type of
so=called attack of Rev Wright to our country and to 911. He has been his pastor for 220 years and he had learned this before his campaign, but he never say a word to disassociate himself neither disagree on these statements.It is only now that he is running as president that he disowns and condemns it. This is what we calL hope and change, if not hypocrisy!

Oh NOW Obama SUDDENLY denounces it. His initial reaction was "It's like an old uncle who says things you don't agree with" no big deal right? Hey Obama! just words? Obama is SO full of it. Who is the one saying anything to get elected again?

VOTE FOR HILLARY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO ELECT ANOTHER MISTAKE.

,Humm, What about Mitts church he is Mormon no one said any thing to him. Go Figure these people are so hateful of Obama. Fox, CNN, MSNBC and ABC, WOW!

"Now WE ARE GENEROUS WITH THE NEGRO. WE ARE WILLING that the Negro have the highest kind of education. I WOULD BE WILLING to LET every Negro DRIVE A CADILLAC IF THEY COULD AFFORD IT. I WOULD BE WILLING that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. BUT LET THEM ENJOY THESE THINGS AMONG THEMSELVES." LDS "Apostle" Mark E. Petersen, "Race Problems - As They Affect the Church," Address delivered at Brigham Young University, August 27, 1954, as quoted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner's book entitled, "The Changing World of Mormonism," p. 307, emphasis added.

LDS - "Those who were LESS VALIANT IN PRE-EXISTENCE and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the NEGROES." LDS "Apostle" Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 527, 1966 edition, emphasis added.

It would seem a lot of posters here have a completely different feeling for Obama than they might have for President Bush. Would they be as understanding if they learned that President Bush attended KKK meetings for 20 years, but repudiated the KKK message as a Presidential candidate? (But allowed the Grand Klugel (?) to stay on as the campaign's spiritual adviser.) Is this what Ms. Ferraro was referring to? The double standard here is astounding.

"How come nobody points out that white pastors like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Billy Graham constantly condemn our country and its morality and also blamed America for 9-11 because of homosexuality and abortion?"

Because Obama's running for president and none of the guys above are running for president. If they were running, I'm sure it would get pointed out. Obama has made a huge mistake by not distancing himself from this nut job.

I am getting sick in my stomach just reading all the comments above. Those who have been the enamored followers of Obama, including the senators who are supporting him, had fallen to his tantalizing words - seeing him through their ears. Those who gave their votes to him were snookered into believing everything he said. After 20 years of listening to the sermons of Rev. Wright, he still tell us now, that he deplores what his minister said. How can we really believe him? His vaunted superior judgment should tell us that he should have left the congregation a long time ago, after hearing such sermon of hate, bigotry and disloyalty to our country. I hope that he is not going to tell us that it was a "boneheaded move," to stick around with the church and its teaching.

Umbria: That is called a typ-o, not a spelling mistake. The person who says "Barak" has done this on multiple occassions.

Having you own kids listen to a preacher like Wright is child abuse.

So, I guess, by the logic stated in this thread, that parishioner's in Catholic Churches with exposed pedophile priests that stay in that parish tacitly agree with and support pederasty?

""Obama's Slums" in Chicago never got fixed thanks to Rezko and company.
Obama either didnt care or didnt care."
To anyone who wants to talk about Rezko, lets talk about his contributions to the Clinton campaign. Also, lets talk about Marc Rich, Vince Foster, Peter Paul, Monica Lewinsky, Whitewater......... and the other 200000 scandals from the Clinton years.
The prosecution has made it clear that Obama is in no way implicated in the Rezko mess. And that is ALL you guys can drag out?

Will Roman Catholic politicians be required to repudiate the denials, minimizations and cover-ups of pedophilia, as well as all the other idiotic remarks of the pope?

It's quite alright to disagree vehemently with someone and still associate with them closely. As an example, my grandmother was a stone racist, but in many other ways an exemplary human being. I loved her dearly, yet never agreed with her overt racism. Nor did I feel any need to apologize for her. Her racism did not rub off on me. She was who she was, she believed what she believed, and she exercised her right as an American to speak her mind. There are a lot of blatantly racist white preachers out there wrapping themselves in the flag and spouting off, too. It's a free country, last I checked.

Obama claims he has better judgement if he found these sermons so abohorrent he should of found another church instead he married there, his children were baptized there and he has attended this church for 20 years donating huge sums of money to the pastor and writing about how he the pastor is his mentor and spiritual advisor. He is only denouncing these sermons know because the main stream media has started to do their jobs and look into these issues. obama has played the race card from day one - Hillary Clinton has been forced over and over again to appologise for remarks made by people that were clearly not racist - now she is being accused of being racist because there was no African Americans in her 3am AD. This is pathetic - obama has poor judgement look at this pastor and tony rezco as just two examples. Obama is not out to united the country he is just saying what people want to hear, he had no issues for the last 20 years with this pastor but as soon as it looks bad he denounces them. i can't believe so many people can't see through his act, he will say anything to become President, if he does them I'm sure the pastor will be a regular visitor.

,Humm, What about Mitts church he is Mormon no one said any thing to him. Go Figure these people are so hateful of Obama. Fox, CNN, MSNBC and ABC, WOW!

"Now WE ARE GENEROUS WITH THE NEGRO. WE ARE WILLING that the Negro have the highest kind of education. I WOULD BE WILLING to LET every Negro DRIVE A CADILLAC IF THEY COULD AFFORD IT. I WOULD BE WILLING that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. BUT LET THEM ENJOY THESE THINGS AMONG THEMSELVES." LDS "Apostle" Mark E. Petersen, "Race Problems - As They Affect the Church," Address delivered at Brigham Young University, August 27, 1954, as quoted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner's book entitled, "The Changing World of Mormonism," p. 307, emphasis added.

LDS - "Those who were LESS VALIANT IN PRE-EXISTENCE and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the NEGROES." LDS "Apostle" Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 527, 1966 edition, emphasis added.

I normally do not actively get involve with this, but unless Obama personally wrote the Pastors sermon each and very Sunday I dont see how any one can hold him responsible for the words that comes out of this man's mouth. As far as how can he sit through serveral sundays of the man preaching messages like this, its easy, if you are not there. I personally have missed weeks of services and the times I was there I have often disagreed with one of two points of my Pastor's sermon, i realize he is a man and entitled to his own oppinion. Stop apologizing Obama, I know you have enough support that this will not play against you over the summer no matter how hard the Ruplicans try.

I am neither Republican or Democrat, but I see this as the end of Obama. He may get the Democratic nomination, but his campaign will not be able to withstand the "Swiftboating" that will come from this debacle and the Rezko real estate issue which as yet has not been fully vetted. Interest groups are not bound by the same ethical considerations as nominees. McCain can sit back, play the good guy and let his backers tear Obama apart. Excuses and euphemisms may wash with the latte voters, but many middle class voters will not vote for him under these circumstances. Too Bad. Looks like McCain got handed a present on the silver screen.

I'm not a fan of many of Wright's comments. On other points, Wright is probably correct. I mean, Clinton is not a minority and really cannot know what it is like to be a minority in this country. Of course, whether "not knowing what it is like" disqualifies one from being able to represent and help that minority group is another question.

However, I do think that there is a double standard in attacking Obama over Wright's comments. Conservatives like Bush and others have welcomed the support of far-right evangelicals for years, and Pat Robertson and others have made some really nasty comments over the years that have never gotten hung around the necks of presidential candidates.

Of course, I don't recall any presidential candidates who were long-time attendees at the churches of these pastors, either, so Obama probably does have a little more responsibility in this matter for his participation in a church led by and that serves as a megaphone for this kind of rhetoric. No, what Wright says does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of all of the members of the church, but when he says something wrong and offensive, one would hope that those same church members confront him about it and chastise him for it. Obama, admittedly, has waited until Wright's comments became a political liability to take such a stand.

But I thought he was a muslim? This is all so confusing.

Once again Politicians are ignoring the real problems we face today. (Economy, War, Freedom) Instead their campaigns become more of a drama filled tv show. I don't think it would be out of hand to say that Americans invite drama and love it. This is intolerable people. I would also make a point to say that Americans have given up on their future. We sit back and let the government do whatever they want and whenever they want. If we all took a stand against issues "We the people" would have power again instead of filthy rich heartless politicians. I'm here to tell you when the economy fails and the government rapes us little by little of our liberty it will be too late. This is their agenda, occupation, and future goal to bring upon a world of disaster. Although one man has stood strong and is actual hope for this nation Dr. Ron Paul. I'm only twenty-two, but even I understand what this country needs and what it doesn't need. Thank you for reading this!

OBAMA IS A BUM

I'm republican. I like what I hear when Obama speaks. I will vote for Obama because of what Obama says. Its Obama's words that we should listen to, not the words of some crazy old preacher. America! wake up, shake off the mind control, this attack is more of the same old system of bambozellment. This kook does not speak for Obama, the old kook is being twisted by the corupted system to attack Obama. Sadly it will work. I still vote for him if I get the chance.

Rev Wright is in luck. I'm going to explain to him some awful truths: 1) Taxi drivers of all races pass up black males because The F.B.I crime statistics say they (the drivers) are most likely to be robbed by black males 2) Black male drivers are more likely to be pulled over because The same F.B.I. statistics state that they are more likely to have committed criminal acts and the police are being proactive rather than reactive and 3) black boys are more likely to grow up in a single parent home because one parent (usually the father) has bailed out on his responsibilites. I hope this enlightens the racist Rev. Wright.

Wow - is this all the Republican Hate Machine has got? Drudging up some fake controversy that Obama has already denounced?

Set aside the hypocrisy of your positions, given that Bush and McCain have embraced racists and fundamentalists who have made similar inflammatory remarks. If you think voters - even the open-mouth-breathing, immigrant-hating prong that constitutes your base - are going to tie Obama to these remarks, you are delusional. No one is that stupid - let me amend that -- few people are that stupid.

Doesn't this just bring out the loonies? Wow, I never realized how much supposedly Christian people are willing to cast stones at others for the statements of third parties. Do any of you really want to be affiliated with or defined by the statements of those around you? Have you never disagreed with someone and said nothing, becuase you thought what was being said was so outlandish that your saying something about it wouldn't matter? And perhaps that person was a friend.

If none of these situations applies to you, congratulations. You must have grown up in a hole somewhere. But in reality, people we know and are friendly with say stupid things all the time, and those things shouldn't tar us.

More imporantly, all this racism and bitterness from people who I can only guess would call themselves Christians seems to me to be very un-Christian. Would Jesus be so vindictive?

Yeah, Republicans have had to lick the boots of the Falwells and Robertsons to even be considered for president. McCain, in a spasm of clear thinking and truthfulness called Falwell an agent of intolerance, but has sinced changed his tune and kissed the man's a$$. Enough with the double standards.

It would seem to be more than a little disingenuous to compare remarks made by a Mormon leader, more than 50 years ago about race relations then, with remarks made in 2006. Don't you think?

Should we outlaw Major League Baseball because it was still segregated in 1947? How about banning the ACC and SEC from participating in the NCAA tournament because its teams were segregated in the early 60's?

SVreader, you are completely deluded. Who are your "inside contacts" in Washington? Obviously, not the legions of hill staffers who started the slogan "don't tell Mama, I'm for Obama" because they knew before he declared that they would vote for him. And not those staff who work with Hillary who note how closed off and secretive she was, even as Senator.

Those who feel this is simply a matter of "guilt by association" are wrong. This is a more serious question of judgment. If Obama is so smart and such a great unifier, how does he stay in this church for 20 years? He says that he never heard this guy's racist rants when he attended the church (?) Does that mean he rarely went to church, or maybe he just slept through the sermons. I'm sorry, but if you are a person of integrity, you don't stay with this kind of hate for 20 years.
Obama has some other questionable associations as well. Again, it goes back to judgment and character or the serious lack thereof.
As far as the Obamas having a difficult time and suffering in this terrible country of ours--if things were so bad for them, how did Michelle even get into both Princeton and Harvard? How did Obama get into Harvard? It's a little difficult to believe the "poor victim of the evil white man" scenario for these two.

""Obama's Slums" in Chicago never got fixed thanks to Rezko and company.
Obama either didnt care or didnt care."
To anyone who wants to talk about Rezko, lets
Posted by: Middle Road | March 14, 2008 06:30 PM

Obama was state senator in charge of fixing the slums. Not only did nothing get fixed, they got worse. Resko employed Obama as a lawyer. Rezko is on trial and Obama seems to be teflon don.

Seems as if people dont grasp the timeline here. Obama never heard his pastor make these comments before. Ask yourself an honest question...IF Obama had actually heard these sentiments before when attending service do you REALLY think he would subscribe to those beleifs? Of course not. That is the answer most rational thinking adults would arrive at when asked that question. This Pastor has slowly gone off the deep end. His remarks are beyond the pale, but to think Obama actually thinks the same way is a sad leap to make. We live in such a ultra-sensative PC, "Gotcha" world of politics that I find it hard to imagine EVER vetting a president, ever finding a civil servant perfect enough anymore. The part i find most frightening is we actually did find somebody "perfect" to serve in office that i am sure he or she would end up being the anti-christ long rumored to pay a visit.

Obama was my man. But McCain sure looks appealing right now.

It would appear if the good Rev. Wright is on the verge of retirement, he's been around for a number of years. It's reported Senator Obama was a member of Wright's church close to twenty years, it is difficult to believe his [Wright] sermons have just started to discuss his views about life in America for a black man. Where my concern is; people in general, stick rather close together with others with similar likes, believes, language, etc.

If Rev. Wright's sermons are distasteful now for the Senator, one would think that other sermons would have given him a moment of pause over the years.

My grandfather (a Jew) worked on George Wallace's gubernatorial campaign in Alabama and was a good friend of his. I guess that precludes me from ever running for office since I may have met him once when I was 5. Who knows what kind of awful things I have learned from him that I would bring with me into office. Get over yourselves, attacking a man because of what a friend of his thinks. You really must be desperate to find something wrong with this man that you have sunk so low as to attack him because of his friends.

Obama's connection to this racist, America-hating preacher only confirms my conviction that the only mistake bigger than electing George W. Bush would be to place Obama into a position where he could become the US president. This is where he learned his values and his preacher style, whip up a frenzy of madness rhetoric. My fear is that Obama is all performance and no substance. In the Gore/Bush race, I said that if Bush wins, the world will be in trouble. I was right. Now I say, Obama wins, the whole world will be in trouble; and I'm right this time, too.

I would hope that my next president would attend a church that would be Bible based, not political. I am 51 years old and I still scratch my head and wonder how people proclaim to be of Gods faith, yet do and act otherwise. I am not a religious person, nor a politican, just a hard working lower (by todays standards)class American. How can a person hold the Bible in one hand and vote democrat with the other? That particular party seems to be for everything that is not of Gods.

I AWAIT THE RESULTS OF THE COMMING ELECTIONS TO SEE JUST HOW AMERICA HANDLES MR. OBAMA'S ASSOCIATIONS WITH MR. WRIGHT. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN DEMOCRATS REALIZE THEIR PARTY HAS BEEN HIJACKED BY THE LIKES OF THE MR. WRIGHT'S OF THE WORLD.SHAME, SHAME TO HEAR SUCH TALK AND TO WATCH SUCH PHYSICAL ACTIONS FROM A CHURCH PULPIT AND HAVE TO CONGREGATION SIT THERE AND CHEER AND CLAP. WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? PRAYER, FORGIVENESS, UNDERSTANDING AND LOVING THY NEIGHBOR ARE THE MESSAGES ONE USUALLY HEARS AT CHURCH FROM THE PASTOR. STREET CORNER TALK AND ACTION SHOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED BY THE CHURCH MEMBERS. NEVER.

"That guy" would vote for a racist no matter what color he is.

svreader, your post would mean a heck of a lot more if you had any credibility at all. Last I heard, you also had millions of dollars, but still spent your whole life on the comments section of the WaPo site. You've made up so much stuff over the last few months trying to get Hillary the nomination that nobody could be expected to believe a word that comes out of your mouth.

Look, Rev. Wright's comments are wrong, and they're out of the mainstream of American thought. They're not, however, particularly out of the mainstream of urban black thought. Sen. Obama was attracted to the black church because of its strong bent towards social justice, in the tradition of the civil rights movement, and I assume that he's put up with its victim complex because you frequently can't have one without the other. But everything about his own personal bearing and the way he's lived his life suggests that he has none of the ideological bent or the victim complex that his preacher seems to have.

Hellooooo
Why do we focus on a little man with know connections? Who owns the vote here. Not the sqauking wheel we here in the press. The vote is owned by the conservatives, we have a choice people. It's not dillery, or skinny lier. We have an American Hero who actually knows what he talks about, and practices what he preaches. He has a know record, but he's not a Democrat, so the press wont give him the same focus, especailly this liberal press!

WOW, did the hate-filled nutjobs come out on this one!!!

Reality check: anyone hear about Rev. Hagee and how McCain was "honored" to have his endorsement? The man who called Catholicism a cult? How about Pat Roberts support of McCain?

In contrast, Obama has "denounced and rejected" his pastor. I'm sure they will leave Trinity before the general election. He isn't hiding anything and he has responded proactively to the criticism.

It is quite common for people to become more radicalized as time goes by. The man is RETIRED and no longer leads the church.

Meanwhile, I have seen more racist comments (blacks shooting cabbies in the head!) and blind patriotism (the U.S. has never practiced violence against civilians?! What are you smoking! Vietnam, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay....come one) on this blog. Why? The topic is RELIGION. So here come the nuts.

How about this, supposed Christians:

Did Jesus practice hatred? racism? blind allegiance to a country? How about tolerance and forgiveness for those who admitted their sins? Why don't you look in the mirror and your religious texts then respond.

My word! How dare anyone say that the United States has committed acts of "terrorism." The United States would never use violence or the threat of violence against civilian populations to achieve some political, economic or ideological end...

How dare he say that!

Posted by: an observer | March 14, 2008 05:59 PM

I absolutely agree with "an observer" above! March 16th is the 40th anniversary of the My Lai Massacre. Remember that, all you bigoted trailer-trash white folks!? Remember the 1 million Vietnamese casualties!? Remember that many of our American casualties were black and brown while rich whites (like Dick Cheney) enjoyed student deferments!?

The pastor is right whether you recognize it or not.

March 19th will mark the 5th anniversary of the US invasion/occupation of Iraq. Dig this, you idiots: If the Iraq war is not "terrorism" on a massive scale, then you tell me what is...

Finally, Shinseki is out and Fallon is out. Meanwhile, draft dodgers Bush/Cheney (war criminals) are in. Are you proud of that!? Do you want God to bless that!?

So, is the right going to attack Obama for being a MUSLEM, or for being a CHRISTIAN member of a black liberation church? Which one is it, is he a MUSLEM, or is he a CHRISTIAN? It seems to me that the choice is mutually exclusive.

Leave it to the far right, though, to throw logic out the window and say that Obama is both a MUSLEM and an adherent of this CHRISTIAN preacher's teachings. In the (twisted) mind of a rightist, a harsh truth coming out of the mouth of a black man is a mortal sin, having a more radically-minded friend makes you guilty of radicalism by association, and every possible bad thing that you can say about your opponents must be true, even if those criticisms taken together are completely contradictory.

Geez, when will it end? Enough already!

I'm not a Democrat but using Senators Obama's pastor to assassinate his character is simply sad. Democrats and Republicans alike you move into precarious waters following this line. I'm a Republican but if we start showing our A** in this manner like the Democrats are all bets are off.

Obama stated "When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign." How is is that at the beginning of his campaign, the Reverend was already singling Hillary out? For him to say he disagreed with it then is just a way for him to try and redeem himself now that the video has hit the web.

I AWAIT THE RESULTS OF THE COMMING ELECTIONS TO SEE JUST HOW AMERICA HANDLES MR. OBAMA'S ASSOCIATIONS WITH MR. WRIGHT. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN DEMOCRATS REALIZE THEIR PARTY HAS BEEN HIJACKED BY THE LIKES OF THE MR. WRIGHT'S OF THE WORLD.SHAME, SHAME TO HEAR SUCH TALK AND TO WATCH SUCH PHYSICAL ACTIONS FROM A CHURCH PULPIT AND HAVE THE CONGREGATION SIT THERE AND CHEER AND CLAP. WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? PRAYER, FORGIVENESS, UNDERSTANDING AND LOVING THY NEIGHBOR ARE THE MESSAGES ONE USUALLY HEARS AT CHURCH FROM THE PASTOR. STREET CORNER TALK AND ACTION SHOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED BY THE CHURCH MEMBERS. NEVER.

BOB --- turn off caps lock.. harder to read.

It would seem quite a bit different for McCain to accept support from someone with whom he disagreed, and for Obama to be a member of an organization which preached an anti-American message...that urged its members to sing "goddam America."

McCain never said that John Hagee was his spiritual adviser; never made him part of his campaign organization.

Enough of this wanting the candidates to say yea or nay to someone's comments!

Besides, what does Barack's disapproval prove? Was this the first time the pastor made this kind of remarks? No. And had Barack discontinued to go the church, distanced himself from the pastor for the past remarks? No.

So this time media/people put him on the spot to disapprove the remarks, and he obliged. We all can be very happy now.

Wright's 9/11 comments are not that much different from what Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said after 9/11. They both blamed America's sins for the attacks. On the Sept 13, 2001, edition of the 700 Club, Falwell said, "what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if, in fact, if in fact God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve." Robertson seemed to agree with Falwell's analysis.

Considering that John McCain courted Falwell before he died, and gave a major speech at Liberty University before he declared his candidacy, should we try to impugn his character by associating McCain's own beliefs with Falwell's?

Or what of Billy Graham's anti-semitic remarks to Nixon? Considering that Graham was a close spiritual advisor to George Bush, should we suppose that he shares Graham's views?

It is one thing to share religious views, and another to share political ones. Anything other conclusion is specious--good fodder for the news cycle, but utterly without merit.

I wonder if any of the other candidate would have their kids listen to hate speech every Sunday. Its a wierd indoctrination and wrong.

This is an example of Obama's LACK OF JUDGEMENT. This is not a ONE time incident. Obama had a choice of church/pastor. He choose to attend to this church and listen to this inflammatory and racist discourse for MORE than 10 years! This IMO, means he is a follower; otherwise, how come he stayed with this pastor, even considered him a mentor and a family member, if he was inscensed by the pastor's comments? How come he didn't evaluate this pastor's sermon's and associations? Now that his political career needs some damage control, he decides to denounce and reject! How convenient.

Senator Obama attended Wright's church for twenty years and now insists that he only recently became aware of Wright's "controversial" views... Nobody with an IQ above sea level could possible believe that's true.

"At every opportunity, they've told evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church..."

And this isn't true?

I have to wonder why Obama would even be a member of this church, or switch up religions in the first place...fishy.

That guy: Making a comparison between someone you "may have met once when you were five" and someone Barack Obama has looked up to and sought the guidance of for 20 years is hardly a good comparison.

I guess it really doesn't matter that Obama has any ties whatsoever with William Ayres either, right?

Obama cannot talk his way out of this one. These videos are pretty much a smoking gun. Obama is an undercover left wing extremist.

I am not buying that in the 20 years Obama has been attending his hate-monger-spewing Pastor's church that suddenly this is a revelation unbeknownst to the sophmore senator. I agree with the a veteran GOP political strategist that they are going to "have a field day" with this one and then some. Out of the hundreds of churches in Chicago, Obama's judgment selects a racist preacher who is anti-American and anti-Israel. It is a joke to me that whle dozens of "Mr. Wright's" hate-fomenting speeches have been for sale and widely available, only now does the "objective media" and Obama decide to notice?????????

Michelle makes 267,000.00 a year for a part-time job with the Chicago Hospital district. And she is just NOW proud of her country? The Obamas income is 996,000.00 (thats THOUSANDS of dollars)a year, and the Rev. is comparing Barack to Jesus? I am apalled at what was put over on us.

Trinity United Church of Christ
About Us
We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.
The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:
1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

Maybe if Blacks stopped shooting cabbies in the head and taking their hard earned money the cabbies might stop and pick them up more often. Maybe if Blacks just stopped shooting people in general and taking their money things might improve. Most importantly, if Blacks stopped blaming everyone and everthing for all of their problems and got off of the couch and got a job instead of feeling entitled to a handout from the "Whitey" that they hate so much while living parasitically off of him at he same time, and realized that the reason there are more Blacks in jail BECAUSE THEY COMMIT MORE CRIME, maybe they could finally take some personal responsability for their own destiny instead of constantly whining that no one ever gives them as much as they feel that they're entitled too. Other minorities work hard, keep their families together and make something out of themselves with out constantly complaining that the White man doesn't help them enough while at the same time rejecting education, employment opportunity, and lawful living because it's not "Keeping it real enough". Stand up as a community and own your own shortcommings instead of blaming anyone but yourselves and maybe race relations will improve.

Posted by: David P. Burke | March 14, 2008 05:48 PM

Love. Love is what Dr. King preached. Love is the message pastors should be sending forth - regardless. Again, it was the love and the courage to preach it in the face of such hatred and ignorance that made Dr. King the great American he was.

IS THIS COINCIDENCE?

1: Yesterday morning Wolfson said in a conference call that "Barack Obama is not ELECTABLE" A most bizarre thing to say.

2: The Clinton camp denies this.

3:They HAVE to retract their denial because the comment was recorded. After all it was a conference call involving reporters.

4: Hillary has invited a good number of super delegates to her home in New York for the evening.

5: The video of Rev. Wright plays out on every major news network. Scares white people, black people understand some of it, looks bad for Obama.

I'll bet Clinton had the big screen TVs on all over her house , try to point out what Wolfson let slip in the morning with his unelectable comment.

I do think Rev Wright is off the wall in the sermons I saw.
I have questions though.

1: How often did he preach this in his church? When he was going off ( literally) about Obama and Clinton, that was his last sermon before he retired. Going out with a big crazy bang for sure.

2: All kinds of preachers say all kinds of crazy things. Most of them are white evangelists though.

When Falwell created the Moral Majority a quarter-century ago, many Christian fundamentalists eschewed the world of politics. But the controversial Southern Baptist minister from Lynchburg, Va., launched a political force that would help elect two presidents and install a Republican-controlled Congress.

Most controversial of all were his comments three days after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Falwell said "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians ... the ACLU (and) People for the American Way" were to blame.

I hope I live to see the day, when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!
[America Can Be Saved, (1979)]

Bush didn't go after gays, lesbians and the ACLU for 9/11
George, George W, and Ronald Regan didn't try to shut down public schools, and hand them over to the church either.

Why would anyone think that Obama holds the views of Rev. Wright?

4: There were many taped sermons, what we got to see was cherry picked. In fact there were only two. What does that tell you?

The following is a "Must Read" I guarantee it will SHOCK YOU!:

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Clinton supporters raising "at least" $10 million for anti-Obama Swift Boat campaign
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 2/20/2008 10:04:00 AM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Comment (0) · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

UPDATE: Via Ben Smith, you can see the first ad produced by the 527. It's not on the air yet. The head of the 527 claims they are all about the positive. That's all. Just positive. The first line of the ad is "If speeches could create jobs, we wouldn't be facing a recession"....but, remember, they're going to stay positive. We shall see. Anyone watching MSNBC last night surely knows that Clinton media guru Mark Penn wants to go negative against Obama. He was sending that message loud and clear through Howard Fineman