Wright crosses the line, Obama cuts him loose.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

Yahoo

Obama outraged by pastor's 'divisive' comments

by Stephen Collinson 1 hour, 12 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Barack Obama said Tuesday he was outraged at his fiery former pastor, casting loose his friend of 20 years in a bid to mend damage to his White House hopes at a pivotal point of the campaign.
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The Democrat flashed with anger as he denounced comments by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who once claimed AIDS was a racist government plot and suggested after the September 11 attacks that blacks sing "God Damn America."

Obama's attempt to quell the drama, at a surprise press conference, came a week before his next clash with Democratic foe Hillary Clinton in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, as their frenetic race reaches its end-game.

"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama said, portraying Wright, who made headlines in Washington Monday, as antithetical to his calls for unity.

"I have known Reverend Wright for almost 20 years," he said of the man who conducted his marriage and baptized his two daughters, as he spoke to reporters in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

"The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago.

"His comments were not only divisive and destructive but I believe they end up giving comfort to those that prey on hate. I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black Church.

"They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. If Reverend Wright thinks that is political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well.

"Based on his remarks yesterday, then I might not know him as well as I thought either."

Obama addressed a growing furor over Wright after the preacher carried out a flurry of media appearances over the weekend.

In a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington on Monday, Wright said attacks on his comments were not directed at himself or Obama, but were an attempt to damage the black Church by people who knew nothing about it.

The row over his comments appears to have hampered Obama's attempts to challenge Clinton for the support of white, working-class conservative voters, and has fanned Republican attacks which could damage him in a general election.

The Illinois senator noted that he had given Wright "the benefit of the doubt" by refusing to disown him in a major speech on race in Philadelphia in March, and expressed acute personal disappointment.

"I want to use this press conference to make people absolutely clear that obviously whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed, as a consequence of this," Obama said.

"I want to make absolutely clear, that I do not subscribe to the views he expressed, I believe they are wrong, they are destructive."

Wright rocked the Democratic race when videos of his inflammatory sermons appeared on YouTube and were picked up by US cable television stations.

In one incendiary video, Wright said black citizens should not sing "God Bless America" but "God Damn America" over their treatment by whites.

He also said that the September 11 attacks in 2001 were a payback for US foreign policies overseas.

There was no immediate reaction to Obama's press conference by Clinton, who was campaigning in Indiana and North Carolina.

But she told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper this month that Wright "would not have been my pastor."

"You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend," she was quoted as saying.

The former first lady meanwhile got a boost going into the North Carolina primary, where she trails Obama by double digits in polls, by securing the endorsement of the state's governor, Mike Easley.

"This lady right here makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy," said Easley, who is popular with working-class white voters, referring to the fictional boxer portrayed on the big screen by Silvester Stallone.

*sigh* This is really going to hurt Obama. He did all he could, pretty much disowning Wright after he went from 'controversial' to 'insane', but you know this is going to be the most flung piece of mud by the Hils and possibly the McCains within a week.

[Havok]

Bill Maher said it best on his show last week. "Reverend Wright. You're a DICK!"
This guy couldn't have worse timing to pull this bull shit. Good for Obama.

[Patrick Degan]

Part of me fears it may be that no matter what, Team Clinton will hang Wright around Obama's neck like a millstone, and she'll wind up with the nomination, and we'll be seeing the swearing-in of President McCain come January 20th.

We will just have to see how things shake out.

[Havok]

I dunno. There are a few things hanging around Clinton's neck that could be brought back into the public eye. I think, if she has ANY control over her campaign, she would be wise to let it drop as she seems to do better without the negative attacks and as seeming like the underdog and not the aggressor.

I'm not exactly a political expert though.

[SirNitram]

Part of me fears it may be that no matter what, Team Clinton will hang Wright around Obama's neck like a millstone, and she'll wind up with the nomination, and we'll be seeing the swearing-in of President McCain come January 20th.

We will just have to see how things shake out.

Please. The Media will do that. Wright dared enter the Village and speak to them. Black preachers are to be vaguely referenced in Blues Brothers, never actually intrude on the Beltway's mirror universe.

[Flagg]

Interviewer: Senator Clinton, you've been getting alot of flak over your Bosnia lies, how do you feel this will effect you in the election considering the fact that you are running against a true American Hero like John McCain?

Clinton: Well, I wouldn't worry about that. After all, John Kerry is a decorated Vietnam veteran who lost to a man whose dad helped him dodge the draft and never showed up for his National Guard service!

Interviewer: Yes, but George W. Bush is a Republican. Now Senator, please answer the question!

[Broomstick]

I didn't catch all of Wright's "appearances" this week, but you have to wonder if he's on someone's payroll.

As it happens, I'm one of those voting next Tuesday. I will do my best to cast a vote for the best alternative. Wish me luck - my choices have a bad history of not wining.

[Chris OFarrell]

Wright you fucking asshole, why the hell would you do something so STUPID?

That guy could have easily cut you loose and frankly would have every RIGHT to do so! Instead, he stood up for you, saying that you had said some stupid things, but you had also done a great deal of good in your life!

And now, you spit in his face...

Damn him to HELL.

[Fire Fly]

Hmm, a part of me wonders if Wright did this to give Obama a pretext to fully severe ties and to free his campaign from the Wright issue. It just seems so odd that now Wright is speaking out. Of course, the possibility that what we saw is really what is.

[Big Phil]

Although Wright's idiocy shouldn't matter, the fact is that all the "undecided" idiots and people who are just looking for a reason to vote Hillary, not to mention the press, are just lapping this shit up.

[Broomstick]

The fact of the matter, for better or worse, is that Obama is a black man and will be judged as a black man first and a human man second by far too many people.

The only consolation is that for Hilary her being a woman acts the same way.

[Guardsman Bass]

Reading the actual transcript of his speech, I don't think Wright was entirely batshit insane - but this is really, horribly bad timing, and in a horrible format. You are already seeing the glee among conservative columnists, that will no doubt spread quickly if it hasn't already.

[discordian_saint]

Well it is not like the good reverend is just now sharing this opinion. Obama has been going to this guy's sermons for something near 20 years and even mentions quotes from those sermons in his two books about "white greed". It is a tad tough to believe Obama is now outraged or surprised considering the documented history.

Will it matter to voters? Probably not much.
Will it matter to super-delegates? Quite likely he lost some of the prominent super-delegates

I wonder what Howard Dean's blood pressure is like right about now. AAAIIIIYAAAAH!!

[Master of Ossus]

Although Wright's idiocy shouldn't matter, the fact is that all the "undecided" idiots and people who are just looking for a reason to vote Hillary, not to mention the press, are just lapping this shit up.

Excuse me, but why shouldn't Wright's idiocy matter? If a major politician associates someone with their campaign, I'd think they'd want to make sure the guy wasn't a roving nutcase, first. You don't think that reflects, at all, on a candidate?

[Darth Wong]

Although Wright's idiocy shouldn't matter, the fact is that all the "undecided" idiots and people who are just looking for a reason to vote Hillary, not to mention the press, are just lapping this shit up.

Excuse me, but why shouldn't Wright's idiocy matter? If a major politician associates someone with their campaign, I'd think they'd want to make sure the guy wasn't a roving nutcase, first. You don't think that reflects, at all, on a candidate?

When did Obama associate Wright with his campaign? I was under the impression that Clinton's muck-raking team dug up his rhetoric in an attempt to undermine Obama via guilt-by-association, rather than Obama deliberately associating Wright with his campaign.

[General Zod]

Well it is not like the good reverend is just now sharing this opinion. Obama has been going to this guy's sermons for something near 20 years and even mentions quotes from those sermons in his two books about "white greed". It is a tad tough to believe Obama is now outraged or surprised considering the documented history.

Will it matter to voters? Probably not much.
Will it matter to super-delegates? Quite likely he lost some of the prominent super-delegates

I highly doubt that any of the super-delegates would seriously be swayed by this unless they were sitting on the fence and looking for a reason to hop over already.

[Master of Ossus]

When did Obama associate Wright with his campaign? I was under the impression that Clinton's muck-raking team dug up his rhetoric in an attempt to undermine Obama via guilt-by-association, rather than Obama deliberately associating Wright with his campaign.

I thought that Wright was on one of Obama's committees, like the "Religious Leadership Council" or some shit like that.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Although Wright's idiocy shouldn't matter, the fact is that all the "undecided" idiots and people who are just looking for a reason to vote Hillary, not to mention the press, are just lapping this shit up.

Excuse me, but why shouldn't Wright's idiocy matter? If a major politician associates someone with their campaign, I'd think they'd want to make sure the guy wasn't a roving nutcase, first. You don't think that reflects, at all, on a candidate?

Certainly not as bad as the raving religious maniacs (plural) and ideologue neoconservative and far-right-wing pundits which McCain has deliberately and with public fanfare, courted. Certainly not as bad as Clinton's merry-go-round of administrative incompetence and leadership in her campaign, and furthermore, what exactly deliberate association did Obama make with Wright in his campaign (he snagged a cute title from one of Wright's sermons for a book years before his campaign, and other than that, Wright was his pastor).

[gizmojumpjet]

When did Obama associate Wright with his campaign? I was under the impression that Clinton's muck-raking team dug up his rhetoric in an attempt to undermine Obama via guilt-by-association, rather than Obama deliberately associating Wright with his campaign.

Wright was, according to this article, part of the Obama campaign's spiritual advisory committee.

Obama’s campaign announced that the minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., had left its spiritual advisory committee after videotapes of his sermons again ignited fierce debate in news accounts and political blogs.

Even if he hadn't been officially associated with the campaign, the fact remains that Obama has been personally and closely associated with this racist shitheap for decades. The people a candidate for POTUS chooses to associate with are legitimate issues for voters to consider.

[discordian_saint]

I highly doubt that any of the super-delegates would seriously be swayed by this unless they were sitting on the fence and looking for a reason to hop over already.

I wasn't clear about the super-delegates I was referring to. I mean the 250 or so undecided ones who are public officials themselves like prominent mayors and such. Those still undecided at this point are likely riding the fence to throw their hat in with the winner and likely more concerned with their own reputation.

[starfury]

Even if he hadn't been officially associated with the campaign, the fact remains that Obama has been personally and closely associated with this racist shitheap for decades. The people a candidate for POTUS chooses to associate with are legitimate issues for voters to consider.

Indeed, as Illuminatus Primus stated the same applied in much larger sense to the scum that associate with Hillary and Macain, the only difference being that voters seems to give them a pass, while looking for any excuse to paint Obama as the Evil Anti-american Liberal Traitor.

[Master of Ossus]

Certainly not as bad as the raving religious maniacs (plural) and ideologue neoconservative and far-right-wing pundits which McCain has deliberately and with public fanfare, courted.

Never claimed it was.

Certainly not as bad as Clinton's merry-go-round of administrative incompetence and leadership in her campaign, and furthermore, what exactly deliberate association did Obama make with Wright in his campaign (he snagged a cute title from one of Wright's sermons for a book years before his campaign, and other than that, Wright was his pastor).

Again, didn't Wright have an official campaign position? And, sorry, but being an out-and-out racist is worse than being incompetent, in my book. I deal with incompetent people all the time (not always happily), but I avoid racists. I don't know that holds true at the governmental level, where I'm never going to associate with any of their friends and acquaintances, anyway, but I think that a candidate who's willing to deal with morons (let's face it: there are complete idiots in everyone's campaign for political/monetary reasons) is better than a candidate who's willing to deal with racists.

[General Zod]

I wasn't clear about the super-delegates I was referring to. I mean the 250 or so undecided ones who are public officials themselves like prominent mayors and such. Those still undecided at this point are likely riding the fence to throw their hat in with the winner and likely more concerned with their own reputation.

That's who I was referring to. They're not going to change their minds by something so petty unless they were looking for an excuse. Otherwise I'd imagine a significant deal have already decided but are holding off on endorsing for whatever reason.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

Even if he hadn't been officially associated with the campaign, the fact remains that Obama has been personally and closely associated with this racist shitheap for decades. The people a candidate for POTUS chooses to associate with are legitimate issues for voters to consider.

...so long as said candidate isn't Republican. Once you sign on the line for the Republican party, you're free to associate with homophobic, racist, messiah-complex nutjobs like Robertson and his ilk with little to no negative repercussions on your electoral chances.

The people a candidate for POTUS chooses to associate with are legitimate issues for voters to consider. Those people damn well better be white male christians, or we might just start looking through for possible un-patriotic things they may have said, by gum!

[starfury]

Again, didn't Wright have an official campaign position? And, sorry, but being an out-and-out racist is worse than being incompetent, in my book. I deal with incompetent people all the time (not always happily), but I avoid racists. I don't know that holds true at the governmental level, where I'm never going to associate with any of their friends and acquaintances, anyway, but I think that a candidate who's willing to deal with morons (let's face it: there are complete idiots in everyone's campaign for political/monetary reasons) is better than a candidate who's willing to deal with racists.

Look back at some older threads, Clinton was more then willing to deal with racists and Morons.