A little parsing of Barack Obama's race speech

Lord knows Barack Obama's Philadelphia speech on race is going to get dissected like a high school biology experiment, but one element jumped out as he delivered it a little while ago. Earlier, Obama said he had never himself heard the Rev. Jeremiah Wright make the kinds of comments that sparked the furor over the last several days.

But in this morning's speech, Obama said this about Wright:

"For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely -– just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed."

It's not quite a repudiation of his earlier comments published on Huffington Post. In that piece 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."

The difference is that Obama said then, essentially, that he had not witnessed the sermons captured in videos now posted on YouTube. But his comments today raise the question, to paraphrase history: What did he hear, and when? And what did he hear during Wright's sermons that "could be controversial?" If he disagreed with them, why didn't those comments move Obama to repudiate Wright then? Especially since the campaign knew Wright could pose a problem.

Obama supporters will argue that such questions are focusing on the trees instead of the forest. Given Obama's attempt to direct the campaign forward, that may be a fair take on it all. But to get into the forest, you have to pass those first few trees.

-- Scott Martelle

UPDATE: Judging by reader comments, many of you missed our earlier post about the broader aspects of the speech, available here.

Photo: Scott Brandon / Associated Press

Comments

[Christian Prophet]

Barack Obama wants to both eat his cake and have it. He wants voters to rise above race and religion, while appearing religious himself. Again, he is in deep trouble if a spotlight is placed on the non-racial aspects of his own THEOLOGY. See:
http://miraclesdaily.blogspot.com

[aNN]

Let it go. Our economy is in the toliet..

[fballfn]

On Obama's Speech - From an average Joe

Race isnt the issue to me.

My 8 year old heard the N word the first time when he listened to a rap song . I never taught him hate.

It isn't about race it is about hatred for our country.

It would have the same disgusting meaning to me no matter what color the messenger was.

I dont hang out with white radicals because i have nothing in common with them and i do not share their views.

If i have something in common with someone or i agree with them, then i may associate myself with them.

The speech did not change my view from yesterday.

[Jim Detmar]

Scott,

I am certain that what you have mentioned is undoubtedly true, but in the same breath I must ask... why is it the only thing you mention about Obama's speech? Why cherry pick unless you have a vested personal/professional opinion that demands you to illuminate one single straw from the haystack? I am profoundly dismayed. You are part of the problem when you could be fair, unbiased and part of the solution.

[TRE]

I see throughout the blogosphere that the Clinton and Republican supporters watched the speech with the mute button on. And it is clear that they have made the choice to further the racial divide in America. YOU NEED TO READ THE FOX TRANSCRIPT! Obama never said that he didn't hear ANY controversial statements made by Rev. Wright, only the few that have been obsessed on by the media, particularly the divisive right-wing media. I used to get upset, now I just smile and feel sorry for such ignorance and arrogance. I pray for the Americans in this country who care more about race than they do their children's future in this country. Most of the anti-Obama comments posted here come from those who have lazy, uneducated thoughts! In a way, I'm glad Rev. Wright's offensive remarks have been broadcasted throughout America. It has exposed the ignorance and arrogance of those who think they are the deciders of this country.

[Tom J]

I've watched some of the complete church services on the TUCC site. The ones I saw were pretty good, and I can see why they have so many members. He's a good preacher - 99% of the time.

If you kept up with local Chicago news and people, you'd realize there are others who have attended TUCC fairly often, but were just as suprised by the YouTube clips.

'Controversial' is not 'incendiary'. What Obama was familiar with earlier is the former, the recent YouTube clips are the latter. Being controversial (aka challenging, playing devil's advocate) is typical of Wright, but not the 'best of' clips dug up by ABC.

You could probably do something similar with any stand-up comedian over 36 years as well. If you play on the edge for effect, occasionally you're going to get carried away and go too far. Lots of people had some pretty off-the-wall reactions after 9/11, and even the CIA people talked about 'blowback', so I'll cut him some slack on that. HIV? No excuse. AmeriKKK? No excuse. But even at that, his intent was not to create divisiveness (although that's what he did), but to get his parishioners to go out and do something positive instead of sitting back and whining and waiting for someone else to take care of them.

"When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember the professionals use water." Obama is a professional; (aka responsible adult). I expect the problem the campaign saw with Wright was not so much his comments (the controversial ones they were aware of), but his timing and manner of delivering them. He was after pyrotechnics. That can work fine with people who know him, but not with the general public who knew little about him. So when the campaign said they wanted to protect Wright and hsi church - they were telling the truth. They had no idea this other stuff had been said.

[Judy from Maine]

I guess I read the transcript of Obama's speech a bit differently than what is presented in this blog. What I read today was an admission that it would be impossible for a member of Pastor Wright's congregation for 20 years to not hear him make some drama-laden, conspiracy theory-thick statements. Not whether or not he was present for those specific statements that have been sound-bited across our airwaves and internet this past weekend.

I think he did a good job of facing the music being played around him, and did not try to wait for someone else to steal the headlines in our attention deficit ladened national conciousness

[C Watson]

A number of news outlets have reported that he said he'd never heard any of these types of remarks but if you check the facts, you'd find out they were quite wrong.

For example, Obama has in the past referred to Wright as an uncle who says objectionable (paraphrased) things. Even last week, he acknowledged hearing some of them.

Some of what Obama saw in the video montage he said that had not seen before - which is different but the press has got that confused with Obama’s prior remarks wher he ackonwledged past transgressions. Obama has been on the campaign trail and living in Washington while his preacher gave sermons at a reduced schedule as he closed in on retirement. Although Obama commutes home, I’ll bet he’s only seen a handful of Wright’s sermons in the last year or years at best. He definitely missed a lot of them. But no one in the media has noted that.

What is remarkable about Rev Wright is that many in America haven’t been able to make this connection: on one hand, we have a pastor making terrible statements that few agree with. On the other, we have Obama who has written a couple of books and made thousands of speeches, etc outlining in detail his positions … that do not in any way reflect Rev Wrights position. In fact in many of Obama’s positions bluntly contradict Rev Wright. Yet many in America place so much importance in Rev Wrights snippet of words when they haven’t really listened to what the candidate has actually said repeatedly and done for years to note the difference. That strikes me as an utterly incredible imbalance of the facts.

One other thing that no one has observed: what I heard in that speech and have heard many times before from Obama was a man who was capable of hearing many things from people – including the outrageous and sifting through them to extract the right things and understand the basis of the outrageous words. Whether the president is hearing Republicans vs Democrats, Jew vs Muslim, white vs black, Obama seems to be very capable and unafraid of looking deeper beyond the anger and rhetoric to try to understand the whole of a man – good & bad and/or his issue and not outright ignore him because he doesn’t feel exactly the same way. Can you imagine a president without those qualities? We’ve had some. I think Barack is especially blessed in this vital quality.

[George]

This comment isn't directly what he talked about, but it does seek to explore the question of association. One of my earliest lessons of the reality of our executive branch of the federal government was that, it's not so much what individual we elect as president as it is the people whom the president selects for advisors. I realize no candidate is going to tell us right now who they would choose for State, or Defense, or senior advisor or chief of staff. (Think back over the last several presidencies and see how the people in those decisions were key to shaping the president's performance.) Is there anywhere I can look to see credible speculation on who any of the candidates would choose for key cabinet and advisory positions? Often, people they have on their campaign staffs move into some of those positions; who are their campaign advisors and what are the positions they take / what do they advocate?

[deborah Wilkes]

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE. HE SAID A FEW DAYS AGO HE WASN'T IN THE CHURCH WHEN THE PASTOR SAID THOSE VICIOUS THINGS. THAT'S NOT TO SAY HE NEVER HEARD HIM SAY ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CALLED CONTROVERSIAL. THE MAN IS TOO SMART TO GET CAUGHT UP IN A LIE. WHAT'S MORE, HE'S NOT A LIAR. HE TELLS THE TRUTH, EVEN IF IT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR. AN HONEST POLITICIAN? HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT TRUE.

[deborah Wilkes]

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE. HE SAID A FEW DAYS AGO HE WASN'T IN THE CHURCH WHEN THE PASTOR SAID THOSE VICIOUS THINGS. THAT'S NOT TO SAY HE NEVER HEARD HIM SAY ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CALLED CONTROVERSIAL. THE MAN IS TOO SMART TO GET CAUGHT UP IN A LIE. WHAT'S MORE, HE'S NOT A LIAR. HE TELLS THE TRUTH, EVEN IF IT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR. AN HONEST POLITICIAN? HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT TRUE.

[raj]

Wow , The UNITER BARACK took his Kids to listen to the hate filled sermon and then he wants to unite the country.

Imagine the Kids who are being taught hate from day 1.

Barack : Charity begins at home. Please talk to you kids.

[Dean Ramser]

I applaud CNN and Lou Dobbs for airing the political and social friction that Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s sermons haven created. It has been a long time since Reconstruction failed, and even a longer span since Africans were brought to America by force. It was only a short time ago that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, and recent statistics reveal that Americans are attempting to cross the hate that divided this country for so long. I applaud Lou Dobbs for sharing his amnesia over the intense discrimination that has forged the paradigm that make it difficult, though not impossible, for “people of color” to transcend the barriers to what the US Constitution states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
-Dean Ramser, teacher

[JWE]

I confess, I hate rich people. Trickle down theory (you know, when the cup is full and it runs over abit, I can lick some of it off the floor), mass marketing, etc. I look at Obama as finally someone who will unite this hate filled and biased country. My own family thinks I'm going to hell because I'm not baptized! Give him a chance to make a difference in this world. Around the globe they want some responsible leadership that they can look up to. Obama brings that to the table.

[sEAN]

Obama was raised by a white mother and white grandparents - he can’t be racist, any more than any other white person could.
Read dreams from my father - written more than 13 years ago - he is not making these statments now just because it is politically expedient.
Obama has had to come to terms with his own complicated racial identity and TRULY and perosnally has overcome divisiveness.

He understands ( and has experienced) black anger and resentment. He understands (and has experienced) white suspicion and anger.

He has risen above it all and understands that we can either spend another 50 years fighting and growing more apart, or come together for a common purpose,

Come on you guys, dont buy the right wing spin. YOu WAKE UP! Wake up America! And vote for the only presidential candidate in the HISTORY of this great country, who can transcend racial divide, and guide our foreign policy in a way that is more compassionate and befitting the ideals of our country.

[Jerome]

I think that Obama is probably a little taken back by the the fact that most people do not realize or understand that many black people truly believe this is a racist society. Wright's comments are very tame compared to what I hear on the street everyday. Why not turn on a "black" radio station and hear what is going on? Was Obama expected to distance himself from every black person who feels they have been the victim of racism? Wright was a leader in the community Obama lived in. He was doing the kind of outreach that Obama was interested in doing, helping people who were poor, undereducated, homeless, sick...Just because they associated with each other and worked towards common goals does not mean they share the same brain. If Hillary and Rush Limbaugh succeed in tearing Obama down because of this, in a short couple of years we are all going to realize what a ruse it was. Again, we are throwing away an intelligent, capable candidate in favor of someone who will do and say anything to win. This is utter nonsense perpetuated by the ignorance of white people who have no clue as to what is going on in black America. It is precisely because of people like Wright that we need an Obama to heal the racial wounds that continue to fester.

[Mike in Sac]

No, this article is WRONG! He did not say he had never heard his pastor say anything like the statements on YOUTUBE. Are you intentionally misrepresenting the facts or are you just too lazy to check out what he said? Either one or the other is going on.

He said that he did not hear Wright state the YOUTUBE quotes. That he was not there those days.

This was what he said and to say anything else is to either intentionally misrepresent the fact to sabotage this candidate or it is an amazing display of bad reporting.

PULL THE ARTICLE AND RE-WRITE

[Tim]

This is about judgement, he failed. He said everyone hear similar speeches at their religious establisments he/she doesn't agree with. Yes, I did and I personally didn't attend that establishment again. Period. Oprah heard it, she withdrew her membership from the same church Obama was attending.
Moreover, he is running on the notion of change. Why didn't he all this time attempt to change his church towards a more tolerant establishment? He should have started with changing his/her own small community first when he had the chance, but he didn't. Beyond that it is all rhetoric.

[Observer]

Why has Obama rejected his white heritage -- his white mother was not a racist; she married a black man. From the narrative in New York Times she was a wonderful lady -- highly educated -- anthropologist with 800 page dissertation to her credit; lot of work in empowering women to stand up on their own.

[ANTHONY JOHNSON]

Most of the people who will not give Obama a break about something his pastor said is not going to vote for Obama anyway. Most of the white people have not lived the life of a black man in America so they have no idea what Pastor Wright is talking about. Obama did try to explain how the Pastor was still mad about something that happen to him in the 50's and 60's but some people will not listen because they are not going to vote for a Black Man anyway.

[TaraW]

Amazing - Where does Obama Stand?

-Obama's grandmother made racial comments
- he supports some one that questions the the 911 attacks
-said at one point race is not an issue
-and now brings race back into question

What does Obama Stand for? Change? What change is he for? He is taking the country back. What happened to moving forward.

I think we need to look at his stance and record more closely. I wish we had more time to investigate him.
Tara
http://CenterLine.TV

[dan tynan]

Barak's speech was 37 minutes long. The transcript is 4880 words long. It was brilliant -- one of the best political speeches I've heard in my 47+ years.

You selected 73 words to focus on, and then misinterpreted them. What's wrong with you?

I wasn't a huge Obama fan before today. But I think I'm becoming one. Listen to the speech. Read the transcript. Think about it. And then blog something worth reading.

dt

[Obama is Savior]

Obama & Wright are exposed as racists. Thiers’s is the gospel of hate, & the preaching of intolerance. Barak & Michelle understand his sermons as surely as the those Germans supported the holocaust & citizens in Hiroshima and Nagasaki who did nothing when Japan’s army raped Nanking resulting the death of 250,000 Chinese in 3 days. Michelle asks "What do I have to be proud of in America, other than Barak's becoming President". Well we should be ashamed of this hate spewed speech. Americans believe in the power of change. But this change is evil & racist. We should be working together to heal the nation and move forward. These words do neither.

[PulSamsara]

Barack Obama is the real deal.

It's so easy to go negative on someone speaking the truth to America... that we are all saddled with weaknesses but bound by greater strengths - that we are an imperfect union of far from perfect souls but that we can take all these truths together, for what they are worth, and begin to let go of the divisions that hold us back collectively and march on toward something better for our posterity - for our children - Mine and yours.

Barack Obama for President of the UNITED States of America.

[Roger]

MSNBC is now slobbering over him but CNN is worse! Every single person they have on as a guest is a avid Obama supporter. All we hear is most wonderful speech ever that will cure all ills and resolve all issues forever more.

What I heard was a good speech that was frank but filled with the right words for his voting base that he is losing ground in. Not much in there for people who are not already his supporters. In fact his closing part about vote for me or go down the wrong path was horrible.

The speech didn't address the real issues with Barack Obama on these stories that are coming to light and finally getting long over due coverage. The issue is not his growing list of associates that could cause one to pause and raise an eyebrow but rather it is his avoidance to address hard questions at all. Senator Obamas usual first response is always a charming ambiguous answers. We do not like the fact that we have to count on the media to ask the same set of question 2 or 3 times before we get a answer that is clear and straight forward and not some charming ambiguous response.

He has had a rumored reputation of avoid hard questions and issues and he is proving that to be true. He really was gone during the hard vote or voted present on them. That is of more concern to me then the growing list of associates that raise your eyebrow, although that does concern me also but more for electable reasons then anything else.

In no way was this speech as good as the I have a dream speech, even though the people on MSNBC & CNN think so. Here is why, it was a political repair speech. The first part was good and had substance but then he quickly went to pandering for his support base. By the middle of the speech he was so busy hitting us with the right words to reaffirm his voting base to make it anything more then a self serving political press release. The ending was incredible selfish and horrible. For him to have the gall to basically say Vote for me or you will be choosing to go down the wrong path was a total self pandering statement. The convention speech was a victory for all people with no agenda needed or added.

[Citizen E]

You all missed it--forest for the trees. When all of us are long buried, the speech Barack Obama gave today will be read and reread as one of the greatest bits of American political oratory ever given to the American people--an unflinching look at what divides and unites us as Americans. His very practical call that echoes the words of Lincoln and King should be a compassionate reminder that none of us is without blame and that a house divided cannot stand; it appears here it has fallen upon deaf ears.

[cb]

I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."

[Nadia]

"There's is the gospel of hate and intolerance". Comparing Obama to Fascist Germany and the murders of six millions jews, or the rape of Nanking.

Did you read the speech? Could you hear it, of just a broken tape of HIllary's voice repeating, "rhetoric, rhetoric, rhetoric." If you did listen to the speech, you would've heard Barack talking about how black Americans view white hostility as racism, when it may be about white Americans worries over job security, child care, health care...exactly what African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians worry about on a daily basis. It was a speech directly framing a racial debate that the far right and the Clinton campaign would hope to use to keep this country divided. If everyone were to start looking at the issues, and not blaming individual groups for everything, they would see the common culprit, a few mega rich making money over everyone fighting like crabs in a barrel. Hitler sought to use German jealousy of Jewish monetary success in "their" country as an excuse to draw Germans together. Nowhere in Obama's entire political career have you seen any evidence of race-baiting on his part, or scapegoating to the point of genocide to achieve any political aim. If Obama is guilty for associating with a man who used controversial words on occasion, then so is McCain for his associations with race-baiting neo-Conservative bigot pastors, as is Clinton for her associations with Ferraro and the Adela in Texas, who each have a twenty year history of talking negatively about blacks. The only "rhetoric" about how certain people just won't vote for someone because of their race or gender has come from people surrounding the Clinton campaign, and she rejects (slowly) or embraces them as she needs to. Anything to win, even if it means destroying the whole party. If you don't want to vote for Obama, you probably weren't going to and wanted a good excuse to jump on. Relieved that you think you can blow him off now? "Yay! He's racist too! Whew!" Don't hurt yourself...vote for McCain. Anyone claiming to have their minds unchanged after this brilliant speech today wouldn't have been swayed by ANYTHING he could've done or said. Racial bias is a great sword to use, and the various, usually mega rich runners of this country have been doing it to the extreme to keep themselves on top, and the great majority of the rest of us on the bottom. That's why this type of bile is coming up now, because they are scared that someone like Obama could actually be voted into the White House. Notice this type of divisiveness didn't come up after Super Tuesday, when Clinton could've won in the Potomac Primary, or even after she might have won by landslides in Texas and Ohio. Just now, when the Florida Primary Great Re-Do is on the rocks as well as the one in Michigan. When she's behind in delegates, which she said back in the Iowa last year was what this race was all about. When even die-hard right wing Republicans voting for Hillary just to keep Barack out is not working as well as they would hope. They want Hillary because she's easier to defeat. She's represents the type of corporate loyalty that will keep their profits high while everyone else loses their homes. Can someone who just made 100 Million in deals with Kazakhstan financiers really identify with you and champion your interests? Obama is talking about the type of universalism and change that costs corporations their profits, profits made at the expense of the American worker. Why pay an American worker fair wages and health benefits when they can divide everyone on race, distract them with hate, and look innocent while shipping jobs over to China and pay workers $2 per day with no benefits?

[DeBremaecker J. Cl.]

I am an 84 year old immigrant from Belgium. I read Obama's speech in its entirety, and found it deeply moving. Here is a man who is courageously facing the serious racial problem that we are facing, analyzes its cause, and offers us the way to a better country. We can nitpick what he said, but we will reject his message only at our peril.

[am]

I do not think political spin doctors, the fixers, are going to be able to make this into anything favorable for Senator Obama in any way shape or form.
Reverend Wright, Tony Rezko...- these people having access to the President of the Unites States is an extremely frightening thought.
Someone needs to advise Senator Obama to withdraw from the race now, to allow the Democratic Party enough time to regroup and rally behind the other candidate before it is too late to stop a McCain victory.

[Janet]

I hope that anyone, regardless of race, who hears this kind of hate speech and anti-American speech would stand up and leave at the very least.

[bronxborn]

I agree with this post. Senator Obama keeps claiming he is not ‘more of the same.’ He states he is an honest man, yet we Americans watched him lie to us this past week as he stated he never heard any of the comments now attributed to his pastor.

If there were no way to catch him in any of these lies, he would just continue on. He now realizes that folks will place him either in the church or somewhere else that Rev. Wright was speaking. So, he finds he must now backtrack AGAIN. Let’s look at some other fancy footwork of Obama.

He tells the people of Ohio about NAFTA changes one day, while a member of his staff speaks to Canada and says something else. There is a memo that caught him up in this lie. http://www.slate.com/id/2185753

He says he performed 5 billing hours worth of work for Tony Rezko, and after being pushed by the press in Chicago, he finally admits that Rezko attended a walkthrough of his house. Here’s a link to that ‘5 hours of billing’ lie he was caught in, in addition to other ‘mis-statements’ by Obama. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXAQ3BHTbjs

The original claim was that Obama received $150,000 from Mr. Rezko for his campaigns; last week his campaign admitted that number was incorrect; it was up to $250,000. (Would this have come out if Mr. Rezko were not under indictment?)

There are just too many lies piling up now, with today’s admission handled in the same offhanded way as some of the others. It’s as though lying is ok for him, but no one else.

This ‘above it all attitude’ isn’t helping win hearts and minds, either. His fans will praise this speech; others will be wise enough to see ‘wright’ through it.

[Anna]

Obama is a man whose attitudes have changed with time and wisdom. Most people change as they age and hopefully become wiser. I've heard hateful rhetoric from my pastor and I've heard loving rhetoric from my pastor. I didn't leave my church over either.
I take away from every encounter the things I need to make my life better and the people around me. Barack wants a better life for all Americans. His pastor was raised in a time of overt racism and his sermons (although selective for the purpose of hurting Barack) reflect the pain of his past.
Barack was raised in a different era and brings his experiences with America's melting pot to the table. His very being is an example of the positive nature of integration. Our country is leaning toward an inclusive nation, not exclusive. Religion should be inclusive, not exclusive.

[Annie Varbel]

These 2 articles are currently circulating. In them, Obama admits being black has HELPED his political career, the same observation that Geraldine Ferraro made & for which she is still being eviserated for. Check it out, we need a full and FAIR discussion of this issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/washington/24obama.html?_r=1&sq=obama%20third%20senator%20reconstruction&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=10&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1205814418-c8BhsJNXK3fLbHSn/StHLQ

http://obama.senate.gov/news/050626-when_it_comes_to_race_obama_ma/

[Robert K.]

Can we please focus on the issues that matter our economy, foreclosures, outsourcing of jobs, War in Iraq and healthcare. I dont care where Obama bought his home or what church he went to and what his Pastor had to say when he was in attendance. If Wright is wrong in what he is speaking from the pulpit then God as his employer will hold him accountable. One man who so happens to be African-American speaks about change is this nation if becames President and this is what we have to put up with, ridiculous. Hillary would sell her soul if meant she become President. Thats more dangerous than anything I have seen from Barack. She will be ready from day one, yes, she will be. Ready to do or say anything even if means dividing a nation and preying upon peoples fears.

[JamesLW]

The relationship that Obama had with J. Wright, Jr. is the epitome of guilt by association. As a white conservative I found myself to be excited about "change" and by Obama. But after seeing and hearing J.Wright, Jr.'s disgusting, vile, hateful, racist remarks to his church, there is no way that I can even think about supporting Obama. Why would any good man attend church services to listen to a raciest denounce white people and to lie to his congregation. Obama, the best thing that you can do is to finish out your Senate term and go home. You are done. As far as Mr. J. Wright, Jr., if you believe in God, you better ask for forgiveness.

[Ravi G.]

Matters what "statements" Obama says he didn't hear.

As proven with Kristol's CORRECTION to his 3/17 NY Times Column, Obama was NOT at Trinity on July 22, 2007, during which the most inflammatory comments were made.

Newsmax, who filed the original story on the sermon, also did an about face. The statements on that day have made rounds... “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, not God bless America, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people. ... God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human.”

[Search4Truth]

Let me say that EVERYONE should read Obama’s Sermon he gave at a Selma, AL church, then make your own decision whether or not Obama is playing with the race card.

SELMA, ALA.--From the pulpit of the historic Brown Chapel A.M.E. church, White House hopeful Barack Obama talks about the job of the "Joshua generation" and his own claim to a place in the civil rights movement. http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/03/obamas_selma_speech_text_as_de.html

[Jay]

Obama is CORRUPT, a LIAR, and his slogan of change an ILLUSION.

1) CORRUPT: A houseowner wants to sell both a house and adjoining land. Obama can afford to buy only the house. No problem, the criminal Rezko to the rescue. Rezko pays full price for the land, whereas Obama gets a discount of $300,000 on the house. Nice to have criminal friends like this!!! (reference ABC News)

2) LIAR: Obama claims he did not know about Wright's America-hating (God damn America) and racist views till it was revealed in the mainstream media in March 2008. Obama attended Wright's church for 20 years, was married by Wright, had his children baptized by Wright, donated over $20,000 to Wright's church and named his book "Audacity of Hope" after one of Wright's sermons. You really believe after 20 years and all this he did not know what Wright preaches?

3) ILLUSION: Exelon Corporation had not disclosed radioactive leaks at one of its nuclear plants in Illinois. Obama, a senator for Illinois introduces a bill to make disclosures mandatory. Seems like Exelon doesn't like it. Each draft of the new bill by Obama goes more and more towards Exelon till disclosures end up being "voluntary". What gives? How about $250,000+ donations by Exelon to Obama's campaigns!!! Obama is not change, he is WASHINGTON BUSINESS AS USUAL. (reference New York Times)

People need to stop believing their fantasies about Obama and realize that Hillary is the one who has been fighting for them all along. All the way back to 1993 when she tried to introduce universal health care (before it became politically fashionable).

[navyvet48]

Recently I was perusing a web site called Operation Firing for Effect. I just got re-involved with the issue of mandated funding for the VA. I was looking at some news on the web site about a VA Medcial Center where several medical perosnnel were removed from their jobs because 11 people have died at that center. The Marion VA center is in Illinois, Obama's state. My question is what has he really done for veterans? You know which Senator got into the fray, Senator Durbin.

So he said to some veterans "no sorry I won't lower the drinking age" I went to Obama's site and looked at his stance on vets. He makes it sound like he did so much by himself for them while he was on the Senate Armed Forces Comm. Senator Clinton did as much as he did. He did none of it alone.

He has made some other promises about more mental health care. Well he hasn't been paying attention because the VA has already begun to hire more mental health care workers.

He won't even support mandated funding for the VA. He refuses to answer any e-mails about mandated funding or the resolution that was passed on November 5 in his own home state. He is out in right field still looking for the ball on veterans issues and military issues.

His speech did nothing to allay my fears. He did nothing to make me feel like he has moved forward. He has not answered any questions. I looked at a clip from Friday's interview with Major Garrett on Fox he did indeed say he was not in the pews when these things were said. So yes, another contradiction or a lie if you please.

I think some apologies were in order. Instead he was rather harsh on Geraldine Ferraro. She never said
go%%amn America like Wright did. Her comments weren't really offensive. They were pretty truthful.

I think he owed the American people an apology for lying to us. And he owes apologies to the Clintons for his race baiting and racist calling campaign members and supporters like Jesse Jackson Jr.

He missed the mark. The numbers will be telling. I believe he will be unable to win any more primaries. On Monday the number of people who were of the Wright thing was 66%. After today the other 34% who didn't know what was going will. They will ask why he gave a political speech on race. They will want to know why this happened now. And they will be smart enough to discover it on their own. Now most of Americam will and I believe it will not excuse sitting in that church for 20 years.

Thanks for the article. I rather enjoyed.

[Swannie]

We never heard the fact that he won his Illinois seat by hiring an ol' Harvard Law school chum to nitpick apart the other candidates signed petitions and find tiny legal problems that cleared away ALL his competition. Thousands of voices were not heard in Illinois because Obama erased them with legal mumbo jumbo! Now he spouts "Let the American voices be heard!" because the caucuses are in his favor. While in the senate, he "jacked" other senators bills after they had done years of hard work. They contributed all the blood, sweat and tears for the first 99 yards and Obama got all the glory for walking it over the finish line! This is the REAL reason it took so long for the other Chicago black legislatures to support him.....they knew the real Obama! And if the press were doing their job, they would know he already has a track record of bad judgement. Other black lawmakers were angered by Obama's endorsement of Dorothy Tillman, known for waving a pistol at a city council meeting AND under ivestigation for CRONYISM AND TAX EVASION (an article in the local paper ran a 3 part series 3 weeks before Obama's endorsement of Tillman) I can also talk about the pork Obama promised his "kingmaker", Emil Jones when Jones gave him everybody elses legislation to carry across the finish line. "Some people call it pork...I prefer to call it steak," Jones told a friend after explaining how Obama would reward him. THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET BECAUSE THE NEWS MEDIA IS A JOKE!! They pick who they want and bash everyone else and praise their candidate of choice. Out of everything-this is the scariest thing of all! I think most of the things Pastor Wright say are true to a certain extent. I'm white but I sure as heck am not rich...and I think the whole country is run by rich white people! What I think is the most DAMNING and telling thing about Obama is the fact that he can sit there straight faced and say HE HAS NEVER HEARD WRIGHT SAY THESE THINGS! This tells you how much Obama will lie and pander to smooth things over. He knows how to deliver a line and lie with out batting an eye. He also has said he will surround himself with people to help him get the job done. I'd rather have Pastor Wright who will tell it like he ses it than Emil Jones who will "steal" from someone who has earned it and give it to someone who hasn't or Dorothy Jones who might shoot me if I disagree. MEDIA-IF YOU WILL DO YOUR JOB RIGHT-WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, CAN PICK THE RIGHT PERSON TO LEAD! OBAMA IS a liar , dont we already have one of those in office??

[Emlyn]

What a breath of fresh air this man brings to politics!

I just contributed another $25.

Pass it on!

[Sally]

Freud and others in therapeutic circles talkabout the importance of integrating opposing forces and experiences within ourselves. Most people do not, and so remain stunted as human beings. Obama has wrestled with both his black and white ancestry and somehow has forged an integrated whole. Very, very difficult to do. My hat's off to him.

[peanuts]

I listened to the speech several times on MSNBC as well as on NPR. I also read the transcripts... I agree that parts of the speech was well written and well delivered. But for CNN anchor (don't know her name) to compare it to MLK's "I have a dream" is audacious. It is no where near.
I honestly did not like how he sophisticatedly placed this issue at me, leaving me with no other option but to support him if I want change in America. Give me a break. The ending was anti-climatic as well... telling a story about a white girl and an old black man. What's that about? It was weak.

[alee21]

This is yet another one of Obama’s politically expedient speeches. That is his major asset. Speeches had gotten him to where he is and we can expect more tear jerking speeches that play on mass guilt that he will use whenever things don’t go his way. There are too many questions about Obama that haven’t been answered and won’t be answered by another speech. We need more time (say another 8 years) to assess this man.

In Obama’s speech, the only racial issues of consequence are between blacks and whites and slavery is the root of all evils. That’s far too simplistic and exclusive a view. Slavery was abolished more than 200 years ago. There is discrimination against people of other, non-Black, race who don’t try to solve their problems by establishing venomous anti-Americanism as part of their tradition.

Obama is very good at exploiting the collective guilty conscience of the masses. How can he make excuses for himself and for Wright, yet giving credence to Ferraro’s impolitic remarks as racially motivated? Discrimination works both directions.

I am sure he wants us to move forward and forget all about his associations with Rezko and Rev. Wright. How convenient. Obama will do anything to win the nomination and this tear jerker of a speech is calculated and calibrated to do just that. He should put an end to the division his candidacy has brought and bow out of the race now.

[john belo]

That's a good way to counter an angry black man's retheric with dropping an old white woman under a truck. You ingrate. While your proud black father took off ( which is pretty common among your people) it was your white mother and grandmother who took care of you.

[John]

I am convinced from these responses to Obama's speech that the lines have already been drawn, and that opinions will simply harden in response to it -- Obama supporters will like the speech, Clinton and McCain supporters will not.

For myself, I have been resisting comparisons between Obama and Bobby or John Kennedy, but this speech put him in their league. In my mind, I now think of Obama and RFK in the same breath. This was probably the most astonishing and inspiring speech I've ever read in my life - and I'm old enough to have heard RFK when I was in high school.

I started this season out thrilled that we had two exciting Democratic candidates, and I was certain that I would vote for whichever one won the nomination, but I have been so floored and insulted by Clinton's cynical, petty, self-centered, devisive and underhanded fight, and so impressed with Obama's response to it, that I could honestly never put a mark next to her name on a ballot. I'd vote for McCain with hopes for 2012 if she were to pull this nomination out from under Obama (which I don't think she can do).

So, as I said at the beginning of my post, I think the lines have already hardened. Clinton supporters admire the fighter in her, and are fighters themselves. They will not listen to this speech with any other goal than how to attack it. Obama supporters genuinely believe we can move the political discussion to a new and better level, and that this is the man that can help us do it, and the speech confirms that for us.

[RJP3]

who ever wrote this TRIPE is a far more inferior human being than most people I know

the world going to hell and this fool is parsing words
that most people can understand

then this waste of my reading time is picked up
and made the headline on hinessight .... which now
is off my reading list .... it claims to be the anti=drudge

nope it is just the pro-clinton drudge

(How nice that the crucial dialogue here is off to such a reasoned start.)

sad

[RJP3]

Scott Martelle is not only in bed with the devil he is an arrogant elitist --- we readers making comments are WRONG in OUR understanding.

No Scott YOU are wrong. You wrote a stand alone hit piece that is being USED by anti-Obama forces as spin against the good he did today.

YOU are doing that .... and WE are calling you on it.
It is beyond arrogant to think this is not harmful because you wrote something different or more on another web-page. Talk about SELF-DELUSION. I bet you honestly believe that. Sad.

If my name was on something so wrong and misleading - and it's became clear the intention is for it to be misleading I would ask that it be taken down.

But then I would never have been so foolish as to write this.

[RJP3]

JOHN BELO --- GOOD JOB "parroting" WHAT FOX NEWS JUST BROADCAST.... ABOUT HIS GRANDMOTHER

MOST OLD WHITE PEOPLE OF THAT GENERATION WERE
A TOUCH RACIST --- SO ARE MOST OF US

I GET NERVOUS WHEN I SEE NEW BLACK NEIGHBORS
I DO NOT KNOW === HE WAS BEING HONEST

WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS THE REV IS JUST LIKE
US --- HE FEAR COMES OUT IN HIS WORDS SOMETIMES OR IN OTHER WAYS

LIKE WHAT HIS GRANDMOTHER ADMITTED

I SUSPECT YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I
JUST SHARED WITH YOU .... HOWEVER I HOPE YOU DO

I also hope you stop listening to CORPORATE RIGHT WING TALKING POINT PROPOGANDA.