Hillary Clinton would not have sat in one of Rev. Wright's pews

It took awhile, but Hillary Clinton finally threw the Rev. Jeremiah Wright under the bus (just who is the driver of that oft-cited vehicle, anyway?).

Sitting down earlier today with a crew of journalists from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Clinton said of the controversial Wright: "He would not have been my pastor."

In a pretty clear reference to Barack Obama's previous description of Wright as an uncle-like figure to him -- someone you're fond of but who occasionally drives you batty with nutty comments -- Clinton added, "You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."

Clinton and her usually eager-to-pounce staff had been atypically silent as Obama was forced to confront incendiary comments on black/white relations that Wright had sprinkled into sermons over the years (hyping the furor, in this case, would have seemed like piling on).

But with her comments today ...

Clinton is keeping attention focused on a question that lingers for Obama in the aftermath of his generally well-received speech on racial tensions last week: why did he maintain his membership in Wright's church?

Given her remark, we also imagine that someone from the Obama camp may be checking out the rhetorical records of pastors at the services she and her husband attended during their many years in Little Rock.

Another response Clinton gave to the Pittsburgh newspaper that may not get as much attention -- but is worthy of note -- concerns the flap spurred by her exaggerated recollection of her trip to Bosnia while she was first lady.

Clinton blames "sleep deprivation" for her erroneous recent recollection that she and her traveling party -- which included daughter Chelsea -- were under sniper fire when their plane landed in Bosnia in 1996.

The Tribune-Review story on its conversation with Clinton can be seen here.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[carol]

The question I am sure was brought up by a member of the press. She responded like so many other Americans would have ....why would you stay at that church?

Of course, the media and Obama loyalists will bring up the "race card" again....the only defense they know. However, it is okay to bring up her husband's indescretions.

[C Watson]

It’s amazing what happens when you hear the pastor’s quotes in the context they were delivered. See the posters comments below CNN’s Roland Martin articles:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/21/the-full-story-behind-rev-jeremiah-wrights-911-sermon/

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/21/the-full-story-behind-wright%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%9cgod-damn-america%e2%80%9d-sermon/?s-%20?god-damn-america%20?-sermon/

I can’t say I subscribe to everything the pastor has said but I can say that it makes a heck of a difference when you hear them within the sermon.

This is a largely smear campaign. If they can’t nail the candidate, then they have to go after someone close to them to try to make the candidate look bad. Eventually, this story is going to come out – that Rev. Wright isn’t as bad as a few out of context clips make him out to be and most rational people will calm down.

[Robert Barnett]

Hilary is a wacko that supports killing the unborn. I hope she continues to keep walking away from the media and onto the tarmac.

[J Cline]

No white person in their right mind would have been sitting in one of Rev. Wright's pews as he ranted and spewed hatred against non-blacks. Clinton's just saying what any of us would have done. I'd never have set foot in any church calling itself "unapologetically black". Why sit and listen to bigotry?

That remains a valid question for Obama, who has dodged it so far -- but come November, he'll have no choice but to answer for it. And those Democrats stupid enough to endorse him will once again lose the White House.

[Ray Andrews]

Think about this for a moment:

Clinton blames "sleep deprivation" for her erroneous recent recollection that she and her traveling party -- which included daughter Chelsea -- were under sniper fire when their plane landed in Bosnia in 1996.

Now quick! Who do you want to answer the phone at 3:00 in the morning now?

[Mike Harrington]

Hillary seems to live in the same world as Bush. They both make things up, and say things that are totally bull and then smile and say "I didn't sleep well that night" Or Cheney didn't tell me what to say.
4000 dead and climbing.

[kay temmel]

This is just an attempt to change the subject. We are all talking about her "misspeaking" about her Bosnia trip today and she needed to change the subject quick. This woman will do anything to win. It is an embarrassment and makes me sick to my stomach

[eb]

of course she would have if it had served her purpose....just another lie...Billary never had a problem with seeking advantages for themselves and prostituting themselves to get what they want: power and anything that comes with it.,,,,,sick sick people.

[Tim Schaal]

In 1848, while serving as a congressman from the state of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln said in a speech given in the chambers of the United States House of Representatives the following:

"The true rule, in determining to embrace or reject any thing, is not whether it has any evil in it; but whether it has more of evil than of good. There are few things wholly evil or wholly good. Almost every thing ... is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded."

Jeremiah Wright, Obama's church, etc., all fit into this - as does his grandmother. They are not wholly evil or wholly good. So doesn't Obama deserve the benefit of doubt when he says:

"And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way.

But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. "

Obama is embodying in this statement the very nature of what Lincoln said. So for 20 years Obama made the best judgment about Reverend Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ based on the preponderance of both the evil and the good. And in his measured judgment the good outweighed the evil.

Take a few minutes and read Reverend Wright's Hope ( http://allied.blogspot.com/2008/03/audacity-of-hope.html ) sermon. It is not full of venom, or anti-American statements, or anything like the snippets we have seen recently. It is a sermon, based on scripture, I would likely hear in my church which is over 90% white, or any one of thousands of churches across this land. I would think this was probably more the norm at Trinity United than the clips we are seeing - otherwise we would be seeing more and more and more clips. The man had to have made over 1,000 sermons in the past 20 years - and we have heard and seen snippets from three or four of them.

So perhaps Obama was hearing a lot of good Biblical based sermons while he set in the pew at Trinity United. And consider as well all the good Trinity United does in the community. Then, in his judgment, which I have found to be very sound over the past year, the "inseparable compound" of good and evil that make up Wright and Trinity United has more good than evil.

[TWstroud]

Too bad she didn't then apologize to her fans and loved ones and check into rehab for truth therapy.

[Kim]

Wow...seriously?? Good thing she won't be 'sleep deprived' when she has to answer that phone call at 3am.

[Tim from Harbor City]

On saying last week that she landed under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia in 1996, when she was first lady:

"I was sleep-deprived, and I misspoke."

Hope she isn't ever sleep deprived when she has to answer that phone at 3 AM.

Barack Obama is the very kind of person you want to answer that phone. Calm, cool, collected, even tempered, level headed. I can't think of anyone else I would to answer that phone.

[cdl]

What I want to know most about Obama, and his pastor, is beyond the "it's because" dialogue.
Do both also speak to their communities about why so many black Americans are raised in single family homes without father's, why so many do not take advantage of free education, and programs that target youth for success instead of dropping out funded by the taxpayers?? Haven't heard it.
Obama's speech is not the first "it's because" speech. He fell short of offering up a dialogue that challenges the truth we face in America in an honest way. And sadly, he is the only candidate that can do so, and not be labeled a 'racist' for doing it.
There are many improvements that were not even mentioned, many success stories, many roll models of black heritage. Look at our television newscasters, journalists, sitcoms, movie stars, athletes, military officers, college professors, judges, politicans, etc.. But somehow we only got an "It's because" speech??
Do I live on another planet than Obama? Where was the hope in that??
There are some who are stuck on the merry-go-'round of the same ol', same ol'. Let's go in a straight, and honest way toward the future. It's not enough to 'hope' for change. It's work. And, plenty has already been done, the challenge is celebrating that, and building on it.

[David]

Why would she sit in Rev. Wright's church. It is a church filled with poor Black people. Hillary "liar" Clinton is rich white woman. Why would she want to sit with poor people, unless of course it is election time and cameras are rolling. Believe this Hillary "liar" Clinton: In the end, TRUTH will always win.

[TWstroud]

It suddenly occurs to me that if HRC lies and otherwise exercises poor judgement when she is sleepy, then she should not be answering any 3 a.m. calls.

[carolynw]

I hope your paper will give equal time to Hillary's affiliation with the "religious group" called The Family in Washington which Hillary has made a point of associating with while in Washington. It is certainly worth investigating. The group and the pastor/head of that group are rather sinister in their mission, of an elite Christian elect to rule the world, among other things. A quick google will reveal some very interesting findings.
Hillary's campaign should be given 10 gold stars for its stellar hipocrisy from day one of her campaign.

[THOMAS]

Where was the media coverage when Guiliani embraced the backing of Rev. Robertson? The same Rev. Pat Robertson who called for the assasination of Hugo Chavez, as well as a nuclear detonation of the U.S. State Department.

Where was the media coverage when the self proclaimed Messiah of the world, Rev. Moon and ex-con. backed both Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. for president? As usual, hypocrisy runs deep in the conservative movement as well as anywhere else.

[Franklin]

Really... "sleep deprivation"? I guess that's why the account appeared during two sets of prepared speeches. Maybe she misread speeches based on her memory both times.

Of course, no one should focus on that. It's only one of the last few shreds of her 'experience' that she's clinging to.

But instead, she'll do some damage control by bringing up Wright's name again. Expect to see her use this as a life preserver from here on out.

[Matt]

Hillary, if you release your tax returns now maybe it will refresh your memory on a few things. Like tax shelters in the Cayman Islands perhaps. Then you won't be misspeaking anymore and you'll probably sleep better as a consequence.

[Web Smith]

Someone should be delving into what went on in Arkansas during the Clintons' administration. Sex, drugs, and murder is not too far beneath the surface. Neither are Bill's draft dodging war protester days at Oxford where he became good buddies with many of the self proclaimed socialists and communists on the campus.

While Hillary's Presidential campaign may be taking some illusionary sniper fire, he run for the Big House is enjoying an increasing amount of grass roots support.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019&q=hILLARY+EXPOSED&total=452&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[Sylvia]

If Senator Clinton ever gets into the White House she will invite the pastor to dinner just like Bill did. Why not?

Watching media reports is watching this brilliant woman chasing her democrat rival every single day with the goal posts in hand.

here we can get the superdelegates. here we can get the pledged delegates. here we are better on the red phone. here we are heroic as we endured sniper fire with our daughter. here we can use the electoral college. here we can go back on our commitment to never mind florida and michigan because they didn't follow the rules for primary. here we can use this or that tactic of if i scare you you will vote for me.

did anybody tell her the republicans are changing registration party to vote for her in primary because they think they can defeat her in november?

how presidential is this?

[TW]

What convenient timing for her to finally make statements regarding this issue. She is quiet until she has a contorversy of her own to divert attention from.

Come on.

[erich]

If Senator Clinton feels the need to keep this issue and it's misdirection alive perhaps the MSM could at the very least delve into her long term association with the dominionist group "The Fellowship"/"The Family" for some parity...

[mike]

The biggest problem i have with Obama is that so little is known about him. He still refuses to disown his pastors comparing him to his white grandmother. I dont think he should have equated his white grandmother to a pastor how is full of hate.

what else will come out! I just saw a video on utube of a guy saying that he had given obama oral sex i think someone needs to look into his past.

[caliman]

Barak Obama's embrace of a bigoted racist pastor for twenty years means he fails the minimum level of civic decency we expect from someone who wants to be president of all Americans.