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

[David Saia]

A complete an utter fabrication... based on "sleep deprivation"? Maybe she was suffering from insomnia when she voted to authorize this disastrous war without even reading the intelligence report.

[Rajah Kahn]

Never walked out on Bill Clinton when he had all those numerous affairs.....Pastor Wright is not married to Obama. you were married to Bill who practised infidelity almost right in front of your eyes and you never left him...So what are you saying now, is also a mistake...You cannot be trusted....

[IG]

Wow, Really? Then why did Bill Clinton invited Rev. Wright to a braekfast prayer when Bill Clinton was President? Obviously, Rev wright has other admirable qualities inspite of that unfortunate footage that's been circultaed. Or else that footage is taken out of context to make a desired impression on viewers.

[mrincomestream]

"sleep deprivation"

Yea, on the part of John Q. Public who falls for her nonsense...

[Rick Ramirez]

Well if she would have read the whole speech she might not have a problem with the Rev Wright's sermon I did not! I suggest everyone listen to the whole thing not the few out of context sound bites the Right Wing Media has used to blast this man. Rev Wright also had his presidential moments before like when he was part of a medical team that performed surgery on LBJ back in 1966 and was commend for his perfomance on that team!

[Vincenzo]

But of course she would have left the church. She would've ran away with the head down, under sniper fire, just like she did in Tuzla.

[Lee Nichols]

Mrs. Clinton hopes to revive the issue -- but she now invites reporters to review all "her"ministers' sermons where they will surely find one or two anti--Black comments -- or comments which can be construed as such. Her desperation exhausts me. Does she never tire of hating?

[Thomas]

Ok, let me get this straight......She would walk out on a sermon but stay with the guy having sex in the White House with a 20 something. I guess I am way too simple to get this. Once again she demonstrates contradictions I find very worrisome. Unfortunately, we treat these responses like an event as opposed to a pattern.

[TM]

If campaign "sleep deprivation" makes Hillary believe she remembers taking her teenage daughter into a combat zone and ducking bullets - then how will she handle a crisis when awakened at 3:00 a.m.?

[doctormiguel]

With all due respect, my question is: Is US Senator Hillary Clinton a true Christian? If she knows about the requirements of a true Christian, then I don't believe she is qualified to enter into any house (church) of Christian Worship. This of course can change, if she repents (from the heart) from all of her secret sins and accept Jesus Christ is her Lord and saviour. Until then she can attend any Christian church service whether is Rev. Wright's church or not. I don't think Sen. Clinton has any standing in making any comments regarding our Christian religion, or enter into judgement. This is a personal matter between Sen. Clinton and her Creator.

[sunny florida]

So, Clinton or Obama? Hmmm....let's look at their resumes....relationships with "close advisors".....seems pretty clear: Hillary. Why not jump on a bandwagon of hype? The problem I have with Mr. Obama is his pattern of doing one thing and then distancing himself from those actions when it is revealed at a later date that maybe that isn't about his platform of "hope, unity and change". The Wright mess speaks to his platform of "good judgement". How can it be good judgement to listen to divisive words when you are also running on a platform of "unity", and listen to that for 20 years, just as an aside. How can it be good judgement to have a close friend and political associate whom you used to buy a piece of property with, who was widely known it be under investigation for political fraud and corruption? We have a need and right to know Senator Obama from every angle and what he believes when he talks of equality and a "vision" for America. For voters (or media) to say that Clinton +/or Obama is at fault for the direction the Democratic campaign has headed, is ludicrous and short-sighted. America is a melting pot of races, genders, culture, etc. and we each have a personal interest in seeing "ourselves" in our President. With that connection comes passion and emotional investment. However, it also must be tempered with information about the candidates (good and bad, without negative "label" attached to said information) so that we can make informed choices, rather than only emotionally-driven ones. To Americans: try to take off the blinders of opinion polls, media spin, mud and excitement and remember what this race is really about: Hiring someone to do the toughest and, arguably, most important job on the planet. Being President of the US isn't about speeches, promises and what-if's - it is about who you believe will get up, everyday, and work their butt off for every hardworking American, because they have a track record of that already. That person is Senator Clinton. She has worked hard and diligently for all Americans, and spent years building strong relationships because she has a passionate vision of what America can be, not just because she's running for President. Vetted, intelligent, tested and hardworking. Senator Clinton is the right choice for me in '08

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

Perhaps Rev. Wright's church is too small, too poor, or too dangerous for Mr.s C.

[andy]

when you go to a raist church, you are a raist too.
simple.

[Marge]

Is misspoke the new euphanism for "lied"?

[Anthony Jones]

That's funny. Didn't she and her husband, Bill Clinton invite Rev. Wright to the white house for spirtual reconcilliation during his impeachment trial for lying about having sex with an intern?

[Will]

Obama's choice of Pastor is horrific. . almost as bad as marrying a guy who cheats on you with an intern. . .in the Oval Office. . .during his Presidency. Of course, Hilary would NEVER make that poor a decision, would she? Wait, oh, that's right. . .

McCain '08

[mruth]

I think the issue of Reverend Wright's comments separates regular churchgoers from non-churchgoers. In my life I have often belonged to congregations in which I disagreed with some or many of the things the pastor said from the pulpit, and even his (usually his) understanding of how Christianity should be lived. I have stayed in the congregation, though, because it was my spiritual family, and the pastor was only part of it.

I also have deeply loved Christians--liberal and conservative--whose politics were radically different from my own. What united us was not our politics (some of my brothers and sisters in the pews have ascribed to what I would call very dubious conspiracy theories), but our faith that Christ was working in this world for all people and that inside and outside of the church, we were children of the same God.

I was appalled at the videoclips of Rev. Wright when I first read the quotes, but then I googled his sermons, and I found him to be a loving, inspired and inspiring preacher. My pastor speaks much more calmly than Rev. Wright did, but they talked about the same things after 9/11, namely, the need to take a spiritual assessment in our shock and sadness of where we each stood with God and where we stood with other people in our communities and around the globe.

Before condemning Rev. Wright (especially if you are a fellow Christian), be fair enough to listen to more than a cobbled-together videoclip of a sentence or two. Listen to those sentences in context. http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2008/03/rev-jeremiah-wr.html.

You may still disagree with him, but you should be fair to him. After all, the 8th commandment requires us not to bear false witness against our neighbor. Slandering Rev. Wright as a racist without checking to see if his sermons actually are racist is a sin.

[Barbara]

So she wouldn't have sat in Rev. Wright's pew but she would have voted for a war without reading the NIE report. That's like the pot calling the kettle black. Democratic leadership, end this thing NOW before Hillary does even more damage.

"I' m here because of Ashley."

[Claude Demers]

About Senator Clinton sleep deprivation argument concerning her trip to Bosnia, I hope she will not have that same problem at 3 am when the phone rings...

[Laurenr1]

The toxic messages of Wright spewing his hatred, in tandem with the award he gave to Farrakhan have created an image that is so far from the mainstream that Obama's ivy league polish has melted into a Panther picture! His race speech and unity message is at odds and is frankly more divisive and quite scary to a middle class person who has enjoyed working with people of all backgrounds. I have changed churches to find one that relects my values, so I can't separate Obama from his minister and what that means in terms of who he really is.

[Jo]

Good for you Hilary, I was wondering how long it would take for the question to be put to you. It was commendable that you didn't bring it up and that you stayed on the issues. Which is something the Obama camp needs to do more of. They keep bringing up petty things and Obama refuses to answer direct questions and always dances around the questions. How can we possibly trust someone like that? I feel that he will be another George W. Bush by watching and listening to him. I don't trust him. Give us Colin Powell. I would vote for him in a heart beat but not Obama. Never Obama. We can't handle someone who keeps playing the race card like Obama does. Then he accuses Clinton of doing that! What a spin master!! He must have hired some of Dubya's people! Sounds just like them. We don't need more of that. We need someone who is going to get down to business on day one. Not someone who will be doing the elbow wink wink good ole boy routine that I see from his camp on a daily basis.
I betcha Obama loving CNN would never post this one. I notice they allow only a few pro-Hilary posts. Get back into the news game CNN and stop the favoritism.

[Goldie]

Since she brought it up, I want to know what is "The Fellowship" which Clinton has belonged to since 1993. It is very secretive and its membership includes Ashcroft, Brownback and Inhofe, who are very conservative Repulicans. WHAT IS CLINTON DOING SO CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THEM IN A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION? I think it is a question the press should ask so we know if her social policies would be different than we assume. And since it is so secretive, she should explain why she joined it. It has had ties to dictators such a Suharto. What influence would it have on her if she were elected? Don't we have a right to know why it is so secretive and what its goals are?

[JohnG]

The crux of the matter in the Wright situation is it weakens Obama's superior judgement claim. His advisors kicked the issue around: either disown Wright under pressure and ruin his judgement claim or dance around it without throwing him under the bus and retain the jugdement trump card. They chose the latter. But it will fester until he in no uncertain terms disassociates himself entirely with Wright. He's effectively walled himself from questions-that's a presidencial style I can do without. All he needs to do is have a news conference and let anybody ask anything. But apparently the emperor wears no clothes

[Roger]

There are 116 United Church of Christ churches in the Chicago area. There are over a dozen within 10 miles of Barack & Michelle Obama’s home. Why that church? As a private citizens if your family is fine with a pastor and church who holds as even a small part of there views anti American, Anti Semitic, Pro Hamas Terrorist organization, Anti white as part of the ministry it is your right to stay as members and be feed spiritually there and if that is what feeds your soul, fine we as fellow Americans support your rights to that. As to America being OK with our President being a member of such a church, we say no way! No one has ask you to change faiths but a change in church fellowship and spiritual advisers of which you have 116 other churches and pastors to choose from is totally within a reasonable request for someone running to be the next President of the United States! Thank you Barack Obama for your radio address where you let us know you and Michelle have chosen to continue being spiritually feed from that specific church and pastor with ALL there messages. We will support your right to that as a private citizen but we will not elect you as our President. Change & Unity are more then words they require action and hard work! The kind of solutions to serious problems we face is what Hillary Clinton offers us and is the real change and unity we are looking for. You may speak the words about these things but your actions do not.

[steve nichols]

I am a very white, very middle class, very republican middle aged male. I think Hillary is extremely premeditated and manipulative in her attempt to rule America. She will do anything and say anything to get elected. She will lie, cheat and pander to get what she thinks is rightfully hers. Regarding Rev. Wright, Hillary is so unbelievably off base and unqualified to comment. She has no clue about being black in America, specifically inner city America. She repesents the priviledged elite that she claims to hate and that Wright calls out. I personally applaud Wright's statements - are you going to tell me that the US is not run by rich white people. Are you going to tell me that we, the GREAT USA, have always done the right thing. Give me a break, how about a little dose of honesty. He called the kettle black, but no one wants to hear it. Oh and by the way, if we are going to judge our potential leaders by who they chose to associate with, them Hillary should be eliminated immediately given her connection to Bill Clinton and her throng of prominant Arkansas associates. I for one like Obama's audacious attempt to change the tenor and tempo of politics in the country. Those who are so tied to the staus quo just cannot understand the appeal - well guess what, there is a serious contingent of people who have really had it with business as usual and are willing to take a leap of faith with the new guy.