Barack Obama again faces queries about Rev. Wright

Barack Obama continued today to tread the fine line he's been walking in discussing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Meeting up with MSNBC's Chris Matthews for a lengthy interview in front of a college crowd in Pennsylvania, Obama disassociated himself from the more extreme comments uttered by his ex-pastor, but not from the man himself.

And while insisting -- as he has previously -- that he was not present when Wright made the pronouncements that fueled the recent furor, he steered clear of specifying the "controversial" statements he has said he did hear from the preacher.

Left hanging was the question that may determine Obama's political fate -- will his approach to the flap suffice?

Matthews assuredly would have broached the topic of Wright, but it was raised first by a student at West Chester University, who asked Obama how the uproar had affected his "spiritual life."

Obama made a point of noting he is a Christian who prays "every night." He wryly added: "And when you’re running for president, you pray even more."

He called the controversy that erupted over Wright and his relationship to him "a difficult moment.  You know, this is somebody who, on the one hand, is a good man, but said some things that I deeply disagree with."

Matthews returned to the matter later, asking why ...

Obama had stayed a part of Wright's congregation (as well as noting that he had contributed a sizable amount of money to the church over the years). The following exchange ensued:

OBAMA:  I think that what has happened is we took a loop out of — and compressed the most offensive things that a pastor said over the course of 30 years, and just ran it over and over and over again.
There is that other 30 years.  I never heard him say those things that were in those clips.

MATTHEWS:  But you did say you heard him say controversial things.

OBAMA:  But I’ve heard you say controversial things.

MATTHEWS:  You didn’t give me $27,000 dollars either.

OBAMA:  The point is this is a church that is active in AIDS.  It’s active on all kind of thing.  And so this is a wonderful church.  But as I said, look at the amount of time that’s been spent on this today, Chris.  At a time when we haven’t talked about a whole host of issues.

The interview wound to an end shortly after that. But as much as Obama clearly wanted to move on, just as clearly he can expect questions about Wright to be a staple at future forums and debates.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Gus]

Oh please.... everyone is a hypocrate if they want to act like they've never said anything racist before in their lives.. what a waste of time and way to talk about insignifican issues..... Just like obama said, we can keep talking about the same issues this time, and next time and the time after that or we can actually talk about real issues that face americans and do something about it.

what about the real issues we fice today? what about our economy? war? medicare? education? I guess talking about some racist comments are more important to some people than real issues...

John McCain has no room to talk Reverand Hagee is twice as bad as Reverand Wright. This guy thinks going to war w/ Iran will fulfill some prophecy.......

Obama has a greater chance and will beat McCain in 08.

[jc]

This topic is old. Obama handled himself beautifully. Why would he "disown" his spiritual mentor, not having to agree with his social views, for the same reason why he wouldn't "disown" or stop loving his white grandmother...Again, this topic is old...

Despite me dis-liking the Rev. Wright, Obama didn't have a "sell-out" excuse for defending Rev. Wright. Took the good with the bad...When I mean "sell-out" excuses, the examples are clearly defined in;

1) I didn't inhale...
2) It really wasn't sex...
3) You voted for me, but now you actually have two-presidents...

[zammy]

I hate what the Reverand Wright said about white America. But then again, I don't how it is to be black and having been sent to the back of the bus or loved ones lynched for no reason but your skin color being black

I imagine, when that entire African-American generation who have experienced such atrocities pass on, maybe all this pain would go away.

[Roach]

Obama has hardly addressed this issue. Does he agree with Wright? Did he hear Wright say these things? Is he a black nationalist like Wright? Does he think any of this would be OK if said by Whites? Or disqualifying? More important, when will he ever stand up to blacks and tell them when they are wrong, parochial, selfish, misguided, overly conspiratorial, or just plain self-destructive? Will he tell them the Public Enemies, Farrakhans, and Sharpton's are a dead end?

I doubt it. This guy is insecure about his identity. And he identifies inner city angriness as the well of black authenticity.

[Nannie Turner]

I,myself am terribly afraid that this is another George W. Bush mistake.In 2000 and2004,people voted for a pesident because they liked him.Wake up and look at where that mistake has took us.This man(Obama)lies with the same ease that Bush does and people just over look that.This is a dangerous man.I can understand the young people who are disgusted with the corruption in Washington.However I cannot understand why the older ones are endorsing him.All I can say is that we are headed into worse times than we have had with Bush/Cheney.How will you like having Louis Farrakan and Jerimiah Wright in Obama's cabinet?Think people,before it is too late.

[08vote]

Nannie, how many KKK members were in ANY REPUBLICAN cabinet?

[Zoey]

Who cares about Wright? The poor horse has been dead for a long time now. Seriously, WHO CARES?

[cplummer]

For those of you tired of hearing about this issue, GET USED TO IT!! Sen. McCain will not have to say a SINGLE word about the good Rev. Wright...the 527's will be falling all over themselves running ad after ad after ad showing the Rev. Wright's sermons...the ads have written themselves. This is what we get when we refuse to vet a potential Presidential nominee...we only have ourselves to blame!!

[thomas in ky]

i have predicted ,and i might say correctly every president since lyndon b johnson..am i just lucky? maybe.this election while being hard to call has some things that are basic and will determine the next president.hilliary clinton ,bless her heart has far too much baggage and negatives to win a general election...she never could win to start with.barack obama could very well be elected president, but to do so would have to poll many many white votes that in a general electionmay be impossible for him to do,remember doug wilder ? he was the first black to be a gov in this united states..leading by 17 points in the polls days before the election he won by a half percentage point.obama all other issues aside must win the white vote to be elected..so far he has only garnered about 26% of the white vote..is mccain sitting pretty..the polls suggest he is.however it is a long way to november ...all this is interesting to say the least

[Texas Democrat]

The fact is that there is NO WAY that Obama did not know that his minster and mentor of 30 years was teaching black theolgy, and why so many of these comments by the minister are slurs against America and other races and religions and why he blames AIDS on White Americans and 9/11. And if he did not know, then he is not only an inexperienced candidate, but a clueless one. What a uniter. Hillary Clinton is our only hope.

[jodi]

There is a big difference between the Catholic church goers and Obama going and bringing his daughters to Rev. Wright's sermons and no one should have to point it out but ....... People going to Catholic Churches did not hear Bishops moving pedophile priests around.....they knew nothing about it and when that horrible issue came out in the press many people like myself stopped donating to the church and some Catholic Churches stopped handing the donations in as a protest. In the case of Obama, he brought his 2 daughters to that church to hear Rev. Wright's racist comments against white America and donated $27K last year.....although he claims he donated to the church that helps people like those with AIDS, it is more likely that he donated that money for the Revs new home. Obama did nothing to indicate that he did not approve of Wright's comments and racist sermons. Obama is unelectable....vote Clinton

[Deborah]

To M Mitchell,
you obviously never took history in school. The Russian,Jews,British,Scots,Irish,Italians,Chinese,Japanese,.ETC.Should I go on?.....we all know what our forefathers and foremothers experienced.Rape, beatings, castrations, and even murdered for sport.We just dont dwell on what we cant change.Thats why they call it history.You should have a different prospective about your freedom. Quit blameing everone else for what YOU can change. quit harboring hate for others today that had nothing to do with yesterday. Is this never going to end? Just be blessed that the times have changed and that YOU can make a difference.

[Frank]

Do John McCain and the current crop of conservative republicans respect the moral foundation of this country? The U.S. Constitution was actually designed, among other things, to protect the people of America from misguided government.

U.S. Constitution: Amendment I - Freedom of Religion
Right now, for the first time ever, your tax dollars are funding religious groups you may not agree with. Conservative republican faith based initiatives are at the root of using your tax dollars to promulgate religious beliefs you may actually disapprove of. Conservative judges appointed by Bush ruled that taxpayers do not have a right to challenge expeditures by the executive branch.

Amendment IV - Search and seizure
Under the guise of court action against abortion, Conservative Republicans had John Ashcroft subpoena all the medical records of literally thousands of women just like you and members of your family. Conservative republicans are invading your privacy every day. Unfortunately for all of us, they don't appear to care about our U.S. constitution, or by extension, the people of our great country.

Amendment X - Powers of the States and People
John McCain and conservative republicans have tried consistently to overturn States Laws. They used your tax dollars to destroy the will of the people of Oregon, and the famous "Death with Dignity" law; they lost, but undoubtedly will try again. Conservative republicans and John McCain and no longer respect States Rights.

Amendment VIII - Cruel and Unusual punishment
Would you rather die, or support a government which supported and sanctioned torture? The founding fathers would rather have died, and in fact they were proud to fight and die for our government: A government which specifically outlaws cruel and unusual punishment for very important reasons.

I am one of millions of people that view this straying from our moral foundations as very bad news for our country. I urge you to keep this in mind in the coming election.

[patel]

I know, people dismiss African-Americans when they use their past as a justification for their present day "blame the white-man" rhetoric. It's in the past. Ideally yes...But people who experienced segregation still exist and are alive. Forgiving and forgetting is much easier said than done. Those who don't forgive become people like Reverand Wright. Sometimes, I can't say I blame him or people like him If 1960 was the year when civil rights began its momentum, then that means people who are about 55 and older, African-American born and having grown up in the South still feel the sting of discrimination and segregation.

The 1960's?...wow in History's time-line that is a blink of an eye. I always thought segration happened during a time when present day Americans ceased to exist. I'm an immigrant from India, who arrived to the United States in 1989. I guess my parents, who are very dark-skinned and still alive thank you, would have had to sit in the back of the bus too, had they lived in the south during their teen-age years. I could now understand the anger of the African-American community. Reverand Wright happens to be their voice. It scares me, but now at least I understand...

[LittleQueenie]

WHY IS THIS STILL NEWS?? I didn't care then and I don't care now! Instead of just sound bites, read or listen to the whole speeches - they are NOT that bad!! Is Wright a racist? I don't know - does he have reason to be angry with this country? YES!!!! African-Americans were treated like something less than animals while Wright was growing up. For more than half of the 20th century, AA's in the US South were hosed, lynched, kept from voting, could not use "white" facilities - yet these same AA's enlisted in the Marines, Army, etc and fought for this country, only to return to be treated like crap. This country studied AA men with syphilis for 40 years, refusing to treat them, even when a complete cure was available. I don't blame him for being angry with this country!!
Can we please start talking about the issues facing us - the war, the economy, the lack of health care, etc

[robert]

When are people going to actually watch Wright's sermons and discover that the snippets that fox news released are actually Wright quoting Ambassador Peck? When will they realize that Wright is a compassionate man who has disagreed with US foreign policy for years? What about the WHITE pastors saying the destruction of New Orleans and 9/11 was God's vengeance? No one is giving them crap!

[USA]

This story about rev wright is getting played out, why not put the warmonger up againt the wall, he had a son that served in Iraq and by fall will have two more sons in Iraq and this lunatic is trying to run in this election, he must be demented.

[Matthew from Colorado]

How about the Reverend (and State Senator) James Meeks, who is also happens to be a delegate pledged to Senator Obama?

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-other-pastor-problem-james-meeks

This is NOT about 'race', this is about tolerance for anti-human, anti-American hate speech.

[Philly]

Those who call Wright a racist need to look into thier own hearts first.Secondly, go buy a history book and try to understand why MOST blacks(and many whites) agree with the man.

[DPG2K]

MSNBC pro Hillary? What are you smoking, "anonymous"? Perhaps it's what you (and/or the candidate you support) were snorting instead.

[Mick]

Are people so desperate and blinded by their hate of the current administration that they could possibly vote for Hussein Obama after this Wright issue surfaced? You must be kidding. Anyway, this stuff will get replayed if he gets to the general election, and he will be swift boated. No coherent white people to the right of Karl Marx will vote for him. Their won't be enough Extreme Leftists, the young and stupid or Blacks to overcome that.
They must be out of their mind to even think of letting this Liar anywhere near the WH.

[Reality]

The presidential campaign have brought out a lot of issues that some people may have known about, overlooked or were completely oblivious to until now.The issue of Senator Obama's sincerity and Dr. Wright's comments should teach America a lot of valuable lessons.I think Dr. Wright may be right on many of the issues he has addressed - but he might have recieved a warmer welcome in a different venue (i.e - a talk show or community forum). It is sad that in seeking to bring something to the forefront, many preachers use the pulpit to covey their (vs God's) thoughts to a 'captive' audience. I do think some preachers might address these issue out of the sincereness of their hearts - but they might knowingly or unknowingly do so at the expense of God's word being preached.
I do not believe Sen. Obama and many of the church's parishoners believe everything Dr.Wright has preached. I doubt the Senator's position would entitle him that opportunity.
On a more serious thought- it is sad to see that both candidates support abortion and same sex marriage. Both of these issues are in stark contrast to Christianity.
I do think most people look at a candidate's position on faith to determine their moral and ethical viewpoints on issues. People might not agree with a candidates beliefs but will use it as a barometer in regards to their stance on moral and ethical issues.
If anything, maybe this 'episode' will cause all the candidates to do a true evaluation of their hearts to see if it aligns with what they profess or if they are just 'playing politics.'.

[rosalynneus]

Obama is revel and a cristian by convenience. His blood is musulm and liberal. He can't help it. YOU CAN if you think. Don't show your hate for the present administration by voting for HUSSEIN OBAMA.

[pa mom]

The following is the doctrine from the Trinity Church. Should white people find it offensive? Replace the word black with white...does it become more offensive? Does it make me a racist if I think so.

These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They consist of the following concepts:

Commitment to God. “The God of our weary years” will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian Activists, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.

Commitment to the Black Community. The highest level of achievement for any Black person must be a contribution of strength and continuity of the Black Community.

Commitment to the Black Family. The Black family circle must generate strength, stability and love, despite the uncertainty of externals, because these characteristics are required if the developing person is to withstand warping by our racist competitive society.

Those Blacks who are blessed with membership in a strong family unit must reach out and expand that blessing to the less fortunate.

Dedication to the Pursuit of Education. We must forswear anti-intellectualism. Continued survival demands that each Black person be developed to the utmost of his/her mental potential despite the inadequacies of the formal education process. “Real education” fosters understanding of ourselves as well as every aspect of our environment. Also, it develops within us the ability to fashion concepts and tools for better utilization of our resources, and more effective solutions to our problems. Since the majority of Blacks have been denied such learning, Black Education must include elements that produce high school graduates with marketable skills, a trade or qualifications for apprenticeships, or proper preparation for college.

Basic education for all Blacks should include Mathematics, Science, Logic, General Semantics, Participative Politics, Economics and Finance, and the Care and Nurture of Black minds.

Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence. To the extent that we individually reach for, even strain for excellence, we increase, geometrically, the value and resourcefulness of the Black Community. We must recognize the relativity of one’s best; this year’s best can be bettered next year. Such is the language of growth and development. We must seek to excel in every endeavor.
Adherence to the Black Work Ethic. “It is becoming harder to find qualified people to work in Chicago.” Whether this is true or not, it represents one of the many reasons given by businesses and industries for deserting the Chicago area. We must realize that a location with good facilities, adequate transportation and a reputation for producing skilled workers will attract industry. We are in competition with other cities, states and nations for jobs. High productivity must be a goal of the Black workforce.

Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect. To accomplish anything worthwhile requires self-discipline. We must be a community of self-disciplined persons if we are to actualize and utilize our own human resources, instead of perpetually submitting to exploitation by others. Self-discipline, coupled with a respect for self, will enable each of us to be an instrument of Black Progress and a model for Black Youth.

Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness.” Classic methodology on control of captives teaches that captors must be able to identify the “talented tenth” of those subjugated, especially those who show promise of providing the kind of leadership that might threaten the captor’s control.

Those so identified are separated from the rest of the people by:

Killing them off directly, and/or fostering a social system that encourages them to kill off one another.
Placing them in concentration camps, and/or structuring an economic environment that induces captive youth to fill the jails and prisons.
Seducing them into a socioeconomic class system which, while training them to earn more dollars, hypnotizes them into believing they are better than others and teaches them to think in terms of “we” and “they” instead of “us.”
So, while it is permissible to chase “middleclassness” with all our might, we must avoid the third separation method – the psychological entrapment of Black “middleclassness.” If we avoid this snare, we will also diminish our “voluntary” contributions to methods A and B. And more importantly, Black people no longer will be deprived of their birthright: the leadership, resourcefulness and example of their own talented persons.

Pledge to Make the Fruits of All Developing and Acquired Skills Available to the Black Community.

Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions.

Pledge Allegiance to All Black Leadership Who Espouse and Embrace the Black Value System.

Personal Commitment to Embracement of the Black Value System. To measure the worth and validity of all activity in terms of positive contributions to the general welfare of the Black Community and the Advancement of Black People towards freedom.

[ck]

Extensive rhetoric (from Obama and the media) and lots of mental gymnastics (from the public) have been applied to try in vain to explain away Obama’s racial bias, which was made glaringly clear in the exposure of his 20-year relationship with Rev. Wright (whom Obama knows has a long-standing relationship with and admiration for Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan, a known racist, chauvinist, homophobe, anti-Semite and anti-American) and in Obama’s own public slip using those three little words, ‘typical white person.’ What would Obama or his campaign minions call anyone who dared refer to Obama, Rev. Wright, or any other black person a ‘typical black person’? Obama is the only one continually injecting race into this campaign because he knows it’s to his advantage to do so and because he knows he can do so with impunity, while making it clear that anyone not from his camp who introduces it for discussion risks being forever branded a racist. Obama’s much-touted but actually quite inane ‘race’ speech showed primarily that he believes the so-called ‘racial divide’ to be the most important, if not the only, issue confronting this country, and yet at every self-serving opportunity he widens that divide in an apparent effort to make it a chasm, rather than bridge it as he would try to do if he were indeed the ‘uniter’ he claims to be. Otherwise, why would he sit by silently for 20 years and listen approvingly to Rev. Wright’s hate-filled, racist, anti-Semitic, anti-American views and never condemn or question them until the eve of the important Pennsylvania primary? If Obama is sincerely confident in the ‘American people’s fairness,’ as he has been quoted, why does he not allow voters themselves to place race in appropriate context as just one among the many issues our country faces? Instead, he continues to press race as though it’s the only issue that matters, because it’s the only one that he knows will, without fail, serve his own ambitions. After he succeeds in making a racial chasm out of any divide that may exist, does he have a plan for solving that problem? Or does he believe, simply by being half-black/half-white that only he, merely by being nominated and elected, can single-handedly save us from the kind of racial strife that he and backers such as Rev. Wright are apparently deliberately fomenting? In fact, does Obama have a detailed, intelligent, workable plan for solving any of this country’s problems? He's spoken many thousands of words, but hasn’t proposed any real solution for even one of those many complex problems. Thus, his words amount to only so much empty rhetoric, including his attempted explanations of the Rev. Wright issue, which will not and should not simply go away as Obama's supporters would like. Rev. Wright’s clear hatred for anyone who is not black and Obama’s clear support for such hatred cannot be explained away or cleaned up no matter how much time passes and no matter how many pretty words are used, and it is precisely such hatred that makes Obama unfit to be president.