Was Jeremiah Wright's speech set up by a Clinton supporter?

Well, here's a most interesting connection we just came across.

Everybody is talking today about how much the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's latest unrepentant militant remarks hurt his most prominent parishoner, Sen. Barack Obama, and his chances to win the Democratic presidential nomination and the general election. So much so that the Obama camp realized the latent danger overnight and the candidate was forced to speak out publicly a second time today, as The Ticket noted here earlier today.

There was little doubt left in today's remarks by Obama, who recently said he could no more disown Wright than he could the black community. He pretty much disowned Wright today. Obama described himself as "outraged" and "saddened" by "the spectacle of what we saw yesterday."

But now, it turns out, we should have been paying a little less attention to Wright's speech and the histrionics of his ensuing news conference and taken a peek at....

who was sitting next to him at the head table for the National Press Club event.

It was the Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, a former editorial board member of USA Today who teaches at the Howard University School of Divinity. An ordained minister, as New York Daily News writer Errol Louis points out in today's column, she was introduced at the press club event as the person "who organized" it.

But guess what? She's also an ardent longtime booster of Obama's sole remaining competitor for the Democratic nomination, none other than Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. It won't take very much at all for Obama supporters to see in Wright's carefully arranged Washington event that was so damaging to Obama the strategic, nefarious manipulation of the Clintons.

Their supporter, Reynolds, helps arrange a speech by the outspoken and egocentric Wright which receives blanket national coverage to the disadvantage of Clinton's opponent. As Louis writes: "The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn't have done more damage to Barack Obama's campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that's just what one friend of Wright wanted."

Reynolds has not returned e-mails or phone calls seeking comment, but Louis notes the obvious conflict between her political allegiance and her press club arrangements. He quotes a February blog entry of Reynolds saying, "My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you" to Clinton and her husband for his administration's successes.

In another entry, Reynolds notes critically of Obama, "It is a sad testimony that to protect his credentials as a unifier above the fray, the senator is fueling the media characterization that Rev. Dr. Wright is some retiring old uncle in the church basement."

Louis notes himself about the Wright appearance: "It's hard to exaggerate how bad the actual news conference was. Wright, steeped in an honorable, fiery tradition of Bible-based social criticism, cheapened his arguments and his movement by mugging for the cameras, rolling his eyes, heaping scorn on his critics and acting as if nobody in the room was learned enough to ask him a question."

(UPDATE: Sylvia Smith, the press club president, confirmed today that Reynolds is on the club's speakers committee. She told Michael Calderone on Politico.com that she still doesn't know whom Reynolds supports for president, adding, "Rev. Wright is newsworthy, period.")

--Andrew Malcolm

                                                                                                                            Photo Credit: Getty

Comments

[Mike]

How sad the Los Angeles Times has become. Lets blame Hillary for this??? did she write the good reverends speech. give him talking points? does she also know who shot biggie? LA Times what has happened to your standards?

[Allen Johnson]

Operation Chaos continues!

[Jane G. Thomas]

Well, somehow I am not surprised to hear that the do-aything, say-anything-to get elected-Clintons would be behind the re-emergence of Rev. Wright. Fortunately, there is still no chance HRC will get the nomination; so I can vote Democratic. Had she been the nominee, I would not have voted Democratic.

[Paul]

ACTUALLY, THE GOOD REVEREND IS COMPLETELY CORRECT. LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS. AND I'M NOT BLACK - JUST A STUDENT OF HISTORY !!!

[J Peters]

Nice try!! Now Sen. Clinton is the cause of everything wrong in this campaign, hers, Obamas and McCains. Give me a break!!!

[Emlyn]

Another low-ball tactic from another low-ball presidential candidate.

Fight fire with fire? Consider:

What of Ms Clinton's affiliation with "The Family", also called "The Fellowship"--a conservative, fundamentalist organization started by Abraham Vereide, which upholds military superiority, "religious capitalism", the elite class, and avoids the word "Christian"? How deep do we dig into her spiritual family before we discover skeletons in her confessional?

I'll take positivity and optimism and grassroots energy any day over the muckraking and political prostituting of the Clinton campaign, who spend vastly more time manufacturing dirt on their rival than they do producing substantive and qualitative evidence that would help to disprove why Hillary Clinton would make such an appalling leader of people.

The Clinton campaign is incapable of winning hearts, so it does what it knows best: It casts off its self-respect and sprawls naked on the precinct floor, flashing its political genitalia at anyone with a blank ballot.

The Johns can all but resist.

[JR]

I accept that he's sorry that he didn't condemn Wrights statement before now and that he doesn't agree with them, but if he tries to lay this on Clinton then enough is enough. That would be about the lowest most gutless thing he or his supporters could ever do. I've tried to give them the benefit of doubt many times in the nomination cycle but trying to blame Hillary for his mess. Wow, what a jerk and I swear I will never vote for this man.

[Jennifer Pulver]

Absolutely ridiculous. Yes, let's blame everything that's wrong with the Obama campaign on Hillary. Get real. She's not perfect but her behind Wright speaking out. Please! Wright is clearly an egocentric nutcase who is fueling his own personal ambitions.

[Marco]

I have three degrees. Please do not refer to me or my like as an Obama-Bot. All I want is a president who thinks in the present tense, and answers the questions he is asked with thought and his/her own sense of truth. Obama is only one doing that. The others lost their sense of self sometime in their 50's.

[Seth]

Are there any adults left in the Democratic Party? If so, will someone please get a hook and get Billary off the stage. Really. Her parade of narcississtic, do-anything, say-anything, I'm-entitled-to-the-Presidency schtick has really worn out its welcome.

[park]

this was neither a carefully orchestrated, nefarious conspiracy to kill Obama's campaign,or all his fault for misjudging Revrend Wright. can't you possibly remember the last time you misjudged somone? this is a bunch of stupid comments from a reverend who has some misguided ideas. maybe he's crazy or something.

[MAUFIT]

Whoever arranged the press conference of Wright is not the issue here, it's what garbage that comes out of Wright mouth that matters and for Obama to denounce his "uncle" now is too late and is viewed as political exploitation just like what Obama did to his grandmother - dragging a "typical white" into the mud with Wright. Obama had a chance to denounce Wright in his famous speech in Philadelphia.

[Moysh]

I am NOT crazy enough to vote for any democrat this time around. My vote goes to the Moderate McCain. He is a Mensch.

[Kristen]

Hahaha, this play couldn't have been more perfectly played. I work for an important man that would have given his soul to create this scenario.

I am surprised that no one has realized the connection between my boss and some of her biggest supporters. I would look more into newly adopted fund raisers added to HRC's camp since she has declared that she will fight all the way to the convention. Follow the money, it always leaves a trail.

Oh the beautiful damage. We won't even have to fight a campaign against Nobama, Hillary can bloody him to the point of near death and we can put anyone in and beat him. Thanks Hill.

[Marshuff]

If you think this is below the Clintions you do not live in the real world. This is right up their alley. The Clintons will stop at nothing to gain control of the White House. If you vote for some one like them you are no different than those that voted to put Hitler in power. Wake up people.

[Jimi]

What is the big deal.

Overtly bigoted, xenophobic, and racist white preachers endorse McCain and people aren't spending all of their time dissecting these relationships.

Wright is not Obama. Think about all of your "questionable" acquaintances before you start throwing stones.

[wildbill]

It seems some people cannot see past the nose on their faces. Anyone can see that this is a ploy by OBAMA's team to SMEAR Mrs. Clinton once again. Why don't you folks out there GROW UP. We are supposed to be adults. Isn't it about time to start acting like one?

[Sean]

What do we really want from our president - a person that is honest, intelligent, forward thinking and puts the country and it's people in ahead of their self interest.

The recent comment that "a reasonably intelligent Democrat will really vote for the flawed Republican candidate, McCain, in November. My prediction? Very, very low probability!!! "
My take on that is - Why is that a low probability? Seeing Obama and Clinton acting anything BUT presidential.

After 16 years of lies and ego - let's vote for someone with integrity

[Eileen]

This is all speculation! Shame on you guys, LA Times, for even printing this garbage! So, let's find a way to turn the tables on Obama and Rev. Wright, and blame the Clintons now?! Are you out of your whacked out minds?! I'm sick of it. How totally biased the media has become. This is an insane, far-fetched "connection"! Hillary had nothing to do with Rev. Wright and Obama's connection! This is starting to sound like a ridiculously biased media soap opera.

[marie Batten]

You and FOX seem to be brothers in crime against HC...did she set up Bill Moyers on PBS as well? How stupid are you?

she is a fighter and if we ever needed one - with an IQ, it is now.

[Will]

I am an Obama supporter, but this article is innuendo. Wright is not Clinton's fault. Her supporter may well have thought that arranging this would keep Wright at the forefront, damaging Obama's campaign, but to suggest a conspiracy is like saying America created HIV.

Judge Clinton on the merits: after losing a little sleep, she lies outright by telling us that she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire.

Judge Obama on the merits: after his former pastor makes inflammatory statements, he first makes the most significant speech on race in modern American history, then clearly disowns the man he thought he knew, but didn't.

Obama is a real leader, and our country's hope for a future.

[Don Jones]

How many so called men of God get away with giving folks what they want to hear in exchange for a bully pulpit and fat wallet? Wright and his wife look half white also. That is the higher attraction, being "light". Being "light" was the mutuality of Wright and Obama. Also Obama was a source of money, which Wright obviously covets along with fame.

It is all so visible and all so disgusting and no one believes Obama did not take a gamble and lost. He was hoping he could put Wright back in the closet by standing up for him back a few weeks ago.

Don Jones
MyManJohn.com

[Richard Blackmore]

Hello? Barrak Obama Isn't rev. Wright. Rev. Wright isn't Barrak Obama. Get over it. Move on to something that is an actual issue, like the econmy, or taxes, or the war in Iraq. This is Rovian slime tactics at its worst.

[SK]

Stop this divisiveness. If we continue to let the media help the Hillary campagin perpeturates this kind of hate and hostitlity towards OBAMA, we are going to see no end to this. The Dems will regret in the end for not doing anything about it. The Dems will lose a lot of votes because of the dirty politics the Hillary camp is playing.
I am so sick and tired of these negative tones coming from the Hillary campaign.
As a democrate, it is disgusting to me to see the ongoing negativity and bickering going on, it is time to put a STOP to it, and foucu on the REAL AGENDAS and ISSUES. Our economy is at stake!!!!

[Jeff Swander, no alias needed]

Now it's all beginning to make sense... we don't hear squat from this guy until the dirty little Clinton machine gets to him, then he won't shut up. It's so obvious now, why did it take so long to make the connection? Maybe people want to believe that Mrs. Clinton is honest? Nah... there's too much history for people to believe that. Wright made a choice between supporting a parishioner who just happens to be campaigning for president and getting his own overblown persona into the national spotlight for his 15 minutes of fame. Looks like the Clintons got their money's worth from buying him off.

Keep it up Democrats - make sure we elect McCain, the only candidate who has the stuff to tell the people the truth, not the ones who will say anything just to get elected. Even though Obama has far more charisma than substance, Clinton is just plain dishonest.

When will the American people wake up amd smell the coffee?