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

[Marshuff]

Uh...just how grown up is someone that goes by the name of wildbill anyway? Duh...or think Clinton is the answer?

[mariann]

WHEN HILLARY MARRIED BILL, WAS OR DID HILLARY EVER ANTICIPATE a "Monica Lewinsky", "Gennifer Flowers", etc.?? And Hillary and Bill know each other more than 20 years that Obama says he "knew" of Rev Wright.

Also, if OBAMA IS JUST RESPONDING "AS A POLITICIAN" ACCORDING TO REV WRIGHT, SO MUST BE...JOHN MCCAIN, HILLARY CLINTON, BILL CLINTON (though disabarred from praticing law), UNITED STATES CONGRESS, ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE UNITED STATES, AMBASSADORS AND SUPREME COURT MEMBERS APPOINTED BY POLITICAL OFFICIALS, GOVERNORS, STATE AND ASSEMBLY ELECTED OFFICIALS, ETC.

[ck]

Preposterous. Who cares who scheduled the speech? Wright made the outrageous remarks. Obama has known and accepted Wright's views for 20 years. He and his wife brought their daughters to Wright's church Sunday after Sunday to listen to Wright's hate-based, divisive radical leftwing black ideology masquerading as religion. Neither of them ever questioned, objected to or condemned Wright's views, and never left Wright's church. Renouncing the remarks and the man today means nothing other than blatant political expediency. Case closed.

[spiritguide]

I'm sorry to say that at this point my avid interest in Obama is waning considerably, and will probably result in my hoping that somehow Hillary wins the nomination.. even tho I will have to hold my nose when I vote for her. Obama has made a HUGE mistake in staying with Trinity Church and treating Rev Wright so affectionately.. in that he presented himself as a hope-driven unifier who wants to represent all Americans.. not just angry and disenfranchised Black Americans. Perhaps he is not mature enough to be taken seriously after all. He should have seen all this coming and dropped Wright years ago. The Reverand is an outdated, unstable, faux intellectual egomaniac.. who is making this election about him. He is not the great Biblical scholar or Rights activist that he presents himself to be, and he is a prime example of the problem, not the solution. I find this all very sad.. and feel that this election has gone from an exciting prospect of positive change, to a very messy and ugly soap opera disaster. The whole process is going down in flames.. soon to crash and burn. I can't wait til it is over...

[Zion]

Good grief what's next? Is Hillary responsible for global warming now? Did Hillary sell Barak his first bag of coke? Is she hiding in the closet waiting to eat your children?
This kind of paranoid delusion is why Barak Obama and all his little cronies need to get out of the election and let the REAL politicians fight it out like they know how to and not suck their thumbs and cry and whine about what the big bad Hillary monster is doing to then.

[Daniel]

I think I just read a comment that said Hillary has no skeletons in her closet...wow, and you think Obama supporters are delusional.

I can't say it's not possible his recent behavior wasn't prodded by the Clinton campaign or its supporters. But my first thought was that it was setup by Obama's campaign, to make it easier to draw a distinction between the two men.

What I don't understand is that John McCain is going through exactly the same thing with John Hagee, but no one is paying any attention to that story.

[JamesC.]

Hillary Clinton could have driven the Rev. Wright to his speech, and it wouldn't have been relevant to the core issue. The problem is Obama's long-term relationship with Wright and his treatment of the issue over time. Wright, formerly "just like an old uncle," has become a major political liability, and now Obama is fighting for his (presidential) life. Obama's has been less than candid concerning his knowledge of Wright's incendiary views, and that is also becoming apparent.

I'm struck by the backlash against Wright. He's not the problem - his views have been known for years. Obama and his judgment/candor are the real issue.

[fedup in PA]

Holy cow! Are people supposed to believe that Hillary Clinton made Jeremiah Wright act like that?

[Graniteman]

What a load of buffalo patties! This allegation sounds like desperate spin doctoring by the Obama campaign. Let's face it, folks. Senator Obama associated for 20 years with a vocal pastor who has said the most outrageous things (e.g. the federal govt. spread AIDS within the black community). Why did Sen. Obama stick with Rev. Wright until today? Because the TUCC church provided a springboard for the senator's political career. The very junior senator from Illinois is now in a nose dive. Can he recover? I doubt it.

[gerry]

Why is it that every time something occurs that in any way forces people to look at barack Obama in a new or different light it is blamed oon the Clinton's -- Hillary Clinton had nothing to do with the relationship between Sen. Obama and his pastor -- It was of his own chossing -- and if this leads to brining him down to earth it is of his own doing -- It was more then acceptable for him to align himself with Pastor Wright when it was to his advantage and he need his support to win the Senate -- now that he is in the National Sptolight everything has changed -- Now that's politics --

[Art]

Obama is not electable. I have a few questions for the Obama-bots and Clinton-bashers: 1. Name the most significant thing that Obama has actually accomplished besides giving speeches. 2. How much jello must Obama have in his spine to sit for 15 years in the pews of a maniac like Wright who believes that AIDS was a US govt. plot, that Farrakhan is a great hero, etc, etc? 3. Why did Obama vote "present" on each controversial issue? 4. What is the most difficult situation that Obama has ever faced in his adult life? 5. Name one major state Obama has won besides his home state.

Hillary is an absolutely remarkable woman, in my opinion, though she is not perfect. Obama is a perfect piece of plastic with no content. Americans will be able to see the difference by November. (The polls already show Hillary ahead of McCain 9 points, but Obama even.) Americans previously elected "nice clean guy" Bush (with no content of character), and look what happened.

McCain has a very strong character, and there is no way that Obama could stand up to him.

[Jahooudi]

Obamamania, I am convinced that you are either under 13 years old, or decided to stop taking your meds.

Saying things like "typical white people of pennsylvania" are you kidding?! Barack Obama is about unity. I truely believe that. You are no supporter of Obama if you honestly think the way you type ( and I give you the benefit when I say "think". )

Keep waiting for that check...

Rev. Wright preaches hate. Its that simple. Now some Obama supporters are saying he was set up? I call bullshit! What a bunch of cowards.... "oh It wasnt his fault.....wahh wahh"

Obama is slipping in the polls. he knows it and is intelligent enough to move on. Try focusing more on what Obama can do instead of what Clinton "might" be doing..

It's moments like this and people like Obamamania that will make us all watch McCain take the oath come November.

[Hillary made him do it!]

Hillary Clinton made all of this happen! Hillary Clinton will do ANYTHING to win! She will even refuse to get caught doing things, just to make the press look bad! But we all know that absence of proof is proof! Obama's wife would be PROUD of this country if it weren't for Hillary!

[EX-obama supporter]

how does one explain Wright's appearance on Bill Morely last week, the NAACP Speech, the Press Speech.

have we forgotten Wright ridiculed CHELSEA CLINTON BY NAME in the Press speech?

nice try but no wings.

[Beth Chapman Martin]

This news should be offensive to any voter who was disgusted by the karl rove /GOP machinations of the last 8 years. enough

[Superpower]

What ever happen to, - I can no more disown Reverend Wright blah, blah blah..? More snake oil for the masses.

[Bronxx]

Seriously, people. ... 1) If there was a potential connection between an Obama supporter setting up a nationally televised forum for a high-profile associate damaging to Clinton, the Clinton supporters would be in flames over it. So yes, Obama supporters are just as justified in getting upset IF THERE IS SOMETHING TO THIS. As has been noted, the fact that she's a Clinton supporter and that she's an associate of Wright may be non-competing in this case and nothing nefarious was intended. THAT is the job of the media, though, to investigate those things, so back off the people who honestly raise the question and seek the answers. ... 2) For the love of God, if you're going to spout off, get your facts straight. Obama did not sit in the pews for 20 years, he sat there for 15 (20 just sounds so much more damning to you, though, doesn't it?), he's KNOWN Wright for 20 years. Not defending him either way, just saying to get your facts straight. ... 3) The money Obama donated was to the CHURCH and its ministry, NOT to Rev. Wright. (If you want to prove me wrong, go track down the check Obama wrote and prove it's made out to the Rev instead of the actual organization of the church.) Quit trying to make something out of the fact that he donated money to a religious organization he's attended for over a decade that is heavily involved with community projects and helping the less fortunate. Wow. ... 4) If you want to judge Obama, judge him on what he's said and done (and preferably "why" if you have the guts to do the research). Sure, he sat in the pews for 15 years, but look at his public record and you won't see a single bill, law, movement, suggestion, public statement, or anything indicating a man who shares the distorted views of Rev. Wright. Whether you agree with Obama's policies he's enacted is one thing, but that's not what you're screaming about, now is it? THAT is the kind of distracting crud that had mucked up our political discussions for decades now, and what we mean when we say we want to stick to the issues. Discuss policies, problems, and solutions. If you want to question Obama's character or McCain's character or Clinton's character, fine, just do it armed with FACTS, not with "well, geez, he knows this person and spent time with them and had some associations, so they must represent his views, even though he's never said or done anything to indicate anything other than exactly what he's been saying to us".

[Zizzerzip]

The thing that gets me is, Who gives a S#&% what one person says? This USED TO be the UNITED States of America. A place where people had the right to free speech. Politics as usual has sure changed that.

Vote for Change.

[Al]

This will come back to bite Hillary and backfire a great deal. It will hasten her exit from the race. Clinton will do anything to get elected. Fortunately, as bill used to say, the American people will figure it out.

[elgarbanzo]

oh yes, here's the obama recipe:

1st pin it on the competition

2nd make a speech

[Josh N.]

Rev. Wright was right. The only people who dont recognize it are rednecks and undercover racists that cant accept the truth and shame of their government's history.

That said: Obama is not running for President of Pissed off black Americans but President of the United States. As much as it has hurt people of color, white peopel are a part of these United States.

Yes Rev. Wright was nearly 100% correct but it reallyd oesnt matter. This is America, the truth has no place.

[Paula Angelique Hafner]

It is a sad day indeed.

[J Snow]

Hillary has proven herself to be as lowlife a scumbag as George W Bush. Barack Obama should rightfully let Hillary have it and demand that she withdraw from this race now!

[Dave]

This is nothing more than sensationalism at its worst. Want a scoop? Try a box of Raisin Bran.

[Paul]

BAHAHAHAHA. This takes the damn cake for Clinton paranoia.