Obama Says He Didn't Know About Minister's Statements Until Recently

By: John Bentley
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley

PORTLAND, ORE. – As the uproar surrounding Barack Obama's minister Jeremiah Wright continues, Obama clarified his position about when he heard Rev. Wright make his controversial statements. "I wasn't aware of the AIDS conspiracy statement, which I think is completely out of line and off the wall," Obama said. "I wasn't aware of his statements, God damn America. Those statements were not ones that I knew about until the story broke a week and a half ago."

Wright also said that the attacks of 9/11 were the fault of America's foreign policy. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans," Wright said in a sermon shortly after the attacks in 2001. "Now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards."

Obama said he knew about those statements shortly after he decided to run for president, over a year ago, but not from actually sitting in the pews. "The 9/11 statement I became aware of in the New York Times after I announced my candidacy," he said. "The reason I did not decide to leave the church was because I saw Rev. Wright retiring."

Obama said he was responding to media reports that accused him of flip-flopping on his position about when he heard the Rev. Wright make the statements. "It's been suggested," he said, "that somehow there was a flip-flop or a contradiction between previous statements about not being aware of Rev. Wright's statements and my statement in the speech that I was aware of controversial statements he's made. There's no contradiction there."

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by grammawhamma March 22, 2008 8:35 AM EDT: How any American (no matter what race, gender or religious belief) can continue to support Barack Obama after the Wright affair broke is beyond me.

Yes, I know, Wright said those venomous words, not Obama. But Obama knew what was going on at that church and did nothing but sit in the pew and nod in approval. The sermons that made the news were put on DVD''''s by Trinity church...so obviously they picked Wright''''s "best" sermons to promote their church. So don''''t tell me Obama had no clue what Wright preached. After all he says Wright was his mentor.

I find it interesting how after the news broke that the Trinity United Church of Christ''''s web site was revamped. I saw the original and I saw the new one. If there was nothing to be ashamed of or to hide...why did they rush to change it?

Obama is not the Messiah or the Golden Child. Obama is a wolf in sheeps clothing....and the poor sheep are still fooled by his eloquent speeches. Wake up people!
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God "BLESS" America.; Reply to this comment


by rale1 March 22, 2008 6:47 AM EDT: I commend Oprah for choosing another liar in her camp.

If anyone recalls, Oprah was moved by James Frey''s book "A Million Little Pieces." Boy, it sure bit Oprah in the @zz when she found out that this guy lied about his life.

Oprah is so impressed with Barack that she persuaded him to run for Presidency. Does Oprah honestly believe in her heart that Barack does not know anything about Rev. Wright''s hatred towards White Americans? Or perhaps Oprah knows about this since she and Barack belongs to the same church (or at least go to the same church).

Who would have thought that Oprah is so easily fooled by liars?; Reply to this comment


by bilbo983 March 22, 2008 4:44 AM EDT: Why is the Right wing Media using the same old "RELIGION" tactics as they did in 2004 to push American voters yet again to make another wrong choice of Presidential Candidate?

It''s time to keep RELIGION OUT OF POLITICS!; Reply to this comment


by rale1 March 22, 2008 4:44 AM EDT: Obama Says He Didn%u2019t Know About Minister%u2019s Statements Until Recently

Oh yeah, and my grandmother is a typical grandmother who is also a racist just like Barack''s grandmother.; Reply to this comment


by bilbo983 March 22, 2008 4:39 AM EDT: Are we going to let RELIGION once again decide who one should vote like we did let RELIGION push American voters to vote for Mr. Bush in 2004 to drive us into our contemporary woes and miseries?

We are seeing the same Right Wing Media using the same Religious Hogwash in their attempt to give us another wrong choice of Presidential candidate! Do American voters ever learn from their 2004 mistakes?; Reply to this comment


by workforpeace March 22, 2008 1:55 AM EDT: It''s good to know the previous comments are a matter of opinion. Anyone care to tell me where are the WMDs. I doubt that''s possible. Moving forward, recently Obama gave an emaculate speech that covered everyone. Not just the race or *** of an individual but inclusive of every one. This speech expressed concern and care for enemies and allies around. Who cares what his reverend or pastor stated. If you want to take something from his pastor and run with it, go to church!!!; Reply to this comment


by nlisad March 22, 2008 12:59 AM EDT: of course he knew, and of course he lied. but the most important thing is he allowed his small children to be taught this poison.that tells the tale. i as a life long dem will never vote for bo. i do not support racism, terrorism, or anti american sentiments. i would see this party split first. if kennedy, kerry, pelosi, and richarson think this party will unite, they are crazy!!
i hope if hrc isn''t the nom, she would hear our cries and run as an independent. then fl and mi would have a candidate!! as well as the latinos, the orientals, and the typical white people.; Reply to this comment


by kanita2 March 21, 2008 10:40 PM EDT: Obama is not straight up with the American people.......He continually denies knowledge of his pastors statements....If this is true....He is unattentive and ignorant in his church attending....He used the church for political personal gain....but sells them out when it blows up in his face.......Just claim "not aware" maybe Americans are that stupid........WAKE UP AMERICA..
Gov Richardson also has personal agenda for his endorsement...VEEP!!!

Yea!! A Black Pres and a Latino VP
I benefit him, He benifits ME!!!

And would H really consider me?

How obvious is this.......
Thank you for my say.......
KH in WA State; Reply to this comment


by jtomorrow March 21, 2008 10:33 PM EDT: I suppose Obama didn''t know about the pro-Hamas article in his church bulletin either. Hamas is a well-known terrorist organization. In an issue dated July 22, 2007 the church printed an article on Pastor''s Page by Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook in which he justifies Hamas'' withholding of recognition of Israel''s right to exist.; Reply to this comment


by mkarma March 21, 2008 10:26 PM EDT: Someone spent HOURS pouring over years of speeches to extract this particular two minutes of Wright sermon that was pulled out of context. That these sentiments happen to exist is not cause for alarm. Certainly no more so than those who stated that Al-Qaida was linked to Iraq, IN ORDER TO TAKE US TO WAR! Or stating, knowing that it was never established (in fact disputed by our own intelligence agency), that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD''s. Now 4,000 American soldiers are dead, and roughly 1 million Iraqis: as a direct outcome of these DELIBERATE deceptions. Those are crimes against humanity, by any calculation. Truly reprehensible, tragic and PREVENTABLE. And yet when someone points out that our current Government cannot be trusted - a well-established truism - we holler about patriotism??!!
And then we pillory anyone who happened to hear the opinion expressed, as if each person within earshot is somehow responsible? What sheer and baldfaced hypocrisy.
Yet people here decry someone who is adult enough to try to speak honestly, addressing us as thoughtful and intelligent listeners. Maybe we don''t even merit that consideration. At least not from what is displayed here by contributors.; Reply to this comment