Obama Tries To Move Past Controversial Pastor
(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley
PLAINFIELD, IND. -- Speaking out against his controversial pastor, Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama said Wright made statement that were “incendiary and that I completely reject,” but that he would not allow them to derail his campaign. “If all I knew was those statements that I saw on television, I would be shocked,” Obama said. “It just reminds me that we've got a tragic history when it comes to race in this country.”
The fiery pastor at Obama’s church has been quoted as saying that blacks should condemn America for “treating our citizens as less than human,” and that the U.S. brought 9/11 on itself because of its foreign policy.
Hoping to put the controversy behind him, Obama invoked Bobby Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. “He said, at that moment of anguish, we've got a choice in taking the rage and bitterness and disappointment and letting it fester and dividing us further,” Obama said. “Or we can take a different path that says we have different stories, but we have common dreams and common hopes.”
This is the first public visit to Indiana for either Democratic candidate, but it could become a battleground state during their May 6th primary. The northern part of the state is in the Chicago television market, where Obama is frequently on the news, and two of Indiana’s largest cities, Indianapolis and Gary, both have significant African-American populations, which have voted overwhelmingly for Obama. But there are also a number of blue-collar employees in the state, who tend to vote for Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind, is actively campaigning for her.
Aware of the 72 delegates and 12 superdelegates that are at stake here, Obama opened his speech by thanking Indiana’s newest Congressman, Andre Carson – who also happens to be an uncommitted superdelegate. He closed his speech by telling the crowd of around 3000 that he would be actively campaigning in Indiana, and that he “needs people who are willing to get involved.”
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See all 134 CommentsHow can your church maintain its non profit exempetion from the IRS when Pastor Wright blatentley supports Obama from the pulpit.
THis is a severe violation for any non profit to support any candiate, much less in the manner of Pastor Wright.
It is difficult to see how a Harvard Grad "didn''t know"? !
But let''s forget Obama''s comments on whether or not he knew for a second. He is toast. Had my vote. Lost my vote.
For UCC to defend Pastor Wright''s comments is outrageous as the racist comments the Pastor has made. Not once. Not twice%u2026who knows how many times%u2026so many examples on You Tube alone. The Pastor''s comments are very offensive, divisive and sickening and undermine any of the good works he or his congregation have done.
Please explain to me how your church can support this Pastor and his congregation for giving a lifetime achievement award to Farrakhan and the Pastor''s highly inflamatory racist remarks?
Answer me this mmcgee8: Why did obama refuse Rev. Wright''s offer to do the invocation at his announcement for his Presidential candidacy, & try to distance himself from Rev. Wright at that time if, as he says now, he didn''t know the content of Wright''s sermons then. Was it a lapse in his self ascribed "judgement" to make Rev. Wright with his racist diatribes the spiritual advisor of his campaign? Rise above racism? I think not, just racism of a different flavor!
Hillary traveled to Northern Ireland seven times between 1995 and 2004, and gave what Northern Irish leader and Nobel Laureate John Hume recently described as %u201Cdecisive support%u201D to the peace process in Northern Ireland. She focused especially on encouraging the emergence of women in the political process. In addition, Hillary''s work at the grass roots and behind-the-scenes helped cultivate the conditions necessary for the peace to take hold and last.
You obviously have no basis in fact. You as many others are acting on emotion. I have included for you some actual fact. Maybe you should read and get a better understanding of what you believe is fact.
"In 1998 under the auspices of the U.S.-led Vital Voices Democracy Initiative, established by Hillary and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright the previous year %u2013 Hillary brought together 400 women in Belfast, Northern Ireland to foster their rise to prominence and leadership and to ensure that their success helped support peace. She met with community workers and with women politicians in Northern Ireland to encourage them to take on a larger role. She carried a pledge to the government of Ireland that the United States would remain a partner in the peace process.
Senator George Mitchell said that %u201CShe was very much involved in encouraging the emergence of women in the political process in Northern Ireland, which was a significant factor in ultimately getting an agreement.%u201D
Hillary%u2019s efforts have continued as Senator. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip during her Senate term, and Northern Ireland on her second trip, where she spoke with all of the major leaders in Northern Ireland."
I also would add that Senator Clinton was named person of the year in 2007 by Irish American magazine.
"Words" are important and these are based in fact!
I too supported obama but have since wisened up!
Much worse than a tv show, our country has far too many people who are like Dexter%u2019s sister. Namely, they want to have unity so badly that they are unwilling to look closely enough to see that Barack Obama is not going to deliver anything like unity.
If he could, then how come he has contributed immensely to date to the most divisive campaign in the recent past? And how come one of his most prominent supporters is a man who historically created one of the most divisive democratic primaries ever - namely Ted Kennedy?
And how can you feverishly push for support from Ted Kennedy and his like when you are supposed to be a new kind of politician?
I for one am happy to pass the cup for Obama to get lots of counseling.
And, I am hoping for the good of the country that he fails in the primary.
Yet it was his black father that chose to walk away from him when he was 2 years old and leave behind the family so that he (i.e. Barack%u2019s father) could attend Harvard when another less prestigious school offered to pay for not only Barack%u2019s father but also for housing / expenses for the entire family.
Barack%u2019s black father abandoned Barack Obama. His white family raised him.
So the identity issue obviously runs deep for Barack Obama. Clearly he has found his home by playing the aggrieved black man in the privacy of his church and family while he poses as a uniter in public.
A fine life if that is what he chooses.
But a terrible person to have as president of the US.
He sounds like he needs a lot of counseling help in order to reconcile the real racial divide - namely his own identity crisis.
Instead, he is projecting his personal crisis onto the country and far too many people are buying it.
If you strive for Black issues, that is fine. But by definition you are racist because you are interested only in the things that are desired for blacks. The president needs to be look out for the interests of all Americans, not just whites, not just blacks, not just Asians, not just Latinos.
Words are cheap. Barack Obama has practiced moving speeches since his days in Harvard Law School. Through those efforts, he has earned the oratorical prowess that he now commands in his campaign. That however, is not the same thing as walking the walk. He speaks well. His actions say something entirely different. There is not a single thing about Barack Obama''s church of 20 years that is unifying. There are many things about it that are racist, hateful and divisive.
Judge the tree by its fruits.
Again it is a free country. Reverend Wright, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama are all free to be ashamed of America. They are also free to run for president as a uniter.
Hopefully, voters will remember that we are free because of sacrifices made by the men and women of the armed forces and because of the exercising of our individual right and privilege and duty to vote in our elections. Remembering that, it is this author''s hope that Barack Obama serve as many terms as he wishes in the US Senate as the senator from Illinois but that his presidential campaign fails.
Let''s hope voters look at this issue closely and take it into serious consideration when voting. Any person who was truly a uniter and who truly had good judgment would have left that church a long time ago.
Honestly, when I heard his words I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. This guy is keeping his folks down with sick, conspiracy; hate filled theories just like Farrakhan. Furthermore, only by going to HIS church and paying attention to HIS sick "charismatic" rantings can "believers%u201D find out the TRUTH. This ABSOLUTELY reflects on the sort of person Obama IS. It''s no wonder Barak wants to create "unity". Look at the world view of his divisive pastor who preaches DIS-unity. Wright''s a real life, black Archie Bunker and a throwback to ancient times. No wonder Obama wants "change!".
Does Obama include Rev. Wright among the "forces of division". He should! Look at Obama''s comments about the Reverand''s hate speech very carefully. He only denounces "some" of the comments that we''ve been hearing on the video tapes. He chose to attend this church. He knew about these comments as he & Wright discussed last year distancing Wright from the campaign. Why? When Obama started his presidential bid Wright was suppose to speak at the event. He was asked not to just before. Why? Obama wants us to believe that Rev. Wright only spoke this way when Obama wasn''t in the pews for 20 years? Give me a break. He is a divider, not a uniter. Enough of his flowery and dodging excuses. His poor judgment
is change we can''t believe in.
Honestly, when I heard his words I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. This guy is keeping his folks down with sick, conspiracy; hate filled theories just like Farrakhan. Furthermore, only by going to HIS church and paying attention to HIS sick "charismatic" rantings can "believers%u201D find out the TRUTH. This ABSOLUTELY reflects on the sort of person Obama IS. It''s no wonder Barak wants to create "unity". Look at the world view of his divisive pastor who preaches DIS-unity. Wright''s a real life, black Archie Bunker and a throwback to ancient times. No wonder Obama wants "change!".
Look at NYT April 30, 2007 article wherein Reverend Wright said that he had discussed with Obama the idea that Obama would have to distance himself from the reverend and Obama said yes he agreed. Same article also explains Obama listened to recordings of the reverend''s speeches while Obama was in Harvard Law School so that Obama could learn to move audiences the way Obama saw the reverend move audiences. Both of these facts show that Obama was well aware of the controversial nature of the reverend''s speeches. This shows that it is dishonest for Obama to claim that he never heard the reverend''s comments until just now.
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