Rev. Wright’s Tour Begins

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, longtime friend of and pastor to Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, is getting back into the news, this time on his own terms and initiative. As Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynnn Sweet points out, Wright is going very public in the wake of controversies stirred by taped remarks of some of his sermons, which included often replayed statements like “God damn America.”

First up is an interview with Bill Moyers of PBS, which will air Friday evening. Next comes a turn at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Monday. According the The Caucus blog at the New York Times, Wright tells Moyers he feels the controversies are unfair. “I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt for those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons.”

Wright says the political reasons for the flap are clear. “I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ. And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint? That’s what they wanted to communicate.” And, in a seemingly back-handed compliment, he says Obama has dealt with the issue the only way he can. “He says what he has to say as a politician. I say what I have to say as a pastor. But they’re two different worlds. … I do what I do. He does what politicians do.” Stay tuned for more from Wright’s interview.