Obama: “I Did Not Vet My Pastor Before I Decided To Run For The Presidency”
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Barack Obama today said he was both angered and saddened by Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s appearance at the National Press Club on Monday and that his comments do not represent him or his campaign.
“I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama said. “I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I’ve known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago.”
At a press conference specifically organized to address Wright’s recent appearances, Obama repeatedly described Wright’s comments as a “performance” and a “bunch of rants.” He accused Wright of selfishly causing a distraction from issues related to voters and the campaign; “what mattered was him commanding center stage.”
Obama said Wright’s comments were disrespectful to him and that they should not be attributed to him. “I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I believe they are wrong,” Obama said. “I think they are destructive and to the extent that he continues to speak out, I do not expect those views to be attributed to me.”
He said his speech on race in Philadelphia was to give context to the issue, but that he never excused Rev. Wright’s comments, which he still says he never heard while attending the Trinity United Church.
“During the course of me attending that church, I had not heard those kinds of statements being made, or those kinds of views being prompted, and I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency, I was a member of the church,” Obama said. “So I think what it says, is that I had not, I did not run my pastor through the paces, or review every one of the sermons he had made over the last 30 years, but I don’t think that anybody could attribute those ideas to me.”
Obama admitted that the controversy surrounding Wright has caused “great damage” to their relationship and that their friendship will not be the same. He made a strong effort through out the press conference to distance himself from Wright and minimize their relationship.
“He was never my ‘spiritual advisor,’” Obama said. “He was never my spiritual mentor; he was my pastor.” But he was on Obama’s spiritual advisory committee as recently as March. Wright has since left that position.
“I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama said. “I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I’ve known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago.”
At a press conference specifically organized to address Wright’s recent appearances, Obama repeatedly described Wright’s comments as a “performance” and a “bunch of rants.” He accused Wright of selfishly causing a distraction from issues related to voters and the campaign; “what mattered was him commanding center stage.”
Obama said Wright’s comments were disrespectful to him and that they should not be attributed to him. “I want to make absolutely clear that I do not subscribe to the views that he expressed. I believe they are wrong,” Obama said. “I think they are destructive and to the extent that he continues to speak out, I do not expect those views to be attributed to me.”
He said his speech on race in Philadelphia was to give context to the issue, but that he never excused Rev. Wright’s comments, which he still says he never heard while attending the Trinity United Church.
“During the course of me attending that church, I had not heard those kinds of statements being made, or those kinds of views being prompted, and I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency, I was a member of the church,” Obama said. “So I think what it says, is that I had not, I did not run my pastor through the paces, or review every one of the sermons he had made over the last 30 years, but I don’t think that anybody could attribute those ideas to me.”
Obama admitted that the controversy surrounding Wright has caused “great damage” to their relationship and that their friendship will not be the same. He made a strong effort through out the press conference to distance himself from Wright and minimize their relationship.
“He was never my ‘spiritual advisor,’” Obama said. “He was never my spiritual mentor; he was my pastor.” But he was on Obama’s spiritual advisory committee as recently as March. Wright has since left that position.
McCain on the other hand has a spiritual adviser named Parsley who has suggested that Islam is a "false" religion and those who practice it should be "exterminated". This of course pales in comparison to what Hagee has said a supporter who McCain has defended. Hagee says the Catholic church is the great prostitute of religion and a "cult". He has also said that Katrina was God''s punishment on America for the sin of homosexuality. Perhaps he could call the new plank on his political platform "Americans for religious intolerance, xenophobia and homophobia.
Yesterday, Wright said "I told Obama if he becomes president, I''ll be coming after him".
Mr Wright implied he would threaten the president.
Mr Wright needs to be sent to a padded room.
April 28, 2008
Hastert Comes Up In Rezko Trial
The Tony Rezko trial continues today, and the hits just keep on coming. Today''s boldface name? Dennis Hastert, whom a witness said would help replace US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who was investigating Rezko.
[Prosecution witness and] restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Obviously, this plan didn''t go through. But Maloof was a "straw contributor" of $ 11,000 to Obama 2000 campaign for Illinois Senate.
US attorneys are appointed by the president, but typically are picked by senior senators, though according to AP story, "it would not be unusual to allow a senior congressman to suggest a candidate for U.S. attorney if there were no senator of the president''s party from the state."
The case is gaining national attention, especially after last week, when the prosecution said a witness would testify about Karl Rove''s involvement in attempting to get Fitzgerald fired. [AP, Newsweek]
Obama keeps lying and lying..and lying.
Obama called Wright his "spiritual advisor" in his own book....now today Obama says Wright is not his spiritual advisor.
Obama''s lies just keep coming and coming.
Does anyone else not think thats a little cultist? Why would any rational person capable of critical thinking need a spiritual adviser? The day I head that Billy Graham was being consulted with in the White House, I knew our country was getting laughed at across the world. Now we have one who even has a whole committee for it just during the campaign! If he cant run his own affairs without consulting a shaman, how is he qualified to run a country?
Whats next, is Nancy Reagan''s astrologer coming back?
Seems scenario is conducted by this dirty couple - clinton''s style.
We do not know yet, who would be hurt - maybe she.
Anyway, we can clear see - we are lucky first time in 40 years to get Honest Strong Decent Man - our Candidate for Future.
I am proud to give my vote and my heart for all the changes that are in front of us and NO DIRTY Clintons.
God, help us to clean their dirt fast
Anyway, this is the time for the enlightened to take back their country and it was never going to be easy. Too much ingorance has been allowed to flourish and been fertilized by self serving politicians and the corporate media. Remember every Black person who stepped forward to break down barriers met this opposition. Every man or woman who has grown weary of watching from the outside and decided to change something from the inside has met this opposition. The ironic thing is Barack is trying to be so much more than simply black and he is challenging the country to follow him in moving to a higher level, and I pray we are up to the challenge. It has been generations since Americans have been challenged on any level and I fear if we pass this opportunity up it will be many more before the opportunity comes again.
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by hotpoet
April 30, 2008 11:42 AM PDT
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See all 15 CommentsClinton/McCain in 2008 give us that crazy black preacher instead of news
Like Iraq? You''ll love Iran!
Oh sorry not enough soliders-- inscription, incoming!
collapse of the housing market? how very very unfortunate for some of you--
Us Clintons and McCains we got enough money to make a killing off this-- ha,ha,ha,ha!
Uh-oh! there goes the dollar.
Ooops-- stock.....market.....well, we told you not to count on social security.
47 million uninsured-- that''s 47 million the insurance companies aren''t profitting from-- something must be done!