Obama Urges End To "Racial Stalemate"

Democratic Candidate Condemns Pastor's Divisive Remarks, But Says He Cannot "Disown" Him

(CBS/AP)  Barack Obama unsparingly criticized his longtime pastor's words while strongly defending the man himself Tuesday in a politically risky speech that appealed to the country to overcome racism and the black anger and white resentment it spawns.

Forming a more perfect union "requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams," said the Illinois senator running to be the first black president.

"This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected," he said. (Read the full transcript of Obama's remarks.)

In his most pointed speech of the campaign, Obama confronted the nation's legacy of racial division head on, tackling black grievance, white resentment and the uproar over his former pastor's incendiary statements. Drawing on his half-black, half-white roots as no other presidential hopeful could, Obama urged Americans to break "a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years.'"

Obama said sermons delivered by his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, "rightly offend white and black alike." Those sermons from years ago suggested the United States brought the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on itself and say blacks continue to be mistreated by whites.

While Obama rejected what Wright said, he also embraced the man who inspired his Christian faith, officiated at his wedding, baptized his two daughters and has been his spiritual guide for nearly 20 years.

But the man Obama once called his spiritual mentor is one who has been accused of putting up roadblocks to the path to understanding, CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts reports.

With frequent references to the Bible, Obama sought to condemn the sin, and not the sinner.

"Obama combined his condemnation of Rev. Wright's comments with an explanation of the anger that has fueled racial divisions in this country for years," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs, "but a speech long on history was shorter on solutions. It will take some time for this speech to settle in to the nation's political consciousness but it's unlikely to stop a potentially divisive conversation that has already begun."

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Full Transcript Of Obama's Remarks
CBS Poll: Pastor's Remarks Hurt Obama
Congregation Defends Obama's Ex-Pastor
Video: Obama On Anger Between Races

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"The anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races," he said in a speech at the National Constitution Center, not far from where the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

The speech was the most racially tinged during his campaign to become the first black president, covering divisions from slavery to the O.J. Simpson trial to the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina, along with his own background. Obama rarely talks so openly about his race in such a prominent way, but he recognized it has been a major issue in the campaign that has taken a "particularly divisive turn" in the last few weeks as video of his longtime pastor spread on the Internet and on television.

"This was a step toward steering this conversation toward a more constructive direction and away from the divisive language and terms that we heard from Rev. Wright," Ververs said. "That's a tall order but he put his best foot forward, delivering a speech that you'll hear from few presidential front-runners."

Obama's advisers say the candidate decided on Saturday to make the speech and spent much of Sunday and Monday writing it, finishing shortly before he took the stage. They said Philadelphia was chosen not because it has the highest concentration of blacks in Pennsylvania, the next state to vote on April 22, but because of its historical significance.

Meanwhile, a CBS News poll taken before the speech finds that while sixty-five percent of registered voters who have heard at least something about Wright say their view of the Democratic presidential candidate is unchanged, 30 percent said it has made them feel more negative about Obama.

"I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community," Obama said, speaking in front of eight American flags. "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe."

Obama said he knew Wright to occasionally be a fierce critic of U.S. policy and that the pastor sometimes made controversially remarks in church that he disagreed with, but he said he never heard Wright talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms. The comments that have become a source of debate recently "were not only wrong but divisive" and have raised questions among voters, he said.

"I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television sets and YouTube, if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way," he said. "But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man."

Wright said shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks: "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."

In a 2003 sermon, he said blacks should condemn the United States.

In a roundtable discussion moderated by CBS News anchor Katie Couric, Debra Dickerson, a columnist for Mother Jones, said she thinks Wright speaks for many blacks in America -- even at his angriest.

"I think Obama was brilliant in this speech and in so many ways," Dickerson said. "But he talked about the fact that that kind of anger when it's allowed to get out of control is obviously self-destructive and it's also ... an insult to America."

Obama said he came to Wright's church because he was inspired by Wright's message of hope and his inspiration to rebuild the black community.

Obama said Wright's comments have sparked a discussion that reflect complexities of race in the United States that its people have never really resolved.

"We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country," Obama said. "But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow."

Obama said anger over those injustices often find voice in black churches on Sunday mornings. "The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning," he said.

Obama argued that the anger often distracts from solving real problems and bringing change. But he said it also exists in some segments of the white community that feels blacks are often given an unfair advantage through affirmative action.

"If we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American," Obama said, drawing a rare burst of applause in a somber address.

An Associated Press-Yahoo News poll conducted in January found 15 percent of whites said they have at least a somewhat unfavorable impression of blacks, while 26 percent expressed a favorable impression. Among blacks, 7 percent had an unfavorable impression of whites, while 49 percent have a favorable impression.

"In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed," Obama said.

[pugster]

The question is that are we voting for an American who refuse to wear a American flag lapel pin, who goes to Anti-American church, have question about going that he went to a terrorist school.

[whtpresident]

What bilnigluva85? How can you steal from campaign funds to loan the money back. They said the money came from one of Bill''s book deals.

[whtpresident]

Barry and Shelly are Racially Bigoted Liars!

[whtpresident]

Contrary to Senator Barack Obama%u2019s claim that he never heard his pastor Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. preach hatred of America, Obama was in the pews last July 22 when the minister blamed the %u201Cwhite arrogance%u201D of America%u2019s Caucasian majority for the world%u2019s suffering, especially the oppression of blacks.

[whtpresident]

Part II

The church holds services three times every Sunday at 7:30 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time. While both the early morning and evening service allowed Sen. Obama to attend the service and still give a speech in Miami, Mr. Davis stands by his story that during one of the services he attended during the month of July, Senator Obama was present and sat through the sermon given by Rev. Wright as described in the story. Mr. Davis said Secret Service were also present in the church during Senator Obama''s attendance. Mr. Davis'' story was first published on Newsmax on August 9, 2007. Shortly before publication, Mr. Davis contacted the press office of Sen. Obama several times for comment about the Senator''s attendance and Rev. Wright''s comments during his sermon. The Senator''s office declined to comment.

[dgal878]

Let''s get this perfectly clear for you Obama supporters: This is not about Hilary! Stop trying to take the focus off of the very serious issues being raised. It''s better they are aired now while we can still make an informed decision.

[whtpresident]

Part I

Clarification: The Obama campaign has told members of the press that Senator Obama was not in church on the day cited, July 22, because he had a speech he gave in Miami at 1:30 PM. Our writer, Jim Davis, says he attended several services at Senator Obama''s church during the month of July, including July 22.

[whtpresident]

bilnigluva85, Money came from Bills book deal dude. Thats old news. Move on.

[jockh]

If Hillary can loan 5 million dollars to her campaign then surely the voters have a right to know the source of her funding.

Why wont Hillary release her tax returns? People with nothing to hide don''t usually hide.
The main excuse we''ve gotten so far is that Hillary Clinton just has too much on her plate. "I''m a little busy right now," she said during the Ohio debate. "I hardly have time to sleep. But I will certainly work toward releasing, and we will get that done and in the public domain."
That was three weeks ago. Two weeks ago, Howard Wolfson promised the returns would be released "on or around April 15." But weren''t the returns completed and filed a long time ago? Doesn''t Clinton''s accountant have time to print them out and make some copies (note to Clinton''s accountant: many Kinko''s are open 24 hours).

In short, it''s well past time for Hillary Clinton to be as "vetted" as she claims to already be -- and to have this vetting done now by Democratic voters rather than later by GOP hit squads. She needs to live up to the standard she laid out for Rick Lazio, the opponent in her 2000 Senate race. At that time, she said it was "frankly disturbing" that Lazio was holding back on releasing his tax returns.
What a difference eight years -- and tens of millions of dollars (some of them from questionable deals) -- can make.

[ekucrew]

Obama reminds me of the college student that is proud of their new tattoo they got on spring break... until everybody else that sees it hates it.

[truthword08]

The only ones who are going to stick with Obama through all this are the Muslims in America (see www.muslimsforobama08.com) and the secular far-left. (moveon.org, George Soros, code pink, etc..)

Obama is done.

That is all.

TW08

[shutupnvote]

Time.com
captures what the rest of un who are not under any spell belive...

AP veteran political scribe warns the candidate and his wife they %u201Cooze a sense of entitlement.%u201D



But there''s a line smart politicians don''t cross %u2014 somewhere between "I''m qualified to be president" and "I''m born to be president." Wherever it lies, Barack Obama better watch his step.

He''s bordering on arrogance.

The dictionary defines the word as an "offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride." Obama may not be offensive or overbearing, but he can be a bit too cocky for his own good.

The freshman senator told reporters in July that he would overcome Hillary Rodham Clinton''s lead in the polls because "to know me is to love me."

A few months later, he said, "Every place is Barack Obama country once Barack Obama''s been there."

[shutupnvote]

More form Time:

Seems the Obama Press love affair has ended yes MSM we saw this all before why have you come so late holding this reporting until it was to late for the Dems I suspect knowing the finge Leftest were engaged while the middle sat on their hands again%u2026.
"Barack is one of the smartest people you will ever encounter who will deign to enter this messy thing called politics," his wife said a few weeks ago, adding that Americans will get only one chance to elect him. %u2026


Obama''s cool self-confidence got him into trouble in New Hampshire when he said Clinton was "likable enough," faint praise that grated on female votes who didn''t appreciate him condescending to the former first lady.
Privately, aides and associates of Obama tell stories about a boss who can be aloof and ungracious. He holds firmly to views and doesn''t like to be challenged, traits that President Bush packaged and sold under the "resolute" brand in the 2004 election. For Bush, those qualities proved to be dangerous in a time of war and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
If arrogance is a display of self-importance and superiority, Obama earns the pejorative every time he calls his pre-invasion opposition to the war in Iraq an act of courage.

[craigh9]

Can''t we just evaluate the candidates themselves and their campaign members. Why are people looking at someone like Rev. Wright - whatever he says is his opinion, not Obamas. This is the same religious nonsense like when Kennedy was running - "the Pope will be setting policy" - all nonsense. Everyone can look into their past and they might have a pastor, teacher, big brother, neighbor, etc. that they were close to - that doesn''t mean you agreed with everything they did or said. Get over yourself people, this is just picking at any straw to cause harm - and is mostly orchestrated by the Clinton Campaign who we all know is lily white - NOT!

[truthword08]

The only ones who are going to stick with Obama through all this are the Muslims in America-gee what a shocker-(see www.muslimsforobama08.com) and the secular far-left. (moveon.org, George Soros, code pink, etc..)

Obama is done.

That is all.

TW08

[whtpresident]

jockh, Hill said she would release them prior to April 15th. Its not there yet on my calendar grasshopper.

[old300d]

As far as I know preachers don''t shout out G.D. in church !

To Christians saying G.D. is a sin. It is using the Lords name in vain.

What kind of Christian would seek advice from a preacher that shouts out G.D. in church ?

Then they want to have us believe that black preachers across the country do it ?

THEY DO NOT ! ! ! They would get run off for doing that ! ! !

What kind of fools do those Chicago racists take us for ?

[beebopareebo]

I trust that somewhere in that speech there is an apology to:

1. President Bill Clinton for twisting his words in South Carolina.

2. Geraldine Ferraro for using the same EXACT words that are on Senator Obama''s Illinois senate home page about how luck had so much to do with where he is.

3. The US voters for making this such a divisive campaign when he said that race would NOT be an issue.

[bobmarisol]

Obama''s long-time friends include:

(1) Pastor Jeremiah Wright, who we have all seen denouncing the USA and claiming that the USA is to blame for 9/11.

(2) Tony Rezko, who laundered and extorted money and then gave $73,000 to Obama. Rezko now is facing a long list of criminal charges.

(3) William Ayers, an admitted terrorist who bombed the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. in 1971. As recently as 2001, Ayers stated that he ''did not regret bombing the Capitol, and only wished that [he] had gone farther.''


Is this really the man the Democrats are considering for President? His friends are terrorists, criminals, and a pastor who professes that America is evil.

[whtpresident]

Barry''s aid says that this speach will be "His Moment". Yea moment that he lies eye to eye with the American people. He forgot he was at church on July 22, 07. I''ll laugh through the whole speach.

[whtpresident]

craigh9, Because Barry has tithed over $22,000 to the church to continue their racially bigoted platform. Or maybe it was to help their abortion program.

[old300d]

Hi beebopareebo ,

Woopie Goldberg said it on the view too ! ! !

[singingrick]

WHTPRESIDENT


Moron, where were you on July 22nd, 2007 at 12pm? You sound desperate. Has your little swift-boat run out of gas? Poor baby.


lol!

[whtpresident]

singingrick , I was at work. Any thing else Moe Ron. Or do you want to blame his loss of memory on the white man. Moe Ron.

[old300d]

Churches have the poor members and the rich members.

The rich members give the most money and the preacher goes to their house to eat after service.

The rich members always have the preacher''s ear.

I have been checking out this church for the last several months and just from my own study and the churches own videos I came to the conclusion that it is a racist cult.

He went for 20 years and just now is figuring it out ?

He is either lying or has been brainwashed ! ! !

[singingrick]

WHTPRESIDENT


Sure you were. Let''s ask you where you were every day of your life for the past year and see if you make a single mistake. Then we can call you a lier.

Again, you sound really desperate and no one''s buying what you are selling.

Step back in the koolaid line.


lol!

[singingrick]

WHTPRESIDENT


Soon you''ll have to go back to wearing a hood and burning crosses to get attention.


lol!

[greeneyes222]

"Obama, in a speech in Indiana on Saturday, decried "the forces of division" over race and gender that he said were intruding into the Democratic nomination contest."

Yes, and unfortunately those forces of division are uncomfortably close to Obama.

A person is known by the company they keep. He has Michelle who is finally proud to be an American and a long-time spiritual adviser who damns America. It appears racism is a one-way street and can only be committed by whites.

Obama should worry less about Hillary and more about what those close to him have done to his cause. In the end, though, I think it''s too late.

[old300d]

Hi linymo ,

Obama was one of the people that gave money to Rev. Wright so he could brainwash people with his racist crapp !

Without rich brainwashed people like Obama Rev. Wright would be on the street corner !

How long would he last on a street corner shouting out G.D. America ?

He would be thrown in jail !

Obama was one of the people that supported his hate speeches !

[destardi]

Um, for TWENTY YEARS, a couple of baptizisms, a marriage, and how many sermons later and Obama is "shocked, just SHOCKED" he tells us to discover his pastor was this divisive?!

After Oprah stopped going to this church because, quote "it''s too divisive"?

Obama apologists give.it.up.

No room in this presidency for liars, and a guy representing one group of people.

Read Michelle Obama''s thesis!

[whtpresident]

Rick why would I do that. I''m not racist. Are you saying all whites are Racist. You must be from Barrys church. Have you helped a little girl get an abortion in that church Rick?

[pamela_ross]

AMERICANS STAND STRONG AND ASK FOR OBAMA TO STEP OUT OF THE RACE!

[beebopareebo]

Old 300d:

Let''s hope that he was watching The View or she has his email address!

[singingrick]

WHTPRESIDENT


You are so irrelevant. But keep polishing this dinosaur terrd if it makes you feel better.

lol!

[whtpresident]

Rick, irrelevant? I asnwered your questions. Your questions must have been irrelevant. Uh, lets blame that on the white man!

[destardi]

Let''s see...on Trinity''s "black values" mission statement, God is mentioned in the first "value statement," and black is mentioned in the last 11.

Michelle Obama''s thesis was on "racial divide" and she writes that she was let down that her black peers at her ivy league school lost their black identity. Disappointed that they were integrating into society?

Obama releases a "leaked memo" outlining 4 supposed racially sensitive remarks from the Clintons, which in fact, were not, even as Rep Lewis (a black fellow) says that people in the Obama camp were trying to label the Clintons racists.

Obama''s supporter Bill Perkins, a black Senator from NY, linked Bill Clinton and slavery in one sentence on February 4th of this year, "Harlem is not bill clinton''s backyard. It''s not his plantation."

OBAMA SUPPORTERS WHO IS SO FOCUSED ON RACE?!?!?

[old300d]

Did G.F. repeat what she heard on the view ?

[singingrick]

WHTPRESIDENT


Absolutely, I am calling you a racist. Because you are. You are pulling the race card without any basis whatsoever. You are trying to make Obama''s race an issue when it isn''t. Even your moniker screams, "I am a racist."

Soon you''ll have to go back to wearing a hood and burning crosses to get attention.

lol!

[old300d]

I heard Woopie say it first ?

[old300d]

Is Woopie Goldberg a racist too ?

She said almost the same exact words !

[whtpresident]

my monicer is respondant to the poster on here BLKPRESIDENT who has been on here for months. I can be rough with the wording I will admit, however I know I am not racist. I have spilled blood with and for my black brothers and sisters. nice try though.

[notblue]

siningrick, did you listen to Pastor Wrights words???? Now that is the definition of RACSISM!

[truthword08]

The only ones who are going to stick with Obama through all this are the Muslims in America-gee what a shocker-(see www.muslimsforobama08.com) and the secular far-left. (moveon.org, George Soros, code pink, etc..)

Obama is done.

That is all.

TW08

[whtpresident]

Any way what did I miss on the View. Are they looking for a new host?

[old300d]

Hi WHTPRESIDENT ,

G.F. comments about Obama were almost word for word what Whoopie said about him.

[singingrick]

notblue

I''m not defending the pastors words though I am sure that many of them were taken out of context. The fact is, they were his words and not Obama''s. Obama has disassociated himself with those statements and stated planely that he doesn''t agree with them. Now what?

[ljb6599]

pamela_ross....AMERICANS STAND STRONG AND ASK CLINTON TO STEP OUT OF THE RACE!

[bobmarisol]

Obama''s long-time friends include:

(1) Pastor Jeremiah Wright, who we have all seen denouncing the USA and claiming that the USA is to blame for 9/11.

(2) Tony Rezko, who laundered and extorted money and then gave $73,000 to Obama. Rezko now is facing a long list of criminal charges.

(3) William Ayers, an admitted terrorist who bombed the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. in 1971. As recently as 2001, Ayers stated that he ''did not regret bombing the Capitol, and only wished that [he] had gone farther.''


Is this really the man the Democrats are considering for President? His friends are terrorists, criminals, and a pastor who professes that America is evil. I know the Democrats dont have much to offer, but dont they have anybody better than this?

[truthword08]

notblue

I''m not defending the pastors words though I am sure that many of them were taken out of context.
posted by singinrick

-Oh bologna! Aren''t you the guy who''s been using a separate screenname trying to impersonate the poster "singinrick" on these boards for the past few months?

Shows allot about your character there pal (or lack thereof), if you have to resort to something this childish to get your so-called "points" across on a public forum.

That is all.

TW08

[whtpresident]

The facts is that his church is racially bigoted and obama has been supporting them for 20 years. Even Oprah left. That has to say something!!!