Rev. Wright Fights Back

(CBS/AP)  In a defiant appearance before the Washington media, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright said Monday that criticism surrounding his fiery sermons is an attack on the black church and rejected those who have labeled him unpatriotic.

"I served six years in the military," Barack Obama's longtime pastor said. "Does that make me patriotic? How many years did (Vice President Dick) Cheney serve?"

Wright spoke at the National Press Club before the Washington media and a supportive audience of black church leaders beginning a two-day symposium.

He said the black church tradition is not bombastic or controversial, but different and misunderstood by the "dominant culture" in the United States.

He said his Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago has a long history of liberating the oppressed by feeding the hungry, supporting recovery for the addicted and helping senior citizens in need. He said congregants have fought in the military, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"My goddaughter's unit just arrived in Iraq this week while those who call me unpatriotic have used their positions of privilege to avoid military service while sending over 4,000 American boys and girls to die over a lie," he said.

Wright said he hopes the controversy will have a positive outcome and spark an honest dialogue about race in America. Wright says black church traditions are still "invisible" to many Americans, as they have been throughout the country's history.

He said he hopes "the most recent attack on the black church - it is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright - it's an attack on the black church," he said to applause, "just might mean that the reality of the African-American church will no longer be invisible."

"Rev. Wright is calling for a continued conversation about race and religion, one which Obama himself began in a much-heralded speech last month," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "But it's quite a different discussion when led by a preacher and not a presidential candidate and one that can't be helpful to Obama's campaign." (Read more from Ververs on Wright.)

Videos clips of Wright's sermons, circulated widely on television and the Internet, knocked Obama's presidential campaign off-stride. The Illinois Democrat distanced himself from the comments of Wright, whom he has known for 20 years.

In a sermon days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Wright said "America's chickens are coming home to roost" after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan and "supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans."

Asked about some of the comments after the terrorist attacks, Wright challenged the reporter questioning him.

"Have you heard the whole sermon? No? The whole sermon?" he responded. When the reporter shook her head, he said, "That nullifies that question."

He said criticism comes from people who only have heard sound bites playing repeatedly on television and have never listened to his entire sermons.

Wright said he's told Obama that if he is elected in November and is inaugurated in January, "I'm coming after you." He said that's because his differences are not with the American people, but U.S. policies.

"Whether he gets elected or not, I'm still going to have to be answerable to God on November 5 and January 21," Wright said.

Obama was asked yesterday if he believes Wright's recent appearances will hurt his chances of winning upcoming primaries, reports CBS News reporter Maria Gavrilovic. Obama dodged the question, telling reporters, "I'll let you prognosticate." (Read more about the Obama campaign response.)

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Obama said he did not discourage Wright from making appearances and understands why his desire to speak.
"Look, he is a former pastor of mine. He is somebody who has obviously been the subject of, you know, some pretty sharp attacks over the last. And it's understandable that somebody after an entire career of service would want to defend themselves."

Last night, Wright told a 10,000-strong audience in Detroit that his critics get it wrong when they call him divisive and polarizing.

"I describe the conditions in this country," Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., the former pastor of Obama, said during the NAACP's 53rd annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner.

"I'm not here for political reasons. I'm not a politician. I know that fact will surprise many of you because many in the corporate-owned media made it seem like I am running for the Oval Office," Wright said. "I am not running for the Oval Office. I've been running for Jesus a long, long time and I'm not tired yet."

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[kailumego1]

Listened to Rev. Wright''s speech in its entirety and a lot of what he stated is correct.

What makes him predictable like a lot other unyielding Afrocentric individuals is that his philosophy is parallel or tandem to arrogant Eurocentric individuals.

In that both Afrocentric and Eurocentric individuals are narrow-minded, egoistical, ethocentristic when it comes to introspection, or looking within the bowels of themselves and members of their own group, while overzealous to criticize members of other groups.

Like those Eurocentric individuals that vociferously castigate people of color, Africans, Arabs, Hispanics, African Americans, etc., and those Afrocentric individuals that harp on racism and colonialism.

Throughout the world there has been and continues to be patriarchal hegemonic rulers, leaders, etc. that has forsaken the people, of which they reside over, for their own self-aggrandizement.

Evil is personified throughout every ethnicity, culture, race, etc., examine what''s been occurring in the Congo DRC for the last 10 years. The vile barbarianism of Tutsis rebels and the Mai Mai against women and children, not a product of colonialism.

[frankbowers]

QuiZniGAS why do republicans like you write such stupid remarks?
I would like the rev. there is but one race and we are all that the human race they happen to be a lot of nationalities. I think when one is stupid, like him, he never learned such.
Frank Bowers of austin, tx

[middleman8]

The most embarrassing part of the Reverends speeches is the fact that a lot of what he says is the truth.

[niecyd1]

This is ridiculous just something to keep focus off the real issues which should be addressed as apposed to who or what Obama''s reverend is saying. This is why he is not a Candidate. Wright is hurting Obama''s campaign and needs not to say another word. Obama could be the best thing to happen not just for the democratic party but for americans. He cant do any worse than we''ve already had.

[blkpresident]

Jane Fonda, Patty Hearst and Hillary Clinton.

[popstom1]

what TRICK Rev.william procanick has nothing to do
Hillary Clinton the He''s is from Clinton Ny.
Try again that was stupid

[davthewav1]

It''s fair to say that Rev. Jeremiah Wright''s new found national celebrity has done some damage to Barack Obama''s campaign. Obama has slipped around three poll points in Indiana, North Carolina, nationally, and in a match up against John McCain in the last few days. But I have watched a couple of interveiws with Rev. Wright recently, with most of the sermons in question included, and it is clear that the quotes that are causing all the controversy were taken way out of context. It seems that it is easier for some to jump on the racist and unpatriotic passages of Rev. Wright''s message without understanding the deeper meaning of what he was saying. He was simply preaching the way that many black pastors preach and what he says is really not all that out of line if people would take the time to do a little research and listen to the entire sermons and not just a couple of politically motivated edits of Wright''s discourses. (Continued below)

[davthewav1]

It''s fair to say that Rev. Jeremiah Wright''s new found national celebrity has done some damage to Barack Obama''s campaign. Obama has slipped around three poll points in Indiana, North Carolina, nationally, and in a match up against John McCain in the last few days. But I have watched a couple of interveiws with Rev. Wright recently, with most of the sermons in question included, and it is clear that the quotes that are causing all the controversy were taken way out of context. It seems that it is easier for some to jump on the racist and unpatriotic passages of Rev. Wright''s message without understanding the deeper meaning of what he was saying. He was simply preaching the way that many black pastors preach and what he says is really not all that out of line if people would take the time to do a little research and listen to the entire sermons and not just a couple of politically motivated edits of Wright''s discourses. (Continued below)

[davthewav1]

From another point of view, it''s true that Wright seems to be enjoying the spotlight and continues to make coarse statements to his own advantage, (book deal maybe?), at Obama''s expense, but that only demonstrates the dissociation between the two. They have completely different agendas. Rev. Wright says that he has to defend himself and his church from all the negative media he''s received lately. Rev. Wright may also be angry at Obama for condeming his most controversial remarks and so he feels no loyalty to his former parishioner. He has also declared that he will come after Obama if he is elected. If Wright''s persisted disputation cost Obama the nomination he may not feel any compunction about it and in his mind he may think that Obama deserves to lose for his disloyalty to Wright''s church.

Obama is taking on a three front assault from McCain and his republican political machine, Clinton, and now Wright. If he can survive to win the presidency he will likely be a tougher and wiser man for it.

[ouiznigas]

I IS,
U IS,
DEY IS,
WE ALL IS ******!!

PAID FOR BY HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON REPUBLICAN
ARKANSAS HARDBALL POLITICS ORGANIZATION.