Obama Seeks Distance From Rev. Wright

Washington Post: As Minister Repeats Controversial Comments, Democratic Candidate Tries To Quiet Fray

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Shailagh Murray and Peter Slevin.

---

Sen. Barack Obama again sought to distance himself from the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. yesterday after his former pastor capped a weekend media offensive with an appearance in Washington in which he revisited many of his most controversial comments.

"He does not speak for me," the Democratic presidential candidate said as he campaigned across North Carolina. "He does not speak for the campaign."

Obama aides said Wright had rebuffed their recent offers of public relations assistance. They stressed that they had no warning about a media blitz that included an appearance with Bill Moyers on PBS on Friday night, a nationally televised speech to the NAACP in Detroit on Sunday evening and yesterday's appearance at the National Press Club.

Wright, the former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago who officiated at Obama's wedding and baptized his two daughters, became the center of controversy after clips from some of his most inflammatory sermons hit the airwaves earlier this year. In one sermon, delivered the Sunday after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Wright said that "America's chickens are coming home to roost" for its own acts of "terrorism." In another, he said blacks should sing "God damn America" instead of "God Bless America" to protest centuries of mistreatment.

Speaking before a sold-out gathering that was broadcast live on cable news networks yesterday, Wright told a mostly African American audience that his preaching has been misconstrued by journalists and political pundits who do not understand black religious tradition, which he said was founded amid slavery and racial intolerance and "still is invisible to the dominant culture."

"Maybe now we can begin to take steps to move the black religious tradition from the status of invisible to the status of invaluable, not just for some black people in this country but for all the people in this country."

In his prepared remarks, Wright traced the origins of the African American church in a measured tone and academic language. But during the question-and-answer session that followed, he was defiant.

Queried about his post-Sept. 11 sermon, Wright said: "Well, let me try to respond in a non-bombastic way. If you heard the whole sermon, first of all, you heard that I was quoting the ambassador from Iraq. That's number one. But, number two, to quote the Bible, 'Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever you sow, that you also shall reap.' Jesus said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' "

Wright continued: "You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic, divisive principles."

Challenged about his patriotism, the former Marine exclaimed: "I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?"

Wright also restated the idea that HIV was invented as a weapon against minority communities, had kind words for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and railed against American imperialism.

The media attention to Wright's recent appearances has created another headache for the Obama campaign. The senator from Illinos is struggling to close out the primary season against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) after losing key races in Ohio and Pennsylvania and seeing new doubts raised about his prospects in a general election against Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican nominee.

At a hastily called news conference, Obama made clear his displeasure with his former pastor. "I think, certainly, what the last three days indicate is that we're not coordinating with him," Obama said, although he added: "He's obviously free to speak his mind."

"Reverend Wright is speaking for Reverend Wright," said David Axelrod, Obama's senior political adviser. "He's making his own decisions. He's not seeking guidance." Nor is the campaign happy with the results. Axelrod added: "I think it's pretty clear that Reverend Wright is not out there with the intent of helping Senator Obama. He's out there with his own program."

While Obama sought to tamp down the revived controversy, Wright, in turn, aired a note of displeasure with his former congregant. Obama delivered a speech on race in Philadelphia last month that denounced Wright's sharpest remarks and cast the preacher as an older black man whose views had not changed with the times.

"He had to distance himself, because he's a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was anti-American. He said I didn't offer any words of hope. How would he know? He never heard the rest of the sermon. You never heard it," Wright said.

He also joked that he was open to serving as Obama's vice president, and he noted that he would be knocking on the White House door if Obama were to win the general election. "I said to Barack Obama last year, 'If you get elected, November the 5th, I'm coming after you, because you'll be representing a government whose policies grind under people.' All right? It's about policy, not the American people."

Clinton passed on the chance to fan the Wright controversy, only reiterating during an appearance in North Carolina that if she were Obama, she would have left Trinity because of Wright's remarks. But she quickly pivoted to Republicans and an inflammatory ad the state GOP is airing that features Wright and attempts to link the state's two Democratic gubernatorial candidates, both of whom have endorsed Obama, to the pastor. "I regret the efforts by the Republicans to politicize this matter," Clinton said.

McCain has denounced the state party ad but has not shied away from addressing Obama's ties to Wright. Over the weekend, he acknowledged what he called the "anger" of some Americans about Wright's comments and called Obama "out of touch" with voters.

But he and his advisers also see risks in playing to racial passions. McCain has said he does not think Obama shares Wright's most controversial views, including his HIV theories and his defense of Farrakhan.

The Rev. Deborah F. Grant, a close friend of Wright's and the pastor of St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ga., said the scrutiny of Wright is unfair, because he is being examined through a political lens. "He has not been called to be a politician. He's been called to speak the gospel."

But even his allies wonder how long the controversy will linger. Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) said he watched Wright's NAACP speec twice and thought "he did a very good job of defining himself for anybody who didn't know what he is." On the other hand, Clyburn added, "if you're not interested, or you're looking for some peg, then it may not make any difference to you."

Slevin reported from North Carolina. Staff writers Eli Saslow and Michael D. Shear contributed to this report.

[didormanii]

How can Mr. Obama expect for us to believe in him as Our President when he can''t handle a Heretic in his own back yard? Mr. Obama''s has lacked the back bone to call for a Grand Jury Investigation and possible Indictment for remarks made by a Heretic that could be construed as Treasonous. Remarks uttered from the "Pulpit" which lean toward violation of Laws in respect to the "Separation of the Church and State. Laws affording the "Church" the Priviledge of engaging in "Reasonable Religious" Practices", while affording them the protections of being "Tax Exempt". The remarks made by Mr. Jerimiah Wright were clearly made with the intent to provoke "Civil Disobedience" and "Rebellion" against the Government of the "United States of America", a Government "Of The People, By the People". Not, "Of Jerimiah Wright , By Jerimiah Wright". Their is due process to be adhered to even by him as a supposed "Christian" Pastor. He acted "Cowardly" hiding behind the "Pulpit,violating the Sanctity of such.
The same goes for any and all Heritics and/or Cultists the world over.

[jghutto]

Sen. Obama acts as if Rev. Wright has just now started talking differently - as if to "hurt" his election. Could Rev. Wright be having mental problems, or could he be getting paid by some source to attack Sen. Obama and cause him to lose?

[truthyness]

IT''S NOT RACISM, STUPID

IT''S ELITISM.

[truthyness]

IT''S NOT RACISM, STUPID.

IT''S ELITISM!

[uhoh33]

Rev Wright..Just go away and take your ego with you! Another "Crab" pulling down another great black leader!

[vmcneal2]

When Rev John Hagee endorsed McCain, McCain said " I am proud and honored to have his endorsement" Rev Hagee is a world class bigot. McCain later said that "I do not agree with everything Rev. Hagee says" End of story, cased closed.

Obama has done everything but hit Rev. Wright up side the head with a shovel and he is still getting pounded everyday about this issue. Some people are never going to let this thing go away and nothing Obama says is going change their minds. So Obama should move on, stay focused on the real issues, try to expand his base of fair, educated people and let other people play in the dirt.

[j-whitman]

McCain to our wounded hero''s --- "I feel your pain, but for 24 years did nothing to stop it"

[j-whitman]

McCain, to our veterans ----- Screw your benifits

[j-whitman]

McCain, "I don''t want no stinkin plan, another 100 years of losing & lying should do the trick"

[j-whitman]

No, I''m against torture - Now I''m for it

[j-whitman]

McCain''s Dream of My Father;

Crashed 5 jets
Started the USS Forrestal fire
Caved in to the VC & became their propaganda tool

[kever58]

To Senator Obama, Rev. Wright is not your problem, so stop acting as if you have to make comments or distance yourself from him. You do not! Do not feel because the media keeps Rev. Wright in the news with his truth telling, that you somehow feel responsible. Stop it! Just do what you do and continue compaigning. Let the media haggle about what it believes is jeopardizing your campaign. Believe me, there are worse things being said everyday that is not making the news. You have my vote!

[wilhelmina8]

Barack Obama Black Racism in His Own Words

To retaliate for what Obama said today, all Jeremiah Wright has to do is read this to the press because it proves Obama is a black racist also.
Barack Obama in His Own Words

Dreams of My Father: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother''s race".

Dreams of my Father: "The emotion between the races could never be pure..... the other race would always remain just that: menacing, alien, and apart."

Dreams of my Father: "Any distinction between good and bad whites held negligible meaning."

Dreams of My Father: "I ceased to advertise my mother''s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites"

Dreams Of My Father: "I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn''t speak to my own. It was into my father''s image, the black man, son of Africa, that I''d packed all the attributes I sought in myself."

[j-whitman]

obama8years,,,, I''m 59, retired military & several years of experiance in countrer terrorism efforts --- How about you ??

[j-whitman]

obama8years,,,, Your GOP;

2 lost wars heading south fast along with a War on Terror
Massive economic recession
Massive debt to Communist China
Morally bankrupt nation
Critical damage to our national security
Politics through failure & lies

[obama8years]

Reverand Wright and Obama have been Involved with the ISM.

The question is if we want a man in the White House who will regularly give his ear to the likes of a Reverend Wright, his and Sabeel%u2019s replacement theologies, and pro-terrorist propagandists like Ali Abunimah on a regular basis? In one sense, Obama could be considered the ISM%u2019s Manchurian candidate given his wide connections to ISM activists and campaign movements such as the Wheels of Justice Tour, Joseph Carr a.k.a. Joseph Smith, Hannah Mermelstein, Anna Baltzer and others.

[obama8years]

ARE YOU HEARING WHAT I AM SAYING!!!!!!!!!!

THE ISM %$#% RECRUITES IN AMERICA COLLEGES. AND OBAMA SUPPORTS THIS. (he will deny of course)

[obama8years]

J-whitman - Are you of College age, notice the ISM recruites in colleges. Also take note that Obama popularity is in Colleges. Interesting isnt it.

[obama8years]

Since 2001, the ISM has been tasked by the PLO and other Arab irredentist groups with getting new generations of American college kids to consider democratic Israel as somehow a violator of human rights, all the while as the Palestinian Arabs who practice open anti-Semitism, honor killings, and the murders of their own people as well as Jews, as commendable practices. At their 2003 national organizing conference at Ohio State, ISM activists set out to deconstruct American narratives about Israel as a democratic state with firm support from secular radical Americans of Jewish ancestry. In one workshop set up to discuss ways to put a good face on suicide bombings, ISM activists spoke of new ways of reinterpreting the Bible so Israel did not belong to the Jews, but to the Palestinians.

[obama8years]

Read Grasshopper and be informed.

If Barack Obama didn%u2019t know about Abunimah%u2019s writings (and Abunimah says he did), the same as his claims of being unaware of Reverend Wright%u2019s remarks after 20 years, then Obama is not competent to be our President. Abunimah likes to lie and claim Al Awda has nothing to do with the ISM or Electronic Intifada, though plenty of evidence exists on the website the homepage at www.StoptheISM.com showing the contrary.

But Obama%u2019s association with the ISM through his church and lobbying in Chicago goes even deeper than just his past links to Al Awda and Ali Abunimah. His pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, are both equally involved with the ISM.