Rev. Wright: Obama "Ain't Jesus"
President Barack Obama's longtime minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, gave an assessment Thursday of his former congregant's short time in the White House: Obama is just like any other president.
Speaking in a brief interview with The Associated Press before giving a speech at a civil rights landmark, Wright smiled at the mention of the name of the nation's first black president.
"He's like any other president," Wright said. "He's a politician and he's got to do what politicians do."
Wright's remarks were similar to those he made after his fiery preaching became a campaign issue last year, forcing Mr. Obama to distance himself from his longtime pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Mr. Obama resigned from Trinity United and, ultimately, cut ties with Wright because of the uproar caused by videotaped snippets of some of Wright's sermons, in which he shouted "God damn America" and accused the government of creating AIDS.
On Thursday, Wright was addressing more than 700 people at a mass meeting that kicked off the 44th anniversary celebration of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.
The event was held at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, site of the first mass meeting that led to the watershed voting rights movement in Selma.
During his address, Wright cautioned against putting too much faith in Mr. Obama.
"Barack's name ain't Jesus. Barack ain't gonna improve your child's reading score. There are things we've got to do on our own," he said.
Mr. Obama may no longer associate with Wright, but the program for the event featured a picture of the two, smiling together, on the front.
The decision to invite Wright drew criticism from opponents including Mr. Obama's Alabama campaign chairman, U.S. Rep. Artur Davis.
"I am offended by the vehemence of Wright's commentaries on race in America. President Obama was similarly offended," Davis said in an open letter to event organizers at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. Davis represents the state's 7th Congressional District, which extends from Birmingham to rural west Alabama.
A leader of the weekend-long commemoration, museum consultant Sam Walker, said Wright was invited to Selma not for his role in the election but for his decades of civil rights work.
"He's just been out there in the movement for 40 years. Forty years is more than was captured in one 10-second snippet," said Walker.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Speaking in a brief interview with The Associated Press before giving a speech at a civil rights landmark, Wright smiled at the mention of the name of the nation's first black president.
"He's like any other president," Wright said. "He's a politician and he's got to do what politicians do."
Wright's remarks were similar to those he made after his fiery preaching became a campaign issue last year, forcing Mr. Obama to distance himself from his longtime pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Mr. Obama resigned from Trinity United and, ultimately, cut ties with Wright because of the uproar caused by videotaped snippets of some of Wright's sermons, in which he shouted "God damn America" and accused the government of creating AIDS.
On Thursday, Wright was addressing more than 700 people at a mass meeting that kicked off the 44th anniversary celebration of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.
The event was held at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, site of the first mass meeting that led to the watershed voting rights movement in Selma.
During his address, Wright cautioned against putting too much faith in Mr. Obama.
"Barack's name ain't Jesus. Barack ain't gonna improve your child's reading score. There are things we've got to do on our own," he said.
Mr. Obama may no longer associate with Wright, but the program for the event featured a picture of the two, smiling together, on the front.
The decision to invite Wright drew criticism from opponents including Mr. Obama's Alabama campaign chairman, U.S. Rep. Artur Davis.
"I am offended by the vehemence of Wright's commentaries on race in America. President Obama was similarly offended," Davis said in an open letter to event organizers at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. Davis represents the state's 7th Congressional District, which extends from Birmingham to rural west Alabama.
A leader of the weekend-long commemoration, museum consultant Sam Walker, said Wright was invited to Selma not for his role in the election but for his decades of civil rights work.
"He's just been out there in the movement for 40 years. Forty years is more than was captured in one 10-second snippet," said Walker.
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this week it goes up to $42 because of an $8 increase in taxes.
I don?t smoke but this cant be fair to those that do.
But since only people who make over $250,000 a year smoke, It has to be done!
So let?s see, if you smoke a pack a day.
10 packs per carton
30 days in a month
3 cartons a month
$24 a month extra to pay the new tax
$126 a month to meet demand
$1512 a year to smoke one pack a day!
If you get nervous you tend to smoke more don?t you?
And now the carbon tax is on its way, and this will be applied to gas prices!!
awwww.....I feel so sorry for you, Mr. President. Maybe now you see why we were so upset over your association with this piece of turd!
Actually he is continuing to point out that, despite the fact that we have, in our first 'black' president, achieved a great battle victory against American apartheid, there is still a long hard slog to win the war, now we have to root out and extinguish the remaining dregs of apartheid's remaining supporters, and also begin the process of "deprogramming" ourselves from the aftereffects of generations of abuse.
"...Does he want the "hate" speech to continue?" Posted by eroosevelt08
It will continue whether the Pastor is alive or not, I haven't seen you, or many other of Wright's detractors condemning such "hate speech" when it comes from the ultra right wing talk show hosts, or politicians like David Duke, or the Pats, Buchanan and Robertson, which, to a person, are not even remotely linked to truth.
But then it seems that it is not "hate speech' when you agree with it.
" Jesus never improved anybody's reading score either..." Posted by erb0087
Unless you count the blind that believers say he made to see...
"...Only hard work and practice does that. " Posted by erb0087
Which was exactly the pastor's point.
That is correct. His name is "Satan".
That is correct. His name is "Satan".
Jesus never improved anybody's reading score either.
Only hard work and practice does that.
Shut up.
He is too Jesus.
President Obama has inspired many in our nation already. Children who see success see that they also can be successful. We all know that President Obama has never claimed to be Jesus. Is Reverend Wright hanging on to an old fight because that is what he knows? Does he want the "hate" speech to continue?