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577 Comments
- treefrog001, on 04/30/2008, -15/+85I've made up my mind. I'm definitely not voting for Reverend Wright in November.
- jontalisman, on 04/30/2008, -5/+73Don't know what happened to the original link, but the article's here:
Still More Lamentations From Jeremiah
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, April 29, 2008; A03
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, explaining why he had waited so long before breaking his silence about his incendiary sermons, offered a paraphrase from Proverbs yesterday: "It is better to be quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Barack Obama's former pastor should have stuck with the wisdom of the prophets.
Instead, Wright has gone on a media tour, climaxing with his appearance yesterday morning at the National Press Club. There, he reignited a controversy about race that Obama had only recently extinguished -- and added lighter fuel.
From the moment he entered the room, Wright seemed to be looking to stir controversy; he was escorted by Jamil Muhammad, a leader of the Nation of Islam, which contributed to the minister's prominent security detail. Speaking before an audience that included Marion Barry, Cornel West, the New Black Panther Party's Malik Zulu Shabazz and Nation of Islam protocol director Claudette Muhammad, Wright praised Louis Farrakhan, defended the view that Zionism is racism, accused the United States of terrorism, repeated his belief that the government created AIDS to extinguish racial minorities, and stood by his suggestion that "God damn America."
Far from softening his provocative words, he held himself out as a spokesman for millions of churchgoing African Americans. "This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright," he argued. "It is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African American religious tradition." He added: "If you think I'm going to let you talk about my mama and her religious tradition . . . you got another thing coming."
Most problematic for the Democratic presidential front-runner was Wright's suggestion that Obama was insincere in distancing himself from his former pastor. "He didn't distance himself," Wright announced. "He had to distance himself, because he's a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was anti-American." Wright spoke of friends who told him that "we both know that if Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected," and he said of his past parishioner: "Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls."
And that apparent decision by Obama to exclude Wright from his presidential kickoff announcement? Didn't happen. "I started it off downstairs with him, his wife and children, in prayer."
The pastor's performance puts new pressure on the candidate to say forcefully that Wright doesn't speak for him or the African American church. Though the candidate said on "Fox News Sunday" that Wright had been "simplified and caricatured" by the sound bites of his inflammatory words, Wright willingly embraced the sentiments of those sound bites yesterday.
In front of 30 television cameras, he mocked the media, leveled charges of racism at the government and, at one point, did a little victory dance on the podium. It seemed as if Wright, who jokingly offering himself as Obama's vice president, was actually trying to doom his former parishioner. The pastor played right into the small band of anti-Wright protesters outside, who waved a sign: "Obama's chicken comes home to roost."
In his 30-minute prepared speech, Wright made a cogent call for a "spirit of reconciliation" and delivered a rebuke to those who questioned his patriotism. "Those who call me unpatriotic have used their positions of privilege to avoid military service," he said. He also protested that his infamous quotations were taken out of the full "context" of his sermons.
But the spirit of reconciliation dissipated during the question period, as Wright expanded on his fiery quotes. The crowd (all but a few tickets were bought by churches and organizations supporting Wright) cheered loudly and heckled the moderator, a USA Today reporter, when she tried to maintain order.
He explained his claim that the Sept. 11 attacks meant "America's chickens are coming home to roost." Said Wright: "You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you."
Wright defended Farrakhan's statement "20 years ago that Zionism -- not Judaism -- was a gutter religion." Of the Nation of Islam leader generally, Wright added: "He is one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century. . . . Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery and he didn't make me this color." At this point he traded a high-five with Barbara Reynolds, a local pastor.
He repeated his belief that the government created AIDS as a means of genocide ("Based on what has happened to Africans in this country, I believe our government is capable of doing anything"). He defended his earlier comparison of U.S. Marines to the Roman soldiers who killed Jesus, saying the "notion of imperialism" is the same.
The moderator asked the audience whether Wright should apologize for his "God damn America" remarks. Shouts of "No!" followed, and Wright used the occasion to demand an apology for slavery.
"Until that apology comes, I'm not going to keep stepping on your foot and asking you, 'Does this hurt?' Do you forgive me for stepping on your foot, if I'm still stepping on your foot? Understand that? Capisce?"
Capisciamo, Reverend. All too well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic ... - jontalisman, on 04/30/2008, -29/+97I bet Obama wishes he hadn't stayed in that church for 20 years now!
- evillawngnome, on 04/30/2008, -42/+102Am i the only one who doesn't care what the preacher says? Perhaps it's naive of me, but Obama has proved himself intelligent and eloquent in the past, and i believe him when he says this guy is nuts.
- atact88, on 04/30/2008, -4/+58It's all political positioning. Jeremiah Wright is trying to be the next Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton - prolonging racism
- scairborn, on 04/30/2008, -23/+71Barack Obama ≠ Jeremiah Wright
- thebigbradwolf, on 04/30/2008, -5/+42When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?
-John Maynard Keynes - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -6/+43Yeah, after Wright basically came out and sabotaged Obama's campaign. He went out and knowingly stirred up controversy after Obama defended him. I mean, the comments he made in the past are one thing - but going out and pulling a stunt like this, knowing full well how it'll reflect on Obama, is just borderline malicious. Can you really blame him for being a bit pissed off?
- merryworks, on 04/30/2008, -8/+45Ok, here's a thought. Could it be that black activists are the ones sabotaging Obama's campaign? What would they have to say when a majority of Americans are willing to support and elect a black man? Their jobs and income based upon the ideology that America is keeping the black man down would be in jeopardy. If however Obama were to loose to a white candidate, they can say, see, America still is unable to accept a black man as their leader.
- BigW, on 04/30/2008, -5/+41From what I can see this man sure doesn't ACT like a Christian minister should.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -9/+42I am glad to see that people are waking up to the fact that, unfortunately, racism is alive and well in the United States.
And Jeremiah Wright is leading that cause for all he is worth. - Sicarius, on 04/30/2008, -11/+41As is often the case in politics it's not the scandal itself that gets you it's the cover up. As a smart operator Obama should have know this and I'm surprised he's been caught out so badly.
Anyone could see that Wright was a loon (that HIV conspiracy stuff is indefensible) and therefore a liability to be avoided. But instead of cutting him loose when the problem first arose we got the defense, an attempted rehabilitation, and finally the messy split. And it now seems the new spin from the Obama camp is that they were never that close which opens a whole new can of worms... - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -3/+32black people throughout the country will all hate Rev. Wright for flushing Obama's campaign down the toilet.
- BigW, on 04/30/2008, -9/+38What Wright did last weekend to Obama was cruel and vindictive. Yes, those kind of actions are the things that end friendships, even long ones. As far as I know his Grandmother has not tried to openly torpedo his campaign.
- Number23, on 04/30/2008, -5/+31Yeah, as a life long Catholic, I’ve heard hundreds and hundreds of sermons. I have never heard ANYTHING the even faintly resembles the hateful, crazy, raciest ***** that comes out of that retards mouth.
The homilies I’ve heard nearly all have concerned themselves with the word of the Christ. In all the Rev Wright coverage in these last few months, I don’t think I’ve heard the word “Christ” pass his lips. - Number23, on 04/30/2008, -26/+50Ok, so why would such an “intelligent and eloquent person” give the guy tens of thousands and show up every Sunday for 20+ years to listen to his crazy *****?
How is a Rev Wright sermon different from a Klan meeting? - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -22/+45Walking in with a security detail from screwy louie fairy con has to be the biggest statement he has ever made and that is saying something.
Now we see what kind of man Obama told us to look to when we wanted to know where he comes from. This tactic is working to widen the gap in the Democrat Party and could cause a significant number of people to seek another party to support.
I wrote here on digg in October that the result of Obama and the Clinton's going after each other would divide the party but I thought it would have been because of ideology, not race. - hkgfnt, on 04/30/2008, -3/+25If Obama wins, the Reverend will have no White Oppressor to criticize and his piggy bank will be empty. Along with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson...no black man can be the president or they'll out of their jobs. :)
- depro9, on 04/30/2008, -17/+38I bet the Clintons paid wright off.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -8/+286 years ago: "US of KKKA"
- Obama: "Crazy Uncle"
3 years ago: "US invented AIDS"
- Obama: "I didn't hear that"
3 days ago: "Obama is just being a politician"
- Obama: "Mother *****!" - jontalisman, on 04/30/2008, -17/+35So it doesn't bother you in the least that a little while ago Obama said he could 'no more disown Reverend Wright than he could disown his own white grandmother' but now he's done a 180 and totally denounced the guy?
- smacksaw, on 04/30/2008, -5/+23This is pretty sad. Instead of Wright clarifying what he said, he's taken an exaggerated ownership of it and amplified the volume of it. He's saying and doing anything he can to promote himself. I don't think he cares what he says or who he hurts, he's found a way to increase his notoriety for his own gain.
Obama is right in everything he said about Wright in his recent statements. But Obama should drop this quickly. Don't feed the trolls. Wright is making sure he gets his 15 minutes extended as much as possible. - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -10/+28What the media is showing is one millionth of the insane ***** that comes out of his mouth. Search youtube and you'll hear hours and hours of him blaming white people and jews for everything.
- sodade, on 04/30/2008, -20/+36I still don't ***** get it. Are you people saying that Wright is somehow proof that Obama is going to enslave whites? Of course not. That would be more silly than Wright's cause for aids.
Don't give me that bad judgment crap - Hillary and McCane have massive laundry lists of bad judgment on their part that are directly attributable to their own performance in public office and on the campaign trail. Beyond that, you'd think that idiot America would make it a crime to talk about a candidate's church - at the end of the day, you are talking about belonging to an organization that is founded on the principle that there is an invisible man in the sky that watches everything everyone does. Church is obviously supposed to be silly time and Wright is indeed pretty silly, but I have seen way more ridiculous nonsense come from white preacher's mouths. And I am not talking about fringe "cultists" - I am talking about preachers so popular that they are on TV. - Joeyrev, on 04/30/2008, -1/+17One could also argue that if Rev. Wright was as smart as he thinks he is, he would have kept silent in order to elect the one man that could change the things he wants to change. Instead he put his pride over Obama, and has proven himself very short-sighted.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -17/+33Then why did he go to his church for 20 years?
And he was saying he wasn't nuts just two weeks ago. That doesn't bother you? - BigW, on 04/30/2008, -7/+21After the stunts Wright pulled this weekend he deserved to be thrown under the bus. He betrayed Obama in front of the entire nation.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -3/+17He still wants an apology for slavery? He's just whining and causing anger for no good reason. This is a classic example of entitlement. You know, by his logic, if the Jews wanted to, they could go around demanding apologies from a lot of people as well.
- plhearn, on 04/30/2008, -0/+14I don't get it. EVERYONE defended wright through this whole entire thing and now he comes on TV saying "The media is attacking the black church" and making this whole ordeal worse. Why is he doing this?
- upick, on 04/30/2008, -9/+22hmmm seems that this topic is so sensitive that the Washington post decided to delete the post itself!
- jontalisman, on 04/30/2008, -10/+23The reality is that Obama has bad judgment when it comes to choosing friends and mentors.
- GRANDPAMUNSTER, on 06/11/2009, -19/+32Can we stop talking about this guy now, every cable news network, every talk radio host (liberal & conservative). Enough is enough, there are other things going on in the world.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -24/+37wow I am surprised the obama bots have not come out and tried to bury all these posts lol.
- groone, on 04/30/2008, -1/+14You're absolutely right. There would no longer be anything to justify that the white man is keeping the black man down if Obama wins, so it's in the best interest of the preachers of hate to make Obama lose. They have their multimillion dollar payrolls to think about after all.
- o0joshua0o, on 04/30/2008, -1/+13Wright was never a slave, therefore he gets no apology. Unless you can demand apologies for things that never affected in you, in which case I want an apology for my ancestors being subjected to serfdom.
- asus2000, on 06/30/2008, -6/+18Wright said, "Look at what happened to Africans in America."
Like, they stopped starving in the Kalahari desert and by and large traded in slavery for welfare 6 generations ago? Every great city in America has a slum attached full of dual-continental separatists. I'm not sure what else to look at. - yngtimmy, on 04/30/2008, -9/+21He was the leader of a "Black Liberation Theology" church. Take a look at what exactly that means and you will see how a man who believed this theology enough to attend this sort of church for 20 years, but talks a different talk is extremely dangerous.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -8/+20Seriously, stop trying to defend him just because you don't want to be proven wrong. Face up to it, the guy is a inciting hate and racism.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -4/+16Lol, no he didn't.
Both his parents were prominent people, dad a minister and mom a teacher, he was valedictorian, a Marine, a cardiopulmonary technician (worked on president lyndon johnson), tons of degrees "In 1967 Wright enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master’s degree in English in 1969. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School.[6] Wright holds a Doctor of Ministry degree (1990) from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he studied under Samuel DeWitt Proctor, a mentor to Martin Luther King", and that's pretty much it.
I wish I had that kind of hardship. - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -7/+18For many people, the community is far more important than the preacher in a church.
- stewdog1, on 04/30/2008, -1/+12Yep. The race hustlers will be out of a job.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -5/+16Wright's sermon inspired Obama's book. Not the church. From Wright's Audactiy of Hope sermon which Obama quotes in his book:
"It is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks’ greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere…That’s the world! On which hope sits!"
Hmmm... no mention of the government there. :( - oldhick, on 04/30/2008, -5/+16Here's where ZIPTNF show's himself to be ignorant of all relevant facts. Obama didn't simply go to that church and sit and listen to sermons on Sundays. He lists the Rev. Wright as a close and personal friend and even a mentor. Wright was even a campaign adviser early on. They had an extremely close relation that stretched far beyond the walls of the church. To pretend that for 20 years you never really got to know the man? That does not make any sense.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -8/+19The guy is inciting hate and racism in his church and you don't care? If this was a white republican I bet you would care.
- groverblue, on 04/30/2008, -0/+11Wright is trying to position himself has a political/religious force, and he's willing to sacrifice Obama to do it.
- Griberal, on 04/30/2008, -13/+23He stayed in the church for twenty years because he believed what Reverend Wright was preaching. In Obama's book "Dreams of My Father", he quotes from the first sermon that he heard Wright preach. Also, Obama would later name his book "Audacity of Hope" after this sermon. So it's easy to see that this sermon had a major impact on his thinking and on his life. A quote from this sermon that was important enough for Obama to include in the book "Dreams of My Father" was "It is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks' greed runs a world in need". So yes, he stayed in the church for all that time because he not only agreed with what Wright was saying, but it shaped him into the person that he is now. Obama is doing what he has to do politically to make this go away. Hopefully, the media will do it's job and uncover this hypocrites other connections to radical people. But I wouldn't count on it.
- BigW, on 04/30/2008, -2/+12That's what's so interesting about his comments from San Francisco. The "cling to religion" comment is not something I'd expect from a real Christian, its the kind of thing an atheist says. If this is indeed true, it has to piss Obama off to no end that his what would be his token involvement in a church is hurting his campaign this much.
- LeadOffMan, on 04/30/2008, -0/+10let's dig those dead slave owners up out of their graves, and make them apologize
- kronzdigg, on 04/30/2008, -12/+21More like how to screw yourself by going to a church for so long that preached that crap.
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