I think this issue is actually helping Obama. In this weird election, where Obama was gaining huge poll numbers by saying nothing, his luck seemed to be running out after Ohio and Texas.

Along comes this Rev. Wright thing, or should I say, the national news media finally wakes up to it, and suddenly, Obama finally has something substansive to say! It may have been evasive when we put it under the microscope, but now it's giving Obama a chance to talk about race... which is finally something he can talk about with some authority.

Here's the problem with that: Race is still an issue in American culture, no doubt, but it's not anywhere near as weighty as the economy or our challenge from Jihad, etc. And even if you DO think race is the "top issue," are you naive enough to think anyone can "solve" the problem? Not likely.

I am horrified by Wright as the next guy, and I think Obama is a lot closer to him than I thought. But you know, in this crazy year, this whole thing might help him. And no, I don't think he deserves it.

Hopefully it won't last until November.

In fact, the great uniter was present during Wright's most hateful and bigoted speeches.

There's been quite a bit of doubt cast on the veracity of that Newsmax report. See here:

http://dirtyharrysplace.com/?p=714

Strange as it may sound, Obama might tap into Pat Buchanan's electorate-- at least those whose visceral hatred for Jews trumps their ethnocentric antipathy for African Americans.

Can you imagine how quickly McCain would be ousted if it were found out that his minister is a white supremacist? How about if Lieberman was a member of Rabbi Kahane's synagogue?

Jake:

Obama has slipped in national polls by 5 points in two days. That's called free fall. He's talking about race, the last thing he wanted to talk about. He was running as the great uniter, the politician who stood for, ahem, change, the politician who was beyond racial stereotypes.

But he can't disown the race hustler and America-hater Jeremiah Wright.

Okay. Good to know.

As I said, I really hope the Dems nominate him.

Someone asked a hypothetical about how the media would have reacted about Republicans in a similar situation. A spinoff linker at LGF noted this.

Kishke:

Thanks so much for calling my attention to the false report.

But guess what, Obama admits to being present at Wright's ferocious, paranoid, hateful speeches.

He characterizes them as critiques of American foreign policy.

Really?

America is responsible for South African apartheid.

Lie.

America helped break that nation's policy of apartheid.

That America spread AIDS in the black community.

Need I dignify that with a comment.

Wait, Suha Arafat claimed that the Israel is responsible for the AIDS virus among the Arabs. And then Hillary Clinton sucked Suha's face.

Hmm, which Jew-hater to believe?

Wright also claimed that Israel was responsible for 9-11.

But Obama can't disown Wright.

Talk about change.

Barzilai:

The Buchanan moonbats are capable of anything. Especially if it involves sticking it to Jews and Israel.

David:

Quite right. And of course, as I pointed out the N.Y. Times attempted to assassinate McCain's character with a non-story about a non-relationship. However, their attempt was so transparent, so clumsy and crude, that it backfired and McCain picked up Conservative support that otherwise eluded him.

Soccer Dad:

Great link. The difference in the Bob Jones speech is evident. Bush gave a one-time speech. He didn't spend 20 years sucking the ideology of the institution. He never claimed that Bob Jones was his spiritual advisor.

Wait, the Newsmax story may be true after all. See the latest comment (#8) on the link I posted earlier.

Kishke:

Look, Obama been there for 20 years. He knows exactly what Wright is about. The Church is already working overtime taking things down from their website because they know that the material is disgusting and seditious, such as their allegiance to the African continent as opposed to America.

Robert, you have been really unfair towards Obama.

From today's speech by Obama:

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.

A:

With all due respect, I'll quote from that fine and sober blogger Bookworm on this very point:

Obama also claims that, in the past few days, he condemned in unequivocal terms Wright’s more controversial statements. As this blog and others have pointed out, that’s not true. He’s condemned them in very careful, lawyerly terms, all the while trying to disassociate himself from a man with whom he’s had a long and close relationship. His condemnations have been artful, but hardly unequivocal. He also hasn’t condemned his wife for making more polite statements that are remarkably close in content to Wright’s intemperately worded attacks on the US.

There’s also some very careful lawyerly language in the next paragraph:

For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed. (Emphasis mine.)

The question is how did Obama handle these disagreements. Did he, in his own head, say to himself, “Well, I don’t agree with that.” Or did he do more — something he carefully doesn’t answer. Did he challenge Wright in private? He doesn’t say. Did Obama, a public figure, challenge Wright in public? Well, we know he didn’t. Did Obama, a sitting state and federal Senator, publicly disassociate himself from one who prays for America’s destruction? Not only did he not do so, he had Wright as a core member of his campaign team up until last week, when the guy was conveniently flushed down the memory hole. Obama’s “disagreements” can’t have been that strong. He’s lying.

Here's the link to Bookworm's entire article:

http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/03/18/obamas-speech/

Thank you so much for the link and the kind words.

Robert,

A pastor for whom I had great respect went off his sermon notes one day and made some insulting and ignorant remarks about Catholics. I not only strongly disagreed, I went to see him during the week to talk to him about what he said. He apologized for his remarks, and never did it again.

That's what Barack should have done with the very first egregious statement this sorry excuse of a pastor made. Not only did he not confront the man, he continued to sit in the pews for 20 years. Not only did he sit in the pews, he subjected HIS CHILDREN to this rhetoric. That, to me, is more telling than his own attendance--he either agreed with Wright (or insufficiently disagreed) or he had so little regard for his children that he put his political connections with the black community above their well-being.

The other thing that had me yelling at the television was Obama's craven criticism of his own grandmother. The whole thing is absolutely disgusting.

My father is a pastor. That man ranting from a pulpit is no pastor. And if he's a Biblical scholar, I'm the Queen of England.

GRRRR!!

Bookworm:

You're very welcome. Please send photo with autograph. I'm a groveling fan. Will not sell on e-Bay.

Dr. Carol:

Thanks so much for your articulate and passionate comments. Here's a simple question: what's Obama doing in a Church that's a black separatist Church. I thought Obama stands for unity.

Oh, right, unity as long as you agree with his socialist ideology.

Anyway, I'm watching liberals circling the wagons, claiming that Obama's sleazy speech was brilliant, covered by free speech, etc. and I'm really hoping that the Dems nominate this empty suit.

We haven't even begun to investigate Obama. Can you imagine what we don't know?

The guy is a US Senator!! He is not a guy with a job at the local drug store. I can only think that Hillary is so paralyzed with menopause or who knows what that she is not seizing on this - pennsylvania has many more whites than blacks. this is a winner of an issue, it will knock obama off his lead and get him pissed. America does not like the "angry black" man, it is frightening.

The man is going to have his own special moment, really soon. The free pass isn't going to continue forever.

"I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a
We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”

"A More Perfect Union" ah?..........Hmmmm?
Interesting enough Louis Farrakhan used that "a More Perfect Union" stuff in his speech as he was cursing and casting spells against America during the million Man March in 1995 in Washington.

You should read his the whole transcript. He didn't sound that different from Obama's pastor Rev Wright. Hmmm? Makes you think who wrote Obama's trite and jive time speech. He still holds on to the past, while using white guilt. That is all Obama's got is White guilt working for him. What happens when no one cares anymore? "if you don't Obama want for President, you're racist."

http://www.cnn.com/US/9510/megamarch/10-
16/transcript/index.html

I don't care what anyone says. Obama and his Church are Muslims hiding. That's right, I'm saying it. I' not voting for a Muslim. and, I'm not a Democrate either. No Muslim should every be president of a Judeo Christian nation. And I don't care what anyone says. Just look how much good it has done for Sere leone, Somalia, Kenya and ethiopia. And they all you see to be early Christtian nations until Islamist conquered and converted by the sword. Just see how much good Islam has down for Africa. Idi Imam and Charles Taylor, and Robert Mugabe were Muslims leaders. And all they did and do was bring death, present day slavery and sex trade, starvation and chaos.

I love it. His Pastor says all this racist anti American stuff. He calls Israel a dirty word. And Obama is going to lecture America about rasicm of the past? From a man who "I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations" Then whines, "I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners". What? Should we dig up the bodies of dead slave owners and punish them. Show we dig up all the bodies 189,000 dead Union soldiers who died to save our "more Perfect Union", the United States of America? Their sacrifice set the 4 million Black souls free. What is Obama talking about? What is he lecturing America about? He needs just to stop talking. Can he use a new line. Besides "Change" or "Ordasity of hope" Can he come up with a original line that someone else did not already say? If he does not fully apoligized for his racist Pastor and come clean with his anti American white guilt Communist Socialist agenda. Then just get lost.

Hey, while Obama "uniequivicoly" denounces the racist statemments made by his Racist seperatist pastor Revy Wright. Oddly He wholeheartly affrims his Pastor as his mentor. Say what??? Shevels awy all the racist divisive says and lectures. Rev. Wright can not be Christian by bitterness and hate of his own mouth.

I don't about you, but I never attended a Church that "damned" America. Excuse me, I don't know about you guys, I just attend a normal God fearing, God Praising, and America loving Church.

I'm reading over this Obama speech again. Obama just rambles on. Continuly contradicting himself. Even though Obama's Pastor is a racist. Obama's speech goes from racism to health care, to the Iraqi war, to Illegal Aliens. What?? On and on. Lol! Lol! He even admits his candidiy is imperfect. Arrogant.

Obama will never be President. THANK GOD!!!

And I'm a brown face too..........

Dannygirl

Robert, Joseph Farah, in today's edition of WorldNetDaily.com has a different take on Obama's chances right now. He feels that Clinton is now pretty certain to win the nomination.

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59224

I don't believe him and I sure don't trust him.

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Luke 16:13

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," 2 Corinthians 6:17

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" Ephesians 4:14

"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" Ephesians 5:6-8

"yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written," Romans 3:4

Obama has been attending his church for how many years and wants us to believe he never knew that his pastor is that way? I guess he going to say next that he doesn't know that Louis Farrakhan is a racist either. Wright and Farrakhan have been buddies for years. Both agree with each other on so many things that Obama would have to bury his head in the ground to claim he didn't know any better. Therefore, this whole issue is a matter of who's kidding whom?

Obama's speech boiled down to this:

1. It's OK for Black to be racist.
2. When Don Imus or a white person says something that's racist it's NOT OK and they MUST BE FIRED. [Obama demanded Imus's firing.]
3. Geraldine Ferraro is a racist demagogue.
4. His Granny was racist for fearing a Black bum on the bus threatening her for money.
5. Whites should give Blacks lots of extra tax money for past White racism.
6. If Whites shut up and get to the back of the bus, Blacks will give them something out of the raiding on corporations which will just hand out gobs of money.

None of that seems a winner for the general. It's a sign of the profound weakness of the Democratic Party that this is a winner for the primaries.

And make no mistake. The reason John McCain, RINO-AZ, is the nominee is the weakness of the Democratic Party.

But I have no doubt that many liberal Jews will vote for Obama:

1. Because he transcends race.
2. Because he's a uniter.
3. Because he's beyond poliitcs.
4. Because he's good looking.
5. Because they are the people they have been waiting for.
6. Whatever that means, beyond the obvious narcissism.

Well, it would take more magic than might be available to label me "a liberal", but most folk would consider me Jewish so I suppose my input here might be of some interest.

I'll be voting for Obama and not on account of any of the strawmen that you hung out for general mockery. I'll be voting for Obama on account of the reasons that I noted in three comments in your recent thread here http://www.seraphicpress.com/archives/2008/03/the_los_angeles.php .

I realize that thinking through individual issues and weighing two bad choices leaves one with no ability to whoop it up with fellow political tribesmen around the online campfire, but the internal self-appreciation that one gains from knowing that he's a rational, thinking, honest human being more than makes up for what one looses in social pleasures. Honest to God, there are some serious issues out there and they're worth being considered rather than being censored or caricatured.

mnuez
www.mnuez.blogspot.com

Neal:

National Democratic polls are already swinging towards Hillary in a big way. Normal Americans have seen through Obama's speech as just another race hustle a la Sharpton.

Now, all Hillary has to do is hijack the superdelegates. That shouldn't be too hard. She and Bubba play hardball.

Jack:

Obama will get a free pass from those who want to give him a free pass. See today's NY Times, which enshrines him as another Lincoln.

But I think we all know that Obama's campaign was predicated on not discussing race.

Now, he's been smoked out by 20-year association with a bigot and Jew-hater, and voila, he's proposing national dialog about race and that makes him a hero to his worshipers.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

Anyway, America has real business to attend to: like the jihadists who are trying to wipe western civilization off the face of the earth.

I keep saying to Karen, my wife: "I sooo want Obama to get the nomination. Imagine what we don't know about this guy. He'll bury himself."

Now, I fear Hillary might get the nod.

Dannygirl:

We agree, Obama will never be President. Americans are waking up from their Obama worship.

For more than a year Obama has denied being present at Wright's bigoted rants. But in his speech yesterday he admits that he was there and he disagreed with Wright.

Obama didn't disagree enough to break his ties with the church. Didn't disagree enough to confront Wright about his lies concerning America and Israel and AIDS. Didn't object to his church honoring the Jew-hater Louis Farrakhan.

In short, Obama is a liar and a race hustler of the worst sort.

Not in this Lifetime:

Obama has been kidding a lot of people for a long time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

Word is already leaking out of Obama's association with another black bigot: Reverend Meeks.

Jim:

The Democratic party may be weak, but it is formidable and Republicans have to unite behind McCain and take the White House or suffer the consequences. Among them:

1. Surrender in Iraq.
2. Socialized medicine.
3. Liberal Supreme Court appointees.
4. More gun control.
5. Weak national self-defense.
6. Higher taxes.

For any one to vote for this person, Obama, it will take the height of imbecility. But, there are none so blind as those who will not see; none so deaf as those who will not hear. This is the choice and I am astounded, still, to see that not only will people cut their noses off to spite their faces, but will skin their faces off their skull to get their point across, in particular, tinfoil hatted leftist loons. If you want a socialistic, Orwellian society established here in America, just, please, say so. Stop with the embarrassing rationalizations, admit you want what you want with specificity!! I for one am tired of the lies and disengenuous words that pour out of the UberLeftys.