Jeremiah Wright: blacks should sing "God damn America"

[Alhena]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4443788&page=1

I think this will ruin his chances, sorry to say.

[Bullet1987]

1. No it won't...

FOX News has been running this for months now. Only problem is now, Clinton supporters will try to make a big deal out of this to get back for Ferroro.

[DemVet]

79. The problem for Obama is...

...that he is only now disavowing what this whack-job preacher says...only when it becomes public.

He(Obama) obviously agrees with this bozo or else he would have changed churches long ago.

[roguevalley]

118. and Hillary would have disavowed Ferraro if she didn't believe her

tripe. sword cuts both ways. nice number total.

[rucky]

2. What is Obama's connection to Wright?

I'm not buying that they're BFFs.

[Bullet1987]

4. He WAS Obama's Pastor...

But Obama disavowed himself from his rhetoric a LONG time ago. If this becomes a big story, it's obviously more about spite and a pseudo defense of Clinton's campaign than about Obama.

[rucky]

6. That's what I figured. n/t

[feedingfrenzy]

53. But Michelle Obama says she can finally be proud

[rucky]

57. Does Black America owe us something?

I missed that memo.

[leftofcool]

17. Was?

Didn't Obama say he was a member of that church?

[Bullet1987]

22. If someone is your Pastor...then that generally makes you a member of

that Church...lol.

[leftofcool]

30. exactly

[MNDemNY]

36. And Obama continues to express "admiration" for the racist man.

[blogslut]

40. What makes him a racist?

Tell me, exactly?

[MNDemNY]

72. Oh, I think his support of Farrakhan says enough.

Or do you not agree that Farrakhan is a racist?

[blogslut]

100. The reverend is not a member of the Nation of Islam

As far as I can tell, that association you speak of is no more than a couple of public pats on the back. I think Farrakhan is a racist and a hater. I wouldn't pat him on the back but I'm not a reverend. Pastors are supposed to be nice to people, even sinners.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

113. and Hillary continues to be married to a womanizer n/t

[MNDemNY]

115. So?

[MNDemNY]

114. And honor them with "person of the year "awards?

A bit more than a "pat on the back".

[rucky]

44. I've asked several times...

and haven't seen any documentation of their connection.

No offense, but I'm not really taking anybody's word for it around these parts.

[GoldieAZ49]

59. Read Obamas book, then you get the documentation first hand

He says it all, and better than anyone else could

[rucky]

62. aw, man! now I have to read a book?

mean teacher.

[MNDemNY]

73. The fact that this man married the Obamas and baptized thier children isn't enough for you?

[rucky]

77. Why are you assuming I knew that?

If I did, I wouldn't be asking.

[MNDemNY]

78. Now that you do, any comments?

[rucky]

84. This is potentially damaging...

but I don't believe it parallels Obama's views.

Let's see how Obama separates himself from this.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

86. He can't seperate himself from this....it will cost us the election in Nov if Obama is the nom

[MNDemNY]

88. I tend to agree.

[rucky]

89. Hillary managed to separate herself from Ferraro.

at least in my book. They go back years, and she was directly related to the campaign.

It's manageable for Obama, but both incidents are damaging to the party as a whole.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

94. There is NO comparison.....and I am not willing to take that chance .

[rucky]

96. No comparison? Why else is a year-old story resurfacing today?

c'mon.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

126. And Geraldine Ferraro has not been Hillary's "spiritial advisor" or mentor for the last 20 years....

and I don't recall Hillary dedicating either of her two books to Ferraro.

There's no comparison between the influence the Rev. Wright has had on Obama's life and the political fundraising Ferraro's has done for Hillary.

[MNDemNY]

87. Yes, let's see. So far he's done little.

[Beacool]

81. Wright has been Obama's spiritual adviser for 20 years.

I don't have time to do a search, but Obama has mentioned his close relationship to him more than once. If I'm not mistaken, he's the one who brought Obama back to the fold of the church.

He's not just another pastor to Obama........

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

110. And Hillary continues to apologize for racist comments from her surrogates

Bill, Geraldine etc

[ElsewheresDaughter]

85. He still is Pastor of Obama'schurch until May

[MNDemNY]

90. Don't you think the timing of his "retirement" is interesting?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

95. of course

[ElsewheresDaughter]

106. Rev Wright has been Obama's" Spiritual Adviser" for 20 years...

Obama can NOT separate himself from this man and it will cost us the election if Obama is the nom

credited by Obama for the title of his book, "The Audacity of Hope."

Even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

[cali]

3. Really? Why?

Jeremiah Wright will be an issue in the general, but I don't see that it's an insurmountable one, by any means.

[Alhena]

8. Look, this latest story is even giving ME pause ...

and I've been as strong an Obama supporter as there is. His preacher said "God damn America" and that we deserve 9-11. Apparently he says radical things all the time. Obama is not going to be the nominee unless my political instincts are WAY off. Obama is a great guy, but he should have known better than to associate with this man.

[cali]

12. He did not say that America deserved 9/11

And yes, he says things that white America finds distressing. Obama needs to distance himself from those things, but it's very unlikely that Wright will kill his chances at the nomination. And where have you been? All this stuff has been out there for months? I think you're political instincts are more alarmist than accurate.

[DemGa]

14. Sure he did

"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost," he told his congregation.

[cali]

18. He said our foreign policy is coming back to haunt us

How could anyone deny that?

[IrishBloodEngHeart]

24. He sounds like Ron Paul to me.

[NDambi]

29. Sounds like Ron Paul...and can't say I disagree

[Umbram]

47. That's called blowback. Do you disagree with it? (nt)

[Political Heretic]

48. Wow.... he is guilty of telling the truth, then.

:shrug:

I won't vouch for this guy, but the two things I've seen from him so far have been inconvenient truths, at a rhetoric level that most "must please everyone" politicians don't want to be close to, but truths just the same.

Maybe there are things out there I'm not familiar with. Either way, this is pretty much a non-story that isn't going to go anywhere.

[leftynyc]

67. Jerry Falwell and the other clown

whose name is escaping me claimed the same thing and the left went crazy. How do you think independents are going to like hearing the US deserved 9/11? How do you think New Yorkers are going to like it?

[NYCGirl]

74. Falwell and the other clown blamed 9/11 on Gays and Liberals.

I have no problem, as a New Yorker, to hear that 9/11 was caused by the US governments misguided Middle East policies.

[leftynyc]

91. So your only problem is WHO they

blamed instead of blaming the 19 animals on the planes. Gotcha.

[Political Heretic]

104. It isn't either / or

Falwell blamed 9/11 on gays.

This guy correctly identifies the reality of blowback. Our foreign policy makes terrorist attacks more likely.

A grown up is capable of both blaming the attackers for their actions and also understanding a policy climate that makes such actions almost certain.

[leftynyc]

111. That line will work with liberals

But I assume all liberals will vote for Sen Obama. We have to look at independents and the way they think. Do you really think the way to win back Reagan democrats is to say nothing when the spiritual advisor of our nominee says we had 9/11 coming?

[MNDemNY]

75. So, same for Ferraro?

[Political Heretic]

105. Ferraro is guilty of disparraging and inaccurate racial remarks

Ferraro's comments are right out of the David Duke playbook. Saying that Obama is lucky to be a black man, saying being a black man is the variable without which he would not be where he is right now, is not only a racist statement, by basic definition of racism - its also absolutely absurd.

I hate to break this to you, but overall to date, Obama voters are majority white. Shocking huh? Yup he wins huge majorities of the black vote - the black vote still being a minority in this country. Overall the majority of his voters are white. To win a majority of white voters, there is nothing about being a black man named Barack Hussein Obama that is accurately characterized as "lucky."

There is a true reality that both Clinton and Obama have enjoyed some advantage of both being "first" - the first woman and the first african-american to come this close to the nomination has generated some positives that would not otherwise be there. Well Ferraro falls into racism is in the false reduction - by claiming that obama's race and gender are the key variables on which all other elements depend - by saying that without being black and male he wouldn't be here.

And the incideous racism of the comment is the trivialization of all other factors - his intellect, his leadership qualities, his charisma, his ability to inspire, his extraordinarily well run campaign, his masterful fund raising skill, his incredibly well-structure ground teams and organization - saying that none of that matters - if he wasn't a black man, he would be nowhere.

That's racist, period.

To then come back after that and start defending those comments by appealing to "white racism" is a direct quote lift from David Duke and patently ridiculous.

[uponit7771]

55. The CIA agrees with Wright, we're experiencing blow back.

[Bake]

69. It may not kill his chances at the nomination

But it will sure as hell kill his chances in the general election. I can only IMAGINE the ads the Pukes will run: a picture of Obama with "his pastor" and the caption GOD DAMN AMERICA.

That one is all it will take.

Bake

[Bullet1987]

19. Is this really the first time you're hearing about this?

And Obama can't help what his Pastor says...now if he were part of Obama's campaign, then yea...he'd be in some major trouble. But the guy has never even sniffed that far, so why should Obama take responsibility for someone else's words? This is almost as dumb as the Farrakhan thing, candidates aren't responsible for the people that endorse them.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

46. So did Jerry Falwell

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen."

Jerry Falwell in 2001

[Political Heretic]

49. Are you honestly suggesting that you're too stupid to tell the difference?

I just can't believe that. I give you way more credit.

Jerry Falwell blamed 9/11 on gay people.

This guy, like anyone with a blame should, suggests that there's a reason why 9/11's happen - called blowback, and we can't act like our foreign policy does not make us more vulnerable to terrorist acts, because it does.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

61. In terms of being correct, there is a huge difference.

I'm talking about outrage-wise. No one ever comes down on white conservatives like Falwell when they bash America, no matter how bogus their reasoning is.

[Political Heretic]

63. OOOooooooook! That makes more sense.

Phew.

[leftynyc]

68. You trust the independents

to make that distinction? All the right wing ad is going to say is the Sen Obama's preacher thinks the US deserved 9/11.

[Political Heretic]

107. I have two different lines of thinking here:

1) actual wrong

2) perceived wrong

Obama has no actual problem.

Obama may have a PR problem.

[leftynyc]

108. When it comes to politics

and a heated political season, they're unfortunately one and the same. Sen Obama just needs to get in front of this story but I'm afraid he's not going to want to do what needs to be done. We can't look at this issue as liberals - we have to look at it as independents will - that's who Sen Obama needs to take the votes from to win in the general.

So on one side you'll have a man who not only fought for his country, he was a POW for 5 years - people are going to react to that and then you have Sen Obama who's spiritual advisor says (again I realize this out of context) that the US had 9/11 coming to her. Now - what do you think the independents are going to do?

[yardwork]

51. Apparently their "association" is that Wright was Obama's church's pastor.

How is that Obama's fault? He can't control what the former pastor of his church says! That's ridiculous.

[GoldieAZ49]

58. He is Obamas spiritual advisor

and has been for 20 years

Just because he retires does not mean he isn't going to remain his spiritual advisor

[MNDemNY]

76. He can "denounce and reject" him, but alas, he has not.

[DemGa]

5. The right-wing would destroy Obama with this stuff---NT

[rucky]

7. We better beat 'em to the punch. n/t

[scheming daemons]

10. Hannity's been talking about Jeremiah Wright for 6 months.... it only works on rabid Repugs....

....

[scheming daemons]

9. If Jeremiah Wright were running for President, it WOULD ruin *HIS* chances....

Sorry.... Obama's pastor is NOT speaking for Obama..... any more than John Kerry's pro-life priest was speaking for John Kerry.

[thevoiceofreason]

13. And he's not even the pastor anymore!

[leftofcool]

15. The web site says he is

[ellacott]

26. He retired at the beginning of this year

[leftofcool]

31. No one to update the site?

Who is the new guy?

[ellacott]

32. He's on a sabbatical until June and then he retires

The new Pastor is Otis Moss III.

[leftofcool]

35. Thanks

[MonkeyFunk]

41. He announced his retirement

evidently he's still the pastor until May.

But that's not important. The issue is that Obama remained a member of this church for a long time while this pastor was saying some pretty ugly things. Like it or not, it will be an issue.

[IndianaJones]

11. he's right. as should all minorities. nt.

[jeffrey_X]

16. Is Wright running for office? Is he part of someone's campaign?

????

[Bullet1987]

21. Nope...neither...he's just there

[MNDemNY]

99. Bo's spiritual adviser of 20 years. Credited with the title of BO's book.

They are very close. Obama will need to "reject and denounce" in no uncertain terms.The man and his views.

[jefferson_dem]

20. In a statement to ABCNews.com, Obama's press spokesman Bill Burton said...

"Sen. Obama has said repeatedly that personal attacks such as this have no place in this campaign or our politics, whether they're offered from a platform at a rally or the pulpit of a church. Sen. Obama does not think of the pastor of his church in political terms. Like a member of his family, there are things he says with which Sen. Obama deeply disagrees. But now that he is retired, that doesn't detract from Sen. Obama's affection for Rev. Wright or his appreciation for the good works he has done."

[Rex_Goodheart]

34. Wholly insufficient

[GoldieAZ49]

43. His spiritual adviser for 20 years, the only church affiliation Obama has

according to Obama doesn't detract from him?

Wrong, think again.

from the article:
Sen. Obama said, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." He said Rev. Wright "is like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with," telling a Jewish group that everyone has someone like that in their family.


That Obama doesn't think he is "particularly controversial." shows he has never been to mainstream integrated churches in America.

And no one I have ever know has an uncle that sings the national anthem that way.

" no place in this campaign or our politics"
Sorry, you don't decide what kind of politics your opponent uses, and this will be a major issue.


Good Grief

[MadBadger]

23. Obama hates white people....especially his mother.

[scheming daemons]

27. And 50% of himself!

[MadBadger]

28. Yup.

[Colobo]

25. It won't ruin jack. Pastors say crazy shit.

[Bake]

71. If my pastor said some crazy shit, I'd ooudly and visibly leave

And find a new pastor. (Hell, I know people who did that because they didn't like what kind of suits the preacher wears!) Too bad Obama didn't do that. It's going to come back to haunt him.

To say this won't be an issue is just whistling past the graveyard. Once again, Dems will have found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. See, e.g., Michael Dukakis.

Bake

[Zynx]

80. I've never heard a preacher or priest I've attended say anything that messed up.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

93. Katz, you're an honest man. You know that Wright isn't just a Pastor

Obama cites Wright as a key figure in the development of his faith, and his political philosophies. It's not the usual sort of association, like a campaign official or endorser.

When a candidate takes the title of his book about what America needs from a sermon by a racially divisive nut, people take that a certain way.

Simply because he is new on the scene Obama is an unknown quantity to many, including most of his supporters. And Obama directed us to Wright... it's not a tangential connection made by someone else.

I don't think Obama is a rabid black nationalist who blames America for 9/11, or who believes Jesus was a black man persecuted by the Italians, but what I think doesn't shape perceptions.

This stuff can be defended in a sophisticated, nuanced way that about 15% of people will get, but cannot be dismissed as not damaging.

That doesn't mean Obama wouldn't be a good President. It just means that this stuff is more damaging than it's being painted.

[Window]

33. LMAO!

:rofl:

[shenmue]

37. Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

:crazy:

:dunce:

[Strelnikov_]

38. Yes. It appears the pastor has said what many members of this site

have said at one time or another.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."
. . .

An ABC News review of dozens of Rev. Wright's sermons, offered for sale by the church, found repeated denunciations of the U.S. based on what he described as his reading of the Gospels and the treatment of black Americans.

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism.

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.

"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost," he told his congregation.


And, quite frankly, I think his 'home to roost' view of 9/11 is now the majority view in this country. He was just ahead of the curve.

[GoldieAZ49]

50. No it certainly is not the majority view in this country

and never will be,

This guy and his views are disgusting, and Obama cannot 'reject and denounce' 20 years of intimate affiliation with this guy with any credibility whatsoever.

[leftynyc]

70. Bullshit

You honestly think it's the majority view of the country that we deserved 9/11 - and you can pretty it up and call it blowback all you want, the indies that Sen Obama is going to need to win this election aren't going to hear that.

[Strelnikov_]

109. And where was it said "we deserved 9/11"

And if blowback due to our meddling in the Middle East to secure cheap energy supplies for multinational oil corporations is not a major factor, how do you explain the current unrest?

They hate us for our freedoms?

Sorry. It's blowback. Nothing happens in a vacuum.

[leftynyc]

119. You're putting your head in the sand

From the ABC story:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

And then there's this little gem

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."


Now - how is this going to play with independents? I mention them because I assume all liberals will vote for Sen Obama anyway.

Here's the link to the ABC story:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4443788&page=1

[Zynx]

82. Ummm....If a candidate ran based on what DU thinks they would get 24% of the vote.

[loveangelc]

39. Yeah, this actually could be a problem.

[uponit7771]

54. My mother says crazy crap all the time! Does that mean I'm up in arms repudiating her?! Guilt by....

...weak association...

[loveangelc]

92. its a problem because most of the public does not know that much about who obama is

and seeing this will not help. the fact that he went here for a long time is not good.

[susankh4]

97. I don't repudiate my crazy mom either

but then... I ain't running for president of the US.

Lots of women have cheating husbands.... but then, most are not the Gov. of NY.

Yes.. this is a problem. Don't kid yourself. It will be slathered EVERYWHERE. Heck, it already is.

What a shame...

[Unsane]

42. It does look damning (and I'm an Obama supporter)

I'm reserving judgement for now; we'll see how it plays out.

[GoldieAZ49]

45. So am I, but I am not going to defend this preacher, church or Obama

for having him as his spiritual advisor for 20 years

Listen to him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAYe7MT5BxM


Mainstream America is going to laugh their ass off when they hear his spiritual advisor, and the thought of Obama being POTUS. Right after the shock and anger passes.

They will be out in droves to vote and make sure it never happens.


I doubt Obama is going to carry 5% of the white voters after this is out.

[Rex_Goodheart]

52. I'll say it now... unless Obama SPECIFICALLY condemns this bullshit

I'm voting for McCain.

[uponit7771]

56. What did Wright say that wasn't true?!!??!

[superduperfarleft]

60. Didn't you just call me a "stain" on the Democratic Party?

And yet you'll vote for McCain....

Hypocrite much?

[Moochy]

64. That explains the stench about your posts

You are a republican.

[Rex_Goodheart]

65. LOL

I'm a human first, then an American, and a Democrat later. I can't recall the last time I voted for a Republican.

[Moochy]

66. Well DU doesnt abide

people who vote for republicans. Just saying.. read the rules Rex. And take a shower!

[kwassa]

101. then go vote for McCain. I don't think you will be missed.

[angie_love]

124. Then you aren't a democrat. plain and simple.

[Drunken Irishman]

120. Yeah, he's going to lose the GE 80-20 to McCain.

Won't carry ANY states.

We're doomed!

OMFG!!!1111

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

83. "he wants to portray that feeling he got from Rev. Wright onto the country"

Accurate or inaccurate, it is hard to see ABC printing this viewpont as helpful to Obama or the Party:

"I wouldn't call it radical. I call it being black in America," said one congregation member outside the church last Sunday.

"He has impacted the life of Barack Obama so much so that he wants to portray that feeling he got from Rev. Wright onto the country because we all need something positive," said another member of the congregation.

[RememberWellstone]

98. WTF?

Obama went to thsi church for most of his life?? OMG,this is bad.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

102. the video alone of this News broadcast WILL cost us the White House if Obama is the nom..PERIOD!

[Alhena]

103. Relax- it will be your girl's to lose. She better come through for us

[loveangelc]

117. I still don't think Hillary will get the nomination

but the fact is, this needs to be addressed and he needs to denounce and reject him. surely he knows about these sermons.

[Drunken Irishman]

122. C'mon loveangel, get a fucking grip.

He denounced his comments back in January. What the hell do you want him to do? Kill the man?

As is, this story is getting little play on any major stations (nothing on CNN or MSNBC), so what should he do, call attention to it and make it a bigger issue than it is? If it breaks, I'm sure he will say he's denounced and rejected the comments before. However, he can't do much more than that.

[Drunken Irishman]

121. Evidence?

Or are you pulling shit out of your ass again Elsewhere?

You're good at that. :)

[Irishonly]

112. Why n/t

[Strelnikov_]

116. Phase 1 complete. Phase 2, OP Scary Black Preacher, initiated n/t

[arundhatiroyfan]

123. American society has severely harmed and continues...

to severely harm many of its black citizens. Therefor I don't think it is out of line to utter such a phrase. It gets out of line when Wright or someone else would call for violence.

[nomorenomore08]

125. So after slavery, Jim Crow, terrorist attacks courtesy of the KKK and others, the "War on Drugs"...

...people nonetheless expect all black Americans to put their hands over their hearts and mindlessly hum the National Anthem?

Un-fucking-real. And for the record, I say this as a white Obama supporter.