OBAMA ON WRIGHT: "There are times when people say things that are just wrong."

[Bicoastal]

(edited to include link)

From today's Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Q: I don't know if you've seen it, but it's all over the wire today (from an ABC News story), a statement that your pastor (the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side) made in a sermon in 2003 that instead of singing "God Bless America," black people should sing a song essentially saying "God Damn America."

A: I haven't seen the line. This is a pastor who is on the brink of retirement who in the past has made some controversial statements. I profoundly disagree with some of these statements.

Q: What about this particular statement?

A: Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it's important to judge me on what I've said in the past and what I believe.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_557231.html

Your move, Senator Clinton.

My feeling? She's not going to go with it. Here we have an extremely liberal, outspoken black pastor for one of the most Progressive churches in the country. If Obama wasn't in the race, the Clintons would actively be seeking his support. No, she's waiting for McCain to make a big stink about it, and so is Obama--he'll bring up John Hagee, who McCain who has never even publicly disagreed with.

[Demeter]

1. Very Good Answer From Obama

Very stupid ploy from Hillary.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

38. Obama will handle this as he has w/ so many of these non-stories, showing courage & grace under fire

[fbuzz]

2. Obama Just Sunk Himself Even Lower

He actually thinks the video of this guy is not out there from more than one day? Obama is just a simpleton, as is his atrocious wife!

[fbuzz]

3. Here's What You Have Said, Mr. Obama...

Obama says that rather than advising him on strategy, Wright helps keep his priorities straight and his moral compass calibrated.

"What I value most about Pastor Wright is not his day-to-day political advice," Obama said. "He's much more of a sounding board for me to make sure that I am speaking as truthfully about what I believe as possible and that I'm not losing myself in some of the hype and hoopla and stress that's involved in national politics."

[Bicoastal]

5. And you have a problem with this?

Or are you just echoing what you think/hope the Republicans will say?

[writes3000]

7. It's a ridiculous argument.

How dare Obama use this guy as a sounding board!!!!

[Bicoastal]

8. This is faux outrage at its finest.

[butterfly77]

30. It doesn't matter what he says or doesn't ..

you would have a problem with it..

[Nitrogenica]

4. Your comments are rather disgusting.

Iggy.

[dionysus]

11. why, hello troll. pleased to meet you.

take your banky and go back to free republic please...

[Bicoastal]

15. Don't worry, he'll be gone by the end of the day.

Check THIS shit out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5074703

[dionysus]

16. wow, just wow....

[cliffordu]

35. Ahem.

When you edit the Harvard Law Review you can call Obama a simpleton. Same goes for his "atrocious" wife.

Did your parents KNOW they were cousins, or was it obvious only after you were spurted into the world?

:puke:

[cliffordu]

37. Do I smell Pizza???

Tombstone Pizza????



:rofl:

[jakem]

39. wtf is that?!

nice introduction to DU troll.

[backscatter712]

47. You're full of shit.

Go back to Redstate.

For that matter, go get a job instead of living in your parent's basement.

[jenmito]

50. "His atrocious wife"??? You must be a troll. Alerted.

[high density]

52. I'd ignore this person but I see they're already tombstoned

:rofl:

[bunnies]

6. McCain is not going to touch this.

He's already said as much. And if Hillary is smart, she wont either.

[Bake]

24. McCain won't have to. The 527's will.

They're already planning the ads.

Bake

[Drachasor]

42. There's a pretty good chance McCain would speak out against such statements

He has a respectable tendency to say the truth even when it hurts him.

[leftofcool]

9. This won't cut it!

Hey Senator! Why do you take your daughters to a church where the pastor humps from the pulpit?

[Bicoastal]

10. LOL. Now we're going to be prudish?

[leftofcool]

19. No, I just think men of the cloth

probably don't need to be doing that from the pulpit in front of children. Obviously Obama thinks it okay and acceptable

[Bicoastal]

21. Islandmkl is right. Hillary is not going to win an argument about personal morality

by ASSOCIATION. Say what you will about his politics, but Rev. Wright's "immoral" behavior pales in comparison to Bill Clinton's, and it's no argument who's closer to a political campaign OR to a candidate's offspring.

[islandmkl]

14. hey hillary...

why do you let your daughter stay in the white house when some guy is getting hummers from an intern in one of the rooms next door?

[Scurrilous]

12. K & R

:thumbsup:

[redqueen]

13. Perfect response.

IMO, his campaign is far more capable defeating the GOP this fall.

[Tarc]

17. Ugh. Started ok, then finished off with a TERRIBLE answer

I profoundly disagree with some of these statements.

Lookin good. Obama hits a double right off the bat.

Obviously, I disagree with that.

Short and direct refutation. He's rounding third...

Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor.

OH! A stumble and he's thrown out at the plate!


Obama almost had it, but trying to equivocate and in some way justify Rev. Wright's message is about where I figured he's trip up. This is why he's not ready for prime-time.

[uponit7771]

20. Not one person I've asked has pointed out what Wright said was false and even over in reThuglaville

....they're patting McCaint on the back for taking the high road.

I don't see this as much as an issue as McCaints close ties to Bush

[rucky]

25. So he was supposed to throw him under the bus?

Given their history, that would be dismissed as a purely calculated political move. I think it's wiser to humanize Wright rather than demonize him.

[Tarc]

31. A bus-tossing is what Team Obama demanded of Clinton re: Ferraro, isn't it?

[rucky]

33. I think they handled it quite well, actually.

Now Gerry can play in traffic all by herself, and Hillary can move on.

[reflection]

53. Agreed.

He stumbled on that last comment. He should get out in front of this and handle it forcefully. Friendships be damned.

[From The Left]

18. A Perfect REply. But it Wont' STFU the Hillbots

[Benhurst]

23. Nor will it satisfy many of us who aren't very enthusiastic about her

candidacy, either.

Hillary has problems of her own. But this is Obama's problem, not hers.

[susankh4]

22. What does this have to do with Hillary?

Why should she say anything? It's not her problem.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. She can exploit the controversy

or, more likely, have some of her staff exploit it, giving her "deniability".

Or, as you indicate, she can ignore it completely and instruct her staff not to pursue it.

Her choice.

[susankh4]

27. There is no reason for her to be required to do anything....

or not do anything.

That's up to her.

[SeaLyons]

28. Sorry, 20 Years is a long time

and Obama has remained not only a very close friend of the Pastor, but a member of his church. He takes his children to hear that hate. Sorry, I for one will never be convinced that Barack Obama does not share (at the least) a large portion of the views of the good Pastor. How else could he be a member of the church and allow his children to hear it.

[Bicoastal]

29. My rabbi is (or was) a fan of Dick Cheney's.

I've walked out of his right-leaning sermons on occasion.

He's also a good friend of mine who's been there for my family and community in times of strife and tragedy.

And we're about as diverse on political views as you can get.

[SeaLyons]

43. I think the Pastor

is just a little more out there than even Chaney. We're talking very real hatred towards "the man" and country.

[backscatter712]

49. How close is Mark Penn to Hillary?

Oh yeah, second in command of her campaign!

After lobbying for Blackwater, union busters, Union Carbide (after Bhopal) and Philip Morris.

Who's associated with the worse asshole again?

[4_Legs_Good]

32. Obama MUST be held responsible for what a person he listens to once in a while says!!!!

"Senator" Obama is to blame, and should be held accountable for everything this guy says! It's only fair, After all, he actually listens to the guy sometimes!!!

Heh heh heh. Just had a Dittohead storm into my office on this issue. Funny as hell.

David

p.s. :sarcasm:

[Tarc]

36. So you never supported the attacks on Clinton for Ferraro's comments?

[4_Legs_Good]

46. No! I supported attacks on Ferraro, though, because she broke my heart!

I don't blame Clinton for Ferraro's comments, and I don't think Clinton should have been attacked, or have had to repuidiate and recant and revoke and re-everything else. She didn't say the things.

The problem with Ferraro's comments for me, was that I really, really respected Ferraro as a barrier breaker and was very PROUD to have her on our team (Democrats). She's part of something historic that we could all be proud of. Her comments, and her rabid (IMO) defense of them dimished her image in my eyes, as well as diminishing what she, Hillary and Obama are doing - making history! All of them deserve respect for breaking 200 year old barriers, and she was *way* ahead of her time. I don't want her struggles and successes to be diminished by some "affirmative action" cop-out.

Plus, I think she's really not putting the party first here, and she could have. She could have said or later clarified, "What I meant to say is that in today's world, Obama's ethnicity is an asset at this point, and his success is something we can all be proud of. As a pioneer in barrier breaking, I know how hard it is, and I know what a great responsibility it is, and I know people are looking to us, so Hillary and Obama ar both treading new ground, and they both deserve our respect and admiration!"

Sorry, didn't mean to go on.

David

[BigDDem]

40. once in a while? Did you watch any of the debates?

BO went to the same church "for 20 years", I've heard him say it numerous times.
Nice try though!

[4_Legs_Good]

48. I've gone to the same church for 36 years, and I disagree with them at least 50% of the time

Switching churches, at least for someone like me, isn't that easy. I don't know why, it's just like family, at least to me. You kind of take the bad with the good.

Ultimately, I did kinda leave, but it took an awful lot - A bishop saying it was a mortal sin to vote for Kerry, a change in pastors which ended up in countless anti-choice, far more conservative sermons, crosses everywhere on Roe v. Wade day and the election of a Nazi as Pope for me to actually leave, and I still haven't left completely.

It's just not that easy for some of us. It's like getting a divorce.

I dunno.

And sometimes I think what is said is great!

David

[EffieBlack]

34. If a white presidential candidate said the things that Wright said, DUers would be swooning!

The problem here is that some white people are terrified of black men who speak their minds, especially those who sound angry when they do it.

[nolabels]

51. I don't really know, i think it might be a matter of where you live also

My sister at eighteen, married a marine during the Viet Nam years then a couple years latter moved to Kentucky. She is now a kind of hick but definitely a grandma. On the phone to our brother a couple of months ago, she recently made light (in a joking way) of the fact her county in western Kentucky has only two black families living there.

My black boss(Cajun) gets angry once in while but no one really gets nervous about it mostly, they know he is just trying to do his job :shrug:

[Ravy]

41. And if the Obama Camp had let Hillary off with saying "Ferraro is sometimes wrong" then

that might be the end of this.

But that isn't the campaign either side is conducting.

[Hope08]

44. Wright = Hagee

Agree it is an issue in the primaries, with Pa. looming, but it will be to a significant extent neutralized in the general by McCain's cozying up to Hagee, and Hagee's comments about the Catholic church being "the Whore of Babylon." The MSM is not paying attention to this now because **no one** is paying attention to McCain. 527s will likely not try to make Wright an issue once the general campaign season gets underway, because Hagee = Wright = mutually assured destruction. The press loves this kind of "they both do it" story; it allows them to appear balanced while stoking cynicism in the electorate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNi7tPanUA

[From The Left]

45. Wright = Farraro

[Megahurtz]

54. Asked and answered.

:thumbsup: