http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/13/barackobama.hillaryclinton “Barack Obama today faced potential damage to his campaign after television networks aired footage of his pastor's sermons likening the Democratic frontrunner to Jesus and declaring: "God damn America."
In the sermons, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who presided over Obama's marriage and provided the title of his book "Audacity of Hope," condemns what he describes as a systemic effort to keep black people in poverty.
The strong language and the accusations of racism could prove embarrassing to Obama, who has based his candidacy on a message of unity. In his sermons Wright reportedly refers to America as being under the influence of the Ku Klux Klan and describes black Republicans as sell-outs.
"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 which was reviewed by ABC television.
"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."
Obama has been a member of the congregation of Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ in south side of Chicago for nearly 20 years, and he drew the title of his book from one of his pastor's sermons.
The pastor's sermons are available for sale at the church and both ABC and Fox News reviewed the addresses.
In January, Wright spoke from the pulpit in praise of Obama's leadership and comparing him to Jesus's struggles under the Romans, according to Fox television. "Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people," Wright said. "Hillary would never know that."
He went on: "Hillary ain't never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person."
Wright also took issue with the idea that Bill Clinton had been a friend to African Americans. "Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain't! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty."
On the Sunday immediately following 9/11, Wright described the attacks as retribution for the bombing of Hiroshima, America's policy in the Middle East and apartheid era South Africa. Obama has told reporters he was not in church on that Sunday.
However, it is the inversion of the line "God Bless America" that may expose Obama to the greatest criticism. Last month, his wife, Michelle, was criticised by rightwing blogs and indirectly by the Republicans' presumptive nominee, John McCain, for saying she had not been proud of being an American for most of her adult life.
Wright retired from the church last month. Obama has defended his pastor in the past, most notably after it emerged that a church magazine had honoured the Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/13/barackobama.hillaryclinton
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