Obama quells the media frenzy over the words of his pastorhttp://www.americablog.com/In a calm and measured way, Obama addressed
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/on-my-faith-and-my-church_b_91623.html the media's new found frenzy over Rev. Wright:
The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.
Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.
Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context. The Obama campaign posted videos from the new pastor, Reverend Otis Moore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6qjeJ5mG8 , and another minister, Jane Fisler Hoffman
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ioaChVw_pUw . If you have any doubt about Obama's church, watch the videos. It sounds like a very affirming congregation more interested in helping people than castigating or destroying people. I'm a little rusty on my religion (don't tell my mother who goes to mass every day) but if I remember the the basic of message of Jesus Christ was something like "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That sounds like what Reverends Moore and Hoffman are talking about. Imagine that: A church that practices what Jesus taught. There must be something wrong with it.
Obama is wise to put this behind him. I can't help but think that it is somewhat ironic that the media is so frenzied about Rev. Wright this week, which marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. It sucks that Obama has to spend time answering for the words of Rev. Wright when for five years, the media has really failed to hold Bush, Cheney, McCain, Rumsfeld and the rest of that despicable crew accountable for the lying words and actions that took us to a war. The traditional media hasn't even answered for its own complicity. Ironic, too, that this week we got further evidence of Bush's lies about Saddam and al Qaeda. The media dutifully reported those lies, yet there's no media outcry. Too bad the media wasn't as frenzied about holding people accountable back then.
(And, yes, Hillary Clinton, we remember that you went along with those words and voted for the Iraq war, too.)
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