Obama '08?

Reverend Wright is a significant problem for Barack Obama, the Democrats are in a bloody war (Brazile says so bloody not even "bleach" can remove it)...

I can not speak for everybody but for me it is a simple matter of accepting Obama's disavowal of Wright's racial/anti-American words.

revel wrote:

I can not speak for everybody but for me it is a simple matter of accepting Obama's disavowal of Wright's racial/anti-American words.

I would agree if he had not so glowing bragged on his church until it became a political liability, until he claimed he had never heard Pastor Wright's more objectionable rhetoric, and until he just now disavowed it when it became obvious that it was a problem for him.

That is his problem. Not the Rev. Wright per se.

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.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.

Does anybody know whether July 22 was before or after the pledge not to campaign in Florida?

Clarification: The Obama campaign has told members of the press that Senator Obama was not in church on the day cited, July 22, because he had a speech he gave in Miami at 1:30 PM. Our writer, Jim Davis, says he attended several services at Senator Obama's church during the month of July, including July 22. The church holds services three times every Sunday at 7:30 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time. While both the early morning and evening service allowed Sen. Obama to attend the service and still give a speech in Miami, Mr. Davis stands by his story that during one of the services he attended during the month of July, Senator Obama was present and sat through the sermon given by Rev. Wright as described in the story. Mr. Davis said Secret Service were also present in the church during Senator Obama's attendance. Mr. Davis' story was first published on Newsmax on August 9, 2007.

The problem is that many, including many Democrats, don't see it as an 'honest explanation'. Remember Obama is on the record that he wasn't there during any of (I think) 17 sermons now being circulated on the internet and he is on the record that he was unaware of any controversy re Rev Wright until recently. From Rev. Wright's own words in an interview with MSNBC some months ago, we know that Obama's claim isn't entirely true.

A Newsmax reporter, in the last 24 hours, has placed Obama at a July 22 sermon which is one of the more controversial sermons with the video being widely circulated on the internet. Obama says he couldn't have been there because 'he was giving a speech in Miami that day'.

Does anybody know whether July 22 was before or after the pledge not to campaign in Florida? I'm not sure of the time frame on that. Or maybe the July 22 sermon was in a previous year? I'm not sure about that either. Though it seems unlikely the reporter would have had any interest in this prior to this year.

So would addressing La Raza in Miami be campaigning? Again, does anybody know exactly when it was that Hillary and Obama signed the pledge not to campaign in Florida?

Again, does anybody know exactly when it was that Hillary and Obama signed the pledge not to campaign in Florida?

Sinbad is lying to protect his candidate and a fellow black man....

Foxfyre wrote:

So would addressing La Raza in Miami be campaigning? Again, does anybody know exactly when it was that Hillary and Obama signed the pledge not to campaign in Florida?

Not positive but I think September based on my googling results.

Let me ask you, Foxfyre. Do you believe that Obama shares the views and opinions that his pastor expressed in the videos in question?

FreeDuck wrote:

Foxfyre wrote:

So would addressing La Raza in Miami be campaigning? Again, does anybody know exactly when it was that Hillary and Obama signed the pledge not to campaign in Florida?

Not positive but I think September based on my googling results.

Let me ask you, Foxfyre. Do you believe that Obama shares the views and opinions that his pastor expressed in the videos in question?

FD, I don't have a clue what is in Obama's heart or what views he shares other than what he says he believes, what he proposes, and what he shows to us via his vote/actions/words/writings. I think it would be the height of arrogance for me to speculate on his thoughts or his motives that are not supported by his votes, his words, his writings, etc.

I, however, think that it does stretch his credibility when he says on one hand that he was an active member of the church for 20 years and had a close relationship with the pastor and then on the other hand says that he didn't know his pastor's more inflammatory views until just recently. This is not calling him a liar because I can't know that. This is simply an observation that what he says is not credible. This is underscored when his pastor himself has reported that his opinions could be viewed as 'rough' and therefore it was decided to keep him out of sight early on in the campaign. It is further underscored when Obama says that had he heard all that, he wouldn't have stayed.