Michelle Malkin » Obama’s “big press conference” on Wright: “I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle;” Wright’s remarks “a bunch of rants that aren’t grounded in truth”

Obama’s “big press conference” on Wright: “I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle;” Wright’s remarks “a bunch of rants that aren’t grounded in truth”

By Michelle Malkin • April 29, 2008 01:56 PM

Scroll down for press conference blogging…Allah’s got vid clips here

What, pray tell, could Barack Obama possibly say now to undo the damage of his two decades of bad judgment about Jeremiah Wright?

Will he weigh in on black liberation theology? Wright’s phrenological discourse? How about Wright’s defense of his comparison between the Roman soldiers who killed Jesus and the US Marine Corps?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Maybe we’ll find out:

Obama was asked about Rev. Jeremiah Wright just now by a woman in Winston-Salem who tells the audience to watch his PBS interview, which will quell their concerns.

“I’m going to be having a big press conference afterward to talk about this,” he responded, then referred back to a story the woman told about a mother having to borrow month to get to work.

“This is diverting attention from the first story that you told,” Obama said.

So, he’s advising supporters to watch the Bill Moyers interview. What about the NAACP and National Press Club diatribes?

2:00pm Eastern. Here we go. Barack press conference is on:

“I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle. The person that I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate. I believe they do not accurately portray the perspective of the black church. They certainly don’t portray mine. If he considers this political posturing, then he doesn’t know me very well. And I don’t know him well either.”

AIDS conspiracy: “Ridiculous proposition.”

Farrakhan support and analogy of Marines/terrorism: “They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans. They should be denounced. And that’s what I’m doing clearly and unequivocally here today.”

It’s antithetical to our campaign. It’s antithetical to what I’m about. It’s not what America stands for. Rev. Wright does not speak for me. He doesn’t speak for our campaign. I can’t prevent him from making these outrageous remarks…When I say I find these statements appalling, I mean it…Makes me angry and saddens me.”

Q&A.

1) Why the change in tone between now and yesterday? Obama: “I hadn’t seen it…He wasn’t just defending himself. He was presenting a worldview…What particularly angered me was the suggestion that my previous remarks were political posturing…”

Ok. Let’s be clear then: It wasn’t the fact that Wright has been spewing this same recycled crap for years that finally got Obama mad. It was that he finally realized it was hurting his campaign. And he was personally miffed by Wright’s insults against him.

2) What does this say about your judgment to superdelegates? “The person I saw was not the person that I’d come to know over 20 years…Shocked me, surprised me.”

Bullcrap.

Anyone with eyes yesterday saw that Wright’s was a finely-honed, time-tested act.

2:11pm Eastern. “Now is the time to pull together.” Refers to dire economic situation. “That didn’t matter to Rev. Wright. What mattered to him was commanding center stage.”

“I don’t think he showed much concern for me…or for what we’re trying to do in this campaign.”

3) Question: Have you spoken with Wright? “No.”

BO: “This has obviously put strains on the relationship” between Obama and Trinity Church.

“I want people to understand who I am. In some ways, the things Wright said yesterday directly contradict my life, issues, service, what I’ve said in my books, in my convention speech, announcement for president, everything I’ve said on the campaign trail. What I tried to do in Philadelphia was provide a context and lift up some of the contradictions and complexities in America and try to make something constructive out of it. There wasn’t anything constructive out of yesterday. All it was was a bunch of rants that aren’t grounded in truth…It was a show of disprespect to me.”

5) Question: What did Michelle Obama think? BO: “She was similarly angered.”

6) Question: Do you agree with Wright that attacks on him are attacks on black church? How important is black liberation theology?

BO: “I’m not a theologian.”

But he’s the Obamessiah!

BO: “I went to church and listened to sermons. What I heard, there’s an emphasis on importance of social struggle, striving for equality, justice, fairness, a social gospel. Rather than fancy word like black liberation theology, he uses social gospel.” Didn’t view attacks as attacks on black church.

2:23pm Eastern. There have been unfair caricatures, but “yesterday, he caricatured himself.”

Obama says he tried contacting Wright before his Philadelphia speech. He was on a cruise. When he returned, they did speak. But Obama will not elaborate. “But what I can say is that I told him I found the snippets of past sermons inexcusable.”

“There’s been great damage” to relationship with Wright. “Won’t be the same.” Denies that Wright was his spiritual mentor. But he married Michelle and I, baptized my children, prayed with us, etc. etc.

***

Update: Operation Chaos suspended!

Update: Rick Moran reflects on a “defining moment.”

Posted in: Barack Obama

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#301

On April 29th, 2008 at 11:53 pm, Marshall Russ said:

Obama is toast.
#302

On April 30th, 2008 at 12:24 am, Republicanvet said:

“I don’t think he showed much concern for me…or for what we’re trying to do in this campaign.”

Awwww, boo hoo, poor baby.

By his comments, he didn’t show much concern for a lot of people, and you STILL snivel about how YOU are affected.

Obama needs to explain why it took so long for him to realize Wright’s wrants were so vile to him.

He only believed it once he saw his comments at the NPC. Does this mean Obama didn’t believe anything Wright said from the pulpit? or is sold on his DVD’s? or his offered on his web site?

Sorry I don’t cry a river for you buddy. You only became concerned because of the heightened media attention from Wright’s NPC performance.
#303

On April 30th, 2008 at 1:45 am, Christian Soldier said:

Is this the same B.Hussein O that refuses to wear a flag lapel pin, to put his had over his heart for the National Anthem,….
#304

On April 30th, 2008 at 1:46 am, Christian Soldier said:

hand over his heart….
#305

On April 30th, 2008 at 3:42 am, Truesoldier said:

In Obama’s speech he makes this comment,

“I went to church and listened to sermons. What I heard, there’s an emphasis on importance of social struggle, striving for equality, justice, fairness, a social gospel. Rather than fancy word like black liberation theology, he uses social gospel.”

So he admits that he heard these “social gospels” while he listened to sermons at Trinity Church. Sounds to me like Obama just admitted that he knew Wright was a racist all these years and he did not care until Wright attacked him personally.
#306

On April 30th, 2008 at 3:52 am, rotarymunkey said:

Okay… Normally people have patterns to their behavior. We all do whether we realize it or not. What have the recent speeches by BHO, MO, and Rev. Wright shown?

1. Obama wants more power. Period. He’s now a “career politician” with little to peddle to the business sector other than his influence in Washington. He clearly sees his ascendency to the Presidency as the next logical leap. Therefore ALL of his moves and words and posturing are simply means to an end. If this really IS the case, the obviously we can trust nothing this man says.

2. Michelle Obama wants her husband to have more power. The more he has, the sweeter the deals are for her. She’s coattail-surfing and seeking the big bucks. She is also woefully inept at hiding the contempt for America she’s learned from Rev. Wright. The more she speaks, the less good it does for Sen. Obama’s campaign. Unfortunately for BO, she’s incapable of keeping her mouth shut.

3. Rev. Wright wants many things. First, he wants to retire from his position as pastor of one church so that he can assume the role of “leader of the Black Church”. This is clearly pointed out in his “you’re not attacking me, you’re attacking the black church” statement. He wants to be the “persecuted black man”, a lightning rod for media criticism. In this manner he’ll pass up Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. He’s after power.

Second, he’s an intelligent man seeking reinforcement of his own beliefs. Like other socialists and communists, he has a need to be surrounded by others of his own kind in order to provide a nice cozy echo chamber for his wacky theories. He likes being told by others that he’s right.

Third, he’s seeking money. He’s getting a 1.5 million dollar house? He was just on a cruise? Talk all you want about that church’s social programs but that kind of money will feed a heck of a lot of kids (inner city or Third World)! I don’t know many churches who throw their money away like that. Wright knows there’s dollar signs on the other side of those expensive TV camera filming his “crazy black man” act. He knows there are other inner city markets, and he’s trying to reach them. The “blacker” he appears to his audience, the more money they’ll throw at his feet. He’s been playing this game for years.

Fourth, and probably most important of all, I think Barak Obama isn’t black enough for Rev. Wright.

Example A: He gives a speech breaking down the difference between white learning and black learning knowing full-well that Obama is mixed.
Example B: He takes a pot-shot at VP Cheney over his lack of military service knowing that Sen. Obama has never served in uniform.
Example C: He takes a point-blank shot at Sen. Obama over (what Wright perceives) Obama’s willingness to say whatever will get him elected.
Example D: He’s accepting any and all offers to speak at this moment, when he knows Sen. Obama and his handlers would like him to simply shut up and go away for six months. I think Wright is upset that his protoge is unwilling to speak up for “Black Liberation” after sitting through 20 years of sermons.

I think Wright was laughing at the media mostly because he’s sure they don’t get it. Their questions afterwards prove that they don’t get it. They’re all trying to figure how how Rev. Wright is going to help Sen. Obama when in actuality, he really could care less if we elect Obama! For him, it makes more sense (and cents) if there’s a white person in the Oval Office.

The more I look, the more I see two snakes in the grass just hissing at each other. To us it sounds meaningless, but each snake knows exactly what the other is saying!
#307

On April 30th, 2008 at 5:25 am, PatFox said:

Whee, second post! Anyway…

First up, I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’m another new member who’s an atheist (I can almost feel you all rolling your eyes in frustration at reading that) so I probably don’t ‘get’ the church thing enough to fully appreciate all this. But I find it utterly remarkable that someone could listen to all this for ~20 years and not realise what was being said.

My gut feeling? He wasn’t really interested in what wright had to say anyway. Various sources talk about a 23 year realtionship between him and Wright. 1985 or so then - right around the time he joined the New York Public Interest Research Group, trying to work with local black communities. I’d bet it was very expedient to be a member of a similar church to them when doing this. Indeed, after checking just a couple of links, I found this article written about a year ago for The New Republic (so prior to this whole issue, and from a source that probably doesn’t have an axe to grind with him):
http://www.pickensdemocrats.org/info/TheAgitator_070319.htm
I can’t vouch for it’s accuracy, but assuming it is representative of the truth for a moment, here’s a telling quotation from about half way down:

From Wright and others, Obama learned that part of his problem as an organizer was that he was trying to build a confederation of churches but wasn’t showing up in the pews on Sunday. When pastors asked him the inevitable questions about his own spiritual life, Obama would duck them uncomfortably. A Reverend Philips put the problem to him squarely when he learned that Obama didn’t attend services. “It might help your mission if you had a church home,” he told Obama. “It doesn’t matter where, really. What you’re asking from pastors requires us to set aside some of our more priestly concerns in favor of prophesy. That requires a good deal of faith on our part. It makes us want to know just where you’re getting yours from.”

After many lectures like this, Obama decided to take a second look at Wright’s church…

Sounds like a pretty cynical assessment of what would give him credibility to me. If he really did join said church just for this reason, then he wouldn’t have been looking for moral guidance from his pastor anyway; so had no reason to leave (or even notice) if something he found objectionable was said during a sermone. And by the time he decided to get involved with politics (for real from about 1995/96, but in some capacity from 1991/92, and possibly earleir) being able to claim a long term membership of a congregation was far too much of a potential boon with the electorate to throw away.

Anyway, that’s my $0.02.

What odds would you put on obama’s PR team currently desperately searching for a new, more ‘voter friendly’ church with a suitably photogenic pastor, that he can be filmed joining at some critical juncture later on?
#308

On April 30th, 2008 at 5:28 am, LoneRanger said:

EVERYBODY SAY AMEN! What I thought was disgusting about Wright’s speech was that his audience — so-called journalists– were hooting, laughing, applauding and finishing his sentences like they were his parishioners. Had there been aisles, they would have been dancing in them.
#309

On April 30th, 2008 at 5:36 am, a crapweasel said:

***BREAKING NEWS***

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been found dead in his hotel room. Witnesses said that he was found with his mouth stuffed full of arugula.

Senator Obama could not be reached for comment.

*disclaimer - he’s not really dead nor do I wish him to be. The more he has to say, the worst it is for Obama.
#310

On April 30th, 2008 at 5:59 am, a crapweasel said:

This cartoon by Gary McCoy was dead on back in March.
#311

On April 30th, 2008 at 6:11 am, sparky1962 said:

This is all a Scam. Obama had no idea his Pastor feels this way after 20 years of sitting in his Church, then writes a book from one of his sermons. The American people are being scammed. This a WWF Cage match between Obama and Wright. It is all staged. Barry and Jerry deserve a Emmy for this performance. Beware People.
#312

On April 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am, kurthanson said:

Is B. Hussien Obama an Anti-American in sheep’s clothing? His associations with hate-monger Wright and the Weather Underground terrorist may reveal his true feelings toward America. A president must love and revere this country for all its faults. No one will be awarded the White House unless we voters feel the candidate truly loves this country and will do every thing in his or her power to protect it. I don’t get these vibes from Obama - I have not yet heard him once say “God bless America” or “I Love this country.” Zip, zero, nada.
#313

On April 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am, greysheepdog said:

Sorry, but, we’re all just preaching to the choir here (npi). Nothing this man (BHO) does, says, hears or hangs out with will sway the millions of sheeple - black and white - who think he walks on water. Even after all of this they cannot break away from him. They make all sorts of excuses right down to “it’s Bushs fault”. Trust me. I’ve talked to them. It floors me that not only do they not care what he does or says but they say it’s all LIES! And that, my friends, is what he is banking on. God help us all.
#314

On April 30th, 2008 at 10:20 am, backwoods conservative said:

On April 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am, greysheepdog said:

Nothing this man (BHO) does, says, hears or hangs out with will sway the millions of sheeple - black and white - who think he walks on water. Even after all of this they cannot break away from him. They make all sorts of excuses…

Unfortunately true. I went over to the Daily Kos and read some of the comments there. It’s amazing how many of them consider this a done deal. Obama changed his position so everything is OK now. Many of the comments I read were good for a laugh, others just left me shaking my head at the stupidity an gullibility.
#315

On April 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am, emjem24 said:

Perfesser said #219:

Thanks, Perfessor, I appreciate it.
#316

On April 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am, dakine said:

Interesting take PatFox…I think you may be on to something.
#317

On April 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am, misterbee241 said:

I’m laughing so hard I can barely sit up straight. Obama’s chickens are really coming home to roost. He talked about all the different gospels he heard but never the real one - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not believe for one iota he sat there for 20 years and never heard this. He heard it and he liked it. It’s who he is. As far as not being a theologian, you dont have to be to know what liberation theology is.
#318

On April 30th, 2008 at 11:18 am, wighttrasch said:

Does anyone here have anything that Obama said or done in his life that would make you think that he agrees with Wright

Yes. The title of his book “The Audacity of Hope”, which is a term used by Wright.

The burden now lies at B.Hussein’s feet. Actually it’s stuck on the bottom of his expensive shoes–stinking up the joint.
#319

On April 30th, 2008 at 11:42 am, greysheepdog said:

Does anyone here have anything that Obama said or done in his life that would make you think that he agrees with Wright

“I don’t want to wake up four years from now and discover that we still have more young black men in prison than in college.” - B. Huseein Nov 2007

“We’ve got more black men in prison than there are in college,” - Jeremiah Wright Jan 2006