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”
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.”
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- Hot Air » Blog Archive » Press conference: Obama shocked, shocked at Wright’s behavior
- Obama just roasted Rev. Wright; Medium Well. « The Political Inquirer
- Obama Holding Press Conference on Rev. Wright | Election Geek Blog 2008 Election News 24/7
- Ed Driscoll.com
- Obama Unambiguously Throws Wright Under Bus « Nice Deb
- The Thomas Chronicles » Obama’s Response
- Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Obama Attempts Damage Control
- Beacon Street Journal » Blog Archive » Oh Please… Obama Now “Outraged” at Jeremiah Wright’s Comments
- The Amboy Times
- Gears and Springs · Yeah, Wright
- Obama in Full Panic Mode on Rev. Wright | The Patriot Room
- The Other McCain: Enough 'distance' for Obama?
- Who Would Be Obama’s Spiritual Adviser In The White House? | Stuck On Stupid
- Pirate's Cove
- Obamessiah Denouces Wright, Will Soon Pretend He Doesn’t Exist | McCain Blogs
- Right Voices » Blog Archive » Obama On Wright: “I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community,” Oh Screw That “I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle. The person that I saw yesterday
- Obama’s Wright Damage Control : Stop The ACLU
- Bear Creek Ledger
- Obama Takes a Stand on Wright « Axis of Right
- Round-Up of Blog Responses to Obama Presser (and buzz about a N.C. poll last night) : NO QUARTER
- BO, his grandmother and two reverends. | BitsBlog
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- Bloggers on Wright V Obama: Let’s Get Predictable!!! « Dork Nation
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- Obama Denounces Wright: Video of Entire Press Conference - 4/29/08 - Shallow Nation
- Rhymes With Right
- Stuffing Under the Bus, for Sport and Pleasure « Obi’s Sister
- The DaleyGator » Blog Archive » Obama’s latest spin on his Ranting, Racist, Reverend
- Obama Distances Himself from Wacky Wright » The American Mind
- shyspeak.net · Press Conference Prose: Obama on Wright
- PAXALLES
- Church and State
- Jules Crittenden » Mr. and Mrs. Grievance
- Webloggin - Blog Archive » Race Baiting Lefties at Crooks and Liars Team Up with Firedoglake To Petition Republicans “To Stop Racist Attack Ads” Targeting Jeremiah Wright
- Reverend Wright to Cost Obama the Election | All the Dirt in the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign
- Reverend Jeremiah Wright - Obama’s Racist Pastor Editorial Cartoons « BUUUUURRRRNING HOT
- THE MIDNIGHT SUN » Blog Archive » IT’S NOT WRIGHT: OBAMA SAVES OWN BUTT
- PoliGazette » Barack Obama: Politicians
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freemind25 you’re in my mousetrap…
Now we know why Obama said in that he could no sooner turn his back on Jerimiah Wright than do so to the black community. He knew he’d be stabbed in it.
When I was a kid I would look into the big crab boilers in front of the restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf. They were dumped in alive and would start trying to escape by climbing on each other. As soon as one would get high enough to be out of the water, the others would pull him back in. Makes you wonder doesn’t it?
Finally, I must concede that none of this has made me change my opinion of BO one bit. He’s was and still is, the last person I would vote for (except Hillary.)
Just 3-4 days ago, freemind25 said the following in regard to Wright:
freemind25 said:
No.
freemind25 said:
A lot. Of course, as it turns out, Wright wasn’t a racist… not.
freemind25 said:
Got enough context now?
freemind25 said:
freemind25 said:
When I saw those clips, I knew immediately what kind of “preacher” this guy was – a fraud.
What is up with Hannity?
He has some white woman pastor on who claims that Wright is her best friend and is a 100 percent down-the-line defender of him. And Sean ~helps~ her wrap herself in a pious cloak of Christianity.
This is crap. Anybody who knows the record and defends Wright — refuses to criticize him on any point whatsoeverv — that person is scum.
Sean does not need to get shrill like me. But he sure as hell should not be fawning repeatedly on this woman about how he senses what a good person and sincere Christian she is…yada yada.
She is a running dog for Jermiah Wright’s racist bile.
When I was saved I had been attending a Pentecostal church a couple of months. Less than six more months, and I knew just about every position my Pastor took on pretty much everything.
Years later, I could have guessed what his actual words might be in response to almost anything.
After almost 20 years, I simply find it beyond belief that BO couldn’t know at least some of Obama’s thoughts on these matters.
Even Juan Williams doesn’t believe him. That’s sayin’ somethin’.
Yes.
I am with you, warden: Yes. Every single one of them is disqualified for ~any~ position of public responsibility.
Here’s where things get interesting…
I’m guessing that next there may be some sort of statement put out from Rev. Wright alluding Obamas “straying from the Black Cause of Liberation”, or of Obamas “white side coming out”,or of him “showing his true colors”, or worse, that Obama never was a true believer of the “Black Experience”…some drivel that can instigate a exodus of support of the Black Vote.
Bottom Line: If this happens, Barry Obama is finished with no credibility to gather both Black & White votes at all.
Watch & Listen for Wrights reaction…it’ll show the course all this will take.
What is up with Hannity? C’mon. This *sshole broke bread with Tawana Sharpton. Hannity is as idiotic and superficial as Limbaugh, and Ingraham. Another ass who people follow like lemmings…
“Watch & Listen for Wrights reaction…it’ll show the course all this will take”
given that he has already shown over the weekend he has no qualms about dissing b.o., he’ll respond in kind, just in time for this to be on EVERY PERSON’S MIND when they step into the booth in 2 states on Tues. …
/sweeet …
Obama says that Rev. Wright is not the same man he knew 20 years ago. But is he the same man Obama knew one year ago?
Amazing what The Truth will inspire. People only get outraged when Truth comes to light. So glad for the bloggers and a few talk radio shows. Without them, we just might have been taken over by a racist regime.
Its hard to believe there are still people in this country that believe this. Yes, Obama will talk about uniting the country and then when sworn in he will laugh in everyones face rip off his mask and underneath will be Osama Bin Laden. He will then proceed to declare the US an Arab nation and destroy all the infidels. If you believe this you are delusional.
Obama better hope Wright doesn’t respond by telling everyone that Obama knew perfectly well what Wright was all about. All we need now is for Wright to tell us that he did tell Obama about this, or that Obama was there when he said that.
If that happens, Obama will be in real trouble.
What is sad is willful blindness. It is impossible not to see the evidence he agrees with Wright, there is 20 years of evidence, along with a website that spews (or spewed, thanks to the recent scrubbing) hate. Do you really think he didn’t know what his pastor believes in? Unbelievable, incredible and completely ridiculous. Not to mention that it matters little if BO was in the pews, he has stated that Wright is like an uncle to him, a mentor and advisor. Wouldn’t he know what such an influential person in his life thought about race relations, this country and how much he hates it? And if he didn’t know (yeah, right), he has no business being the manager of a fast food restaurant, let alone leader of the free world, as he apparently cannot put two and two together. BO is outraged? I am outraged that he thinks the fake pearls of wisdom dripping from his lips will manipulate anyone other than his starstruck lemmings.
I can only see three possibilities here and none look too good.
1. Obama is telling the truth. He spent 20 years worshiping with this man. But never noticed the racisim? We really don’t need someone who is so bad at reading people for president.
2. It is all scripted. We already know that Wright and Obama had discussed the fact that he would have to distance himself. Just what we need, another slick president.
3. Obama is sacrificing someone he considers to be like family. We already know he was willing to sacrifice his grandmother. That speaks volumes about his character.
None of these alternatives represent someone that I want to be running my country…
Trollman,
Even though B Hussein is half white; to the black race hustlers like Rev Wright, he’s only black. He could no more disown B Hussein Obama, than he could his family that bred in him of his hatred for AmeriKKKa.
Like voting patterns of most blacks, they will not stray the course from their support of their beloved brother who hates America maybe as much as they do.
Lest I remind again, this split with Wright was pre-planned from the start. Hussein is a gifted speaker and will pull it off with the ignorant electorate.
Later, BO and MO will be attending a mansion warming party at his pastors new crib.
Imagine J.W’s words in the hands of terrorists, being used as propaganda Anti-Christian and Anti-American around the world.
I disagree, rooster. I don’t think Wright cares about anyone other than himself. I think Wright has too much of an ego to allow Obama to call him out like he did today.
rev. wright–ironically our last best hope for a gop victory.
fan the flames. must keep voters from thinking of the iraq disaster and the weak economy.
“I think Wright has too much of an ego to allow Obama to call him out like he did today”
i’m inclined to agree, tho he must surely know, as posted above, his repsonse could literally sink b.o. …
At the risk of sounding like the chic black racist that the black community has become, I believe blacks stick together against any logical reason except to show solidarity for another black.
BTW, don’t really care if someone would be upset by my views. As we saw with Jenna 6, right or wrong has nothing to do with facts, only needs to have a black in “trouble” to get near unanimous support from the black community.
Right mistress and nyk?
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
Obama is a lying piece of crap in an expensive tailored suit.
He is twenty years too late for this sort of surprise and indignation.
It is as believable as Hillary’s cattle futures deal.
If a man can’t discern another man’s character after sitting under his teaching for 20 years how in the world does he expect to discern truth and character in another world leader after just one or two meetings?
ptrmom,
He knows exactly what his rev preached. Barrack is a lying crapweasel!
Well, as Michelle might say … “BOO FREAKIN’ HOO!”. When all’s said and done, one thing from Wright did stick with you … a narcissistic attitude!
The issue is NOT whether Wright is CONCERNED about you, it’s how and why you sat for 20 years absorbing his hateful, racist ranting. Did you just forget that little detail? Would it have been ok if he was CONCERNED about you? My gosh. This is so twisted.
Obama’s defense: I went to the services for 20 years, but I “didn’t inhale.”
You are serious? Wright’s title working for Barack Obama’s campaign was “African-American Spiritual Advisor.” I may not remember what my pastor said on any particular sermon, but after 20 years, I might have been awake enough to notice a trend. If all the members of this church are as nutty as Wright, then yes, they are disqualified from running for president. Just as someone who sat through 20 years of American Nazi meetings should be excluded. Well, they can run, but their beliefs should be make public, as should Obama’s.
These sermons were published and sold on DVD! They weren’t a “small part” of the service: they WERE the service!
Something I learned during years of research: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Twenty years of attendance at this church without making a peep is tacit approval of the contents of the sermons. Even Oprah was smart enough to bail out.
Obama is toast.
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.
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,….
hand over his heart….
In Obama’s speech he makes this comment,
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.
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!
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:
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?
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.
***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.
This cartoon by Gary McCoy was dead on back in March.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks, Perfessor, I appreciate it.
Interesting take PatFox…I think you may be on to something.
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.
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.
Does anyone here have anything that Obama said or done in his life that would make you think that he agrees with Wright