<p>
</p>
<p>He was his pastor for 20 years, one of his best friends, baptized his children. Then it becomes a political liability and all of a sudden Obama doesn’t agree? The timing is suspect…no way in hell Obama didn’t know what was going on in those 20 years. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There’s a difference to someone endorsing you and you actively seeking somebody out. Unless you can name be George W. Bushs pastor and give me incendiary quotes??</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are you serious? I’m sure the KKK is all about those who either understand “southern pride” and those who don’t huh? </p>
<p>The ability of some to try to frame this debate as more than what it is amazes me. This guy made comments that are 100% out of line, yet when you attack the comments you are just some white guy who “doesn’t understand the black church.” Well, if that’s the black church it’s no better than the kkk or other hate-filled groups.</p>
<p>I have heard many good things about Reverend Wright and agree that the people who dislike what he is saying are either not listening or have their own prejudice. Not that I agree with his methods. I would personally like to hear the same message without some of the hateful words, but I understand where he is coming from, what he has been through and that the good outweighs the bad.</p>
<p>My one criticism of him from last night would have been the photo op with the Mayor of Detroit. Has I been in Reverend Wright’s place I would have taken the opportunity to tell Mayor Kilpatrick that he is doing more harm to the black citizens of Detroit than Wright ever could.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/us/politics/28cnd-wright.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/us/politics/28cnd-wright.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin</a></p>
<p>I’m glad he’s out there and speaking up. The more people see him speak and read about his views, the less afraid they will be of him, and the more understanding we will all become of the black experience in America.</p>
<p>And whoever said “Obama through him under the bus” is wrong. Obama didn’t denounce the Reverend, only some of his rhetoric. This is common knowledge. I don’t see how anyone can equate this with “throwing him under the bus.” </p>
<p>Keep it going, Reverend. This is a conversation that this country obviously needs to have. It’s more important than any one election, imo.</p>
<p>“I would personally like to hear the same message without some of the hateful words, but I understand where he is coming from, what he has been through and that the good outweighs the bad.” So he is forgiven for spreading hate because he has something good to say as well?</p>
<p>I’m really dumbfounded by the views on this thread. Am I going to gain understanding of the black experience by believing that the United States of America created AIDS to kill of the black population and that the United States of America is responsible for the deaths of 3000 innocent people on 911? He may be a charismatic speaker, but should that outweigh the hatred that the charisma voices?</p>
<p>Love him or hate him, Wright is doing the Obama campaing no favors by extending his stay in the spotlight.</p>
<p>RatedPG: It’s because you’re listening to his words in sound bites and only the parts you want to listen to.</p>
<p>3bm103, sorry, but no. I have listened to more than “sound bites” and have heard far more than I want to hear from the ?former? spiritual advisor of a man who has a chance of being my next president.</p>
<p>From some of the comments on this thread it is obvious that a certain element in this country prefer to live in denial. As O’Reilly once said on his show at Faux News, “Americans do not like to be told they are wrong.”</p>
<p>
So am I. Blame it on the media.</p>
<p>Clearly, we all know (because the media won’t stop mentioning it) that Rev. Wright served his country honorably and voluntarily in the Marines and the Navy, which is more than can be said about the bigoted, hate-mongering, anti-American, multi-millionaire Pastor Hagee whose endorsement John McCain actively and diligently sought and was “very proud” to have even though he didn’t sit in the good pastor’s pews for some 20 years (to which I say an expedient bully for McCain). But, due to media inattention, how many of us know that Rev. Wright isn’t itching for America to go to war with Iran in order to hasten the end-times and fulfill biblical prophecy? The media coverage is clearly unfair to Rev. Hagee! For every single mention of Rev. Wright on TV or radio, there should be a concurrent mention of Pastor Hagee. For every media-broadcast soundbite of Rev. Wright, there should be a media blitzkrieg of YouTube clips from Pastor Hagee’s more colorful sermons. For the Lord said Let there be more nutty white fringe-right political-influence-seeking-and-peddling evangelical ministers on the news!</p>
<p>Geez. You’d think we were electing a Pope or an ayatollah instead of a president.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The people who are turned off completely by Wright are most likely not those who would vote for Obama, anyway. However, the more Wright is heard, the more people will see the context of the few outrageous statements he has made and the less of an issue it will be for those who may have been leaning toward Obama but are concerned that he is too radical. </p>
<p>But, besides that, this is a conversation this country needs to have.This is bigger than Wright, Obama or the election.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Married the Obamas. Baptized their children. “Spiritual Advisor” for 20 years.</p>
<p>Oprah resigned as a member of Rev. Wright’s church as a response to his “teachings”.</p>
<p>Obama campaign surrogate Dana Milbank in his WaPo blog today:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Rough</a> Sketch - (washingtonpost.com)](<a href=“http://blog.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/?hpid=artslot]Rough”>http://blog.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/?hpid=artslot)</p>
<p>Why do we care about what someone’s pastor said/says? It’s just a distraction from real issues IMO. We have a strong Christian currently in the White House and things couldn’t be worse in this country. I don’t care what church, temple, mosque etc our next president attends, I just want someone who can bring people together to make a positive change in our government.</p>
<p>Read the editorial posted on Fox by one of the executive VPs of Fox, probably in charge of politics. I know that it is on Fox, but, OUCH!
Reverend Wright will not sell well in mainstream America, and too many people are going to feel the way this editorialist feels - personally attacked.</p>
<p>I completely agree with PrimetimeMom. Wright is a distraction from the real issues. </p>
<p>Personally I am much more concerned about the price of gas and the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>I don’t even really know what the role of a “spiritual adviser” is, nor do I care. 
</p>
<p>I do care about pardoning criminals and taking money from lobbyists to whom you owe favors if elected. I care about the truth.
I am much more concerned about a candidate’s lying than about what a candidate’s spiritual adviser may say or do.</p>
<p>Is it ok to be completely unethical as long as you don’t associate with a controversial spiritual adviser? I still don’t get it. I guess I never will. :o</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>From yesterday’s LA Times:</p>
<p>[Obama</a> donor received a state grant - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-killerspin27apr27,0,6789688.story]Obama”>Obama donor received a state grant)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Sorry I’d, I won’t go there. Suffice it to say that the Clintons have lots of explaining to do about their finances. The fact that they refuse to answer questions now is fine.</p>
<p>However, this may ultimately be one of the many reasons for Hillary’s ultimate demise.</p>
<p>She can’t just lie or refuse to answer questions forever. Those days are gone, Bill Clinton or not. The dynasty is no longer. Her vetting will come.</p>
<p>Here’s the Fox editorial:</p>
<p>[FOXNews.com</a> - Memo to Rev. Wright: Do Souls Have Colors? - Opinion](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352945,00.html]FOXNews.com”>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352945,00.html)</p>
<p>I’m beginning to believe the scuttlebutt that Wright really doesn’t want Obama to win.</p>
<p>That’s OK. Obama “laundered” Blackwell’s payments through his law firm, including Blackwell as just one of hundreds of clients on his ethics disclosure forms, despite the fact that Blackwell accounted for nearly 100% of Obama’s law firm revenue during that period.</p>
<p>Oh. Blackwell’s EKI client list? 100% Chicago city and Illinois state goverment agencies.</p>