Obama Attempts Damage Control, Fallout Over Pastor’s Sermons Unclear
Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting Saturday in Plainfield, Ind., where he addressed controversial sermons by his former pastor. (AP Photo)
The presidential contenders have all had their share of supporters whose insensitive remarks forced the campaigns to issue disavowals. This week, it was Barack Obama’s turn.
After a series of recorded sermons by Obama’s longtime pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. sparked controversy over Wright’s fiery views on race, America and the Sept. 11 attacks, Obama responded Friday by firmly repudiating Wrights’ views in lengthy written statement and a round of cable news interviews.
On Saturday at a town hall meeting in Plainfield, Ind., Obama broached the matter with the public, saying they’ve probably heard comments “that were incendiary and that I completely reject.”
The question now is whether Obama’s response worked, and whether his connection to Wright will haunt the Democratic senator’s campaign and dampen his presidential hopes.
Rival Hillary Clinton has not yet drawn political attention to the sermons, and deflected questions Saturday.
“Ask the Obama campaign,” she said to inquiries about Wright.
Pollster Doug Schoen said it’s unlikely the Wright issue will play big in the primary, but that it poses trouble down the road.
“In a Democratic primary this issue has limited viability and utility,” he said. “In a general election, however … I think this could be a real serious problem for Barack Obama.”
Obama tried to put Wright’s sermons in perspective Saturday, saying: “It reminds me that we’ve got a tragic history when it comes to race in this country … But what I continue to believe in is this country wants to move beyond these kinds of divisions.”
In an interview Friday with FOX News, Obama said he personally never had heard the pastor’s controversial comments, though he joined his Trinity United Church of Christ nearly 20 years ago. He said the sermons now sparking controversy didn’t resemble the ones he remembers from Wright, which, Obama said, stuck to messages of faith, values and helping people in the community.
But Obama’s pastor long has been a lightning rod for controversy. For starters, Wright’s relationship with Louis Farrakhan, once described by Obama as a “close” relationship, has been of concern to many in the Jewish community.
And once Wright’s remarks were publicized last year, Obama backed out of plans to have Wright speak at his Feb. 10, 2007, presidential announcement.
Author Larry Elder said he doesn’t buy Obama’s new, firmer denunciation of Wright.
“How can Barack Obama dis-invite him … and now claim he had no idea that Jeremiah Wright made all these incendiary comments? It doesn’t work,” Elder told FOX News.
There’s too many variables on the campaign trail to measure the direct impact on his poll numbers, but pollster Scott Rasmussen pointed out that Saturday’s Rasmussen daily tracking poll showed Obama nearly tied with Hillary Clinton.
“That’s a big drop from Obama’s 8-point lead a day before,” Rasmussen said.
Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President Bush, suggested that the controversy and the timing of Obama’s disavowal show him to be little more than a shrewd politician.
“I think there’s a reason Republicans I talk to are increasingly looking forward to running against Barack Obama,” Fleischer said.
Wright, who presided over Trinity’s congregation until his retirement earlier this year, officiated Obama’s wedding to Michelle and baptized their two daughters. In Obama’s first book, “Dreams From My Father” from 1995, he writes the pastor had great influence over him in the early 1990s. And it was Wright who delivered a sermon “The Audacity of Hope,” which had such an impact on Obama that he made it the title of his second book, published in 2006. The theme of hope continues to be central to Obama’s surging campaign.
His repudiation of Wright has gradually risen to a crescendo.
Three weeks ago, Obama spoke to the Cleveland Jewish Community Leaders group and was asked about Wright. Obama noted the pastor occasionally was known to “say controversial things,” adding most of those controversial statements were “directed at the African American community.”
Obama assured the Ohio Jewish leaders he never heard anything anti-Semitic, and said “he is like an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don’t agree with.”
Obama’s camp released a somewhat stronger statement Thursday after FOX News had reported more on Wright’s sermons — in one, he repeatedly said “God damn America,” while in others he blamed the United States for the spread of HIV and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and highlighted what he saw as a racial divide between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
“Senator Obama has said before that he profoundly disagrees with some of the statements and positions of Rev. Wright, who has preached his last sermon as pastor at the church,” Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said. “Senator Obama deplores divisive statements whether they come from his supporters, the supporters of his opponent, talk radio, or anywhere else.”
Then Friday, Obama issued the written statement calling what he’s heard from Wright “inflammatory and appalling.”
Later Friday, Obama told FOX News that he could no longer lay low as he heard more of Wright’s remarks.
“Once I saw them I had to be very clear about the fact that these are not statements that I am comfortable with,” Obama said. “I reject them completely - they are not ones that reflect my values or my ideals or Michelle’s.”
Democratic strategist Tanya Acker said Friday that Obama has nothing to be sorry for, and his campaign is in the clear.
“There’s no basis for attributing those statements to Barack Obama,” she told FOX News. “We don’t play guilt by association here, and it’s not fair.”
Throughout the campaign, candidates seemingly on a weekly basis have had to respond to, denounce and sometimes fire supporters who made offensive comments. Obama’s foreign policy adviser Samantha Power left the campaign after calling Clinton a “monster” in an interview with a Scottish newspaper. Clinton fundraiser Geraldine Ferraro left the campaign’s finance committee after saying much of the attention being paid to Obama’s campaign was because he is black.
And earlier this month, Republican candidate John McCain distanced himself from Iowa Rep. Steve King after King said terrorists would be “dancing in the streets” if Obama were elected.
Obama said Friday the pastor has never been active in his campaign and that he is no longer on his African American Religious Leadership Committee. The campaign said Wright left that unpaid post Friday, without elaborating.
Obama said Friday that with Wright retiring from the pulpit, he doesn’t see an issue with his family remaining in the congregation. Wright delivered his final sermon last month and retired as leader of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
FOX News’ Jeff Goldblatt and Bonney Kapp contributed to this report.
For all you that wants too condemed Obama with your assumptions - Here is a good solution.
Go to bed and set your Alarm Clocks for REALITY- when it rings WAKE UP!!!
I felt my jaw drop to the floor as I watched the video clip of Jeremiah Wrong. To say I was horrified was an understatement.
But I must say that as the primaries have progressed, I have personally taken a bit of perverse pleasure watching Billary and Obama bloody each other. One of the problems with Hillary is that she is simply not likable, and comes with so much baggage as the wife of an impeached president. At the beginning of the primaries, I was afraid that she would be a tough candidate to come up against, and that the American public would be bamboozled by all the “experience” she has–evem though her experience is attached to all sorts of “gates” and well documented corruption.
With Obama, I was surprised with his meteoric rise, and how crowds would come out in droves to hear him speak, though from what I read he had little content, and I considered him wrong on all the issues. Though I would never vote for either him or Hillary, I was impressed with how he was running his campaign, and how he seemed to be above the dirty politics of Hillary’s campaign. He actually seems like a genuine person, and to his credit, is likable. Now, I am hearing the nails being hammered into Obama’s political casket.
I also recalled how Bill Clinton ran his campaign on the subject of contentless “hope,” and how our nation became smitten by him. Offering people “hope” seems to be a powerful thing, though it may not be backed by any substance.
It seems to me that while Hillary couldn’t derail Obama’s campaign with all her dirty politicking, Obama did for her through his 20 year association with this vile man who abuses both his pulpit and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
My state has yet to vote. I suppose you could call us a disenfranchised state because we never (not in my memory, anyways) get to have our say in the presidential primaries. While my state typically votes blue (in the general election) I think the libs will now be singing the blues. It will be extremely interesting watching what comes down with the handful of states that remain.
I am seeing the Demoncratic party implode all over itself, through no one’s help but their own. I read that it took nearly a quarter of a century for the DNC to recover from the ‘68 riots. I am wondering how long it might take them to recover from this.
The DNC. So proud… So sure… So wrong.
(you judged by the company you keep)
Mr. Obama has sat in front of america and lied about not hearing or hearing about any of these type of comments,”before running for president.” No one who belongs to their church would believe this and certainly as this was not only his minister but his personal advisor. Love her or hate her, Hillary has been thoroughly vetted. We know all, the good, the bad and the ugly. We know next to nothing of Obama and now little by little we are learning and it is not good. This is not about holding him accountable for Rev. Wrights comments. The Rev. will have to answer for that. It is about this man having a personal relationship with Obama for over half his life as a minister and personal spiritual adviser. This has turned into a contest between whites and blacks. That is not good for the nation in any sense. Obama seemed great in the beginning but the more we learn the more he is becoming the catalyst for division such as has not been seen in decades and if he is found to be lying, which is sure, it will cause severe damage between the races in america.
I am appalled that Barak Obama has chosen to attend the kind of church that spews hatred of America through its radical pastor! Obama has been a member of this church for twenty years and it is by choice.
It does not matter if Clinton is involved in bringing this information to the fore. Clinton is not guilty of this rhetoric, Obama’s mentor is, so don’t blame Clinton!! If he did not agree with his pastor’s hate-filled sermons he would not have stayed with that church and contributed to it financially for twenty years! Rev. Wright is Obama’s mentor and inspired him to write Obama now has the audacity to think he is qualified to become President of the United States! The President represents the whole country, not just the few who hate America and blame the country for their own shortcomings.
He will never get our votes. We only vote for true dedicated patriotic Americans for this office!
I believe Obama when he says that, for twenty years, he never heard any racist comments from Wright when he was in the pulpit. That he knew nothing about it. It was cleverly hidden from him.
This is what I figured happened: Wright would have people scout the audience, checking all the pews. If Obama wasn’t there, Wright would deliver the “A” sermon. If Obama was spotted, he’d deliver the “B” sermon.
So simple. NOW LET’S ALL HOLD HANDS AND LIE TO OURSELVES SOME MORE!! It’s too much fun to stop.
It turned out the politics of “change” and “hope” were nothing but a big fantasy. Thank you Senator obama, you have ruined the dreams of the American children.
Yes Senator Obama
We have made some progres with you. Thank you.
Now for whole Truth, Please
Actions speak louder than words and Obama’s response to these shameful comments by his long-time pastor are nothing more than words. Instead of touting “change we can believe,” why doesn’t he give us some words we can believe — especially since that appears to be all his campaign and political repertoire has to offer? To say that he never heard or didn’t know this type of polarizing, bigoted and hateful commentary came from the pulpit of his church is akin to “I didn’t have sex with that woman!” If he were so offended by these comments and the hatred they represent, and he is running on a campaign of change, why didn’t he do something about this years ago and change his place of worship? His passive acceptance of these acts can only be interpreted as tacit endorsement and his current rhetoric is nothing more than an eloquent ruse that quite frankly insults my (average) intelligence.
So Sorry Senator Obama
Half a Truth remains a lie
I have now studied your Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s details and your outright rejection of his views. At last we got some answers.
But it confirms my suspicions: you are badly tainted, Senator. You’ve had twenty years of this? Now I also understand why you blamed President Busch for Iran’s hatred of America, to move attention away from you.
I understand something else too. You knew full well what the result of that would be, as with everything else. You are no Messiah of Unity Senator, indeed you are the Agent for Hate and Destruction. Reject the man now? When the damage has been done, while your lead over Senator Clinton is coming down, and Pennsylvania just ahead?
No Senator, America is getting to understand your plans. You are more vindictive than Senator Clinton. She remains driven by a desire to win, an unhealthy desire yes, but I am sure she is not plotting chaos to destroy America.
You are, Senator. But America will deal with you. America is much bigger than you, Senator. You have done a lot of harm already [as you full well intended], and I fear the aftermath. But America will reject you. Mark my words, sir.
Dear Senator Obama
You and me made real progress last night and I take the liberty to include another of my previous requests for information.
“What next?
A junior Senator got to where he is by using tried and tested systems. Now he wants to be a big man, saying he will change everything.
How Senator? You are going to change the system too, which got you to where you are? Tell us, Senator! What is it you are going to Change?
I submit, either you have your own private agenda to further your own interests and destroy what America has always stood for [let me tell you on that point right now, America will not allow that], or you are a liar looking for votes. Which one is it, Sir?
I further submit: You are a Liar, an Imposter with a big mouth, Senator, inside a hollow, but very shallow, one massive empty ego; that is all. You are much worse than your opponent, and you should know full well what Voters seem to think about that.
Let us meet soon as possible in these columns and discuss your side of things. If I was wrong previously I shall apologize on the spot and we can put the matter behind us.
In this way we shall be able to move voters’ reactions to calmer waters to work together for the America we love. But you know, half a truth is still a lie. We need the whole Truth, Senator, the whole and nothing but the Truth. You will have to produce that NOW!!