Obama Complains That Pastor Was ‘Boiled Down’ to Sound Clips
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday sought to quell concerns over anti-American remarks by his former pastor, saying people are paying too much attention to a small number of “stupid” comments.
Obama gave a sweeping speech on race last week in which he condemned incendiary remarks by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but the words of the former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago continue to dog the candidate. Reflecting the campaign’s concern about the fallout, Obama used a question about religion at a town hall forum as an opportunity to address the issue.
“This is somebody that was preaching three sermons at least a week for 30 years and it got boiled down … into a half-minute sound clip and just played it over and over and over again, partly because it spoke to some of the racial divisions we have in this country,” Obama told an audience in this central North Carolina city.
“There are misunderstandings on both sides,” the Illinois senator said. “We cannot solve the problems of America if every time somebody somewhere does something stupid, that everybody gets up in arms and forgets about the war in Iraq and we forget about the economy.”
On Tuesday, Obama’s rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, weighed in directly, saying: “I think that given all we have heard and seen, he would not have been my pastor.”
The controversy began earlier this month when videos of Wright’s sermons surfaced, including one in which the pastor shouts “God damn America” for its treatment of minorities.
Wright has said the U.S. government invented AIDS to destroy “people of color” and also has suggested that U.S. policies in the Middle East and elsewhere were partly responsible for the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
In the speech last week, Obama sharply condemned Wright’s remarks and the preacher’s refusal to acknowledge progress in race relations. But he refused to repudiate his longtime spiritual mentor, saying he could no more disown Wright than he could disown his white grandmother.
Wright has canceled some planned public appearances this week. Obama said Wednesday he has spoken with the pastor.
“I have talked to him. I have not asked him to do anything,” the Illinois senator told reporters.
Why does obama think it matters that they were sound clips,it is not as if this man didn’t say these kind of thing about america and it’s people,does obama really think that his kids won’t
hear him now and then?why would he and his family even suggest they only listen to him when
they like the subject?
What a croc. Anyone in their right mind cannot defend the comments made by Rev. Wright. At what point did we lose track of what is appropriate? People have been fired for saying less and condemned by the media and politicians. If it was a Republican congressman or Senator’s pastor this issue would be blasted through every media outlet, strong public condemnation from liberal politicians would be featured on each nightly news broadcast for weeks.
Where is the outcry from Rev Jackson and Sharpton with regard to the comments of Rev. Wright?
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are cut from the same cloth. They have alterior motives as to what they are saying. They are both liars and have no business running for the highest political office in the land. Obama is a racist, a bigot, and a unexperienced joke of a politician. He makes a few good speeches that were well planned and written by other people, and that is what his campaign runs on. He was a regular at the church where the anti-american, anti-white Rev. Jeremiah Wright preached. Then he wants to go and say that it was boiled down to a few seconds, what else did he say those twenty years he was in attendence. Think about it he tries to talk about the economy and the war in Iraq to try to take the focus off the terrible things he stands for. He says what he thinks the public wants to hear. He himself is the biggest threat to national security that we have. If he does get elected to the white house then American as we know it is in a world of trouble.
Hillary, what is there to say about HRC she thinks just because her husband was the president for eight years (a horrible one at that) that that gives her the same experience. As these things were never proven but everyone that was associated with the Clintons and was a credit to a case against them was either found murdered (which the cases were never solved), commited suicide, or had “horrific accidents” if I am not mistaken this amounted to a total of about 46 people. She is a criminal, a liar, and a conniver. Please people, John McCain is not the best but he is better then these two.
It is not even relevent that the clips (Which means “Small Segments”) were put together and played at one time. the fact is that these negative things have been said over many years and only re-enforce racial tensions.
Not only that but within any given congregation that congregations religous leaders are viewed as “Leaders” to be followed and that the “Opinions” stated are factual in nature. By making statements such as those that were made Rev Wright is by association promoting the very racial biasis that he and others condem.
obama is like a fly caught in a cob web. everytime he trys to free himself, he gets stuck more. he is still blaming everyone else instead of himself for sitting in that racist church for 20 years and absorbing the hate by rev. wright. he is a racist, i dont know why he just doesnt admit the obvious. this wright thing will never leave him because it is in his soul. and there is so much more to come out in the days to come. anytime hillary or mccain choose to, they can pick the scab off the rev. story and bleed obama dry. drip, drip, drip……he needs to drop out of the race now before he needs a massive transfusion. at this point, his senate seat may be in question. is he not guilty of un-american activities sitting in that church and nodding in agreement with the revs. vial rantings ? it is up to the voters to decide that……
Without listening to the thousands of hours of radio time Don Imus has spoken, I believe Obama reduced his career to a .5-second clip and demanded he be fired! Nothing worse than speaking from both sides of your mouth!
Obama complains, his wife whines, his pastor spews, his campaign staff is offended. I am so sick of these people. Talk about playing the victimization card!
The coming campaign is going to be SO much fun! GO JOHN!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
‘bama, I love you man, but you better get a grip and stop insulting our intelligence. Your pastor of disaster has been preaching that crap for over 20 years. For you to insinuate that there was some sort of sifting/parsing going on to create a disingenuous sound bite loop leads one to wonder what your real agenda is, vis-a-vis running for president.
‘Boiled Down’ sound Clips has ‘Boiled Up’ the public against Anti-American comments and will continue to do so.
Obama is correct; the Clintons are distgusting in their tactics. They will attack anyone, Pelosi, Richardson, other humble democrats. They won’t stop, even if it damages the party. distgust is all I feel about the racist attacks and threats.