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.
Hillaryous 2012 STRATEGY
Some say that I, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, should have spent Easter weekend in Chappaqua, writing my withdrawal speech and preparing for my return to the Senate. They ask why I stay in the ’08 race when Obama has an insurmountable lead in states, delegates, and popular vote. My strategy is for victory in the 2012 presidential election. I will continue to pursue several lines of attack on Obama including denouncing his experience, blaming him for the fiascos in Michigan & Florida, and even praising our Republican rival Senator John McCain as more patriotic and experienced than Obama. My goal is to do extensive damage to Obama to ensure that he looses the general election in ’08 and pave the way for my eventual election in 2012! It’s a HILLARYOUS strategy, but I will be president by any means necessary.
People should recognize Hillary’s kindergarten politics lerant from her hubby (shameless guy)…
And its great to know that all Fox shows talking in favour or Hillary and talk more about pastor issue…bunch of fools…please get smart and stand up to american values and respect your families by not supporting hillary….
Am I the only one in America who notice the costume changes in all those clips? It’s fairly obvious that hatred is taught every weekend of the year in what is supposed to be GOD’S house. Obama’s children swallow 19th century hatred weekly, in GOD’S house. GOD’S house is for the word of GOD only, the world stay’s out of GOD’S house. TUCC is a black panther safe house that a would-be President of the USA take’s his family to weekly. That’s reality.
In my 20+ years of going to church, I’ve never heard anything come out of my minister’s mouth that rivals what Wright said. In fact, my denomination forbids political discussions during services. Wright needs to focus on the love and salvation of the savior, not hate and odd racial theories.
Obama’s pastor has spewed hatred for many years.
Don’t blame Fox for reporting the news, or accusing them of selective reporting, Pastor Wright keeps recording MANY hours of hate filled sermons, and if you are blind to that or say it is ok then I question Obamas credentials to lead all of us as president!!!
The only folks who believe Obama on this are his legion of blind followers, Obama is their personal savior and like Jim Jones in Guyana a few decades back, if he asked his followers to drink poison laced kool-aid, most would not hesitate to question him.
Problem with his planning is that most of the independents and blue collar dems who voted in primaries for him earlier won’t support him going forward. Good for Hillary and McCain.
Obama -”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”
Bwah, Ha, Ha! This is coming from a guy who called for the firing of Don Imus based on “a half-minute sound clip… played it over and over and over again.”
The chickens have indeed come home to roost!
Obama was cozying up to his spiritual guide until he looked like a liability to Obama’s campaign.
Now Obama is a liability to the democratic party.
We did not view a compressed version of Mr.Wrights sermons but rather playbacks of numerous occasions of speeches,( which could be observed by the different articles of clothing he wore.
If he chooses to speak racially devisive and offensive to the patriotic spirit not only on one occassion that this manifests a patter of belief here and a will to spead this kind of message amongst church members.Not the typical and accepted form of church sessions that most of us are familiar with.
So how could Obama consider this boiled down ?
He heard him speak in such manner .after he denied it first and he still fails to let us know where this kind of teaching and belief system is positive to the unity of most people !
July 11th 2007… Obama calls for the firing of Don Imus for saying “Nappy headed ho”… but
Obama can sit in a pew for 20 years listening to hate spewing from Uncle Rev Wright’s mouth and say nothing…
Very sad…
Obama should withdraw from this race. He cannot beat McCain. Hillary has a fighting chance to do so. Good grief, why is the Democratic party shooting itself in the foot??? Obama’s pastor has put the nails in his political coffin.