The Audacity of Hate

[Yonivore]

ABC News is reporting Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America." Wright thinks God should damn America for "treating our citizens as less than human" and "for [acting] like she is God and she is supreme." Wright also told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism. Among the "terrorism" Wright thinks the U.S. has supported is "terrorism against the Palestinians," by which he must mean Israel's efforts to defend itself.

Wright has been Obama's pastor for 20 years. He married Obama and his wife Mic e, baptized their two daughters and is credited by Obama for the le of his book, The Audacity of Hope. Obama says he was not at the church on the day Wright blamed America for 9/11. "It sounds like he was trying to be provocative," is the best Obama can offer on this one.

More generally, according to ABC, Obama has said, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." This suggests that Obama considers Wright's statements about America (that it treats its citizens as less than human and brought 9/11 on itself) defensible. Obama's campaign aides are closer to the mark when they describe Wright's comments as "inflammatory rhetoric."

Obama has also said that Wright is "is like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with." But who takes spiritual guidance from hate-spewing old uncles? Besides, you can pick your pastor but, you can't pick your relatives.

Wright isn't just someone with whom Obama is friendly. To criticize Obama for having friends with controversial, or even abhorrent, views would cons ute guilt by association. But Wright is Obama's spiritual leader. To be sure, no thinking person always agrees with his minister, priest, or rabbi on political and social issues. But it's unusual for a thinking person to retain an affiliation with a church whose leader attacks his country unless, at a minimum, that person considers those attacks not "particularly controversial."

Obama should explain why he retained his apparently close affiliation with Wright and his church in more persuasive terms than he has to date. Otherwise, I think it's reasonable to draw adverse inferences based on that affiliation, including the inference that Obama doesn't quite measure up as a "post-racial" figure.

Fox News has just posted a substantial story on Pastor Wright along with some video of Wright in action. The video is worth watching, even though, we hasten to point out, Obama isn't responsible for Wright's statements about the Clintons.

[boutons_]

America for "treating our citizens as less than human"

... does anybody even argue this point anymore? True for Amerindians and for blacks.

"brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism."

..... does anybody even argue this point anymore? Imperliastic, oil-targeted, open-ended occupation of "sacred" Saudia
Arabia soil, Kuweit, Iraq has pissied off ultra-nationalists in those countries just like it would piss off NRA/bubba/ultra-nationalists if USA were occupied, eg, to protect European and Asian loggers as they denude American forests.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I really don't care what Obama's pastor says..... frankly, this type of rhetoric is very common in historically African American churches, maybe less explicit in some of them, but the church has always been a rallying point for political action in the African American community.

And in all honesty, condemning the political ins utions within America as being racist doesn't bother me as much as the phobic rhetoric echoing throughout the halls of most "right wing" churches.

[xrayzebra]

The most Rev is part of Obama's campaign. You know his
campaign of hope and change. Yeah, baby!

Just wonder why he would keep an old hate hating uncle around.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

The most Rev is part of Obama's campaign. You know his
campaign of hope and change. Yeah, baby!

Just wonder why he would keep an old hate hating uncle around.

Um...no he's not. Nice lie though.

[JoeChalupa]

I was wondering how long it would take for Yoni & xray to jump on the Hannity train with this. I don't know anyone who agrees with every single thing that comes out their Pastor's mouth. I don't.

[FromWayDowntown]

It's a sad state of affairs when the best we can do for political discourse is suggest that the rants of a guy's pastor should be imputed to the candidate. I suppose, however, that we're too far gone to ever hope that campaigns could be about real issues and policies and not whose pastor is the least eccentric or ideologically inflammatory.

[Yonivore]

It's a sad state of affairs when the best we can do for political discourse is suggest that the rants of a guy's pastor should be imputed to the candidate. I suppose, however, that we're too far gone to ever hope that campaigns could be about real issues and policies and not whose pastor is the least eccentric or ideologically inflammatory.

I think the matter of the depth of his relationship with that pastor is relevant. Many Presidents have sought spiritual guidance from their ministers and, if Obama continues that practice, is this the guy we want him consulting on matters of faith related to state?

Also, in the final analysis, it's not just this pastor; there's his foreign policy adivisor that had to quit a few days ago when she said some imprudent things about Hillary. That wacky lady is an anti-semite, pro-Palestinian nut job. Then there's his communist mentor, to whom he only referred to as "Frank" in his premature autobiography (so an incurious press would never make the connection).

This guy isn't just a liberal, he's a dangerous one. And, I think the more his personal relationships get exposed, the less likely he is to become president. My only hope is that realization comes too late, to the voting public, for the Democrats to recover.

[ChumpDumper]

Yoni stole this from powerlineblog.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive.../03/020029.php

To criticize Obama for having friends with controversial, or even abhorrent, views would cons ute guilt by association.

But this is exactly what is being done.

Yet another nonissue.



No American flag lapel pin?

at VMI?

He obviously hates America!

[Ignignokt]

Yoni stole this from powerlineblog.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive.../03/020029.php

But this is exactly what is being done.

Yet another nonissue.



No American flag lapel pin?

at VMI?

He obviously hates America!

I mean with a Name like John McCain. I know i wouldn't vote for him unless he legally changed it to John McAbel.

-whott

[Holt's Cat]

Hagee, Wright, what's the difference?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

believe this guy has said more than what you posted

i argued this point on another board i post on and here's what i posted.

"what i'm trying to get at is would a person who attends service regularly, he, and invites their friends to attend, if they don't whole heartedly agree with the pastor, the LEADER of the church, and ALL of it's teachings? would you tell your friends about a movie you didn't like? better question is would you sit through a movie you didn't like or seem.......wait for it....................OFFENSIVE TO WHAT YOU BELEIVE"

[ChumpDumper]

"what i'm trying to get at is would a person who attends service regularly, he, and invites their friends to attend, if they don't whole heartedly agree with the pastor, the LEADER of the church, and ALL of it's teachings?

Churchgoers are required to wholeheartedly agree with EVERYTHING the church leader believes?

[Spurminator]

I won't speak for Obama or assume to know his reasons for attending Wright's church, but as a churchgoer, I'd find a new church if my pastor was saying things like this.

[JoeChalupa]

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I won't speak for Obama or assume to know his reasons for attending Wright's church, but as a churchgoer, I'd find a new church if my pastor was saying things like this.

if only more people can actually think, and the key word is think, like you.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Churchgoers are required to wholeheartedly agree with EVERYTHING the church leader believes?

...you can lead a horse to water..........................

[xrayzebra]

Um...no he's not. Nice lie though.

No lie, my friend. No lie. But nice try on your part.

[xrayzebra]

Hagee, Wright, what's the difference?

Never heard them say "God Damn America". Have you?

[clambake]

You can't trust them pimp, candymen negro's. Trust me, i've spent 75 years of hating on them and i'm just fine, thank you. You stupid youngin's.

[clambake]

sorry ray, i take it back. my apologies.

[jochhejaam]

I am a hater of God's condemnation of sin.

There ya go, don't be shy.

[BradLohaus]

Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America."

Wow that's pretty bad. A pastor said that?

Wright thinks God should damn America for "treating our citizens as less than human" and "for [acting] like she is God and she is supreme."

He could be talking about every government that has ever existed.

[jochhejaam]

I was wondering how long it would take for Yoni & xray to jump on the Hannity train with this. I don't know anyone who agrees with every single thing that comes out their Pastor's mouth. I don't.

I don't either, but then again, my pastor has never asked us to pray that God would damn America. If that happened he would no longer be the Pastor.

And I don't listen to Hannity.

[jochhejaam]

It's a sad state of affairs when the best we can do for political discourse is suggest that the rants of a guy's pastor should be imputed to the candidate. I suppose, however, that we're too far gone to ever hope that campaigns could be about real issues and policies and not whose pastor is the least eccentric or ideologically inflammatory.

I agree that there should be no assumption that Obama agrees with Wright's opinions, but since he's been his Pastor for 20 years, and given the vitriolic nature of his comments in condemning the very Country that Obama want's to lead, it is in bent upon those in a position to question Obama about these matters, to do so.


If I apply for a job with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and it were a known fact that my daddy was a anti-semitic, card carrying member of the KKK, I can't imagine them not questioning me about whether or not I shared his views. That would be unfathomable, and a gross neglect of duty by the OCRC.

Hardly a non-issue.