Now They Tell Us (So THAT Was The Controversy!)

The "All The News" team finally deigns to tell their readers just why Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, is so controversial.  Here is the second paragraph from their coverage of the Obama press conference:

At a news conference here, Mr. Obama denounced remarks Mr. Wright made in a series of televised appearances over the last several days. In the appearances, Mr. Wright has suggested that the United States was attacked because it engaged in terrorism on other people and that the government was capable of having used the AIDS virus to commit genocide against minorities. His remarks also cast Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, in a positive light.

By way of comparison to this starburst of illumination, this story by Alessandra Stanley represented yesterday's front-page coverage of Wright's National Press Club appearance and Moyers interview.

Any mention of Louis Farrakhan?  No.

Any mention of Wright's suggestion that the United States was attacked because it had engaged in terrorism?  Yes! 

[Bill Moyers] also gave Mr. Wright a chance to deconstruct the fiery sermon that seemed to blame America for the Sept. 11 attacks and clarify that he was quoting a former ambassador and intended to condemn the American government, not the nation itself.

Hmm, that is a pretty sympathetic depiction, but at least the issue is noted - baby steps!

Finally, any mention of Wright's promotion of the theory that the US government is responsible for the HIV virus?  Of course not.

Anyone foolish enough to rely exclusively on the Times for their news must have been mystified to learn that Wright's bland presentations actually provoked an Obama press conference and represented a new crisis for the Obama campaign.  But today in TimesWorld a bit more of the truth is out there.

However, even today the Times can't quite bring themselves fully to describe the Obama-Wright entanglement.  They offer this:

Mr. Obama tried to cut all his ties to — and to discredit — Mr. Wright, the man who presided at Mr. Obama’s wedding and baptized his two daughters.

Well, the ties run much deeper then that; there is not much doubt that the "spiritual mentor" label fits accurately.  To be fair, today's story makes additional points in paragraph three hundred (approx.):

Mr. Obama became a Christian after hearing a 1988 sermon of Mr. Wright’s called “The Audacity to Hope.”

...Mr. Obama toted recordings of Mr. Wright’s sermons to law school.  Mr. Obama titled his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention “The Audacity of Hope,” and gave his next book the same name.

What, not enough ink to include any of that at the top?  And nothing about the Obama's generous donations to the church.  Whatever.  The real story is not the ongoing phoniness at the Times, but rather the ongoing phoniness of the Obama campaign.  Let's mock this, from Obama's press conference (transcript):

“I’m outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Mr. Obama said. He added: “I find these comments appalling. It contradicts everything that I’m about and who I am.”

Or this:

[Wright's remarks] certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought, either.

Yet no one who saw and embraced the "caricature" of Wright created by the endless "God DAMN America... her chickens are coming home to roost" newsloops saw anything surprising or new in Wright's Press Club spectacle.  Obama should have been appalled six weeks ago, or a year ago when he launched his campaign sans Wright, or ten years ago when he might have quietly left Wright's church.

Instead, despite this ongoing failure of judgment and inability to read Wright's character he wants us to trust his judgment in negotiations with America's enemies and with myriad appointments to the top posts of government.  Right.

Here is some more wishful thinking from Obama:

SEN. OBAMA: There's been great damage [to his relationship with Wright]. You know, I -- it may have been unintentional on his part, but, you know, I do not see that relationship being the same after this. Now, to some degree, you know -- I know that one thing that he said was true, was that he wasn't -- you know, he was never my, quote-unquote, "spiritual adviser."

He was never my "spiritual mentor." He was -- he was my pastor. And so to some extent, how, you know, the -- the press characterized in the past that relationship, I think, wasn't accurate.

But he was somebody who was my pastor, and married Michelle and I, and baptized my children, and prayed with us at -- when we announced this race. And so, you know -- so I'm disappointed.

For reasons mentioned above, the proposition that Wright was never his spiritual mentor is absurd.

As they surely say in Obama's exclusive Hyde park neighborhood, Obama is croutons.

And we still haven't fully plumbed his Ayers' deceptions and misdirections.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:  It was April 30, 2007 that the Times ran a profile on Wright and I wondered (with Mickey) why no one seemed to be paying attention.

Does Wright have their attention now?

Let's award a special Eerily Prescient Prize to Mickey for this from one year ago:

I suspect Rev. Wright is going to be a bigger problem for Obama's campaign than has been conventionally perceived. When Obama declared "we worship an awesome God in the blue states," were voters expecting this?

That trumps my bold speculation:

How will Barack distance himself from his minister of twenty years? What should we expect, a Minister Souljah moment?  Mr. Wright, you're wrong?

Looks like "Mr. Wright, you're wrong" paid off.

MISTRUST BUT VERIFY:  I love this Obamadulation almost from Steve Benen:

The subtext [of the Obama press conference] was less than subtle: “If Wright thinks he’s going to sabotage my vanity, narcissism, and desire to grandstand for his own vanity, narcissism, and desire to grandstand, he’s crazy.”

Hard to believe I copied that correctly.

 

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Pain grille.

[Buford Gooch]

Well, I swore that Jimmy Carter was too much of a dork to get elected, bet good money that the American public was smart enough not to re-elect Bill Clinton, and was sure that our governor Blago (here in Illinois) was way too crooked to get re-elected. So, I'm no longer counting on the voting public to be smart enough to avoid electing any putz who happen along, no matter how much sleaziness comes out.

[windansea]

I'm betting that Dean,Pelosi, and Reid are hitting the sauce tonight

[Topsecretk9]

Wind
you know it

Anyone foolish enough to rely exclusively on the Times for their news must have been mystified to learn that Wright's bland presentations actually provoked an Obama press conference and represented a new crisis for the Obama campaign. But today in TimesWorld a bit more of the truth is out there.

Dwindling circs + ad dollars indicate the fools are going elsewhere to get actual news....Greg Pollowitz outlines the NYT's bloated Congressional/Gov't Business model that sorta speaks to the failure of their particular "business model"

[Sara]

TSK9, I had a dream the other night that somehow I came into 400 billion dollars. (I said it was a dream :) ) The first thing I did was buy the NYT and install Karl Rove as Editor/Chairman of the Board.

[Topsecretk9]

Sara

If they procured Rove to their editorial board they might actually sell some papers - and make you billions more ::wink::

[Chris]

Just catching up on CNN's coverage after getting home tonight. Coop has the triage team on. They're only a few weeks behind where the country is on Wright/Obama, so I guess that's progress.

Showing some clips of O on the stump today. He was praising America, without any disclaimers. Baby steps, as Tom has said.

[Foo Bar]

As they surely say in Obama's exclusive Hyde park neighborhood, Obama is croutons.

It is true that there are several homes (such as the Obamas') in Kenwood and Hyde Park which are worth more than a million dollars, but it's simply not accurate to call the neighborhood exclusive. Kenwood's median household income is $44K. Hyde Park's is also $44K. Compare that to Lincoln Park, on the north side of Chicago, where it's $83K. The median family income in Beverly Hills is $102K.

[Davod]

So, Wright is building a McMansion.

[sylvia]

"and married Michelle and I"

This quote from Obama drives me crazy. It is my pet peeve to substitute "I" in a sentence when "me" is correct."...and married Michelle and ME" is the way it should be said.

(again substitute 'we' and 'us' to check if the subject or object case should be used. Is it "he married WE"? No- it's "he married US".)

If a Presidential candidate can't get that right, then he should just drop out. Hillary always gets that right by the way.

[bgates]

Clinton 08 for Democratic Nominee.
Good judgement.
Good grammar.
Good grief, look at the alternative!

[bgates]

I'm sure I've made that mistake from time to time. So Sylvia, I can no more disown Barack Obama for that statement than I can my own grammar.

[PaulL]

Sylvia,

I think people use "I" instead of "me" because they remember their parents always telling them not to say, for example, "me want food." Zillions of people do this.

Also, if anyone ever says "methinks," run away from the poseur.

When all other things are equal in candidates, vote for the one with the better grammar.

[Jane]

TM,

You sure do write pretty. It's a joy to wake up to.

[amr]

I found while rummaging through Google that Mr. Obama's campaign released the following as part of his statement on International Women's Day, March 8, 2008: “This day is particularly meaningful to me because I've been shaped by the women in my life – by a single mother who raised me across two continents (hmmm-well from when he was 2 to 5 when living in Hawaii-amr), and a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values; by my sister Maya who grew up in Asia and multi-ethnic Hawaii, and my sister Auma who has lived her life in Africa and Europe; by a paternal grandmother who still lives in rural Kenya without electricity and running water; and by my extraordinary wife Michelle, who continues to make me a better man”.

What gets to me is that Mr. Obama has given tens of thousands of dollars to Rev. Wright’s out of the American mainstream ministry, yet here is a man who is running for president promising to help Americans and admits that he has an impoverished grandmother who he has not helped. They have a family income last year of $4.24 million and they give $26,000 to Rev. Wright’s church yet forsake his grandmother; and for some reason this escapes the media. So Mr. Obama, with his new found wealth, will not even take responsibility to help those he honors, even for his political sake.

This tells me much about the man; more than enough to know that I don’t understand his political logic or what is in his heart. I said once I believed that I could sit down and have a beer and worldly discussion with him; that idea is now out the window, not that he would visit my little farm anyway. And this knowledge certainly makes it even clearer that I can not support his campaign for president.

[Jane]

Amr,

I always wondered that too. I guess he's a little tight with a buck.

[kim]

amr, he's lying about the 'shaping', too. Several of those women he mentioned he barely knows. What a crock this dude turns out to be. Phonier even than Kerry, that's for sure. Why don't Democrats see these people coming?
=========================================

[DebinNC]

amr said: "They have a family income last year of $4.24 million and they give $26,000 to Rev. Wright’s church yet forsake his grandmother; and for some reason this escapes the media."
...........................................
Michelle was interviewed last week by someone from a black newspaper:

Frost: What about your job?

Michelle Obama: During Iowa (caucus), I cut my back on my hours. I couldn't do justice to all. So I took a leave of absence and am on that now

Frost: What about your role as parent and mother?

Answer: It's not that different from others. And, it's starting to take its toll. We are all trying to have it all, but we can't have it all. We are hurting economically and in other ways.

Despite their 2007 $4.2 million income, Michelle includes herself among the "we" feeling the current economic pinch.

[Jane]

Poor Michelle, I'm sure their supporters will gladly ante up for the babysitter.

[Neo]

Since when is a politically expedient "throwing under the bus" of one's own pastor courageous ?

Just try the simple juxtaposition of Bush for Obama in these stories and you can just imagine the howl the would have come from the Times and their ilk.

[Rick Ballard]

Perhaps she's sniveling about having bought BHO Manse at the top of the market? Even with Rezko's sweetner it's probably underwater at the moment. Plus their teaser reset (if they had a teaser ) my bet is a real sweetheart mortgage).

Alternatively she doesn't know how not to whine, no matter the circumstance.

[MikeS]

Obama is an enigma.
He looks down on the working-class, yet he is not an elitist. His policy positions are left of Ted Kennedy, yet he is not a liberal. He is a religious man, but not the religion his pastor preaches. He is honest and forthcoming, albeit in a deceptive and vague way.

That's puzzling but it doesn't matter. What matters is that Obama has the magical abilies to transcend race and partisanship, and to get politicians to discard the old ways of doing things. He safeguards these abilities. He rations them so tightly that he has never actually used them.

People ask, "If Obama is such a good man, why are his friends, bombers, and racists, and on trial for political corruption."
Obama supporters say the answer is simple, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, it's the sick who need a doctor..."

[Bill in AZ]

TSK9, I had a dream the other night that somehow I came into 400 billion dollars. (I said it was a dream :) ) The first thing I did was buy the NYT and install Karl Rove as Editor/Chairman of the Board.

How about Tom Maguire as editor, JOM commenters as staff, and rename it to... er... justoneminute

[Danube of Thought]

Obama has just commissioned a new parlor game, which will be played over and over again in the media: What prior outrageous Wrightisms did Obama hear and read, and when?

A cynic would say that the only difference between what Wright said at the Press Club and what he's been saying all along is that he publicly dissed Obama at the Press Club. As Obama whined, "he's not helping my campaign."

[Sue]

DoT,

A 5 year member of Trinity recognized his pastor at the NPC breakfast. He was not appalled, offended or surprised. And the most puzzling thing to me is he is still an Obama supporter.

[Jane]

Mike S,

Can I steal that?

[clarice]

Actually,TM said it better than Steve Benen did. Bravo!

[MikeS]

Jane,
I'm flattered.
Yes, of course

[Forbes]

If:

"Mr. Obama became a Christian after hearing a 1988 sermon of Mr. Wright’s called 'The Audacity to Hope',"

then of what religious affiliation or denomination did Obama claim to belong before 1988?

[Jane]

I suspect he was an atheist, as his mother was.

[liontooth]

How many pieces of silver did the Clinton campaign give to the Rev. 'Judas' Wright?