And hopefully this will be the end of this sad story. There's a reason why the founding fathers put in the separation of church and state.

I still think this is a shame. I hope that they remain on good terms.

Well now I'm confused. How can we spend all of this energy talking about Obama's pastor if Obama is a Muslim? Hmmm... Have you heard the one about the closet Muslim with the crazy pastor? What do you mean we can't have it both ways? Dang!

"a delicate balancing act"?? Eric, it's called forgiveness, kinda a Christian thing...

I've watched all three of the news channels coverage of the story and I think CNN has done the most substantive job. I thinK Obama has a teachable moment here. Not just for Rev. Wright or African-Americans. But America.

America has a race issue. Has had one from its inception. And that problem has been exacerbated over time because of the unwillingess to engage in the hard discussion of not only the realities of our history, but the path for our future. No one group bears the blame. No group has clean hands. Until folks recognize that and start TALKING and LISTENING, this thing is only going to get worse.

There's an opportunity here. I just hope folks have an open enough mind to listen.

When is the carnage going to end? At this rate we will all have been denounced and rejected for any of our free speech thoughts by the time November rolls around.

Uh-oh. Anderson Cooper has now turned to Hagee and the other loons supporting McCain. But, of course, he's not putting out their most inflammatory statements.

Whoops, spoke too soon. Looks like it just shows what a great political strategist Straight Talkin' Hero John McCain is.

Ferraro is off the front page.
Mission Accomplished!
This will soon pass and resurface?
Yes, the deep inferno 527 folks, the routine!
More substance to Wright that current moment can
afford fro all parties.
Not have not seen the tapes, and don't care to, have seen such in the pass. Don't care for this style regardless of intensity, but these do often have great meaning beyond the presumed obvious. To paraphrase Justice Marshall a snake is a snake, whatever Wright maybe he is no snake, Justice Thomas or Ferraro, racist not relevant, stupid works! On Thomas, speechless!
RESULTS:
Clinton gets some much lack of attention.
Obama practice for the future!
BLOGS: Righting of the ship
MSM: Product for the weekend!
MONDAY: Sun shines, new day! NET GAIN: OBAMA!
POINT: DO NOT HOLD TOO LONG, IT IS TOXIC!
??? Ask Bill & Hill!

im sorry i cant believe he never heard these statements .....even if he wasnt in the church he just said on CNN that he only heard about most of the statements when he started his campaign....i hate to say this but there will be a huge number of reporter out there scrounging and snooping and will find out he is not being truthful....somebody had to tell him about these sermans even if he wasnt there ....i think he's in trouble .....these are unedited dvd's that his church sells,,,,undoctored ...and i heard there are hundreds of audio tapes around...he may be in big trouble

Concern trolls are trolling... trolling.. trolling....trolling.. keep on trolling down the river...

Not everyone can say they support any (political) thing their Pastor says so why would ANYONE hold Obama to a different standard WRIGHT or wrong?

http://OsiSpeaks.com

By the end of the election season we will call 2008 the "Denounce and Reject" election year.

I think that part of the push-back here needs to be the McCain embrace of Chuck Hagee and Rod Parsley. One wants to start a nuclear war with Iran, and has a theology that blames the holocaust on the Jews and condemns all Jews to hell for their rejection of Jesus. The other wants total war and destruction of Islam. At minimum McCain needs to walk the plank of "denounce and reject."

Here on his choice of Parsley as "spiritual advisor."

http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

The pastor Wright thing has to be put into perspective. There is no perfect person, life, or candidate - so the American people have to choose.
Are you going to allow the man who preached at his church to turn you away from what is arguably the most magnificent candidate of this generation? I'm not. You have to pick your battles and issues, people - and I'm not going to let Wright dissuade me from the President I hope to have.

Obama '08!

Distilling Fox & CNN:

So in 30 years of preaching, pastor Wright’s sermons have been distilled into a damning 30 second sound bites. He’s been found to be the evil.

Shorter Melanie Morgan, Ari Fleischer, Tony Blankly and Tony Perkins:--

Barack Obama should prove that he has nevah been there for any sermon we deem incendiary, which of course he cannot because he was there for every sermon ever delivered. We know! Barack Obama should renounce, reject, denounce, liquidate his pastor and then apologize to America for his pastor’s anger and for every possible angry black man in America and then should have a nice political death. That’s the only decent thing a black democrat is allowed to do. /sarcasm.

AC was the only one who did this with any substance. A commenter on Fox called this "high tech lynching." Can’t remember his name but he was introduced as a "democratic strategist." Never heard of him before. Also, I left the room for a bit and when I returned, KO was gone. Any ideas as to why?

Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clerical sexual deviancy allegations have been made against a variety of religious groups including but not exclusively Roman Catholic priests monks and nuns. An estimated 0.2% of Roman Catholic priests have been proven to be abusers.
Some incidents involved diocesan priests and members of the various Roman Catholic religious orders, with reports coming from the United States and Ireland and. Cases involved seminaries, schools, orphanages and other institutions (such as the Irish industrial schools) where children were in the care of clergy. Criticism of the Church and its leadership focused on the failure to act upon information, and often to move priests who had received complaints from church to church in order to protect them. Some allegations have led to successful prosecutions of the accused, as well as civil cases settling for millions of dollars.
The John Jay Report, commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, found accusations against 4,392 priests in the USA, equaling about 4% of all U.S. priests between 1950 and 2002. Figures supplied by the Catholic League promote the view that abuse statistics in the Catholic Church are similar to abuse in other institutions such as the preliminary estimate of education abuse statistics compiled by the U. S. Department of Education.

I’M CURIOUS. DID EVERY CATHOLIC LEAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AFTER HEARING THEIR PRIEST HAD ABUSED CHILDREN?

Zumper -- I know what you mean and I guess it's up to the ingenuity of some fair-minded but diligent reporters or opp research people to find out. On the other hand, there are two things that argue for Obama's account to be more or less accurate:

---- Wright was initially invited to give the invocation when Obama announced his candidacy in Springfield, about a year ago. This is the time period when Obama says (and has said before) that he first learned about the 9/11 statements. Wright was then un-invited - apparently the day before, beacuse of those statements. (There are two NYTimes articles and a Letter to the Editor from Wright in Mar and April of last year, and apparently Obama referenced a Rolling Stone article in his discussion with Wright) This is a pretty awkward sequence of events from someone who has shown himself to be a very smooth, controlled campaigner. If he knew that there was that much 'amunition' lying around, why would he ever have invited Wright in the first place? I remember reading about it at the time but (being a Biden supporter at the time) simply thought that Obama was going to be too unskilled if that's how he did things, or have too much baggage, and probably drop out soon. But he isn't unskilled, and he particularly doesn't easily do things that are going to shame someone, make them lose face - which happened there although apparently the hurt and distance was temporary.

That (the 9/11 comments) was the oldest offensive sermon featured in the recent videos and the one that Obama would most logically have known about - but who knows what one would 'normally' have done or known about at that particular time. I believe the other clips are from a sermon given in January of this year; clearly from its content it was after the campaign was well underway and it's easier to believe that that one was simply unknown to Obama.

----- The other thing, which I can't confirm because I don't have time (or interest) for listening to 12 long videos, was posted by someone on Huffington Post. They said that they had gotten all 12 sermons available from the church and that the 'greatest hits' tape which is now being shown everywhere drew from only 2 of the sermons and very selectively .. that, in fact, one of the apparently continuous statements was spliced together from two parts and, in other parts, contained pleas that one should "forgive your enemies above all" or something to that effect. The rest of the sermons, according to this person, were not objectionable.

So I guess the critical questions become (1) how 'typical' these snippest are of Wright's sermons? If typical, then it's hard to believe that Obama didn't hear something of the sort, no matter what he says. If they aren't typical, then it's (2) whether there is evidence that Obama was present for one of these sermons or another like them. He put his word on the line, so it's legit to try to find out.

I also think it's time to re-read The Audacity of Hope -- it will be interesting to see what he says against this newly-known background.

I'm one of those who believes that this could be huge .. and devastating. Oddly, it doesn't make me question Obama even though I am repulsed by the anger and (to my eyes) racism. But I've read his books and watched him as close as a political junkie can for over a year, and I simply trust my own eyes, ears, instincts and judgment. But depending on how this 'goes down' with the bulk of voters, then it may determine what happens with/to his candidacy.

If Obama was NOT aware that these statements had been made and had not seen those video clips, then he must have had a huge punch to the stomach! It's certainly good that he is dealing with this as quickly and as seriously as he is. There means there is a chance that he can make something good out of it. I think he made a good start on that tonight (saw 2 1/2 of the interviews). But it's going to be a high wire act for a couple of days, at least. We'll probably know a week from now if it's going to be surviveable.

Well, what is done is done.
I hope this all will be over soon.

Well, I'm for one glad that this sorry mess is out in the open. If Obama survives this, the nomination is his.

Plus, it undermines one very important GOP (and Hillary) strategy: Reverend Wright is a pastor and not an Imam.

As much as it was painful watching Sean Hannity's smug face as he played and replayed Wright's sermon's, it kept pounding this salient point home: Obama's church is Christian.

This will be a net positive for Obama once the dust settles.

Why has no one mentioned McCain and the radical MICHAEL SAVAGE. Go to his website, www.michaelsavage.com, and you see a PICTURE of McCain and this Bigot. If the media is going to do guilt by association, they should take a look at this. Go to media matters for some of this thugs comments.

http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/tags/michael_savage

Believe this Obama supporters: This is just a taste of what is in store for Barak. His ties to Wright and the his church have been ongoing for twenty years. This church is a vicious hotbed of racism and anti-americanism that no presidential aspirant should have any affiliation with. There will be a lot more of this to come. Twenty years is a long time.

The Rezko relationship has been ongoing for all of Obama's political career. I'm from Chicago and their politics is about as corrupt as it gets. Whitewater was a myth and look what they did to Clinton's for most of his term. We don't know the half of Obama's involvement, but I smell shit.

Does this sway superdelegates? doubtful. Does it mean he'll lose NC, Oregon, Montana and South Dakota? doubtful. Does this even compare to the questions of integrity and honesty surrounding HRC's inventing of her whitehouse foreign policy experience, Schip heroism, supposed opposition to Nafta, her continued insistence that the Michigan vote was fair? Doubtful. She is as fake as they come and relies on an uninformed voter.
But this does expose our country's need to continue to confront racism. Obviously many blacks have different perceptions and views than whites and we need to do more to break down walls and try to see what other people see. Americans would do well to listen to Rev. Wright even if you dont agree with everything he says. I optimistically dont see this taking Obama down. Perhaps its an opportunity for people to see what others experience and why blacks might be more sympathetic to certain views than whites. I am white but happen to agree with certain comments I heard from Wright about America supporting Apartheid and some shady stuff with Cuba and Nicaragua (a topic for another board); those things are true and pointing them out is not anti-american.

I listened to black radio in the District of Columbia to fight boredom a lot in the 80's and 90's. Indeed, it was never boring, and every day provided appalling hyperbole that you could easily call "Anti-Americanism." I remember an Independence Day show that the moderator cooed was about "the 4th of You Lie!" This "Goddamn America" stuff is/was routine excess in that vernacular, and the black community (at least then) was inured to it. If white America heard the daily drumbeat of abuse and bombast, they would really be shocked, but it was all very standard. Black churches were always close to the action, and the good Reverend is hardly alone.

If you want to "call" black politicians on having been around this, you'd net pretty much everybody, but it is a shame that Obama let this guy be a formal part of his campaign for so long. I wish, as so many do, that he'd had better foresight.

Riiiiight.

Well, I'm due back on Planet Earth now. In the meantime, perhaps you should acquaint yourself with the math.

This is a sad day for politics, democrats and race relations.

on msnbc, obama said he just learned "recently" of the pastor's inflammatory remarks. he also said that he only knew of wright preaching a social gospel and did not know of the remarks he is "repudiating" today.

well then, why did obama not want wright at his campaign announcement event in march 2007? that was an entire year ago.

the next part of this story will be evidence that obama very much knew of these remarks.

i think it's over.

obama = the poor man's john edwards. send him back to the men's warehouse - somebody needs the suit!

Obama made the talk talk rounds and LIED so badly, so transparently, that he blew any gain from Wright's departure.
And by lying Obama has insured that this will not go away.

It is simply not believable that Obama did not know of Wright's Racial Grievance Christianity during 20 years of Barak's claiming Wright as friend, mentor, and minister.
Obama is lying.

What is not easily explicable is why Obama appointed the man to a position in his campaign. I suspect that this is the influence of Michele who has voiced a much much stronger sense of black grievance than Barak.
Wright's inflammatory and hate filled speech certainly puts Michele's finally-proud-of-America comment in clear focus now doesn't it?

Obama has run his campaign promising change and the judgement to lead that change.
Wright puts the lie to all of that.
Rather than change Michele and Barak simply want to return us to the racially charged politics of the 60's and 70's.
Obama has shown horrendous judgement by aligning himself with Wright these past 20 years, bringing him into his campaign.
Horrendous and fatal judgement.
Of course we know why Barak did it. Wright was invaluable to Obama's political career. It is Wright who plays the nexus between Rezco and Obama. And of course there is Michele's history of crying racism and discrimination even as she attended Yale for god's sake.

Obama fans want to equate Hagee with Wright. But McCain does not belong to Hagee's church and did not give Hagee a role in his campaign. McCain has not given Hagee 20K in the last year.
Those are critical and substantive differences.

Perhaps now ObaFans will understand why some of us were so alarmed when Obama appeared with and promoted those gay baiting black ministers in SC. Perhaps now they will understand why we called Obama out on his church's teachings a year ago.
We were dismissed then by being called racists, Obama's one size fits all answer to any criticism and yet another pernicious influence of his pastor.

What happens next?
To begin, where was Obama the Sunday after 9-11?
Assuming they were in Chicago it is inconceivable to me that the Obama's did not attend their church that day. And if they did they heard Wright blame the US for the attacks on the Towers.
Evidence that Obama was there that Sunday or any Sunday when Wright spewed his filth will destroy Obama's campaign.
Only latte sipping white liberals and Obama's 90% of the black community will support him despite his lies.
If the Dems are foolish enough to nominate him anyway they will destroy their party and lose the elections badly.

For the good of the people, the party, and the nation Obama must withdraw from the race sooner rather than later.
He must withdraw before it is proven that he has lied about his knowledge of Wright's hate and fear mongering "Christianity".
More clearly than ever Obama has demonstrated that he has neither the temperament nor judgement to be President.

And all the Olbermann ass kissing in the world won't put Barak Hussein Obama back together again.

Good Christ JTHB. Are you a republican? I usually don't see such dualistic thinking in democrats.

JTHB is worse than a Republican. He/she probably lives in a shack on some mountainside, with only his/her rifle to talk to.

JTHB,

You seem to have a hangup regarding lying. Pray tell, of all the presidential candidates, whom do you support? Hillary lies. McCain lies. Obama lies.

Are you simply not voting this year, until you can find a politician who isn't ethically challenged? If that's the standard, you unfortunately will never have an opportunity to exercise your constitutional right to vote.

As an Obama supporter, do I think he's lying respecting Mr. Wright. Like you, I do. But I never thought Obama was the Messiah, either. I still think his integrity is of a quality that exceeds everyone else in the race, and he will continue to have my support.

The most worrisome thing is that Obama wasn't astute enough to know that having Wright on his advisory board and an unbroken association with him wouldn't reap this kind of hysteria, which brings out the worst in many people, and sparks another version of the politics of fear. Why didn't he just disconnect himself from this church in January of last year, knowing that black nationalist conspiracy-laden rants just won't go over well with many voters? That shows great naivete. Also, this will re-ignite the conspiracy email smears from the other side -- crypto-black Muslim in disguise and so on.

Overall, this is depressing. Clinton remains manipulative and a very unattractive candidate. I hope Obama has the wherewithal, and sage advice, to move beyond this, but of all the things that have happened with him (Rezko is small potatoes, the Clintons have more of such baggage), this is the most damaging.

I still support him. I've lived on the south side of Chicago and Oakland and these sermons, while I find them self-indulgent masculinist rants, certainly won't end my support for him, but I am concerned. There needs to be ongoing pushback on this, one statement and media round isn't going to do it.

What bothers me is how much intense criticism gets directed toward the ordinary personhood of really great potential leaders. By the time we are done, we will have transformed the politics of hope into the politics of mutative hypervigilance! Isn't that special.
Listen, we aren't ever going to find anyone who doesn't suffer from the nuances of humanity - and I think it is pretty clear to me that Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain have made some stellar contributions to public office, and I really doubt that any of them are racist or sexist. But they do have very different visions for how to run the country, and we need to know more about what they are thinking.
I'm not undermining the vetting process.Raise the issue, get a response, and then move on to a consideration of the issues that really matter in this race - the war, the economy, the environment. I would love the MSM or the bloggers to push the candidates to post a comment at TPM or HuffingtonPost responding to the news of the day so that we could get a sense of how they are thinking or would respond to the actual moments that constitute our national and international priorities. It is our job as citizens to resist the call to peurile gossip and to instead demand from all the candidates a discourse about the facts on the ground that are impacting people's lives today. PS: Anyone who has never said, participated in or been close to a person who has said or done outrageous things (including regrettable sexual adventures)- particularly in a moment of anger or frustration -please make yourself known!

The most worrisome thing is that Obama wasn't astute enough to know that having Wright on his advisory board and an unbroken association with him wouldn't reap this kind of hysteria, which brings out the worst in many people, and sparks another version of the politics of fear. Why didn't he just disconnect himself from this church in January of last year, knowing that black nationalist conspiracy-laden rants just won't go over well with many voters? That shows great naivete. Also, this will re-ignite the conspiracy email smears from the other side -- crypto-black Muslim in disguise and so on.

Obama is still politically "green". What doesn't kill him will make him stronger. If he survives this, and I suspect he will, then he will become a much more polished politician.