Obama On Wright: "I Might Not Know Him As Well As I Thought"
At a press conference today, Barack Obama took some of his most aggressive steps yet to distance himself from his controversial pastor, claiming that the pastor who appeared at yesterday's Q-and-A with reporters "was not the person that I met 20 years ago" and that he doesn't "know him as well as I thought."
Here's the key quote, which Obama delivered moments ago:
The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.They 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 might not know him as well as I thought, either.
The comments -- combined with the fact that he's devoting today's presser to Wright damage control -- underscore the degree to which the Obama campaign recognizes that Wright's sudden reappearance in the campaign has the potential to do him serious harm at a moment when a confluence of events are buffeting his candidacy.
More in a bit.
Late Update: Here's video of Obama's opening statement:
Late Late Update: Here's the Q & A:
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