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Today, after being continually hounded on the campaign trail, Barack Obama made a statement and spent time taking questions from the press concerning Jeremiah Wright’s most recent statements and appearances.
Here is the full 27 minutes of his statement and the following press conference:
A report on the presser from Breitbart:
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday he was outraged and appalled by the latest comments from his former pastor, who asserted that criticism of his fiery sermons is an attack on the black church and the U.S. government was responsible for the creation of the AIDS virus.
The presidential candidate is seeking to tamp down the growing fury over Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his incendiary remarks that threaten to undermine his campaign.
“I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama told reporters at a news conference.
After weeks of staying out of the public eye while critics lambasted his sermons, Wright made three public appearances in four days to defend himself. The former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago has been combative, providing colorful commentary and feeding the story Obama had hoped was dying down.
“This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright,” Wright told the Washington media Monday. “It has nothing to do with Senator Obama. It is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African-American religious tradition.”
Obama told reporters Tuesday that Wright’s comments do not accurately portray the perspective of the black church.
“The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago,” Obama said of the man who married him.
Wright criticized the U.S. government as imperialist and stood by his suggestion that the United States invented the HIV virus as a means of genocide against minorities. “Based on this Tuskegee experiment and based on what has happened to Africans in this country, I believe our government is capable of doing anything,” he said.
A strong denouncement, but still this is taking away from Obama’s campaign and his original message. He’s having to do way too much damage control on this Reverend Wright issue. He had to address the latest outbursts but I’m wondering if this is going to keep occurring.
It seems to me that Reverend Wright is using his newfound popularity to have his piece on a national stage, Obama’s candidacy be damned. He’s got to know he’s hurting Obama, does he care or is he just using Obama to gain a wider audience?
Update by Michael
Here is the clip from the Daily Show interview with Newt Gingrich on Obama’s denouncement of Jeremiah Wright:
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Obama just figuring this out about Wright now and knew him for 20 years. Oh please. I could of told Obama Wright was a nut case. He’s only getting rid of Wright to win the election. If it wasn’t for that Obama would still think Wright was a god to him. Obama is too slow to notice things around him and he wants to be the next president.
I’m black and I don’t agree with anything Wright says and can’t believe people in his church will listen to him. This is why hatred in this country will never go away because of people like Wright.
I am glad to see a black person call out Wright. I work with many black people who know Wright is radical and racist so I know that most feel the same way but I am glad to see this post on here because there are radical people on here who defend Wright.
Obama is not calling him out like I think he should but I don’t think he agrees with Wright. My problem with Obama is that he knew this about the man but never had a problem with it until he ask to be president.
I think Obama was hurt & angered by his former pastor throwing him under the bus after standing up for him! Wright looks to be only looking out for himself, what happened to protecting the flock. Obama is a man who doesn’t give up, he is for the people.
Hillary, lets start with why she stays with Bill. Look at everything he has done to her. Cheating, cheating, and then there’s the trade aggeement with Mexico. There’s more lying going on there than we know about.
GO OBAMA!!!!
This just in… WRIGHT IS NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. He shouldn’t be on our tv screens because he is not of sound character or values for our country, but those who say they despise the man can’t stop talking about him and giving him play. Next people will want Obama to debate Wright before next Tuesday. This is a massive DISTRACTION.
I don’t blindly follow my past preachers and teachers… do you?
I think I may agree with you now Dem’08. I see your point there and what is also apparent to me is that, not only Obama didn’t took real care of his pastor madness before running for president… but I think that nobody really cared until they could connect him to Wright. It doesn’t change my vote, although I think I agree with you at this point.
Keep in mind that Wright needs the perception of White/Black racism to stay in power, whereas Obama does not.
Michel,
A civil post with my name in it….What?
I am glad you see my point because Other than the wild post to aggrivate this has been my point about Obama the whole time.
Now I do say that I see you refer to Wright’s actions as “madness” now. I agree completely! This view was just what I was trying to point out. Obama calls him out and now so do his followers.
Without trying to start something I just wanted to show my point. As long as you can see Wright for what he is I am happy.
Josh,
It is clear that after this show from Wright no matter what happens he is out of the “power” business.
Obama did well to anounce his anger toward Wright but now he needs to admit his mistakes on their relationship in the past. If he does that I would not have a problem with the man.
-Dem08
Yeah, out of the power business and onto the talk-show circuit.
No doubt he will make money from it somehow! Sick
Maybe FOX will give him a Reality TV series: Wright The Wrong. Isn’t it ironic that he is single handedly trying to stop the first black man from becoming president? I agree this is a distraction, and we need to get back on track…fast.
Huh. Obama said exactly what the news pundits advised him to say. I guess he watches msnbc.
You know, no man should be defined by what his pastor says or does, but even as an Obama supporter I have to appreciate the irony here.
Reverend Wright performed his Barack Obama’s marriage.
Reverend Wright baptized Barack Obama’s children.
And now the Reverend Wright will proceed to bury Barack Obama.
It all comes full circle.
obamas statements shows just how sneaky he really is. when the first video came out obama, and everyone who supports him, tried to argue that this was an isolated incident. people on this web site, commented on how it was a looped together video meant to destroy obama. now that its apparent that he is a nut job, who gave the rights at obamas wedding and baptized his children by the way, everybody says obamas right to denounce his pastor. as president, one must be able to determine who he/she thinks is trying to help, or hurt this country. if it took obama 20years to figure out that this guy was a whack job, what does it say about his ability to lead. and lets keep it real here, if obama wasnt running for president him and wright would still be friends. the only reason they are not friends is because its hurting obamas run for the white house. whats next will obama backtrack on the promises he has made during his campaign. will he denounce his supporters if it will help him run for re election in 4 years. i no one promise he’s gone back on, he said he would unite this country, not even close.
this is the best thing obama could do, this man is try to bring obama down. he lnow about himself but now i like the way obama dinounce him. it take courage to do that
vote obame 2008
This is just what I was seeing when I was being attacked. I handed out my own attacks though…I know. Now everyone knows that Wright is a crazy radical and racist idiot. Some people defended him and some even ask for proof about him but now you all see.
Just like I told you Obama_Sucks, The Obama supporters will defend Wright until his real damage begins to show. Now that it has come to surface everyone has realized that what I said was right. Look at the post here…..Yep, no one on Wrights side now huh!
Truth is truth and I was on it. I am glad that you people see Wright for what he is and although you would not admit it before due to biased views, now you can not deny the facts. If you try…..it will be sad.
Well I mentioned in another thread that i didn’t like Wright but for different reasons. Him allegedly being a racist has nothing to do with this fiasco he has pulled.
He back stabbed Obama. Obama took the heat for him and did his best to emerge from the damage that was caused but still not denouncing him. HE even defended him in front of the entire nation. Then look a guy who is supposed to be a friend and mentor showed Obama just how much he thought about him. What an a-hole.
Dem 08
all the facts with this issue have nothing to do with your argument in the previous threads. He had been called many things in the past. But he has never been called a Backstabber! And that is what this is about.
Him being a backstabber doesn’t automatically substantiate all other negative claims.
But there are black people who do not like Wright. Just like Farakahn unlike what Wright wants people to believe in his speech yesterday the MAJORITY of black people do not listen to Farakahn. (well from my experiences at least)
This story has plenty to do with my argument. I said while being attacked that Wright was a loser and most of you defended him. I have proof here from a post you made some time ago. This is what you said:
O.S.
Thanks for being a little more civilized.
I’m challenging you to provide proof that Wright said “WHITE PEOPLE CREATED AIDS TO GIVE TO BLACK PEOPLEâ€.
Now, How do you explain that?
Fact is that again, just like I said you come out against Wright now because he is pulling Obama down. Your actions define biased views.
This is more of you defending Wright….look
You next LIE or misinformation is that most of his sermons are on whites. 3 sermons a week for 30 years and and all have been video taped. have you even seen more of the sermons from the sound bites? did you see the sermon where he talked about God Damn america? He defended and talked about the rights of WHITE WOMEN. I can provide you links so you can watch it if you want. But then again you have seen this already right?
You said this to me about Wright….read
You challenged people to provide facts with out biased opinion so i asked you to provide facts and you provided bias opinion and no facts! LOL
Well, do you still need proof?
Oh, you said this to me, please explain this…read what you said:
Reverend Wright did not say “WHITES created Aids to give to black Americaâ€
Where did you provide the video proof of this. See i Know exactly what he said. This is why i keep pointing this out.
You said “I know exactly what he said”….LOL
Respond to this one!
This is just some of the examples of you defending Wright and I got more If I need them.
You are flat out proven wrong here and guess what…I GOT PROOF!
Please Respond with something good!
Oh yea, DREADSEN
That post was for you!
Got you red handed now and I love it. Keep fighting for your guy but try to lose some of the biased views and put moral values first. Oh wait, maybe you need help with that, Back up time and ask your parents to teach you some moral values so that you can keep from looking like an idiot!
Good luck…LOL
DREADSEN
I just found this and I thought it was funny. Just had to share this. Again this is your words….
I’m still waiting on the video of him saying that “WHITES CREATED AIDS TO GIVE TO BLACK PEOPLEâ€. Dem 08 says she provided this video but i have not seen it. I know what he actually said this is why I keep challenging this. But you two defend the right to lie on someone who you don’t like. And if someone points out that it is not fact then they instantly become evil. I guess the person should just believe anything you say against the guy.
What do you need now? I knew it would only take time to make you look like a fool. Man I love to be right!!
Wow. People need to know about this Obama figure, huh? Read a book. He’s written two.
Dem 08: I think you are getting snared by the ugly part of politics– demonization. People aren’t evil, they aren’t all bad. Jeremiah Wright is not the summation of about 10 minutes of clips people extracted from his 30 years of sermon giving, and he is much fuller than what we have seen in these ridiculous performances on television. Unfortunately, we will probably not know any more of him than the caricature he is embodying.
What Wright is showing is his overblown ego, and that is a truly destructive trait– but this trait does not make a whole person. There are some noble and some tragic qualities in this man– and these two vectors become enhanced when we see his role in recent events.
What is even sadder is that we, as consumers, are fueling this man’s meglomania by giving him thought/response time (or, buzz as it were).
If McCain can see redeeming qualities in Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson after years of despising them, then I see no reason why Obama cannot see the irredeemable qualities in Jeremiah Wright after years of respecting him. Perhaps even more so for Obama, Obama is witnessing his now ex-pastor in a new context, a highly politicized context.
Wright is now a “lesser” of the two in this new arena, another new role that, if you take my argument that Wright’s flaw here is ego, is one of the prominent factors in his recent charades.
I’ve heard a rumor that Rev. Wright has been paid by the Clintons to ruin Obama’s chances of winning. I know Rev. Wright is also a spiritual counselor to Bill Clinton, but I find this hard to believe. Is there any truth to it, do you think?
It’s hard to give in for some I guess but we all still know the truth…LOL
Keep up the fight! There may be a few people still that agree with you.
Dem ‘08 I been saying the truth hurts to Obamabots for a long time but nobody likes to hear it. The reason why I won’t vote for Obama is because he is very slow on addressing issues and finding things out. We already have a president in the White House that doesn’t know anything. We have to think do we need another president that doesn’t know what’s going on in the world again? If the guy didn’t know Wright was insane then God help us all when he becomes president and really be exposed to the outside world and how manipulative other world leaders are to one another. Not knowing anything like Obama always says can cost America another war with another country again.
Did J. Wright say that “whites” created the HIV virus or that the “U.S. Government” created the HIV virus?
In the transcript I saw, I thought he said government. Is there another incident of this statement I missed?
This is just for personal clarification. Both are ridiculous assertions, but one seems to stress race-hatred a little more, and that would fall in line with what someone said about him needing America’s racism to stay relevant.
Also -
Michael,
Your post was right on point.
By demonizing the guy, you only give him more air play (and credibility in a way). We, as people, think we need a bad guy. We love to find a villian. The hate which some put into attacking these villians turns out to be as bad or worse than the reason they are villianous in the first place.
Will we still be talking about this after Obama seals the nomination?
If so, will it ever be revealed in mainstream media how McCain intends to innvade Iran AND Noth Korea so we can give them “democracy” like we gave it to Iraq?
Just saying, if I had to pick between talking about a crazy old guy who preaches and a crazy old guy who could is going to kick start the next World War, I know which I’d rather be discussing!!!
Dem 08
I challenged you to provide proof that he said “White people created Aids to give to black people”
Remember that I told you that i knew what he said?
He said the “Government lied about Creating aids to give to black people”
The difference is Government is an institution.
White people is a Race.
You took his statement totally out of context and gave it a new meaning.
You were making the claim that Wright is a Racist based on something which he had not said. Wright’s attack was on an Institution not A race. Therefore that statement ALONE is not
proof that he is a Racist. Remember my gripe with you was spreading misinformation to bolster a point. Now after watching that video you still didn’t know the difference.
So WRONG again. You may enjoy being right. But you were dead wrong.
The fool is the person who has to make up evidence to prove a point on a very easy target.
Michelle
Your point is the point they don’t seem to get. And some people are making a effort to avoid talking policy at all.
All they have is this “guilty by association” argument. I’m sick of so many threads with someone attacking Obama on the exact same thing. Now it is a legit issue. But there are a NUMBER of legit issues on Obama that go completely Ignored.
And most of the time it’s ill informed attacks with no research at all. That was my point in the other threads. People going by snipits from fox news, another media source or hearsay with out looking into the issue at all. And as you see above I was right. I knew what people on here were talking about but i knew THEY didn’t know what they were talking about. No one takes the time to look at the many things in his voting record? Or other issues he has spoke about or taken a stand on?
You would think by some of the people on here (I’m not naming any names) That the only thing wrong with Obama is this Wright issue. That there is nothing else that could possibly be wrong with the guy but that!
Or not being patriotic due to something Wright said or not wearing a stupid flag pin.
How about Obama voting for the Patriot Act? That would be more valid argument against being a patriot? Open up a discussion on that? Lets hear two arguments on that vote.
Are people realizing that there were poles where the majority of people say they aren’t swayed by the Wright issue? And voter sentiment after the race speech went back up?
IF it looks like this is all they have and they only talk about Wright this alone is giving Obama this legendary “Free Pass” from the media which people cry about. Because all the real issues are being put aside for an issue that most people have said didn’t make a difference anymore. Thus creating a near perfect image of him in Light of the other candidates.
This could possibly be the reason why some of these heavy hitter political figures keep jumping on obama’s side regardless of this Wright issue.
I think this is a clear attempt by Barack Obama and his people to keep the nomination from slipping away. He knew that he would have to do something like this.
My concern is that an article in the New York Times which was written last year has ( I believe) an interview with Wright, and there he states that Barack has said personally to him that if things were to come out about his sermons, then he woulod eventually have to denounce him.
Is this the ‘old politics’ that Barack wanted to avoid? I think so. Barack was up against a wall and did what he had to do as a politicians, not because he wanted to, but because he needed to, to keep his campaign alive.
Lyn
Wright WAS a spiritual adviser to the Clintons ONLY during the Lewinski scandal.
Anti Clinton conspirators will cook up anything. I wouldn’t buy that they paid him off.
But a theory that came to my mind was Obama and Wright getting together and pulling this to help get him away from the direct connection controversy since no one was letting up. Hell! Fox news plays clips like it just came out!
But that just shows how ridiculous this distraction is… that he had to denounce this and that and condemn another American citizen over statements Obama had no part in so he can move on with his candidacy?
Wright was not going to and is not going to have any influence over the conduct of the President of the United States when it comes to policy — no matter who that is or was. If he is such a threat, why didn’t we all flip out when he was in the White House speaking with the Clinton’s?
J. Wright is not and should not have been an issue. (Even if Obama says that it’s a valid issue, I disagree, because this is petty soap opera drama.) Keep J. Wright off of our tv and out of our election process.
Greadsen
You watch Wright make all these statements and now he talks again about “White America” and the U.S. of KKK. You see this and you have the nerve to say he is not a racist.
You can try avoid the real issues with Wright by saying I don’t have proof but the facts speak for themselves here. I think you defend Wright because you have no respect for the people of America. Whatever you can do to seperate Obama from Wright is you only care.
I flat proved you wrong and you know it. You are a loser for not admitting that Wright is a loser and you regret defending him. Even Obama is calling him out. Fact is that if people on this site had not called you out for being on Wright side you would be calling Wright out right now.
You defend a racist radical idiot and you attack me for defending America and now you dance around your own comments so you don’t have to admit you are wrong. I am glad I caught you on it so I can expose you even if you refuse to give in.
You Keep on proving my position about you every time you post. You will do it again…Watch!
Dem 08
I asked you how he was a racist.
Then you provided a false quote. This false quote only proves that you do no research at all. It shows that you are no knowledgeable.
Now explain to me how you proved me wrong in your challenge in your first erroneous post.
Also look in the other thread. I said i didn’t like wright BEFORE this happened. But i said i disliked him for different reasons. This is fact.
Another fact is look at your immature challenge. You called it out and I addressed it. Remember I was saying all along that I knew what he had said. I knew for a fact that you have not. You are still pointing out what Wright said yesterday. When you had no idea what he ACTUALLY said already. You couldn’t even provide the video. I knew where it was online. You didn’t. It shows you form your opinion based on no research. you have a taken out of context quote. Which you know I am right on.
Now you are back to “Ad Hominem” techniques. Trying to create
assumptions of my character so you can have more content in your posts.
Fact is I asked you to provide proof of the statement. You never did. And you still can not. Because now you know that it never existed.
Government and White People are two different things.
Notice I only challenged two people on here. The two people who it was clearly obvious didn’t know who they were talking about. I can point out other people who have said he was a racist. I haven’t said anything to them. But YOU were making the claim based on false taken out of context misrepresentations. There are educated an well informed people on here who may have come to same conclusion as you but have done so by actually KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. The point is you did not and other people have pointed out how you don’t know what you are talking about.
Again i have said it all through two other threads before this came out.
This is not defending wright. This is proving that you don’t know what you are talking about.
lets look at some facts:
obama fact: he says he will stop the war, bring the troops home, and use the 10 billion dollars in deficit spending we use on the war, and redirect it to social programs and affordable healthcare for all people.
real fact: deficit spending is money that the country spends that it knows it wont get back,( it doesnt come from taxation its borrowed.yet is still neccessary for things like military advances and build up for protection if not anything else) as opposed to money they spend on things like, bridges and roads where tolls would be placed, that will eventually pay for the cost of said structures. so if there is no war there is no deficit spending, which is good, but you cant just go and borrow more money to fund social programs etc that defeats the purpose. the real problem is that these social programs are abused by the people who benefit from them. dont get me wrong they are important programs, but they are not meant to be a permenant source of lifestyle. if you get hurt or sick, or you lose your job, use the programs available, better yourself and move on so others can reap the same benefits. sounds pretty simple to me
Run around all you want….fact is I caught you on several issues and then it was proven when Wright let his mouth loose again. About three or four of you are the only ones defending Wright. Everyone else knows he is a loser.
Now they know you are a loser who supports a loser. If you would stand for the American people and recognize radical people for who they are then maybe I would let up on you. As long as you post on this site with the same dangerous views I will continue to call you out.
By the way, Nate removed my post with the video but later let it through. Go back and watch it if you want but you will still change things to show how you don’t defend Wright.
You dance well but I’m watching you…LOL
Dem 08
What are these several issues you caught me on?
The same argument was brought up here between Al Sharpton and Greta
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7mlZeb2k8NA
Al Sharpton shut up Greta when she thought his statements were directed at White people. He showed the difference between directing attacks at the government or a race. Regardless of whether you want to accept it or not. Government and race is not the same thing.
She came back the next day and still had nothing.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=85S0PIPv5Co
White people and Government are two different things. You still won’t acknowledge that I stated that I knew what he said.
1.) Did i or did i not say that i KNEW what he said?
Answer that.
And show me the several issues you caught me on.
And don’t YOU dance around these questions.
Dreasden…why bother, there no measure of right and wrong in this situation that is going to satisfy Dem08. You cannot, for instance, play chess against someone who does not know the rules.
I’ll put it out there in simple words:
Wright is a douche…
Wright is very likely a racist, but there is no proof of that in the video “evidence” you provide…
Many Mega-Church preachers are crazy, just look at Pat Robertson or McCain’s psycho preacher of choice, Rod Parsely! No one is asking McCain to renounce his pastor, even though he has repeatedly said that all Muslims should be eradicated, because they are a “false religion”. Hell, the entire Catholic Church is run by a guy who used to be a Nazi!
Parishioners do not neccessarily share any views with their pastors outside of religious views.
Obama is not Wright. Just because Wright is crazy, it doesn’t mean that Obama is also crazy. He is no more likely a racist than any random white person, he has never shown himself to be racist, so Wright can do whatever he wants, it doesn’t mean that Obama shares his views. It’s spin politics and nothing else…that’s the point.
Here are some videos that show Rod Parsley, McCain’s pastor.
http://www.youtube.com/wa.....d4IbQ8vfHM
http://www.youtube.com/wa.....Viqufbk7I8
http://www.youtube.com/wa.....Pmw5EABWmE
http://www.youtube.com/wa.....h503w_YLe4
Josh
You’re Chess assessment is correct.
In the video it was ONLY to point out that in the ONE STATEMENT and only that statement government and white people are different.
I’m going to tell you that the common defense is “But McCain wasn’t in his church for 20 years”
But what people don’t WANT to realize is purposely accepting a relationship with a person with those types of views is still bad. Yet they all feel justified in explaining why the double standard is acceptable.
What about Hagee? Any video info on him? I know he has said the only difference between a woman ( think on pms but not sure) and a doberman pincher is lipstick. He also talked about having a “Slave sale” to raise some funds. McCain defended his stance on not rejecting his endorsement on CNN and on Stephenopolous, with what sounded to me to be the same
explanation that Obama has used. He could have denounced the endorsement just like Obama did of Farakhan and the Black panthers and been home free. The the only argument would have been Farwell, Billy Graham,etc
Yes Josh Wright is a Douche lol that i will agree on. Hell! There’s all kinds of names I can think of for the guy.