ABC News: Just What Did Obama Know About Wright's Past Sermons?

[ruggerson]

Jake Tapper

"In his Friday night cable mea culpas on the incendiary comments made by his spiritual adviser Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., repeatedly said, "I wasn't in church during the time that these statement were made. I did not hear such incendiary language myself, personally. Either in conversations with him or when I was in the pew, he always preached the social gospel. ... If I had heard them repeated, I would have quit. ... If I thought that was the repeated tenor of the church, then I wouldn’t feel comfortable there."

Obama told CNN that he "didn't know about all these statements. I knew about one or two of these statements that had been made. One or two statements would not lead me to distance myself from either my church or my pastor. ... If I had thought that was the tenor or tone on an ongoing basis, then yes, I don't think it would have been reflective of my values."

But according to a New York Times story from a year ago, the Obama campaign dis-invited Wright from delivering a public invocation at Obama's candidacy announcement.

“Fifteen minutes before Shabbos I get a call from Barack,” Wright told the Times. “One of his members had talked him into uninviting me."

In a phone call with Wright, Obama cited a Rolling Stone story, “The Radical Roots of Barack Obama," (the name of which has curiously been changed on the RS website) and told him, according to Wright, “You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we’ve decided is that it’s best for you not to be out there in public.”

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[joeybee12]

1. That's what's gonna bite him on the ass...

...he's getting caught in another lie. The story would have probably died down if he had been forthcoming, which BO has a real problem doing.

[bigdarryl]

5. who said he lied maybe he didn't see him speak in chuch that way

[joeybee12]

17. He told Wright a year ago he had to distance himself because he (Wright0

said things that would look bad since he was now running for Prez. Yesterday he said he never heard such things. BO was clearly aware of some of the stuff the guy said. That's a pretty good definition of a lie.

[boppers]

38. Barack said no such thing.

Putting your own words into somebody else's mouth isn't a case of them lying.

[rodeodance]

80. BO sure did say that--

[Drachasor]

48. Obama said that a year ago he knew of one of the statements

This is much ado about nothing.

[TheDoorbellRang]

90. He said he never heard them when he was at church

He'd certainly heard about them by the time he decided to run. The media's pretty good at picking bits up from different sentences to give a good spin to stuff.

[JoFerret]

26. You're right, but it sounds so lame

and like a betrayal.

But of course - he could never have said: "Yep. He's my man. i stick by most of his stuff. He's a great guy and like a father to me. He's over the top sometimes but...."

[greyghost]

56. I have some land in Florida you will probably be interested in...

[GoldieAZ49]

78. Yes it seems Wright has a very passive style of preaching

he would just check Obama's schedule and turn it up a notch when he was out of town

Good luck with that.

[shayes51]

41. exactly

[greyghost]

54. Exactly

[ProgressiveEconomist]

72. THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION HERE. RealClearPolitics has a more complete quote

than ABC evidently used, at URL http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/obama... :

(Nannity/Colmes/Fox "News" interviewer Major) 'GARRETT: Senator -- ... you said that, in your statement today, "When I first heard these I was beginning my campaign." Yet, you did not begin your campaign on December 4, 2007, when in a press release your campaign announced that Reverend Wright was a part of a quote, unquote, "African-American religious leadership committee." I'd like you to try to help me understand the inconsistency there. Because obviously, if you knew about them at the beginning of your campaign and you put him on this committee later, you would have been aware.

OBAMA: No, no, no. Wait, wait, Major. I didn't know about all of these statements. I knew about one or two statements that had been made. And, as a consequence, as I said, if it was just a function of one or two statements, then that's not something that would lead me to distance myself from either my church or my pastor.

And if I was going to have a committee talking about faith issues, which we've been very active in doing all across the country, reaching out to evangelicals and talking to the church communities all across the country, it would -- would not make sense if my own pastor wasn't on that committee. Now, Pastor Wright is retiring. And part of the reason that this is not an issue, once it came to my attention, that we pressed very hard, was the fact that he is on the brink of retirement. He's preached his last sermon. He's taken a sabbatical. He is not going to be active in the church and has not been active in my campaign, and he is no longer a part of that committee.

But you know, my judgment at the time was that this was not as problematic as what I've seen over the last couple of days.'

[avrdream]

2. Yeah, Rev Wright must have said all those vile things every time BO went to the toilet.

Speaking of toilets, I need to go BARF over just another one of Barry's convenient fucking lies.

[otohara]

10. Who Cares?

besides Hillary supporters just waiting for anything old kitchen sink to sink the front runner. When did radical become VILE on DU? Yesterday, that's when!

Go throw up and while you're there, remember Hill & Bill's lies too!

[avrdream]

13. Heh, heh.

I love the way you just bumped the thread.

[JoFerret]

28. Some of that stuff was not "radical" in the political sense but

vile in the human sense. And what's with the obsession with sex?

[otohara]

36. Sex Obsession? Tell Me More

is he creepy like the Catholic priests or closeted like the freak Evangelicals?

Seriously, I what does Rev. Wright do? I haven't seen or heard about this yet.

[JoFerret]

44. google the available sermons

semen stains seems to be one of his interests

and stuff about fag hags and whatever.
Foul stuff. And podium ranting and humping in general.

He can say goddamn America for all I care. That I can understand.

[otohara]

58. I Don't Get Why So Much Anti-Gay in African-American

community. Obama wants equal rights for gays, I wish he were for gay marriage, but that would kitchen-sink him for sure.

[anigbrowl]

84. Jeremiah Wright has spoken out strongly against homophobia

to the point of having an AIDS test as part of one of his sermons and encouraging everyone in his congregation to take one. More info from Ruggerson: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Auntie Bush]

70. Obama supporters don't seem to like criticism very well...maybe because they aren't used to it yet.

Well isn't that just what Hillorites have been saying? He's untested! He needs this criticism as good old practice for the GE. Think of how strong he'll be by the GE. Ready to fight off all the swiftboaters. Both our candidates will be ready and waiting. I'll still vote for whomever wins.

We can't let Mccain win! Let's not forget that's the most important.

[otohara]

75. Hello, Kitchen Sink

it's alive and well in DU. ObamaBabies, ObamaWhiners, ObamaTools, Obamites, ObamaCult. and so many more!

[rodeodance]

81. hey there little sewer. how you doing?

[boppers]

68. Yeah, in 30 years of Ministry, he became respected and well known...

By repeating the exact same 2 minutes, over and over again, for 30 years.

I know that some campaigns have gotten confused by this thing called "math" lately, but I'll try to make it simple.

52 Sundays a year. If Wright speaks for an hour, that's 52 hours a year.

Times 30 years, so that's 1,560 hours.

Times 60 minutes in an hour, and you have 93600 minutes.

Remember fractions? They're fun!

2/96300 = 2.0768432 × 10^-5

Wow, after much scouring, there's whining, wailing, and gnashing of teeth over .00002% of what Wright has said!

Was Barack taking femtosecond bathroom breaks? Is that honestly what you're proposing?

[Omega3]

85. the toilet, you mean where he is for every tough vote????????

[avrdream]

94. "Present!"

Except he claims he wasn't present for all these sermons.

[slinkerwink]

3. Remember how ABCNews distorted the 9/11 story?

[ruggerson]

6. Aside from the meat of the story

I find it fascinating Rolling Stone changed the name of an article post publication.

[laugle]

77. I'll bet they stopped

selling those sermon tapes too! Their probably burning them now....uh oh..........sermongate!!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. we all know what the GOP and their Hillary are up to

[JoFerret]

Seeing an emperor naked?

.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Hillary supporters here are becoming quite sinister......

cause now, it guilt by association of maybe he's not telling the truth, although we really don't know, but we like the politics of ennuendo....as much as the politics of McCarthyism.

In other words, some Hillary supporters are still hard at work:

[ruggerson]

9. Yeah, posting links from ABC News is dastardly

I am rubbing my hands over a beaker of dried ice right now.

[FrenchieCat]

19. Nope.....attempting to allude that Mr. Jack Tapper (and don't think I don't know who he is)

is actually presenting anything is dastardly.

You are rubbing your hands because they most likely are sore from beating that horse.

[ruggerson]

33. Tapper

is more than likely an Obama supporter. The big majority of his stories run against Hillary and in favor of Obama.

[rodeodance]

82. yeah. he is guy who had to retract his statement when he lied about Bill Clinton and

Hillary's economic plan.

[goldcanyonaz]

12. Like you haven't been hard at work in the past posting about blowjobs.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Link please?

Thanks!

[LadyVT]

20. McCarthyism? Oh, come now. Obama sat in a pew for 17 YEARS listening

to this man. As the LA Times reported this morning, Obama said he discusses his upcoming political decisions with this man. This man is his Spiritual Advisor. AGAIN, Ayers, Rezko, Wright... these are all evidence of terrible personal judgment from Obama.

His platform is based on having made ONE "good judgment call" about Iraq (at an anti-war rally in a liberal district, and not having to vote about it).

His judgment is clearly flawed.

Last night, Obama said he is looking forward to worshipping under his NEW pastor, who then was interviewed calling Wright a "prophetic" voice for America.

Give me a break.

[JoFerret]

32. That's a JOKE coming from you

....with your desire for cleansing the world of difference.

[FrenchieCat]

43. Keep working it......

since it's all you've got.

I want to say I don't blame you, but I do.

[JoFerret]

66. Working your fascist tendencies you mean?

It's true - I don't know you, And you are probably a great person in real life.

My take is: - you didn't think about the implications of your statements. (folks/ bystanders - this has to do with intemperate comments on another thread)

[grizmaster]

40. This is a 20 year intense and close relationship, not

some innuendo from being some passing acquaintance.

Personally I'd respect Obama more if he stood by his black nationalist roots. Distancing himself after 20 years makes him look either hypocritical, lacking in judgement, or just plain unconcerned by the pastor's inflammatory stances.

[greyghost]

59. In other words a typical politician.

[kittycat1164]

92. I LOVE your gif! hillarious!!!!! n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. so this is what the Democratic Party has come to?

Listen I don't know what my pastor said either. I can't remeber many of his sermons. I might have disagreed with him on many of his opinions that doesn't mean that he's me. Obama is not Rev. Wright period.

[greyghost]

60. Not being a hypocrite, I simply don't attend services.

[BlackVelvet04]

11. Of course Obama knew.....

he has a 20 year relationship with Wright and this church. Anybody who thinks Obama didn't know must be brain dead.

[Quixote1818]

14. Where is the punch line? nt

[ruggerson]

16. Hello Madame President?

[jefferson_dem]

21. It's Tapper himself. Get it?

n/t

[jefferson_dem]

18. Jake Tapper is a fool of a tool.

Let's suppose the disinvitation actually happened. Does that mean Obama personally heard the particular segments that are the source of this controversy, as he claims he didn't? To me, the disinvitation shows that Obama was not on board with some of the Pastor's substance and "tone." Good for him. Muckraker-wanna-be Tapper has nothing if he's trying to run with this strand of bs.

[ruggerson]

24. Well

if my memory serves you've linked to him when you like what he has to say.

And, since we both read him every day, I'd lay pretty good odds that he's a strong Obama supporter.

Which means he must think this story has major legs.

[FrenchieCat]

31. No. It's just Jack Tapper throwing out a bone

for some Hillary supporters to gnaw on for a while.

They need something to keep them occupied with their accusation of direct guilt by association, their politics of personal destruction via proxy, and their double standard of what lies count, and what lies don't.

The entitlement complex of superiority that they feel in easily calling Obama a liar everytime they can, only illustrates their own failings.

[boppers]

71. ABC already busted by media matters.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200803130008?f=h_latest

This, my friends, is what propaganda looks like in our day and age.

[TwilightGardener]

22. I'm pretty sure Obama knows he sometimes says controversial things. I'm pretty

sure Obama didn't know EVERY crazy thing he's ever said, going back years. This is really stupid hair-splitting.

[DumpDavisHogg]

23. We're still beating this dead horse?

A few important points:

For one thing, ABC has proven lately that its own credibility is about on par with the Washington Times. ABC's bias against Obama has been unmistakable. I no longer consider ABC a credible source.

We should all be attacking the Repubs for their support of Pat Robertson and other wingnut preachers. The Republicans actually seek support from extremists like this.

[JoFerret]

39. It has legs, and even if it appears over...

...it will rise from the dead in October and doom the democrats if Obama is our nominee.

If they can destroy a bona fide war hero they can take anyone down. This just makes it easy.

[FrenchieCat]

51. You still have hope........

which will make you an Obama supporter before long.

As to McCain, why don't we just all vote for him then and get it over with....because Hillary has like, no chance of hell in beating him. She could'nt even beat Obama....with all that she had to have done it. It is obvious to too many who the better candidate is, and her name ain't Hillary!

[greyghost]

61. He has handed them all that they will ever need.

[polichick]

25. As an Obama supporter, here's what I was hoping he'd say:

"Like most people, sometimes I agree with my minister, sometimes I don't - and it's pretty obvious that we have different speaking styles. If you want to know what I think about a specific statement Rev. Wright made, please ask."

imo it was a mistake to denounce without saying which specific statements he meant ~ it's no surprise that some black ministers are offended. Much of the problem is one of style, not content.

[ruggerson]

30. the mistake was

to say he wasn't in church for any offensive statements.

That remark alone will send reporters off in a frenzy to disprove him.

In his own book, he quotes Wright as referring to "white man greed" in a sermon. So obviously he was aware of more than he was letting on last night.

[FrenchieCat]

37. LOL! Those ministers denouncing him never supported him to begin with....

don't be fooled.

I certainly know better....cause I asked my Minister hubby, and he is plugged into the community headon. He laughted when I asked him about it, after I heard that on CNN. He said, don't you worry about Obama, he's handling things just fine.....and most in the community know it. He just warned me not to miss church on Sunday, if I wanted to get a better gauge.

[polichick]

42. Barack didn't do badly, but it wasn't the best way to deal with it imo.

[FrenchieCat]

46. He's not finished doing what he needs to do.....

watch and listen.

[polichick]

53. It's possible to be a supporter without agreeing with everything a candidate does...

I'm spending many hours a week working on his campaign here in PA, but I'd tell him to his face that I don't agree with his handling of this one. He's as human and flawed as the rest of us ~ that's a good thing.

[Vattel]

96. that would have been great

you should work for obama

[anonymous171]

27. Keep on! Soon both stories will have lost their significance.

[BenDavid]

29. plus, story in the works that obama might have attended

the september 16, 2001 sermon. Plus, the July 2007 sermon.....You can bet the farm the gop and the rnc are out there now going through all the sermon tapes and whatever else they can get their hands on to 1. make it available now to knock him out or 2. save it to see if he gets the nomination and then BAM! lies, lies and more lies caught on tape......

[JoFerret]

35. And you know - I actually don't care on the political Wright rants

...but the GOP will.

(I do care about his anti-Hillary rants - they are plain vile. The political stuff I get. I don't necessarily agree but ho-hum, whatever.)

[greyghost]

65. That's EXACTLY what they're going too do.

[bluestateguy]

34. Health care? Iraq? Education? Economy? Anyone?

Anyone?

[rug]

87. Don't forget Geraldine.

[midnight]

45. If Obama is like most men ,they are at chruch physically, maybe

bobbing their head, but sometimes not mentally paying attention. Just a thought.....

[Hoof Hearted]

89. All of this is excuasble because his testicles made him into a space cadet in church.

[pdxmom]

47. Tapper lost credibility for me when he said that Obama hadn't released

any of his taxes except for last year's right before he started his Presidential campaign. Tapper is a lazy journalist, because all it takes is a quick Google search and you find that Obama has always released his taxes at around the same time every year.

And again, Tapper gets it wrong, because last night, Obama stated that he had heard about one of those instances right around the time he began his run for the Presidency. There is no inconsistency.

[mzmolly]

49. ABC, the official Swift Boat Channel.

Glad to see they haven't lost their zest for BS.

ABC = FAUX LITE.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

50. They're Not Gonna Let This Go, Are They.

At the end of the day, all this comes down to is the media's interest in continuing to push it and create controversy. If they get bored, he'll be ok. If they don't, he may be mortally wounded.

[greyghost]

69. It comes down to this, they were caught not doing their jobs yet

again.

As a group they never liked Hillary, I can see why but it doesn't excuse giving Obabma a free ride. Which they did. They never took the
time to actually vet him.

[jefferson_dem]

74. This will not mortally wound anybody...but I do hope FauxNews sends Hannity over to Trinity to

dig up some dirt. That would be must-see teevee...

[Hoof Hearted]

91. OMC, a first year poli sci student could sit and write the 527 ads with this footage

That will run from dawn to dusk in the unlikely event he's the party nominee.

He will not be a president of the United States.

[Madam Mossfern]

52. I think I'm missing something...

Why is Wright talking about "15 minutes before Shabbos"?

[ruggerson]

57. I don't know

maybe critters can answer that one. I thought that was a Jewish term.

[Madam Mossfern]

63. It is...

It's Yiddish for the Sabbath or the Hebrew Shabbat.

[flpoljunkie]

55. Tapper knows what he wrote is nothing but innuendo. Shame on him, as Hillary would say!

[alteredstate]

62. What on earth should Obama have done?

From your OP:

“Fifteen minutes before Shabbos I get a call from Barack,” Wright told the Times. “One of his members had talked him into uninviting me."

In a phone call with Wright, Obama cited a Rolling Stone story, “The Radical Roots of Barack Obama," (the name of which has curiously been changed on the RS website) and told him, according to Wright, “You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we’ve decided is that it’s best for you not to be out there in public.”

It sounds like Senator Obama realized Wright had given some some controversial sermons and decided he wasn't an appropriate spokesman. What was Obama supposed to do --- hold a press conference about it before announcing his candidacy?

[cbayer]

64. I hope that all of you who are gleefully dancing around all of this

just sit back and take it when the next pseudo-scandal harming your candidate comes forward and supporters from the other side are taunting you.

This kind of character assassination is just not consistent with what I believe to be democratic ideals.

And remember this: when you seek revenge, dig two graves.

[TwilightGardener]

67. BTW, Obama said he knew that Wright preached the "social gospel"--

according to Wiki:

"Social Gospel principles continue to inspire newer movements such as Christians Against Poverty. The movement applied Christian principles to social problems, especially poverty, inequality, liquor, crime, racial tensions, slums, bad hygiene, poor schools, and the danger of war."

Sounds like what Wright's sermons usually consisted of. Maybe he wasn't just flat-out nuts every time.

[jefferson_dem]

73. Check out The Other Side of Pastor Wright - "Audacity To Hope"

It's quite insiprational...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFZROa0rlMU

[Milo_Bloom]

76. *SIGH* Why can't people quote properly?

What Obama ACTUALLY said was that he found out about one of the comments JUST AFTER STARTING HIS RUN FOR PRESIDENT.

"One of them I had heard about after I had started running for president and I put out a statement at that time condemning them." http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/03/obama-on...

So he has admitted to hearing at least one before.

[GoldieAZ49]

79. Yes it seems Wright has a very passive style of preaching

he would just check Obama's schedule and turn it up a notch when he was out of town during the past 17-20 years.

The sermon were so uninspiring the congregation never talk much about them and Obama had not heard that his background had been compared to Christ's.

At least now we know where the messiah meme came from.


Good luck with that.

[Milo_Bloom]

93. Good to see people still can't read quotes.

Obama has never said that he didn't have firey sermons.

There is a difference between firer sermons and specific derogatory language.

And, as I pointed out, with link for reference, Obama had specifically mentioned that he know of at least one of the comments, so the idea that he claimed he hadn't heard ANY is untrue.

[GoldieAZ49]

97. and he knew in the 80's of the church's radical reputation

Wright warned him of it

[Milo_Bloom]

98. All churches are radical by definition.

After all, they believe in fairy tales.

[Hoof Hearted]

83. Anybody who believed he sat there for 20 years and didn't know Wright was a hateful lunatic

is a dolt.

He's done, he's O-vah, and he has nobody but himself to blame.

[maryallen]

86. Just What Did ABC Know About :

Weapons of Mass Destruction, prior to US Invasion of Iraq?

Torture in US Prison Camps?

Billions of lost Pentagon dollars?

Domestic Spying on US Citizens prior to Iraq Invasion?

Prince Bandar's Knowledge of Iraq Invasion Plans Prior to Sec. Powell's?

Two Suspicious Presidential Elections?

Riggable Voting Machines?

You get the drift ...

But, of course, Rev. Wright's sermons are of tantamount importance!

[elixir]

88. I think the sunday morning programs will give us an idea of where this story is going.

[bhikkhu]

99. Call the MSM "there's a story about a preacher talking about Jesus and"

(click)

[AZBlue]

95. Those two items about Barack Obama are one and the same.

He distanced himself from him starting last year when he was told about the sermons.

Why do you people keep bringing this up? It's been disproven again and again. Are you really that desperate?