Wright to NY Times: Islam, Jews, & Obama 'the 1st honest candidate 4 Oval Office'

[LulaMay]

The following are snippets from a letter Rev. Wright wrote to Jodi Cantor of the NY Times. (link below)

This story gets worse and worse, and there is more to come.

I read today that FOX has purchased many video tapes of Wright's sermons, interviews. They appear to be sitting on it, for now.



March 11, 2007
Jodi Kantor
The New York Times
9 West 43rd Street
New York,
New York 10036-3959

Dear Jodi:

Thank you for engaging in one of the biggest misrepresentations of the truth I have ever seen in sixty-five years.....

I told you what a dreamer he was. (Barack Obama) I told you how idealistic he was. We talked about how refreshing it would be for someone who knew about Islam to be in the Oval Office. Your own question to me was, Didn’t I think it would be incredible to have somebody in the Oval Office who not only knew about Muslims, but had living and breathing Muslims in his own family? I told you how important it would be to have a man who not only knew the difference between Shiites and Sunnis prior to 9/11/01 in the Oval Office, but also how important it would be to have a man who knew what Sufism was; a man who understood that there were different branches of Judaism; a man who knew the difference between Hasidic Jews, Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews and Reformed Jews; and a man who was a devout Christian, but who did not prejudge others because they believed something other than what he believed.

-snip-

Out of a two-hour conversation with you about Barack’s spiritual journey and my protesting to you that I had not shaped him nor formed him, that I had not mentored him or made him the man he was, even though I would love to take that credit, you did not print any of that. When I told you, using one of your own Jewish stories from the Hebrew Bible as to how God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?,” that Barack was like that when I met him. Barack had it “in his hand.” Barack had in his grasp a uniqueness in terms of his spiritual development that one is hard put to find in the 21st century, and you did not print that.

-snip-

I have never been exposed to that kind of duplicitous behavior before, and I want to write you publicly to let you know that I do not approve of it and will not be party to any further smearing of the name, the reputation, the integrity or the character of perhaps this nation’s first (and maybe even only) honest candidate offering himself for public service as the person to occupy the Oval Office.

-snip-

I do not know why I thought The New York Times had actually repented and was going to exhibit a different kind of behavior.

Maybe it was my faith in the Jewish Holy Day of Roshashana. Maybe it was my being caught up in the euphoria of the Season of Lent; but whatever it is or was, I was sadly mistaken. There is no repentance on the part of The New York Times. There is no integrity when it comes to The Times. You should do well with that paper, Jodi. You looked me straight in my face and told me a lie!

Sincerely and respectfully yours,
Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. ,
Senior Pastor
Trinity United Church of Christ


ttp://skepticalbrotha.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/obamas-pastor-speaks-out/

[Cali_Democrat]

1. delete

delete

[donheld]

2. Fox is sitting on the story?

Boy are you out of the loop.

[LulaMay]

10. They have purchased a lot of videos. It's my assumption they may dole it out, give to Rethugs.

[jackson_dem]

33. They are sitting on much of the video, i.e. Wright saying the US is the same as Al-Qaeda

That comment, along with the Pearl Harbor one in which he says the government (FDR) knew about it, have not been covered in the Wright stories. They and ABC have hundreds of hours of tape. We have only seen a tip of the iceberg so far.

[merh]

3. I don't understand what is wrong with his letter?

:shrug:

[DerekJ]

5. I am puzzled too !!!

[LulaMay]

6. 1. He suggests we've not had an honest president 2. 'He knows about Islam'..in his family 3.He

calls the reporter a liar by way of bringing up her Jewish heritage.

The media and Rethugs WILL use it, as much of it as they can, and there seems to be plenty of it....whether Senator Obama disavows the remarks or not.

[Drachasor]

14. I strongly disagree: He implied she wasn't living up to those beliefs

He didn't knock Judaism, he knocked her (and was shocked considering her faith).

Beyond that: He say "maybe even only", no certainty there

And it is no crime to know about Islam. He was very clear that Obama was Christian.

[DerekJ]

20. Is knowing about Islam a crime these days?!!

Good for him, I wish that all religious leaders would learn about each other religions. it would change a lot.

[LulaMay]

22. Of course not. I'm saying the Rethugs will run with it.

[DerekJ]

24. sorry if I sounded rude.

You know Karl Rove came on Fox news..hmmm.. about a week or two ago, and asked the republicans and Fox News not to use the Muslim smear because it will show them as bigots and it will backfire at them. So you don't have to worry about this.

[LulaMay]

25. I am worried because Rove will use anything, and frame it is some way to make it pallitable.

I think he's waiting for the GE, like a vulture.

Thanks for the apology.

Back at'cha.

[NDambi]

35. Oh La La Lula...both your hem and bra strap are showing..and both look soiled.

No not soiled, dirty! Yeah. dirty.

[blogslut]

4. Have you read the DU rule on copyrights?

5. Copyrights: Do not copy-and-paste entire articles onto this discussion forum. When referencing copyrighted work, post a short excerpt (not exceeding 4 paragraphs) with a link back to the original.

link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html

[merh]

7. I don't think that the Rev Wright's letter would fall into that

copyright rule, like letters in the past have not been governed by the rule.

I still can't see what the problem is with the letter.

[blogslut]

9. Perhaps you are right

However, the OP took the text of the letter from another blog. She also failed to link to that blog properly. Bad Internet etiquette, IMHO. :)

[merh]

11. Most definitely bad etiquette

and just rude not to answer what concerns the letter causes the OP.

[blogslut]

15. Well, that's another matter

I have asked Hillary fans several times what it is about Wright that enrages them. So far, the answers have been less than satisfactory and hardly explanatory.

[LulaMay]

8. I did post only 4 snips and a link to the article.

[blogslut]

12. six

six paragraphs. A paragraph is indicated by a paragraph break. There are six paragraphs in your OP. A paragraph can be one sentence or one hundred.

Mostly, I would prefer that you fix that broken link to the blog from where you copy-pasted the text.

[MaryCeleste]

13. There are times when the right thing to do is to chill and be quiet

this is clearly one of them. Wright is doing more harm than good to Obama, the Democratic party, and race relations. Take a deep breath and let this go over. All he is doing is keeping it in the public eye.

[MADem]

18. That letter is a YEAR old, isn't it? 2007? The problem is, the GOP are pouncing, now. Not Wrigh

From today's "paper for people who like lotsa pictures:" http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-16-obama_N.htm

Critics say Obama may not have ended the controversy because he has had a relationship with Wright for nearly two decades. Obama had described Wright as his spiritual mentor. He was married in the church, and Wright was a member of Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee.

"This is a man who he chose to be associated with. It's not a family member," said Juan Williams, a Fox News analyst and National Public Radio correspondent. "It could be a big problem."

He said Obama's relationship with Wright "speaks to his character, and it speaks to the judgment which is the basis on which Barack Obama has been running."

There were hints the controversy may be taking a toll on Obama's candidacy and prospects against presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.

Pollster Scott Rasmussen's tracking polls of the presidential race, published on his website Rasmussenreports.com, showed McCain had moved from a tie with Obama nationally, 44%-44%, on Thursday, to a 47%-43% lead on Sunday.

[MaryCeleste]

19. I completely missed the date, my apologies

I still think the best course is not to respond any further. If Obama wins the nomination, the repukes will pick at this until election day. Lets not make it any easier for them.

[Catherina]

16. "Islam, Jews, & Obama" What a curious title. It's nowhere in the link

The only place the title "Islam, Jews, & Obama" turns up is your thread. Why is that LulaMay? Do you have something against Jews? Or is it against Muslims?

Your way of summarizing it is extremely peculiar.

[NDambi]

36. As I said..La La LulaMay's hem are bra strap are showing and they are both soiled/dirty

[CakeGrrl]

17. The letter is dated 2007...someone's been sitting on this for a year? n/t

[blogslut]

21. Not sitting - reviving

The OP cites a year-old letter from a year-old blog post. Here is a link to the pdf of the original publication:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html

[anamandujano]

23. Perhaps they've just unearthed it. You know there is going to be a world

class archaeological dig.

[SunsetDreams]

26. The story gets worse and worse?

Where?

I don't see anything.

How's Hillary doing? I never see you post about her.

[Binka]

27. The story gets worse and worse?

OMFG. Can this poster please learn to write? This is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Fucking GAWD. Worse and worse? Jesus did she drop out of school in the sixth grade?

[TomClash]

28. So what's the problem with this letter?

The Times helped bring us Judith Miller and the Iraq War. One does question their integrity.

[oasis]

29. Wright will be a millstone around Obama's neck for the remainder of the 2008 campaign.

count on it.

[Window]

30. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this letter....nothing.

I guess when you cherry-pick, you see what you want.

Rev. Wright was gracious enough to sit down with the reporter for hours, and, like you, cherry-picked what she and you seem to think were snippets that were devastating and harmful to Obama.

It's not nice to hate.

[npincus]

31. Just read it... what's the issue?

I'm Jewish, have no prob with the language or content.

[Warren Stupidity]

32. There is nothing wrong with this letter. nt.

[WinkyDink]

34. So, the Rev. Wright has his doubts about the honesty of all preceding 43 Presidents? Wow.

THAT? Is bizarre, people.
I mean, really. ALL FORTY-THREE?

And yes, I do know hyperbole when I read it; it is usually for a different effect than the one Wright seems to be going for (literal truth).