April 9, 2008
MOVE OVER, STU:
Obama's Minister Problem (LANNY J. DAVIS, April 9, 2008, Wall Street Journal)
I have tried to get over my unease surrounding Barack Obama's response to the sermons and writings of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. But the unanswered questions remain. [...]My concerns were retriggered when I read for the first time three excerpts from Rev. Wright's sermons published several weeks ago in a national news magazine [...]
As I read and reread these words, I keep thinking: If my rabbi ever uttered such hateful words from the pulpit about America and declared all Palestinians to be terrorists, I have no doubt I would have withdrawn immediately from his congregation.
In his eloquent Philadelphia speech, Mr. Obama likened Rev. Wright to a beloved, but politically extremist, family member with whom one profoundly disagrees but whose rage one understands.
But this comparison just doesn't work for me. I don't get a chance to choose my family members. I do get a chance to choose my spiritual or religious leader and my congregation. And I do not have to remain silent or, more importantly, expose my children to the spiritual leader of my congregation who spews hate that offends my conscience.
Mr. Obama made a choice to join the church and to ask Rev. Wright to marry him and his bride. He said for the first time a few weeks ago that had Rev. Wright not recently resigned as pastor of the church, he would have withdrawn. But that only reraised the same questions: Why didn't he act before the resignation?
One telling demonstration of the soft bigotry of low expectations is the obligatory description of the Senator's speech as "eloquent" by folks proceed to note how two-faced and unpersuasive it was. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 9, 2008 11:56 AM
Equally as telling is that so many on the Left have gushed that Obama's speech is the greatest ever on race, while having absolutely no idea what he said (or why he had to say anything at all).
Posted by: jim hamlen at April 9, 2008 1:30 PMI did not listen to or read Obama's speech. Actions speak louder than words, and Barak spent 20 years in a church where his fellow congregants clapped and danced as his pastor spewed hatred for white people, Jews, the Middle Class, Italians, wealthy people and America. He can give 10 fine speeches, or 100. It will never erase his voluntary membership in the Rev. Wright's Church of Hate.
Posted by: JonSK at April 9, 2008 6:50 PMChris Matthews is a great example of the gushing over the speech, -which really sucked- IMHO. The guy is unhinged.
Read Victor Davis Hansen who wrote what a would be future President might have said in Philly instead.
Posted by: Perry at April 9, 2008 7:40 PM