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Even if Barack doesn't share
Wright's views, it would be hard to believe he doesn't share Michelle Obama's views on race. Her thesis indicated some racism. Even if that isn't a problem to most, taking money from a man name Rezko should be and it definitely will become a major issue in the general election.

It all depends upon your definition of an honest government. I suppose it also depends on your point of view which has been formed listening to the Reverand Jeremiah Wright's sunday sermons.The really sad part of this affair is that Wright has convinced his paritioners that his race has been treated as the jews were by the Germans.To facilitate this lie he has repeated that argument every way possible. As a result he is still revered by his congregation and probably will continue to be until Barach H. Oboma or someone with enough nerve steps up.Even if Oboma is elected president I doubt seriously that he could influence his former paritioners to reject Wright's anti american views and lead them out of the wilderness and Wright's influence.

Don't critisize if you can't look at yourself and be critical.

You need to study your history either you are totally nieve or you need to read books on slavery. If you take that advise you would be surprised at what you will find out.If you do read you too could be a rational thinking person.You know it's funny but at the same time it's sad that you can make those comments and not believe that you don't need help in the racism department.There are people that are living today that were living in those times when African Americans were humiliated, beaten,history destroyed, lynched etc. How old would Martin Luther King be if he had not been assinated.Where were you or your parents on April 4,1968? Or did he kill himself with a high powered rifle?

You seem to disregard Hillary Clintons tirades doing any and everything to win this primary.I am glad every intelligent thinking person can see her for who she really is.
I wonder what has Obama done to make you insinuate that he is racist or are you judging him by someone elses actions or comments. I know that everyone has someone they know or might be related to, who has far out ideas and may do things out of the norm. Would it be fare to say that because you know or are related to them you are directly or indirectly reponsible for thier actions or should you be judged by your own actions? You know what the answer is to that. Why should it be different when it comes to Obama?

I go to church every Sunday, unless I'm sick. I've done it now for 58 years. I know what my pastor preaches. If I was outraged by it on a major issue, i would confront him. If that didn't work, I would bring in the elders. If that didn't work, I would leave the church. So I don't understand. We have several possibilities:
1. Barack Obama doesn't really attend the church (in which case he might not know what his pastor says on Sundays).
2. Barack Obama sleeps through the sermon every Sunday (same conclusion as above).
3. Barack Obama attends the church, listens to the sermon, but does not understand the implications of his pastor's preaching (this would be disastrous only if he is considered for leadership of some kind!)
4. Barack Obama attends the church, agrees with the preaching or doesn't consider the outrageous remarks to BE outrageous (in which case, it would be outrageous to elect him president).

I don't see any logical way to trust Barack Obama in this affair - and it has NOTHING to do with race!

As an AFrican American, I am so tired of seeing our black educated men and women work twice as hard to succeed at anything because white people (especially white men) can't stand it. Rev. Wright could out speak and out debate John McCain, Hillary and Bill and Barack. The guy is very very smart; and trust me white people know that and DON'T LIKE it. It's so sad. Rev Wright actually made the little cute white girl look like a fool, as well as the press. Therefore you people decided to crucify him. It's wrong and he should be left alone. He hasn't done anything that Jerry Falwell or any of those white preachers haven't done. Give me a break.

Perhaps you have never been a long time member of a church. People change over the years. If you are involved in a community, you generally don't run if you don't always agree with the pastor. You can't discount the church community and all the positive it did under Wright's direction. Members and others have revered Rev. Wright. If you saw the Bill Moyer interview, the out of context remarks were explained eloquently. Perhaps it was over your head. Words are words....actions such as the Iraq war are criminal!!! My heavens, if I denounced all my friend's and family for outrageous remarks that were made, my community would be sorely depleted. Your type of narrow hot headed thinking got us into this mess. In case you haven't noticed we ARE in trouble as a country because of the last 8 yrs of hell. I, my family and even Republican friends are voting for Obama!!! Perhaps you can't handle an honest government.

Obama will say or do anything to become president. He is a racist and a liar.

Bill Cosby for president!

Well said! He is a very dangerous man.

Well now even Obama agrees that Wright is a hate monger. I bet his campaign handlers finally convinced him to make a condemnation of the reverend, if that is what he really is. What does it take to become a pastor anyways?? You still can't convince me that Obama was totally unaware of Wright's views. Poor Obama, he snubbed Wright and now the pastor is getting back at him. You would think as much as the black community backs Obama, that they wouldn't give Wright the bully pulpit to take Obama down. The NAACP and the National press owes him an apology for helping Wright take down one of their own for no other reason than his own aggrandizement and vindictiveness.

My name is not anonymous it is Skip Foss a proud vet that served 3 tours and loved it

I believe you are right!

It's sad to see people getting away from the issues at hand that the American people need to know about this election season.

However, I think Sen. Clinton should take the credit for the harm the North American free trade agreement (NAFTA )have done to the American workers by causing us thousands of jobs since it was during her husband administration this trade agreement was reached.

she is taking credit for all the good things that happened during her time in the white house as first lady.Where did she go at the time when President Clinton was pushing this agreement on the American people that have cause them so many jobs.

Sen. Clinton need to answer to the American people more about her role play in establishing NAFTA; I am waiting to hear your answer soon.........

I will

Obama tried to make excuses for a pastor who went on a hate tirade and for all the parishoners who cheered him on. That was the most upsetting part of all. I could understand one guy getting all crazy about a subject, but all the people in back of him were applauding everything he said. I could just see Obama at one of those hate fests, and it disgusts me.
One good thing about this is that white people are finally losing their guilt about slavery and are not going to take the labels of racism any longer without standing up for themselves. Most of us were not even here when slavery was an institution. Most of our ancestors came long after slavery ceased to exist. Most of our ancestors came off the boat and were either indentured servants of one kind or another or were forced into working for next to nothing in the mines, railroads etc. It was not uncommon for families to actually owe the companies money when the week was over because they broke a shovel or bought too much food from the over-priced company store.
I think this whole discussion has made people really think about this guilt by association thing. I am not guilty of slavery just because I am white; I am not a racist just because I am white. It is obvious, though, that Rev. Wright is a bigot and a hate monger who has only hurt his own cause. Yes, he has done some good things for his community, but so did Hitler. Why else would all those people have followed him? They both had the gift of making stirring speeches. It is scary to think that someone who wants to be president to all the people of this United States would find Rev. Wright's speeches acceptable, no matter what excuses he drums up. As one Eagle's song goes, as far as past racism.... GET OVER IT.

Wright's audience for his sermons is more the problem than his words. I attend church regularly and prefer a church that shakes me up and calls me to live God's Word better than I do. The context of Wright's message is that we as a nation deserve to be damned if we, the wealthiest nation ever to exist, do not care for the rights of our citizens, feed the poor and take care of the sick.
The problem is: 1) His actual words are objectionable and not helpful if one is trying to convince others to repent and change. 2) His audience was largely folks who only recently received equal rights and struggle for healthcare, education and other needs. The message needs to go to rich white churches and politician's. For Wright's audience it may serve as an excuse to feel like a victim instead of a call to fix the problems.

The person who has never heard of Bush and church must have been living in a cave the last 7 years. The Times had him on the cover with a whole issue devoted to the matter of his faith. It is also a known fact that he pays a tithe as well. Obama pays less in .5% of his money to any charity. I guess it tells you how important the have nots are to him seeing as how he was able to buy himself a 1.6 million dollar home. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but at least know what you are talking aboutbefore you show your ignorance.

I AGREE WITH " RELIGION SPEECH" comment.
There are too many of YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE AND THAT IS WHY OUR COUNTRY IS IN THE MESS WE ARE IN.

I am Catholic AND i dont entirely agree with all the policies of the church BUT I am still going to church and still a catholic. So Obama is still a christian, he may may agree with the minister but al least he goes to church. When was the last time you saw or heard of G.W. going to church? I havent yet and he's been in for 7 long, long, painful years.

I saw his Minister on U-tube. That was enough for me. He said that he has attended this Church for 20 years. Why would he do that if he did not believe what the Minister says?

Obama is a phony who thinks that he has snowed the majority of the american people. He strattles the fence when faced with real decisions as evidenced by his history. He has no problem in covering his trail and lying with ease. My mother always told me that you can define a person by the company he/she keeps. Let's review Obama's connection; anti-american, race hater Rev. Wright, embezzler and convict Rezzo, William Ayers; a known terrorist who bombed government and police headquarters. Come on now, lets get real. What else is it about this man that we don't know? He claims to not take money from special interest groups, pray tell me what are the unions and the companies representatives that bundles money for his campaign. Has everyone forgotten about Parent Planhood, who pleged to get 1,000,000 people on the streets to lobby for him to get him in the Whitehouse, in order to advance their interest. What about the $10,000 donated to his senate race and $2000.00 donated by this group to his presidential campaign? If you think that you have race problems now, put him in the Whitehouse and all hell is going to break loose. If you think you are being treatened now by leftist radicals, I have news for you. AMERICA WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!

As can be witnessed by the "Guilt by Association" post, people on the left will spin and support Senator Obama regardless of the situation he gets himself into. The right will attempt to tear down Senator Obama because..well because he is a democrat.

I don't view this as guilt by association, I do not believe Senator Obama is guilty of anything at all. Senator Obama is free to associate himself for 23 years with the likes of Rev Wright and have Rev Wright as his personal spiritual advisor and even have him on the campaign staff. As long as Senator Obama is breaking no laws he is free to do whatever he wants, however when one is running for the most POWERFUL POSITION in the world there is an expectation of good judgement and solid moral associations.

I am an Independent, I have no horse in this race, but if the roles were reversed and Senators Clinton or McCain were involved in the identical situation their presidential candidacy would be over. So please the next time someone wants to spin and skew Senator Obama's tight association with Rev Wright as if the American public is wrong for engaging the topic, please stop. In my estimation a viable candidate for the President of the United States would not have allowed this situation to happen. I do not think any less of Senator Obama as a person, I just do not think he should be the next President of the United States.

The reason why people get worked up about this. Is because it's a bold-faced lie. I don't think people like being lied too. I know it infuriates me.

What I question is why these people have to even say that. Is it that Jesus would not be any good to them to use in their sermons against the white man, unless Jesus was a black man? Because Wright would have his congregation and their future generations believe that only the black man has suffered racism and discrimination. No other race has ever suffered like the black man! So therefore, Jesus had to be black to have suffered so much for all people. What pathetic reasoning. Why would anyone have to be whatever color or whatever race to validate an argument or a cause in anyone's preachings?

I just like the truth. I hate someone lying to my face or trying to change the history books just to make their stories true. I think a lot of black people have an identity crisis, not all, but many. I don't believe all black people agree with Wright, either. I believe it is wrong to stoke the fires of hatred and preach/teach distorted lies such as the US government invented AIDs to wipe out the black population.

So that's why the truth matters to me and it's not a funny.

This is a fundamentally flawed question because of the choices that are provided. The only positive choice (answer) totally miscues the point of the speech. The purpose of Obama's amazing oratory was not to put race behind us but rather toss aside misrepresentations and nifty 8 second incriminating sound-bites. He was challenging us to look at race with an unbiased eye, to take a step back and analyze if we have really come that far since slavery and the civil rights movement. Therefore choice to your question should read: A thoughtful, analysis of his place not only in this race but in the country. The speech will alter the nature of the rhetoric through November.

Lets be blunt, if it were John McCain with a pastor that was a talking like a KKK leader, there'd be a lynch mob forming by now.

To attend services regularly over 20 years with this kind of bigot, Mr Obama is either

a) not all there mentally because he didn't get the "message" and stop it's spread. So because he didn't act, I believe he is unfit to be president.

b) Mr Obama is not being truthful about his own beliefs in his speech. This occurs after experiencing 20 years of hate speech in this "church"

c) Mr Obama is evidently not a leader of any kind (churches with ministers they disagree with get them recalled/ replaced and Mr Obama didn't lead any effort to do that). I can only believe Mr Obama agrees with his minister.

d) some or all of the above.

Hold the Democrat to the same standard as you would a Republican. Obama has had 20 years to act. And to think some of you want him as president. By his inaction on this issue Mr Obama shows he's not fit to be dog catcher, let alone president.

Nothing will satisfy me personally until Mr Obama and his family leave that church and totally repudiate it's teachings and that of his OTHER associate "Minister" Farrakan.

Until Mr Obama does he belongs in the same boat with Ron Paul who met with the Nazi's/ white supremacists.

It's all the same folks. Paul and Obama have ties to hate speech. Neither is a suitable leader for this country.

You said "Black pain and bitterness are real, and won't go away just because it inconveniences white people from time to time."
That statement proves that racism still abounds. Abounds in Black America. The So called Christian Black Churches have lost the meaning of Christs' Last words. "Forgive them!" reverend Wrong finds no way to forgive, to look for good, he finds words to inspire HATE. Mr Obama has sat silently taking in the words of a race baiting zealot without question until exposed. Hollow words were all he spoke. After His wife's words, spoken from rote memory from sermons, race relations have suffered greatly. You want equality, then YOU will have to go more than half way to meet me. I'm done bending over backwards, jumping through hoops. Evil American bashing, white hating racists have destroyed all the good will I've invested for 40 of my 60 years. I am finished with it. Obama's and Your words can never fix the disgust I felt when I saw blacks cheering and slapping the back of that Black Racist

I did not miss the point.. the point of his speech was a smoke screen so that we would "forget" about what Wright did and the fact that he mentored under Wright for 20 years...he wanted to do that by speaking to us in a way to make us feel empathetic and that we should be sympathy ridden for these poor people.. Well I am not racist..but I think it is high time that people started standing on their own two feet without the continual whining of the "church group" or whatever other organization to hold them up.. why do they segregate themselves.. they can make it if they try..I had a hard background and clawed my way up.. I didn't spew hate and racism nor did I make others feel like they owed me.. I knew I could do and be whatever I set my mind to.. and so can they. In any case they do not deserve a free pass just because they have had a hard life..many have of all colors. By segregating themselves and staying in these groups they do not integrate with white communities.. what is wrong with going to a white church?? do they have to be told in a sermon that Jesus is black??I dont care what color he is any more than any person..I care what they do and how they act.. I personally think they are responsible for their own acceptance into society.. walk the walk..talk the talk.. most people in America today are not even color conscious..
You speak of integrity.. that "stuff" that Obama has none of.. otherwise he would have stood up for it and his principles and showed us that he doesnt stand for racism, hate mongering, America bashing, jew bashing, and bigotry..by denouncing Wright .. that would have meant he did have integrity.. but he did not.. instead he made this an even more racial election and he now becomes the part black candidate.

Hi Joel,
In response to your question; the only reason anyone with any degree of cognition would think Barack Obama is a racist or is unfair in his assesment of the racial climate in America, is because they clearly don't know how to process what he is saying: He's beyond their intellectual reach.

The fact is that Barack Obama grew up in a white household where his own grandmother was afraid of black men, while at the same time helping to raise one. He admitted that he'd cringe everytime she made a racial epithet. The same thing happened in the privacy of Barack's grandparents' home happens in the black church. People reveal their real feelings, no matter how distorted.

Al Sharpton made a good point last night on Greta's show when he said: "Let's not forget why the black church was created in the first place." This is a strong statement, but true.

Many white Americans don't fully know or appreciate the complexity of American history. It's not often taught. Rather, the educational system reinforces the idea that white America has much to be proud of without fully disclosing how and by which means it was able to accomplish its many glories. Black pain and bitterness are real, and won't go away just because it inconveniences white people from time to time. This is the point he was trying to make today. We all have pain and suffering which is all tied together, all tied to a common destiny. Which way will we choose?

He sounded sincere..true..but he refuses to denounce Wright which is the core issue here..he refuses to take a stand away from racism, bigotry, hate mongering, jew hate,America bashing.. even tho he refutes some of his words he tried to explain away the seriousness of his terrible display to all the world..by saying.."if you knew where he came from".. well we all have problems in our lives that we need to overcome..not just the blacks..but we dont use it for a reason to be racist or hate mongers.. and neither should he.. Obama, is providing a smoke screen and I am certain he wants this just to go away.. but it will not.. The very dispicible words and actions of wright and his church congregation are NOT MISUNDERSTOOD MR OBAMA.. We heard right and we saw the actions.. it spoke to our hearts and we will NOT excuse it.. we will not forget even if we could. It had no place in our country, no place in Christianity and no place in a church. We can move on but the bitter ugliness of his words will I believe live forever . I agree that we need to work together to unite our country and for that we need no racism or reverse racism.. how does it work??? if you don't, I wont?? I dont have the answers..I am not a racist and abhor these expressions no matter what side they were on..I just know now that Mr Obama is definitely not the one to unite anyone anymore.. he has been a divider by not taking a stand on important issues.. and that is not an appropriate behaviour for someone that wants to be president of this country.

I'd like to invite you to post why you think that's so. Because I thought Obama's take was pretty nuanced and fair-minded.