is specialized.  It's unfortunate that it doesn't include "the content of a man's character."

As Wright said, Obama is just a politician saying what he has to say. Wright has horribly wounded Obama, watching his press conf. I just kept saying "your only doing this because you HAVE too"

Some of Wright's words are right and some are wrong.

As a factual amtter, I believe there is no evidence that AIDS was created by the US Government to use on African Americans.  Nor do I agree with his 9/11 comments or praise of Farrakhan.      

But he is right on some things also, especially the continued oppression in this nation based on race.

So what happens to grandma now? /snark

imho. not as big of an issue as the action on the gas tax..

hm... someone decided to delete it..

If Obama throws Jeremiah Wright under the bus, he can say bye-bye to NC.

He dis'ed me so now I can throw him under the bus.

Wright didn't become an issue for Obama until Wright began hurting Obama in the polls. Guess what, this is about the voters, and how many saw Wright's rhetoric on Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and the United States as an attack on their values. Obama needs to realize that he is running to represent us, he needs to take our opinions into account. That Wright makes Obama feel bad is irrelevant.

Wright just joined Obama's grandma--under the bus. 20 years--my spiritual mentor, my book is named after one of his sermons--nope, nope, nope. This was horrendous. And I think it was a Huge mistake.

Looks like Jerome was right.  He's been saying that Obama would eventually disavow Wright just like this, and here it is.

Blood in the water . ..

If it's true that Wright now is different from the person he met 20 years ago, why did Obama pray for him right before announcing his candidacy?  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/pol itics/30obama.html

Obama knew the sharp edges of Rev. Wright and his handlers undoubtedly didn't want the link to be so visible, so they nixed the onstage invocation.  Obama just gave a political speech to save face.

Obama knows Wright quite well. He knows that the TUCC is based on Cone's Black Liberation Theology. He knows that it's racist. He knows that what Wright says is in keeping with what James H. Cone says and writes about in his books. To say he didn't know stretches the bounds of credulity.

It's right and proper to call into question Obama's character and judgement. He would be a dreadful nominee for the general and it's becoming apparent to those who need to know that before it's too late.

Hillary will be our nominee and I just put my money where my mouth is by contributing more to Hillary today.

Wright finally goes. I'm much more optimistic of his chances if he is the nominee. he may have just saved his candidacy. i'm surprised he didn't do this two months ago when it could have handed him the nominee. Obama is a typical politician indeed for doing this, but better than being the typical Democrat nominee in the mold of HHH, McGovern, Carte '80, Mondale, Dukakis, and Kerry.

We could all question Hillary's poor financial management skills and on how poorly she ran her campaign to judgment on what kind of a president she would be.  If she has trouble paying her own bills, how could she run a country???

Not sure why he continues to insist on defending Wright

The more Obama condemns Wright, the more he risks alienating African-American voters who are not offended by Wright's message. Rasmussen has a poll reporting that 58% of African-American voters do not believe that Wright's comments are racially divisive:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_c ontent/politics/people2/just_8_have_favo rable_opinion_of_pastor_jeremiah_wright

Yes, what else could Obama do?  As you pointed out, he should have done more.  After all, even Rev Wright said last week, "he says what he has to as a politician".

And heck, even Karl Rove told him he had to do this.  Of course, we know he still holds out hope to run against B O, but the point is still that this is the absolute minimal he had to do.

Excpected.  Too little, too late.  He could have taken care of it appropriately long ago, instead of bringing him closer and closer, making him part of his campaign and not addressing the proper issue when he should have.

And why couldn't he say he oppopes Wrights claims, instead of reaffirming what Wright said is opposite of what he says. WE KNOW THAT.

", it contradicts my decisions to pursue public service, it contradicts what I've said in my books, what I've said in my convention speech . . ."

IT?

How many "turning points" can there be in one campaign?

I think the important thing here to realize is that it wasn't the media or voters who forced Obama to finally through Wright under the bus. Wright just gave Obama the excuse he needed to reject him.

That Barack Obama just talks, and talks, and talks, and likes the sound of his own little voice.

C'mon Barack, why so tentative, reluctant and weak? This is all so half-hearted you're getting rid of Wright. You need to give a good hearty shove to the Rev. So far you've only managed to ding the Rev's knee with the fender. You need to give the Rev a whopping shove and make sure that MSNBC is driving the bus at no less than 50 miles per hour. Then you need to run him over again for good measure. Don't worry its good practice for Putin, Ahmedinijad and all those pesky dictators you'll be meeting in you're first term. They need to know you know how to take care of business and so do we. Cheer up, at least, Mika, Chris, Andrea, Keith and all your supporters at MSNBC are cheering for you.

Beware, though a wounded lion. I suspect Wright has survived to fight another day. Makes Bill Clinton's alleged race card playing look positively amateurish. Rev Wright has dealt you the ace of race cards. And I suspect he's holding some more up his sleeve.

Movement in the right direction. Finally. I didn't see the press conference, so I've no idea how it went over. We'll see if its enough to assuage the mainstream media.... now, if Wright comes out after Obama again (like Sharpton just did), this could get real ugly.

and he had to denounce that idiot and distance himself from his idiotic theories.

I am sure that the internals (internal polling accessed only by the campaign) have showed a worrying trend over the weekend and yesterday. And this pretty much sealed the deal on that idiot Wright.

Senator Obama had to do what he had to do. He cannot be commander-in-chief and send our troops on missions around the world and associate himself with someone who thinks that our troops are a bunch of terrorists. What that idiot Wright said yesterday undermined Senator Obama capability of being a commander-in-chief and no one can tolerate that.

Let us see how this thing is going to evolve over the next week or so.

Tood - I think the only reason Obama still defends Wright to some extent is because he doesnt want to alienate AAs. It seems that many AAs associate themselves with Wright (not saying it in a bad way, because after all Wright has his own charm whether we like it or not). Remember the black enough talks? If he starts belittling Wright too much in public, people will think he isnt black enough and that's why he is berating one of our respected reverends.

Just a thought:-)

This moves Wright from center stage to more of a Hagee position; Not really an issue, except for the hyper-partisans, who won't be changing any minds.

I think this move is a necessary part of the GE pivot to the center, just like the appearance on Fox News. It won't please some of his fervent supporters, but most of the country will say that he did the right thing.

Wright is going to have another press conference to respond to Obama for tossing him under the bus.

Obama should drop out so we can win this time.

I can't help but think that Wright was not happy with Obama's speech back in late March/early April.  Wright had a right to defend himself, but watching his behavior over the weekend at the National Press Club and NAACP event showed him acting like a fool.  Instead of trying to repair his legacy, he's just in it for limelight.

coming off the Hope Express

It's just going to confirm opinions one way or another. Overall whichever way you cut it this has to be a negative for Obama. We'll see what happens next week in Indiana. If he gets a hammering I'd say he had problems.  

Obama has to stop looking so pained -- like he is just saying these things because he has to. He has to look truly offended -- and he didn't.

And this isn't about what Wright did to Obama, but what Obama believes in relation to his pastor's beliefs.

Wright has been Obama's pastor for 20 years and after yesterday and Wright's press conference Obama suddenly found "religion" when it came to Wright and his divisive beliefs?

Give me a break.

I'll be writing in Hillary now more than ever after this weak spectacle.

"The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I had come to know over 20 years."

Here is what Obama wrote in his first book about meeting Wright 20 years ago.

In his 1993 memoir "Dreams from My Father," Obama recounts in vivid detail his first meeting with Wright in 1985. The pastor warned the community activist that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church's radical reputation.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custo m/religion/chi-070121-relig_wright,1,271 630.story?cset=true&ctrack=1&pag e=2&coll=chi-religion-topheadlines

More then a year ago, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/pol itics/30obama.html?_r=1&sq=wright%20 obama&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=s login&scp=11&pagewanted=3&ad xnnlx=1209496403-ypuuddps1F4S2sEEsAir6Q

"If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me," Mr. Wright said with a shrug. "I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen."

Obama has been exposed as a typical politician who wants to have it both ways.
For a candidate who is running on his judgment, it shows a complete lack of one to feign ignorance after such close association with a pastor of 20 years.

todd, judgement runs in a myriad of angles. I must admit, the whole Wright thing is a bit too oblique for me to grasp at. The man said questionable things about AIDS and some things that I quite find true.

But in terms of non-oblique judgement, pressing to go to war is a more important measurement for me. It's not one that prays upon the politics of tabloid"ism".

If you care to elevate the conversation, it seems that focusing on semantics isn't the way to do it. For instance, Obama saying that the man he has known for 20 years was not the man he recognized yesterday. We can fight about whether Obama is right or wrong in making such a comment but I guarantee you that grounded people will see through the b.s. shilled out in this diary and not care.

But in all honesty, what type of language would placate your sensibilities in this matter?

Obama is just as poll driven and focus group reactive as his supporters claim that Hillary is.

After all, it most likely is Obama's fall in the polls that caused this denouncement of Wright, not Wright's recent appearances or words, for they are just more of what has been said over a course of 20 years.

He's a politician, just like everyone else in the race.  Imagine that.  The Emperor has the same clothes as everyone else.

Demanding respect? Isn't that a little angry black man-ish?

What politician goes around throwing public pity parties because they were disrespected?

Doesn't that play into the impotent, waffling, wimp factor that is forming around Obama?

So lets go back to Obama's wonderful, historical speech on race defending the Rev. Wright and the hate speech he supposedly first heard that was offensive to all Americans but understandable to Obama. Let's hear all the 'all black churches are like this' comments from Obama supporters. They are not.

I think Obama's come back will be giving the Rev. Wright a lot more air time and with some not so flattering things to say about Obama and if you only attend church services for nearly 20 years you know your pastor's views unless you are asleep or listening to the ballgame and not paying attention and their relationship went beyond just the sermons.

This is too little too late and only after HE felt disrespected by the Reverend. I think pretty soon we'll be hearing Obama say he only got married there and had his children baptized there but never attended the church.

my gosh, all we have been hearing all primary season is that Hillary and the 1990's were all so, well, dramatic....

But after the last month, is there any doubt that the real drama belongs in the Obama camp?

Let's get serious. Obama has no serious chance at winning the GE with the albatross of Wright and Ayers hanging around his neck. If Hillary isn't the alternative, then let's come up with something, because we aren't going to the Promised Land with Obamadramarama.

Very strong speech by Obama.  Said exactly what he needed to say.

Rev Wright has not been helping Obama this week.  And now, Obama's come out to more fully denounce his statements and distance himself.  This is some tricky stuff.  I wonder how it's gonna play out...

Will African Americans and lefty-elites feel like he's thrown Wright "under the bus" (to use a phrase I've learned this political season)?  Will they feel angered/betrayed by this?

Rev Wright's suggested that Obama's only distanced himself because politically he "had to" (to play to white/rural America), simultaneously insinuating that Obama doesn't really mean it.  So, with Wright, himself, saying it's just a political maneuver, will those white/rural voters  "believe in" Obama's denunciation?

This press conference denunciation is, in fact, a distinctly "political" thing to do, and Obama's been campaigning as the "non-politician."  This makes him look more like a "politics-as-usual" kinda candidate...

Obama only did this because he had to. His campaign is in real trouble with middle class white voters. The Youtube sermons have been out for a very long time.

Obama did this because he had to.

I liked what Obama said.  It was good.(And, I voted for Hillary (early voting) in CA. )   Obama seems to have the  political life of a cat.  He's on what number life,  maybe 4?  Whether you like him or not, or support Hillary, he will be the candidate.  This last press conference just proved it.  So, all of us who are still supporting Hillary, need to do so, BUT  WE NEED TO TONE DOWN THE ANTI-OBAMA COMMENTS.  The goal is the White House, right? I'll take either Dem over McSame any day. Hopefully you feel the same, or you have validated Rep Clyburn's point that Hillary wants Obama to lose the General.  I don't believe that, but unless we all stop the demonizing of the other Dem candidate, we will lose the W.H. for ourselves.  Support your candidate, but lose the negative talk about the other Dem candidate!

I don't feel sincerity from Obama at this point.
I think Obama and Rev. Wright talked about this and planned what he was going to say to the press.

I don't think this press conference will help Obama.  IMO, the damage is done.

"I got to give a special shout-out to my pastor. The guy who puts up with me, counsels me, listens to my wife complain about me. He's a friend and a great leader, not just in Chicago but all throughout the country. So please, everybody, give an extraordinary welcome to my pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright Jr."

Obama may be the nominee, but if that is the case the Democrats will lose in November. I said it back in March: this stuff is too inflammatory and extreme to go away, especially with the kind of politics of personal destruction the Republicans practice.

No, it's HRC as the nominee or we lose to McCain. All of your hope cannot change what is obvious to anyone who has seen how politics are played in the last 30 years. Nothing magic is going to happen to make it vanish from the minds of Middle America. The Republicans are going to beat him with Rev. Wright mercilessly. If you do not believe this, then you are in denial.

Jeez, why didn't he have this press conference back in Philly? I like Obama, I really do (I voted for him but am now neutral and hoping the convention picks someone else entirely). But he's so unbelievably naive. He doesn't seem to understand that everyone has an agenda, and many of them are out to get him. He needs to toughen up, FAST. How he managed to be a community organizer on the South Side I can't imagine.

I suspect the average reaction to the current contretemps will be "If Wright is such a bad guy, why did Mr. Obama sit in his church for twenty years?

The public is beginning to view Mr. Obama through something other than rose-colored glasses.  What those of us who do not support him have been trying to say for months is that this man is simply not ready to be President of the United States.  John Q. Public is starting to see that.

he's still partially defending wright because rejecting him completely would alienate a big portion of the african-american community.  wright's more mainstream among aa's than farrakhan is, and a lot of the aa's he previously took for granted are likely to feel pretty disillusioned by obama's distancing.

It's official, I think neither one of our candidates is electable.  

Yeah it is a turning point. It is the turning point to Hillary becoming the nominee.

It just shows more and more what Rev. Wright said is true that Obama is a politician and says what he needs to in order to try and get elected.

Obama saw that Wright was going to destroy his campaign and he had to come out like this against him like a good politician would do.

%^( it all Obama should have come out and denouced and rejected Rev Wright for his offensive comments about Bill and Hillary Clinton just a few months ago.  To do it now when *he is the one being insulted is beyond lame.  He is a pandering little jerk and if anything his cover his own ass actions today make him look even worse than he did before.

I say that the MyDD community should make a comprehensive list of every pastor/preacher/rabbi/whatever that has said some horrible things about America, about our government, or whatever else someone may fake outrage over. We can then put the whole list together and when anyone announces a run for the Presidency we can cross reference their church affiliation with our list. As we are a hyper-sensitive society that is so easily offended it will be quite a list to be sure. And we may even find a seriously depleted roster of talented politicians. But what is the alternative? If we can't expect to have a candidate who has never affiliated with the more extreme elements of our society why should we even pay attention at all. So if the church of a Presidential candidate is on our list we can kindly nudge that candidate toward not running at all. I mean, why let the candidacy of a seemingly strong Democratic candidate, maybe the strongest in a generation or more, even get off the ground. Lord knows Rev. Wright would have been right on top of our list. We could have saved ourselves a lot of time and cyberspace. I'm just sayin....

It will be something to look back at all this some day when the next generation is looking back on this moment and they ask us all quizically how it came to be that this candidate couldn't ascend to the Presidency at this time in our country's history and the answer will inevitably be that he went to the wrong church.

To me this is more about weakness more than anything. I thought the problem with Barack was inexperience and one day (2012 or 2016) he would be ready to make a fine president. I no longer believe that he has the mettle for this I would have respected him more if he'd stood his ground.

Following on from caving in to Fox News, nbeing "bored" by the campaign and being frightened to debate Hillary, this doesn't show Barack in at all a good light, especially with some of the constituencies he is having trouble convincing. And how much of the MSM adulation is going to continue after this display of weakness?

Obama's press conference was a farce!

It took us all one day to know that Wright was a nut. Why the hell did it take Obama 20 years to figure it out?

And don't get me started on the fact that he and his wife took their kids to hear this loony toon speak!

that Obama will do and say anything to get elected.   Does he really expect the American people to believe that he knows more today about Rev. Wright than he knew back on March 18 when he delivered that disingenuous speech on race?

It's getting highly annoying to be dragged through the psychological development of an adolescent presidential candidate.  

All of this drama lays at the feet of Obama and he will just have to learn to deal with it effectively.  I liked the presser because as John Stewart said a long time ago 'wow, a politican that speaks to us like we are adults'.  I know it doesnt work in the soundbite world, but I like seeing it in full.  Plus I like to see Obama get a bit angry, I think he should do it a bit more.

In any case, Wright is now, and always will be, Obama's Albatross - and there will be more because no politican can go through life without accruing several.  Wright is no longer something that he can get away from.  The good thing is its not earth shattering in any way, but it takes the shine off.  Every politican has them.  McCain - Keating 5, 100 years in Iraq, 'I dont know much about the economy'.  Clinton - Bosnia, 90's Scandals (you know if she is the nominee), etc.  Wright is now essentially Obama's first BIG permanent negative and it now is what it is.

I hope this is the end of the Wright business outside of this general long term meme, but I know it will hurt Obama short term in both Indiana and NC.  And this is where it saddens me most.  I could care less how the republicans were going to use it because they will do what they do no matter who the candidate is, but in the dem primary season it is making me feel really unsettled from a general dem standpoint.

Im not concerned because Obama will lose luster or that he will lose IN and only win NC by a slight mragin, I could care less truthfully.  The problem I have is this issue staying in the forefront feels to me too much like a black/white thing.  We, or really the media, are talking too much about white voters and black voters and saying how much Wright will hurt with white voters and such.  And then to see polls move gives that dangerous talk credence.

I know there is a place for frank discussions about how blocks of voters vote and how they are affected by issues, etc.  But this issue is not being discussed in the backroom anymore or in the context of an issue where a confidant of a candidate is making inappropriate statements, its being openly discussed and put out there as a black and white thing as if it is almost a valid reason for whites to fly from Obama.  It seems to me we're almost creating a self fulfilling prophecy that the US is not ready to elect a black man.  And we are doing this in the democratic primary.

Please do not misinterpret what I am trying to say as claiming racism or race baiting.  But we are essentially starting to condone the thought that America is racist and people vote on racist beliefs and therefore we should validate that and not choose the black man.  

I am not naive babe in the woods, I know racism exists but it just feels awful.

And I am not accusing anyone here or in the Clinton campaign of racism or race baiting.  I am just stating how I feel the media narrative seems to be developing for me.  I think everyone here, for the most part, has valid issues with Obama or valid reasons to support Clinton, but we should all be dismayed with the dangerous path this issue is heading down in the media and we should not embolden it.

If this craters Obama I will of course be hurt, but I will pick myself up and dust myself off and vote D as usual.  I dont think it will crater him, but it will hurt and its his to bear.

Truthfully though, all I think this does is tighten the last few contests and doesnt really affect Obama too much.  Its not like Wright is new on the scene or anything, its just the continuation of on ongoing drama (although thats never a good thing).  It will keep the supers on the sidelines longer and further cement the fact that the primary is going to the convention, which is the worst outcome in my opinion.

But what will be will be.  The next week will, as always, be interesting.

"he still refuses to entirely throw Wright under the bus. Not sure why he continues to insist on defending Wright: 'I continue to believe Rev. Wright has been a leader in the South side, the church he has built is outstanding, I think that he has preached in the past some wonderful sermons...' I'm glad to finally see him get exercised:"

You are kidding, right?  The reason he defends Wright on those issues is because they just happen to be true and because Obama is an honorable man.

It is utterly amazing to me how even on this site, the posters seem to have thrown the concept of separation of Church and State out the window and  are holding Obama to a standard to which no White candidate is ever held.  What about Hillary being a member of The Family?  Why is no one exercised about that?  Why does no one comment on the fact that Hillary's own pastor defended Wright as an impressive church leader?  Why is no one exercised about McCain seeking the support of Hagge?  Mike Huckabee is the only political person I have heard take a humane and reasonable position on this issue.  Namely as long as a man is doing no active harm to another, his mode of worship should be his own business.  ENOUGH already with this whole business.  It has always been and remains a canard.  Nations get the leaders they deserve and we are about to do it again, if we continue down this utterly arsine road.