Rev. Wright is interviewed by Bill Moyers - Topic Powered by eve community

Fox gives you the chance to listen to the various sermons in full:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352661,00.html

Posts: 1336 | Registered: September 23, 2004

Ignored post by Gus posted

Amy

GlenEllynite

Posted

I will watch the whole thing when I have some time....I just watched the first 4 1/2 minutes and so far, nothing out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, it's not as though Obama has ignored that some of the statements Wright made were hurtful and inflamatory. He acknowledges and agrees with that. People say, well, why didn't he denouce/disown the pastor? I'd ask this: would you denounce and disown your parents if they said something offensive? Would you denounce/disown your children if they said something offensive? Would you denounce/disown your closest friend/ confidant because he/she said something offensive? My answer is no - I don't give up on people because I disagree with them...right Gus!?

"The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith. " -Bertrand Russell V. Delong

Posts: 3217 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: April 04, 2003

Ignored post by Amy posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

There is a real issue in Obama's relationship with a man that visited Libya as a guest of Col. Qaddafi at Louis Farrakhan's side.

The Rev. Wright has a long history of racist remarks and Anti-Americanism, and Obama's distancing himself by saying 'he never knew' is pathetic.

The Rev. Wright and Obama have been friends for twenty years, Obama was baptized and married by Rev. Wright. His daughters were baptized by Rev. Wright. Obama has also given tens of thousands to Rev. Wright and has claimed to listen to his taped sermons. Even Obama's wife is on record espousing the same racist anti-Americanism as Rev. Wright.

Obama knows this and has made the politically expedient decision to hide his true beliefs, he knew this before he even announced his candidacy - it was Obama's handlers that disinvited Rev. Wright from the Feb 20007 announcement of his presidential bid.

quote:
Snippet from the WSJ - March 14, 2008

In a sermon delivered at Howard University, Barack Obama's longtime minister, friend and adviser blamed America for starting the AIDS virus, training professional killers, importing drugs and creating a racist society that would never elect a black candidate president.

The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor of Mr. Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, gave the sermon at the school's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel in Washington on Jan. 15, 2006.

"We've got more black men in prison than there are in college," he began. "Racism is alive and well. Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run. No black man will ever be considered for president, no matter how hard you run Jesse [Jackson] and no black woman can ever be considered for anything outside what she can give with her body."

Mr. Wright thundered on: "America is still the No. 1 killer in the world. . . . We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns, and the training of professional killers . . . We bombed Cambodia, Iraq and Nicaragua, killing women and children while trying to get public opinion turned against Castro and Ghadhafi . . . We put [Nelson] Mandela in prison and supported apartheid the whole 27 years he was there. We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God."

His voice rising, Mr. Wright said, "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic. . . . We care nothing about human life if the end justifies the means. . . ."

Concluding, Mr. Wright said: "We started the AIDS virus . . . We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty. . . ."

Considering this view of America, it's not surprising that in December Mr. Wright's church gave an award to Louis Farrakhan for lifetime achievement. In the church magazine, Trumpet, Mr. Wright spoke glowingly of the Nation of Islam leader. "His depth on analysis [sic] when it comes to the racial ills of this nation is astounding and eye-opening," Mr. Wright said of Mr. Farrakhan. "He brings a perspective that is helpful and honest."

After Newsmax broke the story of the award to Farrakhan on Jan. 14, Mr. Obama issued a statement. However, Mr. Obama ignored the main point: that his minister and friend had spoken adoringly of Mr. Farrakhan, and that Mr. Wright's church was behind the award to the Nation of Islam leader.

Instead, Mr. Obama said, "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree." Trumpet is owned and produced by Mr. Wright's church out of the church's offices, and Mr. Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor.

Meeting with Jewish leaders in Cleveland on Feb. 24, Mr. Obama described Mr. Wright as being like "an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don't agree with." He rarely mentions the points of disagreement.

Mr. Obama went on to explain Mr. Wright's anti-Zionist statements as being rooted in his anger over the Jewish state's support for South Africa under its previous policy of apartheid. As with his previous claim that his church gave the award to Mr. Farrakhan because of his work with ex-offenders, Mr. Obama appears to have made that up.

Neither the presentation of the award nor the Trumpet article about the award mentions ex-offenders, and Mr. Wright's statements denouncing Israel have not been qualified in any way. Mr. Obama nonetheless told the Jewish leaders that the award to Mr. Farrakhan "showed a lack of sensitivity to the Jewish community." That is an understatement.

As for Mr. Wright's repeated comments blaming America for the 9/11 attacks because of what Mr. Wright calls its racist and violent policies, Mr. Obama has said it sounds as if the minister was trying to be "provocative."

Hearing Mr. Wright's venomous and paranoid denunciations of this country, the vast majority of Americans would walk out. Instead, Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle have presumably sat through numerous similar sermons by Mr. Wright.

Indeed, Mr. Obama has described Mr. Wright as his "sounding board" during the two decades he has known him. Mr. Obama has said he found religion through the minister in the 1980s. He joined the church in 1991 and walked down the aisle in a formal commitment of faith.

The title of Mr. Obama's bestseller "The Audacity of Hope" comes from one of Wright's sermons. Mr. Wright is one of the first people Mr. Obama thanked after his election to the Senate in 2004. Mr. Obama consulted Mr. Wright before deciding to run for president. He prayed privately with Mr. Wright before announcing his candidacy last year.

Mr. Obama obviously would not choose to belong to Mr. Wright's church and seek his advice unless he agreed with at least some of his views. In light of Mr. Wright's perspective, Michelle Obama's comment that she feels proud of America for the first time in her adult life makes perfect sense.

Much as most of us would appreciate the symbolism of a black man ascending to the presidency, what we have in Barack Obama is a politician whose closeness to Mr. Wright underscores his radical record.

The media have largely ignored Mr. Obama's close association with Mr. Wright. This raises legitimate questions about Mr. Obama's fundamental beliefs about his country. Those questions deserve a clearer answer than Mr. Obama has provided so far.

Mr. Kessler, a former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporter, is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com and the author of "The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack" (Crown Forum, 2007).

Posts: 2464 | Location: Glen Ellyn, Il | Registered: September 23, 2003

Ignored post by jombl posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

Kessler? Good God Jombl, how disappointing. Will you be quoting from Ann Coulter anytime soon?

Ronald M. Kas

Posts: 1099 | Registered: February 17, 2007

Ignored post by ronkas posted

Amy

GlenEllynite

Posted

If one steps back, takes a deep breath, and takes down their immediate defense field, I think there can be SOME truth found in SOME of the remarks Wright made. Yes, some of the statements are based on fear and a desire to blame someone for many bad things. And I would even say that some statements are hateful. So, even if these were actual statements made by Wright, that doesn't mean Obama agrees with or believes eveything he says.

Posts: 3217 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: April 04, 2003

Ignored post by Amy posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

I can see you take exception to the author, but is there anything in the substance of his remarks that you find he has reported incorrectly?

Also I don't really see the connection that you're referring to, by all accounts Kessler is a well pedigreed reporter:

quote:
Kessler joined the Washington Post as an investigative reporter and continued as a staff writer until 1985.[2] In 1972, he won a George Polk Memorial award for Community Service because of two series of articles he wrote—one on conflicts of interest and mismanagement at Washington area non-profit hospitals, and a second series exposing kickbacks among lawyers, title insurance companies, realtors, and lenders in connection with real estate settlements, inflating the cost of buying homes.[3][4] He was also named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine that year.[5] In 1979, Kessler won a second Polk Award, this one for National Reporting for a series of articles exposing corruption in the General Services Administration; he won even though his editor, Ben Bradlee, had not submitted his stories for consideration

Kessler also writes Wall Street Journal op-eds, including "The Real Joe McCarthy," which attacked efforts by some conservative writers to vindicate the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

After leaving the Washington Post, Kessler authored seventeen nonfiction books on politics and current affairs.

Posts: 2464 | Location: Glen Ellyn, Il | Registered: September 23, 2003

Ignored post by jombl posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by jombl:

quote:
Kessler joined the Washington Post as an investigative reporter and continued as a staff writer until 1985.[2] In 1972, he won a George Polk Memorial award for Community Service because of two series of articles he wrote—one on conflicts of interest and mismanagement at Washington area non-profit hospitals, and a second series exposing kickbacks among lawyers, title insurance companies, realtors, and lenders in connection with real estate settlements, inflating the cost of buying homes.[3][4] He was also named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine that year.[5] In 1979, Kessler won a second Polk Award, this one for National Reporting for a series of articles exposing corruption in the General Services Administration; he won even though his editor, Ben Bradlee, had not submitted his stories for consideration

After leaving the Washington Post, Kessler authored seventeen nonfiction books on politics and current affairs.

For those of you who don't know, Widipedia tells us: The George Polk Awards are a series of American journalism awards issued annually by Long Island University in Brooklyn. They were established in 1949 to remember George Polk, a CBS correspondent slain covering the Greek civil war. They are awarded in categories, which change annually and may include:

* Foreign Reporting
* Radio Reporting
* Photojournalism
* Economics Reporting
* Business Reporting
* Labor Reporting
* Legal Reporting
* National Reporting
* Internet Reporting
* Magazine Reporting
* State Reporting
* Education Reporting
* Local Reporting
* Television Reporting

So, Kessler was awarded a Polk 30 years ago for exposing hospitals in DC. And lawyers/title company kickbacks. Think those are still going on today? Those were also the days when investigative journalism was a spectator sport. He hasn't been a journalist in over 20 years. Now he just gives windbag opinions. And in an Amazon.com search, the regular circus of right wingnuts shows up on the "if you like this trash, you will love this." And there, my friends is the lovely (erp) Ann Coulter.

Ronald M. Kas

Posts: 1099 | Registered: February 17, 2007

Ignored post by ronkas posted

Shore Thing

GlenEllynite

Posted

I would never want to spar with Amy or Ron on national politics but...maybe this is some food for thought..or maybe not.
Those 'distractions' reveal much about Obama's character
By Charles Krauthammer | Columnist
Published: 4/26/2008 8:41 AM
Real change has never been easy. ... The status quo in Washington will fight. They will fight harder than ever to divide us and distract us with ads and attacks from now until November.

-- Barack Obama, Pennsylvania primary night speech

With that, Obama identified the new public enemy: the "distractions" foisted upon a pliable electorate by the malevolent forces of the status quo, i.e., those who might wish to see someone else become president next January. "It's easy to get caught up in the distractions and the silliness and the tit for tat that consumes our politics" and "trivializes the profound issues" that face our country, he warned sternly. These must be resisted.

Why? Because Obama understands the real threat to his candidacy is less Hillary Clinton and John McCain than his own character and cultural attitudes. He came out of nowhere with his autobiography already written, then saw it embellished daily by the hagiographic coverage and kid-gloves questioning of a supine press.

Then came the three amigos: Tony Rezko, the indicted fixer; Jeremiah Wright, the racist reverend; William Ayers, the unrepentant terrorist. And then Obama's own anthropological observation that "bitter" working-class whites cling to guns and religion because they misapprehend their real class interests. In the now-famous Pennsylvania debate, Obama had extreme difficulty answering questions about these associations and attitudes.

What is Obama to do? Dismiss all such questions about his associations and attitudes as "distractions." And then count on his acolytes in the media to wage jihad against those who have the temerity to raise these questions. As if the character and beliefs of a man who would be president are less important than the "issues."

Take Ayers. Obama makes it sound as if the relationship consists of having run into each other at the DMV. In fact, Obama's political career was launched in a 1995 meeting at Ayers' home. Obama's own campaign says that they maintain "friendly" relations. Obama's defense is that he was 8 when Ayers and his Weather Underground comrades were planting bombs at the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and other buildings. True. But Obama was 40 when Ayers said publicly that he doesn't regret setting bombs. Would you maintain friendly relations with an unrepentant terrorist? To ask why Obama does is perfectly legitimate.

Obamaphiles are even more exercised about the debate question regarding the flag pin. I have never worn one. Whether anyone does is a matter of indifference to me. But apparently not to Obama. He's taken three affirmative steps in regard to flag pins. After 9/11, he began wearing one. At a later point, he stopped wearing it. Then last year he explained why: Because it "became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security." To speak of pin-wearing as a sign of inauthentic patriotism is to make an issue of it yourself. For Obamaphiles to now protest the very asking of the question requires a fine mix of cynicism and self-righteousness.

But Obama needs to cast out such questions as illegitimate distractions because they are seriously damaging his candidacy. As people begin to learn about this just-arrived pretender, the magic dissipates. He spent six weeks in Pennsylvania. Outspent Hillary more than two to one-- and lost by 10 points.

And not because he insufficiently demagogued NAFTA or the other "issues." It was because of those "distractions" -- i.e., the things that most reveal character and core beliefs.

© 2008, Washington Post Writers Group

Posts: 278 | Registered: March 19, 2007

Ignored post by Shore Thing posted

Amy

GlenEllynite

Posted

I don't have time to address the full article but early on, one thing stood out, "He came out of nowhere with his autobiography already written..." Um, yeah. He did NOT come out of nowhere. He was the first black named to lead the Harvard Law Review and toward the end of his time with them, he was asked to write an autobiography. It was published a good number of years ago and an updated edition was re-published when he decided to run for Senator. So, I can already see that this author is simply quite slanted against Obama.

But, I will read on more later....gotta get to bed soon - I'm wiped out!

Posts: 3217 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: April 04, 2003

Ignored post by Amy posted

Dan the Man

GlenEllynite

Posted

I would disagree. I've been in Illinois for 36 years and never heard of Obama until he gave the speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. I know he was a state sen/rep, but still, never heard a word about him.

Posts: 1839 | Registered: January 08, 2005

Ignored post by Dan the Man posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

I don't think that it is unusual for any of us in the white bread area of DuPage County to be "out of the loop" on south and southeast side politics. Most of us had never heard of Denny Hastert before he became Speaker.

Let's make a deal. If your source is a right or left wing tool, don't quote them. I won't quote the liberal blogs if you don't try to pass off Charles Krauthammer as an objective analyst. Review the evidence and make your decision about him.

Since this thread is about Reverend Wright's interview, I have heard little about the interview with Bill Moyers. No, wait. Wright called Obama a politician. That's what right wing world focused upon.

Let's do a thread about Billy Ayers. Did any of you grow up with him in Glen Ellyn?

Ronald M. Kas

Posts: 1099 | Registered: February 17, 2007

Ignored post by ronkas posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

Well, nothing much happened before then. He graduated from law school in 1991, became a "community organizer", started at Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland and worked part time teaching law starting in '93, then in 1995 he ran unopposed in the Chicago Democratic primary for the State Legislature after knocking the incumbent Alice Palmer and three other challengers completely off the ballot by using the courts to reject their nominating petitions.

That's pretty much it until he ran for Senate in the bizarre soap opera that was the 04 race - Obama beat Alan Keyes, a three month resident of Illinois and Christian Conservative speaker.

Obama then took office in 2005 and ran for President in 07.

Posts: 2464 | Location: Glen Ellyn, Il | Registered: September 23, 2003

Ignored post by jombl posted

scotty

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by ronkas:
Let's do a thread about Billy Ayers. Did any of you grow up with him in Glen Ellyn?

I did take a class from him. That could be a story for the next B-Board party.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”—Dr. Seuss

Posts: 668 | Location: Glen Ellyn | Registered: July 15, 2005

Ignored post by scotty posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by scotty:
quote:
Originally posted by ronkas:
Let's do a thread about Billy Ayers. Did any of you grow up with him in Glen Ellyn?

I did take a class from him. That could be a story for the next B-Board party.

Is he as arrogant as I think he is?

Ronald M. Kas

Posts: 1099 | Registered: February 17, 2007

Ignored post by ronkas posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by jombl:
Well, nothing much happened before then. He graduated from law school in 1991, became a "community organizer", started at Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland and worked part time teaching law starting in '93, then in 1995 he ran unopposed in the Chicago Democratic primary for the State Legislature after knocking the incumbent Alice Palmer and three other challengers completely off the ballot by using the courts to reject their nominating petitions.

That's pretty much it until he ran for Senate in the bizarre soap opera that was the 04 race - Obama beat Alan Keyes, a three month resident of Illinois and Christian Conservative speaker.

Obama then took office in 2005 and ran for President in 07.

It all depends on what you consider nothing.

From Wikipedia:

"Following high school (grad 1979), Obama moved to Los Angeles, where he studied at Occidental College for two years.[5] He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations.[6]

Obama graduated with a B.A. from Columbia in 1983, then worked at Business International Corporation and New York Public Interest Research Group before moving to Chicago in 1985 to take a job as a community organizer.[7][8] He entered Harvard Law School in 1988.[9] In 1990, The New York Times reported his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.[10] Obama graduated with a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991."

Columbia. Magna cum laude at Harvard. "Part time" Constitutional Law at U of C. He's a regular slacker.

No doubt he is fortunate. Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, and Alan Keyes. Let's see if I remember who picked Alan Keyes as the sacrificial lamb in 2004? Oh yes. The Illinois Republican leadership. They should have run Rauschenberger. St. James of Edgar was unavailable to slay the dragon.

Ronald M. Kas

Posts: 1099 | Registered: February 17, 2007

Ignored post by ronkas posted

Amy

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Dan the Man:
I would disagree. I've been in Illinois for 36 years and never heard of Obama until he gave the speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. I know he was a state sen/rep, but still, never heard a word about him.

Dan, no offense but, just because YOU hadn't heard of him doesn't mean he came out of nowhere!

ronkas has done well arguing the counterpoint so I'll refrain from beating the dead horse.

Posts: 3217 | Location: Glen Ellyn, IL | Registered: April 04, 2003

Ignored post by Amy posted

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
Originally posted by Amy:

ronkas has done well arguing the counterpoint so I'll refrain from beating the dead horse.

Sorry Amy, but there's not much behind the veneer. Ron left this out, "Obama enrolled at Occidental College, where he describes living a "party" lifestyle of drug and alcohol use"

And as to his not being a slacker for receiving honors at graduation remember that historically Harvard has been quite liberal in it's granting of honors and has only recently begun to take steps to actually have them mean something:

quote:
Harvard is at it again.

Only nine percent of Harvard's class of 2001 did not receive the honor of cum laude or higher, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The percentage of Harvard students graduating with these Latin honors is more than double that of its Ivy rival, Princeton, where 44 percent of graduates are deemed cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude.

His singular achievement appears to have been selected as President of the Law Review by 61 fellow student editors from the 19 candidates for the position. It should also be noted that this was at the same moment that Derrick A. Bell became a national issue.

Posts: 2464 | Location: Glen Ellyn, Il | Registered: September 23, 2003

Ignored post by jombl posted

Yossarian

GlenEllynite

Posted

It's amazing that Rev. Wright just can't shut-up, I really think this guy wants Obama to lose.

"Deck the halls..."

Posts: 3732 | Registered: March 26, 2003

Ignored post by Yossarian posted

bitterboy

GlenEllynite

Posted

quote:
That's pretty much it until he ran for Senate in the bizarre soap opera that was the 04 race - Obama beat Alan Keyes, a three month resident of Illinois and Christian Conservative speaker.

I wouldn't refer to it as a "race". Jack Ryan withdrew because of the sex club allegations, so the GOP's replacement of him, Alan Keyes became an instant underdog. Sure Obama won decisively, but folks act as though the landslide was due to Obama's character, accomplishments and intellect, like he earned it. It's really kind of ironic in a sense. Just as some of you defend stating snippets and friendly ties to terrorists take away or deter from the real issues at hand, what do you think gave Obama the win in the first place?

"You shouldn't soil your Sunday pants, like those other foolish ants."

Posts: 1220 | Registered: April 09, 2007

Ignored post by bitterboy posted