March 14, 2008
Pastor Problem
I haven't posted yet on the Jeremiah Wright brouhaha, because I'm totally flummoxed by the relative silence out of Barack Obama's camp.
Typically, I don't buy the notion that a politician (or a person) should be judged by all of his or her associations -- unless a particular association, a group, teacher or spiritual leader, has played a prominent role in the shaping of that candidate's values or actions. In this case, however, it's clear Wright, who retired last month as pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ, has been involved in the most intimate moments of Obama's life -- his marriage and daughters’ baptisms. So the calls for Obama to firmly denounce Wright's most vigorously anti-American sentiments, in particular, are justified.
Meanwhile, you’d think Obama would at least attempt to move as far from the guy publicly as possible. The feet dragging out of Team Obama – they had to know the video would eventually surface – is hard to understand. One repeated Wright refrain -- “Goddamn America” -- is so potentially problematic for the candidate, regardless of its context in the sermon, that I can already see the GOP ad featuring the video and punctuated by a deep-voiced narrator: This is Barack Obama’s pastor. Shared values? Hope for all Americans? I don’t think so … Cue the footage of John McCain in the Hanoi Hilton.
Still, the cycle of Wright footage rolling on cable over the last two days is disturbing for another reason. It is yet another not-so-subtle reminder of race, just two days after the Geraldine Ferraro mess was put to rest. Can’t we get back to the boring basics – talk of job creation and health care and redeployment from Iraq? This protracted primary seems to be fostering the hashing and rehashing of the peripheral. It’s bringing out the worst of (and about) the Dems, and weakening the party along this long road to November.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted at 01:44 PM
Comments
One thought -- yeah, this story is bad for Obama. However, it does have a silver lining: Every time "Obama" and "Pastor" are used in the same sentence, we are one step further to quashing the fake Muslim story. I'm guessing this is part of Team Obama's calculus in their response.
evie | 03.14.08 03:29 PM
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I don't think we should be asking Sen. Obama to reject or denounce his pastor's sermons. I think we should be asking Sen. Obama to explain why he attended such a hate-filled, anti-semitic, racist church for 20 years. If he didn't agree with Rev. Wright's sermons, he could have switched churches. I can't imagine taking my children to listen to such vitriol. If John McCain had attended a white supremacist church for 20 years, gotten married in the church, had his children baptized there, don't you think the press would be asking him for an explanation?
Looking for an Explanation | 03.14.08 03:57 PM
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Will you also post on the changing of his Church's "About Us" section on their website to tone down what would also be problamatic if Obama was asked to explain if he adheres to the things that his church teaches.
You can get the info over at the FamousDC website. They have screen shots of the website before and after they changed it. This is not a small thing and probably more controversial than the video.
Mark Johnson | 03.14.08 04:18 PM
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This is the church Obama take his kids to.
Would you take your kids to hear this guy every week.
He's a weird role model for a dad and worse candidate.
hhkeller | 03.14.08 04:38 PM
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As a former Obama supporter, I simply cannot understand how Barak was not vetted earlier. Why did Barak not himself bring this to public attention? Did he think none of this would come out? He could have dealt with this a year ago if he had been forthright. Why did his campaign handlers not see this? Did they not know? Did they so underestimate the American public that they thought we wouldn't care? I am absolutely SHOCKED at the stupidity of the Obama camp. This Democrat is voting for Hillary in four weeks and McCain in November.
Don | 03.14.08 06:35 PM
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UTICA — When the Rev. William Procanick put his hand on the Bible during his sex-abuse trial in Oneida County Court earlier this year, he swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
But as the former Clinton pastor was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at his home last March, Judge Michael L. Dwyer said Procanick sacrificed his honesty the day he testified.
“As a minister of God, you got on the stand and you lied,” Dwyer told Procanick, the 54-year-old former pastor of Resurrection Assembly of God church on Kirkland Avenue.
A jury found Procanick guilty Jan. 22 of first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
Has Hillary rejected and denounced this pastor? If not, I question her candidacy being pastored by pedophiles!!!!SHAME ON YOU HILLARY!!
Mimi | 03.14.08 08:12 PM
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UTICA — When the Rev. William Procanick put his hand on the Bible during his sex-abuse trial in Oneida County Court earlier this year, he swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
But as the former Clinton pastor was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at his home last March, Judge Michael L. Dwyer said Procanick sacrificed his honesty the day he testified.
“As a minister of God, you got on the stand and you lied,” Dwyer told Procanick, the 54-year-old former pastor of Resurrection Assembly of God church on Kirkland Avenue.
A jury found Procanick guilty Jan. 22 of first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
Has Hillary rejected and denounced this pastor? If not, I question her candidacy being pastored by pedophiles!!!!SHAME ON YOU HILLARY!!
Mimi | 03.14.08 08:12 PM
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UTICA — When the Rev. William Procanick put his hand on the Bible during his sex-abuse trial in Oneida County Court earlier this year, he swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
But as the former Clinton pastor was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at his home last March, Judge Michael L. Dwyer said Procanick sacrificed his honesty the day he testified.
“As a minister of God, you got on the stand and you lied,” Dwyer told Procanick, the 54-year-old former pastor of Resurrection Assembly of God church on Kirkland Avenue.
A jury found Procanick guilty Jan. 22 of first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
Has Hillary rejected and denounced this pastor? If not, I question her candidacy being pastored by pedophiles!!!!SHAME ON YOU HILLARY!!
Mimi | 03.14.08 08:13 PM
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I was wondering when someone was going to throw something in about Hillary in the ring , As you did MIMI Hillary is not a child molester ! I am sure her pastor was not up there preaching child molestation ! It is so ridiculous to compare this to Obama's "Rev "uncle " Wright .I am sure Hillary would have had the common sense to remove herself out that church if he had. That's why she is more qualifed to be our President !
Veronica | 03.15.08 10:32 PM
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Does anyone not understand that "Clinton pastor" refers to THE TOWN OF CLINTON, NY, and NOT to the Clintons??????????? His church is located in Clinton, NY -- no where near where the Clintons live or attend their own church! YIKES!!!!
Diane | 03.25.08 02:44 PM
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You Obama supporters should be ashamed of yourselves in perpetuating this lie. Just how low will you sink?? This guy was a pastor at a church IN Clinton New York. Not Hillary's pastor. geeeeeesh!!!
dorothy | 03.26.08 12:26 PM
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Hey, I'm an Obama supporter, and waited for the whole story to come out, before making a comment.
That said, how do you know it came out of the Obama campaign?
Do you think it might have come out of the McCain campaign?
Bill Frank | 03.27.08 12:11 PM
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Why does Obama have to denounce his relationship w/his "former" pastor? The Rev.Jeremiah Wright,Jr is entitled to his opinion and Obama doesn't have to leave him in the cold to disagree w/him. For your information, Wright did not retire last month, he retired last year. Back off Obama, people are just mad they can't break him. I'm behind Obama 150%
Kiyan | 03.27.08 01:38 PM
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People don't like to be made uncomfortable, but the most uncomfortable feelings are mostly
brought about when we are forced to remember, or told of the past hateful, and inexcusable actions
we have taken against others and allow ourselves to think at the time, it's ok.
Like other atrocities against man, most is recorded or remembered to prevent repeat.
Sometimes the shame can be covered by actions of hatred by single acts, or long standing established hate groups.
The subject of race when brought up as a subject matter when discussed in an all white debate is silly. How can a group of white persons have an unbiased conversation on slavery.?
No one will take the blame, but will forgive themselves . The government of America has yet to say said that they are sorry.
In this situation if there any lost of comfort or shame will not be expressed for peer pressure .I have never been able to hold a conversation of the hanging of non-white people for sport, with a mixed group.
Yes this is an idea, get four or five white experts together on the news channel, and discuss
slavery, the hunting down and lynching, for sport.
There was a song written called " strange fruit" which was barred by almost all radio stations
for many years, because it made certain people of a race "uncomfortable".
America has never been " Black America" , but White America allowing other people to
come and live, most forced to come here as slaves, to live under the very worst conditions.
Even tho America called it's self free, it fought a great war to keep freedom to it's self.
The 4 th of July was to celebrate the freedom of America ( WHITE AMERICA ).
Even after this event only whites, or light skin persons were allowed to live and work as free
Americans, with a limit. All the rest were forced to use the back of the bus, not allowed to set in
places that sold food to eat. Our children were not allowed to attend the better schools.
When Rev. Wright made the statement "God Dam America", he was not speaking of the black,
Asian, Spanish or Indian America, they never owned any part of it that was not taken away.
People of color/races remember their past history, and hope that people can learn by their mistakes and not be repeated.
The Host of a new shoe mentioned how it hurt to hear the words of.... Pastor J Wright
Let's discuss with you what hurts...............
To hear the stories from my great grand mother in how she and her brother had to wait until dark, and all the white crowds had left, so she could cut her black friend down from a tree.
The bites of the German Shepard dog when the white police officer sicced them on the flesh of the peace walkers, while America just watched.
The pain of the billy clubs on black men, women, and children to disrupt a peaceful march.
The fire hoses trained on them, with no regard. For the pain.
The sight of a high ranking white man standing in the door of a school trying to keep a black child
from entering for class.
Are you just starting to be able to feel what I feel, or just a little lack of comfort?
America? ( which is what Wright spoke of, but you never got the point )
America has always be great, but just like anything else, some people take pride in
f.......g it up.
Funny now that this loop is everywhere, most Tv host are trying to take credit, when all
of them have not been able to understand the words, which most blacks do.
Like allways, you have taken the truth, and broken it into tiny sound bits, as you did
with the Rev. Wright tapes to hide the past from your self, and America.
An old man who remembers bathrooms marked "Black Only" , and biting dogs
Tenor1 | 03.31.08 03:09 AM
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In reference to Pastor Wright: Everyone has freedom of speech and if anyone doesn't want to listen to want Pastor Wright has to say or has said they have the right not too. Frankly, what's the big idea? Why should Obama be judged by someone elses actions? Alot of people have taken the words "God Damn America" out of context and really need to go study the bible and find out what damn means. Pastor Wright's sermons might not be for everyone, but as long as he is rightly dividing the Word of God is all that matters.
Missy | 04.01.08 08:10 AM
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I've read several of the comments on this subject. I was a supporter of Hillary Clinton until I saw her "true colors". She and Bill both (I voted for Bill)have been outed as Caucasions; not the first "Black" president (and first lady). What she is doing is playing the political game which Barack has said all along that he wants no part of.
My father, born in 1916, was a WWII veteran. If you heard the stories he told of his experiences as a Black man in America, you'd understand why he didn't trust white people or downright had predudices against them. His experiences probably are similar to Rev. Wrights. As a soldier, during a USO tour where Lena Horn performed, he was seated behind German prisoners. My God! He was fighting for his country, but because he was black he had to sit behind the prisoners.
Back when I was in college in the early '70s, Racism was defined as an "entrenched societal system of oppression and opprobrious dealings with a particular ethnic group or race".
(For centuries black people have been the object of racism in this coutry and other countries just because they look different. They were enslaved and dealt with horribly, but we'd like to pretend that it never happened. They were considered,
and still are by some, to be of inferior intelligence, morality and worth. I, like Michelle Obama, have not always been proud of my country because my country has done terrible things to it's people. The treatment of Native Americans is another scourge on our history). Using that definition of racism, My father could not be a racist because the true definition of racism means you have the power to oppress someone. My father was hurt by the treatment he and others received at the hands of the white people in power. Black people cannot be racist - they can harbor predjudices towards other ethnicities, but what power do we possess to keep them down? Deny any race of attaining equality in housing, education, jobs? NONE. Some caucasions have owned up to what has happened to us over the years. But if all don't admit that we have been harmed socially, emotionally, educationally, etc. we can not move on and do better. Obama wants to unite us and move on. But some would rather play the game as usual. In the words of a dear friend of mine, this country will "continue to experience the pain, until it learns the lesson". The lesson is unity. Do what's best for the country regardless of race. Every one is of equal value.Everyone has something to contribute. Every race and group has good and bad people in it. And every one of them have good and concerned people in it. Although I've experienced racism in my 57 years, I don't want to allow that to determine who I am. But I didn't experience the time in our history when lynching a man because he was black was considered a sport and okay as my father did (and maybe even Pastor Wright). But I do remember visiting a friend in Memphis in 1967, having to drink from the "colored" water fountain. I do remember the race riots in my high school in 1969, pitting whites against blacks. The same people who I played ball with and ate lunch with in the cafeteria. There are some black people in America who are carrying scars because not only have we suffered these injustices, but now there are people who are acting like it's wrong for us to be upset and angry about the treatment! Let's face up to our history and the deeds that were done. Let's get out of the dream world and face the reality of where we are and where we need to be. That being said, Barak is the best candidate, in my eyes, and would be, even if he were white.
KSW | 04.02.08 12:10 PM
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All of you who dennounce Reverend Wright without hearing the whole sermon speaks loudly to your own ignorance. Why would anyone allow a thirty second video to shape their thinking.
I feel very sad for all of you and your narrrow world that you live in.
Barrck Obama is a superior brillant person who will serve this country well. Thank God
Elizabeth | 04.03.08 01:15 PM
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Let's vote on what pastor one should be associated with.
IF A PASTOR IS KNOWN BY THE COMPANY THEY KEEP!
When the Rev. William Procanick put his hand on the Bible during his
sex-abuse trial in Oneida County Court earlier this year, he swore
to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But as the former
Clinton pastor was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for
inappropriately touching a 7-year-old girl at his home last March,
Judge Michael L. Dwyer said Procanick sacrificed his honesty the day
he testified.
Okay, so now that Bill and Hillary Clinton's pastor has been
convicted of child molestation, will we see the same furor directed
at Hillary that Obama has had to endure these last few weeks?
IF A CANDIDATE IS KNOWN BY THE PASTOR THEY KEEP
then you need to email this article to everyone you know. Here the
CLINTON 'S Pastor is convicted of child molestation. So, if Obama
bears the guilt for his pastor's comments, then Hillary has to be
equally tainted by this guy's crimes.
The Clinton 's only resigned from the church this month!
abby | 05.01.08 01:21 PM
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