Given the buzz about the latest remarks from Barack Obama’s spiritual adviser (and a member of Obama’s African American Religious Leadership Committee), the Rev. Jeremiah Wright — that blacks should damn America and that the US was resposnible for 9/11 (of which the Politico has video) — I thought it would be useful to highlight past PW posts on Wright.
Dan Collins flagged a YouTube clip of another of Rev. Wright’s deeply racist — and occasionally delusionally paranoid — sermons. And since there is an internet troll who habitually questions the authenticity of the clip, I note that portions of the sermon are quoted in Rolling Stone and The Christian Century, along with the circumstances surrounding it.
Also, I posted a piece on January 15 and January 22 that will, in turn, link you to further background about Wright and Obama’s church. It might also be useful to look at a page from Obama’s church’s website as archived by the Wayback Machine, as the church has since sanitized its site. A post from Sweetness & Light has more on the church’s “Black Values System” as well.
I have been researching a more in-depth post on Obama’s church for the past week or so, but it is not completed and — given the sensitivity of the topic — do not want to simply dump material which I have not fully vetted yet.
Here, I want to save cLeo the trouble:
How can we be talking about this when we could be discussing the quagmire of Bush’s war?
The charming thing about that ABC story is the comment section. Lots of people ranting, “The Reverend is Right!!! Amerikkka is Evil!” “Land Stolen from Native Americans/ Hiroshima/ the CIA /Big Oil!!!” etc. etc.
I really do wonder how big the American-Hating Mouth Frother Demographic is. I am frightened it’s a lot larger than I previously imagined.
The sequencing is kind of interesting, and in a certain light looks like it might of been quasi-intentional.
First off, all discussions of race and gender have been effectively marginalized. Discrimination based on religion, however, was established as fair game in the Huckabee/Romney discussions and is now sanctioned as a semi-valid attack tool.
Second, the middle-name, madrassa, secret Muslim thing crops up as a whispering campaign compelled Obama to reassert his Christian credentials and tightened up his linkages to his church.
Third act, the Wright stuff gets coverage and traction.
So, at this point, he can either stand by his guy or throw him under the bus, but because the religion angle and race angle are tightly intermingled in this one, either choice will be damaging to the campaign. Because of his relationship with Rev. Wright, combined with the racial politics, this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a Sistah Souljah moment for him. In the long run, he’s still Teflon enough that this won’t break his stride in a big way, but it does appear to be the first dent in the armor.
BRD
Didn’t Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and John Hagee all say the same thing? And don’t they typically say crazy hateful shit all the time?
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Falwell, et al. frothing about “God damn America!!,” Tex. Can you cite?
From Rev. Wright, “God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America,…”
damned [damd]adj
1. condemned: in Christian belief, condemned to hell or
to eternal punishment
2. expression of annoyance: used emphatically
or as a swearword to express annoyance (informal)
Well, I’m guessing he wasn’t just making a flip remark expressing annoyance and taking his Lord’s name in vain. Sounds like he is condeming America to Hell or to eternal punishment to me.
This only looks bad for the Obama camp. Wright is going to be radioactive if this gets wide coverage in the press. I suspect Wright’s statements will even piss off some Democrats.
no
I used to be a regular listener to an Afrocentric radio host in my town, and the general view of Jesus was just like that of Obama’s pastor: He was black. Well and good, but the corrolary was more disturbing: That Jesus was a Jew, and thus blacks are the true Israelites and those claiming to be Jews today are imposters. This, in turn, was cited as justification for rabid anti-semitism. Is this what Obama’s pastor is wrapped up in?
Falwell blamed the 9/11 attacks on gays, pornography, feminism, lesbians…and Robertson agreed. On national TV. That’s okay? If not, where was the outrage on the right when St. John of Arizona made a pilgrimage to Falwell’s “university”? Or when Rudy was warmly embraced by Robertson? Is calling the Catholic Church “the Great Whore” — as Hagee has — acceptable? If not, where is the “buzz” from the right, calling for McCain to denounce it?
Question for Barack Obama: What part of the gospel promoted racism?
Barack Obama’s controversial black nationalist reverend is back in the news today, thanks to some detective work from ABC News (language warning):
Sen. Barack Obama’s pastor says blacks should not sing “God Bless America” but &#…
Falwell apologised and so did Robertson IIRC. Quit excusing black racists, Tex.
Oh yes and America isn’t evil, either so quit excusing that crap too.
I cannot say if Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and John Hagee have said these things or not, but the fact that there is a nut out there making crazy claims does not give this story legs.
What make it wothy of note is that the nut is the spiritual advisor to a leading cadidate for the office of President of the US. Rev. Wright married Obama to his wife, baptized his kids and gave him the title for his book “The Audacity of Hope”.
The people you choose to associate with tells others about you. What does it say about Obama that he has a spiritual advisor calling for God to damn the US and that we deserved to get attacked on 9/11?
John McCain should call them all fags I think, Blue Texan, to their face, really, but Wright is still very hateful and racist and also he has like way over 20 thousand dollars of hard earned Obama cash to be hateful with. McCain didn’t give the Falwell or the Robertson or the Hagee any monies. No. Wright is way different cause he didn’t just endorse Baracky, Baracky has endorsed him.
Homosexuality, fornication cause of tsunami?
Saudi professor says sinful acts at Christmastime caused disaster
Dumbass Falwell apologizes
He’s dead now. And I think that’s for the best really.
Indeed…God got to sort it all out.
Yes. And also he was very annoying.
And do your research, Instaputz. I don’t think you’ll find a whole lot of sympathy in these pages for Robertson, Falwell, or the like.
Where’s the outrage? In the search engine, I expect. But let’s not pretend their wasn’t any from the right.
None of which much matters, given that what we’re talking about now is the beliefs of a potential President’s “spiritual advisor,” not the rants of Jerry Fallwell or Pat Robertson. As I recall, Bush was pretty clear about who he believed was behind the attacks of 911, and what their motivations were. You remember, Blue Tex: you’ve spent 8 years ridiculing the idea that “they hate our freedom.”
Doesn’t quite track with an indictment of gays and lesbians, I don’t think.
Bottom line: enablers like you are so caught up in your own self-beatification (“I’ll stand for a Black man in these, the Benighted States of America!”) that you either can’t see, refuse to see — or, worst of all, recognize it but consider it the cost of doing business — that your sympathies are being lavished on an opportunistic race baiter billing himself as the new Sec Prog Messiah.
Obama gets his spiritual advice and training from this guy. And he gets it on the other end from his wife. Neither of whom seems particularly comfortable with white people, nor particularly happy with the country that brought them each a measure of success and, now, notoriety.
Your response? “Look over there! It’s the ghost of Jerry Falwell! BOOOO!”
Sad, really.
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Falwell, et al. frothing about “God damn America!!,†Tex. Can you cite?
I don’t remember it much either. I do recall another Democrat fund-raising favorite Fred Phelps saying something along those lines.
I really do wonder how big the American-Hating Mouth Frother Demographic is. I am frightened it’s a lot larger than I previously imagined.
The answer to a similar question ended blogger Roger Simon’s liberalism.
http://www.pajamasmedia.com/2007/09/oj_changed_my_life.php
or
http://tinyurl.com/3cfxaf
The last sentence is the killer.
Nice use of the rapier there, Mr. G.
Boys, why don’t you pick up your parts and toddle on home now, hm?
Also, I seem to recall a rather significant slap-fight over Hagee’s “The Papists Will Eat Your Chillen!” business, on this very site.
Guilt by association. Nice work. I heard George Bush’s spiritual mentor was caught on tape making anti-Semitic remarks to President Nixon. Let’s just guess Bill Graham escapes condemnation here and the good President is not called an anti-Semite….Gee, I wonder where all the outrage comes from? Is it because Obama has a “D” after his name?
Of course not, the righteous anger and the inflamed “My country is grand” are all genuine articles and not partisan at all.
P.S. Be grateful Wright and Mrs. Obama that this “country…brought [you] each a measure of success.” Any idea how I can petition the country to give me a measure of success? Since our country gives us the ability to go to Harvard Law or minister to 8000 Americans (whose patriotism and Christianity are in question on this blog), do you know what part of the government I can apply to go to Harvard Law or start a mega-church? Man, I wish the country would give me success.
“Any idea how I can petition the country to give me a measure of success?”
Stop whining about how unfair everything is and realize that just being born American you’ve won the lottery of life and that is the great gift. Then get out there and work at it so you can get the opportunities offered, like Mrs. Obama and Mr. Wright did to get that gift.
But since you want the country to grace your ungrateful self with something for nothing, I don’t see that much happening.
Ah yes, Billy Graham, the vicious anti-Semite and conspiracy theorist…….
The REALITY based community.
Be grateful Wright and Mrs. Obama that this “country…brought [you] each a measure of success.†Any idea how I can petition the country to give me a measure of success? Since our country gives us the ability to go to Harvard Law or minister to 8000 Americans (whose patriotism and Christianity are in question on this blog), do you know what part of the government I can apply to go to Harvard Law or start a mega-church? Man, I wish the country would give me success.
You don’t really think they earned that on their own, do you?
“Guilt by association. Nice work. I heard George Bush’s spiritual mentor was caught on tape making anti-Semitic remarks to President Nixon. Let’s just guess Bill Graham escapes condemnation here and the good President is not called an anti-Semite….Gee, I wonder where all the outrage comes from? Is it because Obama has a “D†after his name?”
Let’s hear the content of these alleged anti-semitic remarks from the 1970’s. Let’s compare them to the good Reverend Wright’s today. Let’s see which are more violent in their expression, more desirous of a Final Solution. You game?
“P.S. Be grateful Wright and Mrs. Obama that this “country…brought [you] each a measure of success.†Any idea how I can petition the country to give me a measure of success? Since our country gives us the ability to go to Harvard Law or minister to 8000 Americans (whose patriotism and Christianity are in question on this blog), do you know what part of the government I can apply to go to Harvard Law or start a mega-church? Man, I wish the country would give me success.”
Gently washing the sand from your vagina would be a first step.
Clearly discerning what us nutso wingers usually mean by “the country that gives you success” (the opportunities afforded by property rights, rule of law, universal education, and democratic institutions, in case you never picked that up in school) comes next.
Finally, cultivating your garden, as Candide put it.
If you are doing a piece on his church, please try to find a link to the Black Values statement that used to be on the church website. I found it a few months ago and did a search and replace of “black” with “white” and posted it on a discussion board asking if anyone would support a candidate with such values. Respondents were shocked and loudly denounced the statement; of course that was before I listed the source and the word replacement. Shortly after that it was mentioned on a couple of media programs (Hannity?, OReilly?) and the church website deleted it! thanks
Where’s the outrage? In the search engine, I expect.
Yes, please point me to the voluminous calls around the wingnutosphere and on this site specifically denouncing McCain, Giuliani, Bush, DeLay, Santorum, and every other Republican for embracing and courting the likes of hatemongers and nutjobs like Hagee, Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, etc. ad nauseum.
Your outrage about Wright, who’s clearly cut from the same cloth as those other (cough, cough, Republican!) nuts, would be so much more effective if it weren’t so transparently selective — and deserves to be mocked.
Your outrage about Hagee, Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, etc. ad nauseum., who’s clearly cut from the same cloth as those other (cough, cough, Demomcrat!) nuts, would be so much more effective if it weren’t so transparently selective  and deserves to be mocked.
Dobson? Focus on the Family Dobson?
Yes, the same James Dobson who Karl Rove was bouncing SCOTUS nominees off of. You know, teh Dobson who said teh gay would destroy the Earth and that teletubbies were part of some big gay conspiracy. That Dobson. But he’s a Republican preacher, so it’s all good.
Your understanding of the situation will be infinitely enhanced if you substitute “hate” with “views with which I disagree.”
I hope Instaputz trumpets these views of Wright, given their innocuous nature and embrace of a decidedly American ethic.
Hey, Tex, ever hear the term “idiotarian?” It was a term of art on the starboard side of the blogosphere. Falwell and Robertson are charter members. Do your homework and avoid embarrassment.
I hope Instaputz trumpets these views of Wright, given their innocuous nature and embrace of a decidedly American ethic.
Er, apparently, you can’t read, because I just called him a nut. And you must be an idiot if you think that pointing out the selective outrage on the right over Wright is somehow an endorsement of him. A child can see that doesn’t compute.
Hmmm…a “nut.” Not exactly the right term, is it? I mean, a nut is a preacher who thinks Adam and Eve walked around with T-Rex. Eccentric and benign. I think the term for someone who engages in regular conspiracy-mongering and vein-popping tirades for his congregation is “racist demagogue.” And the faithful weren’t exactly rolling their eyes in that video, were they?
Now why would Barack Obama see fit to hang around with a guy like that for two decades?
BlueTex,
I honestly don’t get where you’re going with this. I mean, a guy said/did something bad. Is this not true?
BRD
Thanks for making my point for me — you just called Hagee, Dobson, Falwell, Robertson & the other whackjob Republican preachers “benign.”
I’m done here. That was really easy.
Blue Texan,
First, you raised Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and John Hagee, which is the tu cocque fallacy on its face.
Second, if you type “Hagee” into the search engine here, the very first headline that comes up is “McCain Repudiates Not-So-Great Whore,” if that gives you an insight into the general view of Hagee round here. And I recall doing a post myself saying that McCain should distance himself from Hagee’s views — particularly his anti-gay views. Jeff was calling Falwell an embarrassment as far back as 2002, and so on.
Third, Falwell was the one with the Teletubbie fixation, not Dobson.
The lack of a direct quote made me suspicious, so I searched the page. No one said any such thing.
Why do you feel the necessity to lie?
Man, I wish the country would give me success.
Won’t happen dude. America does not coddle losers. That’s why there are so many winners. You’ll be fed, though.
And you must be an idiot if you think that pointing out the selective outrage on the left over Hagee, Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, etc. ad nauseum. is somehow an endorsement of them.
Getting tired of this yet?
I agree with Jeffersonian, the only politically prominent preacher I can think of right off who fits the term “nut” would be Phelps. One of yours. Although I must admit Robertson comes close.
Oh, now BT completely misstates Jeffersonian — who was not specifically referring to Hagee, etc, but was using a hypothetical to compare to Wright. Imputation of bad faith is of course common on the Left, so I am not shocked.
Apparently reading for comprehension is not one of Blue Texan’s major skills. But he did get to declare victory and walk away, so I think we should be grateful for small favors.
Anything said to “Blue Texan’ will merely boost his smug sense of self-righteous “but you do it too, neener neener!”
His use of the word “wingnutosphere” should have been the immediate tipoff.
Now why would Barack Obama see fit to hang around with a guy like that for two decades?
And give him 22 G’s for a new El Dorado with a landau roof. *that crosses the line* *don’t hit the “Say It! button* *don’t hit the Sa
I did no such thing. I pointed out that the belief about Adam, Eve and T-Rex all sitting down to dinner is nutty.
I think you’ve been done here for a while. Tex. Back to the echo chamber.
Incidentally, BT’s selective outrage about selective outrage should be viewed in light of the “content” of his blog, which is pretty much one long golden stream of selective outrage.
Lying wingnut racist! Cadillac doesn’t even make the El Dorado anymore. They make those cars with the hot chicks in them, though not as hot as the chick on the Mercury commercials. Ergo, Obamessiah couldn’t have given him money. QED.
Kin I gitz a blogg-gig on teh instaputz now?
Blue Texan just came here to change the subject. His guys preacher is a racist nutbar, so he thinks other preachers quoting biblical prohibitions against homosexual behavior is the moral equivalent to Wrights racism, which has no basis in biblical teaching. Unless you are using Farrakhans bible, I suppose.
See, “God damn America” and “3000+ innocent people deserved to die on 9/11, because of white peoples crimes” equals “love the sinner; hate the sin”. It’s how lefty/libs get thru the day without slashing their wrists in shame for overlooking the bigots on their side.
You kin haz Instaputz.
His use of the word “wingnutosphere†should have been the immediate tipoff.
Yea, this usually means “those who disagree with me, Nancy Pelosi, Kim Jong Il, Castro, Achmedinejad and France.”
Scratch France, Sarge. They’ve gone temporarily sane.
I also so the part of Wright’s sermon where according to his bible, Jesus was born “a poor black child.” Then somewhere in Acts of the Romans He invented the Opti-Grab and lived the decadent life of a uber-rich business mogul. That was until He was sued for the visual impairment that His invention caused. Car wreck – lawsuit. Same old same old. Earlier in His life He was persecuted by a random assassin, but He hid behind a pop machine and an oil can display. Because of His great faith in the good nature of people he declared, “Verily I say unto you, IT’S THESE CANS! HE HATES THESE CANS!”
It’s all in the Wright Bible.
Blue Texan is also part of the brain trust at Fire Dog Lake.
Blue Texan is also part of the brain trust at Fire Dog Lake.
That’s like being part of the brain trust at a homeless encampment, but without the prestige.
I put up this rather long post on the Pub which takes pastor Wright’s suggestion to examine the progenitors of Liberation/Black theology as specimen to understand the roots of their point of view. The James Cone speech in 2006 at Harvard is particularly telling in my view – they are espousing ’60s black racist rhetoric after decades of our failed Great Society social experiment. There’s something quite upside down about that.
It certainly seems to give lie to the unitedy aspect of the hopey changey that we’re hearing from Obama. And since the theological rhetoric is indistinguishable from identity politics it’s certainly germaine to demand an answer from the Obama camp.
MC,
The post I’m working up is related to yours.
Wasn’t it a fat Dixie Chick who said about Bush, “I’m ashamed he’s from Texas?” Ditto me for “Blue Texan.”
Very interesting, MC. This dovetails perfectly with the experiences I’ve had with Black Theology. There’s no small amount of anti-semitism found in it, too.
Thirteen Percent Isn’t All That Much, Considering.
A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll shows that 13 percent of registered voters believe that Barack Obama is Muslim.
Is that a problem? If you take that number in isolation, it may be. If you compare it to other relatively recent polls, it doesn’…
Poor Blue Texan, it’s got to be hard to learn that all your hopes are pinned on someone who can be proven to hang out with bigots and terrorists. I suspect he must worry greatly over what the greater American population will think of such things should Obama make it past the primaries. My guess is these things could be very off putting to the moderates who aren’t paying much attention now.
On the other hand, why worry when you can just scream “racist” and “wingnut”?
Karl – looking forward to your further elucidations.
[…] MacsMind Just One Minute Gateway Pundit Protein Wisdom Politico by TheAnchoress @ 5:13 pm. Filed under America, Barack Obama, Dumb Democrat moves, […]
I have to say, while I appreciate Blue Texan for auditioning, he’s not really up to our standards. Besides, we don’t really have an opening for a self-righteous, always-wrong lefty troll at this time.
(And who keeps letting these guys into the freakin’ theater, anyway?)
Pretty insightful. Hillary says: “Of course Obama is not a Muslim, as far as I know.”
Reminds me of Conrad Brean in Wag the Dog, “there is no B-3 bomber.”
Blue Texan: Thanks for making my point for me
Translation: “I just got my ass handed to me. Again. I will now declare victory and run away.”
Brave Blue Texan ran away.
Bravely ran away away.
When logic reared it’s ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Blue Texan turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet,
He beat a very brave retreat.
Bravest of the braaaave, Blue Texan!
#9: I agree completely. I find it just as outrageous that John McCain would associate with the likes of Hagee for 20+ years as a longtime member of his church who repeatedly listened to his sermons and who had Hagee perform his marriage and babtize his children and…
Oh, wait a minute, THAT NEVER HAPPENED did it? So explain to me how the two situations are the same?