Last updated on July 1st, 2012 at 06:19 am
Today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama used his strongest language yet to denounce his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
During a news conference Obama was asked about Wright’s speech yesterday at the National Press Club.”I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama said. He said that after watching the tape, “The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago… What became clear to me was that he was presenting a world view that contradicts what I am and what I stand for.”
Obama then moved even closer to flat out denouncing Wright, “I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he’s done enormous good. … But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS. … There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced.”
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For Obama, this isn’t about his opponents doing damage to him because of his relationship with Wright. It can be argued that neither Clinton nor McCain have been able to do as much damage to Obama as Wright has over the past few days. It is starting to look like either Barack didn’t pay much attention in church, or he never anticipated that his former pastor would someday want to be a celebrity.
It isn’t even Wright’s extreme views on the U.S. government that cause as many problems for Obama as the fact that Wright seems determined to paint Obama as just another politician. I thought Obama was more understanding than he had to be towards Wright in his Philadelphia speech, and Wright has repaid this kindness by trying to cut Obama off at the knees.
Judging by today’s comments it looks like Obama is moving closer to a full denouncement of Wright. The only way to end Wright’s 15 minutes of fame is for Obama to completely break his association with him in the most direct terms imaginable.
Obama quotes came from:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042901505.html?hpid=topnews
