In WSJ op-ed, Kessler cropped Obama quotes commenting on Wright and Farrakhan
SUMMARY: In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Newsmax's Ronald Kessler truncated Sen. Barack Obama's response to a controversial statement by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., about 9-11, repeating a statement from a New York Times interview in which Obama said "it sounds like [Wright] was trying to be provocative." But Kessler omitted Obama's statement, reported in the same article, disagreeing with Wright's 9-11 comments: "The violence of 9/11 was inexcusable and without justification."
In a March 14 Wall Street Journal op-ed -- a revised version of his March 6 Newsmax.com column -- Newsmax chief Washington correspondent Ronald Kessler truncated Sen. Barack Obama's response to a controversial statement that his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., made about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, writing: "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.'" But Kessler -- who went on to assert that "Obama's close association with Mr. Wright ... raises legitimate questions about Mr. Obama's fundamental beliefs about his country," which "deserve a clearer answer than Mr. Obama has provided so far" -- ignored the fact that in the same April 2007 New York Times interview in which Obama said "it sounds like [Wright] was trying to be provocative" in making the remark about the 9-11 attacks, Obama also flatly disagreed with the statement, reportedly saying: "The violence of 9/11 was inexcusable and without justification."
The New York Times reported on April 30, 2007:
On the Sunday after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Mr. Wright said the attacks were a consequence of violent American policies. Four years later he wrote that the attacks had proved that "people of color had not gone away, faded into the woodwork or just 'disappeared' as the Great White West went on its merry way of ignoring Black concerns."
Provocative Assertions
Such statements involve "a certain deeply embedded anti-Americanism," said Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative group that studies religious issues and public policy. "A lot of people are going to say to Mr. Obama, are these your views?"
Mr. Obama says they are not.
"The violence of 9/11 was inexcusable and without justification," he said in a recent interview. He was not at Trinity the day Mr. Wright delivered his remarks shortly after the attacks, Mr. Obama said, but "it sounds like he was trying to be provocative."
"Reverend Wright is a child of the 60s, and he often expresses himself in that language of concern with institutional racism and the struggles the African-American community has gone through," Mr. Obama said. "He analyzes public events in the context of race. I tend to look at them through the context of social justice and inequality."
From Kessler's March 14 Wall Street Journal op-ed:
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.
"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."
This may be a minor point, but how does the writer presume to know whether Mr. and Mrs. Obama have "sat through numerous similar sermons by Mr. Wright"? How does he know whether Obama sat through any of the controversial sermons that are now being replayed ad nauseam?
"the vast majority of Americans would walk out."
So listen up, Trinity United Church of Christ, you are no longer Americans, all 8,000 of you.
"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."
This may be a minor point, but how does the writer presume to know whether Mr. and Mrs. Obama have "sat through numerous similar sermons by Mr. Wright"? How does he know whether Obama sat through any of the controversial sermons that are now being replayed ad nauseam?
Well, I got my answer...
OBAMA: The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/on-my-faith-and-my-church_b_91623.html
And that is exactly what Obama should address. If he wasn't there, then just say so. And if he was there through what appears to be many questionable sermons, then why didn't he consider leaving the church for one less controversial? As I wrote on another thread I'm listening to the radio at work [Howie Carr WRKO 680 Boston] & he is playing numerous soundbites that I hadn't heard before.
As Pearlene said on the other thread, Obama's renouncements will not be played with near the same vociferousness as Pastor Wright's statements. But I have a question. Since your Howie dude is playing soundcuts, are they from the same sermon or several sermons? And if they are from several different sermons, would you want to know if Obama was in attendance for those sermons as well? And if he was, what would that mean for you?
I did hear Paul Harvey's replacement (I think it was Paul Smith) say that Obama's church was being investigated for using political speech and was possibly going to lose tax exempt status. If that happens, I think all of the megachurches that support Republicans around the country should lose tax exempt status as well since they also seem to be engaging in the same.
I think all of the megachurches that support Republicans around the country should lose tax exempt status as well since they also seem to be engaging in the same.
Juliajayne,
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee has taken on megachurches, where millions of dollars are raised with little oversight. In letters that Grassley sent to the churches last month, he wonders whether the lavish lifestyles of the ministers violate the churches' tax-exempt status. The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the committee are led by: Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Three of the six - Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the Oral Roberts University.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16860611
Julia, they are from different sermons though I'm not certain how many are involved in all & one can buy copies of these sermons on DVD or CD at the Trinity United Church website.
At first I was going to give Obama the benefit of the doubt, but having heard him attempt to explain how someone who has been a member of this church for 20 years, & how he considered Wright a religious advisor, a mentor & a friend, I'm finding it a tad harder to buy Obama's explanation. If nothing else Obama showed bad judgment in remaining a member of this church...and isn't judgment supposed to be Obama's biggest asset, according to him?
This is what the rightwingers who despise Obama want. They want to make this about what this pastor says, what HIS views are, and then confuse them with Obama and blur their differences.
Obama cannot let them get away with this, he must attack this issue now and get it behind him. Do not get into the minutae of Wright's 20 years of incendiary remarks and argue their merits, that is not the way to go after this issue, in my opinion.
State your relationship with him, be honest, tell us what you believe, and be candid and forceful in your denouncements.
So that those statements can then be mangled, misconstrued, dissected and ultimately turned into the opposite of what they really were? Why bother? You've been at this site long enough to know exactly how this process works.
He already has.
I think I'm going to keep posting this link on every thread about this.
I hate to say it but this may indeed be a big deal. Admittedly, Wright's statements are no worse than Falwell and Pat Robertson have said in the past..problem is..they are no better. What would we think if a candidate was a member of the late Falwell's church and attended regularly? Would it be credible to believe that person would be unaware of Falwell's incendiary views? Today Obama has strongly denounced those statements. I am just concerned it is too little too late.
Would it be icredible to believe that person would be unaware of Falwell's incendiary views? Today Obama has strongly denounced those statements. I am just concerned it is too little too late.
Would it be credible to believe that person would be unaware of Falwell's incendiary views?
It wouldn't be credible because Falwell's views are plastered all over the place unlike Wright.
It wouldn't be credible because Falwell's views are plastered all over the place unlike Wright.
Well I'd think if you are a member of Wright's church and attend regularly and had known him for 20 years it is hardly credible to suggest that you are really not familiar with his beliefs, whether they are circulated in the media or not.
Come on..you know that is a giant stretch. You can't preach the kind of sermons he did and keep it a secret.
He did up until now. Now it's being played ad nauseam.
What's being played 'ad nauseum' now was the regular staple of TUCC under Pastor Wright. For Obama to play dumb is extremely cynical. People choose their church because of its message and the personalities proclaiming that message. Obama was not a member of that Church in spite of the race-baiting bigot who was the pastor, but because of the pastor - a race-baiting bigot. Mr. Wright apparently enunciated the world-view Obama wanted his children to imbibe. A world-view that dovetails quite nicely with Obama's wife suddenly becoming proud of America, and Obama's decision not to wear a lapel flag.
Does Obama share Pastor Wright's hatred for America? He has repudiated Wright's statements recently exposed, but does he share with his wife and his pastor their disdain for the United States? Does he believe that our foreign policy earned the Arab world's hatred?
A lot of posters on this site share a hatred for the US and think our foreign policy is to blame for 9/11. And that represents a very narrow slice of America. The radical left only loses elections in the US. The radical left is the true base of Obama, and his relationship with Jeremiah Wright just shows more clearly how far from the mainstream of American political thought he really is.
Did you attend each and EVERY sermon Rev. Wright gave? Did you get EACH video of Rev. Wright’s sermons? NO? Then where do you get off making a statement that you have NO proof of? Do you have proof that Obama attended church each Sunday? Do you have proof that Obama attended Sunday service when Rev. Wright’s so called controversial statements were made? You know NOTHING! And FYI Rev. Wright served his country as a US Marine. What service have you provided to your country beside your big mouth?
What's being played 'ad nauseum' now was the regular staple of TUCC under Pastor Wright.
How do you know this?
For Obama to play dumb is extremely cynical.
You made an assumption ("play dumb") then you came to an assinine conclusion based on that assumption.
Obama was not a member of that Church in spite of the race-baiting bigot who was the pastor, but because of the pastor - a race-baiting bigot. Mr. Wright apparently enunciated the world-view Obama wanted his children to imbibe. A world-view that dovetails quite nicely with Obama's wife suddenly becoming proud of America, and Obama's decision not to wear a lapel flag.
Asinine assumptions abound.
Does Obama share Pastor Wright's hatred for America? He has repudiated Wright's statements recently exposed, but does he share with his wife and his pastor their disdain for the United States? Does he believe that our foreign policy earned the Arab world's hatred?
Idiotic questions based on your asinine assumptions.
A lot of posters on this site share a hatred for the US and think our foreign policy is to blame for 9/11.
Our foreign policy leads to hatred of the U.S. around the world and that hatred sometimes manifests itself into terrorism by crazies. Bush is making a lot of enemies for us right now and he's putting us in more danger.
The radical left only loses elections in the US.
Huh?
The radical left is the true base of Obama, and his relationship with Jeremiah Wright just shows more clearly how far from the mainstream of American political thought he really is.
This is not based on fact. Obama is getting a lot of independent and republican voters and poll after poll shows him beating McCain. And the mainstream of America seems to agree with the "radical left" on almost every issue.
Don't you think Obama might have heard about it from the other congregants?
Who knows?
This should explain it to all Obama haters. Whatcha want to bet that they don't let it go, and instead continue to swiftboat him?
Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.
The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/on-my-faith-and-my-church_b_91623.html
Whatcha want to bet that they don't let it go, and instead continue to swiftboat him?
Let's take it a step further. A mock ticket of Geraldine Ferraro and Rev Wright - "The Democratic Party - do you know what they stand for"?
Payback from the Repubs who have been fending off charges of raceism and sexism for as long as I have been watching.
The Republican Party has been guilty of those things.
Obama is not guilty.
Swiftboating is not the accurate portrayal of sleazy tactics. It's the smearing of a good person, or good group.
False equivalency arguments are always fun to knock down.
I bet Hannity is thanking his lucky stars that this pastor is in the mix - it gives him endless hours of programming.
I saw him ask one of his loaded questions to DeeDee Myers and she was great, throwing it right back at him with Hagee.
"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."
A very valid point that will be explioted over the nex few months.
"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."
Did it ever occur to Kessler that the views which Obama agrees with Mr. Wright on have NOTHING to do with the controversial statements? It is entirely possible to have a relationships with someone and absolutely disagree with some of what they believe,
The cable cesspool echo machine took Hannity's demand and began the Guilt By Association attack on Obama , by connecting Rev. Wright's speeches to Obama . From the HOURS on Fox beating this story to death, to Cnn's Cooper with his beady, squinty eyes demanding WHY, WHY hasn't distance himself earlier , WHY , WHY not more forcefully . Why, WHY didn't you just beat the crap out of rev Wright . WHY, wHY . To Mathews ridiculous assertion , WHY , WHY didn't he "walk out of the church" a long time ago , not mentioning any specific sermon or comment when Obama WAS THERE , making a baseless assertion , Obama was there in person, when Rev. Wright made "controversial Speech ". In the mean time , McCain gets a free ride with his connection to Haggee .
What this is , is another reminder how the people who control media , can rally together or slither together , with a viscous , vile attack on ANYBODY or we should say the left . Let the Swift boating begin . Let the Guilt by Association begin and if this continues , this ORGANIZED ATTACK on obama is dreams of becoming pres. ...are over. The Bilderbergs and the CFR will get their horses in the race , McCain and Clinton . It's all rigged anyway .
Kessler was on the Daily Show yesterday who also lied about not being able to get a wire tap warrant for several days , when the government can get one AFTER a wiretap begins .
You make good points, but it will be lost on the masses. It's like NBA players getting in fights are seen as thugs while baseball players getting in fights is their way of "policing the game". Or even better "gansta rap" is to blame for violence in the inner city, but Al Pacino is seen as a great actor. Or even better a white female getting pulled over by police officers will have a significantly different experience than a black male pulled over by a cop. Yes these are generalizations, but they play out daily in America. Is it fair, no, but this is the world we live in. There is a different measuring stick for black folks and Obama knows this. He should have distanced himself from this guy the second he decided to run from office.
August, I just responded to you with the longest post I've ever put down here. I got the profanity filter warning, and it disappeared.
It was a ramble, but basically, I can't disagree with any of your points.
OK, that was test. The MMFA Gods telling me to tighten it up.Short version;Comfortable white people who don't want to rock the boat,Rev. Wright speaking some uncomfortable truths, bedwetting conservatives coddling an out-of-control government like a spoiled child,and submitting to it like a violent father.
Racism and fear, my move as a kid to Orange County and the zombified Republicans wo drove me to think.
Even some lyrics from a pretty decent Englishman, Joe Strummer;
Black people gotta lot a problems
But they dont mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick
I don't agree with everything the Rev. Wright says, but I'm glad he's there. I really hope my fellow Americans are courageous and smart enough that this thing doesn't snuff out Obama's campaign and give us another ridiculous Republican administration, but I'm glad some people are going to have to at least hear some of these things, even if it scares the sh*t out of them.
Wright is no racist. His comments were a reaction to racism. It is ironic that in their rush to condemn this man, shut down his church and smear Obama, few if any commentators have reflected upon the violent white racist context which formed the background of Wright's comments. On the other hand, if Obama, like Huckabee, embraced the confederate flag, he would be seen to represent the heart of American values. There would be no controversy or fake indignation. Unfortunately for Obama, he would also be completely insane if he did.
The different measuring stick is called white racism. The idea is for Obama to keep distancing himself from Black people until he is pale as a corpse. At that point it will hardly matter to Black people or social justice that he is the first Black president anymore than it matters that Clarence Thomas is the first bleached Black Supreme Court Justice.
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There is a different measuring stick for black folks and Obama knows this. He should have distanced himself from this guy the second he decided to run from office.
Has anyone decided to figure out what Wright was actually talking about? This is a reason why I belong to neither Dems nor Republicans. Wright is discussing opression and imperialism, dounble standards in our society, the atrocities that were committed by Americans that they will never take up for. As people of God he is saying, we need to take up for these things.
Has anyone decided to ask about the different experience that an African American in the United States would have from a White American? Or are we just to high on our horse to see to try and figure it out? Watching the news media yesterday reminded me that American will never be the country that I would like it to be. Voices are suppressed in order to continue down the same line of oppression. Why have people just dismissed Wright's statements. People who I speak to understands were this man is coming from to a certain extent depending on their personal views, EDUCATION and experiences.
Rev. Wright is not hateful what is hateful is that too many Americans dont like to hear the TRUTH. Read a book.
Where are all the white liberals who claim that they understand opression, prejudice, double standards, imperialism etc...Hmm..show your faces. Or are you going to throw a black man who says some of the same things you all say on a regular basis under the bus?
This is a man whom Senator Obama described as being like his uncle; who performed his wedding ceremony; one of whose sermons provided the title and theme of Senator Obama's second book; with whom he consulted and prayed before deciding to seek the presidency. And yet the Senator states that Rev. Wright never publicly or privately expressed any of those views to Senator Obama.
It's like Eliot Sptizer claiming he didn't know "Kristen" was a prostitute until he read it in the N.Y. Times.
What is more credible is that Senator Obama has known of Rev. Wright's views for years, but those views did not become inconvenient until he decided to run for national office.
So, if you really believe all this is true, I just have to ask the obvious question. Is this someone you would trust and believe capable to be President?
Does Obama share Pastor Wright's hatred for America? Does America have a deep fear of the truth?
Did america cause 9/11 - you bet it did. 9/11 was payback pure and simple. Have black people been treated like shit for 400 years? Go to the Bronx, NY, or Harlem and take a survey. Oh don't forget New Orleans.
If Rev. Wright was running for Pres., I'd vote for him. His honesty is a breath of fresh air.
Clinton '08