Grizzly Groundswell

For months, we have been saying that Barack Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright, was going to hurt Obama’s campaign. Now that ABC’s Brian Ross has released videotapes of Wright’s sermons, Wright is front and center in the Democratic Primary election campaign. Is this stage one of the so-called Kitchen Sink that might derail Obama’s path to the nomination?

I hope that every American gets the opportunity to see and hear Jeremiah Wright for themselves- the “God Damn America” rants, the justifications for 9-11, the references to Hillary Clinton as “white” this and “white that”, as well as references to “Uncle Toms”. According to Wright, American is an evil country, and he doesn’t seem to have much use for white folks either. This man is a vile racist who hates his country. This is a man who claims that we invented the AIDS virus to infect non-whites. Christian minister? This sounds more like some radical Muslim cleric preaching Jihad in some London mosque.

Remember also that this is the same man who traveled with Louis Farrakhan to Libya in 1984 to meet with Moamar Khadafi. This is the same man who recently gave an award to Farrakhan. This is the church that emphasizes the so-called “black value system” and other “black principles” that can only tell other ethnic groups that they are not welcome.

Now that the tapes are out there for all to see and hear, Obama has reacted (as he had to) and released a statement today that he repudiates the offensive statements made by Wright. He claims not to have been present in church when these vile things were said.

It is not enough, and it is not convincing.

First of all, Barack Obama has been affilated with this church and this pastor (Wright recently retired) for almost 20 years. He has identified Wright as his mentor and inspiration. The title of his first book, The Audacity of Hope, came from one of Wright’s sermons. Wright married Barack and Michelle Obama and baptized their children.

Obama’s statements about Wright are not only insufficient, but lame. He says that the worst sermons were made when he was not present. C’mon! In his nearly 20 years attending the Trinity Church, he has not heard these rants, as he is claiming? That strains credulity. He implies that only in the past year has he learned of Wright’s controversial pronouncements. He has stated that he only stayed in the church because Wright was retiring. No, Mr Obama, he was your mentor and inspiration-in your own words. You also put him on an advisory committee for your campaign. You and your wife have been listening to Wright’s sermons for nearly two decades. Your explanations do not wash.

When one views the sermons, one not only hears the vicious words, but one sees and hears the wild applause and affirmations of the congregation. What were Barack and Michelle Obama doing during these sermons? Were they sitting there like potted plants?

Recently, Obama explained his relationship to Wright by referring to all the families who have a crazy uncle that they don’t agree with. We can’t choose our uncles, but we can choose our churches, Mr and Mrs Obama.

That leads me to Mrs Obama. In light of her recent speeches and questionable references to her country, I also want to hear the woman who would be our First Lady speak out about Dr Wright and answer the same questions as her husband.

But it is not enough to state that they don’t agree with those statements. Will they remain in this church-and why have they been a part of it for almost 20 years?

In the interest of full disclosure, I had been hoping that Obama would get the nomination out of my intense revulsion toward Hillary Clinton. I even voted for him in the California Primary since, as an independent, I was precluded from voting for a Republican. Of course, I never entertained the thought that I might vote for him in November. I have written that Hillary would have to steal the nomination from Obama since he has the delegate lead and will hold it when the convention begins in Denver.

Yet, at this point, the Democrats may have to bite the bullet and choose between handing the nomination to Hillary-which she could not win from the voters-or allowing Obama, with this odious association, to become their standard-bearer.

So on goes the increasingly ugly Democratic Primary. Just this week, Hillary offered an apology to black voters for remarks made by Geraldine Ferraro about Obama. Who, if anyone, will Obama apologize to for Wright’s dispicable rants?

Now that Obama has denied previous knowledge of Wright’s words, if that proves not to be true, then he is finished. More importantly, is there a hidden side to Barack and Michelle Obama, two people who represent themselves as bridging the racial divide? I don’t know, but I don’t think this man has any business being a US senator, let alone President of the United States.

gary fouse

fousesquawk

Share the Grizzly:

Trackback URI | Comments RSS