by Christi Parsons and updated
LEVITTOWN, Penn .-- In response to a question about his controversial former minister, Barack Obama tonight distilled his lengthy Philadelphia speech about race a few weeks ago down to two simple sentences.
"We've got a stake in each other," Obama told the crowd. "We have to get past some of these divisions."
But the tenor of the question was a sign that his appeal -- both the 30-minute version and the 30-second one -- are going to be examined again and again as he continues his quest for the presidency.
The woman who posed the question asked about public praise once offered by Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, for Minister Louis Farrakhan, in a church publication.
"How," asked Janet Cooper, a self-professed Hillary Clinton voter from Margate, N.J., "can praise for any anti-Semitic demagogue be considered a minor difference between you and the reverend?"
Some members of the crowd jeered Cooper, but Obama told them, "It's a legitimate question."
He pointed out that the magazine was not his, and that he never would have done what Wright did. He said that the article in question focused "primarily on the rehabilitation work they do for ex-offenders in Chicago."
But he insisted that the difference was not, as Cooper had suggested, a minor one.
"I have been very clear about saying that was wrong," Obama said. "Nobody has spoken out more fiercely on the issue of anti-Semitism than I have. I've done it consistently. I didn't just start doing it lately. It's part of the reason I have such strong support from the Jewish community in Chicago. But this is part of the reason I gave that speech in Philadelphia."
"We still have biases, hurt, misunderstanding in all our communities," Obama said, saying it's not just in the African American community. Latinos, he said, have seen a rise in hate crimes because of what Obama said is demagoguery surrounding the immigration issue.
Afterward, Cooper said she found reason for hope in Obama's answer, but said hadn't completely allayed her concerns.
"I think he wants to pull the country together," said Cooper. "That's not just with different races, but also different religions. So I'm hopeful . . . Hopeful."
But another woman in the crowd, an Obama supporter who has done canvassing work for him, says she is completely satisfied by Obama's response to the Wright controversy and to the question.
"My impression is that people who are for Obama understand it," said Dianne Houck, of Bensalem, Penn. "People who aren't for Obama try to use it as an excuse. Maybe they have some kind of prejudice or bigotedness in their background."
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Comments
Countdown to the insane comments from all of the nutty racist Republicans:
5...4..3..2...1..DING DING DING!!!
Posted by: John E | April 9, 2008 7:07 PM
It's obvious that the only way that Obama can put this baby to rest is to lead a march to Trinity Church, take Rev Wright and nail him to a cross. Anything short of that will not satisfy Sean Hannity, Rush Limpbag, and all the other pure, perfect people who stew in their own ignorance of religion, spirituality, the Bible, and the deaf ear thy turn to the idea of forgiveness. No Earthly apology, explanation, reasoning will ever enable them to get pass this.
The words to the constitution should be changed to say "In order to form a more perfect union no one can utter anything, ever, whether out of spontaneous emotion or careful calculation, that they may one day wish they never said."
Posted by: GW | April 9, 2008 8:39 PM
We teach our children from birth to choose their associates carefully for a reason....Obama's legacy will always have Wright,Farrakhan and past Chicago objectionable associate somewhere in the context..Those were his wrong choices....Not ours...
Posted by: kcm | April 9, 2008 10:37 PM
It's interesting how the same people that condemn Rev. Wright and Minister Farrakhan for their words were embracing whole-heartedly a president that dropped bombs on a innocent civilians to avenge an alleged plot against his father that was later found to be suspect at best.
So apparently some people don't have a problem with killing innocent women and children with "smart bombs," but they just hate it when someone raises questions about the real intent behind those bombs.
Posted by: Roger This | April 10, 2008 12:41 AM
kcm, what would you say about Jesus who had Judas' company by choice? How do you know that Rev. Wright is not a great man? It seems to me that the choice you are making is to use media processed sound bites to judge a man who twice served America in uniforms, a true believer in god helping disadvantaged community for more than 35 years. For our children's sake let's make wise choice with some careful fact checking first.
Posted by: corrie | April 10, 2008 2:50 AM
I'm waiting for Obama to make Trent Lott his running mate. That'll throw 'em off.
Posted by: Kip the Dip | April 10, 2008 3:02 AM
"We still have biases, hurt, misunderstanding in all our communities," Obama said Throw in an extremely bad history lesson by the righteous Reverend Wright and we can keep our venerable friends - 'bias, hurt, misunderstanding' going a good while longer. Sweat ye not. What kind of church is this? Just Reaching Across, trying to relate, rhetorical question.
Posted by: Scott - Houston, Tx | April 10, 2008 9:08 AM
We still have biases, hurt, misunderstanding in all our communities," Obama said.
Throw in an extremely bad history lesson by the righteous Reverend Wright and we can keep our venerable friends - 'bias, hurt, misunderstanding' going a good while longer. Sweat ye not.
What kind of church is this? Just Reaching Across, trying to relate, rhetorical question.
Posted by: Scott - Houston, Tx | April 10, 2008 9:49 AM
The McCain 527s' are gassed up and ready for takeoff, to expose this closet bigot and racist, for the fraud that he his. They will do the dirty work that the liberal media either is too timid to do, or they themselves, are fully complacent.
I can't wait for the questions about James Cone to start coming in, all i can say is somebody screwed up big time at the DNC for backing this tomato can. In closing i wouldn't be too surprised if he steps down from pressure , or loses dramatically in the general election, all because nobody wanted to look into this guy
because of their white guilt , how pathetic we have become.
And now from our esteemed speaker James Cone , a founder of Barrack Hussein Obamas' churches teachings.
Black theology refuses to accept a
God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love. [1]
Posted by: Don B | April 10, 2008 1:55 PM
Don't vote for Obama. he is a racist. Please look at his angry black militant wife, Michele, who is so angry about being a black American, even though she benefited greatly from Affirmative Action, got into schools she otherwise would not have gotten into, made over $300,000 at U of Chicago Hospital (although she says they couldn't pay off their student loans!). Look at his affiliation with Ayres, Rev. Wright, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and then you are supposed to believe he's the lamb, not the wolf in sheep's clothing. He is DANGEROUS to this country. You cannot lie down with dogs and not be one yourself.
Posted by: Ms.Piff | April 10, 2008 5:46 PM
So much hate, so much venom. No wonder we have all the problems we have. Sure, rather than face up to our problems, blame Obama. It's the easy way out.
Posted by: miko | April 11, 2008 12:33 AM