The White House or the Church House? Obama Says He Would Have Quit His Church-

I have imposed a moratorium on any election posts except for some extraordinary events. This Democratic primary is going to go to the convention so why get burned out on it, but I believe we are witnessing an extraordinary event. --Nixon sweating on camera. Regan saying "I paid for this microphone!", George H.W.Bush looking at his watch during a debate or not knowing the price of milk, Michael Dukakis riding in a tank. Al Gore's sigh, Howard Dean's scream, Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, this would constitute one of those moments for Barack
Obama.

For well over a year Fox News, bloggers, and radio talk shows have been focussed on barack Obama's church. Trinity United Church of God in Chicago. They've called it a racist cult among other things, but Mainstream media, the big networks didn't touch the story. But then comes along ABC's Brian Ross and packages the story as an "investigative report", except this time, they present video .
And folks have run with it.

So last night on Anderson Cooper 360, Obama was asked "So you have no problem singing "God Bless America?" Now that was from liberal leaning Anderson Cooper so you know it has go to be baaaad. The folks over at Jack and Jill Politics are saying that people are trying to attack Obama through his Church, Trinity United Church of God and Christ. Well Jack and Jill, I would say that they aren't trying, they are succeeding. But none of this should be a surprise, this has been out there for over a year, especially over at Fox News. Why wasn't the campaign bettered prepared to deal with this?

To reporters who had followed the campaign, it was an old, oft-written story. But this time it had video of Wright saying things like “U.S. of K.K.K.A.,” available on YouTube and played endlessly by cable news channels. Politico, The Story behind the Story

Well after over a year of being targeted by Fox News, Jeremiah Wright decided to go on Hannity and Colmes... check it out...

I have one question...WHY??? What possessed him to go on Hannity and Colmes? What possessed him to give that Christmas sermon when he knew one of his congregants was running for President? How did this end up on You Tube?And what does the Obama campaign appear to have not had a battle plan ready to explain why Rev. Wright was on Barack Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee? If you go and look at his round of interviews from last night, he looked pained and offered this explanation:

"If I had thought that was the tenor or tone on an ongoing basis of his sermons, then yes, I don't think it would've been reflective of my values or my faith experience...If I had heard them repeated, I would've quit."

SIGH. So does this mean that he was not a regular attendee? Or when he was in attendance, was he snoozing? Right now there are probably thousands of people scouring video from Obama's church waiting to find a shot of Barack or Michelle Obama applauding furiously to something Pastor Wright said. The explanation is being met with some incredulity:

From Ann Althouse's Comments

So Obama went to this guy's church for 20 years and never heard him preach anything but sweetness and light? For some reason, I don't think that story is going to hold up. -- Maguro

What he's said so far is weak sauce, and it's being compared to extremely fiery rhetoric — rhetoric for which the word "inflammatory" is inadequate. He doesn't need to match Wright's own venom. But he needs to feel, and show, some passion and some detail of his own to even begin to offset the impression that's left by his close ties to this "man of the cloth." Failing that, I think it's fair to conclude that his mild disassociation is simply insincere. --beldar

What sort of Christian minister shouts "G*d damn" and "sh*t" from the pulpit...in front of children?What sort of United States Senator respects such a man or even wants his children to hear such vulgarity?17 years as a church member x 52 weeks = 884 sermons --George

To all of you who say that the You Tube clips of Wright's sermons are no big deal, this is NOT playing well at the margins. You may think all this "Obama is a muslim" talk is nonsense, but that whispering campaign has legs and is more widespread than some people realize and this just plays into those sentiments.

That fact will not help countering the claim that Sen. Obama is "an undercover Muslim" bent on destroying America from within by joining with anti-American forces. The rhetoric from folks close to Sen. Obama (his pastor, his wife) is not matching the one-America rhetoric that he is putting out there, and opponents will exploit that fact. When even my Grandma, a moderate Florida Democrat backing Sen. Obama's campaign who is in Chicago right now, is crying foul about Rev. Wright's comments, arguing that he is not Christocentric, and that Sen. Obama should leave his church then I know something is up. Booker Rising

Is it fair to be held responsible for what comes out of your pastor's mouth on any given Sunday? no. But even among supporters, it causes doubts regarding the handling of an issue that is pretty old.

I don’t deny being troubled by all this. I am glad Barack is distancing himself from the “Rev.” It somewhat calls his judgement into question. Until recently, Rev. Wright served on a council for Obama. (I gather that the council was advisory in nature) Strategically, it’s not good. People have been fixated on the question of Barack’s religious affiliation. When it became clear that he was a Christian there were questions about the nature of this church. These questions were minimized by Barack and his people. Makes them look quite foolish now. Jeff's Poems and Deep Thoughts

Maybe they didn't deal with this issue before because it would have imploded his campaign before it began.

How bad is the damage? I think Pennsylvania will tell us. He wasn't going to win Pennsylvania anyway, but how bad will he lose is the question? To all those wondering why Hillary has stayed in even though she can't win without super delegates... THIS is why. IF Obama collapses in the national polls when pitted against McCain, and I think you might see that next week or so, trust that many Super D's are going to ponder going with Billary. Oh and we haven't even gotten into the digging on Rezko. It is going to be a LONG hot summer.

What Other Black Bloggers Are Saying:
Electronic Village- "My Church and My Faith"
Cobb - Black Church vs. Black Politics, The Double Duty Dilemma
Jack and Jill Politics - "Trying to Attack Obama Through His Church"
Booker Rising "Angela Winters on Pastor Problems"