Obama Defends His Racist Pastor-- Will Keep Wright On Campaign

Implod-apalooza-- Obama Campaign suffers major blow...

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review interviewed Barack Obama today, via LGF Quick Links.
Below is what Barack said about his former pastor and mentor.
But, in case you missed the cherry-pickings, here is a basket full...
THE REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT HATE SPEECH COLLECTION:

Video via The O'Reilly Factor.
It is not clear if the Obama family and their children were attending any of those services.

From the Tribune-Review:

Question: I don't know if you've seen it, but it's all over the wire today (from an ABC News story), a statement that your pastor (the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side) made in a sermon in 2003 that instead of singing "God Bless America," black people should sing a song essentially saying "God Damn America."

Obama: I haven't seen the line. This is a pastor who is on the brink of retirement who in the past has made some controversial statements. I profoundly disagree with some of these statements.

Question: What about this particular statement?

Obama: Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it's important to judge me on what I've said in the past and what I believe.

That wasn't a very strong defense of his mentor, minister and pray leader.
Powerline says cherry-picking is not a good defense when your talking about racism.
Dan Riehl has more.

The Obama Campaign announced this afternoon that they will keep the Reverend Jeremiah Wright as "spiritual advisor" to the campaign.
Also... The brave Barack Obama will be interviewed on FOX News tonight by Major Garrett.
Is this chicken coming home to roost?

UPDATE: Obama responds to the controversy at The Huffington Post:

...Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

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.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.

The Huffington Post wisely did not open comments to the nutbags on this post.
The AP carried the story.

It's over for Obama. OVER.
Dan Riehl says- "This won't fly."

UPDATE 2: The United Church of Christ defended the racist Jeremiah Wright's hateful comments!

In the wake of misleading attacks on its mission and ministry, Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ is being lauded by United Church of Christ leaders across the nation for the integrity of its worship, the breadth of its community involvement and the depth of its commitment to social justice.