Thanks for posting this up.

I am really impressed by Wright, esp defending the "chickens coming home to roost" remark and "god damning America". He was great on Moyers' show when he talked about MLK and how when MLK opposed the Vietnam war and called for the abolition of capitalism, and how when MLK took a righteous stand against these 3 evils that all had to be abolished at once (racism, militarism, and capitalism/poverty/economic exploitation) he was condemned by Pres. Johnson, the NAACP and other mainstream civil rights leaders. This last year of King's life is definitely one of (if not the ONE) the most censored stories of our generation.

Of course, Wright's comments are too radical for Obama during the campaign, but it doesn't mean Wright isn't right. It is a shame that Obama must distance himself, and also Obama's statement about respecting the court ruling against Sean Bell was extremely disappointing.

"Chickens come home to roost" and "God Damn America" were never the issue the right wanted to make them into. Wright does OK there.

Its in the defense of HIV as a government invented virus, rather than a case of a sometimes appalling mismanagement of the response (fueled at times no doubt racism and homophobia) that Wright crosses an regretable line. You aren't delivering God's message when you are feeding the national media disempowering and factually suspect medical advice. That is not "right on", thats telling lots and lots of young people that the government did it and they are therefore at a certain level "off the hook" for protecting themselves and their partners from a terrible disease. Not cool.

He also does seemingly intentional damage to Obama, not giving the candidate the independence of belief, pooh-poohing the instances where Obama cuts his own path as just being "political posturing". Its almost like he wants to bring down the candidate. On other forums more than few posters speculate that its almost like Wright is acting on Obama's political opponents behalf, perhaps out of spite. Wright at points wants to go the extra mile to defend Farrakahn and heap praise on the man's influence while pointing that he (Wright) does not necessarily agree with everything Farrkahn says but Wright does not give Obama credit as an independent thinker. Wright makes fun of politicians and yet he jokes about being vice president - and he's speaking at the National Press Club, for crissake. That is not someone focused on preaching the gospel, thats someone focused on making as big a splash for them selves in the media scrum as possible. And again and again he makes statements clearly his own and attempts to hide them behind "the black church" as if it was a monolith and he is its one true prophet.

I'm sorry but this is a monumentally self-centered act on Wright's part, even if many of the things he says are nowhere near the way the right wing and some of Clinton's more gleefully oportunistic supporters would portray Wright.

I look at the Obama clip and can't help but have "Et tu, Brutus" pop in my head. Its sad and shows a certain dignity and determination about Obama that makes me respect the man more.

-Sean
MrLuigi, my cat, actually only types half as badly as I do.