Anderson Cooper: Focus on Rev. Wright 'Completely Off Track'
By Mark Finkelstein
Who cares if our next president has chosen as his "spiritual guide" someone who calls on God to damn America, and believes the US brought 9-11 on itself? Completely off track! Let's get back to the important stuff. You know, like the fine print of the candidate's plan to nationalize health care.
That in a nutshell is Anderson Cooper's kvetch about the controversy over the outrageous statements made by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., the pastor of Barack Obama's church and the man Obama has described as his spiritual guide and advisor.
Cooper made his comments on his 360 show this evening.
ANDERSON COOPER: Is this just the kind of thing that happens in campaigns? It seems we're almost at a point now where it's this or other issues for the Clinton campaign where people are just latching onto anything to strike a blow against their opponent. All this seems to have nothing to do with actual issues that the country is facing which these candidates should be talking about and we probably should be talking about.
COOPER: It's also frustrating just from a news standpoint because on the one hand people are talking about it. It's clearly an issue that's bubbling up on the campaign trail, so we end up covering it. But at the same time it does feel just completely off track. And there have been other issues in this campaign which just felt completely off track from the real differences between these candidates, the real issues. It's frustrating that yet again we seem to be mired in this politics as usual.
Raise your hand if you think Cooper wouldn't be so quick to move on if the Republican presidential nominee had such a close relationship with a pastor of comparably extreme views.
Obama’s Spiritual Guide:
“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people,” he said in a 2003 sermon. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda’s attacks because of its own terrorism.
“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost,” he told his congregation.
(That means the 3,000 little preschookids, their mothers and fathers? It's a GOOD THING, THAT THEY BURNED TO DEATH!
1. When does Barack work his reconciliation magic on his minister?
2. Does Barack actually bring his two young daughters to that church to listen to that stuff?
So, Obama asks Hillary to repudiate Ferraro’s remarks about him only being where he is because he is black, and she quits. When will Obama repudiate the message of hate from his own minister, who is a part of his campaign?
Dan Riehl:
In recorded sermons that may run afoul of IRS guidelines, sure to give the story legs - Wright compares Obama to Jesus, declares America a country controlled by “rich white people,” and claims Jesus was “a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture controlled by rich white people.” He goes on to claim that people are “hating” on Obama as he isn’t “white, privileged and rich,” as is Hillary Clinton. He closes by stating that, “Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger!”
Given Obama’s close ties to both the pastor and the church and his attempt to run a post-racial campaign, it’s fair to say he has some formidable PR challenges ahead.
More at FOX:
During a Christmas sermon, Wright tried to compare Obama’s upbringing to Jesus at the hands of the Romans.
“Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people,” Wright said. “Hillary would never know that.
“Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”
In his Jan. 13 sermon, Wright said:
“Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”
FOX News purchased the video recordings of Wright’s sermons from the church.
“It’s pretty clear an indirect endorsement of Barack Obama - that’s not something you’re supposed to do according to the tax code,” said Andrew Walsh, a professor at Trinity College who specializes in religion in politics.
The tax code bans churches from participating in or intervening in a political campaign. Violations can result in the loss of a church’s tax exempt status.
The Obama campaign issued a statement in response to FOX News’ inquiries about Wright’s sermons.
Obama has a choice on where to be a member of a Church. This preacher of hate has been his minister for 20 years! The simple, basic question is: Will he repudiate the hateful rhetoric of his preacher, and condemn his politics from the pulpit? Or, does he approve of his church’s message? He can’t condemn people on the one hand with racist charges, and follow a racist leader on the other. This is definitely a thorn in his side as Pennsylvania approaches. He needs to do something fast if he wants to survive, cuz this has legs
By Mark Finkelstein
Who cares if our next president has chosen as his "spiritual guide" someone who calls on God to damn America, and believes the US brought 9-11 on itself? Completely off track! Let's get back to the important stuff. You know, like the fine print of the candidate's plan to nationalize health care.
That in a nutshell is Anderson Cooper's kvetch about the controversy over the outrageous statements made by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., the pastor of Barack Obama's church and the man Obama has described as his spiritual guide and advisor.
Cooper made his comments on his 360 show this evening.
ANDERSON COOPER: Is this just the kind of thing that happens in campaigns? It seems we're almost at a point now where it's this or other issues for the Clinton campaign where people are just latching onto anything to strike a blow against their opponent. All this seems to have nothing to do with actual issues that the country is facing which these candidates should be talking about and we probably should be talking about.
COOPER: It's also frustrating just from a news standpoint because on the one hand people are talking about it. It's clearly an issue that's bubbling up on the campaign trail, so we end up covering it. But at the same time it does feel just completely off track. And there have been other issues in this campaign which just felt completely off track from the real differences between these candidates, the real issues. It's frustrating that yet again we seem to be mired in this politics as usual.
Raise your hand if you think Cooper wouldn't be so quick to move on if the Republican presidential nominee had such a close relationship with a pastor of comparably extreme views.
Obama’s Spiritual Guide:
“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people,” he said in a 2003 sermon. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda’s attacks because of its own terrorism.
“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost,” he told his congregation.
(That means the 3,000 little preschookids, their mothers and fathers? It's a GOOD THING, THAT THEY BURNED TO DEATH!
1. When does Barack work his reconciliation magic on his minister?
2. Does Barack actually bring his two young daughters to that church to listen to that stuff?
So, Obama asks Hillary to repudiate Ferraro’s remarks about him only being where he is because he is black, and she quits. When will Obama repudiate the message of hate from his own minister, who is a part of his campaign?
Dan Riehl:
In recorded sermons that may run afoul of IRS guidelines, sure to give the story legs - Wright compares Obama to Jesus, declares America a country controlled by “rich white people,” and claims Jesus was “a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture controlled by rich white people.” He goes on to claim that people are “hating” on Obama as he isn’t “white, privileged and rich,” as is Hillary Clinton. He closes by stating that, “Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger!”
Given Obama’s close ties to both the pastor and the church and his attempt to run a post-racial campaign, it’s fair to say he has some formidable PR challenges ahead.
More at FOX:
During a Christmas sermon, Wright tried to compare Obama’s upbringing to Jesus at the hands of the Romans.
“Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people,” Wright said. “Hillary would never know that.
“Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”
In his Jan. 13 sermon, Wright said:
“Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”
FOX News purchased the video recordings of Wright’s sermons from the church.
“It’s pretty clear an indirect endorsement of Barack Obama - that’s not something you’re supposed to do according to the tax code,” said Andrew Walsh, a professor at Trinity College who specializes in religion in politics.
The tax code bans churches from participating in or intervening in a political campaign. Violations can result in the loss of a church’s tax exempt status.
The Obama campaign issued a statement in response to FOX News’ inquiries about Wright’s sermons.
Obama has a choice on where to be a member of a Church. This preacher of hate has been his minister for 20 years! The simple, basic question is: Will he repudiate the hateful rhetoric of his preacher, and condemn his politics from the pulpit? Or, does he approve of his church’s message? He can’t condemn people on the one hand with racist charges, and follow a racist leader on the other. This is definitely a thorn in his side as Pennsylvania approaches. He needs to do something fast if he wants to survive, cuz this has legs
