Reporters get a closer look at the Wright stuff

you’d think Wright was himself a presidential hopeful

In fact today while interviewing Bill Bradley about Obama, Andrea Mitchell described Wright’s appearance at the Nat Press Club as “a self-inflicted wound.” Perhaps she’s a bit confused too.

The thing that makes me most hopeful about this fall, is that in the primaries, voters have been disregarding blatant endorsements from the media. Giuliani, Huckabee, later Romney, and to some degree Hillary. My biggest fear is that they will get tired of the contest and be satisfied with soundbites and spin. It’s pretty difficult to step back and compare Republican results and promises versus Rev. Wright, “bitter”, and flag pins, and not come up with a rather obvious choice. But it’s also pretty clear where the media’s priorities are.

from the little i saw (and heard), wright separated himself from obama by saying that ‘politicians do what politicians must do’. although nuanced, it makes it harder to pin him on obama going forward.

and altho i’m sure the media won’t spend much time playing clips of these two events, if any of it gets heard by white church-goers they’ll realize this guy is like a LOT of preachers — part theatrics, part fire & brimstone, part charm & charisma. the bogeyman will start to look a lot like the guy they see on sunday, and obama starts to look a lot more like a politician with a life of his own outside of that hour on sunday.

Ancient Republican maxim: “Divert and distract the attention of the feeble-minded masses.” It’s always worked before, and now the media is helping them perpetuate the fraud to a degree never before seen in history.

If I was one of them, I’d be very pleased with the whole deal. But, of course, I have a soul.

I really liked Wright’s speech this morning, I thought it revealed why Obama was drawn to Wright in the first place. Wright is a smart, passionate, knowledgable man who speaks frankly about issues that most people aren’t willing to go anywhere near.

However, the most important part of Wright’s speech is being totally ignored– he called for a dialogue about race as well as the need for reconciliation. He also pointed out some things that cannot be denied, that most Americans have no clue about the history of the black church or even the liberation theology found within the UCC. He also repeated the old adage that the most segregated place in America is in churches at 11 o’clock on Sunday.

After watching the speech– and before any MSM commentary– I thought there was a chance that people might start to see him as a real person and not just an angry, black chariacture. But right away the MSM started to pick it apart and spin it unanimously as “bad for Obama.”

So much for anyone on the “news” doing their jobs and just reporting the news– it seems these days that everyone, even the anchors, view themselves as commentators. They ask the question– Is this going to hurt Obama?– and then provide the answer without taking a second to consider that it might not be as simple as that.

Maybe if Rev. Wright would serve the media some BBQ they would give him a free ride.

But seriously, the dude looks like he’s angling for national stature on the African American stage, and his conflict with Obama may do some damage to Obama’s support from conservative African Americans.

Wright says it strong, but he says it right. A white minister with all sorts of letters after his name who spoke in more dulcid tones, and sugar-coated his deconstruction of America’s most cherished historical myths with pithy quotes, anecdotes, poetry, and academic studies, instead of aggressive words and gestures – say the late William Sloan Coffin – would also come under fire. He just wouldn’t become the caricature of an angry black man. Wright, learned as he is, is exactly the guy the Rethugs and their numberous minions in the MSM need to destroy Obama. They’ll have him looking Huey Newton before very long. Wright is more interested in his own message than he is in Obama’s candidacy, and can’t be faulted for that, but he isn’t doing Obama any good. A long vacation on a remote desert island is in order for him.

“No serious person believes that Obama agrees with Wright’s most inflammatory remarks.” -CB

But as Kay said in Men In Black:

“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.”

As always the press makes the mistake of assuming that voters care about this Wright issue or consider it politically important. Only those with pitchforks like this kind of crap.
Have the press ever listened to Hagee’s sermons of hatred and fear and Armageddon, or watched Lieberman at the conference of Christians for the Support of Israel calling Hagee a modern day Moses while kissing his ass? They make Wright seem tame and sane by comparison and make Lieberman (McCain’s brain) look like a fool. The campaigns could trade those punches all day but only the press corp cares about that crap. I have never believed that Obama’s campaign was damaged by Wright or by his bowling score. Only those already against him think these things are important. The polls tell a different story. Clinton looked just as stupid trying to make something out of it as McCain will if he brings it up. They are just policy distractions which republicans need to avoid talking about the issues. Just look at how many ways you “could” have referred to Wright Steve and ask yourself why you settled on the description you did. That is how the press succeeds, by repetition that is mindless.

“And now here’s that great American patriot unafraid to say the emperor wears no clothes who has easily dismissed the right wing smear machine with just the wave of his charming hand, this brave insightful cleverly humorous minister of peace…whose real greatness is yet to be explored (and more journalistic masturbation)…see what I mean.

I hope he keeps on going in the media, by the time october comes around people won’t care, the more he talks the weaker the GOP’s biggest weapon against Obama becomes

Ultimately, though, I’m still not entirely sure why Wright is the dominant story of the presidential campaign.

Obama spent 20+ years with him, and a lot of people are wondering why. Heck, I had never heard of “black liberation theology” or James Cone until Wright showed up. 20+ years in a church like that!?! Allowing his own daughters to hear such racist sermons and teachings as that?!? Yes, Wright is an issue now, and should be…along with Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, and other such radical connections.

Most of the random folks I come across here in rural Maine (bank tellers, grocery store clerks, feed store owners) haven’t heard about Wright at all.

And based on “different does not mean deficient” and what follows with regard to left-right brain dominant, I too am unabashedly “African” though my forebears are Scandinavian.

Maybe the Bible has been retranslated recently and I don’t have a copy, but –

If it doesn’t have a soul, it can’t be condemned to hell. If it doesn’t have soul then it can’t be saved.

God condems human sins, not “things” like nations. God may condem or bless a politician but does not bless or condem his politics.
The lilies of the field are “blessed” because they were made by God.

Nations are made by man.
The whole concept of “blessin” things, was used as a money making business by the Catholic Church, like selling indulgences.

Preachers who try to preach politics are trying to talk out of both sides of their mouths simultaneously in different languages. What they end up spouting is gobble-de-gook that disserves their religion and their politics.

Read an article that explains how the psychological theory of “cross-race recognition deficit” may be exacerbating the indelible linkage of Jeremiah Wright’s views to Barack Obama…here:

http://www.thoughttheater.com

I was sent an email about Hillary Clinton’s pastor sexually assaulting a little girl. Is this true? Has the media even checked this out? You’re so bust trying to kill Obama! Who’s running for President? Wright, Obama, or Hillary? I can’t tell! I’m sick of hearing about Jeremiah Wright…move on!

I heard a good part of the press interview – all I could think of was “what stupid questions” – apparently, the sounds from the audience indicated they had the same thoughts. I thought Wright handled the questions very well. And when my Catholic friends express concern over Obama not leaving Wright’s church, I ask 1)that they listen to the whole sermon to get the context and then 2) ask why they still support a church who institutionally let children be sexually abused for 50 years in order to protect their institution instead of the children. Seems that would be a much bigger reason to leave then some pastor saying god damn america.

Wright stands by his ammended free speech. Obama is equally protected to believe what he chooses. Well grounded Attorneys listen carefully and agree to disagree but remain associates. Obama acknowledges what the pastor preaches but advocates CHANGE. Some Babyboomers are still tied to the apron strings of their parents and do not want change. Their kids are voting for Obama because they see a brighter future from cultural intergration. Obama’s past has not revealed any negatives in his actions or thoughts resulting from his association with Pastor. Hilary still has to explain her role in the impeachment of Bill. If she could not take care of Bill how can she take care of us?

Joe Klein noted, “Wright’s purpose now seems quite clear: to aggrandize himself — the guy is going to be a go-to mainstream media source for racial extremist spew, the next iteration of Al Sharpton — and destroy Barack Obama.”

Once again, HeadUpHisAss Joe proves himself a putz.

“The truth would have set you free,” Dwyer said. “You had a chance to be a man and say, ‘I made a mistake.’ But as always, the cover-up is much worse than the original crime.”

Now we see why it is that this guy is Billy J’s pastor.

Re: Rod Parsley, here’s a snippet from-“The Raging Prophet” by Charles Fischer -ALL IN THE FAMILY

First, we will consider the checkered history of the “Raging Prophet.” In 1992, The Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported the filing of a lawsuit by 48-year-old Naomil Endicott against Parsley and his father, claiming that the father had sexually harassed her and offered her money for sex with Parsley’s knowledge. The woman is Parsley’s aunt and was an employee of his World Harvest Church.

A few months after the newspaper’s report, the Columbus Monthly magazine provided more of the details:

“But there is trouble in Parsley’s paradise. A church employee and Parsley relative is suing over what she claims were repeated incidents of sexual harassment by Parsley’s father. She says she sued rather than complain to church officials because they punish boat-rockers. The Parsleys deny the claims of harassment. And the apparent financial success of the church, Parsley has acknowledged, has brought cries from members for a better accounting of how donations are spent, something Parsley adamantly refuses to provide.”

Tracing the twists and turns, the magazine further reveals:

“World Harvest is practically a family business. Parsley is president, and his mother, Ellen, is secretary of World Harvest Church Inc. His father, James, has worked in several capacities with the church since the 1970s, mainly overseeing construction. In the lower ranks are assorted in-laws, nieces and nephews of the Parsleys, with everyone helping each other out of difficulties and spending time together off work. That family unity ruptured in September when Parsley’s aunt, Naomil Endicott, filed suit in Franklin County Municipal Court claiming James Parsley, her brother-in-law, had sexually harassed her while she worked at the church. Endicott has been with World Harvest Church from the beginning. Her brother, Ed Endicott, co-founded in 1977 the Sunrise Chapel with Rod and James Parsley, and Ms. Endicott says she began attending services regularly in 1979.”

Endicott was asking for compensatory and punitive damages claiming to have secretly taped James Parsley twice making sexual comments to her. Damages could, it was reported, top $1 million.

Christian Dominionist theology and Black Liberation theology are NOT two sides of the same coin, it’s not simply an issue of right-wing religious theology v. left-wing religious theology. Not that anyone has done this here yet, but I thought I’d cut it off before someone mistakenly does so. They couldn’t be more different.

Christian Dominionism is about establishing our country as CHRISTIAN THEOCRACY by implementing BIBLICAL LAW. Basically turning our freedom-loving democracy into a fascist Christians-only paradise. They’re seriously scary.

Black Liberation theology is about fighting back and overcoming the legacy of slavery and institionalized oppression. Ironically, many of the people who have defended slavery and/or segregation have been Christians who used parts of the Bible to justify their “traditions.”

Liberation theology in general isn’t something understood by a lot of Americans who aren’t familiar with progressive, social justice churches. It would be great if one of the unintended consequences of the Wright controversy is the public gaining a better understanding of progressive churches like Wright’s, Unitarians, Quakers and the like. (A girl can dream, can’t she?)

I’m wondering if this might not be a very godo thing.

What if Wright hogs the cameras and microphones all he can 24/7 until no one wants to listen anymore.

Then, as teh cameras move on to something new because the ratings are tanking, McCain tries to bring it up again in October when it might actually do some damage and no one wants to go through all that again, especially from a clearly self-interested party.

It may be why Clinton is shutting up. It isn’t working and it’s taken on teh tone of harping, beating a dead horse.
McCain trying the same thing in October will just look like a doofus.

This whole thing leaves me with the really strong impression that for some Americans it’s perfectly fine for a white pastor to criticize, decry, berate, insult, and condemn “liberal” America. (By name I mean Hagee, Falwell, Robertson, Robison, and even Billy Graham.) But suddenly a black man, compares the US to the Roman Empire, implying war mongering and a vengeful nature, after six years occupying a country and well, you see what happens.

I ask these white people, what did he say that was so bad? I simply cannot see the controversy. It’s extremely frustrating that they cannot for the life of them explain their outrage. They stare back at me exasperated, “he used such…language…in church!” I am dumbfounded, “you think he used foul language?”

You know, I want to tell them off, I want to explain the differences between the sins of cursing vs the sins of standing idly by while our soldiers are used and wasted, while our national treasures are squandered and pilloried… Ah, but what can I say, they are my parents.

LongHairedWeirdo–

Beautifully stated. You paint an introspective scenario I hadn’t quite considered. It really makes a lot of sense. Right now we have Wright appearing in person, in a 3-day media blitz, which actually takes away whatever was left to this “controversy.” Bleeds it dry.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens in this very unscripted moment, soon we”ll see just how much the MSM’s framing of the “Wright controversy” matters.

So we’re left with this– if this doesn’t take Obma out, what else could?

I understand black liberation theology and much of what Rev. Wright said to the NAACP I agree with.

However, his speech to the Press Club was a performance in enhancing his own ego at Obama’s expense. He was churlish in his comments about Obama who has been very loyal to him. And he seemed to delight in taunting Obama that if he was elected President he would “come after him.” And yet he claims to be a pastor and not a politician.

I think it is time for Obama to stop being so “saintly” and turning the other cheek. as this man does not have a benign agenda, quite the opposite.

Why are all the other media pundits stuck on pause, bothering Rev Wright who was in retirement status as a pastor, that has nothing to do with the presidential canpaign, wasn’t bothering anybody until a neocon attack pundit pieced together a piece of crap that was not fully vetted by any news media, but ran the story and attacked an innocent man, a pastor. You need to be ashamed of your performance in this matter, the whole bunch of you. This should have been left alone. there was no story there but you infused s and played right into the hands of the conservative neocon game. You want a story, tell america about Pat Buchanon’s piece below: He is truly a bigot of the worst kind in politics and religion:

I was just wondering what constitutes racist comments like the one listed below. I think Pat Buchannan is crossing the lines in television media programs such as MSNBC as a political analyst (conservative view) on a center-left media program. Its bad enough to listen to Faux news network has their NEO Con platform to disseminate hate mail to the audience but I find it appalling that Pat Buchanan can get away with saying stuff like what I found on his web site. Don’t know if there is a story here but it sure is demeaning to All Blacks in this country for a white media pundit to say what he said in the below story:
quote
March 21, 2008
PJB: A Brief for Whitey
posted by Linda
By Patrick J. Buchanan
How would he pull it off? I wondered.
How would Barack explain to his press groupies why he sat silent in a pew for 20 years as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright delivered racist rants against white America for our maligning of Fidel and Gadhafi, and inventing AIDS to infect and kill black people?
How would he justify not walking out as Wright spewed his venom about “the U.S. of K.K.K. America,” and howled, “God damn America!”
My hunch was right. Barack would turn the tables.
Yes, Barack agreed, Wright’s statements were “controversial,” and “divisive,” and “racially charged,” reflecting a “distorted view of America.”
But we must understand the man in full and the black experience out of which the Rev. Wright came: 350 years of slavery and segregation.
Barack then listed black grievances and informed us what white America must do to close the racial divide and heal the country.
The “white community,” said Barack, must start “acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination — and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past — are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds … .”
And what deeds must we perform to heal ourselves and our country?
The “white community” must invest more money in black schools and communities, enforce civil rights laws, ensure fairness in the criminal justice system and provide this generation of blacks with “ladders of opportunity” that were “unavailable” to Barack’s and the Rev. Wright’s generations.
What is wrong with Barack’s prognosis and Barack’s cure?
Only this. It is the same old con, the same old shakedown that black hustlers have been running since the Kerner Commission blamed the riots in Harlem, Watts, Newark, Detroit and a hundred other cities on, as Nixon put it, “everybody but the rioters themselves.”
Was “white racism” really responsible for those black men looting auto dealerships and liquor stories, and burning down their own communities, as Otto Kerner said — that liberal icon until the feds put him away for bribery.
Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America.
Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to.
This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and demands heard. And among them are these:
First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.
Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.
Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the ’60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream.
Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks — with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas — to advance black applicants over white applicants.
Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over America have donated time and money to support soup kitchens, adult education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks.
We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude?
Barack talks about new “ladders of opportunity” for blacks.
Let him go to Altoona and Johnstown, and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for “deserving” white kids.
Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America? Is it really white America’s fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?
Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?
As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?
Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?
We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena. And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.
Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago.
unquote
The conservative attack machine has done it again, ruining the reputation of innocent people and has bigoted views such as this and you allow him to be on your show spreading his hate. And by the way, poor and middle class white america, and all minoritites in this country benefited from these programs as well. Now lets see who the elitist bigots are!

Why have the media DELIBERATELY side step and have not discussed or acknowledgement the core of Mr. Wright’s sermon, which is the existing bias and inequity in society, specifically in America? WHY? I challenge fair minded and non-perpetrators of an entitlement of the notion of superiority, to take the first step to start changing yourself and ultimately, the world. God forbid if you a non-jewish person who publicly implies ignorance of the holocast, you would be labeled anti-jews. The jews know their history, and they demand that the world does not forget it. What about the continuous atrocities that other human beings on god’s earth have to endure …. DON’T THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THE SAME LIBERTIES? At the end of the day, another scapegoat is manufactureed instead of us being honest with ourselves FIRST.

The media is asking “Why don’t Jeremiah Wright just go away ? “ The media is saying Jeremiah Wright is a distraction for Barack Obama and that he is impacting Obama negatively by being in the public eye. If the media wants Jeremiah Wright to go away all they have to do is turn off their cameras and instantly he is out of ear shot and out of eyesight of the masses. I don’t believe Jeremiah Wright hijacked the 4/27/08 NAACP function and took over as a speaker at the event . He was expected there. He was invited to speak there. CNN chose to be there with their reporters and their cameras.
Jeremiah Wright did not speak at The National Press Club in Washington, DC on 4/28/08 without the knowledge and against the wishes of those in charge of the event. He did not crash their party and take over at the podium. They had some sort of prior arrangement. He is a pastor, he travels and he speaks for a living.
The media is asking him to shut up . What happened to freedom of speech ? This is still the USA , he is still a church pastor and he does have the right to say whatever he believes and not have every syllable examined by the media. He is not running for any political office.
Most of us would have never heard of Jeremiah Wright without the help of the media. He was not knocking on my front door. I don’t remember hearing or reading that Jeremiah Wright stole media equipment and took over CNN , MSNBC, CSPAN or the FOX NEWS Network . If the media don’t want him to be seen or heard and wish him gone then they could easily turn off the cameras , leave him alone, and go home. Jeremiah Wright is not camping out at the front door of television networks or stopping midday traffic and holding press conferences in the middle of the street. He is going to his speaking engagements.
The media is coming to him. Jeremiah Wright is not going to the media. He is not filming himself. He is being filmed by those who call him self-serving and complain about him being in the media. The media keeps putting Jeremiah Wright in the media and then they wonder why he won’t get out of the media. Talk about stuck on stupid.

All my life I’ve been taught that people are people no matter race, religion whatever and to give each INDIVIDUAL a chance. The part that offends me most – and not just with Rev Wright – is the sweeping condemnation of whites/America. If I, as a “white” person, am not supposed to act or feel as though I’m superior to “blacks” why can they continually act as such to whites? I KNOW there are a lot of stupid, evil people in this world but do not judge me for them, or lump me with them.

Re: Updated & Edited letter – Tuesday April 29th, 2008.

Subject: Titanic Part III – The Rev. Wright’s media money maker.

Senator Obama’s credentials are meaningless. The Illinois State Senator isn’t ready to represent The United States of America, as our President. He’s inexperienced, more often proving unable to speak or answer without the assistance of speech writers; there’s more to the Presidency then giving written speeches prepared by people trained from previous presidential races.

Now that the Democratic Party has raised expectations so high the American voters believe “Change is coming,” the truth is the only change will be from creased slacks to a tailored pant-suit; while in the mean time America’s stuck listening to it’s self-centered arrogant, pandering from the over confident Senator’s message of “Change 08,” preformed live atop his soap box.

We as a nation mustn’t forget the 2008 election has really more to do with Capital Hill, Washington insiders are doing everything within its power to protect its interests within the House and Senate Seat majority. “The 2008 election has more then just electing our new President on its agenda,” “That’s campaign entertainment,” while behind scenes specific seats are being assured, filled, as well as contemplating replacements for Supreme Court Justus’s “should anyone(s) retire.”

All this playing out live, while America’s caught up in what Washington’s built-up as it’s “Obama 08 Campaign,” a side show decoy’ (per-say) we’re stuck with as the Senator along with his “bowling pins still standing,” until Senator Clinton over-takes this race; sending Senator Obama back to Illinois to clean-up the troubled youth issues, Illinois’s currently experiencing, unfortunately.

This is Washington, its politics calculated and played out like clock-work, something Washington’s “Powerful Élite,” controlled since the election of our 1st President; Our electoral process having delegates and Super-delegates still places the final say in the hands of those “Powerful Élite,” which have been running this great country since 1776. Our popular vote is meaningless; It’s the “Delegates,” vote that count.

American voters will never elect a President; the Supreme Court made our last decision, and how ironic the very man who worked behind scenes during the Bush and Gore race would make the final decision in the Florida Chad-count fiasco; only to become head of the highest Court in our nation four years later, “Thanks to his good friend George Bush i.e. Washington’s Powerful Élite.

Senator Obama has about as much of a chance sitting in the White House’s oval office as Al Gore at this point. He might be sitting on his campaign chest, using his so-called strategized charisma, which is honestly questionable character. The American voters cast their vote, but Delegates and Super-Delegates Washington’s “Powerful Élite” make the final decision; and seemingly prefer Senator Clinton for President rather then an inexperienced first time Senator from Chicago who would do more damage then President Bush and (his) numerous cabinet members have in two consecutive terms.

This nation needs experience, Our nations medical coverage including co-payments, specific category prescription medications, Hospital costs, In-home and or hospice care, every health care plan’s become an option, unaffordable to endless numbers, too expensive, for current and ex-smoker’s, exposed to second hand smoke and other wise admitted too were internally flagged within HMO’s internal system then denied coverage over personal choices (Higher-Risks) leading to higher-costs for treatment and long-term care, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, VA-PTSD are excellent examples of an abused broken healthcare system effecting the entire nation. Senator Clinton knows this subject better then anyone, she took on this subject in during the Clinton Administration as you well know, and has learnt even more since.

On a personal note: Senator Obama got what he wanted from the beautiful State of Hawai’i giving nothing back for the gratitude of those very voters who turned out in masses standing in lines that were in some polls a 6 hour wait just to “Cast their vote.” Senator Obama has not been seen or heard from since other then excerpts from media coverage on the continental mainland, nor have the Hawai’i voter’s forgotten the Senator didn’t attend his own Caucus in Hawai’i; rather he counted the State of Hawai’i votes while already in-route to his next State’s campaign stop, “Grab them votes and run,” let someone clean up afterwards, Mahalo Senator your one class act Brah!!!

In the 1800’s folks utilized wagon trains, in modern America Jets can fly candidates to and from cities and towns faster then ever; so how does a candidate not appear for his own Hawai’i State Caucus which is only a 5 hour flight away? The Senator easily could have flown into and back out of Honolulu International Airport at the very least out of respect for his alumni and the Democratic volunteer party who worked diligently getting the voters out to the polls in record numbers.

So where was the Senator’s spoken Christian morals, important values and the principles he speaks adamantly so highly of? The Senator was a no-show at his own Caucus leaving all the speeches on his behalf to his half-sister Maya, who did an exceptional job on his behalf; except that she’s a wife, mother, and student body teacher at an elite all girls private school, and not running for any positions within the White House, as a courtesy at the least the Senator should have made at the least a 30 minute appearance for the people of the Hawaiian Islands who rolled their sleeves up and took on the responsibility seeing a record breaking Caucus close the polls. How easy Senator Obama forgot it was, “We the people,” not our campaigning Senator candidate who never had time for his own States Caucus in the Islands he grew up on.

Senator Obama let the State of Hawai’i down hard, its people drove to the polls at 6:30 P.M. while their children were in day-cares, dinners not yet on the family tables, and traffic was the biggest bumper-to-bumper mess since Imelda Marcos flew into town to pick up her shoes. All while our selected polls were in complete ciaos after running out of voting cards; Hawaii voters were actually casting votes on scrapes of paper, “The local evening news headliner,” showing it only got worse as the evening progressed and polls were still allowing for votes to be cast due to the tremendous turnout of voters.

Countless exhausted volunteers, assisted dedicated to seeing this State’s Caucus was run according to all the rules and regulations properly under the circumstances, they deserved better; The State as a whole deserved greater from it’s very own home-grown Punahou graduate and present Illinois Senator who snubbed the entire State yet counted his winning votes as he rolled into his next campaign stop aboard the MS Change08.

Hawaii’s own home-grown yet ungrateful elitist, the Punahou High School graduate proved nothing less then an embarrassment to the State of Hawai’i, his family, and the nation. His campaign run on Change, morals, values, and principles somehow never made it to Hawai’i, they all missed the wagon, boat or jet or (D) All the Above.

The State of Hawai’i gave Senator Obama his private education, a privileged start in life for the lanky kid attending a prestigious private school, “at his Grandmothers expense,” obviously he never sat in the front row because he’s not as bright as he sells himself to be. Too thoughtlessly have the audacity referring to his Grandmother as just another “Typical White Woman,” – What was he thinking? Having no-written speech for the answer his first impression and thought were heard loud and clear.

The Illinois Senator embarrassed not only his elderly retired once a very proud woman in her day, at Bank of Hawai’i as CEO. Madelyn is the very person who fed and raised him with dignity alone after her husband pasted (Gramps), only to be publicly embarrassed in the media at her grandson’s lack of judgment less-respect for, leaving a lasting impression on the family and our Great nation. Madelyn lives only a few units from me, I stop by here and there checking on her, and often have called 911 to remove a reporter that got into the building up to her door. She’s almost 90 yrs old, frail and “does not do interviews,” how she ever agreed to doing the ad segment is beyond me.
She is a very private woman, who lives and breaths for her granddaughters of which this year they did not come for thanksgiving or Christmas, this the first time ever, as the Senator has come home each year three times a year for many, many, many years – this year he sent a 3’ Christmas tree to her, she was so insulted by the thought of trying to appease an old woman with a tree rather then come home for even a day she insisted it not be brought into her home and gave it to the building for the main lobby.

The poor woman was devastated in her current health her pride and joy the grandson she raised and sent off to college would pull this at her age – to say she was hurt is an understatement. She’s not come out of the apartment since, instead sit’s glued to CNN watching everything the Senator says and does, when Barack referred to her as a “typical white woman,” I was very concerned and went to see her and visit, humble as she is … she smiled at the issue on CNN and said nothing. I went to mass and prayed she would live through the night I was that concerned – she is that frail.

When the Senator took a few days in the Bahamas’ … the entire building was asking “why is he not here with his Grandmother? I think we all can come to an adult conclusion after the months prior and most resent offensive remark.
His grandmother gave her life to raise the Senator and put him in an all white private school, she was known as a tough woman in her day at the Bank and never stood down to any men, who thought she was in a mans position, she is the same strong minded, hard headed intelligent woman today she was then, only heartbroken over the issues of being set aside now as the elderly woman with a care provider, my heart goes out to her seeing her in such pain after all she did to prepare the Senator for the position he holds today … personally she did not want him to run for 08 saying he had not the experience yet, “he did it anyway,” and has stayed away from the islands since.

Personally I was taught “Not to bite the hand that feeds you,” recently the Senator’s endless bow-outs, quick replies of “Sorry I can’t answer that,”… “No more debates, please!” … “I don’t have a speech to answer that question yet!”… “Let me look at my schedule,” and, “has Oprah phoned yet? …, So much for “Change 08,” it’s looking more and more like you’re on your own now Senator.

It’s been said, “An eye for an eye,” and The Rev. Jeremiah Wright will sink the “MS Change08.” Wright was quoted as saying, “Jesus said, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Senator Obama never came to The Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s defense during the very public repeated display of Rev. Wright’s appalling words from the alter of the Senators own Church, only to be scrutinized throughout the entire media; The Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments would come back to haunt the Senator, and as of April 28, 2008 they have. After today Senator Obama can’t sweep anything under his mobile rug, it’s time to shake the dust off and out from under, where it lands is anyone’s guess.

The Reverend Wright’s not going to make some whispers, he’s going to “Say it loud and clear,” making substantial changes to the “MS Change08,” of his own, “it won’t be God Bless America,” nor will it be said after that the much respected and increasingly admired Reverend Al Sharpton would agree with Rev. Wright’s media money maker, “Titanic Part III.”

The “MS Change08,” is taking on water from both sides and going down fast. It was said, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” well it’s Showtime now folks; it’s going to be another long PG-17 Rated Action/Drama, only without Celine Dion’s closing musical performance, Taps seems more fitting!!! This is politics; its Washington’s finest performances; certainly one that will keep the Senator awake at night, listening and watching for the rising waters while ready to reach for anything inflatable.

Aloha,

K. Pu’iili
Honolulu, Hawai’i

Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, “Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for ‘spiritual counseling?’ THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!”

But no, Obama won’t throw that at her. It wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be decent. She’s been through enough hurt. And so he remains silent and takes the mud she throws in his face.

Reporters (and I use this term lightly) will NOT be satisfied with anything Obama says or does since he is the only Black candidate in this race. Since they only want “white” people in office, they will use and abuse any information to make Obama “GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION” and even when they “confirm” the fact that Obama and Wright are NOT “ONE AND THE SAME PERSON”, and that Wright does NOT speak for him that will still not be good enough for them. Reporters (pundits, MSM) have preselected their “elected candidate” and they will do everything in their power (and don’t kid yourselves, they have the power) to change your perception of Obama. Reporters (pundits, MSM) also ‘know’ that our constitution says, “No person seeking public office shall be put to a religious test since there is SEPARATION of CHURCH AND STATE”. However, these reporters (pundits, MSM) will make certain that the only Black candidate is put to a religious test. Well, I want to know where the religious test for HRC and McCain has been in the news? If they are going to play the “guilt by association” game, then I want it played ACROSS THE BOARD!!!! Let’s have “equal opportunity” in the MSM please. But they don’t want the public to see the specious Hagee (McCain’s) religious supporter and extremely frightening LUNATIC FRINGE religion (religion only in name for the tax breaks),and they certainly don’t want you to see Doug Coe and “the Family” (HRC’s religious affilliation). Talk about another NUTCASE LUNATIC FRINGE designed only for the wealthy and elite in this country! Oh no, since they are “white” candidates, they should not be exposed since white people are NOT frightening? But I can tell you their religious associations are FRIGHTENING as h*ll. Do you really want those NUTS influencing your choice of candidate? I will take Pastor Wright any day of the week since at least he does not hide who he is and what he thinks; he is honest! But these LUNATICS of Clinton and McCain are extremely frightening because no one can figure out where they are trying to lead theL country and believe me, these nuts are leading by subconscious means. Come on MSM pundits and reporters, let’s play FAIR FOR ONCE – or is that just too difficult for you????