Barack Obama has written a blog on Huffington Post responding to the firestorm over inflammatory remarks made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Obama writes that “I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies.â€
He says that Wright “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.â€
He concludes: “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.â€
It’s a good response: Calm, balanced, providing context. Obama reportedly is going on several TV programs, including Fox, to nip this in the bud.
The attack dogs have been trying for months to smear Barack Obama based on statements made by his Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. A video clip going viral on the Internet may finally do the trick. It shows Wright giving an inflammatory sermon in which he says America invited the Sept. 11 attacks and says “God damn America†for its treatment of blacks. And he says, “Hillary Clinton has never been called a nigger.â€
It’s explosive stuff. And Fox News and others are all over it.
Obama has said before that he disagrees with Wright on Sept. 11 and other subjects, but he will need to do more to explain his relationship with Wright and repudiate some of the pastor’s views, or this could be a big issue in the general election and strike at the heart of Obama’s electability claims.
FYI: Here is a snopes.com analysis of some of the e-mail claims about Obama’s pastor and church.
We have some videos on our Web site of an interview we did this week with Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six. Six responds to questions about the George Tiller investigation, whether he is in Tiller’s pocket, why he supports the merit selection of appellate judges, and why he didn’t release abortion records to a grand jury. As our Thursday editorial noted, after the embarrassing tenures of Phill Kline and Paul Morrison, “Kansans are looking to Six to deliver on his well-chosen priorities, and on his stated promise to serve with independence and integrity.â€
State lawmakers should be leery of a bill requiring prescriptions for cold and allergy medicines that contain ingredients used to make methamphetamine. The goal of the proposed law is worthy: reduce the number of “mom and pop†meth labs. But meth would still be available, as much of the drug is imported. And requiring law-abiding citizens to get a doctor’s prescription before they can buy Sudafed or Claritin D could significantly increase their costs. At what point does the cost of the drug war exceed its benefit?
Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, not only didn’t support the creation of the new Office of Congressional Ethics but lobbied against its 229-182 passage Tuesday. “If you have a single ounce of self-preservation, you’ll vote no,†Tiahrt urged his colleagues, warning that House members could end up bankrupted by the legal costs of defending themselves.
The new independent panel could investigate allegations against House members, refer findings to the House ethics committee, and issue a public report. Opponents of the new independent panel fear it will presume lawmakers to be guilty. But as two lawmakers have been indicted, two have gone to prison and others have been targeted by federal probes, the House hasn’t done a credible job policing itself on ethics matters.
Maybe time will bear out Tiahrt, but for now, it’s hard to see how an outside panel could do any worse.
Bill Warren has significantly improved the quality of life in Wichita with his movie theaters and support for community causes. So here’s hoping he won’t harm Wichita’s effort to revive Old Cowtown Museum.
Warren is considering challenging a planned new building at Cowtown on the basis that the city signed a “non-assistance covenant†when Warren built his Old Town theater. The agreement said that the city wouldn’t offer incentives to “movie theaters or theaters†within a four-mile radius of his downtown theater.
It is questionable whether the proposed multipurpose building at Cowtown, which would be home to the Diamon W. Chuckwagon and other events, qualifies as a “theater.†But even if it does, it’s unlikely that it would be in direct competition with Warren’s theater. On the contrary, resurrecting Cowtown could benefit other area attractions, including Warren’s theaters, by making Wichita even more of an entertainment destination.
Barack Obama has written a blog on Huffington Post responding to the firestorm over inflammatory remarks made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
