So, David!

In the immortal words of St. Ronnie,

“When I was growing up [the 1920s],
we didn’t even know we had a race problem in this country.”

oh cant talk about that stuff,we’re the greatest!

yo mama

Thank you. This is an excellent post. You’ve explained it so clearly and simply. I will forward this to many people.

you can digg this post here

Good thoughtful post.

Don’t forget: children “get” and grownups “give”.

explains a lot about needing a “daddy” for a president.

I doubt there were very many blacks in Dixon, Illinois, in the 20’s. [My mother’s hometown too]

As a child in Ohio I lived right on the edge of the “color line” which seemed a difficult concept to explain to my color-blind children.

Walk a mile in the other guys shoes before you judge him. A concept I was raised with, and a lost art in modern America, apparently. If I was a black man in the 60’s and ’70’s, I’d probably have been killing white people. Placing myself in Wright’s shoes, I felt he was sincere in everything he said, and, except for the AIDS thing, he had historical backup for everything he said. The child molester never likes it when the molested child accuses him, either.

Even the liberal Tony Zirkle agrees that race is not a problem.

There was a lot of weird stuff going on back in the 80’s when AIDS really took off:

http://www.health.org.nz/aids2.html

The more I listen to this man, Jeremiah Wright, the more I must agree with him. Even though I could never be accused of the heinous crime of existing while black (as an Italian-Polish American I get the brunt of all the lightbulb-changing jokes so he doesn’t). He has important things to say that are rather inconvenient at this moment. Perhaps it would be better if shut his beak for a bit, though it must be said eventually; only wait a little. Actually, he needs talking to if he is resentful of his congregant Senator Obama’s distancing himself from the soundbites. Yes, Obama is in fact a politician, but I think he may be more, and it grieves me to think that Wright may be working to bring him down out of spite.

Ask yourself this:

why would a person so concerned about racism, presumably wanting to end it, mock John F. Kenney, sabotage Barack Obama’s chances at becoming president, and betray MLK, Jr.,by defending Louis Farrakhan?

There is a troubling pattern there.

I’m bewildered, but I think I’m working my way up to bitter

I wrote this earlier today on this subject:

Yesterday many shows asked the question repeatedly why Rev. Wright would give the interviews and say the things he’s been saying that are hurting Obama’s campaign for the Presidency. The more I see of the Reverend, the more I’ve been mulling over that question myself, and I am now ready to proffer an answer. While I realize many people have chalked the continuation of these hurtful interviews and speeches up to the Reverend’s ego, his resentment of being rejected from this campaign, his denial of the limelight by Obama, I think it is much more.

I think that Rev. Wright has been preaching throughout his whole career that black folks cannot be elected because white people will never allow it. Now he’s watching his career go down in disbelief as Obama, a half-white man, is proving him wrong. The Reverend never expected this to happen in his lifetime. But he is entirely too intelligent a man to not be aware that his words and his recent speeches and interviews are hurting Obama’s campaign. Therefore, I must conclude that he is deliberately sabotaging the Obama campaign in order to create a self-fulfilling prophesy. It appears to me that the man simply does not want to lose black victimhood as an issue to rail against. He said it’s not about him, nor about Obama, but I think he sees the white man in Obama as his enemy. He said in his speech that he told Obama that he would come after him on the day after he succeeds in getting elected, because then Obama will represent a government that he sees as in need of punishment for past offenses. Yet he has decided to take it on himself to punish Obama for even seeking the office. In my opinion, in the end, this Reverend will not be well received by his own flock once they realize that he has selfishly manipulated circumstances to derail Obama’s race for the Presidency contrary to their best interests.

What is equally sad is the fact that the media itself is amongst the easiest to manipulate. While Wright wants to rail against inequity and talk about reconciliation, Obama is already reconciled and he wants to talk about hope. Obama has said:

Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all…

We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.

We can do that.

But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.

That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, “Not this time.”

So the ball is now in the media’s court. Do they want to further Reverend Wrights great plan to prove Obama wrong so that he can be proved right? Do they want to help Reverend Wright to prove that the vast majority of Americans, both black and white, have not overcome the bondages of racism by discussing every word he utters ad nauseum? The alternative is not to allow themselves to be manipulated, not to give every minute of airspace to this man who preaches reconciliation while he openly mocks the way white folks clap or the speech patterns in Massachusetts. It’s not as if we whites don’t deserve it. How many times have we made fun of ebonics and the way many blacks say “axe” for ask or how they use the verb “be.” But two wrongs still do not make a right, and I hate to see the media allow a single black minister to throw the Presidential race off simply so that he can say “I told you so!” in the end.

Oh, David, David, David. Nuance, shades of grey, who has time for that? Read the whole sermon? Wright said “God Damn America” so that proves he hates America.

/s

JFK said (and I paraphrase here) that politics was the best way to effect positive change. I still believe that, but that belief is often tested.

I also believe Obama embodies what JFK saying. Once in a great while, a man (or woman) comes along at the right time and they are that catalyst for change. Obama speaks to us as if we’re adults. I don’t find that with the other candidates.

Obama should have had Wright figured. He just the kind of guy who likes to own you. And any confidences given him by Obama put Obama at risk. So Obama should have figured this guy long ago. It’s a bit disconcerting that Obama was not away from this ego freak a long time ago. Now,in some respects Wright owns Obama.

I like Al Franken’s assessment. For awhile I’ve come to think that R’s view our country & government in a “Father Knows Best” idealized way. No matter that dad may be a vicious alcoholic, mom is popping sedatives & the kids are running wild, all looks pretty & perfect from outside the front door. They have to desperately defend their rosy vision if anyone tries to break through the denial or they would be forced to deal with the flaws.

There’s a tinge of irony in many of the very people who have covertly used symbols of “hatred of America”, perpetual “rememberance of wrongs” past, and defiance of the United States…are the ones that these media barrages are focused upon. I’m speaking, of course, about the folks that still are resentful of the Civil War freeing the slaves, and of their glorifying the symbols of the Confederacy. How, after all, can one love one’s country, when you display the images of the government that sought to bring it down in defense of it’s traditions (slavery)?

Hardly people who have any right to go around and question someone elses “patriotism” and “love of country”. And the Republican Party is replete with “leaders” who continue to hold those images as icons of their identity.

By the way, here’s an interesting quote. Bet one would be surprised at who said it.

Everybody, almost the entire population of Jackson County and Vernon and Cass and Bates counties, all of them were depopulated, and the people had to stay in posts.

They called them posts, but what they were, they were concentration camps. And most of the people were moved in such a hurry that they had to leave all their goods and their chattels in their houses. Then the Federal soldiers came in and took everything that was left and set fire to the houses.

That didn’t go down very well with the people in these parts; putting people in concentration camps in particular didn’t. (pp 78-79)

From: “Plain Speaking: an Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman,” [referring to what happened to his grandmother during the Civil War]

I can’t take this anymore.

Oh, and he mocked LBJ as well.

Wright didn’t mock any of the presidents of the party of the Southern Strategy; he mocked the two who were instrumental in pushing through civil rights legislation!

Why?

I agree with Ann in Az, that Wright sees people who actually want to end racial division as threats to what he’s about.

It makes no sense that he would mock only two presidents and choose the ones responsible for seeing that the Civil Rights Act was passed, NOT mock any borne out of the Southern Strategy, sabotage the first black American’s chance at the presidency, which would have an effect of further eroding the gap between the races, and defend Louis Farrakhan.

Sooner or later public are going to tire of and see through the charade that the media has made of Reverend Wright, IMHO.

Personally, I don’t give a hoot if Wright is right or wrong. I actually don’t give a hoot either if Obama has to disown him. Wright isn’t running for president. Obama is. I happen to think he would bring a breath of fresh air to Washington.

In all of our seemingly endless analysis of the non-event that is Wright, let us not loose sight of the fact that we want the best Democrat in the oval office in January of 2009.

Forest, trees, and all that stuff. This is NOT the time to pile on. The sooner the Rev STFU, the better. The sooner we STFU about it, even better.

I have to say that I can’t quite buy this. For one thing, it buys into the right-wing frame that Black Liberation Theology is all about selling victimization to black people. That’s severely undercut, of course, by the reality of black victimization historically, and the continuing failure to address its institutional consequences.

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/pu.....ist008.htm

Check out the richest state in CT (Joe’s stomping grounds)and my school (100% eat breakfast and lunch in school - free):

Number Percent STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY
American Indian 3 0.5
Asian American 0 0.0
Black 221 37.1
Total Minority 2006-07 97.3%
Hispanic 356 59.7
Total Minority 2001-02 93.0%
White 16 2.7

I don’t know who the white kids are, but I’ve never seen them.

Right On!

You think the GOP is going to STFU about it?

we’re not getting anywhere…. this narrative doesnt change - i dont know where its going to end but this much i do know - with all the bitterness this will not end well imo its still race and “uppity negroes”!! i am sooo disgusted with all of this!

Forgot to mention - Paul Newman (of Westport) called Bridgeport the “armpit of Connecticut).

We don’t talk about that - but he’s close.

A poll taken sometime ago showed that 90% of Chinese believed
that the CIA planted SARS in their country…but you’ll never hear
that get discussed in our media for fear of offending the Chinese as they hold our debt…

I will take a guess.
He’s been a large fish in a small pond, and now one of his congregants is a large fish in a huge ocean. And he doesn’t like it.
There is probably a lot more to it but that is as much as I’m willing to guess.

David, thanks so much for this post. You said what most of us are feeling!

As I road home from work today, I had to listen to Howie Carr asking the question, “Who in the hell let’s their kids listen to Rev. Wright?”. He was trying to make the point that Rev. Wright is dangerous while all the other Revs & Ministers & Priests of other faiths are okay for our children to listen to.

(Uh, hello Howie…you’re lucky you didn’t ask that question in front of me, because no telling what I would have done. I would have reminded you of the parents who allowed their children to hold these signs or about the parents who sent their kids to Jesus Camp, and would have reminded you that Ted Haggard was renting a gay male prostitute & doing meth with him and according to your analysis, this means all his parishioners are just like him and knew all along he was doing this!)

Spit.

Rev. Wright is preaching to his choir, because the people who did go to his sermons were from all walks of life, but they all have one common thing: America hasn’t always been too good to them, their neighbors, their families, nor their race and they would come together each Sunday to feel whole.

For better or worse, this is the conversation that Obama started with the Philadelphia speech. We couldn’t shut up about it if we tried. The race issue will continue right on through election day.

But if we can frame the debate, then Obama (and to a lesser degree Clinton) will ultimately benefit.

You think the GOP is going to STFU about it?

Of course not, but why feed them talking points? Believe me, the Repubs are not doing near the amount of damage to Dems as we are doing to ourselves.

Sooner or later, I believe Obama will be the Dem nominee. I understand that you support Hilary, but I also hope when the time comes you will throw your support behind whoever is the Democratic nominee for president.

Like I said, forest trees.

Sorry gotta run.

it is also undercut by liberation theology (disclaimer - i’ve only read a little of gutierrez, not any black liberation theology) itself which is not about victimization.

I don’t agree with several of the things Wright has said but I think the outrage like the controversy is manufactured. If you read or listen to more than a few snippets of what he is saying, it becomes very clear where he is coming from. He is deeply angry about injustice in this country and how we choose, or rather do not choose, to deal with it. I agree with almost nothing with regard to Louis Farrakhan but the thing that I see Wright sharing with him is that anger that America has failed to live up to its ideals. With our media degenerated to clownish infotainment, serious issues, serious discussion of them, anger at injustice are things to be avoided or ridiculed.

Yes, Wright could do what is politically expedient for Barack Obama but his whole training has been not to do that. The media want him to play the role of the whipping boy. Can you imagine how deeply offensive that is to someone like Wright whose whole view of the African-American experience over 4 centuries on this continent has been that of the whipping boy? I believe him when he says this isn’t about Obama. It is very much about him Rev. Wright, not in an egotistical kind of way but as one in which he refuses to play the role the media have assigned to him. How dare he not knuckle under to those he has spent his whole life opposing. How dare he not be the good n*gger and play the bad n*gger for us. How dare he.

Plus this is the biggest audience he’s likely ever had, and he’s making the most of it.

Just read the transcript of Obama’s press conference- sounds as if he is throwin Wright out of his life- and he seems pretty pissed.

He says that Wright MAY not have been acting to deliberately fuck up his campaign—so he’s at least considering the possibility that this is all deliberate-.

If you think Obama is being honest- this is more than a minor disagreement. The two men are at war.

for everyone making claims about what hidden wright’s hidden motivation is - could you please provide some evidence to back up your claim? also why you think your explanation is better than the possibility that he cares about the issues he’s talking about and this is his first (and probably last) opportunity to discuss them with a national audience?

That’s fine, David, nobody has to agree with me. And I realize that much of what the Reverend says is not only true, but we’ve said a lot of it right here. I know it’s even worse than what the Rev. actually portrays. For instance, once upon a time it was illegal in many places to educate a slave. Teaching a slave to read was a punishable offense, and I mean harsh punishments. In the Confessions of Nat Turner, one of his earliest crimes was learning how to read. Ultimately, he was killed and they literally tanned his hide and made wallets and things out of it.

However, I also know that this is badly affecting Obama’s chances in his Presidential run. I also know that Wright is doing this just before the Indiana election. Did you know that the Ku Klux Klan was “born” in Vincennes, IN? But I would like to hear your answer to why Rev. Wright has chosen this particular time to be so public when he must know it’s a negative to Obama’s race? I don’t think it’s all just ego, and I think the Rev. is much too intelligent for this not to be deliberate sabotage.

the best is the idea fed to school kids that when the pilgrims came to america there was cooperation between the newcomers and natives when in reality there was a price put on native scalps. I guess intentionally spreading disease and cutting off people’s heads would not make for such a good school play

Has there been any reaction from memebers of Reverend Wright’s congregation to Obama’s statement?

So, I’ve been busy today. Did I miss much?

Nah

Well, other than Cheney resigning…o wait, I was dreaming.

amen.

That’s a very good question. As a followup, I’d ask what the reaction has been among the black churches in North Carolina.

you didnt miss a thing lol

Drive by …

Dave if you’re here?

I could be wrong, but, isn’t that pic from Wounded Knee?

I did a little blog on it here

Except that in the General, we’re talking about the overall electorate, the same one that bought that Bush was a compassionate Christian conservative and who, despite the unbelievable damage Republican rule has done to this country, has McCain basically tied with whomever the Dem nominee may be.

There is no way Dems can feed Repubs talking points. Dems can’t begin to come up with the nefarious, Rovian stuff they do.

It is quite the photo.

However, I also know that this is badly affecting Obama’s chances in his Presidential run.

As I said above Wright is a sideshow creation of the media. If it wasn’t him the media would find something else to beat Obama with. Personally I find Clinton’s staying in the race much more harmful to Obama, the Democratic Party, and its chances in November. If you want to talk about the destructiveness of ego, there you have it, without even Wright’s anger at injustice.

The photo is from Wounded Knee, yes.

Obama’s reaction today was appropriate. Obama said a few weeks ago that even though he didn’t agree with some of the things Rev. Wright had said, he said he still considered him a friend.

We love our friends because of our differences as well as our similarities.

Well…Rev. Wright apparently in Obama’s eyes has gone over the line by making this personal. In other words, Rev. Wright is NOT returning the same kind of friendship as Obama thought they had (not judging your friends about every little thing). It appears he’s now severing the friendship.

To me, it’s kind of sad.

No.

Wright attacks those who try to actually end racism in America and defends those who do not. That’s the pattern there.

I second selise, with a further, ‘AMEN’.

Americans can’t think, let alone talk, about the attrocities done in their name. They believe in the big myth “Americans are always just, fair minded and equitable, anyone that says otherwise is itching for a fight.” Listening to the network news this evening it’s clearly evident that the courtesan class will bury Obama unless he demonstrates his feality to the true powers of America, and that doesn’t mean the “people”, another myth liberals cling to like Charleton Heston clung to his six shooter. Obama made the first step today when he refused to address the media’s hidden agenda and once again tried to distance himself from Rev. Wright. It’s just like Jack Nicholson’s quote, “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth.” Make sure your traveling papers are in order because on November 10th you just might want to put them to good use. As for me, I’ll be in southern France, perhaps Paris.

Yes.

For many in the black community, the whole “we’re past the whole black vs white” thing doesn’t pass the smell test. Too many families are torn apart by a justice system that appears to treat white and black differently. Too many drivers know all to well the reality of Driving While Black. Too many shoppers know the reality of being shadowed by store security in the stores of well-to-do neighborhoods.

Wrong. Wright attacks those who cry “peace, peace,” when there is no peace.

socali linked to this (long) youtube earlier today - it’s of an interview (on fox!) of a friend of wright’s (white roman catholic priest). thought he did a hell of a job.

recommended.

Wright retired- so he no longer HAS a congregation. Obama said nice things about the new guy.

I’m a bit surprised how some people are so willing to use Wright’ statements to the National Journalism Club as a wedge to eliminate Obama from the Presidential campaign. They are so obsessed with “electability” (the one hope that Hillary has to achieve the nomination) that they are willing to sacrifice any sense of honor and justice.

It would be like throwing out Kerry when he was swiftboated rather than defend him. When you give up the fight for a persons integrity that was the point George Bush won in 2004. If electability because of the effectiveness of a smear was what attracts your vote…well then Bush was your guy!

Obama has utterly disavowed Wright’s statements. I don’t think that he believes any of the outrageous things that Wright professes, the AIDs myth, the bulldada attitudes about whites, Farrakhan, etc. It’s non-sensical. There’s nothing in his 16 years of elective office to suggest otherwise.

Really, the idea of abandoning someone to vote for someone else simply because of a smear is so odious and disgusting to me that I, for one, will not even consider it. It JUSTIFY’s the use of the smear., It makes it effective.

To suggest I do so makes me wonder about the ethical underpinnings of those that suggest we consider it.

Well, I think I understand what you mean, but my problem is that I believe that the Rev. Wright is not just speaking to his own flock. He is not just speaking to his own choir. He’s deliberately trying to take Obama down. Why?

Good question- may have been pissed by what Obama said the first time this came up?

But I would like to hear your answer to why Rev. Wright has chosen this particular time to be so public when he must know it’s a negative to Obama’s race? I don’t think it’s all just ego, and I think the Rev. is much too intelligent for this not to be deliberate sabotage.

Part of the timing is the conference that was the occasion for the National Press Club invitation — an invitation offered to him about two years ago, from what I read earlier. (Can’t recall where) Given that he had agreed to speak there, it would have been ridiculous for him NOT to have said something about all this, and the Q&A format would not have allowed it.

Secondly, he answered this himself yesterday. He’s tired of a month of being bashed by the media which has consistently misrepresented his sermons in particular as well as his ministry and his congregation:

And why am I speaking out now? In our community, we have something called playing the dozens. If you think I’m going to let you talk about my mama and her religious tradition, and my daddy and his religious tradition, and my grandma, you’ve got another thing coming.

In his most recent comments, he mocked JFK and LBJ. He is sabotaging Barack Obama. And he defends a man who advocates violence and the eradication of a group of people.

IMO, that points to a desire on his part to NOT end racism in America.

Did everyone see Chris Matthews & Andrea Mitchell’s reaction to Obama’s speech today? Their attitude was, “Ouch. That wasn’t good enough. Nope, I’m not accepting that kind of speech. If only Obama had been a little more forcefulness there….and maybe if had worn a red tie…I would have loved to have seen some anger too. I’m just not buying anything this man says”.

Howie Carr had the same kind of attitude.

Of course, tomorrow they’ll be asking, “Why is Rev. Wright still in the news? It’s so weird! I mean, really, this is a presidential election and you’d think everyone would want to be talking about Iraq or something, you know, like healthcare? I can’t believe he’s still on the air! Andrea, let’s listen to the clip one more time of the Reverend screaming, “God damn America!”, so our viewers will know we’re not going to talk about it anymore!’.

*shaking head*

Obama should read this post. Rather than apologize for Wright, he should explain how easy it is for blacks to believe Wright’s charges especially when they are (including the AIDs one) possibly true. (I don’t think there was an intent to destroy blacks-but it is not impossible what was intended as a small experiment got out of hand) When Obama apologizes, he permits his opposition to frame the issue. He gets defensive. That’s not a good thing in a president.

That said, there is something in the black psyche that keeps many from getting ahead and brings them to attack those on the verge of leaving the “hood”. Shelby Steele in “The Content of Our Character” opposed segregation on college campuses. He claimed blacks can compete with whites on white terms, but unwarranted inferiority feelings restrain them. Steele was roundly criticized by mainstream black intellectuals for “blaming the victims”. For some reason it seems, from reading newspapers, that blacks attending college get shot by those who don’t. Don’t know the numbers and I have no links, but there have been several stories about good black kids being shot by those who reject white-like social possibilities.

They are so obsessed with “electability” (the one hope that Hillary has to achieve the nomination) that they are willing to sacrifice any sense of honor and justice.

I proudly admit to being obsessed with electability.
If I become convinced Clinton is more electable than Obama, I will jump ship and support her. If you consider that dishonorable or unjust, consider what an honor and justice of living through a third Bush term.

Wright didn’t mock JFK and LBJ. He used their speech patterns to illustrate how some white speech patterns are accepted as different while some black speech patterns are deemed sub-standard.

Angry Black Bitch has noted a concept in the advertising world: “Acceptably Black” — that’s the mentality that Wright was calling out in Detroit.

Given the Bush economy, even the talking heads cannot afford certain risks. They would lose any chance of every working at Fox if they said anything positive about a non Republic. That’s simply too much to risk.

I have a friend who was back from Vietnam right after occupation of Wounded Knee ended. He examined some of the boards from the church that was burned down. Found .50 caliber bullet holes in some of them. THe FBI denied using .50 caliber weapons.

Totally agree- I’m not on anyone’s ship anyway- just don’t want McBush in the White House.

ABB condensed that post into a T-shirt:

Acceptably Black
Clean — Non-Threatening — Speaks Well

Well, REAL friends don’t do that and that’s why Obama’s speech was appropriate today. Had one of my friends acted like Wright did, I too wouldn’t want the friendship to continue.

Fox News broke the Wright story. Who wants to bet they paid Wright from the beginning to go after Obama? Wouldn’t surprise me. On Howie Carr’s show, he said Wright has been selling the video clips that we’ve had to watch for the past few weeks now.

Did Wright approach Fox News first? I don’t know. I don’t know if the selling of the vids is true or not either. But! None of this I hold against Obama, because he has class. I truly believed him today when he said HE MEANT IT that he is sickened by Wright’s performance and needs to wash his hands of him today.

We don’t know people in our lives as well as we think we do. Case in point:

My Uncle Jim died @ 16 years ago and month before his death, he and my Aunt revealed to the family that Uncle Jim when he was a little boy (13 maybe?) went away with the circus. Yep. His parents didn’t know where he was until…well…you’ll see in a sec. What circus you ask? Ringling Brothers and he was IN THE TENT WHEN THE HUGE FIRE BROKE OUT DOWN IN CONNECTICUT. Swear. No one knew this….not even his kids. It’s not an earth shattering revelation, but it makes you think deeply that we just don’t know every life experience of everyone around us and we certainly don’t know their every thought either.

As someone who knows Wright personally, the idea that he would take money from Fox to “go after Obama” is not just laughable but downright offensive.

I prefer to understand Rev. Wright’s continuing defense of his sermons as he himself explains it: he takes the criticism not as personal, but as defamatory of his church, his flock, his people. His congregation is offended by the media attention, and so Rev. Wright is responding much as a parent would, whose child has just been subjected to verbal abuse by an adult: He’s defensive– not of himself, but of his church, i.e., his people, his family. He’s actually acting very pastorally. Obama is only one member (perhaps ex-member), but his care and concern is for his whole flock. So of course he will defend them. And if defending them requires dissing Obama, then he’ll do that, because he takes responsibility for his people.

Bob in HI

No! No! No!

HIV-B is now known to be widespread in wild-chimp populations and causes the same effects in them as in humans. It’s been in those chimp populations for decades before the HIV epidemic in humans, and is the clear genetic source of the virus in humans.

Endogenous HIV is wild East African Chimp Populations

HIV-A is found in sooty mangabeys, and again is widespread, though not lethal.

The most likely source is “bushmeat”….not an experiment. Not a genetic lab.

It was a question, Peterr. I obviously don’t know the answer to it. If you say Wright would never do that and you know him personally, then he wouldn’t do that. Rumors are flying as you know. ;-)

It doesn’t matter what you want. It just matters what the media and their ruling elites want. And believe me brother the way this is playing out the last thing they want is a Democrat in the White House. You are entitled to your wishful thinking, however. It’s the American way.

Oldgold…you are NOT an Obama supporter. So your claims are facetious.

So of all the white people in the world and with all the different dialects, he just happened to choose the two who actually did a lot to move the civil rights act forward.

And that doesn’t raise any eyebrows? It does mine. His mocking how white people clap didn’t help either. And again, he’s sabotaged Obama’s chances. What would Obama getting into the WH do? It would have an inevitable effect of furthering the erosion of the racial divide in America. So why would a man so concerned about race and racism sabotage that AND mock the two Civil Rights presidents, AND defend someone like Farrakhan?

Btw, what happened to Obama saying people should understand from where Wright’s passion/wrath comes from?

Let your conscience be your guide. If you stand for DLC politics and what Ms Clinton has done to subvert the Democratic process, more power to you! What do you think Thomas Paine would say about any of these people?

I think you mean specious, and why does not supporting Obama make a person’s claims inherently specious?

but it’s not outrageous that wright doesn’t know that. his analysis is based on what the gov is capable of morally - he specifically mentioned the tuskegee experiments. not, i think, any special refutation of sequencing data, phylogenetic analyses, evolution or whatever the current understanding is based on.

What has she done to subvert the democratic process? What votes to count?

Revealing photo. Proud white American, as Bush would say, “folks”, just burying their handiwork. Somehow I don’t remember that from my HS history class.

I doubt Obama thinks from now on Rev. Wright has no right to express himself. What he was saying today is Rev. Wright went after him and made this personal. That’s where Obama is drawing the line in their friendship.

That’s how I see it.

Well Rev. Wright is certainly a side light in my life.

I’m closing my book on him as a guy who has probably done a lot of good but has some pretty screwed up opinions and who has not helped Obama to get elected…I’m sure that there’s LOTS more to learn- but that’s about as far as my interest will take me.

I think Obama will survive this-but it’s been a trial

Wow, lots pearl clutching and almost swooning going on..
Everyone is agreed that this country* needs to change.
The only way to change, is to start the change.
Both Barak and Rev Wright have raised and continue to raise valid and important points re, history, racism, poverty, people’s view of their own self-worth/reality etc.
These are issues that need to be talked/learned about. So, why all the panic because it is finally out to be discussed?
Are we* only defined by color, race, religion, sex? OR can we actually have a grown-up conversation?

Blue Texan had a great post earlier today on FDL about Rev. Wright:

http://firedoglake.com/2008/04.....recession/

We’re living in a right wing media nightmare!

I didn’t say anything about Obama saying he has no right to express himself.

The only people I see suggesting Wright be quiet are Obama supporters, btw.

What I was addressing was Obama’s speech in Philadelphia in which he said we must try to understand each other’s experiences, and went on to describe Wright as having residual anger from his own experiences with racism.

I guess that went away when Obama’s campaign became threatened!

I agree with most everything I’ve heard Rev. Wright say. When I saw how hurt Obama was today, it made me sad. Prior to all of this, Obama respected Rev. Wright, considered him a friend, and felt like he knew him. The backstabbing Obama felt was the last straw for him.

Ending a long term friendship/relationship is not easy. It didn’t appear Obama was in good spirits today at all.

Obviously only your opinion of “Electability” is meaningful, that of the majority is meaningless as you have repeated ad nauseum. The stupid electorate knows nothing, but the all knowing Clinton supporters, on the other hand, will save us from ourselves. Thanks for nothing! Your concept of democracy leaves a hell of a lot to be desired…

That’s what leftists in Germany said in 1934. Is it politicaly correct to say leftists on a “liberal” blog?