The pseudo-scandal of Jeremiah Wright

(Photo from The New York Times)

I'm loathe to bathe in the sewer of he said/she said stuff of the various supporters of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton from the past week, but it's a pretty big issue, and I'm full of anger about it, so here goes. ...

First, presidential candidates cannot possibly be held responsible for what their various supporters say, feel and do. When some of those things happen to be idiotic, the candidates will distance themselves, and rightfully so.

I have some pretty strong opinions about the pseudo-Jeremiah Wright scandal. And YES, I'm calling it a "pseudo-scandal," dug up by the GOP's official disinformation station, Fox News, and some other networks of the so-called "liberal media." ABC News purchased many of Wright's sermons following his retirement when they were offered for sale, reportedly to look for "controversial material."

This is a stupid, transparent attempt to find dirt on Barack Obama, a powerful and popular candidate, who will likely be the Democratic presidential nominee.

First, what has Wright said that's so controversial? Plenty, and much of it I find outrageous and despicable. But not all of it.

Wright has said that Zionism has elements of "white racism," and that the 9/11 attacks were a consequence of violent American policies and proved that "people of color had not gone away, faded into the woodwork or just 'disappeared' as the Great White West went on its merry way of ignoring Black concerns."

Yikes. First of all, I'm sick and tired of the Antisemitism that is lobbed by the Jew haters in America and around the world, most notably by people like Louis Farrakhan, linked to Obama via Wright. Does that make Obama an Anti-Semite? Hardly.

Wright's reasoning that 9/11 is a consequence of violent American policies has more than a kernel of truth in it, but I don't feel America's policies in the past in any way justifies the attacks. No way. It does, however, partially explain them. Of course, this is unfashionable to say, especially in the eyes of many neocons, who are wrapped, packaged, draped and cloaked in belligerent patriotism.

Recently on CNN, the bloated, gambling addict William Bennett, a GOP talking head, was visibly miffed when someone (Michelle Obama) insinuated that America isn't the greatest country in the world. "It is," harrumphed Bennett. I'm so tired of that empty statement, and I'm even more tired of people accusing someone who won't go along with it of being unpatriotic. There are many things I don't like about America, and if you don't like that or think I'm unpatriotic, then I've got some suggestions about where you can go and how to get there.

Many African-American churches are pretty angry at how blacks have been treated in this country for, oh, about 300 years. Even a blind man can see that African-Americans still suffer some social injustices and have disadvantages in this country. Sure, some progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go. Our country has a long, painful history of racism and sexism - since our country's founding, Native-Americans, women and African-Americans all have plenty of stories to tell over three centuries of being mistreated, discriminated against and even murdered. Because I'm pointing out the obvious doesn't mean that I hate America, despite what some who disagree with me would undoubtedly say.

Sure, Wright has said some stupid things, no doubt designed to stir up his audience into a frenzy. Obama has publicly condemned those comments.

From a April 30, 2007 article in The New York Times (Subscription Required to access NYT archives):

"The violence of 9/11 was inexcusable and without justification," [Obama] said in a recent interview. He was not at Trinity the day Mr. Wright delivered his remarks shortly after the attacks, Mr. Obama said, but "it sounds like he was trying to be provocative."

"Reverend Wright is a child of the 60s, and he often expresses himself in that language of concern with institutional racism and the struggles the African-American community has gone through," Mr. Obama said. "He analyzes public events in the context of race. I tend to look at them through the context of social justice and inequality."

Despite the canceled invocation, Mr. Wright prayed with the Obama family just before his presidential announcement. Asked later about the incident, the Obama campaign said in a statement, "Senator Obama is proud of his pastor and his church."

Does that disqualify Obama to be president? Surely it does not. The last time I checked, you can be proud of someone and have a relationship with someone without agreeing with everything that person says or does. But, as far as the neocons are concerned, this isn't possible if you're a presidential candidate. (Click the above link - I blogged about this yesterday - while I was growing up, the pastor of my church had some personal issues, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person or that I wouldn't associate with him today. But, that doesn't mean I think adultery is acceptable, either.)

For instance, I'm proud of the fact that I voted for Bill Clinton twice, in 1992 and in 1996. Am I proud of the fact that he had an adulterous affair with Monica Lewinsky and lied about it? Of course not. But, does the fact that I voted for Clinton, and that I am to this day, an admirer of his make me a believer in adultery? Please. Am I proud that I twice voted for him? You're damn right I am. Hopefully, you see how stupid this argument quickly becomes upon reasoned analysis.

Speaking of analysis, let's do a little of it that you won't see on Faux News (or probably another other network, for that matter). Are Wright's comments any more offensive than some of the radical religious right's comments following 9/11? Specifically on September 13, 2001? Well, let's listen to them, shall we? ...

Both Jerry Falwell's and Pat Robertson's comments are despicable, outrageous, inexcusable and yes, unforgivable. Of course, the next day a contrite Falwell apologized, but I think few took that apology sincerely, considering his track record of repeatedly spewing intolerant stuff like this and then subsequently apologizing when enough people were angry. I hope Falwell, rest in peace, is keeping Timothy McVeigh company.

How is any of this relevant to the Wright pseudo-controversy? You tell me...

In 2000, McCain rightfully called Falwell and those like him "agents of intolerance," but the 2007 version of McCain (when the picture above was taken) will pander and do anything to become president.

If Obama (or Hillary) is smart, during the fall campaign, if Fox and the right wing noise machine keeps up with the Jeremiah Wright propaganda, the picture above ought to be used extensively in political ads, along with the video of Falwell and that idiotic rube Robertson offering up their 9/11 blame games.

Anyway, does McCain's public embrace of Falwell disqualify him to be president? Nope - no more than Wright's comments disqualify Obama, and they don't.

Is there any chance that we could get back to the issues that are affecting tens of millions of Americans any time soon? That would really be nice.

In addition to the War in Iraq, where American deaths are now on the brink of 4,000, we have a mounting debt, an impending economic crisis, and a million other problems that are getting zero play in the press. More on what issues I consider important in a bit.

If anything, both the Obama and Clinton campaigns have not been nearly forceful or timely enough to distance themselves from the stupid remarks of their supporters. Hopefully, these are lessons that are learned and applied to the fall campaign, because one thing's for sure - if it's this ugly now, it's going to be infinitely uglier in the summer and fall.

It's gonna be a bumpy ride.