if it really bothered him he would respond in the mainstream press.

He did not mention specific statements of Wright, and he claimed the church, including Wright, "has done so much good."  He just provided more ammunition to the GOP.

I cannot accept that Sen. Obama has had a close personal relationship with this bigot for twenty years and not had a problem with anything he has said from his pulpit until now...

they and the others here at MyHillary.com are unhinged.

Let me say at the outset 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. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Good for Senator Obama!

A pretty good response. And a good venue to publish the letter. Of course, I'm  one of only a handful of people here who are willing to say this.

This is a good statement by Obama.  I'm not sure if people are really going to buy the notion that these various videos represent nothing but the small handful of times the good Reverend went off his meds over a 20-year period.  But it's not for me to decide.

Rev. Wrights remarks ARE quite shocking, as you said.  Why is it then, that you were unaware of it until you began your Presidential campaign.

For instance, I would have expected that a "God-damn America" statement made 5 days after 9-11 would have been spread from one congregationist to another one, and that every congregationist would have heard about it within days.  

Why is it that this did not happen, as you state ?

What an excellent and heart-felt statement. What a statesman.  Truly outstanding.

Obama IS AMERICA.

Wow, great response. I really hope this settles it for those of us serious about the issue.

This is a huge problem in the g e . There will be parodies and songs and sound bytes replayed over and over again.

Of course Hillary supporters will want him to flog himself bloody, but for most rational citizens/voters this should be good enough. If it isn't I think the campaign was smart to give themselves an opportunity to make a wider more substantial comment (via television interview or an address). It was smart to use huffington as a first line of response.

This is crazy...
Why respond via the Huffington Post?  It looks like Obama does not want to answer all questions about this matter....take the heat.
I'm sorry, but this is BIG. Those videos are horrid and to shy away from talking directly about this makes Obama look weak and it will not stop the controversy.  
Hey, I remember Hillary Clinton as first lady doing a full and lengthy news conference, taking every single question.  That is what Obama needs to do.
Does Obama shy away from conflict?
(Ha...Ha...to borrow from SNL, Obama needs to "man up")

The Field's take on this is worth reading:

The Field takes a very contrary view to that of the conventional wisdom: Given that some public opinion polls say that as much as 13 percent of the electorate still thinks Barack Obama is a Muslim, the more focus on his Christian pastor the more that smear gets permanently erased.

As for the controversy and negatives that Wright's statements bring for some demographic groups that might look at Obama more negatively by association, it's a wash versus the equal-and-opposite controversy and negatives that Geraldine Ferraro, Bill Clinton and others have brought to Senator Clinton by association via race-baiting that is obvious to at least as large a population in other sectors.

And as for how the Wright factor shakes out in a general election campaign vs. McCain, it's no accident that the McCain campaign has already backpedaled from its use of Wright in this morning's talking points. See Ambinder's explanation for why McCain's own religious right supporters make such guilt-by-association comparisons very precarious for the Republican, who has his own skeletons on the pulpit.

Furthermore, when religion becomes an issue in a campaign, there are distinct reactions from different religious demographic groups. Catholics (a group that Clinton has done far better with than Obama) are famously in disagreement with the political views of their own priests and The Church (for example, Catholics support abortion rights in defiance of the Holy See, and in many Catholic households it is a badge of pride to disagree openly with the dictates of Rome or the local pastor on that and other issues). Many Jews similarly cringe at what they perceive as over-the-top anti-black statements from clergy. Most Americans are well used to living with the contradictions of being not in lockstep with clerical opinions. A somewhat embarrassing pastor is a point they have in common with Obama: a potential empathy point if played right.

The bottom line: The more controversy around Obama's Christian pastor, and his refusal to throw him under the bus, the less Obama will have to beat back the (more potentially destructive, `though false) Muslim smears in the fall. One might even say that the Wright controversy is, for Obama, a gift from a god that "speaks in mysterious ways."

Once again, people are worrying too much about "what might offend others," a signature of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s politics. But beyond the partisan feigners of outrage, or the "concern trolls" fretting aloud about how "others" could be turned off, who is really offended out there?

We're in the 21st Century now, when a certain amount of crazy is expected from all religious leaders.

Obamania is officially over, people.  Done!

He can denounce, reject, whatever.  Its over.

You don't sit through sermon after sermon on Sunday after Sunday and not have a clear idea that this guy is a bigot.  Not only that, but you don't declare to the world that this guy is your "moral compass" and "mentor" without knowing what he is about.

God damn America?  What do you think a tortured war hero will do with this?  What will that war hero gain from combining this with Obama's admitted refusal to wear the American flag?  What will that war hero gain when he combines all of this with Michelle Obama's declaration that until recently she has never been proud of the US?

Answer: the presidency and utter humiliation of the Democratic Party.

Its time to face the music: Obamania is over.

And only after Wright is exposed does Obama apologize.  Just as the press had to expose Rezko before Obama acknowledged that yet again he had erred.  

show.

He'll get some questions there.

But, you Repugs are never satisfied.  Decent people are, though.

Yes, but please keep in mind that you are absolutely against Obama to begin with; a veritable Obama Hater.  You are not the mainstream.  Please try and remember this before making predictions of this nature.

This will be forgotten in a week.  Sure, the GOP will try and use it to attack Obama; but it counters one of their other attacks, that he's muslim.  Can't be both Muslim and have an America-hating preacher at the same time!

Obama just praised Wright on the issue of HIV/Aids???  I thougth Wright said that Aids was invented by the U.S. government to kill black people.  Obama is lieing.  He knew about these statements.  How could he not?  Give me a fucking break.  

Good on Obama.  Some Clinton supporters won't be satisified until he drops from the race, I'm sure.  Others will accept what he has said/written.

Obama just hopes he can smile and say "i reject" over and over..and all this will just go away.  Well...i don't think so.

This was a first foray into the media with a response. He gets to post his full written response unfiltered for everybody to read and interpret. Now he will face follow-up questions in the mainstream media. He won't be avoiding his topic. He just wanted to get his full position out unedited. This was a smart strategy, whether you agree with his sincerity or not.

This was a first foray into the media with a response. He gets to post his full written response unfiltered for everybody to read and interpret. Now he will face follow-up questions in the mainstream media. He won't be avoiding his topic. He just wanted to get his full position out unedited. This was a smart strategy, whether you agree with his sincerity or not.

is one of the most overused, corny, melodramatic phrases on the net.

What does this show about Obama's judgement? This is a man who has been a close personal spiritual advisor, and Obama says this is the first he has heard of it in public or private. If he didn't know about these sort of things why did he call him a crazy uncle? This goes to show his judgement isnt perhaps as keen as people are assuming. And even if you say well let's get past this (and really I could it's all so depressing) what happens when he is picking a SCOTUS judge? Obama says he will not ask for a litmus test on any issue but will "look into the individuals heart and soul" . One can only assume he did that with Wright. And look what happened.

I don't think this thing is settled by any means. I'm sure there are more than a couple of Republican advertisement firms preparing commercials using Wright's footage, just in case Obama does get the nomination.

To be sure, this issue is not going away. But, as I said earlier, I think we (Democrats) have to take Obama at his word, that he truly rejects the horrible things his spiritual adviser has been telling him.

He's going on Hannity and Colmes (which is who dug this dirt up to begin with by the way) this evening to address it.  I'm sure the questioning from Hannity will be more than tough enough for any Hillary supporter... right?

I guess this is just another "boneheaded" mistake.  And the Obamabots will consume his empty text as so much Gospel.

This is what happens when a candidate is not properly vetted.  

Now I understand why Michelle Obama only loved her country after she and her husband's wealth increased with Obama's political ascendence.  

I guess Obama became a Obama supporter. He likes blogsphere so much so he had to come to his favorite site to address this very important matter.

Sad reality is Huffington Post can be a holy site for Obama supporters but not for everybody else.

Can't Obama camp be more immature? He needs to have a press conference or at least to give an interview to ABC news to clarify his relation with Rev. Wright.

By the way, I can not believe that he did not know that his 20 year pastor has said horrible remarks until he decided to run for. Probably he had to post a "blog" on Huffington Post because other media could not possible buy his explanation.

It is always the cover-up. I can bet that now so many investigative journalist will begin to find evidences to show that Obama was actually there when Rev. Wright gave controversal sermons. Why did he have to lie which will haunt him later?

I am glad that he is at least starting to address it, but this isn't going to cut it. There is no explaining this away. There just isn't.

Obama is saying that Wright just recently started saying offensive things but the statements about 9/11 comments were made several years ago.  Given their relationship I'd find it hard to believe that Obama had no knowledge of these unpatriotic beliefs by his pastor.

Why is he keeping this guy on his campaign?

I get the impression Obama thinks he can get away with anything, that he's gonna just keep on hoodwinking everyone.

Not me.  Last month I voted for him.  I won't again.

Damn It! Get to work! There last "Evil Rev. Wright (w/VIDEO)" fell of the the rec-list like 20 min. ago.

Here is the scene... John McCain, Barack Obama.  Presidential debate.  McCain "Why did you attend a church for 20 years that exposes the view that G*d should damn America?"  What is Obama going to say?  Hillary won't ask him that question.. but you can bet McCain will.

Finally, 20 years later! Nothing concentrates the mind I guess like the fierce urgency of now.

Quote from a New York Times article......

"If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me," Mr. Wright said with a shrug. "I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen."

Here's the link to the full article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/pol itics/30obama.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

first lets see if he condemns his pastor on national tv i'm afraid he wants to have it both ways he is not up at all to condemn his followers he did it in huffington post which his crowd dosnt read i have a hunch when he is going to be confronted on national tv he wouldn't condemn wriht in the public only refer to his article in huffington if he wants to have credibility he has unbind himself from wright in full  

Just does not pass the smell test-  ``never heard him speak such a sermon'' just does not seem plausible.