And why oh why in the wide, wide world of black liberation theology did it take until now for Barack Obama to become outraged? You know, some of us would have been a bit more than outrage the first time we heard out pastor ask God to damn America ... and don't give me that nonsense about Obama not knowing what was going on at the pulpit of his 20-year church. His response? "I gave [Reverend Wright] the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he's done enormous good. ... But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS. ... There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced.
Just how do you give someone the "benefit of the doubt" over comments like that? If I remember Mississippi Senator Trent Lott didn't get much benefit of the doubt when he made those innocuous comments about Strom Thurmond's presidential candidacy. George W. Bush didn't get much benefit of the doubt with that Mission Accomplished statement that he (didn't) hang on that aircraft carrier. Fuzzy Zeller didn't even get much of a benefit of the doubt when he made that crack about the Champion's Dinner at the Masters golf tournament. Fuzzy was talking about fried chicken and greens .. and Wright was talking about America bringing 9/11 on itself! Benefit of the doubt? Give me a break!
So Obama sits back and sees that this just isn't going away any time soon. Day after day Obama gets knocked off his vapid "Change We Can Believe In" message by Jeremiah Wright enjoying his 15 minutes ... and now it becomes time to act. Now we wait for some race warlords out there to complain that the white man forcing Obama to denounce his own church and black community.
Here's the video for those of you who missed the press conference.
