Obama as Marley

"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?"

- Marley's Ghost addressing Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843

On Tuesday morning, Obama held a press conference in order to stop the bleeding caused by his pastor’s, Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s, racist and anti-American screed broadcast live to the nation from the National Press Club on Monday. Because Obama was not honest with the public, the bleeding will continue and portends to be fatal. It need not have been.
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Many people have said that Obama needs to distance himself from the racist Reverend Jeremiah Wright. But much like Marley's ghost, Obama has, of his own free will, been creating a chain attaching himself to Rev. Wright. After near twenty years of close association, that chain is so long and ponderous that it cannot simply be cut with a bald repudiation - despite what the editorial board of the NYT posited in the wake of Obama's news conference. That poses a problem for Obama that is quickly becoming, if not already, insurmountable.

If Obama had chosen to be honest and fully forthcoming at any point up through his news conference on Tuesday, a transcript of which is here, Obama could have innoculated himself from much of the negatives of his relationship with Rev. Wright and his membership in Trinity United. He would still have stood a realistic chance in his bid for the presidency. Instead, in an amazing display of hubris, Obama has taken the opposite path. He is being dishonest with the public, attempting to hide his past rather than address it.

Reverend Wright’s several public appearances over the weekend brought into stark relief both the seriousness of Wright’s negatives for the Obama candidacy - particularly in November's general election - and the disingenuousness of Obama’s attempts to paint these negatives as unimportant. The issue of Rev. Wright and Obama’s relationship is a core issue of Obama’s candidacy. It goes directly to Obama’s character, judgment, beliefs and, because of the way Obama has handled this issue, his veracity. Obama admitted as much Sunday, in an interview with Fox News. But he could not have framed this issue any more clearly than he did inadvertently in the Tuesday morning press conference:

. . . When I go to church it's not for spectacle. It's to pray and to find -- to find a stronger sense of faith. It's not to posture politically. It's not -- you know, it's not to hear things that violate my core beliefs.

So what does his twenty years of membership in Trinity United tell us of his core beliefs? We are still not sure, as, in between angry denunciations of the outrageous, now fully in context comments Rev. Wright made before the National Press Club, Obama at his press conference was being incredibly disingenuos about the black liberation theology of his Church and the nature of the sermons to which he has been privy.

John Perazzo wrote an exceptional article in February, before Rev. Wright’s name became a household word, explaining the origins and doctrine of black liberation theology. But for the religious overlay, it is a theology that espouses a world view that is marxist in its purest form, both in term of economics and by interpreting all events within the rubric of blacks as permanent victims of oppression occurring at the hands of whites. It is a gospel and a world view out of touch with reality and one that is completely at odds with the persona Obama has painted to the public in an effort to win the presidency.

Obama was asked at his press conference about the nature of black liberation theology and why he chose a church that practiced that philosophy. Obama’s response was rambling and disingenuous rising to the level of an outright falsehood. Obama's initial response was redolent of a seasoned lawyer defending a guilty client - in this case, himself. He claimed that, despite twenty years at Trinity United, he had no idea about the nature of black liberation theology:

“Well, first of all, in terms of liberation theology, I'm not a theologian. So I think to some theologians, there might be some well-worked-out theory of what constitutes liberation theology versus non-liberation-theology.”

To describe that response as disingenuous is an understatement. But then he rose to unambiguous falsehood when equated Wright's black liberation theology to the "social gospel" of Martin Luther King. This does not stand up to the least bit of scrutiny. Black liberation theology was just being born in the crucible of the Sandanista's communist revolution in Nicaragua at about the time MLK was assassinated. It did not originate out of MLK's sermons or philosophy. More importantly, as to substance, MLK was explicit that his goals for blacks were equality with whites and full integration of blacks into the mainstream of society. And he stated his goals with incredible eloquence:

. . . And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today! . . .

See his speech here.

The black liberation theology of Rev. Wright could not be more different than MLK’s “social gospel”. Black liberaton theology is centered on placing the blame for all the ills of black society on the white oppressors. It does not seek equality, it seeks a reckoning of the historical balance sheet. And wholly opposed to MLK’s soul stirring plea for an integrated nation of equals, Rev. Wright’s black liberation theology promotes separatism and makes an explicit call for its members to reject white middle class society. For Obama to equate Rev. Wright to MLK in an effort to diffuse the issue and halt any further inquiry is an outright falsehood.

But Obama, in his Fox interview on Sunday, actually went one further. He equated the vile anti-American fantasies and diatribes of Rev. Wright to MLK’s 1967 Riverside speech criticizing America’s involvement in Vietnam. Again, this does not hold up to the slightest inquiry. MLK’s criticism of American policy did not “damn America” for genocidal acts against blacks. It was a factually based criticism of why MLK saw the war as wrong. And indeed, the facts that formed the foundation of his criticism are well documented in the Pentagon Papers. That is a far cry from the fantastical claims of Rev. Wright, a man who does not argue a rational point of view, but rather paints a fantasy of evil white society at war against blacks and the world at large. In short, the differences between MLK and Rev. Wright are, dare I say it, as clear as black and white.

And that brings us to the core of the Obama approach to all of this. Despite what we know about Rev. Wright, despite what we know about black liberation theology that animated Trinity United long before Obama became a member, and despite Obama writing that “white greed runs a world in need” in his book The Audacity of Hope, Obama claims that he heard nothing in the pews over twenty years in the nature of the racism and vile anti-Americanism that forms the core of Rev. Wright's black liberation theology.

During the course of me attending that church, I had not heard those kinds of statements being made or those kinds of views being promoted. And I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency. I was a member of the church.

It is simply unbelievable on the facts we know. It is completely counterintuitive. And Obama’s sarcastic remark about not “vetting” his pastor is an insult to our intelligence after he spent twenty years in the pews. His denial assures that this issue will not go away. Moreover, given the absolute nature of his denial, this was Obama's "I did not have sex with that preacher" moment. Future revelations regarding what he knew and when he knew it will utterly destroy his credibility and, with it, likely his bid for the presidency.

All of this is unfortunate in the sense that by his very candidacy, he could have made a difference for America on racial issue. He in fact could have led the nation on a true discussion of racism in our society - and I am not refering to the self serving pablum of his Philadelphia speech. Given the robust victimhood culture and grievance politics of the left, such a discussion is sorely needed.

With Obama’s unique background and given the reality that our country’s history is stained with racism and slavery, I think the vast majority of Americans, including conservatives, might have accepted a mea culpa from Obama. Were I to write that speech for Obama, it would be along the lines of what I have written below. I do not know if it is accurate, but I suspect that it might be:

As a young man, I was attracted to Rev. Wright by his dynamic presence, his message of hope, and indeed, his message of black liberation theology. That message combined an admirable belief in Jesus with a dream of hope for bettering the world that so captured my imagination that it still remains at the heart of my motivations today. Unfortunately, Rev. Wright's preaching also contained a message of racism and separatism that grew out of the black experience of the 50’s and 60’s.

I long ago separated the wheat from the chaff at Trinity United. I embraced the belief in Jesus as my savior and am eternally indebted to Rev. Wright gifting to me an unshakable belief in the audacity of hope. In those respects, he gave my life a meaning and a direction that have animated me since.

But the point where I agreed with the other aspects of Rev. Wright’s ministry ended within the first years of my joining Trinity United. I was able to recognize that our society has moved beyond Rev. Wright’s racial perspective and, indeed, have staked my entire political life and philosophy on promoting the opposite message. All the facts of my life in the public realm and in the private realm support that.

There are many good things about Rev. Wright that, indeed, have kept me close to him over the years. But his message of racism and his portrayal of a white government at war with blacks were not among them. I stayed in the Church and close to Rev. Wright wholly in spite of those things.

Many will say this reflects on my judgment. I would like to think it reflects far more on my loyalty and sense of duty to a kind, if flawed man to whom I am so indebted. And while I mean that with utter sincerity, I also speak with utter sincerity when I say that, in retrospect, I wish that had I been forceful over the years with Rev. Wright in expressing to him that his message, to the extent it contained a racist message, was wrong. At first I kept silent in the pews simply out of fear of offending Rev. Wright. As I aged and matured, I made the error of just keeping silent in the pews. I do hope that you will understand and forgive me for that error.

Unfortunately, even if the above is correct, we have seen repeatedly that Obama accepts no personal responsibility when he thinks that he can skate by. Obama lacks the necessary foresight, the intellectual honesty and the intestinal fortitude to make such a mea culpa. And indeed, the time frame in which he could do it and survive politically is likely passed. To attempt a mea culpa when future revelations come out will be interpreted as hypocritical political expediency and unlikely to salvage his bid for the presidency. Like Marley's ghost, Obama has doomed himself to walk the earth under the weight of the chain he built, link by link to Rev. Wright, over a period of twenty years. And he has securely tethered the chain to himself with buckles formed of hubris.

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Watcher's Council Nominations

Each week, the members of the Watcher's Council nominate one of their own posts and a second from outside the Council for consideration by other council members in a contest for best post. The Watcher publishes the results each Friday morning. The Watcher also has a process for anyone who would like to submit one of their posts for consideration as part of the weekly contest. You can find out more about that here. This week's nominations are:
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1. Done With Mirrors - Past Is Never Past
This is a difficult post to sum up in a line or two. It weaves together strains of economics, history and politics in an interesting post.

2. Joshuapundit - The Company One Keeps
JP takes note of the rogues gallary of supporters attaching themselves - and mosly soliticited by - Obama. As JP notes, Obama is trying to cultivate their support while, at the same time, telling us all that we have no right to evaluate him by the company he keeps.

3. Rhymes With Right - Oppressive Speech Regulation
RWR looks at how campaign finance laws are being used as a cudgel to limit the free speech of average Americans.

4. Wolf Howling - Outfoxed By Obama & The Twelve Unasked Questions
I am so tired of Obama getting a pass from the press, including Fox, I've typed out the questions for the reporters on the issues of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and the dissonance between Obama's unifying message and his long embrace of a racist as spiritual mentor.

5. Soccer Dad - Throwing Bashar a Lifeline
Syria presents a clear and present threat to Israel. All of its actions indicate that Syria, at present, has no interest in peace with Israel. The Golan Heights is militarily strategic terrain that controls northern Israel. So what possible motivation does Israeli PM Olmert have in offering up the Golan Heights for a peace deal that will likely not be worth the paper it is printed upon. To the contrary, Israel should annex the Golan Heights.

6. Bookworm Room - An Article About Islam Most Amazing for What It Doesn't Say
BW is not surprised that Berkley is holding a conference to whitewash radical Islam, but she is surprised that even the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting the whitewash without any challenge. It is funny that the Islamists trace Islamaphobia only from the time of the Spanish Inquisition. If they are looking for historical roots, perhaps the fact that Islam, between 700 A.D. and the Inquistion, expanded by the sword at a rate never matched before or since possibly should have been included in the list. As perhaps the destruction of churches in Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sephulcre, at the hands of the Caliph. And let us not forget the Barabary Pirates. Somehow, I doubt they made it into the chronology either.

7. The Colossus of Rhodey - Moral Relativism Reaches a New Low
The left is unmoored from reality. In their fantasy world, the U.S. is a font of evil, while all other nations of whatever stripe are the moral equal or superior. CoR is upset with one particularly egrigous example of this sub-species of humanity.

8, The Glittering Eye - Rising Food Prices
A very good post from GE examines the myriad of factors that have gone into causing the current meteoric rise in food prices. It is far more than just biofuels.

9. Cheat Seeking Missiles - Obama's Exxon Valdez
CSM compare the steady drip of damage being done to Obama by public exposure to Rev. Wright with the steady drip of bad news arising out of the Exon Valdez disaster. I concur in CSM's assessment of how Obama will try to handle it.

10. The Education Wonks - Teacher Arrested Not Once, But Twice!
Ed Wonk ponders the most recent case of a female paedophile in a Florida school and wonders whether what can be done to stop this reoccuring problem.

11. Hillbilly White Trash - Wright's Revenge
Mr. Trash has an exceptional post on the motivations of Rev. Wright and how they fit into the reality of today's America.

12. Right Wing Nut House - The Total Witlessness of Obama Apologists
This is an exceptional article not so much slapping Obama apologists as much as eviscerating them. There is an irony here that transcends mere poetry. It is the irony that the left are being exposed for all their moral and ethical failings and their total lack of intellectual honesty by the campaign of the penultimate left wing candidate. It makes one wonder if life is not merely the projection of Karl Rove's dreams.

Non-council links:

1. An Anatomy of SurrenderCity Journal

2. Obama. Wright. Farrakhan. Cone.Ace of Spades HQ

3. Affirmative Action AbortionsBalkinization

4. Standing Up for Their CultureBrits At Their Best

5. Rushing to Blame IsraelIsraellycool

6. SyrianaCommentary

7. ID (the Other Kind): Beginning of the Death of the Democratic Party?

8. Big Lizards
Political Maneuver in CounterinsurgencySmall Wars Journal

9. Obama's Eagleton AffairThe American Spectator

10. "A Triumph of Postmodern Politics"Dr. Sanity

11. Chevy Bill Ayers: A Classic Ride for Limousine LiberalsThe People's Cube

12. The Obama AestheticAmerican Thinker

13. Choose Your Identity Group Carefully, Kids!Classical Values

14. Multiculturalism Breeds Cultural ApartheidDodgeblogium

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This Is Not The Politics Of Fear

Any use by the right of the image of 9-11 or bin Laden - or any discussion of the terrorist threat - is decried as an unfair attack by the left. Wanting to keep the spotlight off their own fatal weaknesses, they label these issues as the "politics of fear." If that is the "politics of fear," I wonder then, how should we label the type of politics we see evinced in the latest DNC ad?

Howard Dean is running an ad taking McCain's statement that we could stay in Iraq for 100 years and running it wholly out of context. That is simply the banal intellectual dishonesty that we have come to expect from today's Democrats. But the ad below also contains footage of an al Qaeda suicide bomb and footage of our soldiers in 2004 being attacked by a road side bomb. The footage does not show if our soldiers were injured, but given that they were on a foot patrol and given their reaction to the blast, it certainly gives that perception. It is precisely what one would expect to see in an al Qaeda propaganda film - and given its nature, it may well have originated from precisely that source.



We are in a war. Our Democrats have tied their hopes, their dreams, and their very perception of America on labeling that war a defeat. That such an attitude is acceptable is evidence of the decayed and degraded state of the left who, in their Marxian world view, see America as evil.

Their use of footage of an al Qaeda suicide bombing is particularly ironic. This is precisely the type of image that would bring an immediate charge of "politics of fear" were the right to use that same footage to explain why we absolutely must succeed in Iraq. But the left feels free to use it to make an argument that we should just give up. Its not only an intellectual double standard, it is craven and immoral.

But exponentially worse is using footage of our troops being bombed. That is so far beyond the pale, so repugnant, so unpatriotic, and so enamored of defeat as to be abhorent. It shows a complete lack of any respect for our soldiers and their families. Only a person bereft of any principles and recognizing no value greater than achieving partisan political gain could be so twisted as to find such footage acceptable for any reason, let alone an ad advocating that we surrender to the craven bastards who set off that bomb.

So I ask again, if any mention of terrorism is the politics of fear, than what is using footage of successful al Qaeda suicide attacks and footage of our soldiers being bombed while on a foot patrol in Iraq? The politics of treason, perhaps?

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How About Some Context?

Reverend Jeremiah Wright had two significant engagements over the past few days. He was interviewed by PBS resident far left personality, Bill Moyers, in a puff ball interview that saw Moyers do his best to redeem Wright. But then today, speaking before the National Press Club, it was Jeremiah Wright unglued in all of his racist, anti-American glory. We will have to await for Obama to provide the context.
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In 2006 and before, Obama couldn't say enough about his preacher and mentor of twenty years, Rev. Wright. But once Rev. Wright's virulent racism and anti-Americanism became common knowledge, Obama has been trying his best to claim that what we have heard of Rev. Wright was a rare anamoly, taken out of context by the media and not central to the message Obama embraced for twenty years with his attendace and wallet. That canard just become much harder to make with a straight face, compliments of Rev. Wright today. This from Dana Milibank's blog at the Washington Post:

Speaking before an audience that included Marion Barry, Cornel West, Malik Zulu Shabazz of the New Black Panther Party and Nation of Islam official Jamil Muhammad, Wright praised Louis Farrakhan, defended the view that Zionism is racism, accused the United States of terrorism, repeated his view that the government created the AIDS virus to cause the genocide of racial minorities, stood by other past remarks ("God damn America") and held himself out as a spokesman for the black church in America.

. . . Wright suggested that Obama was insincere in distancing himself from his pastor. "He didn't distance himself," Wright announced. "He had to distance himself, because he's a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was anti-American."

Explaining further, Wright said friends had written to him and said, "We both know that if Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected." The minister continued: "Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls."

Wright also argued, at least four times over the course of the hour, that he was speaking not for himself but for the black church.

"This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright," the minister said. "It is an attack on the black church." He positioned himself as a mainstream voice of African American religious traditions. "Why am I speaking out now?" he asked. "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 got another thing coming."

That significantly complicates Obama's job as he contemplates how to extinguish Wright's latest incendiary device. Now, he needs to do more than express disagreement with his former pastor's view; he needs to refute his former pastor's suggestion that Obama privately agrees with him.

Wright seemed aggrieved that his inflammatory quotations were out of the full "context" of his sermons -- yet he repeated many of the same accusations in the context of a half-hour Q&A session this morning.

His claim that the September 11 attacks mean "America's chickens are coming home to roost"?

Wright defended it: "Jesus said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic divisive principles."

His views on Farrakhan and Israel? "Louis said 20 years ago that Zionism, not Judaism, was a gutter religion. He was talking about the same thing United Nations resolutions say, the same thing now that President Carter's being vilified for and Bishop Tutu's being vilified for. And everybody wants to paint me as if I'm anti-Semitic because of what Louis Farrakhan said 20 years ago. He is one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century; that's what I think about him. . . . Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery, and he didn't make me this color."

He denounced those who "can worship God on Sunday morning, wearing a black clergy robe, and kill others on Sunday evening, wearing a white Klan robe." He praised the communist Sandinista regime of Nicaragua. He renewed his belief that the government created AIDS as a means of genocide against people of color ("I believe our government is capable of doing anything").