Barack Obama divorces Rev. Jeremiah Wright

On March 18 in a speech in Philadelphia entitled "A More Perfect Union," Barack Obama defended his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright (transcript).

As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.

I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.

Yesterday, Obama publicly divorced his former pastor (transcript).

Yesterday we saw a very different vision of America. I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday. I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I’ve known Reverend Wright for almost 20 years. The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.

They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought either.

Local bloggers react.

• America, If You Let Barack Obama Slide Through Your Hands Because Of Some Bumps , Then You Don't Deserve Him As Your President. - Sharaon Cobb
  Now is the time for each and every Obama supporter to take control of his or her emotions and not let the media or the vitriol coming from Hillary supporters(after reading the story, you must read the comments!) dictate our feelings and more importantly, our commitment to this once in a lifetime candidate.
• Snatching Defeat Out Of The Jaws Of Victory - Newscoma
  I don’t know, I see a different picture about this latest Wright political scandal. First of all, I see chapters being taken from the Karl Rove Handbook where the bottom line is “Destroy” and ask questions later. The mainstream television news media swarms on these sort of tactics and political spin creators know this.
• Oh, that Reverend Wright!?! Updated - Wisdom Is Vindicated
  It seems that the final straw may have been the Reverend's "politician" swipe. Apparently Wright doesn't realize that Obama is a new kind of leader . . . not a politician.
• Obama: A Profile in Cowardice - Moore Thoughts
  First, we are told by Obama himself that that he didn’t know much bad about Jeremiah Wright. Obama had no disdain for Wright at the beginning of the disclosure, only the things he said, which (ludicrously) Obama claimed to have not heard. Then, we heard that Wright isn’t just about what we hear - that his offensive remarks were outside his usual message of hope (hear Arizona, ocean front property, and bridge, Brooklyn).
• Bloggers on Wright V Obama: Let’s Get Predictable!!! - DorkNation
  Some wonder whether the Wright matter will go away now. Yes and no. The GOP will still try to make use of Wright in the fall, however I believe the key demographic, those undecided voters who are not political junkies but do make a point to vote in most elections, have reached their Rev. Wright saturation point.