Let’s see, should we spend 100 years offering military support to become strong allies or should we put our tails between our legs and run home whimpering for all of the world to see right now? One choice is forward thinking and constructive (McCain’s plan), the other sets Iraq up to be the world’s largest hotbed of anti-Americanism and terrorism (Democrat’s plan). No wonder Democrats favor running home, the hate America and like to use terror as a catalyst for social changes.

Perhaps thinking past what’s for dinner doesn’t appeal to some people, we can look at the past for some evidence as to which choice is better.

Countries we stayed in:

Japan
South Korea
Germany

Countries we left haning:

Vetnam
Somalia

Would you rather live in Japan, South Korea and Germany or in Vietnam and Somalia? Why should we force Iraqis to live in a third world country when we can help them build themselves up to become a super power like Japan, South Korea and Germany?

Abandoning Iraq to terrorist networks and sectarian militias isn’t about “bringing our troops home” it’s about making George W. Bush, and by extension Republicans, look bad. I can’t bring myself to respect any hypocrite who says that leaving Iraq to stand alone against a flood of violence is the humane thing to do. If people really do hate war, they should love the fact that we are dethroning regional warlords and terrorist groups.

This is nothing new. Both Obama and Hillary have been misquoting McCain’s comments in this regard ever since he said it. The problem is that some people believe he actually endorses 100 years of warfare, which is of course not what he said. Typical stuff really.

This entry is part of a series in celebration of Women’s History Month.

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

This is not the first time you have seen Hillary Clinton seemingly at her wits end, but she has always risen, always risen, much to the dismay of her adversaries and the delight of her friends.

Hillary Clinton will not give up on you and all she asks of you is that you do not give up on her.

There is a world of difference between being a woman and being an old female. If you’re born a girl, grow up, and live long enough, you can become an old female. But, to become a woman is a serious matter. A woman takes responsibility for the time she takes up and the space she occupies.

Hillary Clinton is a woman. She has been there and done that and has still risen. She is in this race for the long haul. She intends to make a difference in our country.

She is the prayer of every woman and man who long for fair play, healthy families, good schools, and a balanced economy.

She declares she wants to see more smiles in the families, more courtesies between men and women, more honesty in the marketplace. Hillary Clinton intends to help our country to what it can become.

She means to rise.

She means to help our country rise. Don’t give up on her, ever.

In fact, if you help her to rise, you will rise with her and help her make this country a wonderful, wonderful place where every man and every woman can live freely without sanctimonious piety, without crippling fear.

Rise Hillary.

Rise.

Obama is siting his new type of politics. NOT! This is totally OLD POLITICS AS USUAL. This guy is unbelievable. Maybe he is not informed enough on foreign policy to know that we have military in a lot of countries that are not in combat. He is so smart that he would immediately pull the troops out of Iraq and if he found out that Al Quita had a presence there, he would send them back in. What a fool! I don’t know if Al Quita was there when we went into Iraq, that is a whole other argument, but they are there now. We probably shouldn’t have gone into Iraq in the first place as half the country does not have the stomach to make a decision and stick to it when the going gets rough. But as Obama said on his vote to fund the troops, “Once the bus is driven into the ditch, there are only so many ways to get it out”. He’s saying, the bus is in the ditch, now we finally have called the tow truck (surge) and have the bus halfway out of the ditch. Then when the bus is halfway out of the ditch, Obama will unhook it and let it slam into the ditch even deeper. “OMG,” says Obama, “now the bus is so deep it will take a crane to get it out”. Can you believe this ‘Empty Suit/Head’!

Obama’s spinning this as hard as he can. McCain didn’t indicate a “permanent occupation”. McCain is stating it would resemble the scenarios of Japan, Germany and South Korea. It’s simply good sense.

But Obama wants to spin this very hard because that’s all he has. Watch Obama and it begins and ends with “100 years” and “I didn’t vote for the war”. What Obama isn’t saying is that the cost drastically drops once the scenario McCain outlines comes into play.

Obama’s mute on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait..etc and their costs and comparisons. McCain should indicate this to him and shut him up once and for all.

Ahh Barack Hussein…you’re a riot.

For a candidate that claims he wants to rise above the “old school” politics and mud-slinging, he and his team are doing very well at it!!! If he were only half as good as his words, he might be worth considering, but so far I’ll seen is a lot of eloquent trash talking.

Why does Mr. Obama continue to quote snippets of John McCain and distorting what he really said and meant. So, I guess its fair to quote his wife as saying she has never been proud of her country until now. Or, that white America is mostly racist by referring to his grandmother as a “typical white person”. Or, should we conclude that Obama hates America since the country is racist and invented AIDS as a means to kill off black people, since he is a member of a church that preach this from the pulpit. Well Obama would say that we are taking 30 second sound bytes and distorting the views of his pastor; but now he is doing the same against John McCain. I can’t wait to start debating this fraud.

“Would you rather live in Japan, South Korea and Germany or in Vietnam and Somalia? ” Answer: I’d prefer to continue living in America, under constitutional based, responsible governing by the people duly elected torepresent the citizens of America. This does not include imperialistic and militaristic adventurism where ever some ideological bloc (neo cons in this case) deem it is necessary and profitable to invade. Clear enough?

Y’all are a bunch of blood thirsty murderers. Beat your swords into plowshares and shut the hell up.

There is NOTHING WORSE than the right wing religious fanaticism of the “new-cons” - there is nothing good that can come from them and their way of thinking. In fact, they are EXACTLY the same as the “Islamo Facists” they proport to hate so much.

It never ceases to amaze me how scared and ignorant Republicans like to be. Silly little wusses, open your minds and get a life. Fox is a disinformation outlet… and you clowns eat it up like momma’s cooking. Be afraid, BE AFRAID! Should be the GOP motto.

Pathetic.

The military budget of the United States is bigger than the next 168 countries combined. Look it up if you don’t believe me. John McCain wants to increase the size of our military (see his campaign website). First, please just tell me why we need to spend even more money (to bomb Arabs for the fun of it?). Second, when you make a mistake as big as the invasion of Iraq, you need to own up to it. McCain has not, so the solution is to kick him out of office. I don’t care if he’s running against Obama or Hillary or Kermit the Frog - he is GONE.

Disabled American Vet,

Rise Hillary. Rise.

Thanks for that poetic response in favor of Hillary Clinton, one of the dirtiest politicians to come down the pike since her husband spread his legs in the oval office for an intern.

It might have been more effective if you hadn’t blatently plagierized Maya Angelou. To take Maya’s beautiful, transcendant poem and apply it to someone like HRC demeans not only the poet, but anyone who reads it.

Keep your ignorant opinions to yourself.

It is entirely fair of Senator Obama to refer to the statement about 100 years in Iraq. Senator McCain needs to say under what terms he would end the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and how the U.S. can continue to fund the war. If he wants to be president, he must be specific and convincing on this issue, which defines his campaign, because the American public does not agree with him about the war.

Obama’s top military advisor McPeak said we would be in Iraq for a century and compared it to
South Korea. He said this in the oregonion.

Why won’t the press ask him about this hypocracy. Why is the McCain press shop asleep.

100 yrs. thats about how long Mc plans on rehashing his bio. Lots of us are vietnam vets 35-40 yrs ago, but we came home moved past that and got on with our lives. This constant bombardment of his past is getting real old, just like him.. give it a rest..
Just do us all a favor, sign the Save Act and don’t stall it or prehaps you might just become collateral damage too because real conservatives never forget and you might just get left behind on the political battlefield.

It’s time for a change. We don’t need the 3rd term of Bush. “Winning” in Iraq (however you measure that) and defeating terrorism are impossible goals. The $ could be better spent in the USA.

Scared Idiots, It never ceases to amaze me how blacks can talk about how wonderful ‘Africa’ is, but will not take the free one way ticket there that many ‘Americans’ would gladly give them. Many an immigrant has come to this country under worse persecusion that they personally suffered and are making a happy, content living here and are loving this country. Yet, the only race that cries for restitution is the blacks. Slavery was a long time ago and we are made up of a country of all colors that have at some time in their life been discriminated against and yet they aren’t making a career out of it.

The hundred year war will come when Obama turns tail out of Iraq and negotiates appeasement with Ahmadinejad, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Putin, and maybe even Bin Laden, since he’s willing to sit down and “negotiate” with anybody– and that includes, I presume Mephistopheles or Beelzebub himself if the situation arises.

To terrorists, negotiation is a sign of weakness that emboldens them — and their biggest goal is publicity, which those type of negotiations certainly provide.

So, by emboldening the terrorists and the dictators, Obama would encourage our enemies to take bolder steps against the United States, our interests and our allies, more terrorism, more chaos.

That could certainly bring about a hundred year war.

The comments from the democrats show how dumb-downed that party has become in the last 20 years…I don’t care for much of anything that is going on in politics today from both sides…BUT you don’t just pull out of a war…that will lead to total chaos in a region that has been lead by wild donkeys since the beginning of time. Read Gen. 16:11-12.

That region will always be a hotbed of contention…that is why we need someone who knows the Bible…it clearly talks about these people groups. But we do not have that in any of these candidates…BUT at least we know McCain understands war and its affects. He is a patriot…where Obama isn’t really even a full blooded American…his father was never a citizen and never did a thing for this country except impregnant a white securalist while he had another girlfriend pregnant at the time. His bloodline and roots are weak!

WHY do you think bloodlines are prized in raising animals…like RACE HORSES…it is because IT IS PROVEN TO MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The way I see it, Obama is misquoting McCain. McCain never mentioned leaving combat troops in Iraq for 100 years. He was quoted as saying it would be okay to maintain a “presence in a very volatile part of the world”. This is, in essence, what Obama implied he would do when he stated during a debate with Senator Clinton that he would leave residual troops in Iraq to help with security. Typical politics.

How long should we stay there? Nobody gives a straight answer because nobody knows. There will be an anti-American movement and feeling as long as we have troops there. Period, end of discussion. We have made as many terrorists as we have killed. We are no safer now as we were 7 years ago. Why not use strategic strikes against specific targets (using Spec Ops and crusie missles) instead of invading a whole country and trying to change a regime. I have friends in the Army and Navy who have both told me that.

Oh, and nobody’s ever told me why Bush’s daughters haven’t signed up to fight? I thought we are in a new world and that the war in Iraq will determine our safety for the next century? If that’s true, wouldn’t you think the president’s kids would want to fight?

I’m sorry. I couldn’t make it past the third paragraph. All content aside, the writing in this blog is horrible.

Well, i don’t understand republican logic, if there is such a thing. The longer the VIETNAM war dragged out, the more the american public realized that the war was unwinnable. Can’t anyone see the same thing in IRAQ? And if you do think the war has a chance of being won, tell me how america will stop the insurgents from getting resupplied in IRAN and return to fight. Plus Iraq is a lightning rod for recruiting from all the muslim countries. In vietnam, the insurgents were resupplied in countries like LAOS, and that’s why the US had such a hard time. It is chilling how close the two wars are in similiarity. A puppet regime was also installed by the US in VIETNAM and IRAQ. Remember when they said COMMUNISM must be contained in south east asia or it will destabilize the whole region. HMMMMM, sounds like all those HAWKS in the republican party who are saying if we leave iraq, IRAN will run the whole middle east. Anyhow, i hope Republicans keep pushing the whole notion of a just war in IRAQ, any reasonable person with an ounce of education will vote democrat.

Some writers distorted the significance of Senator McCain’s foreign policy remarks. He said the United States probably would be in Iraq for 100 years and he was fine with this ‘as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. He pointed out how the U.S. military stabilized Japan, Italy, and Germany after WWII by remaining there 60 years after WWII and in South Korea 50 years after the Korea War.
Obama said that McCain’s willingness to mire our troops in Iraq for a 100 years of war is reason enough not elect him president. However, some political commentators try to convince voters that Obama’s response was naive and McCain was knowledgeable and experienced. Why?
McCain only repeated history most people know. He supplies no evidence why staying in those nations was best policy in 1945, 1985 or now. Just because some action or condition follows another does not mean the previous action caused what followed. It is possible that those nations may have done better without our troops staying there for half a century. It certain would have benefited the United States to spend those trillions of dollars educating Americans and investing in our nation’s infrastructure. The United States is going broke policing the world.
Our public schools are the worse of industrialized nations, our rail system and roads are a mess while European and Asian nations are improving in all those areas. So, McCain’s suggestion that American taxpayers add Iraq to nations on the list and continue to occupy and defend them indefinitely is an unwise economic and foreign policy.

“Comment by reparationsforblacks
March 31st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Scared Idiots, It never ceases to amaze me how blacks can talk about how wonderful ‘Africa’ is, but will not take the free one way ticket there that many ‘Americans’ would gladly give them. Many an immigrant has come to this country under worse persecusion that they personally suffered and are making a happy, content living here and are loving this country. Yet, the only race that cries for restitution is the blacks. Slavery was a long time ago and we are made up of a country of all colors that have at some time in their life been discriminated against and yet they aren’t making a career out of it” REPLY: ARE YOU KIDDING!!! First of all, no one has offered anyone a one way ticket - that just shows your prejudice. Second, many immigrants have freely come to this country and, I will admit that given the opportunity to choose, some africans probably would have come here in the beginning as well. However, what Americans of African Decent did not have was a choice, you idiot. Yes, slavery was a long time ago, jim crow - legalized segregation, only ended 40 years ago and the denigration that has been piled on Americans of African Decent is still alive and well!!! Why is it alright for you to tell them to get over being beat down for centuries. I am sure you, just as everyone else, has had traumatic experiences - how did it affect you? Did you get over it right away? Were you angry, hurt, disillusioned? Now, tell me how an entire race is supposed to just forget that they were enslaved? How are they to forget that their parents were not seen as full citizens until 40 years ago? I think there would be a lot of residual damage had this happened to you. Our educational system not only failed African Americans in teaching inadequate Amercian history, it failed the entire country. If slavery had been shown for the inhumane action that it truly is instead of romanticized by former slave owners and then the cinema (in other words showing that slaves and servants were “happy little darkies” we would not still be having this dialogue. Grow Up!!!

Last month, he was a muslim. Last week, he was a Christian extremist with a crazy preacher. Fox News is the real enemy. Obama has no love for unborn babies…Sean, I’m scared….Sean, It’s frightening….Sean, I’m really afraid….Sean. Can I move to Canada?…Sean, this is troubling…Sean, where are the cyanide tablets? I need to put myself out of my misery….Sean, do you know his Middle name?…Sean, If I lie in a fetal position, will America be ike it was whan Reagan was president?…Oh god, oh god, god, oh god (shaking hand feverishly whie fanning face)…Sean, this is the big one….Ronnie…I’m coming to join ya baby! Did I mention how scared I am?

We should stay out of the affairs of other countries. Friends with all, lasting alliances with none. That was the advice of our founders and it is still as valid today. If we keep trying to occupy other countries and tell them how to conduct their affairs, it will continue to create backlash effects, such as 9/11. If the troops of some other country were to occupy the U.S. and tell us how to conduct our affairs, we would react no differently. That 100 years remark is going to haunt McCain. He acknowledges that his attitude is in direct defiance of 70% of the american people; not a great way to win a national election. Fortunately, there’s no real chance for him to win.

Defending Obama’s grandmother

From a glowing profile of her in the Honolulu Advertiser:

But several current and former Bank of Hawaii executives — some of whom were mentored by Dunham and knew her after she retired — said they were stunned by Obama’s comments about his grandmother.

“I was real surprised that he indicated that,” said Dennis Ching, who was a 23-year-old management trainee under Dunham beginning in 1966. “I never heard her say anything like that. I never heard her say anything negative about anything. And she never swore.”

Obama may have been referring, the profile notes, to a specific incident he mentioned in his book. Also, she’s been watching the whole thing on CNN.

The biggest problem is we were too late with this. We should’ve forced a regime change in the first Gulf War. Instead we left Sadaam in to counter Iran. Back then things would’ve been different. Al Quada was not at the strength it was in 2003. We had Iraqi support for deposing Sadaam, we would’ve been seen as liberators. Its interesting how much things can change in 12 years. At this point we cannot abandon Iraq, we may have invaded the country for the wrong reasons, but we have destablized the country and can’t in good conscience leave it in its current state.

What’s with people getting so offended every time Obama comments on some statement that one of his opponents has made? Is he lying? Making it up? No. John McCain said those words. If he did not mean them the way Obama is suggesting or if he feels misunderstood than tell us what you REALLY meant. Since he refuses to do that than it is left to interpretation…you understand ‘interpretation’ right? It’s that ridiculous reaction you manifest when ‘you decide’ what McCain’s statement REALLY meant and what Barak Obama’s motives are for calling him on it. If McCain chooses to avoid revealing the truth of his words than he deserves to be called out, just like those lying Clintons…unless he has the habit of “the misspoken word” as well. Funny how a blatant lie can be transformed into a nice word like “misspoke.” The Clinton motto is: A lie is as good as the truth if you can get someone to believe it. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman!”

FOR YOUR INFO TRUTH SCARE”M…

Obama has many recorded lies as well…likehe says his parents met at the riots…Obama was born 4 years before that…

HE lies and SHE lies…

Obama and Hillary could both represent the Democratic Party quite well! Both lack personal integrity. Both lack the ability to be truthful regarding their close association with various undesirables, convicted felons (or soon to be felons), illegal political activities, etc. As to Obama personally, his complete lack of good judgment in attending a racist church for 20 years (lately with his young daughters) is shameful. As to Hillary personally, she is without a doubt a pure counterfeit. She belongs in prison for false grand jury testimony, lying to FBI agents regarding various Clinton scandals, criminal activities during her Arkansas years, criminal activities regarding campaign fundraising, etc. Obama and Hillary deserve one another. They should run on the same ticket! WAKE UP VOTERS!

Mccain doesn’t even know what is going on in Iraq right now, he says we’d stay if american troops aren’t being killed, well they are being killed right now jonny boy, should we leave?

If you aren’t even aware that Maliki is going to attack and get his butt whupped by Sadr what good are you?

Do you even know that Maliki and Sadr are Shiities?

If Obama is as willing to listen to the requests of foreign leaders as much as he says he is, then his Iraq attack is weak. If Iraq asks him to keep a base in Baghdad then what would he do? He would keep troops there thus lying to all his supporters. We’re going to be there for awhile. It’s also cheaper then constantly redeploying like Obama said he would do.

Before you criticize Obama about sitting down to speak with the US so called enemy, please check out what the former Director of the Reagan White House Task Force on Terrorism had to say. America is a terriorist organization based on their own definition on what Terrorism is.

From WikiPedia on Mr. Edward Peck:

Edward Peck argued against invading Iraq prior to the March 2003 invasion. He argued, in part, “when you take out Saddam Hussein, the key question you have to ask then is, what happens after that? And we don’t have a clue. Nobody knows, but it’s probably going to be bad. And a lot of people are going to be very upset about that, because that really is not written into our role in this world is to decide who rules Iraq.” Peck has been highly critical of U.S. policy toward Israel, arguing through the Council for the National Interest (CNI) in which he plays an active role, that the U.S. should be more even handed in its Middle East policy. He argues that while Hezbollah could be considered a terrorist organization, it is no more terrorist than Israel or the U.S. itself. He supports a dialogue with Hezbollah. He claims that in 2000, at the Camp David talks, Israel offered the Palestinians “12 little Bantustans [see December 22 interview link below].” His speech was publicized in a documentary produced by If Americans Knew.

Speaking in July 2006 to syndicated US radio news programme Democracy Now!, Peck said that:

“In 1985, when I was the Deputy Director of the Reagan White House Task Force on Terrorism, they asked us — this is a Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism; I was the Deputy Director of the working group — they asked us to come up with a definition of terrorism that could be used throughout the government. We produced about six, and each and every case, they were rejected, because careful reading would indicate that our own country had been involved in some of those activities. […] After the task force concluded its work, Congress got into it, and you can google into U.S. Code Title 18, Section 2331[3], and read the U.S. definition of terrorism. And one of them in here says — one of the terms, “international terrorism,” means “activities that,” I quote, “appear to be intended to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.” […] Yes, well, certainly, you can think of a number of countries that have been involved in such activities. Ours is one of them. Israel is another. And so, the terrorist, of course, is in the eye of the beholder.”[4]

Real respect comes for those that lift themselves up from adversity. Anyone can stand around on a street corner with a chip on their shoulder and wail why society owes them… GET A GRIP !!!
May 1 the Illegals will be marching in the streets demanding their due too.
Amnesty, free benefits, healthcare, you name it.
Personally, I’m not paying for anything or anyone that I do not have an indebtedness to. You can see the glass half full or be a REAL WHINNING IDIOT and see the glass half empty. Whichever, your only going to get out of life what you put into it and the earlier you understand that the better person you’ll become and then prehaps that chip won’t keep nawing away at your very existence so much.

My name is raneli which means LOSER in my native land. Ive adopted this Country but everytime I run into people who can’t write well, I have a hissy-fit. Maybe it’s little things like this why I have no friends and can’t get laid. Well you’ll have to excuse me now, I have to check other peoples writing skills on other blogs.

To chibuyer - I’d much rather put my trust in a Disabled Vetran (God Bless you vet) than a a chibuyer, what ever that means. You are pathetic. We need to revere, honor and respect our vetrans, not speak like you did. You’re the dud here.

That’s right, we need ol’ Obama bin Laden as Prez. He understands those moslems; and you know why he does, too. Takes one to know one. Koranna, Koranna, where you been so looooooonnnnnnggggggggggggg.

RENENLI

Hey good-bye LOSER, I mean renenli. Don’t let the door hit you in the a$$ on you’re way out.

My family came here from Scotland in 1818, driven out by the b-st-rd english who stole their land. I shall like a reparation check, with 190 years interest, even though I was not involved personally, mailed to me and signed by Queen Elizabeth II, by… say, next Wednesday. Or, I’ll pout and whine like little a b-tch.

SherI, have you seen ‘Root’s. That was definitely propaganda to tell how happy, as you say, ‘Darkies’ were. No one is saying that Slavery was good. It is just that it is not happening here in the US anymore. Let me clarify that: There is slavery still going on here. It is by criminals who take advantage of immigrants who still want to come to this country and get tricked or forced into working in ’sweat shops’ or prostitution when they get here. But, the reason you are still angry is because you have been taught to blame others for your problems. Probably by your parents or YOUR ‘Rev. Wrong’s. I have been wronged by people in my life and was mad for a while, but I finally realized that I was only making myself feel worse and decided to really try forgiveness as I have been taught, in church. Guess what, it worked. But maybe you are young and there is still time to change your attitude and make your own life happier.

America First

McCain 2008

McCain needs to learn what is going on in Iraq first before making 100 year claims, when the Iraqi government gets bailed out by the Iranian government you know its bad news for the US occupation

One more distortion put upon the voters by Obama…his “handlers” continue to push this cover-up on reality. Just like he never heard the sermons, had not idea about what Wright was preaching and blames everyone for Wright’s behavior. Same old Obama!!! Please comment on the truth for a change???

Bone, our military spending is still only 3% of spending. Get rid of entitlements if you want to cut somewhere. It is give aways (mostly to undeserving louts) that are keeping our treasury poor.

Nations were originally formed for the defense of their occupants. That is really the ONLY reason for a government today unless they just want to do otherwise. Note the first thing in the Constitution after “form a more perfect union”? It is “Provide for the common defense.”

It’s always neat to watch the liberals crawl out of the wood work at the mention of WAR.

100 years. OOOOOOH!

Grow up. This yet another typical Democrat ploy.

“Yeah, let’s take that 3 second byte…right there. Don’t worry. The base is too stupid to look for the source. They’ll never know we took it out of context.”

It never fails to amaze me how the liberals can build a fairy castle in the sky out of one comment and wishful thinking.

Comment by axt113
March 31st, 2008 at 6:46 pm

McCain needs to learn what is going on in Iraq first before making 100 year claims, when the Iraqi government gets bailed out by the Iranian government you know its bad news for the US occupation
—————————–

Please enlighten us. You sound like you have information we all need to make an educated decision in the voting booth.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZGVkY2NhYTkzZjIyYzRkYTIxNTU3MjBiMDVmZmE2Y2Y=

THIS IS A WONDERFUL ARTICLE TO READ

ITS ABOUT OBAMA AND HIS PASTOR

ALL REPUBLICANS,,PLEASE READ

AND SPREAD IT EVERYWHERE…

AND DONATE TO HILLARY

WE NEED TO HAVE HILL BEAT HIM ,,

Wright Questions
What the national press should ask Barack Obama about his former pastor.

By Peter Wehner

Here are a set of 22 questions political reporters and other journalists might want to press Barack Obama to answer about his relationship with the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., the former senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago:

1. In early March you said your church was not “particularly controversial.” Later in the month, after video clips of Jeremiah Wright had been repeatedly played on television, you admitted that you had heard Wright make statements in church that qualified him as a “fierce critic” of U.S. domestic and foreign policy and that “could be considered controversial.” You also said you “strongly disagree[d]” with some of Wright’s political views. Can you tell us what you specifically heard Wright say that you considered fiercely critical of U.S. policy, controversial, and with which you strongly disagreed?

Here are a set of 22 questions political reporters and other journalists might want to press Barack Obama to answer about his relationship with the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., the former senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago:

1. In early March you said your church was not “particularly controversial.” Later in the month, after video clips of Jeremiah Wright had been repeatedly played on television, you admitted that you had heard Wright make statements in church that qualified him as a “fierce critic” of U.S. domestic and foreign policy and that “could be considered controversial.” You also said you “strongly disagree[d]” with some of Wright’s political views. Can you tell us what you specifically heard Wright say that you considered fiercely critical of U.S. policy, controversial, and with which you strongly disagreed?

↓ Keep reading this article ↓

Editors: Maliki vs. Sadr

Hatch: To My Democratic Friends: Be Judicious

Owens: Winter-Soldier Again

Wehner: Wright Questions

Weigel: The McBrien Prize

Gardiner: And Now for the British Surge

Interview: Courting Religion

Flynn: Saddam’s Useful Idiots

Horner: Right to Protest?

Lopez: 100-Years’ Sideshow

Barone: Missing a Generation

Steyn: No One Left to Lie To

Suderman: Stop Signs

Dannenfelser: Women Are People Too

Graham: Give the Good Girl a Chance

Hemingway: No Trucks Go to England

2. During the approximately 20 years you attended Trinity United Church of Christ, did you hear Wright make comments or read things published in the “Pastor’s Page” of the church bulletin that could be fairly deemed to be anti-American, anti-Semitic, and/or a “profoundly distorted view of this country” (to quote from your speech on race)?

3. When did you first become aware of the fact that in 1984 Reverend Wright traveled to Libya with Louis Farrakhan to visit Muammar Qadhafi? Similarly, when did you become aware of Wright’s role in giving Farrakhan a lifetime-achievement award and that Wright referred to the Nation of Islam leader as a man of “integrity and honesty?” Did those things trouble you when you learned of them?

4. Did you ever, even once, have a conversation with Reverend Wright in which you expressed your concern about his rhetoric and worldview? If not, do you now wish you had? What ought to have triggered that conversation with Wright?

5. In the speech on race you delivered a couple of weeks ago, you said you could “no more disown [Wright] than I can disown the black community.” Does that mean you believe Wright is synonymous with the embodiment of the black community, that they are one in the same? Is it your view that to disown any person who is black means you would therefore disown the black community? If so, does that mean you would be unable to “disown” someone like Louis Farrakhan? Are there any grounds on which you would disown Wright? If so, wouldn’t that (by your own logic) mean that you would disown the whole of the black community?

6. On ABC’s The View you said “had the Reverend [Wright] not retired and had he not acknowledged what he had said had deeply offended people and [was] inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying there at the church.” Had you done so, how would that be different from “disowning” Wright?

7. Can you cite a single public statement in which Reverend Wright acknowledges that what he said deeply offended people, and was both inappropriate and a mischaracterization of what you believe is the greatness of this country? To what evidence of Wright’s public contrition can you point?

8. When you/those on your campaign cancelled Reverend Wright’s delivery of the invocation when you formally announced your run for the presidency in February 2007, what were the grounds for the cancellation? What did you know about Wright then that moved you to cancel his appearance?

9. With which elements, if any, of black liberation theology — as represented by Reverend Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ — do you strongly disagree? Do you think any of the core tenets of black liberation theology are racist? Are they consistent with, or fundamentally at odds with, your expressed desire to end racial divisions in this country?

10. Is there anything Reverend Wright has said in your presence that you fear will be made public and that your campaign is working to keep from coming out

11. You have complained that America has been presented with an incomplete picture of Reverend Wright. Would you therefore urge Wright and Trinity United to make public all the sermons of Wright, as well as things he has written in the church bulletin and elsewhere, so we can see the full body of his work? And will you let us know, to the best of your ability, the dates you attended church services during the last 20 years?

12. Since the Wright story broke there seems to have been a concerted effort to keep Reverend Wright from speaking to the press or in public. If he is the man you says he is — if the soundbites we have all seen are anomalous and the portrait of him is a caricature — then why not encourage him to do interviews in order to set the record straight?

11. You have complained that America has been presented with an incomplete picture of Reverend Wright. Would you therefore urge Wright and Trinity United to make public all the sermons of Wright, as well as things he has written in the church bulletin and elsewhere, so we can see the full body of his work? And will you let us know, to the best of your ability, the dates you attended church services during the last 20 years?

12. Since the Wright story broke there seems to have been a concerted effort to keep Reverend Wright from speaking to the press or in public. If he is the man you says he is — if the soundbites we have all seen are anomalous and the portrait of him is a caricature — then why not encourage him to do interviews in order to set the record straight?

↓ Keep reading this article ↓

Editors: Maliki vs. Sadr

Hatch: To My Democratic Friends: Be Judicious

Owens: Winter-Soldier Again

Wehner: Wright Questions

Weigel: The McBrien Prize

Gardiner: And Now for the British Surge

Interview: Courting Religion

Flynn: Saddam’s Useful Idiots

Horner: Right to Protest?

Lopez: 100-Years’ Sideshow

Barone: Missing a Generation

Steyn: No One Left to Lie To

Suderman: Stop Signs

Dannenfelser: Women Are People Too

Graham: Give the Good Girl a Chance

Hemingway: No Trucks Go to England

13. Do you think it was surprising or out of character for Reverend Wright to reprint an oped by a leading Hamas figure, Mousa Abu Mazook, in the “Pastor’s Page” of Trinity United’s church bulletin?

14. Do you consider Reverend Wright, within context and based on his public comments, to be anti-Semitic? What more would he need to say to cross that threshold?

15. Do you consider Reverend Wright, within context and based on his public comments, to be anti-American? What more would he need to say to cross that threshold?

16. Do you consider Reverend Wright, within context and based on his public comments, to be racist? What more would he need to say to cross that threshold?

17. Whom do you consider to be a more admirable and impressive figure and whose public words do you more closely associate yourself with: Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr. or Justice Clarence Thomas?

Comment by BARBIE
March 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pm
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STOP ALREADY. WE SAW THIS ON THE OTHER BLOGS

Hey, while you are at the reparations business, I want all the land back that my Mormon Ancestors owned in Missouri and Illinois before they were killed by mobs or driven out of the state by the crazed “extermination order” of Governor Lillburn Boggs. I think it is only fair since our people were driven from Missouri because they were pro-Abolition and the old Missourians wanted Missouri to come in as a slave state. That was all those good old Southern Boyz whose descendants are still hate mongers against both “coloreds” and “Mormons.”

Reparations for all!!!

On second thought, why don’t all the folks asking for reparations do what my Mormon ancestors did–get busy, be industrious, let the past be past and build up cities and farms and industries with nothing but their brains and their bare hands.

You won’t find whiners among the Latter Day Saints. No reparations for any!!! No entitlements!!! Just get off your lazy butts and go to work!

Chinese were little better than slaves on the building of the RR’s in the West, but where their children’s children still live out here they thrive–on hard work! They have won the respect of and become part of the mainstream of American life–so much so that the Universities (like the University of Washington) won’t even consider them as minorities even though there are far fewer of them than blacks. They get no special treatment. They don’t need any thank you. Their leaders haven’t kept them in a permanent attitude of victimness!

No Reparations!!!!

If potential presidents can be judged by how they run their campaigns, then how they staff those efforts may provide important clues to the kinds of talent they would recruit for their administrations. Because Democratic front-runner Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to national politics, an examination of his inner circle of political and policy advisers offers new windows into his thinking, leadership style, and sources of expertise.

The Democratic front-runner’s team has a relatively shallow bench, but its political achievements thus far are quite impressive.

To be sure, Team Obama has made a few stumbles that give pause to some observers. One of the candidate’s foreign-policy advisers resigned after a Scottish newspaper quoted her as calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a “monster.” Another, a retired general, likened former President Clinton to infamous red-baiting Joseph McCarthy. And Obama’s chief economic adviser inadvertently became a minor liability after it was reported that he met with Canadian diplomats in Chicago and either played down Obama’s skepticism about the North American Free Trade Agreement or had his informal remarks misinterpreted, as the campaign maintains.

Obama’s team has a relatively shallow bench: Several players are responsible for an extraordinarily wide range of policy areas. But whatever the lapses and shortcomings of Obama and his closest aides, it’s hard not to be impressed with their political achievements. The campaign has taken on the power couple who have dominated Democratic politics for the past 16 years and reduced a once-mighty heir apparent to a lackluster underdog.

guess what! curtis is back!

as i’ve said before, and i’ll say many times more

i’ll cherish these moments of your pitiful hatred and racist tendecies, along with the looks on your faces when this country elects Senator Obama to the Presidency. All you who balk at the thought of progression and change. Senator Barack Obama comes at just the right time and is what this country needs.

Aaahhh…The refreshing views.

The looks of disgust you will give, the sorrow, the pain, will be a sign that this country is finally growing and maturing again, and growing weary of the old ways. The next chapter in American history will be that of prosperity, reform, tolerance, and cohesion, led by a great President Barack Obama.

Andy-

Thanks for your thoughts on the war…I had a funny feeling on the whole thing the whole time I am supporting it..it’s a catch 22 like you said..now I see it clearer (just was torn thinking I had to think stay or go not the catch 22 idea as you explained so well. I am very concerned over Iran getting the nuke..because I do believe the leader (you kow who I mean ,sp?) will not hesitate in using it..he said has stated he would.

yes BARBIE please wrap it up..you use more space then even me - hehe

Comment by Pamela
March 31st, 2008 at 7:36 pm

Andy-

Thanks for your thoughts on the war…I had a funny feeling on the whole thing the whole time I am supporting it..it’s a catch 22 like you said..now I see it clearer (just was torn thinking I had to think stay or go not the catch 22 idea as you explained so well. I am very concerned over Iran getting the nuke..because I do believe the leader (you kow who I mean ,sp?) will not hesitate in using it..he said has stated he would.
———————————

We are in the situation we have today because the Dems started slashing our military to the bone even before the Soviet Union collapsed. Bush had to deal with it in GW1 and Slick totally gutted our forces.

Yes, the Iranians will either lob nukes themselves or hand them off to be smuggled into Israel.

Curtis….its not becuase he’s black you dip$hit…..I would vote for multiple black men if there policies were to my liking. I would say that 90% of conservatives would agree with me. So take your self righteous, judgmental a$$ out of here

while you squeam, and whine, complain, just remember, McCain doesn’t stand a chance against Obama, and Hillary is done. Expect her announcement to exit in merely days

What fantasy world do you live in? Probably the one where the whole country will sing Kum by ya together and we will all be friends and and and and and ……get real

Andy-

Yea some people seem to forget how we all felt when they attacked us HERE..who would have ever tthought that would happen! Well I have to admit I did by some stock on some airline equipment that would test for weapons years back..sorry to say I was right…but I so see them coming here ..like they do in Isreal ..am I wrong here? I do know Iran will get a nuke-because we don’t or can’t do anything about it ..Bush is trying to warn everyone. I sure hope McCain wins-or we will be in a real mess.