Whatever excuse he had before was no longer useful. Obama is handicapped in that he is running for president, and that Jeremiah Wright is his former pastor and a friend. Dissing a friend is never good, and only sometimes right. This time, it is right. Wright is no good for Obama, no good for blacks, and no good for America.
Maybe they are not friends now, but what matters is that Obama is not willing to shuffle out platitudes.
Wright's personal hatred of white people bubbles through when he speaks, and he is willing to let Obama's presidential hopes suffer. Not a good friend, and Obama knows it.
Give Obama points for this one.
Obama says he's outraged by former pastor's comments
By MIKE GLOVER
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday he was outraged and appalled by the latest comments from his former pastor, who asserted that criticism of his fiery sermons is an attack on the black church and the U.S. government was responsible for the creation of the AIDS virus.
The presidential candidate is seeking to tamp down the growing fury over Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his incendiary remarks that threaten to undermine his campaign.
"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama told reporters at a news conference....
"I gave him 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."
Wright recently retired from the church. He became an issue in Obama's presidential bid when videos circulated of Wright condemning the U.S. government for allegedly racist and genocidal acts. In the videos, some several years old, Wright called on God to "damn America." He also said the government created the AIDS virus to destroy "people of color."