Obama Denounces Former Pastor

Obama OUTRAGED at former pastor's comments at the NAACP annual dinner and other appearances since...

See Obama denounces Rev. Wright's latest comments as well.

Both are really good articles, and the LA Times provides a video as well.

Most relevant and poignant statement:

"I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992, and have known Reverand Wright for 20 years," Obama said. "The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago."

I just had a conversation with an old friend today, and he's against Obama in part because of Obama's connections with Wright. I mentioned Obama's speech. He didn't accept that. I understood. But the above statement explains it even better than I could.

Why? Because I had a rabbi and the same thing happened. He started out as a loving, wonderful person (at least to me), and then became this monster of a man who was just so hateful and spiteful and believed no emes was REAL emes unless it was his emes.

Obama just said the same thing here. The Wright of today is not the same Wright he met twenty years ago.

"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."

I'm still voting for Obama. Happily and proudly.