Bill Kristol's New York Times column about Barack Obama this morning contains a major, prejudicial error.
Paragraph five:
But Ronald Kessler, a journalist who has written about Wright’s ministry, claims that Obama was in fact in the pews at Trinity last July 22. That’s when Wright blamed the “arrogance” of the “United States of White America” for much of the world’s suffering, especially the oppression of blacks. In any case, given the apparent frequency of such statements in Wright’s preaching and their centrality to his worldview, the pretense that over all these years Obama had no idea that Wright was saying such things is hard to sustain.
The error is in trusting the source without checking.
The truth is that Obama did not attend church on July 22.
He was on his way to campaign in Miami.
(Here is some video evidence.) This was before he signed an agreement forbidding himself from campaigning in Florida.
Here is the original, false, Newsmax story:
Obama Attended Hate America Sermon.
One of his correspondents allegedly attended a service last summer where Rev. Wright preached on the "United States of White America." Kessler writes that Obama "nodded" his head while Wright preached along these lines:
Addressing the Iraq war, Wright thundered, “Young African-American men” were “dying for nothing.” The “illegal war,” he shouted, was “based on Bush’s lies” and is being “fought for oil money.”
Now, a simple Google search suggests that Obama spent most of the day in Miami. But a simple e-mail or telephone call to Obama's campaign might have cleared things up.
In many ways Rev. Wright is correct. America is racially divided and black people seem to be taking the worst of what the US has to offer. Do the research and look at the statistics. Our prisons, our failing schoools, our military, poverty, hate speach, hate crimes. You do the math.
We are suffering from prejudice born from slavery and still 150 years after liberation we are fighting about race. Sure blacks are upset. Sure the situation calls for people who are oppressed to try to find solutions.
Does this mean that Barack Obama has these beliefs that inter-city blacks have. I don't think he does. He doesn't have the background. A Harvard education, A white mother, a desire to bring America together so we can all live as Americans instead of as Blacks, Whites, Asians, Jews. We can make a difference. The road will be frought with perill both personal and social.
Their are those who want to keep the status quo. Who benefits; businesses like McDonalds, Wallmart and other low paying oppressive companies who pay employees below poverty wages. Defense contractors who want us to always be at war. Oil companies who want to stop green energy and green technologies of any kind.
People, think about where you want the US to be. I want us to be our very best going forward in a positive way. The peanut gallery will always be biting at our ankles trying to turn us on our heads but we must not lose sight of the future we want. "Yes we can" bring this future into reality.
Posted by McCLum | March 17, 2008 8:02 AM