ABC: Obama contradicts a year of denial

[billbuckhead]

ABC: Obama contradicts a year of denial
POSTED AT 2:03 PM ON MARCH 19, 2008 BY ED MORRISSEY

ABC News took a closer look at the Barack Obama speech on race yesterday and found curious discrepancies from past positions. Brian Ross and Avni Patel also note similar contradictions in Obama’s positions on Tony Rezko. It looks like some of the media has finally begun vetting the Democratic front-runner for the nomination:

Buried in his eloquent, highly praised speech on America’s racial divide, Sen. Barack Obama contradicted more than a year of denials and spin from him and his staff about his knowledge of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons.

Similarly, Obama also has only recently given a much fuller accounting of his relationship with indicted political fixer Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a longtime friend, who his campaign once described as just one of “thousands of donors.”

Until yesterday, Obama said the only thing controversial he knew about Rev. Wright was his stand on issues relating to Africa, abortion and gay marriage. …

His initial reaction to the initial ABC News broadcast of Rev. Wright’s sermons denouncing the U.S. was that he had never heard his pastor of 20 years make any comments that were anti-U.S. until the tape was played on air.

But yesterday, he told a different story. “Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes,” he said in his speech yesterday in Philadelphia.
----------------snip-----------------------
<http://hotair.com/archives/2008/03/19/abc-obama-contradicts-a-year-of-denial/>

Hillary's opponent's "great" speech was nothing but lying disguised as civil rights

[Cooley Hurd]

1. ABCNews?

:eyes:

[NYCGirl]

15. ABC News via ultra right wing website. Michelle Malkin's favorite according to

Google.

[Life Long Dem]

57. Hillary crew are baiting.

This was already posted and done with.

[Horse with no Name]

39. Yet obamites link to it every time

if it says something negative about Hillary.

ABC is a fraud. They have been for quite some time.

[AX10]

44. The standard Obamite line is to call..

any story unflattering of Mr. Obama as coming from a right wing source.

[Political Heretic]

54. Yeah that's um... pretty much the same m.o. for either side.

[NYCGirl]

63. I'm not talking about ABC. That's fine. I'm talking about "Hot Air", which is

where the OP is linking.

[Patsy Stone]

2. Is this your third for the day?

I've lost count.

[rodeodance]

5. ha ha--do you anything of substance to add?

[Patsy Stone]

13. Only that this is the second thread, by the OP, on this in 10 minutes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5164146

I was wondering if they had found a third, and final, reprint yet.

[rodeodance]

20. ah, sorry

[Patsy Stone]

26. This place

is :crazy:

[rodeodance]

53. AGREE

[Dinger]

3. Curious, Isn't It? (nt)

[Hawkeye-X]

4. Sorry you had to waste a post - Obama was already vetted on Rezko

Tribune editorial board has already cleared him of any wrongdoing, and yet you continue to deny it.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. The Rezko trial just started, who knows what we'll learn?

The Chicago Trib found a lot of instances of Obama stretching the truth but you don't want to talk about those, I'm sure.

[barb162]

60. Then look at the John Kass columns in the Chicago Tribune

which continue to run. Not very flattering. The trial is ongoing so don't be so sure his name won't come up.

Obama opens up on Rezko, and it's almost believable
John Kass
March 16, 2008
Barack Obama looked me straight in the eye. I heard him speak. Yet unlike some other pundits, I felt no thrill going up my leg.

I did feel a twinge of Rezko, though, and figured Obama could feel it, too, like when the bottom of your foot cramps up inside your shoe and you can't dance. snip

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-obama-kass-rezko-column,1,6366671.column

[Pirate Smile]

6. He told Eugene Robinson that the controversial remarks he had heard were

"bawdy" types of remarks, not the political stuff.

[Lucinda]

35. Bawdy remarks? In church?

[Pirate Smile]

36. He just told Anderson Cooper they were comments about infidelity, stuff like that.

Obama said Wright was very "blunt".

[Lucinda]

37. I'm not able to watch. Did he say if it were private conversations...or in public?

[Pirate Smile]

41. He was talking about a sermon about infidelity. He said some people blushed or

blanched.

[Lucinda]

52. Thanks!

[rodeodance]

7. k and r

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LaurenG]

8. Oh boy here we go

I don't care if you or ABC think he lied or not. The twisting will go on until one of the two dems is the nominee. In the meantime check the main page for "other" sordid stories on his competitor.

I am personally tired of this on both sides. This is a democratic website that just smashes OUR candidates instead of building them up, yikes!

[BeatleBoot]

9. Which way is the wind blowing today, Senator Obama?

[enid602]

17. BO

Slick Willie's got nothin' on him.

[zabet]

19. ...

:spray:

[gabeana]

10. Where is the contradiction?

[rodeodance]

14. "one who attempts to spin out of a jam with half-truths"

That initial reaction hardly commends Obama as a courageous statesman. It shows him as a politician of the usual stripe — one who attempts to spin out of a jam with half-truths and at best a graduated honesty dependent on how much evidence gets made public. Obama’s claim to conduct himself to a higher standard; indeed, because of his singular lack of experience and accomplishment, it’s the only claim he has for election to the nation’s highest office. If he doesn’t have that, then he has no basis for election at all.

Even the contradictory attempt to distance himself from Wright’s statements failed to make the case. He argued in the rest of speech that we need to put an end to divisiveness, and that Wright’s rhetoric belongs to the past, not the present or the future. Having said that, what did Obama ever do to make that case at his own church? Wright expounds these incendiary and unacceptable themes, as Obama himself admits, to the present and future generations at Trinity. Obama’s own children sit in those pews, as well as a large number of children from other families. Did Obama ever speak out even once to challenge Wright’s views?

If Obama can’t bring change he says is necessary to his own church, why should we trust him to bring change to the nation?

[gabeana]

25. quit spinning

"Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes," he said in his speech yesterday in Philadelphia."

"His initial reaction to the initial ABC News broadcast of Rev. Wright's sermons denouncing the U.S. was that he had never heard his pastor of 20 years make any comments that were anti-U.S. until the tape was played on air."


again where is the contradiction?

controversial means anti-american, so if its not anti-usa then its not controversial

[LittleClarkie]

28. Not what is a contradiction. WHERE is the contradiction?

He's not the pastor at his church. What did you want him to do, stage a coup?

He's asking all of us to make the change. Not going to happen overnight. But are you really going to argue against making the attempt?

[file83]

48. The OP thinks that just because they call it a contradiction, that it somehow becomes one.

Obama's speech was really a CRYSTAL CLEAR CLARIFICATION of who Wright is and what he means to Obama.

Before this, the answers Obama gave were targeted to the context of the questions. That's all.

Now that they (MSM, RIGHT WING, CAMP CLINTON) are making this a very personal attack on Obama, he gives an in depth answer which is totally relevant to this entirely new context.

Then like the feuding children they are, the start pointing fingers and screaming "CONTRADICTION!!!"

They need to grow the fuck up, and listen to what the man is saying NOW.

[LittleClarkie]

64. Well, there's the problem

Obama spoke to us like we were adults.

I guess we're finding out who the adults are.

[barb162]

61. Bingo!

He had twenty years to leave that church. He didn't. I wanted to hear his explanation for having this racist as a good friend, mentor, on his campaign, etc., and he gave a speech on race instead. It was a nice speech but I didn't need a speech on race from him. I wanted answers about Wright.

[mythyc]

62. rolling stones had a song about that

can't always get what you want.... you may try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need

just kidding around :yoiks:

[LittleClarkie]

12. Pretty simple really. Did he ever hear his pastor say something controvercial - yes

those particular sentiments - no

Took me all of 2 seconds

Reminicent of the Smear Vets to take two statements and make them seem as if they contradict.

Sad really.

[Bensthename]

16. In Obamas speech yesterday he said heard some of the bad

from Wrights speech. He did not say what in particular. Does it really matter? We all know Obama is not like the bad that these sound bites portray. We all have friends that say off the wall stuff some times. No reason to kick them to the curb though. This shit should get old and finished soon. Sooner the better.

[theredpen]

21. Oh, content from Michelle Malkin's site! *PLONK*

[jgraz]

22. More right-wing crap.

You're not even bothering to obscure your agenda anymore, are you?

IGNORED.

[billbuckhead]

27. For some reason couldn't cut and paste from ABC news directly

Here's another link <http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4480868&page=1>

[BeatleBoot]

30. What is it that they can't take it?

You make a perfectly good point and then its "poof" you're on Ignore.

Like ostriches sticking their head in the sand.

It's quite the phenomenon here on DU, isn't it?

[billbuckhead]

31. Hillary's opponent's minions like to think they can shut out reality with a button

:spray:

[indimuse]

23. Out of nessesity Obama made a Race speech...2 nights before, he told the MSM and us..HE NEVER

indimuse (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-19-08 03:58 PM
Response to Original message


40. Out of nessesity Obama made a Race speech...2 nights before, he told the MSM and us..HE NEVER
heard that kind of talk..anything like it!!! Well, this was all it took...now everybody and their brother were going to try to find Obama on tape, at service during one of Rev Wright racial/anti Ameriacan rants. He knew the MSM would pay tons of $$$ to anybody that could/would deliver the goods. There is the real reason for damage control..

Edited on Wed Mar-19-08 03:59 PM by indimuse

[indimuse]

24. K&R

:kick::kick::kick:

[BeatleBoot]

29. Thanks for the link!

[PetraPooh]

32. I think Obama messed up, he should've given his speech and then

said he was done discussing it. Period. The more he says from there, the more he is likely going to have his words out of context, or contradict himself. It is such a gray topic that it would be nearly impossible to not make comments that can be construed as contradictory to some other comment.

[Teaser]

33. hotair?

.

[anonymous171]

34. lose me at rezko

[jackson_dem]

38. "If Obama can't bring change to his own church..."

This is right on the money:

"If Obama can’t bring change he says is necessary to his own church, why should we trust him to bring change to the nation?"

[AX10]

43. Very True!

[file83]

50. If Hillary can't keep her husband's LOYALTY, then how do we expect her to keep the LOYALTY...

...of the United State's Allies?

I'm sorry, were you trying to make some stupid point?

[anamandujano]

45. Yup!

[file83]

49. Are we electing a PRIEST, or a PRESIDENT?

Just curious, because I have no fucking idea what position you are supporting.

[Pringles]

56. Exactly.

[cottonseed]

59. He wasn't elected to change the Church.

I don't think he was ever "tasked" to change the Church. I think the comment is a stretch.

[myrna minx]

40. More right wing links? *sigh* n/t

[FyurFly]

42. OMFG!!!!!! I agree with Bill, the world may end n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

46. Hot Air is Malkin's blog. nt

[elleng]

47. So here's a perfect example,

MSM sees some 'success' for O (could be H tomorrow,) and feels it necessary to throw some 'mud,' to be certain the O/H divide between Dems doesn't narrow.

Don't be fooled, folks, MSM wants NOTHING so much as to find 'us' still fighting between ourselves, the more bitterly, the better, because MSM works for Reps.

[AZBlue]

51. Back up your own post and point out the lies.

Or STFU.

[still_one]

55. ABC news, the network whose pseudo 9/11 documentary said it was Clinton's fault

[AmericanUnity]

58. HOW DID ROSS CONCLUDE WHAT 'CONTROVERSIAL' REFERENCED?

“Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes,” Barack Obama

Abortion, gay marriage, to name a couple are 'controversial' topics as well that most likely were subjects of sermons at Trinity Church.

They're making way too big a deal out of Rev. Wright. My preacher growing up made him look like Billy Graham.

I've watched many clips of him on YouTube. I especially loved the story of the mother eagle:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TRINITYCHGO