(AP Photo/PBS, Robin Holland, HO)
by Manya A. Brachear
In a rare interview, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. said media organizations that circulated controversial sound bites of his sermons on the Internet wanted to paint him as "un-American" or "some sort of fanatic" in order to bring down Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
"I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ," Wright told journalist Bill Moyers in the first interview he has granted since comments critical of U.S. policies surfaced on television and the Internet.
" 'And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint?' That's what they wanted to communicate. They know nothing about the church."
Wright, who for four decades built his reputation on straight talk and imperviousness to politicians, has been atypically quiet in recent weeks--canceling four appearances, declining all interview requests and bowing out of a news conference with other clergy.
The fiery pastor preached his final sermon at Trinity in February and officially retires next month. This Sunday, Wright will deliver a sermon at a Dallas church and later speak to the Detroit branch of the NAACP.
Moyers is a member of Wright's denomination, the United Church of Christ. Excerpts from the interview, conducted this week and airing in the Chicago area at 9:30 p.m. Friday on WTTW-Ch. 11, were released today.
See the rest of the report from the Tribune:
In the interview, Wright told Moyers that people who heard the entire sermons understood his message and those who chose to air the sound bites had a "devious" agenda.
"The persons who have heard the entire sermon understand the communication perfectly," he said. "When something is taken like a sound bite for a political purpose and put constantly over and over again, looped in the face of the public, that's not a failure to communicate. Those who are doing that are communicating exactly what they want to do, which is to paint me as some sort of fanatic or as the learned journalist from The New York Times called me, a 'wackadoodle.' "
Columnist Maureen Dowd used that term March 23 to describe Wright.
Wright said he was hurt by the unfair use of the sound bites, but understood why Obama had harsh words about his statements during a speech on race the candidate delivered in Philadelphia. Wright said he is obligated to speak as a pastor, but Obama addresses audiences as a politician.
"I don't talk to him about politics," Wright said. "And so he had a political event, he goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician. I continue to be a pastor who speaks to the people of God about the things of God."
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Comments
The red meat eaters on the right are not interested in the truth. They are interested in winning the WhiteHouse to continue the destruction of America. They don't know that...it's just where they are leading us.
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 3:03 PM
Big deal, two un-Americans, Moyers and Wright sitting down for a lying chit-chat.
Moyers will probably interview William Ayers next.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | April 24, 2008 3:08 PM
Rev Wright was the first person Bill Clinton turned to when he got caught committing adultery with Monica Lewinsky in the White House.
Wannabe Queen, Hillary, is SO finished now that Pa is over!
http://www.docstrangelove.com/2008/03/20/bill-clinton-to-reverend-jeremiah-wright-i-have-sinned/
Posted by: Billary is bad for America | April 24, 2008 3:09 PM
What part of "God D_mn America!" was the media's creation? What media outlet put into his mouth racist accusations that the US government developed AIDS to kill off Black people?
Obama's spiritual mentor and campaign adviser is a racist nut-job.
Posted by: Bruce | April 24, 2008 3:12 PM
What else is new!! Minister Hagee, though, is silly and nuts. Pat Robertson is a pillar in the community. The unadulterated bile they spew is alright. No criticism there and some candidates will take their money and their endorsements!! Go figure! Double standards, I would guess!!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | April 24, 2008 3:12 PM
It couldn't be your own words that made you look like the fanatic you are, could it, Mr. Wright?
I'm still looking for the context that "Goddamn America" looks good in.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 3:17 PM
John W McBush sought out Rev Hagee's endorsement, this isn't the same as being a member of a church that has a pastor (Rev Wright) who occasionally says some crazy things, IT'S WORSE!
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/21/john-mccain-sought-pastor-hagees-endorsement/
Posted by: John E | April 24, 2008 3:27 PM
This is just a sad example of what the media deems important. 30 black youths killed in one weekend in Chicago, our education system a failure, our economy a wreck, our debt at dangerous and historic levels, a president whose administration lied over 900 times to start a war, a city destroyed and not rebuilt, ports/borders unprotected, a housing crisis, a Republican presidential nominee who thinks things are going great. But let's talk about a pastor.
Posted by: Paul | April 24, 2008 3:28 PM
I'm still looking for the context that "Goddamn America" looks good in.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 3:17 PM
I'm still looking for a reason that Wrights' statement is Obamas' statement. I lived in the south for 40 years since returning from Nam, and I can tell you I haven't become a racist like many, many, many of my neighbors are. I saw many of my black brothers lose their lives as bravely as my white brothers in that war, and after listening to the way they are treated here.....I might be a little "bitter" too. Of course you wouldn't understand that in your lily neighborhood ...Jeff.
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 3:46 PM
I'm still looking for the context that "Goddamn America" looks good in.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 3:17 PM
Wright was a Marine who served yours and my country, if anyone has the right to say "Goddamn America" it's him....and during the last seven years of the Bushie Republican reign of terror on America...I'd have to agree with him.
So what's Hagee and John W McCain's excuse?
Posted by: John E | April 24, 2008 3:57 PM
Please, Obama sat in Wright's pews for 20 years and listened to his hate speech. McCain has already condemned Hagee's words and has never once set foot in his church let alone been a follower.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 4:00 PM
Yes it was the media who lead him to say that white people created AIDS to destroy black people. Gee how could anyone misconstrue such an uplifting message?
Posted by: Vinny | April 24, 2008 4:17 PM
has already condemned Hagee's words and has never once set foot in his church let alone been a follower.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 4:00 PM
But he'll take the money!
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 4:22 PM
Being a marine 30 years ago gives him a right to say that? And to say that 9/11 was America's chickens coming home to roost? Please. I just wished he would have tried saying a few of those things when he was still in the service, crazy John E. Bill, you obviously don't know what neighborhood I live in. I'll bet it's a lot more diverse than yours.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 4:36 PM
Yes, Bill R., I agree. Wright will take that million dollars and build himself a new home with it. Shameful, really, that that's what Obama had to do to get him out of the spotlight.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 4:55 PM
Wright served our country, that's more than you can say chickenhawk McCainiac JEFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: John E | April 24, 2008 5:09 PM
Jeff,
Declaring that our policies can cause blowback is NOT blaming America for 9/11. It is a statement of fact. You cannot support the killing and oppression of people from the Middle East and expect there to be no consequences. You're not using your brain. Please read "A Republic, Not An Empire"
Posted by: julia | April 24, 2008 5:25 PM
Julia, the actual words I was quoting from Wright are "America, your chickens are coming home to roooost." I, like most americans, do not believe that is true. I believe we were attacked by a disgusting terrorist network (Al Qaeda) that irrationally hates all the of the west, not just the US, because the west is not as religiously fanatical as they are and because the west is wealthier than them and they consequently blame it for all their problems.Considering radical Islamists hit the US as far back as the '70s, I do not believe these pieces of terrrorist human garbage were concerned at all about "blowback" but were more interested in making a political statement.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 5:52 PM
Oh, and as for America's interests abroad, Julia, please read the Roosevelt Corollary.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 6:03 PM
Oh, and one last thing. If you don't think Al Qaeda is proud of what they did on 9/11 and did it for anything other than hate and visibility then you really need to watch this video and see how angry this Al Qaeda guy gets when some 9/11 truther suggests that it was an inside job.
They did it to suppor their hateful holy war and they don't want anyone to forget it.
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2008/04/al_qaeda_is_apparently_irritat.php
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 6:09 PM
Jeff,
Well they sure as heck don't hate us for our freedoms...The terrorist leaders blame the west and the Israelis for their problems in order to gather followers, wealth and power. 9/11 was their sick, twisted version of a political campaign ad.
Our politicians blame the Arabs or the Mexicans or the lefties or the wingnuts or the blacks or the whites or the rich or the poor to win over their audience. Fortunately for us, our leaders only attack foreign countries when they'er really desperate. The smart ones just find some dinky Carribean island to invade, rather than blowing a major oil-producing country.
Posted by: Tom O | April 24, 2008 6:52 PM
Oh, and one last thing. If you don't think Al Qaeda is proud of what they did on 9/11 and did it for anything other than hate and visibility then you really need to watch this video and see how angry this Al Qaeda guy gets when some 9/11 truther suggests that it was an inside job.
They did it to suppor their hateful holy war and they don't want anyone to forget it.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 6:09 PM
That's right college Republican JeffY,
There are radicals on both sides of the isle, Evangelical Republicans and Muslims and the sooner we get rid of both of them (Bush, McCain, John Hagee, Rod Parsley etc), THE BETTER!!!
Posted by: John E | April 24, 2008 8:37 PM
McCain has already condemned Hagee's words and has never once set foot in his church let alone been a follower.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 4:00 PM
Then why did he eagerly court Hagee's support? You are full of it,Jeffy!
Posted by: Vicki Iseman | April 24, 2008 8:41 PM
Why does the crazy liberal media keep this Wright non-issue alive? It's been on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ABC, NBC CBS and countless other outlets endlessly. Crazy lefty Moyers actually gives it legs and paints Wright in a rather bad light and yet people somehow believe we have a liberal media in this country.
Unbelievable.
Posted by: Bubba | April 24, 2008 10:36 PM
Wouldn't it be funny if the real Vicki Iseman filed a lawsuit against the Libune for allowing John E. to post as her?
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 10:41 PM
Hi, I think the public is missing the much larger picture as is the media regarding the issue of Obama's connection to his pastor and his incendiary statements and how it might be viewed by our enemies abroad. What do you think is going through the minds of the perpetrators of 9/11 and their supporters, watching the American people nominate someone who aligns themselves with a man of the cloth who just five days after the most devastating day in American history says, "God Dam America", basically blaming America for this tragedy, as well as other numerous tragedies. Obama's union and 20 year association with this man, it could be argued, simply through appearance if nothing else, that he, Obama, and his close friend and adviser may in fact support the views of those who seek to harm us. Obama's steadfastness to stand by his friend, though not his statements, still troubles me greatly of how it is being viewed abroad and specifically in the Islamic Community. He accuses the press and others of character assassination seemingly trying to diminish the strength of such statements, while at the same time having us believe that his friend is just misunderstood, he is a good man! Well there is no mistaking his advisers comments and Obama's lack of judgment in not disassociating himself and his family from this man, and for so many years too. As Americans what kind of message is this sending to our enemies, and the Islamic community as a hole, that we are pushing to nominate a man, (who's father is Muslim), and who aligns himself with someone who makes such incendiary comments against America, and that we want him as our next president! How do Muslims really view this? And, why is this not a concern amongst the pundants and all those who are driving this election in Obama's favor! And, what does this say about "US" as Americans, and a people! Giving Obama a pass on this brings into question our own judgment as Americans and how we want to be seen around the world. Just how far are we willing to go to achieve the change we so desire in this country?
God Bless America!
The Invisible Citizen
Posted by: The Invisible Citizen | April 24, 2008 11:54 PM
Sad Little Jeff,
How many times has Spain been attacked by al-Qaeda sympathizers since they withdrew from Iraq? When a terrorist organization lists their grievances and they include our aid to Israel and occupation of holy Saudi soil, you have to listen. You don't have to agree but you must acknowledge that they are giving you more information than I slick politician who tries to make you believe that one day al-Qaeda stumbled upon a copy of the Constitution and our Bill of Rights and it turned them into suicidal and murderous maniacs.
Posted by: julia | April 25, 2008 9:51 AM