McCain, Michelle Obama speak on Wright controversy
And the reaction continues to Barack Obama's disavowal of his former pastor.
On Fox News Network this morning, John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, was asked whether he feels sorry for Obama over the controversy caused by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.
"No," McCain replied. "I think we all face challenges when we are in political campaigns, running for President in the bean bag. I think he has to address the issue with the American people. I don’t have any further comment on his handling of it.”
McCain also said on "Fox & Friends" that he will not "use" Wright against Obama in the fall campaign, saying it's up to the voters to judge. That, of course, wouldn't stop other groups supporting McCain from doing so.
Meanwhile, Michelle Obama, no surprise, praised her husband's handling of the issue, particularly his Tuesday press conference to repudiate Wright, who on Monday gave a nationally televised speech at the National Press Club.
"I was proud of the statement that he made yesterday," she told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux on "Anderson Cooper 360" Wednesday night. "It was a tough thing for him to do. It's a painful situation to be in. But I think that Barack's race speech was one of the most powerful, emotional speeches that he's written in his life."
"And I think the response to that speech spoke for itself," she continued. That wasn't a speech of a political opportunist. Barack has been trying to bridge divides all of his life. And I think that speech was a really sincere attempt to help bring clarity to a very difficult issue that this country has yet to deal with."
Michelle Obama declined to discuss the timing of the repudiation or the possible motives of Wright for giving a series of speeches that restoked the controversy.
"Yes, it was painful," she said. "Yes, it's been difficult. But I think that, you know, the more difficult thing that this country is facing is really trying to move politics into conversations around problems and problem-solving. And that's what we're going to be pretty determined to do. And I think, you know, this is about all I'm going to say on the issue. And I think that, you know, we're going to close this chapter and move into the next phase of this election."
Dear Fellow Americans,
Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America is and will face very critical "Challenges" in coming, months, years and decades.
In my professional opinion the critical characters of next would be our President are summarized as under.
1. Vision and true believe.
2. Character and compassion.
3. Presidential Temperament and Judgment.
4. Past versus future.
The one candidate among the remaining three candidates how meets all these characteristics is Senator Obama.
As an independent registered voter since 1974. I voted for Carter, voted for Reagan, voted for First and second Bush in 2000. Last interest and stopped voting.
This time we can not afford to stay on side lines and Washington stay the same. We can not afford our Greatgreat Nation to become less than what are. I need the sent message to the world, 24 hour corporate media
and minor hateful partisan media to deprive, dupe, and derail us from getting right it this.
The family, fellowship, friends, faith, funds, with freedom and fairness and without fear and favor what is at stake this time. We can do it and I am sure the people of our Greatgrand Nation will do it.
God Bless our Great grand Nation, its diverse people. Our future needs stability, security, safety, and restoration of our due status in this Global World.
yours truly,
COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.
I think Mr. Obama is not the person that is suited to be our next president. How can a man that went to hear rev. Wright for 20 years is saying that he did not know rev. Wright. Of course, Mr. Obama is deniyng everything because he wants to live in the white house no matter what. this candidate is not the right person and should never win to become the president of this great nation. Amen
Hands down, Obama is the MAN.........and can be trusted with the grave decisions this nation will face.
We ought not be in the blame game, but consider just one incident. So there is doubt about his association with Wright for 20 years........and his opponent, Hillary, outright describes a fairy tale about her Bosnia 'adventure', not once but on 3 separate occassions.
Obama is the MAN!
Victorio Ruiz, what exactly has Obama denied? I think the accurate statement would be that he has finally REPUDIATED Reverend Wright and his comments because he is now seeing a side of Wright that he has never seen in the 20 years he has been affiliated with Wright's church. If you worked at a company for 20 years, does it mean that you KNOW each employee inside out? Grow up!
We all have different faces, the face we allow the public to see and our true face that is visable only to our spouses/children/immediate family. NO ONE can vouch for a person's TRUE character unless they have had an intimate relationship with them (and by intimate I'm not referring to sex). Let's not use what we perceive as a "slip up" be our excuse to devalue what Obama can truly bring to the table.
Hillary has blatantly lied about evading snipers ON NATIONAL TV! What does that make HER? I bet that is where YOUR vote is going. Tsk Tsk.
How can we trust a would be President that learned from a Hate Preacher,when I look at how the Muslim Extremist preach hate towards America among their flocks that exactly what Revrent Wright is doing.It is not an easy hurdle for Obama to overcome because Reverents actions are way too loud than Obamas words.
I think the whole guilt by association gimick is ridiculous and that is all people can hold against Obama. The man for goodness sakes is a good guy. He really is and some people just are so infatuated with BILL CLINTON that they will keep their convoluted mind above common sense and the right thing to do.
why does it need to be either one of these two? They are both horrible.
Obama may be a good guy,but when it has taken him 20 years to know that hatred being preached about your country and your goverment is wrong. You have to wonder just why.Is he really that dumb or easily influnced.I am sorry but he should not be lecturing us patriotic Americans about race nor asking us to get back to his issues.Sorry that isn't going to happen if it took you 20 years we can at least talk about you & Wright till this election is over for the sake of our country!!!
Black America happened because of a very elitist idealistic White America. I still feel that Slavery is alive and well; in housing-Blacks are run from every where they go. Employment-Most corporations don't allow blacks to excell to the higher
eschelons of these elite companies. Also, medical truths for blacks in America are heart-breaking and unbelievably uneven when it comes to quality and care given.
As i go down the line, I realize blacks always have a brick horizontal wall over their heads, waiting for them to dare and try to be an equal American.
What is happening with the Obama campaign is a well thought out plan to use blacks against each other and make it appear that they've lost the win on their on. Typical American racism which is still alive and well....
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Send your comments to masspolitics@globe.com
browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com