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Priest stands by Clinton critique

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor June 26, 2008 10:07 AM


He's back, and not quite repentant.

Father Michael Pfleger -- the Catholic priest whose mocking of Hillary Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ was the final controversy that led to Barack Obama leaving his spiritual home of two decades -- in his first interview acknowledged that his delivery might have left something to be desired, but stood by his message.

"I was giving a talk about race. And is entitlement one of the things about race that I believe in? Is an unequal playing field one of the things I believe in? Yes, so I don't apologize for being passionate, I don't apologize for being free," Pfleger said in the interview aired today on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I apologize when my passion or my freeness and my flawness of character get in the way of the content, which is much more important to me -- that people hear the message. And when I am in the way of the message then I'm not only apologetic, but I have to change."

In a sermon in May, Pfleger called Clinton a white" and "entitled" politician stunned to see Obama winning the Democratic nomination.

"I really believe that she just always thought, 'This is mine. I'm Bill's wife, I'm white and this is mine. I just gotta get up and step into the plate,' " Pfleger said. "And then out of nowhere came, 'Hey, I'm Barack Obama.' And she said, 'Oh, damn, where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show.' "

Two days after his sermon became public and a YouTube sensation, Obama announced that he was resigning from Trinity, where his former pastor's incendiary sermons also caused him trouble on the campaign trail.

Pfleger, himself, was temporarily suspended from his parish by Chicago's bishop and had to promise not to make more political statements this election.

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Being a White Guy, I laugh at a white guy talking about Race relations, Like he is a brother, What joke, I don't think this kind of bullstien his helpful in this battle against Neo Cons for the soul of America, Don't draw line's in the sand, Stupid Mick boy lover

Posted by RaferJanders June 26, 08 12:29 PM
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this guy's a nut. Pha!!!! a WHITE MAN calling someone out for a sense of entitlement - whatta riot!

Posted by Jackie June 26, 08 04:09 PM
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This hate monger should be ex-communicated by the Catholic church.

Posted by Lesley - Vancouver June 26, 08 04:59 PM
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And what I hear from the media and Obama supporters is:

Obama is black. He is entitled to be President. The time has come for a black man to be President. If you don't vote for him, you are going against the "tide." You hate blacks. Bla. Bla. Bla.

We all know that Obama is a black man, and as Geraldine Ferraro pointed out, that is the reason why someone as underqualified as he could even attempt to run for the Presidency. That is not to say that there are no well-qualified black person who can. Colin Powell. Condi Rice. To name just two. They are giants compared to Obama. What a shame to try to drag all black people through the mud just because some people do think he is competent enough to be President.

Posted by MMK June 26, 08 06:38 PM
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Obama's comfort level with people like Pfleger, the enthusiastic embrace of him at Trinity, tells full well what kind of divisive, virulent, biased ideas thrive around him---that is what makes him such a severe danger to this country. The very fact that Obama doesn't "get it" any more than do Trinity's churchgoers---as seen for example in his explaining that the only reason he was quitting his church was to spare the church controversy---makes him entirely inappropriate in the position of POTUS, and that is why he will never be elected!!!

Posted by hatshepsut June 26, 08 07:28 PM
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Perhaps the Bishop or Cardinal should reassign Rev. Pfleger to sub Saharian Africa to minister to those in most need. The Church can ill afford Al Jolson in cleric robes doing everything but singing Mammy, after the scandals of the past few years. If he can't or won't follow Church orders and considers Pastor Wright "his pastor" instead of his Holliness the Pope, then excommunication might be in order... Certainly, his behavior has proven disgraceful to those of us who call ourselves Catholic.

Posted by Catholic in MI June 26, 08 11:25 PM
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Whose without sin let them cast the first stone. We should do everything with love and charity in our hearts. All have fallen short. But this is a prime reason people of faith must treat with suspect any political party that claims to have all the answers.

Hillary Clinton , Obama, Fr. Pfleger was harmed as Rev Wright. Also I believe Cardinal Francis George was harmed. The solution is for people of faith to keep their faith in God, and politics. It is my prayer that God will guide all of us through this mud. That this election process will be transformation for our nation. We either solver our problems together or they don't get solved.

Posted by Joe Murray June 27, 08 03:53 PM
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