Damn his church just needs to shut up until mid November. =)

it should also be said that not only did he mock hillary clinton but he also mocked hillary clinton's supporters and white people in general by stating:
She wasn't the only one crying, there was a whole lot of white people crying!"

I hope the news media play this like crazy all over the united states..... Montana, South Dakota.....wake up and don't vote for Barack Obama on June 3rd..... preachers at his church believe that you are babies..... you like to cry when you don't get your way and that you believe a black man is stealing the election away from a white woman.

He has already rejected the comments, and the pastor has already apologized...

This is no news...

You should focus on the GOP issues:

Nevada, Colorado...and the McCain gaffes

http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MTk3ZjhlZGI0ZTRlOTIyZmQ2NTJiMDU0N2RkNGU3ZGY=

So what is the response from Team Obama going to be? That he didn't know Pfleger was capable of this kind of rhetoric, either?

Obama once again is saying he's disappointed in yet another preacher at his church. But the real damage isn't just the preachers. It is the video of the congregation clapping and cheering and waving their arms and shouting "Amen" once again to a highly racist message. The message was that white people, all white people, profited from slavery, and those profits have been passed down to today's generations, making all white people guilty. The problem for Obama when we see those parishioners approving that message is that he was a parishioner in that same church for 20 years, and it is impossible to believe he never heard that kind of message being preached. Those parishioners don't look shocked. They don't look like this is something they have never heard before. It is clear that this is the kind of message that found a home in that church. And sadly, it is also where the Obama's felt at home.

I don't think as a Clinton supporter you want to play the guilt-by-association game. Hillary and Bill have both had to defend themselves for decades due to this shoddy tactic. I thought that was a Republican tool.
Are YOU responsible for what your FREINDS and ASSOCIATES say??? I guarantee you, I'm not.

Apparently Father Flagler held a position on a "Catholics for Obama" organization or committee or something but resigned two weeks ago. I have no idea what that timing means but it is decidedly *odd*

Personally, I don't believe that the substance of what he was unusual: a lot of people (especially, we are told women) do belive that it's been very unfair to HRC that someone who is comparatively new and inexperienced is taking her place. (Don't think the fact that he is black has much to do with the anger, frankly.) Read E.J. Dionne's article this morning. ..... BUT ..... what the &^%#@$ is that sort of observation doing in a church pulpit on Sunday morning?????!!!!! What was the "message" of that sermon? And was personal, politically explosive attack a legitimate way to get across any 'religious' message?

If you go back and read or listen to the sermons Rev. Wright gave before Obama's announcement (and his rescinding the invitation to Wright to appear at the event), you may not like the isolated clips and presentation, but the actual sermons are legitimately religious and appropriate. For example, the message of the 9/11 sermon was advice to the congregation not to respond to the horrific event by immediately giving in to instincts for revenge but to examine their own personal relationship with God. Not profound (my opinion) but certainly the type of thing we all hear in church. (The 'chickens' comment, by the way, was quoting a former US Ambassador and given as 'another view', another way to try to explain the tragedy .. and, indirectly, a negative example of what the instinct for revenge leads to)

The clips that show Wright ranting against Hillary and Bill, in contrast, have, so far as I know or have heard, NO religiously-redeeming value. They are just flatly ugly and very inappropriate in a church (or anywhere). Because of the timing, one could consider them harm-making outbursts from someone who was personally hurt and angry that he was no longer accepted by Obama. Same thing with his ugly, ugly outbursts in the more recent press conference.

But now this ... It does make one wonder if perhaps there isn't a good deal to what Fran says, that these ugly-minded, harmful preachers are outright trying to harm Obama because his success, any success of his overall message, directly threatens their own power and position.

And it does - pose a real threat, that is. As (forget who) observed, America is most racially divided at 11:00 on Sunday morning. And in that divided world, the black ministers have been the kings. That's not going to be true if we become more open and accepting of one another, something Obama stands for. That kingdom in time and tremendous influence will be lost.

Think about baseball. Who killed the Negro Leagues? Ultimately, it was Jackie Robinson. When the major leagues were integrated, there was no longer any need for that separate even if not equal world. I've not read of any NL executives or stars that opposed or were angry about the change, but there probably were some.

All I know is that there is a very deliberate intention-to-harm element that cannot be denied in Wright's statements about Hillary and Bill in Dec. 07, in his public statements at that press conference, and now in Father Flagler's 'performance.' It's ugly and shameful, especially from the pulpit, especially since it is intended to harm. If those ministers merely wanted the applause, they could extol the wonderful rise in power of a black man, the breaking down of barriers. These are not idiots: they know, full well, how the rest of the society, whose votes Obama will need, are going to react to these sights.

So I think it's a big mistake to suggest that these outbursts, or whatever you call them, are expressions of what Obama is really thinking or attitudes he has endorsed in the past. They are out-and-out attacks ON him and attempts to undermine his success. One can speculate why (my speculations are above) but what Wright and Flagler are doing is intentional - and the intention is to hurt Barack Obama.

To convincingly argue that Obama "sat there and listened to this" for 20 years, you'll have to point to sermons he listened to WHEN HE WAS THERE. Wright's sermons are on tape and transcribed: anyone who wants to make that argument can easily find examples ... if they exist.

PS. Otto F - That "overly theatrical sing-song style" is very common in black churches, from the time of slavery actually, and isn't at all disgusting (although still strange to most of us) when the subject matter is praising God and encouraging faith and Christian behavior. Look at some old tapes of sermons given by "Daddy" King (MLK's father). Church was the one place where it was safe and permitted for slaves to shout and express strong emotions, including anger - a profound pressure release - and that tradition continues.

Bonus: Father Pleger comes with Farrakhan Seal of Approval

He also appears to have a fire and brimstone style, to put it mildly

Addressing the owner of the (gun) shop, Pfleger announced, "We're going to find you and snuff you out. Like a rat you're going to hide. But like a rat, we're going to catch you and pull you out." Cardinal George rebuked Pfleger, saying, "Publicly delivering a threat against anyone's life betrays the civil order and is morally outrageous, especially if this threat came from a priest." Pfleger responded that he did not intend to use the word "snuff" as a slang term for "kill", but rather as a substitute for "pull", as he used later in his statement. See the Wikipedia entry on Pfleger

Anyway, to be fair, he was a guest speaker at Trintiy United Church Of Christ.

Besides, despite Obama's and Father Pfleger's long participation in Chicago politics, Obama never heard Father Pfleger say anything inflammatory. And if Obama, did, what could he do? Father Pfleger is like your crazy old uncle, a "typical white person", really. Obama could no more reject him than he could reject the church. Of course, if Pfleger had not retired from Catholics for Obama, Obama probably would have left him...probably.

Is it just me or is all this hatred and mocking very much un-Christian-like? He's a preacher who is supposed to be responsible for teaching the Bible and that is the best he can come up with? Can anyone quote me from the Bible anywhere that endorses mocking and hatred and venom? He then apologizes to Senator Obama for offending his political goals but certainly not to Senator Clinton for the substance of his remarks. And on a larger scale how is that type of sermon appropriate in a Church founded on allegedly Christian values?

Despicable. Revoke their tax exempt charity status. It is no longer a Church; it is a political organization period.

I think this story, as it is reported, flatlined on arrival.

The more interesting angle on this is how in line Father Michael Pfleger's comments are with the racial division marketed by the Clintons.

Why is this getting so much coverage on, of all days this week, the Friday before the Clinton protest rally, and the last three primaries?

I respect a church that preaches racism and hate.
And I respect a presidential candidate who takes
his children to worship there.

Obama is also taking applications for a WH Chaplin/spiritual leader. Please pick up an application at his Chicago headquarters. Resume will not be accepted in lieu of filling out the application, don't forget to include your DMV and SSN, and please leave your rants at the door, thank you.

Possible Obama cabinet: Obama, pres.; past-Gov Warner, VP.; Sen Biden, Sec of State; Anthony Lake, Nat'l Security; John Edwards, Atty General; Sam Nunn, Sec of Defense; Dr. Howard Dean, Health & Human Svcs; David Axelrod, Chief of Staff; Bill Burton, Comm. Director/Press Secretary; Gov Richardson, Amb to Iran; Liberal stacking of the Supreme Court (3 to 4 vacancies by 2012); Hillary Clinton, unpaid advisor (and possible food taster for Obama at State Dignitary functions).

I'm glad you Obama apologists are so good at apologizing. It will come in very handy if he ever becomes President.

The bitter sermons at TUCC did not start this week, and while Obama would love to discard a 16-year relationship in 2 months, he's stuck.

And if you consider a moment, it's no surprise that comments like "I really believe that she just always thought, 'This is mine! I'm Bill's wife, I'm white, and this is mine! I'm white! I'm entitled! There's a black man stealing my show!" have led to a 92% black turnout for Obama. I'm not sure why this "House of Worship" should get a tax discount for hosting racist speech and backing a particular candidate, but I guess that's just the luck of the draw. It would be bitter and clinging to complain.

I am a strong Clinton supporter, but this is a non-story. What that pastor says does not speak for Obama's beliefs just as the pope doesn't speak for Antonin Scalia. You know that because Antonin Scalia is a hang-em-high, kill as many as he can, death cultist who is infatuated with his power to kill people. He ignores the pope - who is supposed to be his ultimate authority. We have a death-loving Supreme Court justice who probably masturbates to execution videos - who claims to be a good catholic. We don't see him adopting any anti-war, anti-death penalty positions.

Moreover, McCain isn't getting tarred with the opinions of his pastoral associations either.

What Obama's pastor was just some typical Clinton hating - par for the course from the Obama crowd. It's not surprising.

Additionally, Obama promptly and properly distanced himself from that hatemongering asshole. Now if he would only do the same with his "netroots"

The Mnemonic calendar would be funnier if it weren't just a complete theft from the Daily Show. sort of makes it seem low and creepy.