Mocking of Clinton at Obama’s Church Reverberates

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Mocking of Clinton at Obama’s Church Reverberates
By SUSAN SAULNY
Published: May 31, 2008


The Rev. Michael Pfleger at an antigun rally last year in Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

CHICAGO — Reverberations from the Sunday sermon of a Roman Catholic priest who mocked Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at Senator Barack Obama’s home church here continued to spread Friday, after the priest offered an apology and the archbishop of Chicago gave him a public reprimand for “partisan campaigning.”

In a guest appearance at Trinity United Church of Christ, the priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, who resigned about two weeks ago from an unpaid position on the Obama campaign’s Catholic advisory council, delivered a tirade against Mrs. Clinton that included fake tears, a high-pitched voice and top-of-the-lungs screaming. He also gave a racially tinged critique of so-called “white entitlement,” of which he says Mrs. Clinton is guilty....Father Pfleger, a well-known longtime activist and friend of Mr. Obama, issued an apology late Thursday. “I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama’s life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them.”

The Clinton campaign repeated on Friday, for a second day, its displeasure with how Mr. Obama has handled the situation, calling for him to reject Father Pfleger more forcefully....

***

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mr. Obama’s strategist, David Axelrod, called Father Pfleger’s comments “outrageous and wrong,” adding that the priest had had only a small role in the campaign.

Whatever that role was, the archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, has demanded that it be over, the cardinal said in a statement released Friday. “To avoid months of turmoil in the church, Father Pfleger has promised me that he will not enter into campaigning, will not publicly mention any candidate by name and will abide by the discipline common to all Catholic priests,” Cardinal George said. Father Pfleger’s remarks were “both partisan and amount to a personal attack,” he continued, adding, “I regret that deeply.”

The flare-up was not well timed for Mr. Obama, who seemed to have finally put to rest similarly controversial remarks by his former Trinity pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/31/us/politics/31pastor.html

[jody]

1. Who needs enemies with friends like Pfleger and Wright? n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Indeed. We found out eventually that Wright was driven by ego and jealousy --

threatening Obama's effort to turn what he has made of his life into becoming President of the U.S. This guy? Who knows what motivated him. Looking at the video, I wonder if it were nothing more than the thrill a performer gets from a cheering audience. I'm not sure what it has to do with faith, that's for sure.

[ccharles000]

2. I am glad that Obama spoke out against him.

[MethuenProgressive]

4. When will Obaam ask his church to stop inviting lunatic to preach from the pulpit?

[madame defarge]

5. Obama is but one member of the church.

There are many other members. I realize he is an important member, but that should not give him more power in his church. It's a church. It's where everyone should be treated as an equal, regardless of position or money.

[jody]

6. Perhaps BO needs to distance himself from all organized religions since each apparently seems intent

upon advancing its own particular narrow-minded agenda.

That's what we need in a president who leads a population where freedom of religion is protected by our government as a natural, inherent, inalienable right.

[baldguy]

7. We shouldn't promote the concept of people having to apologize for telling the truth.

Hillary has opened herself up to be mocked - we shouldn't be surprised when she is.

[madame defarge]

8. Good point.

And just how is Pfleger's rant any different from something that SNL does?

[Fresh_Start]

9. common definition of truth

includes factual

Since the priest did not talk to Senator Clinton and is not her confessor everything he said about her thoughts or words is made-up.
Thats pretty much the opposite of facts and a sin in the Catholic Church.

[baldguy]

11. What other reason does Clinton have to have drawn this contest out as she's done

other than through a sense of entitlement to the Presidency that she believes she has & Obama does not?

Part of the job of a confessor is the ability to identify bovine feces when one sees it.

[Bumblebee]

18. Perhaps the reason is, surprise, surprise, that she is sure to win the general

election and Obama is very likely to lose it?!

[baldguy]

20. If she can't win in the primaries, she can't win in the general.

Without the nomination, the general election doesn't even come into play for her.

And only in the wildest fevered hallucinations of neocons & Hilbots is Obama likely to lose in Nov.

[Oleladylib]

10. So saying Obama is a very spoiled, not terribly intelligent..ill equipped to be president is okay...

because it's the truth...Fine, thanks.

[baldguy]

12. As is continuing to con people into believing you can win an election - even after you've lost.

[Bumblebee]

14. Having supporters like you he does not need any enemies either, as

far as Clinton supporters and the general election goes. I wish you would stop hurting his chances. If you think your support is aiding him, think again -- and harder. He is not going to win on your misguided zealotry alone.

[baldguy]

16. Fr Pfleger isn't a problem. Rev Wright isn't a problem. People like me aren't the problem.

Its the people who promote the guilt-by-association talking point, because - like most talking points - its essentially a lie used to distract from real issues.

Look at who's trying to sell this story & others like it. Why don't sell stories which are more troubling about Clinton's ties to the creepy fundamentalist cult The Foundation, or McCain's lobbying for the support of insane evangelicals like Hagee & Parsley?

Rest assured, if someone is pointing at Fr Pfleger yelling "Look at him! Look at him!" that means they DON'T want you to look elsewhere.

[Bumblebee]

17. Of course not! No one associated with Saint Obama is EVER a problem!

We who support Clinton are devil worshipers, case closed! Simple as that. Good versus evil.

Spare your breath. I know your argument by heart by now.

[baldguy]

19. You didn't even understand my post.

Off to ignore you go

[notfullofit]

21. From the

inside of a church!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell happened to separation of church and state?

This priest has also been a good friend of Obama's for 20 years, how many more are going to come crawling out of the woodwork?
Pretty soon Obama is going to run out of friends and relatives to ditch.

[shenmue]

13. Why isn't that church about to lose its tax-exempt status?

That's the law when it gets into partisan campaigning and the specific recommendation of candidates, right?

:shrug:

Who am I kidding? You're not allowed to question Obama supporters. :sarcasm:

[frylock]

15. it's as if the skies are opening up, and celestial choirs are singing

:eyes: