Brummett says it’s hard to reconcile the situation with Obama and his provocative pastor. Perhaps Obama’s speech today will ameliorate things. Make it go away in November? Not likely.
Another liberal columnist, Richard Cohen of Washington Post, distills the key question:
In other words, how is it possible that a man who has made judgment the centerpiece of his presidential campaign has shown so little of it in this matter?
One possible answer to these questions is that Obama has learned to rely on a sycophantic media that hears any criticism of him as either (1) racist, (2) vaguely racist or (3) doing the bidding of Hillary and Bill Clinton. You only have to turn your attention to the interview Obama granted MSNBC‘s fawning Keith Olbermann for an example. Obama was asked whether he had known that Wright had suggested substituting the phrase “God damn America” for “God bless America.”
“You know, frankly, I didn’t,” Obama said. “I wasn’t in church during the time when the statements were made.”
But had you heard about them? Did your crack campaign staff alert you? And what about Wright’s honoring Farrakhan? Had you heard about that? Did you feel any obligation to denounce those remarks — not Farrakhan’s, as you had done, but those of Wright himself? Don’t you consider yourself a public figure whom others look to for leadership? Do you think you failed them here?
Olbermann asked none of those questions.
UPDATE: Here’s the text of Obama’s speech today.