Obama & Wright: The End?

I spoke favorably of an interview that Rev. Jeremiah Wright gave to Bill Moyers last Friday, but Wright has had some strange things to say at various public appearances since. Today, Sen. Barack Obama gave a speech in which he responded to some of the latest Wright comments and further distanced himself from his former pastor. As noted on TPM, here is a passage from this speech.

The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church.

They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I might not know him as well as I thought, either.

You can see video of the entire speech here. Follow-up questions can be seen here.

I'll be interested to see how this plays out in the press. I think that the media will continue to harp on Obama regardless of what he does now, but time will tell.

29 April 2008