Commentary: Like a Bad Penny, Obama’s Links to Rev. Wright Will Continue to Revisit Him in the Campaign

By: Joseph C. Phillips, BlackAmericaWeb.com

A brief recap of some of the highpoints from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright resurrection tour:

The former pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago reiterated his belief that America has been a terrorist nation from its inception, defended his damning of America, stood by his belief that the American government created the HIV virus and placed drugs in the black community in order to exterminate black people, then further derided the country as a place where "I can worship God on Sunday morning wearing a black clergy robe and kill others on Sunday evening wearing a white Klan robe." Finally, Wright dismissed the entire controversy over his words as an attack on the black church.

Just a guess, but I am betting he did himself no favors. I would add that rather than pen op-eds telling us all how ignorant we are because we don’t understand black liberation theology, the reverend’s supporters would do better to simply produce a tape where the former pastor is heard preaching something along the lines of “God bless this great and good country.”

The problem for Wright’s supporters and ultimately for presidential hopeful Barack Obama, a 20-year congregant of Trinity, is that there is no such tape because no such sermon was delivered. Rather, what was heard on video clips across the world wide web and then repeated in the speeches and interviews before the National Press Club and the NAACP is left to stand as representative of Wright’s views. The judgment of any candidate intimately associated with such views is a legitimate political issue and one that, like a bad penny, will continue to revisit Obama over and over again.

Considering the number of “good liberals” that essentially agree with the spirit, if not the substance, of Wright’s words and have rushed to his defense, it is also one that should haunt the Democratic Party as well.

A few questions to Wright and those that subscribe to a view of America as “Ameri-KKK-A” are in order. Let us concede that everything you say about America is true: America is a terrorist nation, the government has indeed sought to destroy black people through the introduction of man-made race-specific diseases and addictive, soul-destroying drugs, and racism is running rampant throughout the nation. Given the abject evil of the American government, why do you look to that same government to provide you with health care, retirement benefits and an education for your children? Wouldn’t it make more sense to support policies that limit such a government’s involvement and power over its citizens?

The solutions proffered by the party Wright supports to each and every issue confronting Americans is an expanse of federal involvement. Both Obama and Hillary Clinton support government regulated health care; both have rejected personal ownership of retirement accounts and instead endorsed an expansion of the social security tax. Both Democratic candidates have expressed support of further government regulation of the insurance, oil and pharmaceutical companies. Both want federal funding of a universal pre-school program. If we can’t trust government not to clandestinely plan for the annihilation of the black race, why on earth would we send our toddlers to federally financed (and ultimately run) pre-schools?

Or is it that the election of Barack Obama to the presidency would restore moral legitimacy to this nation’s institutions and traditions and put us on track to reconciliation and redemption? And if that is the case wouldn’t it be better for you to, well, -- to put it bluntly -- sit down and shut up?

To this last question, Wright answers that he is defending the honor of the black church. Ain’t nobody gonna talk about his mama! With all do respect, the reverend neither speaks for the black church nor do I believe his scurrilous and idiotic theories speak for the majority of black church-goers. His continued allocutions do, however, raise his national profile and increase his speaking fees.

Were Wright a black separatist or even a (gasp!) conservative with these convictions, it would make some sense, but to be a liberal Democrat preaching these theories makes him appear lunatic. A lunatic that, alas, will not go away.