Obama's 'View'

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March 28, 2008 12:33 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Barack Obama cozied up on the couch with the women of ABC's "The View".

"I am surrounded by women, well you guys always surprise me, always something up your sleeve," the Senator remarked.

When questioned by co-host Joy Behar if he was tough enough to survive the attack machine in this race, Obama responded, "I'm skinny but I'm tough."

"There (have) been some tough punches thrown in this primary, it's not like I've been taking a cake walk though this primary," Obama said.

Obama said the best way to withstand the negative criticism is the let it roll off your sleeve, and realize that not everyone he says is going to make everybody happy. But the presidential candidate said not to expect him to be swiftboated, a la John Kerry in the 2004 election, saying he will respond faster if under a similar attack.

"I don't think it's gotten dirty," Obama said, in reference to his tight contest with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Race was the predominant issue of the interview.

"I never heard him say some of the things that have people upset," Obama said in reference to the controversial remarks of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor of 20 years.

Rev. Wright, the retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

An ABC News review of dozens of the Rev. Wright's sermons, offered for sale by the church, found repeated denunciations of the United States based on what he described as his reading of the Gospels and the treatment of black Americans.

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001, that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism.

"I'm not vetting my pastor," Obama told "The View", "I didn't have a research team during the course of 20 years to go pull every sermon he's given and see if there's something offensive that he's said."

The senator agreed Wright's remarks are "rightly offensive" but described the Reverend who baptized his children and married he and his wife as a "brilliant man who was still stuck in a time warp."

"View" co-host Elisabeth Hasslebeck expressed concern that Obama's choice of pastor may show a lack of judgment.

The candidate explained, "Part of what my role in my politics is to get people who don't normally listen to each other to talk to each other, who [say] crazy things, who are offended by each other, for me to understand them and to maybe help them understand each other."

Obama said he talked to Wright after the controversy erupted.

"I think he's saddened by what's happened, and I told him I feel badly that he has been characterized just in this one way, and people haven't seen this broader aspect of him," Obama said.

On another subject, when asked for specifics by co-host and frequent critical Elisabeth Hasslebeck on his plan for the economy, Obama spoke about the need to roll back President Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

"You're in trouble, Barbara," co-host Sherri Shepherd interrupted, warning the renounced journalist as the audience rolled in laughter, "You're gonna be in trouble when he rolls back tax cuts!"

The Senator arrived about 20 minutes late from a lunch fundraiser at the Credit Suisse building in Manhatten to the Thursday taping of the episode which aired nationwide on Friday.

During the brief breaks for commercials, Obama whispered to Barbara Walters, each with their hand over their microphone to protect their conversation from being shared with the studio audience.

Obama greeted co-host Whoopi Goldberg's daughter and granddaughter, who sat front row in the audience.

"I want your vote," Obama said to the eighteen-year-old high school senior.

Actress Angela Bassett was also in the audience, prompting Obama to comment, "You got some fancy folks in the audience."

Barbara Walters, seen carrying Obama's book "Dreams of My Father" introduced the candidate to her two longtime friends who were also in the front row.

"They've never come before," Walters commented beforehand.

Joy Behar carried four books out to be signed by the Senator after the show, passing them off for to the staff.

Sherri Shepherd, who said she dressed up in there church outfit and "Obama-fit" before the show, was clad in a skinny black dress and white sweater overtop, and said the picture her and Obama took together during the commercial break was her prom picture.

Shepherd told Obama during the show that she was planning on voting for Hillary Clinton, but after his speech on race last Tuesday she switched and will be voting for him.

"I want to be leave "The View" to campaign for you," she joked.

Before the taping started, the predominantly female crowd, many sporting Obama buttons or shirts, were entertained by Maura McGinnis reading her poem entiteld "Obama for Rainbows", about the bridging of racial divides.

Walters graced the crowd before the taping, saying that it was a "historic day" for the show and assured the crowd they will also have Sen. Hillary Clinton on the show soon.

March 28, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (108)

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Okay ABC - Please report all the facts. I saw the show today and Obama also said the Wright was not his spiritual mentor. I thought Elizabeth's eyes were going to pop out of her head. Obama said his way of surviving the pressure is to respond quickly to any perceived negative attacks and "I tell the truth." Huh? Obama is the one who called Wright his spiritual advisor, his spiritual mentor. Today he said Wright is not his spiritual advisor. Which one is it? Come on, tell us the truth.

Posted by: sunshine voter | Mar 28, 2008 12:53:59 PM

Oh I love him! I don't know anything about him but who cares?! Oooh ooh but ooooh he talks pretty and is kinda cute! Oooh, oooh, and he smiled at me! Let's vote for him for President! Yay!

(Unreal. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a woman. This is one of those times.)

Posted by: Easily Fooled Woman | Mar 28, 2008 12:59:37 PM

I also like him as well. The more I hear from him, the more I get interested.

I am woman but am afraid that I will not be swayed by my fellow woman (Hillary) who is telling the story of landing in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets.

I think she was tellig about a movie!

Posted by: Peace | Mar 28, 2008 1:14:00 PM

Fortunately for the country, easily fooled women are not the majority of women. McCain in a landslide. Cakewalk.

Posted by: Jo | Mar 28, 2008 1:16:04 PM

Obama WILL be our next president! He should choose Cynthia McKinney as his running mate. What a team they would be!

Obama/McKinney '08!!

Posted by: Darnell | Mar 28, 2008 1:18:58 PM

just another smooth talking politician. cozied up to rezko. said he was a professor of constitutional law. said he spoke fluent indonesian. said his parents met at the selma march. all lies. like i said....just another politician.

Posted by: ron | Mar 28, 2008 1:23:54 PM

Darnell-I think Obama should choose Reverend Wright. At lest I do know where Wright stands on issues. In any case, Wright will be running with Obama for as long as Obama lives.

Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 28, 2008 1:24:51 PM

I have but this to say.....

Some of you ("you know who you are") just can't help yourself. It's imbedded in your psyche and your soul that "no matter what, if someone says grey, you must say red." You're contentious because its the only way you've a way to be heard. It just doesn't occur to you that some people ARE who they say they are, and some people are not who they want you to believe them to be....Obama is the former, and Hillary the latter. Barack is human, falible, gracious, and worthy of my vote.

Posted by: meandonlyme | Mar 28, 2008 1:38:13 PM

It's a show for entertainment, of course. But, Barbara fawning all over him like he is a rock star? It is surprising that no one fainted. The attack machine discussed is of his own making. He has aligned himself with Wright's teaching and mentoring for twenty years! He is either ignorant or he thinks we are. He cannot have it both ways. Understanding is one thing, condoning Wright's messages of hate is another. Now, that he believes he is crowned, we can wait and see how ignorant the rest of the people are in November.

Posted by: georgia | Mar 28, 2008 1:42:02 PM

ADDENDUM: Ignorance is bliss.

Posted by: georgia | Mar 28, 2008 1:43:32 PM

I honestly can’t believe the crap I’m reading on this blog … you would think that Obama had lied repeatedly, like McCain or Hillary. You would think Obama is walking around clueless, like McCain or Hillary.

And I would add that out of all the things we have heard from Rev. Wright’s speeches what in them, other then the ADIS comment, has anyone disproved? Instead of making personal attacks get the proof that he’s lying or twisting the truth and put it out there.

And why is it that Rev. Wright is taking so much heat when his comments have been said by others and we have not heard one word condemning them?
We are a nation of hypocrites, racist and liars … how sad that this is what we are teaching our children, as well as what we are showing the world.

Posted by: Mike | Mar 28, 2008 1:47:45 PM

"slicker than a raincoat in a downpour".....I like that!

God help the USA if this guy gets to the White House.

Posted by: Kerri | Mar 28, 2008 1:47:55 PM

Yes we Can... Obama-Wrong. Reverend Wright did not acknowledge being wrong about anything. While Obama sat in SILENT protest for TWENTY years. No matter how you cut it, Obama got to be one dumb twit not to see anything, hear anything, know anything. Just what does it take for something to get noticed with this guy? He did not notice in Twenty years. At most Obama could get eight years as president, twelve years short of a problem getting some attention.

Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 28, 2008 1:49:13 PM

Count me amongst the 28% of Dems in the Gallup poll:

I am voting for Hillary or NOBODY.

Posted by: ch | Mar 28, 2008 1:52:16 PM

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Obama Campaign '08
R.I.P.

Posted by: Obama & Rev. Wright | Mar 28, 2008 1:53:25 PM

Where did the Obama love ladies go?

Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 28, 2008 1:56:44 PM

ch-28% sounds like a heck of a low number to me. I believe it's more like 60%.

Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 28, 2008 1:58:02 PM

I love the comment about all the women who have been divorced love him but the one who hasn't isn't "fooled"...

boy oh boy...

You mean all the women who have been fooled by men before and divorced those men... or might even be bitter toward them...and are for the most part older (I don't know about Sherri) ...like this guy.

...and Elisabeth (the pillar of good judgement ...the one that liked Bushy and the rest of the Repubs) didn't like him and has only been married for how many years...

That is a keeper of a comment. He was honest (and he did not deny that he said mentor...he said that has been blown out of proportion ...my Dad is my mentor but I don't think we should drop a bomb on the whole Middle east...)

Give it a rest...smart people can say dumb things and smarter people can listen and take the smart things without the dumb things...but then again...by the sounds of some of the comments on here... some of you wouldn't understand that).

Posted by: dl | Mar 28, 2008 1:59:15 PM

So, he was simply waiting for 20 years for Rev. Wright to retire. How can so many intelligent people be so foolish? Here we were thinking that he was actually listening to the America-bashing sermons for 20 years.

How prejudiced we were to think his church is not a church where typical white people will not feel right at home?

OK Folks, he was simply waiting for 20 years for Rev. Wright to retire.

Thank God we all realized that we were behaving like Limbaugh and crew just in time.

It is not important for this race to go on any more. He won Iowa caucus. Not sure why we had to extend this nomination fight even to New Hampshire and beyond.

Actually, we should have given the nomination to Mr. Obama as soon as he announced his nomination because he is such a unifier. He unified his America-hating Rev. Wright and his patriotic America-loving fellow congregants. Didn't he?

How dare people ask him specifics about his plans? Don't they know he has the right judgment.

OK. Now that I am done with my sarcastic fusillade, I urge Mr. Obama, for the good of the party, to drop out of the race becase he did not win any real big states, as he is trailing in the electoral college, because he is a wounded candidate due to the Wright association, and because Republicans will eat him, the Obambi gazelle, alive like the lions ate the gazelle as shown on the discovery channel.

Drop out Obama, for the good of the party and for the good of the country.

Posted by: Roger Miller | Mar 28, 2008 1:59:16 PM

His best friend, his mentor, the one he bounces all political things off of.

Wright is a Deep seated part of Obama's life. he might have retired from the church. But they will be ever so close for life. many more now that wright can give him more time.

Posted by: seah | Mar 28, 2008 2:03:39 PM

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