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Hillary Clinton: Wright Remarks 'Offensive and Outrageous'
April 30, 2008 2:46 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: In an "O'Reilly Factor" exclusive, Hillary Clinton rebuked Rev. Jeremiah Wright in her strongest language to-date.
Sen. Clinton, D-N.Y., speaking exclusively to FOX News, called Wright's comments "offensive and outrageous," telling conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly that she going to leave the controversy "up to voters to decide."
Here's the full exchange between O'Reilly and Clinton, as released by FOX News:
O'Reilly: "Can you believe this Rev. Wright guy? Can you believe this guy?"
Clinton: "Well, I'm going to leave it up to voters to decide."
O'Reilly: "Well, what do you think as an American?"
Clinton: "Well, what I said when I was asked directly is that I would not have stayed in the church.
O'Reilly: "You're an American citizen, I'm an American citizen, He's an American citizen, Rev. Wright. What do you think when you hear a fellow American citizen say that kind of stuff about America."
Clinton: "Well, I take offense. I think it's offensive and outrageous. I'm going to express my opinion, others can express theirs. It is part of just, you know, an atmosphere we're in today."
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.
In an ABC News debate earlier this month, Clinton repeated the assertion she had made on the campaign trail that, if in Obama's position, Rev. Wright would not have been her choice in pastor.
"One's choice of church and pastor is rooted in what one believes is what you're seeking in church and what kind of, you know, fellowship you find in church," Clinton told moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.
"But I have to say," she continued, "for Pastor Wright to have given his first sermon after 9/11 and to have blamed the United States for the attack, which happened in my city of New York, would have been just intolerable for me. And, therefore, I would have not been able to stay in the church."
You get to choose your pastor. You don't choose your family, but you get to choose your pastor. And when asked a direct question, I said I would not have stayed in the church," Clinton concluded, later adding she considered the issue "legitimate" in the minds of voters.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., strongly condemned recent comments made by his former pastor at a press conference on Tuesday.
Reacting to what he called the "spectacle" of his former pastor at the National Press Club, Obama, D-Ill., denounced Wright saying, "What Rev. Wright said (on Monday) directly contradicts everything I have ever done or said in my life."
"Whatever relationship I had with Rev Wright has changed as a result of this," Obama said.
Speaking the National Press Club in Washington on Monday, Rev. Wright called the recent criticism surrounding his sermons "an attack on the black church".
"This is not about Obama, McCain, Hillary, Bill or Chelsea, this is about the black church," Wright said, speaking before an enthusiastic audience of black church leaders at the onset of a two-day symposium.
Throughout his speech and a subsequent question and answer session, Wright defiantly argued that many of his critics had not heard his whole sermons and that the media had twisted his words.
Wright vigorously defended himself against accusations he is unpatriotic but in Washington, he went on to compare U.S. troops to the Roman legions that killed Christ, to praise Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farakhan, and to suggest that the AIDS epidemic was a racist plot.
The Reverend also said he was quoting a previous U.S. Ambassador to Iraq when he said African Americans should sing "God damn America" not "God Bless America" in his first sermon following the 9/11 attacks.
"You cannot do terrorism on other people and not expect it to come back on you," Wright said on Monday. "Those are Biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright 'bombastic' principles."
Obama came out forcefully on Tuesday, insisting he was "disappointed" by Wright, and rejecting his one-time pastor's assertion that the controversy was an attack on the black church.
The candidate went considerably further than he has in the past in distancing himself from Wright, accusing him of "insensitivity and outrageousness" in his Monday appearance at the National Press Club in Washington.
"The person I saw yesterday was not the person I met 20 years ago," Obama said.
Wright has been Obama's pastor since the Illinois Democrat joined the church. He performed Obama's marriage ceremony and baptized the candidate's two daughters.
April 30, 2008 in Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (432)
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Move on. Next. This is getting old.
Posted by: JayRod | Apr 30, 2008 2:53:20 PM
OK OK OK, everyone disagrees with the Reverand . . . can we now focus on the economic crisis??????
Posted by: davidkrenkel | Apr 30, 2008 2:54:53 PM
Well, I take offense of Hillary. I think she is offensive and outrageous. That is me expressing my opinion.
Keep coming Superdelegates!
Posted by: Becky | Apr 30, 2008 2:56:14 PM
Amen, JayRod. Enough already. Don't we have more important issues to worry about right now?? Healthcare, Iraq, a recession...
Posted by: DawnP | Apr 30, 2008 2:56:54 PM
The concept of a "black church" is not even Christian. The same would be true of a "white church." There is not one thread of scripture that references worship by race or color or creed or anything else. If it's not in the Bible, it's not Biblical.
Posted by: Zinglesloff | Apr 30, 2008 2:57:01 PM
Obama has always known exactly what Wright believes about America and Americans. They are cut from the same cloth, and share the same views. Hillary doesn't need to comment on, or explicate her stance on the Wright fiasco. The burden of responsibility is on Obama to explain why he didn't leave TUCC before, and still hasn't. His profoundly bad judgment is the issue that will continue to resonate with voters.
Posted by: Emily | Apr 30, 2008 2:57:05 PM
Don't you get it? American will not get over this issue. BO has extremely questionable judgement, questionable patriotism, and ties to terrorists. Since these are the only things we know about him, they are what America will discuss through the November election. He's doomed the democratic party.
Posted by: PGHPAVOTER | Apr 30, 2008 2:57:16 PM
It will never get old. But, it was a predictable question from O'Reilly, and one the Clinton essentially handled as she did at the Pennsylvania debate.
Posted by: sherr | Apr 30, 2008 2:57:41 PM
It may be getting old but it brings into question why someone would stay in a church whose leader has opinions so much at odds with one's one. Think about how you would feel belonging to a church or organization spouting inflammatory rhetoric that you found disagreeable. Would you remain a member? Would that leader be your confidant? I think not.
Posted by: Linda | Apr 30, 2008 2:58:47 PM
Wonder if Hillary denounced Ferraro or her husband for that matter regarding their comments. Not defending Wright but he speaks for himself not anyone else. He is not the candidate but you all try to make it seem like he is. Pretty sure all of the candidates have someone they would rather the public not know about and their association. Hillary....the fundraiser in California....wanna tell us more about it
Posted by: wiphdo | Apr 30, 2008 2:59:29 PM
move on move on = Quit reporting stuff that HURTS Obama.
Lets get back to issues that Obama had written for him and he can spout out RHETORIC about. This is the best forum for Obama.
problem is, spouting out campaign RHETORIC is not how people vote for president. Americans long know that candidates spout out crap they will probably never implement. All three of them do the same thing.
So you have to look at the CHARACTER of the candidate to see if they will actually make the best president.
Obama had no problem talking about character. He made his WHOLE campaign about it. He is the uniter. New politician.
You Obama lovers didnt mind it at ALL when he had his media shield.
Not so much now when it works AGAINST him right?
Posted by: tomdavie | Apr 30, 2008 2:59:43 PM
Hillary,
I am taking my strongest stand yet and denouncing your gross misrepresentation of your experience in Bosnia as outrageous and offensive to the intelligence of the American people. This was a direct fabrication you created. Get off Obama, who did not speak Wright’s words, and focus on the issues that really concern Americans, not your agenda!
Posted by: maureefo | Apr 30, 2008 2:59:46 PM
Regardless of what his pastor said, you can't really blame Obama for someone else's words. Wright obviously has some serious personal issues with our society, and that's something that he'll need to sort out himself. I think I'd be pretty annoyed in Obama's case though anyway. He's in a political race for president, and his 'friend' certainly seems to be doing his best to annihilate his campaign now that so many ears are listening to every word the guy says.
Posted by: Belar | Apr 30, 2008 3:00:23 PM
Well, I think everybody knows by know that if she thought she could get a couple extra votes from it she would say Wright has the freedom of speech, particularly as a veteran of the U.S. Military. But because she can get more votes by being highly 'offended' by his remarks than that is what she will be.
Does anybody remember the movie about Sybil?
Posted by: Eileen from Maine | Apr 30, 2008 3:01:02 PM
A significant amount of time is being given to reporting the opinions of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I think report are biased unless they also mention that Rev. Wright attended at least one prayer breakfast with Bill Clinton. I just found this info when I Googled Wright. I think fair unbiased reporting should mention the possibility that Wright is a friend of the Clintons too.
Posted by: Michele Rodriguez | Apr 30, 2008 3:01:11 PM
At least Hillary has the guts to go on O'reilly's show! More than we can say for Obama.
Posted by: A reader in Georgia | Apr 30, 2008 3:01:46 PM
Can we talk about why it took $45 to fill up my little car today???
Posted by: pt | Apr 30, 2008 3:02:08 PM
Um, your breaking news headline is a bit overkill on this one.
Posted by: Sandra | Apr 30, 2008 3:02:09 PM
This is starting to move from being boring...to insulting. To think that Ms. Clinton figures she's got the moral authority to judge anyone's choice of church! And remember: when she and Bill had marital problems in the White House, Wright was one of the spiritual consultants they invited in! What hypocrisy!
Posted by: LissaH | Apr 30, 2008 3:02:13 PM
No such thing as a black church or white church? Visit various churches you don't normally attend on any given Sunday. Segregation began in the church.
Posted by: Gabriel | Apr 30, 2008 3:03:06 PM
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