Obama's radical problem
Barack Obama has a serious problem in his life, and it's connected to the radical people he's associated himself with. Jeremiah Wright, Willaim Ayers, and even his wife make up three of the four corners. Tony Rezko makes up the fourth, but he's not radical. He's just crooked. Yesterday, a fifth one came to light. His name is Michael Pfleger and this past Sunday he was a guest at Trinity United Church. He's not the new pastor there, though Otis Moss III has his own share of controversy as some are watching. But I'd like to address Pfleger. Let's start wit the basics, first. Here is part of what he said this past Sunday, which caused the uproar:
We must be honest enough to expose white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head. I’ve said before, and I really don’t want to make this political, because you know I’m very unpolitical (laughter). But Reverend Moss, when Hillary was crying, people said that was put on. I really don’t believe it was put on. I really believe that she just always thought this is mine. I’m Bill’s wife, I’m white, and this is mine. I just got to get up and step into the plate. And then out of nowhere came hey, I’m Barack Obama. And she said oh, damn, where did you come from? I’m white, I’m entitled. There’s a black man stealing my show (mock crying). She wasn’t the only one crying. There was a whole lot of white people crying. I’m sorry, I don’t want to get you in any more trouble. The live streaming just went out again.
So this is the sequel to Jeremiah Wright. But this isn't the first time we've seen this guy. Back in March Michelle Malkin did a piece on him, and a follow-up talking about all of Obama's spiritual advisers. Which, by the way, his endorsement here used to be up on Barack Obama's website, but now it's gone. This man is as radical as radical can get.
He preaches in a fashion similar to that of Jeremiah Wright, only minus all the nutty conspiracy theories. But this is a white priest that uses much of the same rhetoric. You read what he said above. Here's another snippet of what he said this past Sunday:
We have to be honest enough to address the one who says well, don’t hold me responsible for what my ancestors did. But you have enjoyed the benefits of what your ancestors did. And unless you are ready to give up the benefits, throw away your 401 fund, throw away your trust fund, throw away all the money that put away in the company you walked into, because your daddy and your granddaddy and your great-granddaddy…unless you’re willing to give up the benefits, then you must be responsible for what was done in your generation, because you are the beneficiaries of this insurance policy.
If you're having a problem figuring out what he means here, he's talking about slavery. He's talking about people like myself and Marcie -- Hell throw in Marcie's grandfather -- that look at people still screaming about slavery and tell them "It's not my fault. Don't come knocking on my door." He's saying we can't say that anymore unless we give up our benefits. I think I'll continue to keep mine, thank you.
This man is a very controversial figure in Chicago. He has butted heads with Cardinal George on more than one occasion. He's worked with Jesse Jackson in more than one protest. This one, against Chuck's Gun Shop, has been an ongoing feud for him; He received a formal rebuke from Cardinal George over the protest because he threatened the gun shop owner. (According to Pfleger, he had no idea what "snuff" meant even though he used it in its proper, slang context.) He's also protested media figures like Jerry Springer (for violence and degradation of women) and Howard Stern (for mocking Martin Luther King). His congregation refer to him as a "blue-eyed black soul," and he truly believes he's doing the Lord's work in Chicago.
Let me be clear here. This man is dubbed a renegade by the Catholic Church, and much of the news media in Chicago. He's honored both Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan on more than one occasion. He's even gone as far, in Obama's name, to issue threats to people to lay off Obama. Cardinal George has tried to get rid of him in the past and I'm sure he's still trying, given his radical views. But what about his connection to Barack Obama? Well aside from being an adviser to the campaign (he was invited to chair a few interfaith meetings on the campaign trail) there is some quid pro quo going on here:
"It happens that there were major supporters in my district who had been supporters before they got member initiatives," Obama said, noting that some of his contributors had been his allies for years.
One of those long-time supporters was Rev. Michael Pfleger, the politically active leader of St. Sabina Church. He gave Obama's campaign $1,500 between 1995 and 2001, including $200 in April 2001, about three months after Obama announced $225,000 in grants to St. Sabina programs.
Pfleger said he made those donations personally, not on behalf of the church or to win grants.
"At a time when less people vote than ever, I don't think pastors should be silent on politics," Pfleger said.
Then the man obviously didn't pay much attention in seminary because priests are discouraged from getting involved in politics. Their purview is faith, and nothing more. I ought to know. I'm Catholic, and once considered joining the priesthood. (Luckily, I didn't, but that doesn't mean I didn't do some studying on the matter.) As a former youth minister, I can assure people that this is not the sort of priest we Catholics appreciate. I can honestly say this man is an embarrassment to myself and Marcie, and we'd never attend a Church with this man at the pulpit, or any other priest like him.
But Obama? He was cool with him. He helped him with money, didn't seem to have a problem with him at all, thought he was a great guy. Well, until this past Sunday. Then yesterday, Obama threw him overboard:
“As I have traveled this country, I’ve been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger’s divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn’t reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause,” Obama said in a statement…
Response of Rev. Michael L. Pfleger of statements made during a sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2008[:]
“I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama’s life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them.”
Obama's disappointed the mask slipped again, and Pfleger's never regretted a single thing he's done since arriving in Chicago. All Pfleger's upset about is the fact that Obama just drop-kicked him the way he did with Wright. But this doesn't change much, folks. These are the radical ties that Obama has. And it doesn't matter if it's Jeremiah "G*d damn America" Wright, Bill "I didn't think we did enough" Ayers, Michael "I'm white, I'm entitled" Pfleger, or Michelle "For the first time in my adult life I'm proud of America" Obama.
This is the face of radicalism, and it's all connected to Barack Obama.
Publius II
We must be honest enough to expose white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head. I’ve said before, and I really don’t want to make this political, because you know I’m very unpolitical (laughter). But Reverend Moss, when Hillary was crying, people said that was put on. I really don’t believe it was put on. I really believe that she just always thought this is mine. I’m Bill’s wife, I’m white, and this is mine. I just got to get up and step into the plate. And then out of nowhere came hey, I’m Barack Obama. And she said oh, damn, where did you come from? I’m white, I’m entitled. There’s a black man stealing my show (mock crying). She wasn’t the only one crying. There was a whole lot of white people crying. I’m sorry, I don’t want to get you in any more trouble. The live streaming just went out again.
So this is the sequel to Jeremiah Wright. But this isn't the first time we've seen this guy. Back in March Michelle Malkin did a piece on him, and a follow-up talking about all of Obama's spiritual advisers. Which, by the way, his endorsement here used to be up on Barack Obama's website, but now it's gone. This man is as radical as radical can get.
He preaches in a fashion similar to that of Jeremiah Wright, only minus all the nutty conspiracy theories. But this is a white priest that uses much of the same rhetoric. You read what he said above. Here's another snippet of what he said this past Sunday:
We have to be honest enough to address the one who says well, don’t hold me responsible for what my ancestors did. But you have enjoyed the benefits of what your ancestors did. And unless you are ready to give up the benefits, throw away your 401 fund, throw away your trust fund, throw away all the money that put away in the company you walked into, because your daddy and your granddaddy and your great-granddaddy…unless you’re willing to give up the benefits, then you must be responsible for what was done in your generation, because you are the beneficiaries of this insurance policy.
If you're having a problem figuring out what he means here, he's talking about slavery. He's talking about people like myself and Marcie -- Hell throw in Marcie's grandfather -- that look at people still screaming about slavery and tell them "It's not my fault. Don't come knocking on my door." He's saying we can't say that anymore unless we give up our benefits. I think I'll continue to keep mine, thank you.
This man is a very controversial figure in Chicago. He has butted heads with Cardinal George on more than one occasion. He's worked with Jesse Jackson in more than one protest. This one, against Chuck's Gun Shop, has been an ongoing feud for him; He received a formal rebuke from Cardinal George over the protest because he threatened the gun shop owner. (According to Pfleger, he had no idea what "snuff" meant even though he used it in its proper, slang context.) He's also protested media figures like Jerry Springer (for violence and degradation of women) and Howard Stern (for mocking Martin Luther King). His congregation refer to him as a "blue-eyed black soul," and he truly believes he's doing the Lord's work in Chicago.
Let me be clear here. This man is dubbed a renegade by the Catholic Church, and much of the news media in Chicago. He's honored both Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan on more than one occasion. He's even gone as far, in Obama's name, to issue threats to people to lay off Obama. Cardinal George has tried to get rid of him in the past and I'm sure he's still trying, given his radical views. But what about his connection to Barack Obama? Well aside from being an adviser to the campaign (he was invited to chair a few interfaith meetings on the campaign trail) there is some quid pro quo going on here:
"It happens that there were major supporters in my district who had been supporters before they got member initiatives," Obama said, noting that some of his contributors had been his allies for years.
One of those long-time supporters was Rev. Michael Pfleger, the politically active leader of St. Sabina Church. He gave Obama's campaign $1,500 between 1995 and 2001, including $200 in April 2001, about three months after Obama announced $225,000 in grants to St. Sabina programs.
Pfleger said he made those donations personally, not on behalf of the church or to win grants.
"At a time when less people vote than ever, I don't think pastors should be silent on politics," Pfleger said.
Then the man obviously didn't pay much attention in seminary because priests are discouraged from getting involved in politics. Their purview is faith, and nothing more. I ought to know. I'm Catholic, and once considered joining the priesthood. (Luckily, I didn't, but that doesn't mean I didn't do some studying on the matter.) As a former youth minister, I can assure people that this is not the sort of priest we Catholics appreciate. I can honestly say this man is an embarrassment to myself and Marcie, and we'd never attend a Church with this man at the pulpit, or any other priest like him.
But Obama? He was cool with him. He helped him with money, didn't seem to have a problem with him at all, thought he was a great guy. Well, until this past Sunday. Then yesterday, Obama threw him overboard:
“As I have traveled this country, I’ve been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger’s divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn’t reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause,” Obama said in a statement…
Response of Rev. Michael L. Pfleger of statements made during a sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2008[:]
“I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama’s life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them.”
Obama's disappointed the mask slipped again, and Pfleger's never regretted a single thing he's done since arriving in Chicago. All Pfleger's upset about is the fact that Obama just drop-kicked him the way he did with Wright. But this doesn't change much, folks. These are the radical ties that Obama has. And it doesn't matter if it's Jeremiah "G*d damn America" Wright, Bill "I didn't think we did enough" Ayers, Michael "I'm white, I'm entitled" Pfleger, or Michelle "For the first time in my adult life I'm proud of America" Obama.
This is the face of radicalism, and it's all connected to Barack Obama.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:59 PM
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