Is Wright still involved with the Obama campaign?

by ryeland, Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 01:57:50 AM EST

The photo of Bill Clinton shaking hands with Reverend Jeremiah Wright first appeared today on the the blog of an anonymous member of Trinity United Church of Christ. The blog was launched yesterday and the photo was posted this afternoon, several hours prior to its appearance in mainstream media reports. However, the New York Times article about the photo doesn't credit The Truth About Trinity United Church of Christ blog. According to the Times, the photo was "provided today by the Obama campaign."

I've got some questions:

Who had the photo first? The Obama campaign or the Trinity blogger? And if the Obama campaign discovered the photo on the Trinity blog, why would they have inserted themselves into the story by leaking it directly to the NYT when it had already begun spreading across the web?

The Trinity blogger seems to have access to more of Wright's keepsakes. Today, she also posted a letter written to Wright from Lyndon's Johnson physician and an accompanying photo of Wright assisting in Johnson's surgery. Similarly, the NYT article includes a brief thank-you note Bill Clinton sent to Wright following the prayer breakfast.

Where is this material originating? Was the Clinton thank-you note included with the photo that the Obama campaign provided to the NYT?

I don't think it's much of a stretch to suggest that the Obama campaign is currently coordinating with Reverend Wright and/or other members of Trinity. Did Wright give the Clinton photo to the Obama campaign? Did the Obama campaign coordinate with the Trinity blogger on the timing of the photo's release?




Tags: Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton (all tags)

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OH MY GOD (2.00 / 1)

WRIGHT IS STILL INVOLVED!!!

You're really broken the scandal of the century. You should pat yourself on the back. This is some great reporting you've done. This is important stuff.

Best,
Sinbad
Senior Foreign Policy Advisor
Hillary Clinton Campaign


by Sinbad Sinbad on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 01:59:39 AM EST

Re: Is Wright still involved with the Obama campai (none / 0)

Just like the Rezko photo , the Obama campaign is obviously still in contact with " his uncle " .

The funny thing is I don't think they thought they were going to be exposed by the NY Times.


Educated in a small town Taught to fear Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another born romantic that's me.
by lori on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:02:08 AM EST

LOL, it's a vast LEFT-wing conspiracy! (2.00 / 0)


Even John McCain lusts after teh engels.
by sricki on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:04:55 AM EST

A new kind of politics (none / 0)

But I thought Obama was above all of this. He was preaching a new kind of politics. Hillary was going to re-open the old wars from 1990's. Little did we know Obama would re-open the old wars from the 1950's.

There is always a double standard when it comes to Obama and his supporters. He can pass along info that tarnishes Hillary and a former president. Hillary can't discuss Rev Wright because it provides fodder for the press and opposition.

Barack is a healer, Hillary is a divider. Hillary will win at all costs. Even tonight on Larry King, Obama states, "Bill and Hillary don't like to lose."  


by njsketch on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:05:09 AM EST

Re: A new kind of politics (2.00 / 0)

Hardly. The point wasn't to smear Bill Clinton. It was to show that Wright was not some extremist nutjob as portrayed in the media. And the new full-length sermons show that the media completely distorted Wright's sermons. Hell, even his "Chickens Coming Home to Roost" line of Malcolm X's was actually a quote from Ambassador Peck on Fox who made the exact "Chickens Coming Home to Roost" line himself.


by elrod on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:08:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh yeah, Obama himself has been (none / 0)

shoveling the Bill & Hill hatred like so much horse pucky all along.

The vitriol we saw on dkos?  That was "Hillary is dislikeable" talking points coming down straight from the top.  

Last night on Anderson Cooper Obama smiled, chuckled coyly, narrowed his eyes, and opined Hillary is "being disingenuous" for supporting a revote in MI.

What a creep.


Reasonable people can disagree.
by mnicholson0220 on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:12:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Oh yeah, Obama himself has been (none / 0)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ULxxBz-PAjg

...yeah what a creep


by rejectandenounce on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:13:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Not a big deal, really (2.00 / 0)

Go watch the full context of the incendiary sermons and you'll see that the media has fundamentally distorted the Wrigth sermons you see on TV.

As for this particular photo, the blogger is not Jeremiah Wright. He's a parishoner who is sick and tired of watching the church he loves turned into a house of bigotry.  He pushed this story to the whole media, including Politico.

Now it's possible that somebody at the Obama campaign alerted the NYT to tell them that a TUCC blogger had this photo. But it clearly originate with the TUCC blogger.


by elrod on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:06:34 AM EST

Re: Not a big deal, really (none / 0)

" the photo was "provided today by the Obama campaign."

- Did you catch that ?


Educated in a small town Taught to fear Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another born romantic that's me.
by lori on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:08:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (2.00 / 0)

But so what? See my comment above. This doesn't put Bill or Hillary Clinton down. It just helps to mainstream Rev. Wright. Hell, Wright could have been at a Bush event and it would have the same effect. Wright is a well-respected preacher whose words got taken out of context and paraded by a malicious media.


by elrod on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:10:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (none / 0)

" In providing the photograph to The New York Times, the Obama campaign appeared to be trying to divert some attention to the Clintons after a week in which Mr. Obama's relationship with Mr. Wright has left him facing one of the biggest challenges of his campaign. "

-  This is politics


Educated in a small town Taught to fear Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another born romantic that's me.
by lori on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:12:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (2.00 / 0)

That's their interpretation. I look at it differently. I don't think Obama's people think that the media will equate his relationship with Wright to that of Clinton. I think they just want to show that Wright was clearly a respected minister who Clinton turned to, among others, in an important moment. It mainstreams Wright.

I suppose we disagree on this though.


by elrod on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:47:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (none / 0)

I posted this in response to someone making a similar argument in another thread:

That may be their intention, but I don't think that's the way the public will perceive it. People's first thought won't be, "Ah, they just want to establish the fact that Wright isn't really an outrageous nutjob." It comes across more like, "But look, the Clinton camp has ties, too!" And that creates the impression that the Obama camp is ashamed of his ties to Wright, which isn't smart. It's as if they're trying to even things out by linking Wright to the Clintons. Obama has defended him and done his best to explain, and I just think this move will come across as petty and/or silly, regardless of their intentions.

Besides, the Obama campaign could have pushed the "he's not a fringe-pastor" idea in other ways. If they were going to voluntarily bring Wright up again, they could have simply mentioned that divinity school in TX which will be honoring him later this month.

Even John McCain lusts after teh engels.
by sricki on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:50:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Actually what it does is it makes... (none / 0)

... Clinton have to consider just what kind of story they're pushing on the Wright thing.


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:06:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Sorry replace "Clinton" with (none / 0)

 "Clinton supporters".


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:06:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sorry replace "Clinton" with (none / 0)

nope it doesn't .

it makes his campaign look desperate.

as long as he can't disavow his uncle , he would have to continue dealing with it.


Educated in a small town Taught to fear Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another born romantic that's me.
by lori on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:09:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sorry replace "Clinton" with (none / 0)

Clinton Wright


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:32:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Caption should read: (none / 0)

Excuse me, but I was on my way to the restroom.


by soyousay on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 06:53:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Hay! (none / 0)

So what was Wright doing there anyway?


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 07:37:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hay! (none / 0)

Did you try the caviar today? It's excellent!


by soyousay on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 08:12:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

No seriously... (none / 0)

... it was a gathering of religious leaders who'd come together to support and counsel Bill in his hour of need for some strange reason. IIRC :)


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 08:28:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Rev Wright is giving comfort to (none / 0)

one of the "rich white men" who runs the country. He has so much disdain for him too. I guess not only is the Rev a racist, he's also  a hypocrite.


by soyousay on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:07:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

You're dodging the question... :) (none / 0)

Why was Wright giving comfort to that particular "rich white man" who run the country?

Hint, I think it's got something to do with what that "rich white man" did. :)


by kraant on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:53:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (none / 0)

your interpretation is naive.

was he trying to mainstream rezko too , with the picture that mysteriously showed up .

what exactly is there to mainstream.

just like the ny times article said , he is trying to take the heat of his campaign.

thats it.


Educated in a small town Taught to fear Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another born romantic that's me.
by lori on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:08:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Not a big deal, really (none / 0)

The Trinity blogger is obviously someone close enough to Wright to have access to his personal correspondence and photos.

How do you know that the blogger pushed this story to the media?


by ryeland on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:12:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

BREAKING! Forrest Gump seen shaking (2.00 / 1)

Rev. Wright's hand.


Reasonable people can disagree.
by mnicholson0220 on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 02:09:33 AM EST

The Obama campaign no doubt wants this out there. (2.00 / 0)

But I imagine a big part of it is that the Trinity Church also wants to counter some of what's been said and what's thought about their church and former pastor.


by HRC 2009 on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 03:58:52 AM EST

OMG! Gotcha moment... (none / 0)

not.


by soyousay on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 06:55:08 AM EST

Re: Is Wright still involved (none / 0)

By the way where is Wright holed up in some bunker. When will the Obama campaign make him avaialble to explain what he meant?
Since he attacked Hillary from the pulpit several times it is safe to assume he didn't like what he got out of sucking up to Bill.

by coolofthenight on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:10:05 AM EST

Too funny (none / 0)

Chuck Todd (MSNBC) referred to the release of this picture as a "clumsy hit job."


by soyousay on Fri Mar 21, 2008 at 09:12:09 AM EST


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