What is wrong with the water at Trinity Church in Chicago?

Fox news reports the newest strange goings on in Chicago at Obama's church:

Another Chicago minister is causing headaches for Barack Obama after he told the Democratic candidate’s church congregation Sunday that Hillary Clinton felt entitled to the presidency because she’s white.

The scary part is that this priest, Father Michael Pflegar sounded more like Rev Jeremiah Wright than any priest I have ever heard or known as a member of the Catholic church. Known as "Chicago's Renegade Priest", it is interesting that his wikipedia entry has been updated to reflect that Obama is unhappy:

On May 29, 2008, Pfleger was rebuked by presidential candidate Barack Obama for comments he delivered at a sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ. Pfleger had mocked Hillary Clinton, Obama's opponent for the Democratic Party nomination, saying, "I really believe that she just always thought, this is mine... 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.'" In response, Obama said he was "deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric". Pfleger later apologized in a statement released by Saint Sabina: "I regret the words I chose Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Sen. Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Sen. Clinton or anyone else who saw them."

Maybe the real scandal is that while Obama is willing to throw the white guy in his church under the bus, he has a problem when the person who says similar things like Reverend Wright is his pastor for 30 years. Hmmmm.

Read the Fox news article here.

Taxation and 'post partisan' Politics

So much has been said about the political battles on the Democrat side of the ledger this year. While we have weighed in on various topics over the past few months as wide-eyed observers, it has frankly been really interesting and almost fun to see a party who plays racial games come to grips with it when played from within. Just as the party who has traded on sexist stereotypes has had to come to grips with the reality of their female candidate meeting another of their famed protected class, a black candidate.

From my seat, I could care less what color either of these candidates is nor their gender. But what really intrigues me is the characteriization going on within their own voters over these candidates. For example, because you are supposed to believe per the media the Barack Obama is the savior of the party, union voters who have long been for Hillary are now racist because there happens to be more of them who are white and middle class.


One need no more proof of this silliness then to follow the actions of DNC chair Dean. Every time his party in conjunction with the media acts sexist or racist, Dean blames a Republican. While that may work in the old world of no Iraq war, it won't cut it in this new post partisan world where everyone is looking at things in a new light. If you think Hillary is a racist because she is fighting to win a nomination that she thinks she still has a shot at(she is not by the way and I don't support her), you are wrong.


The problem here is that for far too long, the general media outlook is far too pedestrian for real people. Obama may be unattractive to many voters due to lack of experience, a naive world view or a set of policy positions that are just plain wrong. That doesn't make Hillary's supporters evil. It just makes them honest.

Tonight I watched an interview with Harry Reid on Fox where he lamented on how John McCain went astray, Apparently, he did it because he didn't sign on to Reid's partisan view of the world. That now makes him Bush-2 or 3. But that is far too simple minded. While I am not a McCain supporter(as I mentioned before I voted Romney for NJ), I find the concept of McCain as Bush as drivel.

The net is that any of these candidates can and should stand on their own merits. Hillary is a formidible candidate and still very much in play. Obama is the front runner and has real positions and ideas. And McCain is his own man. They all have their positives and negatives. Let's let them all play out.

Obama's wife...and McCain's

Barack Obama got mad yesterday because the Tennessee Republican party created a You-Tube ad that quoted her verbatim about her unhappiness as an American for so many years. From TheAge.com.au:

The first-term Illinois senator today blasted Republicans in Tennessee for an ad attacking his wife, Michelle, for comments some interpreted as unpatriotic. He called the criticism "low-class".

That is so much better than this criticism of Cindy McCain from Howard Dean from Boston.com:

"What is John McCain trying to hide?" Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said in a statement. "Throughout this campaign, he has acted like his own calls for openness and accountability apply to everyone but himself. Now he thinks he can bring that same double standard to the White House."

And her defense of herself:

Cindy McCain made crystal clear today that she has no plans to release her tax returns -- now while her husband is the presumptive Republican nominee, or later if she becomes first lady.

"This is a privacy issue. My husband is the candidate," she said in an interview aired on NBC's "Today" show.

The reality of both of these things is clear. If Michelle Obama goes out and stumps for her husband and trashes the country, her comments are fair game. She will be living in the White House as well if her is elected.

Just as Cindy McCain's financials are fair game as well as she will be a resident on Pennsylvania Avenue. What is absolutely silly is Obama's claim to "Stay away from my wife...that's not fair!". Forget it. Obama's answer to every hard question is turning into "not fair, I am not going to stoop to that level. I am about hope".

Grow up Senator. You want to trash other people and think you won't get it back. It doesn't work that way. You can't give a pretty speech and then claim that any examination of its content is out of bounds. You once compared yourself to Lincoln (a bit presumptious I thought at the time but so be it). Do you think that Lincoln cried foul during the Lincoln/Douglas debates?

Now Obama's preacher is FOX News Fault?

Obama's campaign blog is now blaming FOX News for calling attention to his preacher's hateful rhetoric.

We appreciate Chris Wallace for doing his job as a tough but fair journalist on a network that has been deeply irresponsible over the last week in its unrelenting and sensationalistic coverage of Senator Obama.

Senator Obama gave the speech he did on Tuesday because he believes that Americans are ready for a thoughtful, mature discussion about race, and are hungry to move past media-generated controversies that distract from the struggles they face in their everyday lives.

If Fox News wants to play clips of the same offensive sound bites every day from now until November, that's their right, but that type of coverage does a disservice to their viewers and to a nation that is facing serious challenges that merit thoughtful and honest reporting.

Earlier on this blog we discussed Preacher Wright and his comments and Barack Obama's answer to them. We didn't comment on his speech which seemed to strike people as more "the beauty is in the eye of the beholder". While I didn't agree with throwing grandma under the bus or his comments (which I heard) on a Philadelphia sports radio station (what was he doing interviewing with Angelo anyway)about "typical white person", I though his speech was at least interesting and unique. It also discussed race in a way that not many politician are willing to even touch.

But to blame this entire episode on FOX? Are you kidding me? Barack Obama has largely gotten a free pass from the media since day one. And to now accuse FOX of a media created scandal is beyond the pale. Grow up Mr. Obama. I don't agree with Hillary but you are now getting a dose of the treatment that she and most others have been getting all along. And for the record, FOX has this story a long time ago and aired it. It was only AFTER the other networks caught up to the story that it grew legs.

Maybe FOX should ask you why you won't wear a flag lapel pin but when you give an important speech, you chose to fill the screen backdrop with American flags. I guess our national symbols only exist as a prop. But, you also would probably comment that this is a smear too (oh, wait, you did that already).

Bringing up valid questions on the things politicians think, the people who influence them and the actions they have taken when given the opportunity to make real decisions is part of the primary and general election process. Just as these questions are valid, so are Hillary's First Lady logs and your criticism of them. Stop crying foul and start fighting back.

Barack Obama's Preacher

I just watched Barack Obama address the news about his preacher's hateful rhetoric on FOX. As far as I am concerned, his answers were fine with me. He doesn't come across as a hatemonger as far as I have seen and frankly it is silly that this has become an issue. And for the record, I am a conservative Catholic. I have no issue with the Church of Christ even though I may have an issue with a lot of what his preacher has to say. But I think we need to seperate the preacher from the acolyte.

Why all of a sudden is this in the public arena? Does this have something to do with the kitchen sink? Time will tell. But pasting this guy over an evangelical sermon is a bit over the top. Have YOU ever been to an evangelical service? I have. And frankly, I found it all over the top for my taste but absolutely NOT wrong in any way. Just not for me.

Prediction - Photogate will end Hillary's candidacy

This photo will end Hillary Clinton's candidacy. Whatever people may think about the two candidates for the Democratic nomination to the presidency, the rank and file has really pushed for civility. This is evidenced by the boos one hears every time Hillary tries to attack Barack Obama in a debate. I am not sure what the Clinton camp wants to do with the picture but it is clear they were trying to create a Dukakis moment. And it will fail mainly because the Clinton camp is the one doing it.

Obama has made a point of setting Clinton up for just this kind of trap and she dove right in. This is probably a good thing as I cannot wait to start analysing the ultimate nominee's tax and spending policy on both sides for this site.

NJ Polling Places

If you live in New Jersey and need to find your polling place, the NJ Division of Elections has a page to help you find it. It also has information on accessibility and other issues.