New York Times covers Obama's ties to Pastor Wright

By Thomas Lifson

Jodi Kantor of the New York Times had an excellent account of Barack Obama's ties to Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr., just retired as head pastor of Trinity United Community Church. American Thinker has covered this topic extensively, and we have taken much criticism from Obama partisans for pointing out the alarming Afro-centric views of this close friend of Louis Farrakhan, but coming from the Times, perhaps with this information these critics will reconsider.

I was, however, struck by the following statement from Obama:

Mr. Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate who says he was only shielding his pastor from the spotlight, said he respected Mr. Wright's work for the poor and his fight against injustice. But "we don't agree on everything," Mr. Obama said. "I've never had a thorough conversation with him about all aspects of politics."

This answer is disturbingly Clintonian. I doubt there is enough time in the human lifespan to have "a thorough conversation with him about all aspects of politics." There is an entire discipline, political science devoted to thorough conversation about all aspects of politics, and I see no sign that political scientists have concluded their work is done. That Obama would offer such an evasive straw man to deny suggests that he is indeed hiding something.

Senator Obama is on the record about how close his relationship with Wright has been. A spiritual mentor is a very special and close relationship, infusing values and beliefs. Senator Obama is also known to the American public principally through his well-crafted speeches full of hope and change but few specifics. Americans cannot afford to elect an unknown quantity in perilous times. They are owed more than lawyerly evasionsovet Wright's influence on Obama, and Obama's detailed thinking about Wright's controversial positions.