On Tuesday, CNN fully lived up to its reputation as left of center, on a day when Sen. Barack Obama was desperately trying to put the Rev. Jeremiah Wright scandal behind him. In particular, the cable news channel's three programs in prime time (8-11 PM EDT) seemed to have their guests selected and their scripts written by Sen. Obama's campaign.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Campbell [Brown], in my -- in my judgment, it was the best speech of this campaign by anybody, eloquently and thoughtfully addressing the issue of race, and also showing us a great deal about Barack Obama as a leader.

Ironically, in my judgment, the last person who could give a speech about race that was this good was Bill Clinton, who -- you know, who also understood it well and had an enormous insights into these issues. . .

But I think it did an enormous amount of good for him [Obama] in suburban communities among better educated. And there's one thing that's very clear. In a campaign that was dispirited, he has lifted the hopes and the enthusiasm once again of the people around him, his supporters.

One person told me in the campaign tonight, very high up in the campaign, nothing that has happened in this campaign has made her prouder to be a member of the campaign team than this speech. . .

No, I don't think it would have been appropriate [for Obama] to dwell the entire time on Reverend Wright. This was a speech in which he -- he had no fear of bringing up -- in fact, one of the strengths of the speech was how direct he was and how willing he was to take on tough issues and tough questions.

And -- but he talked about Reverend Wright. He must have mentioned him 10 or 12 times.

But I think the importance of the speech was that, while he denounced the -- the views, he didn't throw him under the bus, to echo Roland [Martin], but he also used the speech as a way to -- as a springboard to talk about Reverend Wright as a walking representation of someone who contains both the love and -- and the resentment and the frustration of the people in the black community. . .

DR. GAIL ANDERSON HOLNESS, GREATER WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF CHURCHES: He [Wright]  is not preaching hate theology. And that should be a clear statement. It's not hate theology. It is a liberation theology. When Jesus was around, they didn't respect Jesus. They were angry with him. When he spoke the beatitudes on the mountain. They were angry with Martin Luther King when he was around, and they didn't respect him. And now he's a great hero. . .

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The AME Church ascribes to a black liberation theology, and it can lead to some passionate sermons. But hate?

REVEREND RONALD BRAXTON, METROPOLITAN AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Yes and no. Yes, it's hate. It is hate of a system, of a society, of a politics that will not treat all persons equal, that will -- will spend billions of dollars to fight a war, but will not spend half of that amount of money to make sure that children have health care.

When you see, day to day, when people come into your office or come to your church looking for a loaf of bread, mothers come in: "Can you do anything for me, Reverend? I need some help." They come to your Bible studies. They come to your prayer services at night. And they stand at your door when you get there. It is hate for that kind of a system, because you know within your heart that this country, the richest country in the world, can provide for her people. But she will not. . .

CAMBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Digging deeper now, I'm joined by longtime civil rights activist and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Joseph Lowery.

Reverend Lowery, thanks for joining us. . .

REVEREND JOSEPH LOWERY, CO-FOUNDER, SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: And I think in that magnificent address today that Barack Obama's most powerful statement I've heard since Martin's [Luther King] letter from the Birmingham jail. I think he set the record straight. And the theme running through that, which may not have been mentioned, was something we're overlooking, that he did not leave his church, just as a man doesn't leave his wife or you may not leave your country, although you have disagreement, but you stay and work it through. And that's the leadership he's offering to America. . .

And the ball is in the American people's court to see if they're mature enough to respond to this kind of very mature, spiritual leadership. . .

IM WALLACE, AUTHOR, "THE GREAT AWAKENING": Campbell, this was an amazing day, as we all watched it unfold. We may look back on this as an historic day. Because before Barack Obama's speech, this was a test of him.

After the speech, it's now become a test of us. And I want to say very clearly, I think every American should watch this speech and watch the speech and watch it with their children. And ask if Barack Obama's vision of a more perfect union is the one they want for their children.

Injustice creates anger. And now a new generation, a young leader is saying, can we turn the page and move from anger and frustration to a vision of opportunity and hope and even unity -- and even unity?