Thursday, May 29, 2008

Second Spiritual Advisor To Obama Falls By The Way

Sen. Barack Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004 that he had three spiritual advisors: Jeremiah Wright, James Meeks, and Father Michael Pfleger. Obama distanced himself from Wright when videos of his racist, anti-American rants from the pulpit at Obama's Church, the Trinity Church of Christ, made their way to the Internet and became too hot too handle. Obama said he only remained a member of that church because Rev. Wright retired. Now, a controversial video of a racist rant against Sen. Hillary Clinton from the pulpit of Obama's church by Father Michael Pfleger, a controversial white Catholic priest, is forcing Obama to distance himself from yet another one of his spiritual advisors. Here's a little of what Pfleger had to say about Clinton:

"Rev. Moss, when Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on, I really don't believe it was put on," Pfleger says from the pulpit. "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 gotta 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!'

Pfleger then mocks her crying, much to delight of the crowd, many of whom stand up and applaud.

"She wasn't the only one crying, there was a whole lot of white people crying!" Pfleger says to laughter.

Obama's campaign released this statement in response to the controversial statements made by Pfleger just his past Sunday:

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.

There was also an apology from Pfleger:

Father Pfleger writes to say, “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.”


Like Wright, Pfleger is an admirer of the controversial Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. Pfleger claims to have been a spiritual advisor to Obama for more than 20 years. As the Sun-Times reported in 2004:

Friends and advisers, such as the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church in the Auburn--Gresham community on the South Side, who has known Obama for the better part of 20 years, help him keep that compass set, he says.

"I always have felt in him this consciousness that, at the end of the day, with all of us, you've got to face God," Pfleger says of Obama. "Faith is key to his life, no question about it. [It is] central to who he is, and not just in his work in the political field, but as a man, as a black man, as a husband, as a father.... I don't think he could easily divorce his faith from who he is."

Unlike Rev. Wright, Pfleger had been given an active role in Obama's presidential campaign. The Obama campaign featured an endorsement by Pfleger on its website. The site included a testimonial from Pfleger, which has since been scrubbed. ABC has documented the financial ties between Pfleger and Obama. Pfleger also campaigned for Obama in Iowa.

So what about the third advisor, Rev. James Meeks? Well, he's also a state senator who doesn't mind mixing religion and politics from the pulpit. He is minister of the 24,000-member Salem Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. Meeks has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as one of the "10 leading black religious voices in the anti-gay movement".

24 comments:

CircleCityScribe said...

...is O'Bama The Anti-Christ?

artfuggins said...

Are you going to continue making inane comments re: Barack Obama until the November election. If you have a political difference with him, then let's discuss that. These petty gossipy type of hit and run half truths do nothing to enhance the political discourse on this blog.

Concerned Taxpayer said...

So, artfuggins, you don't think people should know what kind of a person is trying to get elected president of the United States?

Michael Kobrowski said...

I don't know, esp the part of the 3rd of his spiritual compass' doesn't sound very half true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Meeks#Anti-gay_Contoversy

Scary really. I am a Democrat, tending Independent, and really don't want to see another Republican in the White House in 2009, but these issues of a person who is so much about hope and change and then have spiritual advisers which are so much about hate and no progressive change...scares me.

artfuggins said...

What his pastor said might be important if his pastor was running for president. Why are you not as concerned about some of the wingnuts supporting McCain or are Republicans allowed a free pass on the statement of their religious supporters. Hagee said that Hitler was sent by God to take care of the Jews...that Katrina was sent to punish New Orleans for their sins and that the Catholic church was a big whore........why dont you discuss that?????

Mark said...

"These petty gossipy type of hit and run half truths do nothing to enhance the political discourse on this blog."

Hit-and-run half-truths>? Dude, it's on Youtube, plain as day. Barack himself brought his faith and his church into this campaign a year ago. He's just reaping what he sowed.

Gary R. Welsh said...

McCain has never been a member of Hagee's church, and Hagee has never been a spiritual advisor to McCain. Hagee endorsed McCain. McCain has condemned Hagee's views. By your standard, Art Fuggins, the candidate would be responsible for the actions of everyone who endorsed his candidacy. Obama's long-term relationship with Wright and Pfleger are well-established.

Gary R. Welsh said...

McCain has never been a member of Hagee's church, and Hagee has never been a spiritual advisor to McCain. Hagee endorsed McCain. McCain has condemned Hagee's views. By your standard, Art Fuggins, the candidate would be responsible for the actions of everyone who endorsed his candidacy. Obama's long-term relationship with Wright and Pfleger are well-established.

Big G 73 said...

Let me start of by saying I'm sorry for what I say that offends anyone.
This election has been the most scrutinized in the history of the country.Every word is watched and each side plays "gotcha".I have never seen so many apologies,everybody is sorry for what they said.Obama is mad of Teflon,anything negative just bounces off him.Elect Obama now,forgo the election,let him get to work today.He can't do any worse than what we have or can he?

artfuggins said...

McCain praised Hagee for his contributions to our country and stated that he represented the ideals of the American spirit...then we can move on to Rev. R. Parsley and his hate filled remarks and his endorsement of McCain and McCain's praise of his as wonderful spiritual leader and American....oops, I forgot that McCain has now disowned him also........this is a two way street..there must a lot of crazy ministers out there.......you have talked extensively about Obama's crazy pastors, let's hear your views of McCain's hatefilled, homophobic, bigoted religious endorsements.

Anonymous said...

A white Catholic priest advocating reparations? And I thought I have seen it all.

Mann Law, P.C. said...

anohter one of his spiritual advisors. http://www.gaywired.com/NewsArticle.cfm?Section=66&id=18614&CFID=21546521&CFTOKEN=37822081

Anonymous said...

Maybe now he can get across to mainstream America that he is not of the Muslim faith. Hmmm...I did not think he was Catholic either, which begs the question is this guy really a "spiitual advisor" to Obama.

I have a question, who exactly is McCain's spirtual advisor? I am sure he has one, but I want to start doing the research so we can pull snipits of his sermons. I am sure we can find something that is equally as interesting. If he does not have one, I think we should start a blog arbitarily stating that McCain does not believe in God....because that apparently matters when electing a President.

What is telling is that a majority of people that have issues with this is GOP pundits, rank and file Rupublicans and Rupert Murdoch based news media. Is this really relevant to the election. I watched a morning news program this morning that carried this story and the pundit the had on to discuss the effect of this most recent purported "pastor problem" for Obama laughed (literally, out loud) at the thought of this being a problem for Obama.

Spin, spin, spin...as usual from this Blog.

artfuggins said...

snoopnp.....he is not Catholic, he is United Church of Christ.

Queers United said...

all these pastors make me want to run away from religion
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com

Gary R. Welsh said...

Father Pfleger is indeed a Catholic priest at a parish on Chicago's South Side. The archdiocese slapped his hand today for engaging in partisan politics.

artfuggins said...

I have to admit two things. I am tired of clergy getting crazy on both sides of this presidential race. The second admission is that Father Phleger is referred to as Obama's pastor but I checked and he is a Catholic priest not a UCC minister. Then how does that make him Obama's pastor? He apparently was a guest clery at church on a Sunday when Obama was on the campaign trail and attending church in another state. Whew!!!

Gary R. Welsh said...

Obama identified Pfleger as one of his 3 spiritual advisors. Nobody is claiming it is his personal pastor, although Obama has frequently attended church services at Pfleger's church. The website for Pfleger's church shows Obama in the audience by no coincidence. Obama featured Pfleger on his website, allowed him to help lead his Catholics for Obama committee and took him along with the campaign to Iowa, where Pfleger campaigned and spoke on Obama's behalf. Obama secured state funding for Pfleger's pet projects, and Pfleger contributed money personally to Obama's campaigns. How many priests do you know who are making political contributions?

phillip jones said...

You can stop talking like only Republican partisans and 'nuts' are uneasy about Obama's three spiritual advisors being obviously and openly racist. I have voted democratic my entire life of 60 years; I pay close attention to politics, have seen all of the debates, etc. I am extremely upset that Sen. Obama has not come clean with WHY he stayed in that church environment where racist and ranting sermons are the norm. I don't give a hoot about any of the three ministers' and what they think. I want an honest explanation from Obama why these guys and this church have been his source of inspiration for 20 years.

Anonymous said...

How many priests do you know who are making political contributions?

I take it you haven't been around the Catholic Church very much, especially in a large city.

artfuggins said...

Phillip, do you have the same outrage re: McCain and his ministers have endorsed him that are raving racists along with anti semites and homophobes. The way I look at it, it is a tie. Obama has disavoved the remarks of two ministers who have supported him and McCain has disavoved the remarks of two ministers who support him. Some people like to the disregard the McCain ministers and only talk about the Obama ministers. I wonder why. I do agree with you...who wants to go to a church where you have all that ranting and raving and yelling...etc.

Mann Law, P.C. said...

artfuggins said...
I have to admit two things. I am tired of clergy getting crazy on both sides of this presidential race. The second admission is that Father Phleger is referred to as Obama's pastor but I checked and he is a Catholic priest not a UCC minister. Then how does that make him Obama's pastor? He apparently was a guest clery at church on a Sunday when Obama was on the campaign trail and attending church in another state. Whew!!!

Obama says he is his spritual advisor or he was until it became public he is a nut case. I am sure soon he is just someone that Obama met at a party. This morning Axelrod thought about lying about the relationship and then quietly changed his story. First he was one of many religious consultants who left the campaign " some time ago" which then turned to a few days ago due to the church. Drink the Obama kool-aid. Truth be known he resigned because another Obama racist nut was asked to leave.

artfuggins said...

true conservative...let's talk about pastors Hagee and Parsley...they are, afterall, conservatives.. Your people.......somehow any thing they say or do, no matter how outrageous is fine with you...how do you spell DOUBLE STANDARD.

Mann Law, P.C. said...

artfuggins said...
true conservative...let's talk about pastors Hagee and Parsley...they are, afterall, conservatives.. Your people.......somehow any thing they say or do, no matter how outrageous is fine with you...how do you spell DOUBLE STANDARD.

You obviously do not know what a conservative is. What you and the media call conservatives are nothing more than right wing. I am a card carrying member of the ACLU how about you? I believe a conservative is someone who believes that a government that governs least governs best. I oppose religion in school, the legislature, on license plates and also oppose the left wing telling me how to run my business, my life and taking my money to support people who don't want to work. No double standard. I do not support McCain either. We couldn't have come up with worse candidates for president if we tried. Our country has become so polarized that we get the extremes in both parties. There is no double standard here. Obama appointed these people to his campaign or went to their churches for years but yet now he claims he didn't know they are gay bashers, racists and anti American. He is either a liar or one of the dumbest people who have ever run for office. Since he went to Harvard I assume it’s the former. Maybe you believe he didn't know that these religious and spiritual advisors were like this. By bringing up the nuts on the right, you do not make your argument but concede the allegations about Obama are true. In fact it is your affirmative defense i.e. what we say about him is true but it doesn't matter since someone else on the other side is just as nuts.