Obama decries pastor's inflammatory statements
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama tried to distance himself from a controversial preacher Saturday, denouncing his allegations that the September 11 attacks were brought on by American "terrorism."
The Illinois senator acted to quell a controversy over remarks by the preacher, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who also argued African-Americans should sing "God Damn America" to protest their treatment.
In a blog post on the Huffington Post website, Obama admitted Friday that Wright had "touched off a firestorm" with "some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents."
"I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy," Obama wrote, and said such comments flew in the face of his own "profound" love of America.
"I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies.
Appearing on CNN television later that same day, Obama said Wright's comments "didn't reflect my values, and didn't reflect my ideals."
The controversy, fanned by video clips of Wright's vehement sermons, is threatening to turn into a major campaign issue, and is likely to be used by Republican groups against Obama if he wins the Democratic nomination.
An investigation by ABC News into dozens of Reverend Wright's sermons found repeated denunciations of the United States, based on what he said is its past treatment of black Americans.
"God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme," Wright was quoted as saying in one outburst.
In 2001, Wright said the September 11 attacks were "chickens coming home to roost" for US "terrorism" abroad.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," he said.
Obama made clear in his blog that he had never heard Wright preach inflammatory sermons, only the "gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life."
He said that as Wright was retiring from the Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago, he would continue to worship there.
"While Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgement and experience to be President of the United States."
As Obama tried to ease the controversy, Michigan's Democratic party signalled it was working on plans to redo its primary on June 3, after an original vote was invalidated by national party bosses over a scheduling dispute.
The state was stripped of its 156 Democratic convention delegates over the row, and a fresh election could boost Hillary Clinton, as she tries to cut Obama's lead of more than 100 nominating delegates.
Clinton won the previous election, held on January 15, but was the only candidate with her name on the ballot, and none of the contenders campaigned in the state.
"At this time we are focusing on the possibility of a state-run primary in early June, which would not use any state funding," Michigan Senator Carl Levin and three other top state Democrats said in a statement Friday.
"This option would require the passage of legislation by the State Legislature, and we look forward to working with the members of the Legislature in the coming days to see if this option can be made a reality."
On Thursday Florida, which also saw its delegates stripped after trying to leap forward in the nominating calendar, announced a blueprint for a postal primary, with a voting deadline of June 3.
But local officials admitted that the chances of getting the election to go ahead appeared slim.
Democratic chiefs are concerned that invalidating the votes of millions of Democrats in Florida and Michigan could depress turnout in November's general election.
