Anti-American preacher sees Obama as a son

Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the notorious liberation theology preacher at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, gave a rare interview to the Washington Post yesterday. Wright revealed that he and Obama were even closer than most people knew.

"It is unrealistic to think that one person can change the mess that this country has gotten into, but to pick on him is like picking on one of my kids," Wright said. "I have been knowing him for 20 years.

"I have not stopped loving him because of what the press did, and to see him beat up on because of things he is not responsible for is painful."

Wright is the same preacher who screamed "God Damn America!" from the pulpit and said 9/11 was just America's "chickens coming home to roost," among other anti-American statements. The fact that Wright thought of the president as a son makes Obama's denouncements of him during the campaign seem even more dishonest. Obama knew what Wright was up to for 20 years, but only resigned his membership from Trinity under political pressure.

In the Post interview, Wright also repeated the lie that he hasn't had any contact with Obama since the campaign, and said he didn't expect to see Obama until he was "out of the White House." But Wright's name was on the White House guest list that Obama released last year. Not only has Wright been in touch with Obama, the president threw the White House doors open for the noxiously anti-American pastor. Wright's lie echoes another anti-Semitic remark he made to the Daily Press of Newport News last year: "Them Jews aren't going to let [Obama] talk to me. I told my baby daughter, that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office."

Obama disowns another radical with a wink and a nudge

Barack Obama has become the master of a political two-step. Disown radical friends and business partners to the public while soothing their nerves in private.

Last week, SEIU union boss Andy Stern said that opponents of health care reform and card check like Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson were "terrorists". Obviously Stern has been feeling the pressure as majorities of the American people turn against his radical liberal agenda. Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs firmly repudiated Stern's comments and said they "make no sense."

It's a pattern with this president. When his friendship with Bill Ayers surfaced during the campaign, he condemned Ayers. When his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright came to light, he gave an entire speech distancing himself. Then several months into his presidency, the White House guest list came out. Ayers and Wright were both on there. The newest offender, Stern, was the most frequent guest.

So the president may pretend to regret Stern's radical comments through his press flack. But no doubt the two of them will remain attached at the hip going forward.