Legal Commentary

Obama Addresses Rev. Wrights' Latest Comments

By Jeralyn

Barack Obama, who has not been known for accessibility to the press the last few weeks (see the waffle story) called a "hastily arranged press conference" today to again disassociate himself from Rev. Wright, including his most recent remarks. The press conference lasted six minutes on the airport tarmac and he took three questions.

"Some of the comments that Rev. Wright has made offend me, and I understand why they offend the American people. He does not speak for me. He does not speak for the campaign," Obama said.

"Many of the statements that he's made, both that triggered this initial controversy and that he's made over the last several days, are not statements that I have heard him make previously. They don't represent my views," the senator added.

He asked that he be judged by his "20 years of service" and the values he's espoused more than by his past associations. More...

"I think people will understand that I am not perfect and that there are going to be folks in my past like Rev. Wright that may cause them some concern but that ultimately my 20 years of service and the values that I've written about and spoken about and promoted are their values and what they're concerned about," Obama said.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on April 28, 2008 (boomark / email).