Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal Commentary Blogs -> Althouse

Legal Commentary

: Althouse

"Oh, damn. Where did you come from? I?m white. I?m entitled. There?s a black man stealing my show."

The things they say at Barack Obama's church:

In a guest appearance at Trinity United Church of Christ, the priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, who resigned about two weeks ago from an unpaid position on the Obama campaign?s Catholic advisory council, delivered a tirade against Mrs. Clinton that included fake tears, a high-pitched voice and top-of-the-lungs screaming. He also gave a racially tinged critique of so-called ?white entitlement,? of which he says Mrs. Clinton is guilty.

?When Hillary was crying, and people said that was put on ? I really don?t believe it was put on,? said Father Pfleger, 59, the white pastor of a predominantly black South Side church. ?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 got to 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.?

Father Pfleger, a well-known longtime activist and friend of Mr. Obama, issued an apology late Thursday. ?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.?

Another sorry-if-you-were-offended apology.

Of course, the Clinton campaign is delighted by Pfleger's wonderful gift:

?Divisive and hateful language like that is totally counterproductive in our efforts to bring our party together and have no place at the pulpit or in our politics,? said Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton. ?We are disappointed that Senator Obama didn?t specifically reject Father Pfleger?s despicable comments about Senator Clinton, and assume he will do so.?

How much mileage can they get out of this one?

Reading over Pfleger's remarks, I think they'd be perfectly apt in a comedy routine. The main problem is that they were in a sermon in a church... and it's Barack Obama's church, the source of way too many of his problems. How on earth could someone who supports Obama and is clever enough to say something like that be stupid enough to say it there?

ADDED: You've got to see it in video. [Better version of the clip swapped for the one I had before.]

Hilarious. Race-baiting... it's wrong. Still... LOL.

And here's Rush Limbaugh:

This is stupid! Unless there's a plan here. They must be out to sink Obama at this church, 'cause they know the whole world's watching. Well, that could be, too. Maybe they're just selfish. They're just trying to increase attendance and to hell with Obama. The thing is, this Pfleger guy, he's right. He stole that from me. I didn't say it quite that way, but we all know that the Clintons sitting around, you know, shell shocked. "What happened to us?"

AND: More Pfleger:

UPDATE: Obama and his wife resign from Trinity Church.

Full post as published by Althouse on May 31, 2008 (boomark / email).