Charlie Gibson peels Obama’s Rev. Jeremiah Wright scab and asks Obama why he rescinded an invitation for Wright to attend his announcement speech in February 2007, yet did not distance himself from Wright publicly. Obama responds by saying that Wright’s comments in Rolling Stone prompted the disinvite, and that he was still unaware of the kind of talk that ended up on YouTube.
UPDATE 9:26 p.m:
Originally, I had written that the story was posted on Feb. 22, so Obama’s timing was off. I was incorrect. The story in question appeared in the Feb. 22 issue, and therefore was published weeks before. I’ve left the text I originally wrote in strikethrough below.
Here’s the problem: From what we can tell, Reverend Wright’s quotes showed up in
Rolling Stone
on February 22–12 days after Obama announced he was running for president. If that’s the case, then Obama’s clock is off. The only explanation is that Obama and company found out
RS
was going to run with a piece that questioned Obama’s church. If that’s true, then Obama’s move was a shrewd one, as it distanced himself before the comments blew up and became an issue. But it still doesn’t explain why he didn’t do the same permanently, so the Rev. Wright flap that we’ve all become accustomed to could never take place.
Two choice cuts from what Wright was quoted as saying
in the piece that
ran
on
was in the Feb. 22 issue:
Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run!
We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. … We conducted radiation experiments on our own people. … We care nothing about human life if the ends justify the means!
We’re not at the debate, so we can’t ask Axelrod and company about this in the spin room after the debate. Perhaps some of our blogger pals in Philly can help clarify the anachronism.
