Links and Minifeatures 2008 06 02 Monday

Carnival of Personal Finance

Twenty years too late: Obama quits Chicago church after long controversy

"I'm not denouncing the church and I'm not interested in people who want me to denounce the church," he said, adding that the new pastor at Trinity and "the church have been suffering from the attention my campaign has focused on them."

Obama said he and his wife have been discussing the issue since Wright's appearance at the National Press Club in Washington last month, which reignited the furor over remarks Wright had made in various sermons at the church.

Translation: he didn't mind Rev. Wright's racist, hate-soaked sermons, or those of his replacement pastor. If he objected to those personally, he would have confronted Rev. Wright or left the church a long time ago instead of calling Rev. Wright his spiritual mentor and asking Rev. Wright to perform his wedding ceremony and defending him as late as two months ago against all comers. What he objects to is the fact that a much broader audience has now heard Rev. Wright preaching the same gospel of hate he's been preaching all along. The political fallout from that is costing Obama votes. More votes than the votes he's gotten from being a member of this racist church for the last twenty years.

Let's hypothesize what would happen if John McCain was in an anologous situation. Let's say he was a member of a church with a preacher who was a member of the KKK. Regardless of whether that preacher ever said the things from the pulpit that Rev. Wright was saying for at least the last twenty years, would you give him the benefit of the doubt? Obama knew a very long time ago the nature of the racists he was associating with. The only reason he's leaving now is that he's unwilling to handle the political heat it generates.

He didn't leave years ago when it would have meant something about integrity and what he really stands for. He's not staying now, as a statement of loyalty to people he believes accomplish more good than harm. He came and he stayed because he agreed and because it made him political hay. Now he's leaving because this association which made him important has become a hindrance. For all the soaring rhetoric of
Hope" and "Change," he's sure acting like he's more of the very worst of what he's preaching against.

On the other hand, FWIW, I believe rumors of a tape showing Michelle Obama ranting against "Whitey" to be just that: rumors. I'm pretty certain that if multiple news organizations had such a tape, and especially if Republicans or the Clinton campaign had such a tape, it would be out where everyone can see it. Okay, maybe not if Republicans had it. Their motivation would be to wait until Senator Obama had the formal nomination. But if the Clintons had such a tape, they'd use it immediately. Maybe if one news organization that's favoring Obama had it, they might make it disappear - if they were certain it was the only copy. Leave the possibility of multiple copies out there, and self preservation kicks in. Bottom line: Bismarck's famous quote about three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead. If such a tape existed, the odds are that it would be in all of our faces by now. Therefore, I don't believe it exists. This viewpoint is subject to revision if facts discovered in the future indicate my belief to be in error.

Are conservatives more honest?

I think it's more complicated than that, but it's food for thought.

John McCain demonstrates his knowledge of the situation

Scott McClellan's lies