Rev. Wright has his own tabloid sex scandal

[Anonymous]

The nifty Rev. Wright has been back on the scene saying nice things about his former parishoner. My favorite was when he said Barack is going to be the first man to sleep with a black woman legally at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Now it turns out that Wright has been having an affair with the secretary at a church pastored by one of his proteges. The woman has since been fired for the affair. The New York Post story says Wright has been cheating on his second wife, whom he reportedly "wooed away from her first husband" in the 1980s after the couple came to him for. . . marriage counseling.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09092008/news/nationalnews/o_pastor_in_sex_scandal_128142.htm

I bet Obama's campaign wishes they could lock Rev. Wright in a closet. So, I know some of you don't want to hear it, but I really think we ought to leave churches and ministers out of the campaign as much as possible. Andrew Sullivan has been posting those videos of Palin talking about God, and of her church. But I figure Obama's camp would like to lock Sullivan in a closet too. Literally, not figuratively.

[jsteele]

OP, how many times have you posted in this forum saying that privates lives of candidates should be off-limits? While you are at it, can you remind me for which office Rev. Wright is running? I guess you think that the private lives of non-candidates are fair game?

Its pretty rich to end a post in which you attack Obama's former minister by saying you think ministers should be left out of the campaign. A little late for that isn't it?

[Anonymous]

First of all, I have never said candidates' religious views should be off limits. I said the pregnancy and childrearing -- the personal family life -- of a candidate is off limits. Obama and McCain spent a great deal of time at the Saddleback forum talking about their religion, so they seem to think their religious lives are relevant to the campaign. And this forum is chock full of posts about Palin's religion, Palin's church, Palin's minister, the Jews for Jesus pastor who visited Palin's church, etc. Many if not most of those posters seem to think all of those things are fair game. I'm sure you feel the same way.

Be as honest as you can: Would you have replied in the same vein if Palin's minister of 20 years were the subject of the story? I don't think you would have.

[Anonymous]

Who cares?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Be as honest as you can: Would you have replied in the same vein if Palin's minister of 20 years were the subject of the story? I don't think you would have.

My reply was due to the clear hypocrisy of you post, both internally and relative to your other posts. As you again say, you believe the personal family life of a candidate of off limits, but publish information about Wright's personal life. Admittedly, he is not a candidate, but that should make his personal live even more off limits by your own criteria.

But, to spread information about a candidate's former minister in the same message in which you say you think ministers should not be discussed is the height of hypocrisy.

Need I remind you that Wright and Obama's church were discussed in depth on this website. Were you jumping in to defend Wright and the UCC at that time? Or were you one of those hammering away and posting links to videos?

Republicans have already run commercials featuring Wright, so whether you like it or not, the door is opened to examining ministers. The door should have never been closed on what the candidate herself has said.

[Anonymous]

Jeff, how do you know who posted that? How do you distinguish between same computer different person?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff, how do you know who posted that? How do you distinguish between same computer different person?

With this particular poster, I don't need to see IP addresses. I have read enough of her messages that I generally know who it is with three or four words.

[Anonymous]

No, I have never posted a link to a Wright video. Palin's minister is not out there promoting her candidacy. Like it or not, Wright has deliberately reinserted himself into the campaign debate. He's on a speaking tour and much of what he's speaking about is Obama. When a public figure endorses a candidate, that often invites some scrutiny.

I don't think the personal life of a Christian minister who presumably preaches on the Ten Commandments is off limits. I do not think that a situation such as John Edwards' was off limits. If a candidate is having an affair while running for president, especially when he's presenting himself as a devoted husband, I think that's newsworthy. However, I do think unfounded rumors about Palin's pregnancy are off limits, especially after they've been completely disproved. I think her teenage daughter is off limits, period.

Republicans may have run ads with Wright in them; I've never seen them, but I don't watch TV. They haven't done it recently or I'd have seen links to them. If Wright stayed out of the limelight, the GOP would have no excuse to bring him up again (which is not to say they wouldn't have, but they'd have to believe the risk is worth it).

I understand you're bothered by me posting the Wright story, but not by all the videos or posts about Palin's religious beliefs. Okay. All I see in Palin's own words is her belief in God, which seems awfully similar to Barack Obama's belief in God. They share the belief, as Obama put it at Saddleback, that Jesus Christ died on the cross to personally redeem them. Not a belief I personally share, but millions of Americans do. I doubt Palin is going to have any trouble when asked about her religious beliefs.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I understand you're bothered by me posting the Wright story, but not by all the videos or posts about Palin's religious beliefs.

No, and that suggests a certain amount of intentional obtuseness on your part. Within the content of a single message you both spread information about a minister and said that minsters should be off-limits. Is it your opinion that there is no contradiction in such a message.

Now, I see that you have given Wright a special dispensation and he is now fair game. So, if someone manages to catch Palin's minister saying something supportive of her, does that make him fair game?

Its interesting how you are trying to twist this into me having a double standard. However, I never suggested that there shouldn't be discussion of Wright or the UCC -- and by the way, I believe you are downplaying your participation in that discussion. Similarly, I haven't said that there shouldn't be discussion of Palin or her church. My only objection is to someone who actually does have double standards. I not even against you displaying those double standards. I' simply pointing it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: but I don't watch TV.

How special.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand you're bothered by me posting the Wright story, but not by all the videos or posts about Palin's religious beliefs.

No, and that suggests a certain amount of intentional obtuseness on your part. Within the content of a single message you both spread information about a minister and said that minsters should be off-limits. Is it your opinion that there is no contradiction in such a message.

Now, I see that you have given Wright a special dispensation and he is now fair game. So, if someone manages to catch Palin's minister saying something supportive of her, does that make him fair game?

Its interesting how you are trying to twist this into me having a double standard. However, I never suggested that there shouldn't be discussion of Wright or the UCC -- and by the way, I believe you are downplaying your participation in that discussion. Similarly, I haven't said that there shouldn't be discussion of Palin or her church. My only objection is to someone who actually does have double standards. I not even against you displaying those double standards. I' simply pointing it out.

I'm not downplaying my participation in the UCC discussion. I have attended UCC and recently even went to a memorial service for a colleague there, officiated by Rev. Wright. I don't think I posted any videos, however. I'm sure you can and will use my IP address to check that.

Wright is on yet another major speaking tour, the purpose of which primarily seems to be to promote Obama. He deliberately and repeatedly puts himself in the public eye. If Palin's minister begins to promote her from the pulpit or to tour the country talking about her, yes, he too will be fair game, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: but I don't watch TV.

How special.

Not special. I just don't have one. But I used to love the Church Lady, back when I did.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
I'm not downplaying my participation in the UCC discussion. I have attended UCC and recently even went to a memorial service for a colleague there, officiated by Rev. Wright. I don't think I posted any videos, however. I'm sure you can and will use my IP address to check that.

Maybe you didn't post any links to videos, but you were active in the discussion and provided plenty of criticism of Wright. Its just interesting that with that history you now profess to believe that the candidates' ministers should be off limits.

But, apparently, here are different rules when it comes to attacking Obama.

[Anonymous]

Ol' Reverend Wright. What a pathetic loser!

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'm not downplaying my participation in the UCC discussion. I have attended UCC and recently even went to a memorial service for a colleague there, officiated by Rev. Wright. I don't think I posted any videos, however. I'm sure you can and will use my IP address to check that.

Maybe you didn't post any links to videos, but you were active in the discussion and provided plenty of criticism of Wright. Its just interesting that with that history you now profess to believe that the candidates' ministers should be off limits.

But, apparently, here are different rules when it comes to attacking Obama.

What I am saying, silly goose, is that we enter into the territory of ministers at our own peril. I supported HRC then; I support Obama now. I think we should not enter into discussions of Palin's church unless we really want to go back to discussions of Obama's church. Palin's minister is not a public figure, but Wright is due to his own wish to be one.

You and I do differ strongly on one thing. You think it's important to stifle criticism of one's own candidate. In this sense, you are a "true believer," as another poster suggested in a recent thread. I think it's important to not stifle criticism of one's own candidate, but to own both the potential and the problems of the candidate. Haven't you seen the bumper sticker that says dissent is patriotic?

I find myself worrying about your reaction to my posts because you apparently monitor my IP address, and that bothers me. I'm not sure if you're deliberately seeking to be intimidating or not. I can live with you watching my IP address, but it truly bothers me when you post inaccurate information and don't go back and acknowledge your mistake.