Obama’s tortured tapdance around his 20 year association with the “Religious Wright” looks to be over.

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.

But hold on!

I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

Well, so long as he isn’t Mormon.
Back in January, Kyle-Anne Shiver examined this relationship in the context of another – “the legendary amoral guru of left wing activism, Saul Alinksy”;

The agitator’s job, according to Alinsky, is first to bring folks to the “realization” that they are indeed miserable, that their misery is the fault of unresponsive governments or greedy corporations, then help them to bond together to demand what they deserve, and to make such an almighty stink that the dastardly governments and corporations will see imminent “self-interest” in granting whatever it is that will cause the harassment to cease.
In these methods, euphemistically labeled “community organizing,” Obama had a four-year education, which he often says was the best education he ever got anywhere.
[…]
When Obama first undertook his agitating work in Chicago’s South Side poor neighborhoods, he was un-churched. Yet his office was in a Church and most of the folks he needed to agitate and organize were Church people — pastors and congregants — who took their churches and their church-going very seriously. So, this became a problem for the young agnostic, who had been exposed to very little religion in his life. Again and again, he was asked by pastors and church ladies, “Where do you go to Church, young man?” It was a question he dodged for a while, but finally he relented and joined a church.
[…]
But Obama isn’t starry-eyed when it comes to protecting himself from the possibility of bad press regarding his church affiliation. When he was preparing to announce his campaign for the Presidency in February, he called his minister, Reverend Wright, the night before and disinvited him to stand on the podium in front of all the cameras. Rather than face questions, he simply eliminated the target, a perfect Alinsky action meant to forestall an enemy reaction.

So, he’s shuffled from “he doesn’t exist” to “I didn’t hear him” to “I didn’t agree” to “my white grandmother was racist, too, and look how I turned out”.
Perhaps Obama doesn’t two-step so much as he slithers.

h/t

One wonders if Mark Marrison* is still owed money.

Open thread for predictions, discussion and results of the four federal by-elections being held today.
Pithy analysis in the comments – “If Dion loses 2 out the 4, Harper could introduce a confidence motion into the House instructing John Baird to go to Stornaway and beat Dion’s dog to death with the bumper of a Hummer and Dion’s only response before abstaining would be to politely ask them not to get the carpet bloody.”
Follow the returns at Blogging Tories.
Update Bob Rae gives tearful victory speech … Stephane Dion trampled by the crowd.
More pithy analysis!

Win or lose in Quadra, looks like the Conservatives picked up about 20 points.
20
points
in a
liberal
stronghold.
(in the purported heartland of “Cadscam”)

And of course, we extend a big thank you to the Dion braintrust, Joan Beatty and the Orchard Davidians for delivering a Conservative victory in DMCR! With 7 polls remaining and a 1500+ vote lead, CTV continues to keep “a close eye on this riding”…
More reluctant media…

“With 160/182 polls in and a 16% spread…CPAC’s schumcky anchor refuses to call the race for the Conservative. The ditz on CityTV in Toronto said “This is shocking…the Liberals aren’t winning in Saskatchewan.” (without irony). There’s red tears running on the tube tonight, and the bias is sickening.”

CBC transcript;

Pauline [Couture]: Oh my God, he’s so dreamy. I wish I had an Obama.
Sarah [Albertson]: *sigh*
Pauline [Couture]: Politics is so much more inclusive when we can just chant and feel swoony. Yes we can!
Sarah [Albertson]: Yes we can!
Pauline [Couture]: Why can’t we have swoony politicians?
Sarah [Albertson]: Stephen Harper is a meany.
Nik [Nanos]: Harper is part of a sinister Republican plot to make everyone hate each other so they’d vote for George W. McChimpyhitler . If we can find a way get rid of conservatives, everyone left over would think alike, and pollsters could be objective about politics again.