Does Obama Have To Answer for What His Pastor Does?

Richard Cohen thinks so.

Barack Obama is a member of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama’s spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright’s daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said “truly epitomized greatness.” That man is Louis Farrakhan.

What other candidate is having his or her church or religious leader inspected? Mike Huckabee is a pastor but he’s also a candidate, so that doesn’t count. And once we look into everything a candidate’s pastor believes, do we then have to look at every other association? What if his or her best friend worships Saran Wrap or believes a boogie man comes out when the lights go down? Since Obama is not as well known, hasn’t been vetted on the national stage as much as the other candidates, his destractors are looking for anything they can find with which to define him.

Cohen concedes that Obama probably doesn’t share Wright’s views on Farrakhan. But that’s not good enough for him.

I don’t for a moment think that Obama shares Wright’s views on Farrakhan. But the rap on Obama is that he is a fog of a man. We know little about him, and, for all my admiration of him, I wonder about his mettle. The New York Times recently reported on Obama’s penchant while serving in the Illinois legislature for merely voting “present” when faced with some tough issues. Farrakhan, in a strictly political sense, may be a tough issue for him. This time, though, “present” will not do.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.