Thursday, June 05, 2008

Another AP spin for Obama

In an AP story reporting Sen. Barack Obama’s decision to leave Trinity UCC there’s this:

…For months, Obama has been hamstrung by the rhetoric of Wright, whose sermons blaming U.S. policies for the Sept. 11 attacks and calls of "God damn America" for its racism became fixtures on the Internet and cable news networks.

Initially, Obama said he disagreed with Wright but portrayed him as a family member he couldn't disown. The preacher had officiated at Obama's wedding, baptized his two daughters and been his spiritual mentor for some 20 years.

But six weeks after Obama's well-received speech on race, Wright claimed at the Press Club appearance that the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested that Obama was acting like a politician by putting his pastor at arm's length while privately agreeing with him. (emphasis added)

The next day, Obama denounced Wright's comments as "divisive and destructive." …
For years before his National Press Club appearance Wright's accused the U.S. government "of planting AIDS in the black community [and] praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan."

The AP story doesn't mention that.

During those years Sen. Obama has never "denounced Wright's comments." The AP doesn't mention that, either.

Had the AP mentioned those two matters, people reading the story would wonder why Obama was only now denouncing Wright's Press Club ravings.

It's much better for Obama for the AP not to mention Obama's failure to denounce Wright's raving racism and anti-Americanism until just recently.

Knowing that, the AP left out any mention of Obama's past failure to denounce Wright.

Instead, it went with the "six weeks after Obama's well-received speech on race" spin.

The entire AP story's here.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking Ahead:

McCain and Obama advisors are setting the tentative dates for the presidential debates schedule.

The only sticking point seems to be the dates for the debates in the 51st - 57th states. McCain doubts the projected attendance, but Obama promises a prior rock concert to enhance the crowd.

McCain’s group still seem skeptical, but concede they can’t envision the ghosts added into the numbers, as clearly as Obama can.

A call out to Mayor Daley concerning how to properly count dead people, may seal the deal. My kind of town, Chicago Is……