CHICAGO (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that he was "deeply disappointed" by a supporter's sermon at his church that mocked Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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(Photo: AP Images / M. Spencer Green, File)In this June 1, 2007 file photo, Rev. Michael Pfleger, left, of Saint Sabina Catholic Church is seen with Rev. Jesse Jackson during a news conference at Rainbow/Push Coalition headquarters in Chicago. Pfleger apologized Thursday, May 29, 2008, for the sermon given Sunday at Trinity United Church of Christ, during which he said Clinton cried in January because she felt 'entitled' to the Democratic nomination and that a 'black man is stealing my show.'
The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Chicago activist, also apologized for last Sunday's sermon at Obama's church, in which he said Clinton's eyes welled with tears before the New Hampshire primary because she felt "entitled" to the Democratic nomination and because "there's a black man stealing my show."
In video circulating on the Internet, Pfleger said the former first lady expected to win the nomination before Obama's sudden popularity.
"She just always thought that, 'This is mine. I'm Bill's wife. I'm white.' ... And then, out of nowhere, came 'Hey, I'm Barack Obama." And she said, 'Oh damn, where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show,'" Pfleger said at Trinity United Church of Christ.
He then went on to parody Clinton, sobbing and wiping his face with a handkerchief.
"She wasn't the only one crying," he said. "There was a whole lot of white people crying."
Obama won the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the nominating season, in January. Days later, Clinton's eyes brimmed with tears and her voice broke as she talked with New Hampshire voters on the eve of the primary, which she won.
Obama said he was "deeply disappointed" by Pfleger's comments.
"As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us," he said in a statement. "That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause."
Pfleger, the white pastor of predominantly black Saint Sabina Roman Catholic Church on the city's Southwest side, said he regretted his choice of words.
"These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them," Pfleger said.
Clinton's campaign denounced Pfleger's comments.
"Divisive and hateful language like that is totally counterproductive in our efforts to bring our party together and have no place at the pulpit or in our politics," the campaign said in a statement. "We are disappointed that Senator Obama didn't specifically reject Father's Pfleger's despicable comments about Senator Clinton, and assume he will do so."
In March, Pfleger invited Obama's embattled former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, to speak at Saint Sabina, embracing Wright in the church.
Obama recently broke with Wright, who had been his longtime pastor, after video of his sermons blaming U.S. policies for the Sept. 11 attacks and his calls of "God damn America" became fixtures on the Internet and cable news networks and created a political problem for the candidate.
Pfleger, known locally as a community activist and organizer, was arrested in June 2007 with the Rev. Jesse Jackson during a protest outside of a south suburban Chicago gun shop. The criminal trespass charges were later dropped.
He also has hosted Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, at St. Sabina and has called him "a gift from God to a sick, sick world."
Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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<i>Obama said he was "deeply disappointed" by Pfleger's comments.</i>
Yeah. Right.
Although we continue to see some very disturbing realities for the church in general, the real truth in all of this lies with the Superdelegates decision which could come next week..
The Democrats, and the church, are asking for much more of this mockery if Obama is chosen as the nominee. Appearently Pastor Wright and friends will make sure of this as they promised since Obama decised to pull away from them.
But the most disturbing reality for the church is that there is no clear leader/denomination, either Protestant and now Catholic, who has stepped forward to exercise real discipline over these ministers.
May God forgive us for letting our own message of Christ and the Cross become a mockery to the rest of the world.
We need to do away with some of these liberal clergy remarks and hear from those who
can see past all of this. Color never mattered to God. That fact that Obama is even able to run for President, to me, says alot for how far we have come in this country, and we don't need all the snyde remarks to back us up.
1 John 2:19 says "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." Where does Sen. Obama belong in the Church?
Hope Page: itsallaboutjesusnotme.blogspot.com
This so-called Priest is no more Catholic that Kerry, Pelosi or Kennedy. What an embarrassment to the body of Christ.
I think it's time that Obama just distanced himself from Trinity church.
Wiccan,
Have you not figured it out yet? These "ministers" are NOT ministers of Christ. Just because they wear a collar doesn't make them a minister any more than calling yourself a doctor makes you a doctor.
A Christian is one who not only trusts in Jesus Christ but OBEYS His teachings. A Christian REFLECTS the very image of Christ in word and deed. He's NOT some dogmatic "do-gooder" who seeks social change through activism. He is one led by the Holy Spirit of God to pursue righteousness (not self-righteousness) and holiness - apart from which no one will see God.
These "ministers" are of the Synagogue of Satan as Jesus called them.
I can say this with all confidence that these men are NOT of God because the words they speak are so inconsistent with the mind and heart of Christ that they are unrecognizable from true Christian character. Their mouthes reflect their hearts - wicked and divisive.
There is nothing wrong with having a passion for something, even standing up for Truth and preaching with fire, but that's far different than battling another person's character and attacking them.
(I'm not a Clinton, Obama or McCain supporter either :) As a matter of fact I don't follow politicians, I follow Christ.
I think the Archbishop should silence this Priests on grounds that his support of Obama publicly scandalizes the whole Catholic Church because of Obama's explicit and immoral stand on abortion, same sex marriage and a host of other INTRINSICALLY EVIL positions.
This priest should not be allowed to receive the Eucharist. He is like many of the old liberals who still haven't left yet or reconciled with the Church. He is a liberal social justice zealot, who because of his extreme view points misses a hiearchy of moral values.
He is an embarrasment to our church.
If these preachers really supported Obama, they'd understand the impact of such rhetoric on his campaign. Not that political posturing from the pulpit is acceptable to begin with.