Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Speaks Out. While Obama says: “He does not speak for me.”

Barack Obama: “He does not speak for me.”

As reported in the NY Times, Obama is adding distance from pastor Wright. As reported by Jeff Zeleny, But for the third time in four days, Mr. Wright made a high-profile public appearance to discuss and repeat some of his more controversial statements, this time at the National Press Club in Washington. Mr. Wright suggested that the attacks of Sept. 11 were at least in part a response by terrorists to terrorism practiced by the United States abroad. “You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you,” he said.

He stood by his suggestion that the United States might have invented H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. He defended the Rev. Louis Farrakhan — whom he referred to at times just by his first name — noting his large appeal among African-Americans.

“He is one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century: That’s what I think about him,” Mr. Wright said, adding, “When Louis Farrakhan speaks, it’s like E. F. Hutton speaks, all black America listens. Whether they agree with him or not, they listen.” More Here.

AAPP: Obama: “He does not speak for me.”

And he suggested that Mr. Obama’s speech in which he distanced himself from some of Mr. Wright’s more controversial remarks was politically motivated. “He had to distance himself,” the pastor said, “because he’s a politician, from what the media was saying I had said, which was anti-American.”More Here.

AAPP: Obama: “He does not speak for me.”