Obama Replies to Pastor Controversy

Barack Obama replies to the pastor controversy. That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."

Ever since he began his dramatic rise last fall, I have admired Senator Obama's campaign style. He has energized politics, and that is good for America. But I do not believe the senator understands how serious this pastor situation is, how angry many Americans are.

As you may know, Obama's friend and spiritual counselor Jeremiah Wright has been exposed as an anti-American hater. He believes the USA is no better than Al Qaeda. He says America brought 9/11 on itself.

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REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT: We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki. And we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon. And we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans. And now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards.

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Now all clear-thinking Americans are appalled by those hateful words. And Senator Obama says he is as well.

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BARACK OBAMA: I think the statements that were the source of controversy from Reverend Wright were wrong, and I've strongly condemned them. I think the caricature that's being painted of him is not accurate.

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OK. So what's not accurate about it? We don't know.

It all fits in. Americans also don't know very much about Barack Obama, and so he has some explaining to do and not with softball interviewers either. How can you have a class association with an American-hater for 20 years? Surely Senator Obama knew how Wright felt, even though he might not have heard the exact words. Also, what kind of judgment allows a sitting senator to attend a church that radical?

The latest Rasmussen poll shows Obama losing support across the country. His favorability rating is down 5 points in three days. And the Wright controversy is driving that. The folks don't want leadership that is associated with that kind of hatred.

At this point, the story tells us more about the media than Senator Obama. You'll remember the very liberal New York Times attacked John McCain for associating with a lobbyist nobody ever heard of. The Times put the story on page one and the liberal media ran with it. The McCain story was about association and judgment, was it not? And what's the Obama story about? Association and judgment. But The New York Times buried the pastor's story. The paper must think its readers are stupid.

Likewise, the nightly network programs have downplayed the situation. On Friday, ABC ignored it. NBC News gave it 20 seconds.

Hear me: If we didn't break the story wide last Thursday night, it would have likely died, which is exactly what the leftist media wants.

Finally, Barack Obama says he deplores the racial aspect of the story, but who is really pushing race, senator? I believe that would be your former pastor and far-left zealots like Media Matters and Jesse Jackson. They are the chief race-baiters in America.

So the Wright story is here to stay. Voters aren't going to forget it. Senator Obama should realize that and confront the issues involved on programs like this one, where millions would see him and he would get a fair hearing. Because if he does not fully explain his association with Pastor Wright, he will not be elected president. Period.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

Monday marked the 247th edition of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. This, of course, is a great tradition honoring St. Patrick and the approximately 35 million Irish-Americans, all of whom should be watching "The Factor."

Now I believe St. Patrick is a patriot because he preached a message of love and peace and also because he drove the snakes out of Ireland, which may explain why that country was late in developing the media.

On the pinhead front, radical-left billionaire George Soros has a bunch of mouthpieces placed in the media, and one of them, Rosa Brooks, writes for the Los Angeles Times. Here's what our Ms. Brooks said about the Obama controversy.

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ROSA BROOKS, LOS ANGELES TIMES: He was probably sitting at church and not listening. I hate to tell you people this, but I have heard of people who go to church and don't listen.

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They weren't listening. Pinhead. Unbelievable.

Soros, of course, wants Obama elected.

— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads and Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com