When we talk about Geraldine Ferrero's statement, it is called racist. When Obama supports a church for 20 years even getting married there and using the minister on his campaign team and that church is anti white, it is not racist? I don't just think he has to apologize for the church but for himself. I saw the tapes of the sermons and the minister clearly used anti-American rhetoric stating that the USA is responsible for the terrorists attacks on us. I saw that on numerous times he talked about white people in a negative context. If you support a church like that for 20 years, I think that says a lot about how you really feel about white people and I thought the president of the USA was supposed to be about all of the people of all colors. Now I do understand what bothered me about why he was saying so little in his speeches. When you can have that attitude about people and manage to get a huge following through charisma, it is mighty scary. History has shown it to be so.

Obama had "denounced and rejected" the 9/11 comments and has been very clear that his minister has said things that he strongly disagrees with. Can you imagine if JFK had been held responsible for everything the Catholic Church has ever either said or done?

There is a difference between candidates and their churches that the American people are smart enough to recognize.

And a key message of Obama's camapain has been about how we as a nation can move beyond exactly these divisions.

"There is a difference between candidates and their churches that the American people are smart enough to recognize. "

I take it you haven't actually watched, listened to, or read anything by the Reverend that Obama admires so much that he calls him is 'mentor' and uses a sermon line for the title of his book.

That man is anti-white and therefore racist. If you think for one minute that if McCain went to an anti-black church where the Reverend was spewing anti-black rhetoric that he would not be branded a complete racist, you are way off base.

Yeah, I'm smart enough to realize O'Bama is a candidate and his church is a church. But this blows his whole 'I'm a uniter' thing away for me. If you don't believe in the teachings of the church, why go there? I think he does, and I know his wife does. He's just smart enough to be more subtle about it.

There is a key difference, we are not talking about the past history of a church but what is happening RIGHT NOW in the church and Obama supported this church for 20 years while it was screaming this anti-white, anti-American rhetoric. He even had the minister doing the screaming of this foolishness on his campaign committee until as recently as December.

First, his minister has never said ANY of this as part of Obama's campaign.

Now, is some of this stupid rhetoric? Absolutely. But Obama has already and repeatedly said that he wants nothing to do with that part of his Minister's views.

And there's clear evidence that he means it. His whole campaign emphasizes countering this kind of rhetoric and a moving toward national healing.

I dearly hope you are right but he went to this church for over 20 years and listened to this kind of anti-American and anti-white talk. Why would he support that? Why did he have this minister on his campaign as late as December? Obama has heard all of this kind of talk and continued his support of the minister and church until someone told him he had to disavow it in order to get the presidency.

What I find to be the telling point, and the difference between Kennedy and Obama, is that Obama has said that he searched for a church upon moving to Chicago and only after consideration chose this church. In addition he considers the preacher in question to be a mentor, this is not the church he happens to have been born into it's the church who's views he choose to support through membership.

How will he answer for those decisions in a no holds barred presidential race? He may have one that will convince but IMO it will be a factor and if he doesn't convince he will lose.