Obama's 3 amigos - Political Forum

calidem411 · 05-06-2008, 02:49 AM

Barack Obama's 3 amigos!

A biggot pastor, an em·bez·zler who was a fund raiser for his campaing and a 1960's terrorist who served on a board with him

I was told as a kid who you hang out with is who you become....

calidem411 · 05-06-2008, 03:05 AM

For any spiritually minded, up-wardly mobile African-American living in Chicago in the mid-1980s, the Trinity United Church of Christ was—and still is—the place to be. That's what drew Oprah Winfrey, a recent Chicago transplant, to the church in 1984. She was eager to bond with the movers and shakers in her new hometown's black community. But she also admired Trinity United's ambitious outreach work with the poor, and she took pride in upholding her Southern grandmother's legacy of involvement with traditional African-American houses of worship. Winfrey was a member of Trinity United from 1984 to 1986, and she continued to attend off and on into the early to the mid-1990s. But then she stopped. A major reason—but by no means the only reason—was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church." Oprah's decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would "run into her socially … she would say, 'Here's my pastor!' " (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)

But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry. In time, she found one: her own. "There is the Church of Oprah now," said her longtime friend, with a laugh. "She has her own following."

Friends of Sen. Barack Obama, whose relationship with Wright has rocked his bid for the White House, insist that it would be unfair to compare Winfrey's decision to leave Trinity United with his own decision to stay. "[His] reasons for attending Trinity were totally different,'' said one campaign adviser, who declined to be named discussing the Illinois senator's sentiments. "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man. Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her.'' And while Winfrey, who has endorsed Obama and campaigned on his behalf, had long understood the perils of a close association with Wright, friends say she was blindsided by the pastor's personal assault on Obama. "She felt that Wright would never do anything to hurt a man who looked up to him as a father figure," said her close friend. "She also never thought he'd intentionally hurt someone trying to make history and change the lives of so many people.''

URL: Why Oprah Winfrey Left Rev. Wright's Church | Newsweek Periscope | Newsweek.com

calidem411 · 05-06-2008, 03:06 AM

Too many clouds over Obama's head. The republican party are going to eat him alive!!

I have an issue with his lack of judgement.....

LiveUninhibited · 05-06-2008, 03:07 AM

Quote:

I was told as a kid who you hang out with is who you become....

I don't think that's always true - just something you were told to prevent you from hanging out with the "wrong crowd" maybe. I am nothing like anybody I hung out with in my childhood. I generally have to have something in common with people I hang out with now, but that doesn't mean my character and theirs are the same thing. After all, even Jesus hung out with sinners.

calidem411 · 05-06-2008, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveUninhibited

I don't think that's always true - just something you were told to prevent you from hanging out with the "wrong crowd" maybe. I am nothing like anybody I hung out with in my childhood. I generally have to have something in common with people I hang out with now, but that doesn't mean my character and theirs are the same thing. After all, even Jesus hung out with sinners.

That's good for you! I think that every parent will say the same. I'm glad that you always had great choices with the people that you associated yourself with.

However, this would not matter if the average "Joe" would associate him/her self with these people, but when you're running for the biggest job in the world, this raises questions about your character. It's all about perception!!!!

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 05-06-2008, 10:18 AM

Well Bill Clinton actually gave LEGAL PARDONS to terrorists, like the ones in your picture. So the terrorist Weather Underground are more Clinton amigo's than Obama's.

Bill Clinton himself is a criminal, having committed perjury by lying under oath about the blowjob he received from his intern, Monica Lewinsky.

Here are some other criminals the Clintons have associated themselves with:

The Clinton Crime Family

Quote:

Jorge Cabrera, a convicted felon from Florida, gave the DNC $20,000 and then attended a political reception in Miami at which Cabrera got his picture taken with Al Gore. Cabrera was soon invited to a December 1995 pre-Christmas event at the White House and was photographed with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The next month in January 1996, undercover agents arrested Cabrera with three tons of Colombian cocaine. Prior to Cabrera's January arrest, he had been arrested twice on drug charges, and pleaded guilty to non-drug-related charges in both cases. Cabrera is serving a 19-year prison sentence. (The Detroit News, 2/16/97; Miami Herald, 1/19/97; The Washington Post, 10/20/96)

Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie, President Clinton's longtime friend and a Democratic fund-raiser, pleaded guilty to two charges in his Arkansas trial (May 21, 1999). Trie plead guilty to a felony charge of causing false statements and a misdemeanor count of making political contributions in the names of others.

It was Charlie Trie who arranged for Wang Jun, chairman of Poly Technologies Inc., an international Chinese weapons dealer, to meet with Mr. Clinton at a Democrat Party event at the White House on Feb. 6, 1996. At the time Clinton met with Wang, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Customs Service were wrapping up an investigation which caught Wang's company smuggling at least $4 million worth of 2,000 illegal AK-47 assault weapons destined for gang members in California. (The New Republic, 1/20/97; Chicago Tribune, 1/5/97; The New York Times, 12/27/96)

Grigory Loutchansky, linked by Interpol to the Russian mafia, money laundering, drug trafficking, nuclear smuggling across the Baltics, and international arms trading, attended a Democrat Party White House dinner in October of 1993. Loutchansky got a private two-minute meeting and a picture with Mr. Clinton. (The Washington Times, 2/11/97; The Detroit News, 2/16/97; New York Post, 11/1/96; Time, 7/8/96) Loutchansky was invited back to a second DNC dinner in July 1995. A year before, Canada had blocked Loutchansky from entering Canada because he had failed a background check. Canadian officials also had questions about the source of Loutchansky's Nordex company's assets. (The Washington Times, 3/1/97) Both of Clinton's CIA Directors James Woolsey and John Deutch described Loutchansky's Nordex company as an "organization associated with Russian criminal activity."

# Eric Wynn, a twice-convicted securities promoter who pleaded guilty to stock manipulation that benefited a member of the Bonanno organized crime family and who served two years in prison for theft and tax charges, attended a December 1995 White House coffee with Clinton. In 1996, Wynn attended four other DNC fund-raising events involving Clinton. Wynn has been arrested five times during the last six months while out on bail for aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, violation of a restraining order, terroristic threats and driving while intoxicated. At least one of the arrests occurred between DNC fund-raisers Wynn attended in 1996 with Clinton. (The Detroit News, 2/16/97; The Washington Post, 2/20/97; The Star-Ledger, 2/20/97)

# Roger Tamraz, an international fugitive from Interpol, donated $177,000 to Democrats and the DNC through his companies and attended several White House dinners and coffees in 1995-1996. Tamraz is a former financier wanted, according to a 1989 Interpol warrant, in Lebanon for embezzling $200 million from his failed bank. On June 2, 1995, Tamraz was briefed by a National Security Council (NSC) expert on Russia at the same time he was negotiating a multibillion-dollar deal to build a pipeline from oil reserves from the Caspian Sea to Turkey through Azerbaijan and Armenia. On July 26, Tamraz contributed $20,000 to the DNC. After the meeting occurred, then-DNC Party Chairman Don Fowler called an NSC official to try to overturn a recommendation that Tamraz not attend high-level White House meetings. Tamraz went on to attend four more White House events with Clinton which included receptions, dinners and the premiere of the movie "Independence Day." Tamraz, through his New York-based oil company, gave $50,000 to the DNC after going to a DNC sponsored White House reception on Sept. 11, 1995, and a dinner four days later. In October, Tamraz contributed another $100,000 at the direction of the DNC to the Virginia Democrat Party using his Tamoil Inc., company. Tamraz also had coffee with Gore on Oct. 5, 1995, and with Clinton on April 1, 1996.

# Russ Barakat, a south Florida Democrat Party official, was indicted on criminal charges just five days after his coffee meeting at the White House in April 1995. Ultimately, Barakat was convicted for tax evasion. A Florida newspaper was full of stories about Barakat's problems with the law before his White House visit, but he was asked in for coffee anyway.

# Chung Lo contributed $10,300 to the DNC. The bulk of the money was given in July 1996, the same month Ms. Lo was arrested on 14 counts of bank and mortgage fraud. Lo's arrest came four days before she was to host a $400,000 Asian American fund-raiser featuring Clinton. The event was abruptly canceled. Lo was convicted of tax evasion in the 1980s under the name of Esther Chu. Lo had attended a White House coffee and a fund-raising event involving First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Gore.

So calidem, will we once again see the famous Clinton/Obama double standard you use, where you slam Obama for something that is unethical (as you've constructed things) while at the same time giving Hillary Clinton a free pass for similar unethical actions?

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 05-06-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calidem411

Barack Obama's 3 amigos!

A biggot pastor, an em·bez·zler who was a fund raiser for his campaing and a 1960's terrorist who served on a board with him

I was told as a kid who you hang out with is who you become....

If it's true that Obama is a bigot, because his preacher is anti-American, then surely you can point to something that came out of OBAMA'S MOUTH or something OBAMA DID that is anti-American. I await for you to demonstrate that what you were told as a kid matches up with reality.

Gnuf Said · 05-06-2008, 10:41 AM

Obama has made a big deal out of his judgement to compensate for his total lack of experience. So if he has a total lack of experience and poor judgement, how would that bode for America?

mairead · 05-06-2008, 10:59 AM

Hm. Seems like a loud mouth, self opinionated preacher is nothing, when compared to Clinton's friends

catawba · 05-06-2008, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calidem411

Too many clouds over Obama's head. The republican party are going to eat him alive!!

I have an issue with his lack of judgement.....

I've heard it said somewhere, "Let those without sin cast the first stone." Your point implies McCain has no skeletons in his closet that will be ripped our for public display.

Here are a few I'm sure we will hear about much more about:

*was a poor student and trouble maker in H.S.

*graduated 5th from the bottom of his class and was a troublemaker at the Navel Academy. Spent lots of time at the local strip clubs.

*was shot down while hot-dogging in Vietnam

*while POW, gave up information for preferential treatment

*after returning home, had adulterous affairs while lying to his wife and 3 kids

*dumped his wife that suffered debilitating injuries from an auto accident, latched on to a millionaire heiress, one of the ones he cheated on his wife with, to launch his political career after he failed to do well in the military.

*As a politician, blocked testimony of fellow POW's to prevent any of his cowardly behavior from becoming public.

*In Congress, he became involved with some shady financial dealings and almost lost his seat due to the Keating 5 scandal. He was finally let off by an investigating committee that determined McCain used poor judgment (a recurring pattern for McCain)

*Again used poor judgment as one of the most vocal supporters for invading Iraq.

*has stated that we are there for the oil and that he will keep us there virtually forever even though we have already killed one million Iraqis and displaced 2 million more, or our loss of over 4000 American servicemen and the maiming and injuries to 30,000 other servicemen.

*Given the current world situation, if McCain should win, he has the temper and the lack of intelligence to be the most likely leader to start WWIII.