McCain: Hagee Apology Praised, "Reconciliation" Stressed

On the other hand, compare Barack Obama mentor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's race-baiting, "God Damn America" posture. There's no reconciliation there, just unrepentant anger.

Too Little, Too Late: Drew Peterson Finally Offers Reward for Missing Wife Stacy Peterson

It's not often that you get to recycle a headline so quickly, but this week's wacky Chicago-based news environment offered a two-fer. First, Barack Obama suddenly catches on to what Jeremiah Wright, his pastor of twenty years, has been preaching and decides to say something about it: too little, too late.

Now former Bolingbrook, Ill cop Drew Peterson has decided to take time out from his media posturing to offer a reward for his missing wife, Stacy. You remember Stacy, mother of their two children, step-mother to two of Peterson's older children by his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Apparently Peterson has decided, in between dating and TV appearances, that he remembers his young fourth wife, too--although he says she ran off with another man.

Six months or so after Stacy's family, friends, volunteers, and just plain strangers have been constantly searching for her, Peterson is offering $25,000 for information about Stacy's disappearance: too little, too late.We're not sure where the money is coming from, as not too long ago, Peterson and his sidekick attorney Joel Brodsky were begging for monies for Drew on a website that quickly vanished.





Like the website, Stacy suddenly vanished, too. Just before she went missing, she told friends she wanted a divorce. She also told her pastor that Peterson had killed Savio, his third wife. Savio was found bruised and dead of what was first ruled an accidental drowning in a dry bathtub. Peterson controlled that crime scene.

Later, however, after Stacy's disappearance, Savio's body was exhumed for a second autopsy. That procedure, plus an outside autopsy by renowned pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, moved Savio's death into the "probable homicide" category. Savio, like Stacy, repeatedly told people that Peterson would kill her and get away with it.

Why was she so sure of that? He threatened her with that, many times, Savio told everyone who would listen. And then there was his stalking of Savio, control, and repeated physical abuse. Stacy, too, was monitored and tracked, and she was afraid she would be killed before she could get out.

Peterson's second wife, Viki Connolly, said the same thing, as did a former fiancee. Connolly says she's still afraid of Peterson.





Savio's family now, at last, has control of the seven-figure estate Peterson and the two minor Savio children inherited--which had been managed by Peterson, a boy who loves his toys (motorcycles, cars, guns,light aircraft). Lately, Peterson's been losing a lot: the Savio decision, the yanking of his weapons permit, and the court's refusal to give his guns back.

Apparently, Peterson and Brodsky have decided it's time for a little positive PR--or so the family and friends of both Savio and Stacy believe. We believe that too.

Peterson's recent media appearances have been more than a little bit frayed around the edges. His portrayal of the jovial college jock who is guffawing at a private joke about his self-professed "bad luck" with women is now several degrees beyond hackneyed.




Peterson, who we've written about ad nauseum (for some reason, the word "nausea" just comes up with the word "Peterson"), is most likely chumming for not only current PR, but to hook some sympathy with any potential jurors. Peterson, who says he expects to be arrested, alternates between fishing for sympathy and laughing it all off.

At this point, $25,000 isn't nearly enough to start cleaning up the ol' Drew dumpster enough to put even a dim shine on his public patina. However, it is enough to start speculation: did the offer hit the table as a ploy just before Peterson is arrested?

Stay tuned. Investigators still want answers about two timelines of extreme interests: Peterson's whereabouts before Savio died and before Stacy went missing.

Obama vs. Wright: The Delicious Irony of Racism Charges

As Barack Obama distances himself from his former mentor, guide, friend and pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the irony of the "racism" charges launched at those who didn't like Wright's "God Damn America" takes center stage. Those who had criticized Wright's fiery comments and attack on a country he claims created HIV to kill blacks were routinely called "racists" by Obama cultists.

Are these remarks racist? These are responses to Wright's speeches and sermons:

--"...ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS, when he suggests that Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st centuries, when he equates the United States wartime efforts with terrorism, then there are no excuses.

They offend me. The rightly offend all Americans."

--"the insensitivity and the outrageousness of his statements..."

--"I felt as if there was a complete disregard for what the American people are going through and the need for them to rally together to solve these problems."

--"when you start focusing so much on the plight of the historically oppressed that you lose sight of what we have in common, that it overrides everything else, that we’re not concerned about the struggles of others, because we’re looking at things only through a particular lens"

--"I didn’t see it as an attack on the black church"

--"His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church."

Are those comments racist. Or not?

The speaker is, of course, Barack Obama. He is saying what many others have been saying about Wright's views.

But when non-blacks expressed those views, they were savaged by leftists and Obama supporters, who declared them "racist." That kneejerk reaction clearly shows that leftists aren't looking at the message: they only are looking at the messenger and whether or not that messenger fits their "posterchild" needs.

If the messenger is black, he or she and what they do or say automatically is right, nay, even brilliant. If the messenger is not black, they're bound to be racist or stupid rednecks from Pennsylvania or otherwise who cling to their guns and religion because they don't know any better.(A nod to Obama's wine-and-cheese comments in California.)

How can leftists now defend their race-based assault on those who didn't like what Wright was saying? Logically,they can't. Of course, that doesn't mean they won't.

And what of Obama himself? His wishy-washy, run-and-hide from this issue, has cost him a great deal. On the one hand, he didn't distance himself from Wright soon enough. His pleas of ignorance about Wright's views simply were absurd. Not only that, compare Obama's comments, above, to his friend the Rev. Al Sharpton's rhetoric and actions.



But now, suddenly, Obama criticizes Wright and steps back. But does he step up? No. Obama, long ago, could have handled this issue with wisdom, honesty, compassion, grace, and political saavy.

If he thinks America needs continued work on racism,he could have used Wright's "God Damn America" and other comments as his springboard. Here's how it could have gone, way back in this sorry, sordid tale.

"I am very saddened by my former pastor's attacks on my country. I agree that as a people, we need to continue our work on improving race and cultural relations. We have done a great deal in less than three generations. There is work still ahead, but I have faith that we will continue on this path together.

Attacks like the Rev. Wright have launched must cease if we are to work together. The people of the United States did not cause 9-11, and to say "God damn America" is an insult to the country, its people, and, given the substitution of hate for love, an insult to Christian spiritual beliefs."

Rev. Wright is correct in saying that we still have work to do. But he is very wrong in his attack on our country, and his use of religon to foster hate and anger.

For this reason, Michelle and I have, with great sadness, removed our membership from Rev. Wright's church."

Did Obama say --or do-- any of the above? No, he did not. Why not?

Obama didn't tackle this issue head-on for many reasons. The first is that he wanted the image and support base of his membership in a very large, very well-known black church.

The second is his reliance, as stated in his books, on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama did not choose Wright to baptize his children or conduct his marriage ceremony lightly. Nor did he, or could he, support the Trinity church for twenty years without supporting Wright.

The third is the dangerous one: does Obama secretly agree with Wright's views and presentation? Obama now says he doesn't. How much credence should we give Obama's sudden "wake-up" call and criticism of Wright?

Very little. Fact: Obama did not criticize nor distance himself from Wright until Wright did two things. The first was to keep grabbing the media spotlight for himself,while keeping a very sore issue for Obama in the public's eye.

The Obama campaign wishes that Wright's commentary could be swept under the carpet. Wright, however, has been using the controversy as his magic carpet ride to fame.

Obama speaks: "The fact that Reverend Wright would think that somehow it was appropriate to command the stage for three or four consecutive days in the midst of this major debate is something that not only makes me angry, but also saddens me." And there you have it--Wright is interfering with Obama and his campaign.

The second Wright action that led to Obama's sudden splitting from his former pastor: Wright's criticism of Obama. Until Wright attacked Obama, Obama was willing to play along in order to prove he's "black enough."

"And what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing," Obama told the media. How dare Wright say that Obama indulges in political posturing! (wink!)

When Wright attacked America, Obama said nothing except that he wasn't aware of Wright's views. When Wright attacks Obama, Obama ditches Wright.

That sounds like political posturing to me, along with a Hefty bag full of hypocrisy and deceit. Notice the language, too.

Obama to a questioner: "...I'll be honest with you." There are two important things to know about this phrase.

The first is that this phrase tacitly says "I'll be honest with you now because I haven't been before." People use this phrase only two ways: without understanding what they are telegraphing, or with understanding of what they are telegraphing. In the latter instances, the speakers usally think they can get away with it through charm and/or rhetoric. (Think: shopping for a car. "I'll be honest with you--my manager won't like that but I'm on your side and I'll go put it to him.")

The second important thing about the phrase "I'll be honest with you" is this: it immediately signals a prevarication of some type. If you say "I'm going to the grocery store now," do you say "I'll be honest with you, I'm going to the grocery store now."

If you say "I think the price on the grapes is outrageous, you don't say "I'll be honest with you, I think the price on the grapes is outrageous." You just plain say what you have to say.

"I'll be honest with you" signals discomfort, dancing around, some level of deception. As in: Obama's shifting stands on his former pastor and the message of his church.

As this issue continues, the layers of Obama are being peeled back. What we are seeing here is not change, but just another politician, trying to be everything to everybody.

Question: if Obama does this poorly dealing with a man who he has loved, and turned to for spiritual counseling, how well will he deal with real enemies and the stress of international politics? As Dr. Phil McGraw says, the best predictor of someone's future actions are their past actions.








One more note: Rev. Wright, stop hiding behind the church. Your accusations that "attacks" on you are not attacks on you but the "black religious tradition" are hypocritical. We are outright criticizing you. But we are not criticizing black churches. Stand up like a man and claim what is your problem. Don't spread it to all black churches and congregants.

Too Little, Too Late: Obama 'Disses Wright After 20 Years of Following "God Damn America" Pastor

Sen. Barack Obama, fighting for his political life and creditability, finally decided to 'dis Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Well, sort of.

The problem is that Obama sat in this man's church for twenty years, called him his mentor, teacher, guide. Now Obama is supposedly outraged by Wright.

We've heard of it taking awhile to catch on, but no one is going to believe that Obama now suddenly is "outraged" twenty years in. What he's really outraged about: Wright keeps grabbing the media spotlight.

Not only that, he's keeping a very sore issue alive, one that has led to intense scrutiny of Obama's real views about his country. Given that wife Michelle has only recently found reasons to be proud of America (i.e. her husband's rise to power), the Obamas, rich leftist elitists, may find that America isn't too thrilled with them, either.

Bush Finds His Funny Inner Child: Bon Mots Jab Obama, Clinton, McCain at Press Event

Good ones, Mr. President!

Our First SPANK THE MEDIA Honoree: WMAQ NBC 5

We're so excited! We have a winner in the Peanut crew's new "Spank the Media" competition to find the stupidest, most overblown, most time-wasting, or downright unfactual bit of media out there. (Really, though, we have to limit it to the most blatant examples; we don't have room or time enough to list the daily Hefty bags of eligible competitors.)

Admittedly, the Barack Obama-Rev. Jeremiah Wright linkage is a hot, hot, hot topic. The fires are repeatedly stoked by Wright's particular-and often downright weird--skill in hopping back out in front of the media sideshow tent. Still and all, a newscast trumpeting an "exclusive, one on one" interview with Obama about his reaction to Wright's latest pronouncements outdid even Little Egypt in teasing the midway but delivering little.

WMAQ NBC-5 repeatedly referenced their "exclusive one on one" interview with Obama, "the first" since the sneak peek release of Wright's interview with Bill Moyers. Was it an "exclusive one on one" interview?

Only if you're so hard up for dubious glory to claim that an awkward, poorly-photographed, poorly-structured, and even-more-poorly questioned standard "shove mike in face" is an "exclusive one on one interview." An example of a true exclusive, personal interview is the upcoming Moyers piece.

But a tease in a short, less than three-minute clip isn't the same thing. Nor is a second clip, which has only a short reference to the Wright controversy, an exclusive interview as in Moyer's piece.

We'll save you the time of learning just what it is that Obama had to say about Wright's piece in that oh-so-exclusive interview (which is hinted at, in the first clip, as focusing on the Wright issue). Here's the exclusive news: Obama hasn't seen Wright's interview yet, so he isn't able to comment.

Wow! We hope you were sitting down for that huge bit of exclusive, breaking news.

The second clip offers a few surface gloss-overs of other topics, served up by a softball reporter with basic "I'm so impressed you're talking to me" questions.

The piece is only otherwise remarkable in the shots over the reporter's stooped back, the nifty sustained shot of her cellphone (looks like a Palm Treo), and, occasionally, a bit of the reporter's face bobbing up and down, darting, at the side.

It wasn't an exclusive one-on-one interview, it wasn't even a quick mike-in-face chat of substance, it was poorly presented, and it had nothing more to offer than basic Obama public relations pablum. Bend over, NBC 5 WMAQ, it's your turn in the SPANK THE MEDIA spotlight.



And what about a thoughtful look at the Obama-Wright issue? Analyst & campaign expert Ned Barnett weighed in on that.




At Wright's church, Easter celebrations included a from-the-pulpit admonition to not give interviews. There's a lot of blame going around for the "God damn America" mess, and both the Obama and Wright camps are busy trying to make sure the blame doesn't stick to either of the two men.

Sneak Peek Video: Rev. Wright Tries to Cover for Barack Obama with Bill Moyers Friday Night

Here's a brief refresher on one small part of Wright's theology, which Sen. Barack Obama has followed and endorse for two decades.

"“Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer and we had better kill him.

The task of black theology is to kill gods who do not belong to the black community. Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy.
What we need is the divine love as expressed in black power which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means
at their disposal."

That theology is from Wright favorite James Cones. He's one of the most vocal voices leading the black liberation theology movement.




" Dr. Robert Morey points out that for Black Liberation Theology, "their focus is always on skin and not sin; race and not grace; gossip and not gospel. Racism is always focused on the outward instead of the inward because it cannot deal with the root problem of sin." The Ankerberg Theological Institute further explains the roots of the belief system.

Does Wright have Obama's best interests at heart? Consider that carefully. This attention hound and media exploiter has chosen to again raise issues that Obama's slick campaign staff have been trying to back and fill,and bury.

Which is more important to Wright--his ego, supporting Obama, or getting new venues to get his attacks on America attention? Hint: the answers are two of the previous three, and not in the order presented.



An exclusive CBS affiliate story makes more of this story clear.

Hillary Clinton Under Fire for Not Being Under Fire While Obama Sat in Racist Church Damning America

The Barack Obama camp, of course, wasted no time in going negative with what Hillary Clinton calls "a minor blip." Frankly, the fatigue and jet lag of not only globe-trotting but thousands of trips is more believable as a cause of mistakes than is sitting in a hate-spewing , racist minister's church for 20 years and calling it "not agreeing." Obama still will not be able to dig his way out of the Jeremiah Wright mess.



In comparison, here's where Barack Obama spent a couple of decades, learning from the man he calls his mentor and spiritual advisor.

McCain Visits Iraq; Where's Obama & "God Damn America"? Hillary Issues Iraq Plan

Republican presidential contender John McCain is visiting the troops in Iraq. Meanwhile, Barack Obama is busy trying to dig himself out of a hole for his decades of support for his anti-American, anti-white pastor Jeremiah Wright.




Hillary Clinton comes out swinging as she presents her plan for handling Iraq. She says it won't be easy.




At least she's focusing on real issues facing our country, and complimenting our troops. Obama, meanwhile, continues on the "me, me, me" narcissism trail, but this time, not even adoring media can cover his gigantic problems with being revealed as "the great divider."

Michelle Obama has told us that with her husband's ascension to the spotlight she is finally proud of her country. After attending a prime magnet school, Princeton, and Harvard, and having a six-figure job, she's also been busy telling middle and lower-class Americans that they shouldn't try to get jobs in corporate America.

Her salary in corporate America was doubled when her husband gained power in Chicago and Illinois politics. But Michelle Obama, whose thesis talked about how she was disenfranchised at Ivy League schools and in society, wants others, who probably will never have a shot at Princeton or Harvard, to avoid seeking business success.



The Obamas had their children baptized and taught by Wright, and faithfully attended church at Trinity United Church of Christ, whose articles of faith include allegiance first to Africa. Wright's attacks include allegations that the US created HIV/Aids and introduced it to Africa to get rid of blacks.



Obama now is desperately trying to prove that he wasn't in church on just one day of many when Wright declared "God Damn America." Still to come: fallout when people really get into Obama's book, especially the part where he declares that when the going gets tough, he will stand with Muslims.

Yea, yea, Obama finally, under extreme pressure, condemned Wright's comments. Acting as though his "spiritual mentor's" views were a news flash to him, Obama tried to distance himself from 20 years of support.

Or was it? There are two Obama stories about church now. When questions were asked about his attendance at a Muslim school, and possible Muslim ties, Obama and his campaign went full speed ahead with his Christian dedication to Wright's church.



Supposedly, Obama was a faithful supporter and attended regularly. Now, however, Obama seems to be busy noting how often he missed church, and how much he didn't know about Wright's beliefs and published statements.

McCain goes to Iraq, Hillary addresses Iraq issues, and Obama is doing the shuffle about his real church attendance, and his support for "God Damn American."


You choose: God Damn America, or God Bless America? Barack Obama is making the division between the two philosophies very clear--for those who want to hear and get past the Obamas' hypocrisy.