Sen. Barack Obama lacked the "political courage" to leave his radical church
of 20-odd years, one of the presidential candidate's main
campaigners in the U.S. Jewish community suggested to concerned voters at an appearance in South Florida.
Answering questions at a synagogue in Boca Raton yesterday, six-term New
York Rep. Jerrold Nadler attempted to explain why Obama remained at
Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ for so long despite Rev. Jeremiah
Wright's obviously controversial stances.
Nadler has been vigorously campaigning for Obama in the Jewish community the
past few months.
"I have no personal knowledge of what I'm about to say. What I'm about to
say is my guess," began Nadler in videotaped comments posted last night on the Atlas Shrugs website run by blogger Pamela Geller.
"My guess, knowing how politics works, what I'm about to say is not
particularly … ah ... not particularly complimentary towards Sen. Obama," Nadler said.
The video can be seen here:
"Think of the history here. You have a guy who's half-white, half-black. He
goes to an Ivy League school, comes to Chicago ... to start a political
career. Doesn't know anybody.
"Gets involved with community organizing – why? Because that's how you form
a base. OK. Joins the largest church in the neighborhood. About 8,000
members. ... Why did he join the church? ... Because that's how you get to know people.
"Now maybe it takes a couple years," states Nadler, claiming eventually
Obama begins to view Wright differently. "'Jesus, the guy's a nut, the guy's a
lunatic.' But you don't walk out of a church with 8,000 members in your
district."
Then a woman comments, "You don't walk in though."
"He didn't know it when he walked in, presumably," said Nadler.
"He didn't have the political courage to make the statement of walking out,"
Nadler said of Obama.
He repeated the remarks a second time.
"Now, what does it tell me? It tells
me that he wasn't terribly politically courageous. Does it tell me that he
agreed with the reverend in any way? No. It tells me he didn't want to walk out of a church in his district."
Â
To interview Aaron Klein, contact M. Sliwa Public Relations by e-mail, or call 973-272-2861 or
212-202-4453.
Â
Â