Lanny Davis -Wall Street Journal - April 8, '08

While I have the highest regard for Lanny Davis, I think he has been badly deceived by the 30-second video excerpt of Reverend Wright's remarks, a video which has also fooled so many other Americans. Trinity Church has now posted, on You Tube, Minister Wright's full ten-minute sermon, from which these 30 seconds were excerpted. Anyone who sees the full ten minute sermon cannot believe for a moment that Reverend Wright is anti-white, anti-American, or anti-anything except ignorance and injustice. Yes, in his sermon, Reverend Wright loudly vents many negative attitudes felt by some blacks about America, but, having voiced these grievances loud and clear -- as his sermon progresses, Reverend Wright guides this black anger into positive and constructive channels. Reverend Wright has built a great church over the past 36 years which has contributed mightily to the Chicago community, and he did not do it by spewing hate speech. He did it by re-directing black anger and frustration into superb accomplishments. It is extremely unfair to judge Reverend Wright on the basis of this totally misleading 30-second excerpt. Watch the entire 10 minute sermon on You Tube, and you will see the power and genius of Reverend Wright. He is not only pro-American -- he is a great American. Lanny, you are a great American, too, and an outstanding progressive. Don't be misled by this phony video sound-bite. Learn the full truth about Reverend Wright and you will see why Obama should absolutely not leave this church. On the contrary, I believe that the more people watch the full text of Reverend Wright's sermons which Trinity Church has now posted on You Tube, the more the membership of that church will soar.