Foot in Mouth Disease from the Pulpit: Father Michael Pfleger Another Obama Problem?

How Much Longer Can Obama Feign Surprise at His Longtime Acquaintances' Racist Speechifying?

Faith Community of Saint Sabina's Roman Catholic pastor Michael Pfleger, a Chicago social activist with strong ties to the original civil rights movement, was taken behind the verbal woodshed by Barack Obama on Thursday after Pfleger said Hillary Clinton felt entitled to the nomination because she is white and that "there's a black man stealing my show" (as reported by the Chicago Tribune). It appears the good father forgot all about II Corinthians 13:10. Obama said he was "deeply disappointed."

With the uproar over the reports about racist remarks by the presumptive presidential nominee's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright and culminating in the latter's ill-fated appearance before the National Press Club last month just barely dying down, Pfleger's relationship with Obama has come under public scrutiny.

The Catholic News Agency recently reported on the bond between Rev. Michael Pfleger and Jeremiah Wright, noting that the former invited the latter to offer up a blessing at St. Sabina's. Comparing Barack Obama favorably to Robert F. Kennedy and asserting that those who have felt disenfranchised by a political machine seemingly uncaring are now refreshed by an apparent renewal of hope and possibilities, Pfleger has been busy on Obama's behalf.

We all know that Barack Obama identifies with his African American rather than European American heritage and as such it makes sense for him to attend what is termed a "black church." Although the racist utterings of his minister are troublesome, what has been more irking is Obama's failure to stand up and acknowledge that he explored that part of the civil rights movement and to a certain extent buys into it.

Yet when going into detail about Pfleger's relationship with Obama and whether this could become another issue like Rev. Jeremiah Wright, before long money enters the picture - a development that might be troublesome. The Chicago Tribune talks about campaign contributions from Rev. Michael Pfleger to coffers designed to help Barack Obama rise to the state legislature in a six year time period spanning 1995 to 2001.