Obama: I Would Have Left Had Wright Stayed

From ABC’s The View (via YouTube) and the Associated Press:

Obama would have left if Wright stayed

WASHINGTON - White House hopeful Barack Obama suggests he would have left his Chicago church had his longtime pastor, whose fiery anti-American comments about U.S. foreign policy and race relations threatened Obama’s campaign, not stepped down.

"Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying at the church," Obama said Thursday during a taping of the ABC talk show, "The View." The interview will be broadcast Friday…

Obama said Wednesday he has spoken with Wright, who retired from Trinity United Church of Christ last month but remains as a senior pastor.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, broke her silence on the matter Tuesday, saying she would have parted company with a pastor who spoke about the country the way Wright has…

Er, Mr. Wright has only (abruptly) announced his intention to retire at the end of May 2008. He has not yet retired.

But never mind such petty details.

It’s fun to watch Mr. Obama’s fabled judgment at work.