In campaign news, much of the national media’s focus over the past forty-eight hours has focused not on any of the three main candidates but Senator Barack Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. On Monday, Wright spoke before the National Press Club and was repeatedly questioned about his sermons on US foreign policy, Israel, Louis Farrakhan and race. Wright was also asked about what he meant when he said after the September 11 attacks that America’s chickens are coming home to roost for its own acts of terrorism.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright: “If you heard the whole sermon, first of all, you heard that I was quoting the ambassador from Iraq. That’s number one. But number two, to quote the Bible, 'Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever you sow, that you also shall reap.' Jesus said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic, divisive principles.”

Wright accused the media of taking his comments out of context.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright: “This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright. It has nothing to do with Senator Obama. This is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African American religious tradition.”

After Wright spoke, Obama held a new conference in North Carolina in an effort to further distance himself from his former pastor. Obama said, “He does not speak for me. He does not speak for the campaign.”