Focus on real issues, not the Rev. Wright
As the Democratic presidential campaign nears its climactic finale, it's time to focus on the critical issues and sweep away the distractions.
The first distraction to go should be the controversy over comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
His most recent comments — racially charged, ill-informed and vitriolic — were an exercise in self-promotion that did little to advance a real discussion of race or an understanding of black churches in America.
That was left to his former parishioner, Barack Obama, who did so last month in a thoughtful speech in Philadelphia. Then, Obama was conciliatory; now, he has rightly denounced Wright and severed their relationship.
No doubt he wants voters to recognize that his public positions and record have little in common with Wright's extreme views.
Besides, there are more important issues to consider:
The candidates are also dueling on the mortgage crisis, energy policies, free-trade agreements, and yes, the racial divide in America. All of which are more relevant than the pointless Wright/Obama furor. It's time to move on.
