Fair Play for False Prophets In March, Obama tried to explain the anger in the black community and insisted that "to condemn it without understanding its roots only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races."

In light of this racial gap, it's worth pondering why white, right-wing preachers who make ridiculous and sometimes shameful statements usually emerge with their influence intact.

The catalogue goes back to Bailey Smith, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Speaking at a 1980 religious convention that was also addressed by Ronald Reagan, Smith declared that "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Washington Post By E. J. Dionne Jr.

Wright's wrongs AFTER he became notorious as the man who urged God to damn America, Jeremiah Wright claims he wrestled with two impulses. The first was to heed the proverb: “It is better to be quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The second was to “come across the room” and fight back. Mr Wright's decision to come across the room with his mouth wide open is proving a disaster for all concerned. Economist

Iraq five years on
THOMAS JEFFERSON once said, speaking of slavery, that America was holding a wolf by the ears: it could neither continue to do so, nor afford to let go. Something similar might be said about America’s role in Iraq, five years after the American-led invasion began in March 2003. Economist