Obama's speech was brilliant and his unwillingness to disown Reverand Wright was courageous. The media response that I have seen has been incredibly depressing proving once again how this country needs the dialogue that Obama noted. A few months ago Reverand John Hagee endorsed McCain. Hagee has, among other things, stated that Hitler and the Catholic Church conspired to exterminate the Jews, Katrina was God's wrath visited on New Orleans, the Quran teaches Muslims to kill Christians and Jews. Hagee also joked that the diffference between a woman with PMS and a terrorist is that you can negotiate with a terrorist. His Courtyard Church held a fundraiser and advertised it as a returrn of slavery to America, telling his parishioners to "plan to come and take home a slave". This guy spouts hatred and ignorance. You can disagree with Reverand Wright, I don't, but you have to recognize the historical and contemporary basis for his views. Yet, McCain gladly accepted Hagee's endorsement and there was hardly a murmer. Wright's comments and Obama's unwilliingness to disown him despite stating his disagreement with Wright, cause a firestorm in the media. Hagee's racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Catholicism are acceptable. Wright's truths/comments are vilified. Boy, do we need a discussion about race and about the acceptablility of hatred and ignorance in our society.