Aide: Obama's Decision to Leave Church 'Not Political'

Who says there's no humor in politics? Obama communications director Robert Gibbs went on ABC's This Week today, and in one of the better deadpan bits since Buster Keaton actually said that Barack Obama's decision to quit the Trinity United Church of Christ was "not political."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: In Philadelphia, just in April, Senator Obama said of Reverend Wright "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community." Now he's cut all ties to Reverend Wright, and left his church. What is it a mistake to wait this long?

ROBERT GIBBS: No, George. I think obviously what Barack Obama made in the past few days is a deeply personal, not a political decision. And as you heard the reasoning, he made that decision for two reasons. One, even guest speakers that were at Trinity, their views were ascribed to him even though he didn't hold those views, and secondly, the members of Trinity couldn't do what members of a church do, and that is, sit in quiet reflection and worship God.

View video here.

It wasn't political . . . but the first reason Gibbs cites is the intriniscally political one of not wanting to be tarred with the views of loons like Father Pfleger? And Obama quit so the members of Trinity could engage in "quiet reflection"? As in jumping to their feet, laughing and applauding as Pfegler mocks Hillary Clinton's tears or Rev. Wright speaks of Bill "riding dirty"? Gibbs would even have us believe Obama is doing Trinity a favor by dumping it. I seem to remember a girl from freshman year telling me the same thing.

You're killing us here, Bob.

In a week of McClellan's mea culpa for allegedly misleading the public, how would an Obama presidency represent "change" when his communications director is this brazen?

Allahpundit at Hotair: "It’s undoubtedly true — just like his decision to start wearing the flag pin again was personal, just like his decision to take a trip to Iraq and meet with Petraeus was personal, just like his climbdown from unconditional meetings with Iran was personal. The fact that all three coincide with the start of the general election campaign is but a happy whim of chance, much like him suddenly deciding that we needed a national conversation on race at the very moment his relationship with Wright was coming under a microscope."