ABC's Robin Roberts Ignores Radicalism of 'Maverick Priest' Pfleger

Photo of Scott Whitlock.

"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts treated Father Michael Pfleger to a fawning interview on Thursday in which she mostly ignored his radical comments and lauded the "maverick priest," describing him as "not someone to be silenced."

Although, a previous segment featured a single clip of Pfleger's sermon at the former church of Barack Obama where he viciously attacked Senator Hillary Clinton, Roberts ignored other, more inflammatory remarks by the priest, such as his assertion, made during the same sermon as the Clinton attack, that "America has been raping people of color and America has to pay the price for the rape!" Of course, Roberts didn't mention this quote. Instead, she spun Pfleger as someone who is "passionate about the Word" and cheered the anti-crime and poverty work he's done.

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At one point, Roberts affectionately stated that "despite being knocked down," the Chicago priest will continue to wrestle with real problems. Seeming to admire his defiance, the journalist also extolled, "But you also said [in a recent sermon] that you are -- you're not someone to be silenced." Roberts's tough questions, such as they were, included politely asking if Pfleger had gone "too far" and speculating how he would feel if Obama lost the White House as a result of his comments. (But that's more of a liberal critque disguised a hardball query.) More representative was when the host served up this easy question: "In 2008, are you surprised that race is still such a hot button issue?"

Roberts also attempted to portray Father Pfleger simply as a crusader of the poor: "Pfleger has since spent the last 30 years cleaning up his impoverished south side Chicago parish, fighting the presence of poverty, drugs, gangs and gun violence." However, contrast that attitude of a caring, forgiving minister with his now infamous May 25, 2008 sermon at Trinity United, Barack Obama's former church:

PFLEGER: In America, you have to understand that to say to people of color, 'Well, you gotta get over it' ... or 'It's time to move on,' it's like saying to a woman who has been repeatedly raped over and over and over and over and over, 'You need to get over it.'

The HELL I do! Get the sucker who's been rapin' me and make him pay!

America has been raping people of color and America has to pay the price for the rape!

How dare you say, 'Get over it'!

[Emphasis added.] And while Roberts briefly explained how Pfleger has attempted to fight "gun violence," she somehow ignored his 2007 threat to "snuff" out Chicago gun shop owner John Riggio. CNSNews.com recounted it this way:

"I want the NRA [National Rifle Association] to understand - you have a lot of money, but money can't buy moral authority and it can't buy justice or freedom, and we will fight you, NRA," he says.

...

Pfleger then turns his attention to Riggio. "He's the owner of Chuck's. John Riggio. R-i-g-g-i-o. We're going to find you and snuff you out … you know you're going to hide like a rat. You're going to hide but like a rat we're going to catch you and pull you out. We are not going to allow you to continue to hide when we're here …"

Again, according to Roberts, this is someone who is simply "passionate about the Word."

A transcript of the June 26 segment, which aired at 7:07am, follows:

ROBIN ROBERTS: Well, after the program yesterday, I had a chance to sit down with Father Pfleger for an exclusive interview about his controversial sermon mocking Senator Clinton, which played a part in Barack Obama's decision to leave his longtime church. At any point, when you were making those comments at Trinity Church, did you feel that you were going too far? At any point did you feel that way?

FATHER MICHAEL PFLEGER: Well, let me say this, I think, first of all, you know, I was at a church family that I've spoken to many times, that I know well, and I think when you're around family, you're looser and do you get carried away, do you get more dramatic, do you get caught up in the crowd when you're around your friends and your family? Absolutely. And I acknowledge that. I was giving a talk about race, and is entitlement one of the things about race that I believe in? Is an unequal playing field one of the things I believe in? Yes. So, I don't apologize for being passionate. I don't apologize for being free. I apologize when my passion or my freeness and my flawness (sic) of character get in the way of the content, which is much more important to me, that people hear the message and when I am in the way of the message, then I'm not only apologetic but I'm also apt to, apt to change.

ROBERTS: Do you understand why some people were offended by what you said, especially when you were talking about entitlement, how that really just stung a lot of people when you said that?

PFLEGER: I understand it. Like I say, I apologize for my mannerism of what I said. I don't apologize for speaking about-- I think entitlement is a reality in this society.

ROBERTS: Racial tensions are not new to the maverick priest who was first inspired to activism after seeing Martin Luther King speak. Pfleger has since spent the last 30 years cleaning up his impoverished south side Chicago parish, fighting the presence of poverty, drugs, gangs and gun violence. As you said over your time in the church that you've -- when you talk about race, that's when you get the most reaction and after the comments that you made, we understand that you received death threats.

PFLEGER: Yes, I received death threats. I received people saying, I wish you were dead. Kill yourself or I'll kill you. I wish you were dead. I wish you'd be in a car accident. I wish one of the folks in your dangerous neighborhood would shoot you. It's the reality of the sensitivity of this country, the name-calling, the number of e-mails and letters using the "N" word, calling me a wigger and telling me why don't I go to Africa and just the racial language and the meanness tells me how sensitive an issue race is in this country.

ROBERTS: In 2008, are you surprised that race is still such a hot button issue?

PFLEGER: I'm not surprised. I have to say I'm saddened, though. That, you know, I look sometimes at that great speech that Dr. King gave, the "I have a dream" speech and his prayer of his children not being judged on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character.

MARTIN LUTHER KING: --By the content of their character. I have a dream.

PFLEGER: And yet all the studies tell us that still the number one factor of judgment in this country is still color, more than any other factor. That we still have an unequal justice system, that we still have more people of color in poverty, in jail, in poor education systems, lack of health care, all those statistics still tell us that we have not come as far as we'd like to come.

ROBERTS: I know that you've made a promise to the cardinal that you will not talk about the candidates. You will not use their names. But you also said on Sunday that you are -- you're not someone to be silenced

PFLEGER: Absolutely. I think that -- I think that the church's mission, you know, the church has to be the one to be the voice of conscience to the world and can't be afraid to be that so it has to speak to politics and policies and politicians and raise those questions or we're not faithful to what our mission is. Ours is not to ever be controlled by politics, but to speak to politics and address politics, and not be afraid of that.

ROBERTS: And what if Obama loses the White House due in part to religious controversies involving Reverend Jeremiah Wright or Father Pfleger? He makes no apologies.

PFLEGER: I think that would be a cheap shot to blame Reverend Wright or myself. I think it's easy to put a blame somewhere than to acknowledge what is the real reason. But I also think to be careful we don't look for easy outs to blame for real problems we're not willing to wrestle with and deal with and face.

ROBERTS: Something Father Pfleger is clearly not afraid to do despite being knocked down.

PFLEGER: [File footage] But you see me. I can get back up again. I can stand again. [File footage ends] We will trip in life and we will stumble in life and we'll make bad decisions and wrong choices in life but we have to make to that moment like Elijah under the broom tree when he's there saying let me die. Take my life. And the voice of God comes to him and says, get up.

ROBERTS: You can see that last bit of video, recent video and that's his style. He's very -- he doesn't apologize for being passionate about the Word. He-- I asked him again and again about but you're a priest and seen mocking and many people say that's not Christian-like. And, again, saying he does not apologize for his message but he does have regrets in the manner in which he delivered that message.

CHRIS CUOMO: It's a good interview.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.


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...so then who are the

...so then who are the "somone's" that ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SILENCED?!?!?!?

→ Good catch Truthie

But we certainly don't want Pflegler silenced.

Now if only we could get that wallflower Jeremiah Wright out of his shell.  Of course he's too busy enjoying life in a predominantly white gated community.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Closet News

There was a piece on one of the FOX news programs last night on which a priest and another religious figure were invited to discuss Obama's impromptu religious quotes. Because of their backgrounds neither would say more than Obama was wrong and they were disappointed in him.

Meanwhile Wright has been thrown off the boat and Obama continues to accuse the RNC of attacking his religious convictions. Obama refuses to answer past affiliations with 'the Wright church', responding only with the 'personal attack' playbook.

How is Pflegler different?

JDW

Remember the Countrywide Six?

Who forgot to write about the advances in Iraq?

If bin Laden is presumed innocent, why not just shoot him there?

That would be Rush. This

That would be Rush. This guy is many times more fanatical than Rush and the press call him a maverick while Rush is called a fanatic. I wonder what this priest would be called if he was conservative?

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

I HAVE A DREAM:)

Roberts called Rush a

"maverick talk show host,"

despite being knocked down," Limbaugh will continue to wrestle with real problems. Seeming to admire his defiance, the journalist also extolled, "But you also said [on a recent program] that you are -- you're not someone to be silenced."

→ Wisdom of Robin Roberts

I agree.  Pflegler needs to keep speaking "his truth" to power.

Stick it to the white man, padre.

Preach it in full robed splendor.

More of that major sucking up to Obama.  You're a real credit to our earthly master.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

simply "passionate about the Word."

I'm not sure what Word the good priest is passionate about. I missed the portion where race hustlers use the pulpit taking the name of the lord in vain to bear false witness and covet thy neighbors goods.

 

First, kill all the lawyers.

-Wlm Shakespear

The Word is taken from the

The Word is taken from the sacred texts of Das Kapital.

If you want to read more

If you want to read more rantings from Father Pfleger and others then go here: http://atrueobamanat...

Yes, it's satire. Yes, it's hilarious.

Anyone else notice anything glaringly missing from Pflger?

He doesn't mention or quote any scripture or any Catholic Church teachings or canon law.

What a phony. He should be permanently removed.

I agree he should be

I agree he should be permanently removed. Where's the Bishop of his diocese? Why hasn't he silenced him?

Great article Michael!

It's very comprehensive.

allow me to love

allow me to love America

amen to violating cannon law. he is a black nationalist with a collar!

Obama has never experienced the "black experience", he only pandered to these treasonous activities, for self promotion.

jimmy and tammy fay have a team mate!!

I feel so sorry for you

I feel so sorry for you guys there...I spend a few minutes a pop checking this website and my blood often boils.

How in the heck do you keep normal blood pressure having to watch all these shows all the time?

Father Pfleger

He's the newest media darling, this guy was singing to the choir.  He is still trying to rationalize his bad behavior. 

Why is it that the liberals unfailingly cite the statistics about black incarceration rates and refuse to acknowledge the simple fact that they committ more of the crimes?

This is healing?

soosan

You need to get out more often...at least leave your block once in awhile.

Real Reason

"I think that would be a cheap shot to blame Reverend Wright or myself. I think it's easy to put a blame somewhere than to acknowledge what is the real reason."

Of course the Real Reason is white racists, not race baiters.

Father Pfleger, and Rev Wright

Father Pfleger and Rev Wright are some very scary people.  But nothing frightens me more then Rachel Rays scarf.  We've got Obama, Fr Pfleger, Rev Wright, Rachel Rays (AlQieda) scarf - I don't know how much more of this I can take!  8-O

Rehab

I don't care how they care to re-package him or how many times they pair him up with file footage of Martin Luther-King, the "Father Eminem" Hillary skit is not going away and you can't put toothpaste back in the tube. 

"maverick priest,"

"maverick priest," describing him as "not someone to be silenced."

Of course, had she lived back then Roberts would have described Stalin as "tough, no-nonsense, and warm"...

Father Pflemger

Father Pflemger would like us to live in the past. If Barry is elected we may see the Father at the swear-in.

Where is the MSM/Liberal outcry for a FEC/IRS Investigation?

Anytime a priest or pastor proclaims his support or asks his flock to support a Conservative politician or political policy, the MSM (at their DNC handlers' demand) raises Cain and asks why the FEC and IRS isn't investigating and challenging the Church's non-profit status?  Where is that outcry now? 

He had a dream

And it was to be a nation-wide figure. Pfleger has been a shameless self-promoter in the Chicago area for years. He must be as happy as a pig in... mud.

Booker T. Washington

Michael Savage quoted this great man and I find it describes Rev. Pfleger and others like him that continually use past injustices for their own benefit.

Booker T. Washington was an African-American political leader, educator and author.

There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do do not want to lose their jobs.

I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public.  

Booker T. Washington

Good post, aag

I would have said "excellent" if you could have provided a link to the quote.

Guess there really IS nothing new under the sun.

link to the quote

Thanks, I J

 

I'll make sure I always include the source from now on.

http://www.historycooperative.org/btw/Vol.1/html/430.html

Thanks, aag. Links aren't

Thanks, aag. Links aren't always necessary, but I wanted to keep that quote, and a link is insurance against naysayers.

<edit: btw, something about that link didn't work right. I couldn't just click on it, it inserted extra characters in front of the url. I know you're a "newbie," so I hope you won't mind a pointer. You can link to any word in your post. Just right-click "copy" the address from your browser, then highlight the word for the link. Click on the little chain icon at the bottom of the "compose" page (far right), and paste the address into where it says "link URL." Click "insert," and you're all set. Works every time.  ;^)  >

Cardinal George could

Cardinal George could silence Pfleger in an instant, under existing Canon Law. He could remove him from that pulpit immediately. He could transfer him. He could begin an indepth review of this nutcase's behavior. He could send him into counseling. He could order him to stop preaching racism and start behaving like a man of God.

He doesn't take any of these actions, despite Pfleger's WELL KNOWN behavior for 20 years in that diocese.

That tells me that the Cardinal approves of what Pfleger is saying, approves of his radical racism, approves of the hatred Pfleger proudly, arrogantly, loudly "preaches".

What other possible conclusion can one draw?

SCREENCAP

Is that Kobe Bryant?

which one???

which one???

...Cracking up laughing

...Cracking up laughing here!

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson

so not only is he arrogant

so not only is he arrogant and unapologetic, he's also lied to his parishoners:

http://a.saintsabina...