Nothing was as surreal about last night's press conference on healthcare as was the mention of the incident at Harvard regarding African American Studies Department Head Professor Gates and the "white cop." 

Barack Obama sought out the message of Jeremiah Wright, joined and remained in and supported TUCC because of that message, and in fact named his book after a sermon of that message. He even used that message so that black voters in Chicago would not focus on the half of Obama that is white, and on his privileged Hawaiian education.  To paraphrase the good pastor, he "was riding dirty" on that message.

In other words, he embraced Wright and TUCC's agenda to get his black street cred and to escape his "white half." 

Jeremiah Wright is not simply a pastor who was assigned to Trinity United Church of Christ by a synod or diocese as the latest in a long line of such assignments. Jeremiah Wright is the TUCC.  These churches exist for the sole purpose of spreading the pastor's specific ministry. If there is a market for such a ministry (and in Chicago there has been one), then the church will grow. Being an active member and significant benefactor of such a church for 20 years is by natural extension an endorsement of the pastor's message.