Posted on 05/31/2008 6:01:05 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Rev. Michael Pfleger, who helped reignite Barack Obama's pastor problems by mocking Hillary Clinton, said this evening he's received "thousands of hate threats" since his videotaped pulpit rant.
"They want to kill me," Pfleger told parishioners during a service in a St. Sabina Church chapel on Chicago's South Side this evening. "It's been very ugly."
The firebrand Catholic Priest made his controversial Clinton comments last Sunday at Trinity United Church of Christ, home church of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor.
Pfleger mocked Clinton for crying on the campaign trail, and suggested it was "white entitlement" leading Clinton to believe the Democratic nomination should go to her -- not Obama.
His speech was videotaped, and quickly made the rounds on the Internet and on television, leading Obama to express his ÒdisappointmentÓ in the activist priest, whom he has known for years.
Pfleger's boss, Cardinal Francis George, on Friday also rebuked Pfleger for his "personal attack" on Clinton, and said he had received assurances from Pfleger that he would no longer campaign for or even mention the names of political candidates.
In his brief comments this evening, Pfleger did not name any candidates, and said he would address the controversy at a Sunday mass at St. Sabina.
"I'm not going to make a statement," Pfleger told the crowded chapel. "My real statement will be tomorrow."
But he did say it's been a difficult week filled with an unspecified surgery on Tuesday and a deluge of threats.
"It's a very difficult situation," he said. "I've received thousands of hate threats."
He did not offer any specifics from the pulpit, and declined through an aide to comment further. That included declining a specific request by the Sun-Times for a comment on Obama's decision to leave Trinity church.
That bombshell revelation came out Saturday. It followed weeks of Trinity-related headaches for the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Obama was a longtime member of the church. Wright married Obama and his wife, Michelle, and baptized their two daughters. But Obama had to publicly distance himself from Wright after videotaped sermons hit the Internet showing Wright criticizing the U.S. government — including exclaiming "God damn America!"
Pfleger has already apologized for his searing sermonizing, saying in a statement, "I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Sen. Clinton or anyone else who saw them."
In his address at Trinity last Sunday, Pfleger began by talking about the need to expose "white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head," according to a video clip on YouTube. Pfleger speaks of Clinton's tearing up just before the New Hampshire primary.
"I really don't believe it was put on," Pfleger said. "I really believe that she just always thought, "This is mine! I'm Bill's wife, I'm white, and this is mine! I just gotta get up and step into the plate." And then out of nowhere came, "Hey, I'm Barack Obama," and she said, "Oh, damn! Where did you come from? I'm white! I'm entitled! There's a black man stealing my show!'"
Mimicking Clinton mopping tears, Pfleger added, "She wasn't the only one crying, there was a whole lot of white people crying."
“But he did say it’s been a difficult week filled with an unspecified surgery on Tuesday”
They pulled his head out of his arse?
Foot in mouth disease.
LOL...that’s what I WANTED, too......Father Mike campaigning for Obama....and Rev Wright, too!
P!$$ people off, some are going to want blood. Meh...
Still here, p!$$ing people off.
/johnny
"Gee... It sure would be too bad if he was to have some kinda accident or sumtin'."
That is the treatment for crainialrectosis I believe.
Who the hell writes this stuff???
Cardinal George is his superior, his boss is in Rome, and I hope calls him in for a chat real soon.
He seems to have Cardinal George over a barrel.
I have heard from more than one FReeper thread that this guy, has threatened George if he was pulled from his parish.
I'll bet that left a mark.
You sure you're not making this up, Rev? You should save those threats and call the FBI. They'll track those people down and give them whatfor.
Yeah, live by the sword, die by the sword.....
Taken to the woodshed? He needs to be defrocked.
Hemorrhoids?
Odds are they were from the Obama camp resenting that he messed up O's chances, not from the Hillary camp, which is probably saying "thank you".
I can think of at least one democratic presidential candidate who’d love be first in line to throw the switch on you, rev.
What about being sorry for your words being inconsistent with the teachings of Christ????
Just a lame attempt to distract attention from his own actions and make him a victim.
"Look! Over there!"
Since when were you declared the arbiter of "Obama's life and message?"
Dear me, I thought that you were a priest, not a political activist or an Obama campaign member.
and I am deeply sorry if they offended Sen. Clinton or anyone else who saw them."
Oh bullsh*t. What the hell did you think that those words would do?
Make your victims feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Worse than being a hypocritical activist priest, who is barred by the IRS from campaigning for a poiltical party or nominee, this rather looks like you are an outright lier
Wow, that is rough stuff!
You are so right! There is no need for Father Mike to be killed, for he needs to keep preaching this crap from now to November. so all can see the jerks that Obama has claimed for friends, so the world can see definitely that Obama certainly lacks good judgment in people.
I can assure you our Lord Jesus is the last thing on Pfleger’s mind then or any time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.