I guess if you cant attack a man on his own character...you find a reason to attack someone who he is connected to right? Is that how it works? Is that what our political system is coming down to? I have watched for the last two weeks as the media and other public figures have repeatedly asked Obama to denounce his supporters. First, the debate where he was confronted with comments from the Minister Louis Farakhan and most recently from his affiliation with Rev. Jeremiah Wright in Chicago. Does anyone else see what is going on here? Does anyone else see the irony of this latest political ploy? In a country founded on the principles of freedom of speech, how is it that a candidate is being ridiculed not even based on his OWN comments but he has to defend the comments and opinions of someone else! That is democratic hypocrisy at its purest form and it contradicts everything this country is supposed to stand for. I guess we can add it to a long list of ironies including slaveholders composing the "declaration of independence" with the premise that "we hold these truths to be self evident..that all men are created equal." The lies continue... I do not care if you support Obama, Hillary, McCain. This is not a political ploy but it is a call to think about the hypocrisy of whats going on in this country, and more importantly why? Its a distraction from the real issues...health care, education, this ridiculous war that is costing us billions of dollars and sending us into an economic spiral. It is a distraction from the fact that my student loan was discontinued last week because of federal cuts in the grant program. It is a distraction from the millions of people in this country who don't make enough to feed their families or who are not working at all. It is a distraction from an unjust economic system that rewards the rich at the expense of the poor!! Maybe instead of crucifying Rev. Wright we should take a moment to listen to what he is saying. Perhaps it is offensive to some to speak so negatively about this "great country" but everyone must understand that everyone's experience here has not been a positive one and he still has a right to that opinion. We all have a right to our opinions and no person or institution...even the great U.S.A. is above critique!! You don't have to agree with Rev. Wright's comments but to make a man have to denounce his pastor for the sake of politics...thats a huge price to pay and I'm not sure if even America is worth it. But what do I know...I'm not running for president...YET