debaser, in fact my relationship to Catholicism is complicated. Please read "Why I can't mourn the pope" if you doubt that. I am estranged from my official church because of its sexism and sexual teachings generally (including its hypocrisy and corruption on sexual abuse.) I still consider myself a Catholic because I'm a cultural Catholic, it's the way I learned to think about God and social justice, and I won't let the hierarchy chase me. But I'm a public critic of its most awful words and deeds.

By contrast, Obama chose Wright's church in his mid-20s -- still young, but well into adulthood. I believe it was mostly a political choice, and I don't damn him for it -- it makes him a politician, just like Clinton's a politician. But personally, I find it disappointing he chose a pastor who preaches what Wright preaches. There are plenty of black ministers who don't think you have to demonize whites to exalt blacks; who are fierce critics of American domestic and foreign policy without saying "God damn America," and who don't believe conspiracy theories about AIDS or strange science about black and white children's brains. It's insulting to the black church to insist otherwise.

Hi Omni, I don't ever give red stars. They're all great letters to me!

odog11, the movie is "White Chicks" and I thought it was hilarious. I think you're taking your tale of white grievance a little too far.

I admit, that was a pretty trivial point for me to chime in on, but maybe it's like Carol's satire, I finally got it.

Carol...I appreciate the seriousness of your question. But the fact is he has to deal with it. You're all furious at me for focusing on Wright as though the issues would go away if I didn't. I've seen this coming for months. How would Obama, a racial healer with what I believe is a truly expansive notion of racial justice, a guy who seemed to be staking his claim to the nomination on his ability to heal long-standing rifts, the 60s culture wars, and even appeal to Obamacans, ever explain his choice of Wright's church and his 20 year membership in it? It's not going away. I'm not the one who scheduled Wright for Moyers, the NAACP dinner and the press club this week.

I have to say, Carol is very funny and I read every one of her letters.

Carol, yes, you're right. I'm beginning to think that perhaps Clinton and Obama supporters use different sides of their brains. Would that be offensive to say? Or is it OK if Rev. Wright says it first?

Allene, I really value your insight. I'm just wondering if you saw Wright's NAACP speech or his remarks in DC today? Because it seems to me that he's not trying for cross racial dialogue at all. And I'm more convinced than ever he's trying to sabotage Obama.

david sugarman, thanks for reminding me of my humble start, and all that I owe to the men who handed me my job. Hilarious.

dog-walker, I haven't censored rufus11. Haven't deleted a single post. Are you suggesting I censored him merely by telling him what I think?

oh, and you too tbrandel:

If there's any "media bias" toward Obama, it's because the media are largely made up of people who are smarter than average, and smarter-than-average people tend to believe Obama is the stronger candidate.

Way to talk to the other side! Way to build a movement! We're smarter than average, and you're not, Hillary fans!

Poor Barack Obama.

Laura Maschal, great post. Sorry, my attempt to be self-satiric didn't quite work. I am working with Chris Matthews. I disagree with him regularly; he still asks me back.

rufus 11, sometimes I worry that I'm showing an anti-Obama bias by not deleting some of your posts.

Off to a baseball game! Very excited to see my favorite person in the world outside my friends and family, Obama backer Dusty Baker, back in SF, even if it's with the Cincinnati Reds. Have a good weekend everyone. I'll check back in later!

Thank you, Tropicalli, but I don't fear for my job! Don't worry about me! If any one of the nasty trollers ever took me into a room, I would come out -- alone.

But seriously, I am not striving for balance because I'm intimidated. I'm striving for balance because I value balance. And because I also feel as though the viciousness of this race is dangerous to those who want to see change in the country. I really enjoyed the conversation in my last two blog posts -- and then it turned ugly, because vicious baiting posters on both sides madeit ugly. That saddens me.

I continue to contribute my observations about some of the issues facing Barack Obama in the hope that people can understand why he's stuck right now. I don't do the same as often for Hillary Clinton because that's what 98 percent of the rest of media is busy doing. I think I only stand out as pro-Clinton because so much of the rest of the media is pro-Obama.

rkforo, and others -- I have criticized recent Clinton's hawkish statements on Iran. I have also criticized her Iraq war vote and her Kyl-Lieberman vote repeatedly.

majorajam, thanks for your critique! But I don't cede the word (or concept of balance) to Fox News. It's an effort to be fair, I admit, to both sides. Try it some time!