REV. WRIGHT: ATTACKS ON ME ARE ATTACKS ON “BLACK CHURCH”

[Los Angeles Times]

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose fiery sermons as Democrat Barack Obama's former pastor, close friend, and mentor of 20 years set off a political firestorm last month, told reporters today at a National Press Club speech that he has been "crucified" by the media and that attacks on him are really attacks on the black church, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Said Wright:

“It is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright, it is an attack on the black church." "Maybe now we can begin to take steps to move the black religious tradition from the state of invisible to the state of invaluable."

Wright disputed that he was unpatriotic when he used the phrases "God damn America," and "U.S. of KKKA,"

Wright claimed that his remarks were “taken out of context” but the former preacher was unrepentant in his most controversial views, in which he suggested that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were retribution for U.S. foreign policy.

In fact, Wright repeated his opinion that the United States brought the 9/11 attacks on itself by engaging in worldwide terrorism:

"You can't do terrorism on other people and not expect it to come back on you," Wright said. "Those are Biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright bombastic principles."

The National Press Club speech came amid a three-day media blitz for Wright, who appeared before the Detroit NAACP branch Sunday night and gave an interview to PBS' Bill Moyers on Friday night.