WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presidential hopeful
Barack Obama on Saturday resigned from the church where controversial sermons by
his former pastor and other ministers created political headaches for his
campaign.
Democratic presidential candidate
Senator Barack Obama hosts a discussion on home ownership at the College
of Southern Nevada in North Las Vegas, Nevada May 27, 2008.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"We don't want to have to answer for everything
that's stated in the church," the Democratic presidential front-runner told
supporters in South Dakota, according to TV news reports.
"We also don't want the church subjected to the
scrutiny that a presidential campaign legitimately undergoes," he said.
Nevertheless, the senator from Illinois admitted
there was "some sadness" for him to break with the Trinity United Church of
Christ in Chicago, Illinois, where he has been a member for the past 16 years.
"This is not a decision I come to lightly," he said.
The resignation comes days after the Rev. Michael
Pfleger, a visiting Catholic priest, mocked Obama's Democratic rival Hillary
Clinton during a sermon at the church.
Pfleger is also a friend of Trinity United Church of
Christ's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, from whom Obama distanced
himself in April.
Obama said the Pfleger controversy made it clear that
as long as he remained a member of the church, remarks from the pulpit would be
"imputed" to him, even if they conflicted with his personal views.
He said he and his wife, Michelle, began discussing a
departure from the church after Wright spoke at the National Press Club on April
28.
During the appearance, Wright pointed out that Obama
"distanced" him for political reasons.
Wright, Obama's minister for about 20 years, drew
unwanted attention for the campaign when videos of his controversial sermons
surfaced earlier this year.
The former pastor even said the United States should
blame itself for the Sept. 11 terror attacks, among other "outrageous remarks."
Analysts said Obama's move to break with the church
and his former pastor is aimed to remove a political liability which could be
played into the hands of the Republicans in the general election.
WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic National
Committee (DNC)'s rules and bylaws committee on Saturday reinstated all of
Florida and Michigan's delegates to its party's presidential nomination
convention in August.
However, each delegate from the two states will only have
half a vote at the convention because the two states held its primary earlier
than the DNC allowed, according to DNC officials. Full story
WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the final three
primaries in June, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are facing a high
stakes contest Saturday as a Democratic party panel decides whether to reseat
the Florida and Michigan delegates.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC)'s rules and bylaws
panel is set to begin a day-long meeting in Washington Hotel at 9:30 a.m. Full story
WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic
leaders were pushing for the end of the party's presidential nomination race by
urging uncommitted superdelegates to make their endorsement, said a TV report on
Friday.
Citing a senior Democratic aide, the CNN reported
that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat, was already calling uncommitted
superdelegates, asking them to publicly express their support between now and
next week to Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the presidential
nominee. Full story
WASHINGTON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic
presidential hopeful Barack Obama has started searching for a running mate,
sources closed to him said Thursday.
A veteran Democratic activist was quoted by U.S. TV
networks assaying that former Fannie Mae executive Jim Johnson has accepted
Obama's request to begin a screening and selection process for a vice
presidential candidate. Full story
