Juan's right on

Take a look at this column by NPR and Fox's Juan Williams. I think he's right-Obama has to address his reasons for staying at Trinity Church for 20 years, and for his ties to Rev. Wright. It actually may help voters understand the Democratic candidate if he takes the risk of speaking in a more confessional voice.

A lot of white voters simply don't get the rhetoric of black power-and it frightens them. Right or not right-ignorant or informed. The Democrat who grew up biracial in a changing society still rent by racial divides has to discover a way to reach them, also.

The iron fist

It seems like the Senator from New York has finally gotten the message. Although she did take many of the big states, Obama has the delegates. On Saturday, she'll party-and she'll ponder her future. It won't include being elected President of the United States this year. This year, we'll elect either the oldest guy to be chosen President, or America's first black President.

Amazing, isn't it?

Now that it's almost au revoir, catch you on the Senate floor, Hillary, it's not so hard to see why she had such a tough time giving in. She has won a lot of primaries since Iowa. She was, in many ways, as she has said again and again, the candidate for the working and middle class women and men who are on the losing edge of the gap between rich and poor.

It's an understatement to say that this campaign didn't bring out the best in Bill and Hillary Clinton. Putting that behind him is going to be only one of the challenges Obama will confront as he gets ready to step back into the ring-this time, against a Republican....

Into the Fire

Bishop Bennison's trial is next week at a hotel in Philadelphia. He's being tried on charges he abetted his brother, then a priest, in covering up the brother' sexual abuse of a minor.

It's not something that occurs often-the trial of a bishop in the Episcopal Church. In fact, I don't recall the last time. Was it Walter Righter (more than ten years ago)? As it happens, I'm taking services for a friend this and next Sunday. I''ll probably need to explain the charges and the jury and their decision.

Of course, no one knows what the verdict is going to be. Right now, it's kind of like knowing that there is going to be an accident, but not knowing who is going to need to be in the hospital and who will need rehabilitation. Well, if Daniel and his friends walked through the fire....