The Return of Wright

Here we go again. Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's former pastor, who was strangely quiet when the media was calling him a crazy person about a month ago, is finally defending his controversial comments.

Of course, Obama thought that he had buried this issue with his historic speech on race relations last month. But much to his chagrin, Wright is speaking out and causing the delicate issue to resurface.

Obama has struggled to regain his footing after a rough March and April culminating in a 10-point loss in Pennsylvania. After Wright's sermon, his "bitter" comments, and his ties to the Weather Underground surfaced in the weeks before the Pennsylvania primary, he thought that he might be scandal-free for a few weeks.

But boy was he wrong.

Wright has made three public appearances in the last four days, most notably at the National Press Club in Washington earlier today.

At the National Press Club, Wright defended his racially controversial remarks, especially his infamous "God damn America" sermon. He also blasted the media for distorting his sermons and for their ignorance of black religious traditions. Basically he's just trying to get some of his honor back and present his side of the story.

But in the process, he has re-opened an old wound that is now likely to resurface later in this primary season and in the general election--should he receive the nomination.

Wright's re-emergence gives Hillary Clinton more fuel for her argument that Obama is not electable and that he still has skeletons in his closet, and it gives McCain and the Republican attack machine fuel for the general election regarding Obama's faith and patriotism.

Now, will this make a huge difference in the primaries to come? I don't think so. Most Democratic voters have already formed their opinions of Obama. They are not likely to change drastically from hearing Wright babble on again about black people and God. I think that this will have more of a long-term than a short-term effect on Obama.

The longer this lingers, the worse it is for the Obama camp. Last time it took a historical and highly anticipated speech to end the Wright controversy. Who knows what it will take this time.