We hope the GOP is taking this rhetoric as seriously as they did Jeremiah Wright's.

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JC Watts, the former Republican Congressman who is making news after his announcement that he plans to launch an all-black cable news network some time this year, says that issues like the Reverend Wright scandal show that such a network is sorely needed.

"I've not seen anything in his writings, in his speeches, in his books, in his public appearances, that would encourage me to believe that he views the world through the Rev. Wright's prism," said Watts, the last black Republican to serve in the U.S. House. "I'm a Republican. Barack Obama is a Democrat. I am not taking a position in the presidential race, but I can tell you this: If people vote against Barack Obama because of what the Rev. Wright said, it would be unfortunate. I don't agree with what the Rev. Wright said, but I've said to some of my Republican friends: 'Guys, it's a whole big world out there and I guarantee you, before all is said and done, there will be associations that a Republican has. You are going to be on a slippery slope."'

As for Watts' political affiliation, he said that not all blacks think alike, but most of them vote alike. He plans to show a "diversity of black opinions" on his network. Now, that could be a good thing. Or it could be a euphemism for "black Fox News." It's not necessarily the impression I get, but only time will tell.

AN ADMONISHMENT More on Wright/Hagee:

Roland Martin warns the conservative media elite that they should be careful what they wished for in their incessant coverage of the Obama/Wright contrived controversy. "Now that Wright has set the so-called standard for what isn't acceptable for religious leaders, let's see these same critics take their own kind to task for making absolutely outlandish comments," he writes. "But don't stop there. Demand that candidates don't seek counsel from them. Demand that Republican candidates not go to their churches and sit in their pews and accept their contributions. And if elected, make sure those same candidates don't allow them access to the White House or halls of Congress." That would be sweet justice. But really, who are we kidding? [CNN]

In his column in Sunday's New York Times, Frank Rich brings up the great Pastor Hagee/Rev. Wright paradox. He stops short of directly stating that racism (and, I think, homophobia) is to blame for the fact that Rev. Wright is such a major campaign issue and the mass media has accepted McCain's rejection of the gay-hating Hagee's more hateful, delusional, and insane ravings at face value. However, he does identify the rather obvious double standard that most people in charge of the political news cycle refuse to see.

McCain says he does not endorse any of Mr. Hagee’s calumnies, any more than Barack Obama endorses Mr. Wright’s. But those who try to give Mr. McCain a pass for his embrace of a problematic preacher have a thin case. It boils down to this: Mr. McCain was not a parishioner for 20 years at Mr. Hagee’s church.

That defense implies, incorrectly, that Mr. McCain was a passive recipient of this bigot’s endorsement. In fact, by his own account, Mr. McCain sought out Mr. Hagee, who is perhaps best known for trying to drum up a pre-emptive “holy war” with Iran. (This preacher’s rantings may tell us more about Mr. McCain’s policy views than Mr. Wright’s tell us about Mr. Obama’s.)

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Oprah Winfrey joined Chicago's infamous Trinity Church of Christ in the 80s, and after sporadic attendance, completely stopped showing up in the mid-90s. Why? It's wasn't entirely because of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, reports Newsweek, but he was definitely a factor in her decision. "According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host."

According to the magazine's anonymous sources, although Oprah Winfrey wasn't surprised by Wright's sermons, she recognized that "her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart." Or maybe she just didn't like the church? Who knows. But if she did leave the church because she foresaw some potential scandal, I'm sure she wishes that Obama had done the same. [EUR]

• In other "older women talking about their decades-old interracial affairs with married men" news, Mary Wilson of the Supremes says that Tom Jones broke her heart. [SP]

• Why exactly would Beyonce need any of Jay-Z's money? [NB]

• Voter suppression tactics in North Carolina? [TS]

• I don't really keep up with the televangelist set, but apparently Juanita Bynum and her abusive ex-husband are just getting more and more ridiculous. [C&D]

• "Northwestern University withdrew its offer to give the Reverend Jeremiah Wright an honorary degree at this year's commencement because of the controversy over past sermons by the former pastor to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. … Wright's invitation wasn't rescinded because of his views. Rather, Northwestern President Henry Bienen didn't want to compromise the celebration." [NPR]

Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been widely criticized for what many believe to be "racist" conspiracy theories, most notably one having to do with HIV in the black community. But there are also many conspiracy theories about Rev. Wright concerning why exactly he has decided to speak publicly in such an uncensored way and why right now. Below, check out some popular ones and weigh in on which, if any, hold the most water:

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From the New York Times editorial board:

[Barack Obama's repudiation of Rev. Wright yesterday] was the most forthright repudiation of an out-of-control supporter that we can remember. We would like to say that it will finally take the racial charge out of this campaign. We’re not that naïve.

It is an injustice, a legacy of the racist threads of this nation’s history, but prominent African-Americans are regularly called upon to explain or repudiate what other black Americans have to say, while white public figures are rarely, if ever, handed that burden.

Senator John McCain has continued to embrace a prominent white supporter, Pastor John Hagee, whose bigotry matches that of Mr. Wright. Mr. McCain has not tried hard enough to stop a race-baiting commercial — complete with video of Mr. Wright — that is being run against Mr. Obama in North Carolina.

Wherein you, the readers, talk amongst yourself.

Will Rev. Jeremiah Wright's recent speeches prove fatal to Barack Obama's candidacy? Why or why not?

Bill Maher, a self-professed Barack Obama-supporter, delivered a short-but-to-the-point message to Rev. Wright on his show Friday. It went something like this: "Rev. Wright, you're a dick." Now, I wouldn't call Rev. Wright a dick, because you aren't really supposed to call pastors "dicks" and also because I'm not sure it's an accurate assessment, but I understand where he anger behind the name-calling comes from. Maher wondered why Rev. Wright would go on Bill Moyers and purposefully dismiss Obama's words as those of a politician, when Obama's whole campaign has been about setting himself apart from traditional politicians. I wondered the same thing. But since then, it's gotten so much worse.

Wright's press tour continued yesterday to include a talk before the NAACP and the National Press Conference. There, before loads of media, he said things that, unless he's stupid, which he's definitely not, he had to have known would hurt Obama's campaign. Badly. Although it seems like Wright doesn't realize it or appreciate it, Obama has remained loyal to him throughout this entire ordeal, refusing to "denounce" him or "disown" him, at his own political peril. If nothing else, Wright is too egomaniacal to see how much damage he's causing. This is the thanks Obama gets for not throwing the guy under the bus?

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• Angela Bassett gets a new gig. [AHM]

• Wait, Reverend Wright had the chance to rip out the heart of a white devil and he didn't? Curiously, that goes against conclusions I would make based on what they say on cable news shows. [Wonkette]

• This is really just more than I ever wanted to know about David Banner. Also, I've always hated the way "pipe game" sounds. [NB]

• Star and Al divorced because Al made Star pay for everything. Well, naturally. That's how arrangements like theirs work. [C&D]

• 50 Cent continues to convince people that they want to buy the stuff he's selling. [MTV]

It makes perfect sense that a guy like Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who has been, at best, mischaracterized in the media, to want to defend himself. I would definitely want to. But here's a selfish thought: couldn't the good reverend had waited until, say, after election day to go on the air? Wright spoke to Bill Moyers about the controversy surrounding his "God Damn America" sermon in an interview that will air today on PBS. He said that he is a pastor and Barack Obama is a politician, and that you cant compare the two. He also said his words were twisted in order to further an anti-Obama cause.

"They know nothing about the church. They know nothing about our prison ministry. They know nothing about our food ministry. They know nothing about our senior citizens home. They know nothing about all we try to do as a church and have tried to do." Focusing only on the snippets, he said, "was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt for those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons."

True, Rev. Wright. But since people have already more than made up their minds about this, all this interview is going to do is remind people of the scandal's existence. Oh, well. [WP]

Related: See Father Michael Pfleger shoot down a Fox News reporter with a very, very clear agenda. If you just ate lunch, you might want to skip it. This reporter might make you lose it.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his "God Damn America" had, and still has, the potential to crush Barack Obama's historic candidacy. The dire situation is apparent to everyone, and it was the desire to stem the controversy that inspired Obama to give a speech on race and politics today. I wondered how he was going to do it. Because I know — and you know — the way black people, especially older black people, talk about white people and America in the company of other blacks. It's something that white people, particularly those who don't know many blacks, either don't understand or don't want to understand. And, because Barack Obama has made the decision to condemn Wright's opinions but not the actual man, it was something that Obama had to explain. I think he was successful. The speech was honest and as real as it could have been, given that we're talking politics here. I certainly have never heard a politician speak about race in such a real, meaningful way. Not in a blind "can't-we-all-just-get-along" way, but in a way that really inspires people to think hard about where hate and resentment comes from and to at least start trying to move past it.

Wright was the inspiration, but in the speech he transcended that one issue. By using Trinity Church and Wright as symbols of a black community that he loves dearly but disagrees with, he attempted to show that he could separate the opinions from the person and that people like Wright feel the way they do for a good reason.

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In the interest of full disclosure, and because the Barack Obama team surely senses a full on offensive maneuver from team Hillary in the coming weeks, Obama sat down with the editorial boards of both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times to clear up a few things, mainly his association with the indicted, shady businessman, Tony Rezko, and the "situation" surrounding his spiritual advisor, Rev. Wright, who got a little too angry-black-uncle-at-the-dinner-table during a sermon. Whatever Obama said, he convinced most of the people he was talking to that it was naivete and nothing more that drove his dealings with Rezko. And as for Wright, he's distancing himself and repudiating the comments he made, but would not to condemn the actual man or his church.

Now that Obama has cleared the air regarding Rezko, he's poised to launch an "ethics offensive" against Hillary Clinton. I'm sure the New York Times editorial board would love to have her.