GOP hits Barnes for praising pastor
MADISON - Republicans are criticizing the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor for once praising the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor to Barack Obama who declared “God damn America” in a sermon and said “them Jews” wouldn’t let Obama talk to him.
Mandela Barnes, who is running for lieutenant governor, this week said he called Wright “brilliant” in a 2013 Instagram post because he had given a good speech in Milwaukee.
He swatted back at Republican critics, noting Gov. Scott Walker in 2015 said there were only a “handful” of moderate Muslims and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in 2010 compared same-sex marriage to the ability to marry inanimate objects or dogs.
“These are THEIR words,” Barnes said by text message. “Jeremiah Wright just so happened to have given a good speech that night.”
Alec Zimmerman, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, decried Barnes’ comments about Wright five years ago.
“Whether he’s speaking admirably of a known anti-Semite, infamous for shouting ‘God damn America,’ or making disparaging remarks about President Trump’s supporters — across the board Mandela Barnes continues to insult scores of Wisconsin voters,” Zimmerman said in a statement.
Wright drew scrutiny in the 2008 presidential race for his sermons, including one in which he said, “Not ‘God Bless America,’ God damn America!”
After Obama was elected, Wright said he hadn’t spoken to him.
“Them Jews ain’t going to let him talk to me,” Wright said, adding later that he had meant to say “Zionists” rather than “them Jews.”
Barnes saw Wright in 2013 and wrote on Instagram afterward: “In 2008, he became one of the most controversial names in politics, but what’s for certain is that the man is brilliant. It was amazing to hear Dr. Jeremiah Wright speak this evening.”
Barnes said this week that Wright talked mostly about a trip to South Africa.
“This is just real cute considering how they coddle extremists,” Barnes said via text message of the GOP criticism. “The Nationalist in Chief just came to campaign for them. Are they too nationalists?”
Barnes is the running mate to Tony Evers, the Democratic nominee for governor.