By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama's former PASTOR(PAS.MC) theRev. Jeremiah Wright, blasted news media he said hadsensationalized his remarks in an often confrontationalappearance at a reporters' club on Monday.
But the Chicago preacher stood by the fiery sermons thathave dogged Obama's Democratic presidential campaign since theygained public attention in March.
"You cannot do terrorism on other people and not expect itto come back to you," Wright said at the National Press Clubwhen asked about a speech in which he asserted the September 11attacks were retaliation for U.S. foreign policy.
Asked about another sermon in which he suggested the U.S.government created the AIDS virus to kill black people, Wrightalso did not retreat.
"Based on what has happened to Africans in this country, Ibelieve our government is capable of doing anything," he said.
Obama, who is battling fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton forthe right to take on Republican John McCain in the Novemberpresidential election, joined Wright's Trinity United Church ofChrist 20 years ago.
Obama told reporters at the airport in Wilmington, NorthCarolina that his former pastor is free to speak his mind butdoes not speak for his presidential campaign.
"I have said before and I repeat again that ... some of thecomments that Rev. Wright has made offend me and I understandwhy they have offended the American people."
Obama has distanced himself from Wright's remarks anddenounced some of his views, which many voters have interpretedas anti-American.
"Those citizens who say that have never heard my sermons,"Wright said. "I served six years in the military. Does thatmake me patriotic? How many years did Cheney serve?"
Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect of the Iraq war,received student deferments that kept him out of militaryservice during the Vietnam War.
Asked about a remark -- "God Bless America? No, God damnAmerica" -- that has been widely circulated online, Wright saidhe had been quoting an Iraqi official.
"God damns some practices, and there is no excuse for someof the things the government, not the American people, havedone. That doesn't make me not like America, or unpatriotic,"he said.
Wright, 66, said news coverage of his sermons showed afundamental misunderstanding of the black religious traditionin America, which evolved over hundreds of years of slavery andrepression.
"This is an attack on the black church," he said. "If youthink I'm going to let you talk about my momma and herreligious tradition, and my daddy and his religious tradition,you've got another think coming."
He said his church has a long history of political activismbut also feeds, houses and educates thousands of needy peopleeach year.
Wright was cheered enthusiastically by many blackchurchgoers in the audience, who often groaned in exasperationwhen the moderator asked questions submitted by journalists.
Wright, too, often challenged his questioners. He asked themoderator when she had last been to church and what her pastorhad said there.
Others he dismissed as ignorant.
"You haven't heard the whole sermon? Well, that nullifiesthat question," he responded at one point.
(Editing by David Wiessler)
(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visitReuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online athttp:/blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)
