Obama: Wright's "rants" cause rift

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama essentially severed ties Tuesday with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, decrying his former minister's latest remarks as "a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in the truth."

Campaigning in North Carolina, Obama denounced Wright's appearance Monday at the National Press Club as "a show of disrespect to me." He said the break with Wright, who retired from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, is final. "Obviously, whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed," Obama said. "I don't think he showed much concern for me; more importantly, I don't think he showed much concern for what we're trying to do in this campaign." Attempts to reach Wright were unsuccessful.

Last month, in a speech on race prompted by controversy over Wright's past sermons, Obama said he disagreed with some of his former pastor's views but did not want to disown the man who married him and baptized his children.

On Tuesday, the senator said his feelings changed when he viewed tapes of the press-club appearance, in which Wright defended Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested the United States promoted "terrorism" and created the AIDS virus to kill blacks.

Obama said he was "shocked" by Wright's "insensitivity and the outrageousness." While he thought the media unfairly caricatured Wright a month ago, Obama said, "Yesterday, I think he caricatured himself."

Delegate deal pushed in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democrats working to get the state's delegates seated at the Democratic National Convention suggested Tuesday splitting them 69-59 between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan of its 128 delegates for holding its presidential primary too early in the year. The state also has 28 superdelegates.

Clinton wants 73 delegates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which she won, 18 more than Obama. Obama, who removed his name from the ballot, wants the 128 pledged delegates split evenly, 64-64.

The compromise was suggested Tuesday in a letter to Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer, who had no comment.

Also

Kentucky Rep. Ben Chandler endorsed fellow Democrat Barack Obama for their party's presidential nomination Tuesday while Hillary Rodham Clinton collected the endorsements of North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley and Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri.

Seattle Times news services