Obama disowns preacher in bid to get back on track

Published on Wednesday 30 April 2008 10:17

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Barack Obama was today trying to get his campaign for the party's nomination back on track after declaring his controversial former pastor "was not the person that I met 20 years ago".

The Illinois senator said he was "outraged and saddened" by the Rev Jeremiah Wright's latest "divisive and destructive" remarks on race.

Mr Wright made a series of speeches earlier this week in which he said the US government was responsible for terrorist attacks on America and that it invented Aids to kill black people.

Mr Obama confronted the issue head-on in North Carolina yesterday, ahead of the state's primary next Tuesday.

Mr Obama, who is locked in battle with Hillary Clinton for the nomination, said he understood the pressures Mr Wright faced but would not excuse his comments.

He said: "What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for."