The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

Democratic front-runner Barack Obama battled to defuse the most serious threat yet to his presidential hopes after incendiary, racially tinged sermons by his former pastor triggered an uproar.

The mixed-race Illinois senator Tuesday condemned the sermons while standing by his black spiritual mentor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and appealing for America's divided communities to pursue a "more perfect union."

Wright, who has now retired from the Chicago church, resigned last week from an Obama campaign committee when videos emerged of him appealing to African-Americans to sing "God damn America" and condemning US "terrorism." New polls suggested that non-stop airings of the sermons on television networks and the Internet had dented Obama's support, with independent voters who had been excited by his promise of change especially put off.

In a major speech in Philadelphia Obama decried Wright's "profoundly distorted" sermons but refused to disown the 66-year-old Chicago preacher, who welcomed the young community organizer into his Christian flock 20 years ago.

"Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in the church? Yes," Obama said. "Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely-just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed," he said.

But Obama also said Wright "has been like family to me." The fiery reverend officiated at Obama's wedding and baptized his two daughters.

"I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother," the candidate said, recalling that she had sometimes used racially tinged language.

Obama's speech was aimed not just at African-Americans embittered by centuries of discrimination, but at struggling whites and immigrants ill-disposed to atone for past generations' sins.

"It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams," he said.