Rev. Michael Pfleger Exhorts Crowd to "Snuff" John Riggio

"Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina's Church, exhorted the crowd to "drag" [gun] shop owner, John Riggio, from his shop "like a rat" and "snuff" him."---Illinios Review [Pfleger's terroristic remarks in MP3 format].

Most people have now seen the Catholic priest Rev. Michael Pfleger (shown above) embarrass Senator Obama and denigrate Senator Clinton with his racist tirade against Senator Hillary Clinton [video]. The despicable Rev. Pfleger put racist words in Senator Clinton's mouth that she didn't say.

According to a blog called Illinios Review, Rev. Pfleger also called for a suburban gun store owner to be "snuffed." The blog also reports that Rev. Pfleger also called for the murder of politicians who don't agree with his views on gun control.

Illinios Review, citing the the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), reports:

During an address at an anti-gun rally in front of Chuck's, Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina's Church, exhorted the crowd to "drag" [gun] shop owner, John Riggio, from his shop "like a rat" and "snuff" him. Rev. Pfleger went on to tell the crowd that legislators that vote against gun control legislation should be "snuffed" as well. As many know, "snuff" is slang for especially violent murder.

The ISRA has a recording of Pfleger's remarks in MP3 format.

"Certainly Fr. Pfleger has offered Absolution to a murderer or two during his tenure as a priest," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson. "That's why it's shocking to hear him actually advocate the murder of a gun shop owner who has never committed a crime in his life. He then compounds the problem by calling for the murder of legislators who disagree with his personal political views -- something I suspect is a felony in this state. Pfleger's comments were disgusting and dangerous. And, I seem to remember that the Fifth Commandment frowns on murdering one's neighbor."

For the same story, see also Cybercast News Service (5-29-08).

The AP reports (5-30-08) that Senator Obama has worked with Rev. Pfleger to get state grants to help inner-city blacks:

While Pfleger is not nearly as close to Obama as Wright had been, he has donated to the candidate's state Senate and presidential campaigns and sat on a Catholics for Obama committee until a few weeks ago. When Obama was in the Illinois Legislature, he helped land more than $200,000 in state grants for outreach programs run by Pfleger's church.

The Swamp (5-29-08), a blog of the Chicago Tribune reports:

Pfleger gave Obama's campaign $1,500 between 1995 and 2001, including $200 in April 2001, about three months after Obama announced $225,000 in grants to St. Sabina programs...Pfleger said he made those donations personally, not on behalf of the church or to win grants.

I also feel strongly that there should be more control over gun ownership and that people in poor communities should be better protected by the police from criminals with guns. Like Rev. Pfleger, am against drugs and prostitution; but I don't think that government money should be going to clergymen/terrorists like Rev. Pfleger who call for "snuffing" people.

People like Rev. Pfleger who publically incite crowds to murder people and politicians with whom they disagree should be called terrorists. I also wonder if Rev. Pfleger has ever demonstrated in front of the homes of the criminals who prey on his neighborhood and incited crowds to snuff them. Is John Riggio selling those people guns? It isn't clear.

Rev. Pfleger is advocating terrorism. He is a hater. He is a lot like Ward Churchill, the ex-professor who used his "pulpit" at the University of Colorado to celebrate the murder of two FBI agents, who "jokingly" called for "snuffing" American children, who "daydreamed" in an essay about hanging politicians, and who denigrated the victims of 9-11 as "little Eichmanns."

The Swamp (5-29-08) reports:

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign on Thursday was forced to again apologize for the remarks of a Chicago pastor backing his candidacy who spoke from the pulpit of his longtime church.

"As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us," Obama said in a statement. "That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause."

If Senator Obama believes this, then why did the Senator support this divisive, backward priest with government money? If he becomes President, is Senator Obama going to sponsor other people who advocate terrorist murder when they don't get their way?

Even stranger, why would Rev. Pfleger embarrass Senator Obama after he saw the political fallout against Senator Obama from Rev. Wright's extremist rhetoric and lies about AIDS?

Maybe Rev. Pfleger doesn't really care about Senator Obama's candidacy or about helping black people. Maybe he cares more about fomenting hate and inciting terrorism, which will not help black people and is not the message of Jesus.

Is Rev. Pfleger trying to undermine Senator Obama, or is he just such a self-absorbed drama queen that he couldn't resist a chance for his fifteen minutes of fame?

Lynn Sweet of the Sun Times News Group (5-30-08) reports:

Pfleger, a passionate advocate for the down-and-out, immediately issued an apology: ''I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them.''

Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said Pfleger stepped down from a ''Catholics for Obama'' committee a few weeks ago, but would not say why.

The Clinton campaign at first had no comment, then Thursday evening said Obama did not go far enough in distancing himself from Pfleger. "Divisive and hateful language like that is totally counterproductive in our efforts to bring our party together and have no place at the pulpit or in our politics," said a statement issued by Clinton spokesman Phil Singer. "We are disappointed that Senator Obama didn't specifically reject Father Pfleger's despicable comments about Senator Clinton, and assume he will do so."

Chicago Sun-Times religion reporter Mike Thomas asked Cardinal Francis George's office for a reaction, and his spokeswoman, Colleen Dolan said, ''The cardinal has made it clear to Father Pfleger in the past on more than one occasion that it's inappropriate to speak about political issues from the pulpit and that his own personal opinions are his own personal opinions.''

The campaign of presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain declined comment.

Pfleger is a longtime Obama friend and was in the audience at the National Press Club for that Wright press conference, and when we talked afterward, he realized Wright created a problem for Obama.

I was told Pfleger's comments stunned some in the Obama camp because they expected him to be more politically savvy -- and not take on Clinton, especially at Trinity, of all places.