And based on what he just committed to in today's speech, he is dead in the water if he is visible in any crowd shot in a DVD. Or Michelle for that matter.

Or even if a Trinity Veterans for Truth comes forward and there are ads from people saying that they were in Church with him when the Rev was giving  some of his "faith footnotes". Are the voters going to believe 6 guys saying here was there or one candidate saying he doesn't remember?

Jeff Zeleny of the Times writes:

For the second day in a row, Senator Barack Obama sought to distance himself from the remarks made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., and forcefully denounced the incendiary comments he feared would provide "comfort to those who prey on hate."
"I'm outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Mr. Obama said, speaking to reporters here today. He added, "I find these comments appalling. It contradicts everything that I'm about and who I am."

Seeking to quell the political damage the controversy is dealing to his campaign, Mr. Obama called a press conference after a town meeting here this afternoon to raise the volume of his criticism of his former pastor. In his speech on race last month in Philadelphia, where he tried to put the matter behind him, Mr. Obama said he gave Mr. Wright the benefit of the doubt.

But after watching three days of Mr. Wright's commentary in televised speeches and interviews, Mr. Obama said, "there are no excuses."
"They offend me, they rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced," he said. "That's what I am doing very clearly and unequivocally here today."

Today, the comments by Mr. Obama were considerably stronger than any previous remarks he has made about Mr. Wright. Yesterday, he dismissed the remarks, but also criticized his opponents and the media for spending too much time dwelling on his former pastor.
Asked why the change in posture, Mr. Obama said he had not seen the televised comments until last night. When he did, he said they "shocked and surprised" him, and he decided to clarify his position.

I know it's disrespectful in his eyes to say he wasn't sincere in his rejection of Wright, but I think it's disrespectful to reject Wright in the first place.

He just excommunicated himself from his Pastor.

It's like nothing I have ever seen before in my life.

Didn't he make that donation the year before he announced?  And after all the rumors that he was going to run?

or vice versa

One of the biggest surprises I've gotten from this campaign so far is the fact that apparently Clinton has the best sense of humor of anyone in (or near) politics today.

I'm not sure Obama had a better course but (from the reporting I've read here) he hasn't done himself any favors...

I'd go further--I think he's hurt himself with just everybody except the press, certain bloggers and, of course, the "creative class."  

Which voters will admire this tactic?

African-Americans?  Are most of them as cynical as politicians?  Are most of them ready to see a black contender for the presidency ditch his own pastor to comfort upper-middle class reporters and pundits?

Blue-collar whites?  Are most of them ready to cry, ah, yes, he's finally caught on to the truth about his minister, he's seen the light and so have I, and now I can safely vote for him...?

Latinos?  Are most of them ready to listen to this  soliloquy of high-minded evasions and think, oh, sure, here's somebody who'll protect us when the Republicans try to round us up...?

The trouble is, no matter how effective the move might be--and I doubt it will be effective at all--it looks not only calculated but cowardly.    What does that say about him as both a candidate and a potential president?  

If he's ready to dump his long-time spiritual advisor, who's next?  Or, more crucially, what's next?  Health-care reform? Closing Guantanomo & ending torture?  Roe v. Wade?