Sorry, but it really strains credulity for Barack Obama - as he is doing so tonight - to assert that he has never heard that the Rev. Jermiah Wright said "God Damn America." It's just not believable. Obama has regularly attended this church. He may not have heard the words as they were said, but it is inconceivable that someone did not approach him, or that he did not hear through the always present church grapevine, that the Rev. Wright said the words.

Yet Mr. Obama stayed at the church, and there is no evidence that he approached the Rev. Wright and took issue with the comments. The reason this has such potential to damage Mr. Obama is because he is basically a blank slate. His campaign is run on a promise of hope and change and optimism, and his failure to distance himself from the Rev. Wright earlier is a contradiction of his campaign's central premise.

I just don't think the manner in which Mr. Obama is going about damage control tonight is going to cut it. He is going have to go much, much further to reassure the American people that in absolutely no way does he even approach sharing the sentiments of the Rev. Wright. And insulting the voters intelligence, by claiming that he was never aware that such comments were made, isn't going to do it.