The Reverend Jeremiah Wright -- who is the former pastor of Democratic Party presidential contender Barack Obama -- has dismissed criticism of recent controversial comments. His statements from past sermons, which have been criticized as anti-American and unpatriotic, have damaged Obama's presidential campaign because of the candidate's past association with the pastor. As VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports, Wright on Monday defended his statements and said attacks on his sermons are an attack on the black church