'Them Jews won't let me speak to the president,' says Obama's former pastor

BARACK Obama's controversial former pastor, the Rev Jeremiah Wright, has blamed "them Jews" for keeping him from speaking to the United States president.

The former pastor of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ said he has not spoken to Mr Obama since he became president. In an interview with the Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia, Mr Wright said: "Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me." He spoke to the newspaper following a sermon at the 95th annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference on Tuesday night.

The White House yesterday declined to comment on Mr Wright's remarks.

Mr Obama was a long-time member of the church, but he resigned from it and cut ties with Mr Wright after videos of the pastor's sometimes provocative sermons about America and race surfaced during the presidential campaign.