( CNN ) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton would have long ago distanced herself from the Rev . Jeremiah Wright if she had been a member of his church , the Democratic presidential candidate said Tuesday . It 's the first time she or her campaign has commented directly on a controversy that has swirled around rival Sen. Barack Obama 's campaign in recent weeks . `` I think given all we have heard and seen , he would not have been my pastor , '' Clinton said in a news conference in Greensburg , Pennsylvania . The comments came hours after the New York senator made similar comments to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in an editorial board interview . `` You do n't choose your family , but you choose what church you want to attend , '' she told the paper . Clinton repeated those remarks in the news conference . Watch Clinton talk about Wright and other issues » . An Obama campaign spokesman said Clinton 's comments were part of a `` transparent effort to distract attention away from the story she made up about dodging sniper fire in Bosnia , '' a reference to comments Clinton made last week . She later said she `` misspoke . '' `` The truth is , Barack Obama has already spoken out against his pastor 's offensive comments and addressed the issue of race in America with a deeply personal and uncommonly honest speech , '' Obama campaign press secretary Bill Burton said . `` The American people deserve better than tired political games that do nothing to solve the larger challenges facing this country . '' Clinton 's comments on Wright came almost a week after Obama delivered a speech on race and politics in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , during which he denounced some of his former minister 's sermons , but said he could not repudiate the man himself . The sermons in question -- some of which were several years old -- included several racially charged remarks , and became the subject of scrutiny after a news report highlighted them earlier this month . Speaking to reporters Tuesday , Clinton referenced a speech she gave nearly a year ago after talk-radio host Don Imus ' controversial remarks about the Rutgers women 's basketball team . `` I said it was time for standing up for what is right , for saying enough is enough , for urging that we turn a culture of degradation into a culture of empowerment , for saying that while we of course must protect our right of free expression , it should not be used as a license or an excuse to demean or humiliate our fellow citizens . Sen. Obama spoke eloquently at that time as well , '' she said . `` Everyone will have to decide these matters for themselves . They were obviously very personal matters , '' Clinton added . `` But I was asked what I would do if he was my pastor and I said I think the choice would be clear for me . '' In his speech last week , Obama said he heard his former minister make controversial remarks , but not the ones that have been the subject of recent controversy . `` Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy ? Of course , '' Obama said in the speech . `` Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church ? Yes . Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views ? Absolutely -- just as I 'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors , priests or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed . '' Asked by CNN if her speaking openly about Wright meant the issue was now on the table in the effort to win superdelegates , Clinton answered : `` I was asked what I would do , and I answered the question . '' E-mail to a friend .
` ` You choose what church you want to attend , '' Sen. Hillary Clinton tells newspaper . Sen. Barack Obama has quoted some of his former minister 's sermons . Obama remarks : Clinton trying to distract attention from Bosnia trip controversy . Sermons included several racially charged remarks .