Schedule Puts Obama in Miami During July ‘07 Wright Sermon
December 2000: Barack Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright speaks at funeral service at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. (AP Photo/Chicago Sun-Times)
Barack Obama issued a firm denial Monday to a report that he was in church in Chicago last July when his controversial pastor delivered an anti-white sermon.
Doubts were cast on the story Monday as records showed the Democratic presidential contender was in Miami that day.
On the “fact check” portion of Obama’s campaign Web site, the campaign states: “Fact: Obama Did Not Attend Services on July 22.”
Click here to see the denial on Obama’s Web site.
Reports circulated over the weekend that Obama had attended the fiery sermon that day by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. But a copy of Obama’s schedule viewed by FOX News as well as video of Obama speaking appear to place him in Miami that day at a convention of the National Council of La Raza.
A National Council of La Raza official recalls Obama arriving on time that day for a 1:30 p.m. event that was part of the group’s annual national convention.
It is not clear whether he might have been able to attend church in Chicago before or after flying to Miami for his appearance. The National Council of La Raza official told FOXNews.com he was not involved in any travel plans for Obama to arrive at the convention.
Click here to see a video of Obama speaking that day in Miami.
Speaking with reporters Monday, Obama declined to field new questions about Wright. In what is campaign is billing as a major speech on race, Obama said he would in part discuss how some issues are being perceived inside and outside the black church community.
Obama again said he condemned the controversial statements by Wright that had come to light, but he believed the media frenzy has taken a wrong turn on its coverage.
“I think the caricature that is being painted of him is not accurate,” Obama said.
Obama in the last few days has denied being present for any of Wright’s inflammatory speeches at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Wright retired last month as senior pastor.
Obama’s purported attendance at the sermon was first reported by NewsMax.com freelance reporter Jim Davis; it was noted again Sunday by NewsMax.com writer Ronald Kessler.
Davis reported last Aug. 7 that Obama and his Secret Service detail had been among the parishioners attending the July 22 sermon in which Wright spoke of the “United States of white America” and blamed the Iraq war on “Bush administration bull—-.”
NewsMax issued a clarification Monday to its story, adding that Davis stands by his reporting that Obama attended a service in July fitting the description he first reported, but he no longer was sure it was on July 22.
Click here to read the original report by Jim Davis.
Click here to read the report Sunday by Ronald Kessler.
The report was advanced Monday by columnist Bill Kristol, a FOX News contributor, in his weekly column in The New York Times. Kristol cited Kessler’s report as evidence that Obama is not being fully candid about his relationship with Wright. The New York Times later published a correction to Kristol’s piece.
Click here to read Kristol’s column in The New York Times.
Wright’s comments in the July 22 sermon were mild in comparison to other sermons he delivered, sermons Obama has said he did not attend.
In one sermon Wright repeatedly said, “God damn America”; in another he blasted former President Bill Clinton, saying he “did” blacks “just like he did Monica Lewinsky.”
Following mounting pressure last week, Obama denounced Wright’s words, and Wright stepped down from Obama’s African American Religious Leadership Committee.
Obama told FOX News Friday that he condemned the text of Wright’s controversial sermons, in which he condemned the United States as institutionally racist and blamed the government for HIV and the Sept. 11 attacks. Video clips of the sermons were played in heavy rotation on national television late last week.
“Once I saw them I had to be very clear about the fact that these are not statements that I am comfortable with,” Obama said. “I reject them completely — they are not ones that reflect my values or my ideals or Michelle’s.”
Obama called Wright’s remarks “inflammatory and appalling” in a written statement Friday.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign has yet to comment on the matter. Clinton faced heavy criticism over a racial issue of her own last week after top campaign adviser Geraldine Ferraro said the only reason Obama had gotten so far in the presidential campaign was because he was black. Ferraro resigned from the campaign’s finance committee shortly after her remarks.
FOX News should be ashamed of itself. You are known to be pro-republican and bias against the Democrats, but this only shows that when you see a threatening Democrat, ready to assume the White House in 2009 you have to find ways to smear him, no matter how false they may be. I have never watched a more devisive network in my entire life. Sean Hannity is deplorable and he will one day be exposed for how racist and bias he really is. It’s only a matter of time. If he didn’t feel threatened by Obama there would be not digging to find something that isn’t there. There are many other bias, racist and unfair pro-republicans on this network, very few decent and honorable reporter who tell the truth and is not bias against any candidate.
It seems reporters of Foxnews climax and ejaculate uncontrolably by repeating this Obama-pastor-saga over and over again. I guess Fox would not print this one - haha.
The pastor did not say God damn America in the sense that it is written in this text. His refernce was that people should be saying that as opposed to God bless America, referring to all the things this nation has done to oppress minorities and others of color in the name of God<
…Even if Obama wasn’t there on that day….no one can tell me that he didn’t know about it after the fact. A so-called religious service such as that; news would have traveled to Florida real fast!
I think the American people- meaning - White, Black, everyone, should be concerned about this. The Office of President of the United States is nothing to shrug off as something minor.
I’m a African-American and I don’t always agreed with my religion leader with his views on life. Hearing a sermons that dosen’t line with my views do not cloud my judgement to think what minister is talking is the whole gospel or truth. We forget these religion leaders are mere men and no one is always right in their views. I have the right to agreed or disagreed in this case this leader was wrong. Also on the subject you can be members of congregation not attend every services and don’t keep up with current sermon via media ministry. Main stream media is wrong to think you hear and know what going on in a big church. We are living busy lives and so many things going on is hard to keep up what going on in a church unless you don’t have a life but the church. Most members of big churches don’t know who they are sitting next to in church not only what the last sermon was. It is sad we can only focus on the negative and not the issues of what american need to be talking about. No religion leaders can cloud my judgement about this country or abroad. I’m intelligent human being and can sort out right from wrong statement even sitting in church with a minister who is clearly talking hatred.
the church i attend have cd’s of the service. does obama’s church have these and if so did he received one? i fine it very hard to believe obama does’t know his pastor belief. i believe the american people could not & should not go thru another questionable leader’s statement, (i did not have sex with that women)
This is exactly what I have expected to hear. Obama, like any other person, goes to a church to worship God. I go to a church where I feel comfortable and have beliefs in common with others who attend and also with the minister. He had to have known what this man was all about after 20 years going to that church and listening to the sermons given there. He was close to this Reverend, a friend who married him and baptized his children. Obama is just pandering to the voters. I believed all along Obama was a phony and he is! Isn’t it funny that Obama never heard these kind of sermons when he attended ?…it looked like in the videos shown that the whole congregation went right along with all the comments the reverend was making, clapping and yelling in agreement. They are certainly welcome to their opinion although misguided and ugly. Obama, don’t deny your backround and beliefs..it’s there for all to see and make a decision on.
I am no longer an O’Bama supporter. I will be voting on April 22 in Pennsylvania and I changed my vote to Clinton!
O’bama’s association not only with Jere Wright, but Rezko and Farrakhan speaks to his character, and it speaks to the judgment which is the basis on which he has been running his campaign.
I do not believe Obama’s new, firmer denunciation of Wright. I think he is lying when he said he didn’t know about Wright’s racist sermons.
I think O’Bama should drop out of the Presidential race and resign from his Senate seat. I’m sure it’s only going to get worse as the days go on. I do not want him leading the country that my children and grandchildren are growing up in.
JoAnn
West Mifflin, PA
It does not matter wether or not Obama was in the church during this one sermon or not. It is quite obvious that this so called pastor (who is obviously a racist and a bigot) made a habit of hatemongering. Obama chose to attend this Church for over 20 years and has a close relationship with this Anti-American lunatic. He has not tried to distance himself until now since this has made it to the general public. It does not take a genious to understand that if Obama really had issues with Wright’s philosophy then at the very least he would have quit attending the man’s church. This type of racist and anti-american speech and attitude also sheds a little more light on the earlier statement from Obama’s wife, who said that she has never been proud of America or to be an Anerican - Even though she has lived quite a priveleged life - Coud she be any bigger hypocrite?
It seems to me that it would be possible to verify if Obama was in attendance at the Wright Sermon. There has to be people there who would recognize him. Why not do some research and ask the question. I wonder if there was a photograph or tape of the congregation that day?