Website says Obama attended anti-white Wright sermon; campaign says no

In a posting this evening, Newsmax.com reports that its correspondent witnessed Sen. Barack Obama attending one of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's anti-white sermons on July 22 and nodding his head in agreement with the black congregation.

The report on the conservative website directly contradicts the Democratic presidential candidate's recent statements that while he denounced the pastor's controversial anti-American and anti-white rhetoric, he had never heard such declarations himself in church or in private.

Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, immediately denied the Newsmax report, saying Obama was in Miami that day.  He referred to an item hastily posted on the Obama Fact Check website saying simply: "Fact: Obama did not attend services on July 22."

The lengthy Newsmax report by Ronald Kessler said its correspondent, Jim Davis, attended services on July 22, 2007, at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's South Side and saw Obama in attendance.  Kessler's story states:

"In his sermon that day, Wright tore into America, referring to the 'United States of White America' and lacing his sermon with expletives as Obama listened.  Hearing Wright’s attacks on his own country, Obama had the opportunity to walk out, but Davis said the senator sat in his pew and nodded in agreement."

(UPDATE: On Monday the Newsmax site issued a statement with the Kessler story that it stands by the account, despite campaign denials that Obama was in church that day. It points out that he could have attended some services and still traveled to Miami that day and that its correspondent attended several July services and saw the senator and his Secret Service detail witness the service as described in the article. It says Obama spokesmen declined several opportunities to comment before publication of its initial report on the sermon.)

The Sunday night Kessler story links to Davis' original account of the ...

July 22 service, which was posted on the Newsmax website on Aug. 9, 2007, and headlined: "Obama's Church: Cauldron of Division." In it, Davis describes being initially blocked from entering the church, how few whites (except for Obama's Secret Service detail) were among the 2,500 people in attendance and how skilled an orator the Rev. Wright was.

He describes the now-familiar anti-white rhetoric, the excitement of the congregation, Obama's two decades of close ties to Wright and how another congregation member and a prominent Obama supporter, Oprah Winfrey, had joined the church in 1984 but withdrew her membership some years ago allegedly over Wright's preachings.

It's an extremely touchy issue for the Illinois senator's campaign.  The minister coached and counseled Obama during his early community organizing days, and one of his sermon titles led to the title of Obama's best-selling book, "The Audacity of Hope."  Wright married Barack and Michelle Obama and baptized both of their daughters.

In a Sunday conference call, Obama campaign manager David Axelrod admitted that the campaign recognized Wright as a potential problem more than a year ago and had disinvited the pastor from giving the invocation at the announcement of Obama's presidential candidacy on Feb. 10, 2007, in Springfield, Ill.

On Friday, as the issue and videos of Wright's statements flamed across the Internet and his campaign realized the scope of the controversy, Obama posted a statement on HuffingtonPost.com denouncing Wright's "inflammatory and appalling remarks."

The senator added: "I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue."

Later in his statement Obama added: "The sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign."

Kessler's story tonight, headlined "Obama Attended Hate America Sermon," also said: "If Obama’s claims are true that he was completely unaware that Wright’s trademark preaching style at the Trinity United Church of Christ has targeted 'white' America and Israel, he would have been one of the few people in Chicago to be so uninformed. Wright’s reputation for spewing hate is well known."

Newsmax.com, which also publishes the magazine Newsmax, was founded in 1998 by Christopher Ruddy, a former journalist who describes the Florida operation as "the leading independent online news site with a conservative perspective."  Its early investors reportedly included the family of the late CIA Director William Casey and Richard Mellon Scaife, a well-known conservative publisher in Pittsburgh.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[smokey]

whew......

Glad we haven't send Hillary packing yet!!

[Christy]

Whether he was there that day or not, it is unbelievable to me that obama claims to have not been in the pews but everyone in that church knows what gets preached their and certainly obama's association with him for over two decades is proof enough for me. I pray we can get hillary elected. I would have liked to vote for obama but he doesn't have a chance now. The supreme court appointments and 100 year wars by a republican president is pretty scary stuff too.

[Anna]

Um. All I did was a simple Google search and I came up with a video of Obama speaking at the La Raza Convention in Miami on July 22. This is dumb. You guys should do a little actual journalism.

(Or you should read the item right in front of your eyes which says the campaign says he was in Miami.)

[janet]

I'm sure Obama is lying about not having heard Wright at that or any other anti-American vitrioilic rant -- this was July, the Sermon was posted on You Tube in August, and the speech being circulated around took place in November -- so there were many such rants that should shock anyone,

BUT for sake of argument, if Obama really didn't know about them despite all these occurrences, and the fact they were well known to many, he is too ignorant to be President. What kind of Presidential material would attend a church like that for 20 years, be close with Wright for 20 years, and not knowwhat the man was doing? That would make for a scarily stupid President --
"Gee, I didn't know Iran was going to do anything bad, I wasn't there when they said they'd do it," would be his likely response?

Claiming "absent" like he's done at so many controversial votes is no excuse, either. Avoidance and denial, combined with the pompous rhetoric he learned from Wright = Obama.

[Carol Steinberg]

Simply IMPOSIBLE for Senator Obama not been aware of Wright's philosphy. Not repudiating these comments two years ago was a mistake, not repudiating them a year ago was stupid, not repudiating them six months ago when the first report came out was stupid. Repudiating them now is not stupid, but too late. Once again: it is IMPOSIBLE for Senator Obama not been aware of Wright's philosphy.

[maritza]

Sorry folks, the Newsmax story is FALSE.

Obama was in Miami on July 22nd for a NCLR Annual conference. He was the key note speaker at that conference and he attended the luncheon.

(Why are you sorry?)

[The Steadmanns]

Er ... Newsmax? Is this really a reliable source?

This is a news organization so right wing, it would make Joseph Goebbels blush. Along with news, it hawks products such as special radios for use in the event of a devastating terrorist attack. Fear seems to be the name of the game with this organization.

We just wish Newsmax would stop sending us its daily briefings. No idea where they got our e-mail address, and their unsubscribe procedure doesn't seem to be working.

The Steadmanns

[kevin]

We're voting for Obama... not his pastor. This is a non-issure.

[charles]

it seems to me you are obliged to point this out early on in your posting, rather than as the last paragraph:

Newsmax.com, which also publishes the magazine Newsmax, was founded in 1998 by Christopher Ruddy, a former journalist who describes the Florida operation as "the leading independent online news site with a conservative perspective." Its early investors reportedly included the family of the late CIA Director William Casey and Richard Mellon Scaife, a well-known conservative publisher in Pittsburgh.

(Re-read the second paragraph.)

[Anthony Shin]

Was it hate when Obama was criticized for not being black enough? Was it hate when Obama was criticized for being too black? Was it hate when people were taunting Obama about having a Semitic name? Was it hate when Sen. Clinton equivocated about Sen. Obama's religion?

"If you're going to hate, then really hate. Don't even stop to eat sleep or drink, just hate, hate and hate. Then see how long your hatred lasts." - Enlightenment Guaranteed

[Jeff Fecke]

Newsmax, eh? What did the National Enquirer have to say?

[not-a-lemming]

The Newsmax story is probably correct. There is an hour's time difference between Chicago and Miami. Perhaps you people have already forgotten that both Obama and Hillary Clinton would make campaign appearances in both Ohio and Texas on the same day. They call it air travel, developed by the Wright Brothers (no relation to the reverend) in 1903.

[Pearl]

It is really sad how we stoop so low to try and bring someone down. It is lies like this that divides us and If I was Obama for every slander remark that has been said. I would SUE........ Further more how in the world can anyone even buy this trash when He is have WHITE and was raised by WHITE grandparents.

[Nora]

What kind of hit piece is this? Because it's a blog do you think you do not have to adhere to journalistic standards?

[manny]

My friends, remember it's Mr. Obama spiritual advisor who gave the speeches, I agree it's bad but our Barak Obama supporters are not afraid of change, and of hope. As the bible says he who's without sin cast the first stone. And by the way ask yourself why is the other side trying their best to have us so afraid of this man, is it because deep down inside they know is is the one who can help this country move towards the future .

[hopeful08]

A simple quiz - Which of following shows Obama's racist or anti-american values?

a. The 800 bills that Obama wrote or sponsored in IL
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA_GRAPHIC.html

b. His US senate bills on WW threat reduction, government ethics, and immigration reform that he co-sponsored with Senator Lugar, Coburn and and Hagel.
http://thomas.loc.gov

c. The expanded health care he passed for 150,000 children?

It is incredibily arrogant and ignorant to presume to know what one man can learn from his church or pastor and then to make the reason for how they vote for the president of a secular nation.

[Nobama 08]

La Raza's website states that he was scheduled to speak in Miami at their conference on the afternoon of July 22, 2007 (1:30 to 3p).

Nothing to say he couldn't have gone to church in Chicago that morning and flown down to Miami for the conference that afternoon.

[maritza]

not-a-lemming

The flight from Chicago to Miami is 3 hours.

Obama was in Miami which he can PROVE.

This story is FALSE.

[carlos]

you guys got fooled. vote for mcain fools

[dsclinton]

Obama, come in give it up. You denial that you never knew of Wright's sermons doesn't pass the smell test. Your candidacy has too many problems. Even before the Sermons stuff ... there was nagging doubt about your patriotism as well as your accomplishments. You had nothing to stand on , so you took up the change mantra. Even I am for change .. so elect me president. Rediculous , how people are sooo naive to belive you. Ever heard of the Emperor's new robe? Only a child can spot you. THe adults are too occupied with what is cool . supporting a black man for president is sooo cool.
Yes, perhaps it could be . but only the right Black man. It is not you .. atleast not now.

[maritza]

Nope time constraints make this story FALSE.

There are 3 services on Sundays at that church: 7:30am CST, 11:00am CST, 6:00pm CST.

Since Obama's speech was at 1:30pm in Miami, that RULES OUT Obama attending the 11:00am and 6:00pm services since the flight from Chicago to Miami is 3 hours.

That leaves the 7:30am CST service which is 8:30am Eastern time. African-American church services are typically 2 hours. Thus that service would have ended at 10:30am. Obama would have had to leave church, get to the airport, get through airport security, flight would have left in time, 3 hour flight, get from airport to conference, all in time for a 1:30pm keynote address.

HIGHLY UNLIKELY. That means that everything would have been perfectly timed and Obama would have gotten to the conference JUST BEFORE his speech.

I am sure that there were MANY PEOPLE there that saw Obama at the conference BEFORE 1:30pm. Also, there are FLIGHT RECORDS that Obama has that show exactly what time he flew from Chicago to Miami.

Obama can EASILY dispute this story.

This is too funny. The right wing smear machine has hit a HUGE snag!!!!!

[Stick a Fork in Him]

I am wondering if Obama was in the pews during the Christmas sermon which disgustingly talked about Bill Clinton screwing the Black community (riding dirty). http://youtube.com/watch?v=enMWfQl_Qeg

Is it really possible he never saw how disgusting and divisive his pastor was? Maybe he never went to church. If so, he doesn't sound like much of a Christian.

[Jordan Clinton]

Trinity services start at 7:30am. If Obama stayed an hour (normal service) and left at 8:30 am.. 1/2 hour to Midway Airport and in the air by 9:15 Arrive in Miami by 12 noon ( allowing 2 hour and 45 minutes flight and landing, would be 1 pm Eastern time & half hour to drive to the event.
I think it is a very real possibility he attended the service and spoke in Miami.

[Taliese]

And the fact that Obama has a white mother and that he was raised by white grandparents doesn't cause anyone to doubt the veracity of Obama nodding his head when hearing anti-white statements?

Do these people think we're all stupid?

[Gaz]

The Clintons cant change anything. We need change and that change will come from all of us and Obama as our leader.

Go you people full of dirty campaign and lies

Obama is going to win

Obama is for all white, Blacks, Hispanic and all the other