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

[Gecasano]

Obama’s mother was white.
Obama was raised by a white family
Obama never ever will hate whites.
I am white republican, I think people just looking for anything to hurt anyone

[whtboy]

if he was there or not, and heard all the things wright said that does not mean they are also his values or beliefs right?

would it be untrue to say racism, discrimination, injustice, against blacks in America and around the world exists? Althought Wrights comments may seem to generalize white people. it is probally clear to him that only a very small minorty of whites really have hatred against blacks. and he and others who speak out are in my opinion sort of keeping the balance. without people like wright or jessie jackson, al sharp farrkahn he fight against rasism and equality would have died in the civil rights era with dr. king.

you write as if you are against rasism, but have you also written in blogs anything to stop rasism from whites? it seems as if you are for the continuation of the present system, and not for improvment for everyone?
can you imagine that someone hold you accountable for the things others say and believe, you would find that unfair right? or would you abandon someone you known for years because they expressed a different belief?
my wife has different beliefs and thoughts, wow should I get a divorce based on that, because it may come back to haunt me someday.

this reminds me of the film from Michael Moore. when he showed how after the slaves were freed, and all the white people were scared bought tons of guns, moved to different areas, and other crazy things based on fear.
and we see the same fear now. seems like many whites are in fear of what the black man will do when in power, get your guns ready, move to a new country just live in fear, when most blacks just want to live in peace just like anyone else does. and it seems that the only ones who have had anything to say about race seems to be his opponents. i did not hear obama ever bring up race have you?

Stop hiding behind your fear, writing all this crap about obama simply can't admit you don't want a black president, and or you hate Blacks. I can even respect a racist for being honest. but not a snake for being tricky. if god himself would appear to everyone and endorsed Obama as the best person for the job, you still would not vote for him because he is black.

So it's not about him, but about you. saying that it's obvious that many don't want this kind of change.

it's time to learn to see ourselves in others, not in just those that look like us.

[floridaman]

About Barack Obama pastor being anti American:

Is it Anti American to:
Turn the waterhoses on Americans and the pressure so hard that it knocks them to the ground?
Is it anti America for police officers to turn dogs loose on American citizens?
Is it anti American to beat and drag American citizens through the streets for excercising their constitutional rights?
Is it anti American to deny African American children the right to learn in schools and then lock the schools to keep them from attending?
Is it anti American to deny African Americans the right to reside in any locale they can afford.
Is it anti American to hang nooses on the trees in schools as well as public stores?
Is it anti American to consider blacks second and third class citizens
Is it anti American to deny black equal pay at jobs?
Is affirmative action American? I have never seen any black man nor woman who has received a job because of their race.
Is was America that judge Adolf Hitler and the Neo Nazi party stating how horrible his acts of crimes were against the Jews, but Adolf learned everything from America. You might remember KKK, how soon you forget? You might remember skin heads? Hmm... all American organizations. You may remember black votes not counting for much, right? So before you began to say that Barack Obamas pastor made anti
American statements, check your history and see the facts, he is allowed freedom of speech or will you take that also, you are not upset with comments made from Hilary, because you love lies, which is exactly what Hilary does. Baracks pastor told the truth, although brutal, it was the American History truth. If you want a liar then vote for Hilary, she is your girl. I am proud to be an American say it loud. I am Black!!!!!!! and Proud!!!!! Barack is not arrogant, he is a self assured qualified black man who will not allow anyone to give him an identity.

[dave]

'...a prince should always seem to be religious.'
- machiavelli

[Aengil]

Listening to something doesn't mean agreeing with it. Heck, I've just read the article and the comments here - that doesn't mean I agree with them. Nor does my not leaving this site and never reading anything here again mean I agree with this article.

Attending a church doesn't mean I agree with everything the Pastor says on every subject. Particularly when that Pastor is a man born in 1941, who grew up when America was still institutionally racist, and appears to be having trouble letting that go in his old age. I'm sure when he's not touching that particular nerve he's a good Pastor (check the sermons yourself - ALL the sermon, not just the bits you want to use as evidence against his character - and you'll see the same).

The idea that Obama is a racist is absurd. Nothing that Obama has said or done indicates that - in fact, quite the opposite. You want to know what Obama thinks about these comments? He's told you, and there's not one thing in his entire background to suggest he might be lying - again, the opposite if anything. If you think Obama might be a racist then, well, you're just not thinking.

[rosalynneus]

Open your ears and open your eyes american because Obama is doing anything to fool you. Wheter he atended or not his church is not relevant. This guy is his pastor, his counselor, his advisor. His Phylosophy of hate for anyone that is snot black is transparent. Wake up before is toooooo late!

[floridaman]

Is it anti american to:

enslave
abuse your power
lie
steal
not hire blacks that are qualified
not give blacks equal opportunities
say what's good for goose is not good for the ghander. in other words, say that Hitler was wrong, but America was correct in their slave trade.
pretend that affirmative action was good for blacks, but not realize that no black ever received jobs because of their race, in fact quite the contray
the pastor told the truth, and you know it. you hate the truth and that's why Hilary is your girl. Or Mccain is your man. I'm black and proud!!!!

[dave]

'the believing mind is externally impervious to evidence. the most that can be accomplished with it is to induce it to substitute one delusion for another. it rejects all overt evidence as wicked...'
- h. l. mencken

'...a prince should always seem to be religious.'
- machiavelli

(since i can't find the item pertaining to my following entry, and don't know if it was lost or retracted for some reason before my post could appear, i'll just leave my post here, and people to guess what it might be about:

'where's the picture showing mccain as saint mary
with the baby, and more importantly, with the supersized halo/ego? who would dispute it's just fine when people find someone to care for and be happy with?
but why destroy all merit by being pathetic, and trying
to instrumentalize feelings for power and profit?
if it's not possible to buy love, why try to sell yours?
how much oil and how much money, for your beloved little daughter from bangladesh? how many million
babies not mashed to bloody pulp, if you don't bomb-bomb-iran, and how many million more not deformed and suffering, in thousands of years to come, if you don't dump depleted uranium all over their place?')

[Jim Davis]

I'm the author of the Newsmax article. Yes, it is possible to attend a one-hour church service in Chicago at 7:30 AM that's laden with racially divisive and anti-American rhetoric and nod your head in agreement, get a police escort to zip through traffic to your waiting private jet that has the engines warmed up and ready to go, fly to Miami, get another police escort to zip through traffic, and give a speech to the National Council of La Raza at 1:30 PM.

I notice that NLRC didn't indicate whether Senator Obama started his speech right on schedule. But the weather was perfect for a fast flight.

[calumet]

It's with a heavy heart that I say...the Democrats blew it!

The campaigns of the century are the disasters of the century!

[amasi]

Newsmax.com reports that its correspondent witnessed Sen. Barack Obama attending one of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's anti-white sermons on July 22, 2007…THAT’S “A BIG LIE” AND IMPOSSIBLE…Because Barack Obama was In Miami On July 22, 2007…Why?...To Give a Speech at the National Council of La Raza, in Miami Beach…When ?...Between 1:30-3:00 p.m…WHY IT IS IMPOSSIBLE?...IT TAKES AT LEASE 4 HOURS TO FLY FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS TO MIAMI, FLORIDA…SO WHAT? IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTEND ANY OF THE TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST SUNDAY SERVICES AND DELIVER A SPEECH AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IN MIAMI FROM 1:30-3:00 P.M...NEWSMAX.COM MUST APOLOGIZE AND FIRE THEIR CORRESPONDENT

[Kukki]

Wake up America!!

For the first time All of us see America divided on race and creed.
For the first time we see an American wife of a man running for the president, Proud of her country just the day the wannabe wins!! where did she make her millions??
For the first time the Spiritual Guru of Mr. Obama damns the Americans and for 20 years Mr. Obama was not listening!!
Wake up before it is too late!!

[mike]

if he was there or not, and heard all the things wright said that does not mean they are also his values or beliefs right?

would it be untrue to say racism, discrimination, injustice, against blacks in America and around the world exists? Althought Wrights comments may seem to generalize white people. it is probally clear to him that only a very small minorty of whites really have hatred against blacks. and he and others who speak out are in my opinion sort of keeping the balance. without people like wright or jessie jackson, al sharp farrkahn he fight against rasism and equality would have died in the civil rights era with dr. king.

you write as if you are against rasism, but have you also written in blogs anything to stop rasism from whites? it seems as if you are for the continuation of the present system, and not for improvment for everyone?
can you imagine that someone hold you accountable for the things others say and believe, you would find that unfair right? or would you abandon someone you known for years because they expressed a different belief?
my wife has different beliefs and thoughts, wow should I get a divorce based on that, because it may come back to haunt me someday.

this reminds me of the film from Michael Moore. when he showed how after the slaves were freed, and all the white people were scared bought tons of guns, moved to different areas, and other crazy things based on fear.
and we see the same fear now. seems like many whites are in fear of what the black man will do when in power, get your guns ready, move to a new country just live in fear, when most blacks just want to live in peace just like anyone else does. and it seems that the only ones who have had anything to say about race seems to be his opponents. i did not hear obama ever bring up race have you?

Stop hiding behind your fear, writing all this crap about obama simply can't admit you don't want a black president, and or you hate Blacks. I can even respect a racist for being honest. but not a snake for being tricky. if god himself would appear to everyone and endorsed Obama as the best person for the job, you still would not vote for him because he is black.

So it's not about him, but about you. saying that it's obvious that many don't want this kind of change.

it's time to learn to see ourselves in others, not in just those that look like us.

[OriginalT]

The headline is deceptive. There was nothing anti-white in Wright's sermon. No one has pointed out anything inaccurate in his text. This is a country run by rich white men so far. All Presidents have been rich white men-that has been the previous profile-those are the facts. As a Black man who interacts with or manages whites in business daily, I see nothing wrong at all with Wright's spot on remarks. Additionally, Obama should not be held accountable for something Wright said in any case. Obama's legislative record of cross-party collaboration and achievements speak for themselves. This is only a typical divide-and-conquer smear which wont work.

[Simpson]

Even if Obama was in that church at the time of the sermon, does that make him guilty?

How many of us keep company that is criminal. If we shall ascribe to "Criminality by association" then we need to change our laws, to allow anybody whose parent, whose mother, whose mother, whose friend, whose acquaintance, whose teacher, slave owner, .... ever uttered a sentence bordering on racial hatred should be considered guilty.

In that case i profer a curse to all our population because we are all guilty by association.

Let us import a clean president from Russia!

This pastor presided over Obama's wedding, he has been a pastor in his local church for twenty years, which means Obama started attending t

[Gregorovitch]

For you "Left Wing Hate Mongers", the original story was released, not by "right wingers" but by Brian Ross of ABC. It is said he is a big Hillary supporter.
Yes he was scheduled to speak at 1:30 pm, however, he didn't arrive until 1:50 pm.

http://www.hispanicmpr.com/2007/07/31/clinton-obama-appearances-highlight-of-2007-nclr-conference/

Secondly, if there is a video of him in Church on July 22 and the video of him in Miami on July 22, then the time difference and flight are immaterial. Opinions are opinions...Video is real.

[C Watson]

"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."

That checks out:
NCLR Agenda for July 22:
http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/47386/

It's also in the papers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/22/AR2007072200742_pf.html

and the July 22 NCLR speech that was delivered is posted on Obama's site.
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/07/22/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_21.php

Davis said “On this particular July Sabbath morning” (the 11am service was CST time or 12pm Miami time). Let me finish it for him, “Obama couldn’t be in two places at the same time.”

[Techwreck]

Let's hear from Obama. Why did he stay in a hate church for 20 years, and why did he want his kids to hear the stuff that Rev. Wright was preaching?

I am not condemning Obama, but I need to hear more than "I didn't know ..." in order to support him.

[Wow]

How can the LA Times post lies of this nature? Do you even factcheck?

[Lisa Pease]

This is hilarious for its naivete. Newsmax is little more than a mouthpiece for the conservative right and its corresponding CIA elements. These are the two groups most terrified by the notion of an Obama presidency, so it makes perfect sense that a lie like this would grace their pages.

Ronald Kessler has been praising the CIA for years. Several public CIA figures are supporting Clinton's campaign. Some have suggested, and not without some evidence, that Kessler is little more than an agency shill. Casey, of course, was CIA director under Reagan.

Christopher Ruddy? He's the guy who kept saying Vince Foster was murdered and trying to pin it on the Clintons. Richard Mellon Scaife was the guy who funded the State Troopers and tried to get them to pin a set of murders on the Clintons as well. Yes, there really was a vast right-wing conspiracy out to bring down the Clintons.

But this story is so provably flase it's embarrassing to see an LA Times blog helping with the tabloidization of a formerly respectable paper.

[John B Sheffield]

The Clinton Campaign continues to trade on lies and smears and are lapping up this current attack on Barack Obama, I have a strong Faith but I know I can't be held responsible for everything my Pastor may or not say, especially if I am not present.

Now we get claims on websites that Barack Obama was present for one of the so called sermons! only problem Barack was in Miami for a Conference that day!

With all the lies and smear that Penn & Wolfson peddle for Hilary, and Hilary's claim again Saturday that she did play an important part in the Irish Peace Treaty (Pity the Politicians of Eire, Northern Ireland and the UK agree with her) Voters are really starting to ask what is Truth from the Clinton Campaign Team, can she be trusted?

[frank mccord]

Regardless of whether Obama attended or not, this clinton orchestrated character assassination will be the beginning of the end for the democratic party. No black vote = no white house for 20 yrs. I for my part, a democrat, will not vote for Clinton if she is the nominee.

[susie]

There are 2 different articles.
The first article was written over a year ago why was it not corrected at the time it was written.
The Secret Service can answer this question easily.

[ronald]

How can you trust BARACK OBAMA?
He always change his stance whenever he is on hot seat.
He is a star fruit... so many faces... and can not be trusted...

[mike]

If Rev Wright was his only anti American association, it could be overlooked. Obama's connections are scary
Obama, Rev Wright, Farakhan, Rezko, Mahdi Auchi, AlSamarae, Wm Ayers, Rashid Khalidi, Raila Odinga, Abongo Obama and it goes on and on !!!
These associations are not good for AMERICA>